A couple of days ago Sailing Anarchy gifted us with a link to a sublime video that might be the most pleasant two and a half minutes of your day.

        Another video on the Sailing Anarchy site, ‘The Way It Should Be,’ of 18 footers on a windy Sydney Harbor is also worth viewing.

----------

        Fat flakes of snow were swirling past our windows an hour ago, but no longer.  This storm totaled about 5”, more than those earlier this winter, but hardly noteworthy by Chicago standards, though airlines with customary disregard for their passengers preemptively and unnecessarily cancelled hundreds of flights.  

        If you sense anxiety, it is because there is another storm coming this way next week and I am due to fly to San Diego on March 6, and I really, really, really need to be on the water again.  Partly that is winter, but even more the land is weighing on me. 

        At the moment the storm is forecast to dip to the south of us.

        Other than just being on the water and sailing on this visit--I cringe at the word:  visit.  Currently I only visit my boat.  Ah, well--I have some specific objectives:

        Take photographs and measurements so I can complete the order for the new mast and boom.

        Have a new tiller cover made large enough so the tiller extension can be left permanently in place; and, probably some kind of clear cover for the companionway hatch.  I don’t see a dodger working unless it is unacceptably high.  Unacceptable to me.  I know what has been done on some other Moores.  I have an idea that may at least reduce the amount of water that gets below. 

        I want to consider how to man power GANNET.  She came with a paddle, so I’ll try paddling first.

        And I’d like to find someone to reinforce GANNET’s transom in preparation for installing the Norvane.  I can and will do this myself if I must, but grinding and epoxying back there will be miserable. 

        One advantage of being an old man is that you can pay young men to do things you don’t want to.  I hope I can find a useful young man.