It never fails that I will have to go up the mast at least once a year. Between rain showers, I was able to make some minor adjustments to the rigging. That was Tuesday.  Also on Tuesday, with help of a new crew member, we comfortably put on the sails. By 1400, we departed Dobson YC for a shakedown cruise through the Big Bras d'Or channel and into the Bras d'Or Lakes.Poor planning resulted in a bit of a rough ride through the…

It is now Summer, with a forecast high for today of 14 Celsius. After an excellent road trip from Montreal, I arrived in Sydney, Cape Breton at sunset on Wednesday, June 19. By June 26, repairs have been completed to the mast wiring, the mast is in the hole and Gallivanting is tied up at a dock. The past week has been spent rigging and cleaning the boat. A shakedown cruise in the Bras d’Or Lakes. is still planned.

Spring has finally arrived, but it is not yet summer. The plan is to start getting the boat ready some time next week. The getting ready includes; removal of the cover, repairs to the wind instrument, replacement of spreader lights, replacement of windlass switches, rebuilding the BBQ and if all goes well, the installation of a code zero furler. I am hoping to be able to step the mast before the end of June, which will be followed by a shakedown cruise in…

The winter of 2018-19 has been especially windy in maritime Canada. A windstorm in late November made a mess of our cover.   Fortunately, our service provider re-covered the boat as soon as the winds settled down.It is now March and spring is in the air, the sun is getting warmer and we are getting anxious to take the cover off the boat. This year, the vernal equinox occurs at 5:58 PM on March 20th. Soon it will be time to launch Gallivanting…