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December 02, 2017 Post 53

2017 Season

Water everywhere! Launching Titania

The 2017 season for Sara B got off to a late start. Once again we had to transport the starter over to D&W diesel for more attention. After we got it back and installed in early June it performed well. We did have a minor issue with getting launched due to record high water along the lakeshore. Even as the carp discovered a grand spawning area in the marina's northeast corner boat owners put their seaboots on and painted the boat bottoms. The marina staff heroically sloshed through boot high water to prep boats and install their floating docks and by mid season they had pretty well got everyone afloat who wanted to be afloat. But it was a tough year for a lot of people with boats at fixed docks since most of the docks were underwater. A number of yachts never did get in the water.
Sara B with her mooring was fortunate to have a place for the summer. She was parked for the winter on a bit of high ground at the marina but the water table a few inches down softened things enough so that Chris had to assist the mud bound Travel-lift by using the marina truck to extricate her.

Debra gets the honors - attaching the triatic

After she was afloat again and settled on her mooring, a house move by Chris and Sue put a dent in her day sailing activities. And once they got their move done a brief skirmish by Chris with the American Medical System put another hold on her activities, though Skipper Sue got her out once or twice during July.

Sara B's only cruise was a very short one nighter to Sodus Bay with Chris, Sue and Jim A. We had a marvelous northeast wind around 10 to 12 to take us along on a broad reach down and when we headed home we had a similar northwest wind to take us home. Perfect breezes for relaxing schooner sailing. We spent one quiet night behind Eagle Island and declared that surely Next year we would get over to Canada.

Even with the trauma of moving and the medical restrictions of surgery we did get a good deal of day sailing in. And we were amazingly lucky with the weekends. Many of the afternoons off Fair Haven featured light to moderate winds, though we had a few brisk outings where we left the foresail furled and one really cool knockdown in the bay with Bill and Ann's son at the helm. (Everyone stayed aboard though one or two fannies got a little wet).

All too soon the days grew shorter and the season dwindled away. Sara B was hauled and parked back in her spot next to the restrooms and a few weeks ago we installed the cockpit cover and the all but eternal roofing material cover. Now we are in the season of making plans and dreaming dreams of future days of warm wind and bright sun.

Chris and Sue are also putting the faithful Chris Craft sloop Titania on the market as they're going to try some trailer sailing with a Compac 23. But Sara B remains central to their plans and hopefully to that of the rest of the “co-op” which, amazingly, has survived for ten years now! Let's have a ten year Co-op re-union this winter!

While some of the crew had a few health issues, the old boat did really well this year. It's hard to say what the next season will be like, but we do hope to get across the lake in 2018, so get your passports in order and check the calender for perhaps a week in mid June.

Sunset over Sodus Point

Flying the fisherman (aka dirty diaper)

Sunset from Sara B at the mooring

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