Launching a Quarantine
With the world in lockdown, what better way to socially distance than on the water? So on April 19th, Persistence splashed once again with the hopes of a long healthy season of sailing and cruising ahead of us.
Since buying a house last Fall, we did not start any boat projects. (Just a lot of house projects!) We actually didn’t even put the cover on the boat until Christmas Eve!
So after less than 3 months undercover and ski season officially canceled, on March 21st, we took the cover off the boat.
Normally we take everything off the boat in the winter – but having just bought a house, we were in the middle of moving so we left pretty much everything on the boat: cushions, dry goods, books etc. Luckily, nothing got moldy or musty so just a little elbow grease and Clorox was needed. My favorite product to use onboard is Fabuloso, it really cuts through the boat grime that accumulates and is doesn’t leave anything feeling greasy or chemical-ly.
The weekend of April 10th we stepped the mast, compounded and waxed the topsides, cabin house, and cockpit and painted the bottom. Needless to say I was sore for about 2 days after wielding the buffer. Compounding is essentially “sanding” as it takes some of the gel coat away but just barely and waxing polishes is back up. Leaving the boat shiny and looking happy. Many just do the topsides but we like to do the deckhouse and the cockpit as well. We didn’t last year so this year was extra tough!
We are lucky because Brandon is the crane operator and trailer driver which means while some are shut down, we can be self-sufficient. Jamestown Boat Yard has stayed fully open during the pandemic albeit with a smaller staff. We also managed to keep our boat in a spot we could get out. The view above is where we were nestled in. Not pictured is that the width between the buildings only gives us about 2 inches of space TOTAL to get out. No scratches though. Just a lot of careful towing by Brandon.
Now that we are in the water, we are investing in a heater that hooks into our diesel tank so we can start cruising on the weekends locally. There are so many protected harbors around Narragansett Bay which keep us in the state and obeying all local regulations. Some states such as Maryland and New York banned recreational boating at one point but never in Rhode Island. We also know boatyards and marinas are reopening in CT and NY.
So the plan is to start using Persistence as much as we can. Last year, we had a pretty full calendar between work, weddings, and sailing on other boats. As of today, we have only one thing on the calendar at that is our own wedding on August 1st followed by a honeymoon cruise to Maine. While we hope to celebrate with family and friends, if we just end up saying “I do” on the bow and then a party at some later date – so be it! Here’s to Hope, Happiness, and Health!
