I need a Chat Box for the next issue of Catamaran Sailor about what sailors from the snow belt are planning to do for recreation this winter to fill the gap until summer. Like, for instance:
Ice boating, frostbite sailing, downhill skiing, crosscountry skiing, repairing your boat, building a new boat, going on a charter cruise on a big cat in the Caribbean, chess, needlepoint, reading, racquetball, working out at the gym, splitting wood for the fireplace, replacing your kitchen cabinets, ice fishing....

Also, if you belong to a fleet or club, what if any activities do you do as a group during the non-sailing season? Group ski trips, sailing charters, dart league, guest speakers at meetings, mini-seminars...whatever you do to maintain your sailing group's bond during the off season.

(Northerners only, please. I don't need to hear from the people in the lower sun belt, because this is the beginning of the best sailing season, so we know what you are going to be doing).

This winter, like every winter, I'll be skiing (just got my pass today) and dreaming about the new boat I picked up last week that is sitting under wraps, wating for warmth to return to Colorado. I'll also be putting together the fleet newsletter and organizing a sailors and friends weekend of skiing in Vail or Beaver Creek. Finally, when the waiting gets too much, I'll load up the motorhome and head to Mexico for Mid-Winters West. See ya on the beach!

Cross country skiing over to the island that I sail to. I'll take some building materials to build a Cabin. (A Geodesic Dome)

Also playing hockey, whiling away the hours on chat lines.

Found a crew member for the H 18 I am getting! All-right!!!

Sailing the Tornado those weekends it is above 0 degrees Celcius and clear sight.

Otherwise, going kiting with my 4.8 square kite on the snow. Will try out a crazy dutch idea with an windsurfer rig and some skates on ice.

I guess there will be lots of backcountry snowboarding as well..

Landyachting on the beach.

I sailed a class 5 last weekend in windforce 5 and I'm hooked. Lifting one wheel and blasting along with 2.5 times the windspeed.

No trapeze though.

Wouter

Mary,

Thank you for posting this question; it caused me think about initiating the Second Annual Beachcat Sailors Invade Annapolis. Last year we, a couple of friends and myself, organized the First Annual Beachcat Sailors Invade Annapolis night. Its main purpose was to gather and tell tall tails about the previous season and make broad overstated predictions about the upcoming season. Its minor purpose was to show a Beachcat presence in Annapolis, an overwhelmingly leaner type of town. We choose a fine Annapolis establishment, The Boatyard Bar & Grill (www.boatyardbarandgrill.com), to gather our WRCRA club members and friends. We didn't give them any heads up that we were coming and in fact we didn't give the people we were inviting much notice either. It worked out great. About thirty members and friends made it out. The more responsible attendees actually had dinner and as I recall the service was excellent. We would like to have the second annual invasion this winter. Thanks for reminding me!

Perhaps, for this event, our ever-creative WRCRA Fleet Captain Keith will come up with Phase II of his World Domination by Catamarans Doctrine!

Sail the waters of Galveston Bay. Work on boats and trailers. Plan next year's trips. Grand Canyon for some hiking. Looking for a 6.0 or P-19 that needs some TLC as a project boat for next year.

Well, this year I turn 50 and I plan to focus on getting as much ski time as I can.I'm planning 1 week in New England, 1 week in back country B.C. and this summer a trip to South America to do some summer skiing.In between, I'll be night skiing at my local hills in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Sailing the old 14 this weekend as well as all winter. Here is the forcast.

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
257 PM EST FRI NOV 14 2003

COASTAL WATERS FROM MERRIMACK RIVER MA TO WATCH HILL RI OUT TO 25 NM

ANZ236-150415-
NARRAGANSETT BAY-
257 PM EST FRI NOV 14 2003


GALE WARNING

TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT...DECREASING TO 20
TO 30 KT IN THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. WAVES 2 FT.

SAT
W WIND 20 TO 25 KT. WAVES AROUND 2 FT.

i spend the better part of the winter crying, waiting for the summer to come back.

well aren't you a basket case? :P

I feel the same as basket.case, not only is it cold and raining here, but even if I wanted to sail in the cold, they've already drained my home lake.

Arkabutla Lake level chart

But on the bright side, I get to stay in and watch football.:D
Memphis 37 - Louisville 7 !!

Damon

Look at the bright side, now you can find your nuts that you dropped overboard last summer!

Basket (If I may call you that)

I feel your pain... But last summer will never, ever come back. It's gone along with all your dreams, but another summer will come along. There's always more starfish in the sea....There there now...

Todd has a great project N6.0 for sail.

my crew and I are mountain biking when it is dry, Skiing over christmas moulding some cradles and then back sailing in Feb when it warms back up.

This winter I will expermient with carbon and use my newly bought vacuum pump.
The first project we try, are new larger carbonbeams for my ventilo. Next thing will be a carbonrail / rack with footsstraps, mayby also a snuffer and then it will be spring again :-)

Besides that, will go for skiing and mountaineering, do some climbing in a gym (this one of the best trainings for sailing, without going to sail ;-) ) After a winter of climbing in the gym, you can hold the sheets for ever, as this strenghtens the lower arms.

Going down under to sail with some friends.

Pandering for new sails.

Planning for a new regatta.

Watching Wind and Aussie Skiffs vol. 2 while drinking a Grolsch.

Right now I am in the woodshop phase of the iceboating season. I am hoping to be on the ice in about 2-3 weeks. Dreaming about the first black ice.

Sail Fast,
Sail hard water
Eric Anderson DN 5193

Going to get my strange boat finished, in the mean time she can come in doors and curl up by the fire where its nice and warm and the fibreglass can still cure.



Gareth
www.fourhulls.com

how are you planning to do the beams?