Sold my '76 Hobie 16 and plan the next season. Spend time online at catsailor.com I got a lot of great advice from my posting about a good beginner boat- and dare I say it I'm contemplating a monohull to teach the kids to sail. They had a bad experience with jellyfish and high winds sailing in a NC sound. We may rent a while to get the basics down. I also read "The Race" about the first round the world maxi-cat and trimaran race. I'm also devouring Catsailor and Multihull magazines.

You got to adapt to your environment to make it through the long, brutal Michigan winter. Plans include fleet gatherings, meetings, planning sessions, boatshows (Toronto and Strictly Sail in Chicago), skiing and snowboarding. For the hard water - I'd love to try iceboats - those things are wickedly FAST. I do have a couple of trips to California to thaw out and play in the soft water (get in a surf session or two). Also will be repairing some battle damage and getting ready for next season. First regatta may be the Mid Winter's East but will definitely hit Nigel's event at Hartwell, GA over Easter.

The fact that you can fit that 'strange boat' through the front door of your house is very intersting! I've been watching your project progress with admiration (as a fellow engineer) and anticipation.

Going to visit Rick and Mary! (I wish!)

I can't wait until global warming kicks in!
signed:
cold in Toronto

Hi Mary,

Well, of course, you know how I started my non-sailing season...by coming down to see you and Rick! Tell June the massage therapist that I miss her, and plan to get a two hour massage again some day!

This evening, I finally got started on building my Morris Chair, which will hopefully look like this one:



Other than that, I am also doing some sailing event planning for next year. Planning a regatta involves finding sponsors, and you can never start too early.

In the meantime, I'm happy to be working on my chair! Who wants to spend the weekends woodworking, when it's warm and windy enough to sail!

Cheers!

Tim

Fast is fun ,, the water is a little colder then down in the Keys.
Last Winters Racing Crack X Style

Wow chackett!!!

You have my undivided attention!!!

Where can I get plans, info, discussion forums on ice boating. I now walk to my island when I'd rather be iceboating!

I'm not much of an expert but that's the most beautiful ice boat I've ever seen! I understand that it's homebuilt too - plans or from scratch?

The crack-x ice boat was designed and built by a local New England 6.0 sailor. She does belong in an Art Museum as much as she does on the ice. My DN was in the background in the above picture. Ice boating is a great winter activity, and you still get to keep up on the summer skills of figuring out the favored side of the course, headers and lifters, port starboard crossings. All while averaging 30 mph! One amazing thing on the ice boats is that in winds of 5 to 7 knots you can sail at four to five times the speed of the wind.

The last picture didn't turn out unfortunately : (

Where did you get the DN (Daily News) from? Did you make it ?

The whole 'enclosed ****' thing looks like a good idea! A couple of handwarmer packs stuffed in various regions of my inner clothing and this boy from South Carolina would be ready to go! (I grew up in Cleveland but have since lost my ability to withstand cold temperatures).

I've forgotten how insanely boring the winters are around here.

I'm tempted to do the winter series on the 17 just to do something.

BTTT

Winter, time for training: