Happy New Year 2012!!!

We've had snow and below freezing temps this year; however, the New Years weekend had unseasonably warm weather blow in.   I had hoped to end the 2011 year with one extra sail; unfortunately, the warm weather blew in and back out with 20-40mph winds and red flag advisories on each lake that we would have gone to-- so we stayed home and did chores and projects.   I've got to get a foaling shed built.

Galactica glasses and dehumidifier

Christmas was good to Galactica and myself!   Angie bought a matching set of unbreakable glasses for the boat with Galactica's name on them.  Additionallly, I got a dehumidifier to replace the wintertime light bulb I put into the boat!   It's actually a gun shop/vault golden rod dehumidifier but it's sold for boats and RV's also at midwayusa.com!

We've only got a couple mods planned before the 2012 sailing season starts up but I will decide after the Strictly Sail boat show in Chicago this January!

Here is a list of Galactica's 2011 Sailing adventures and mods:

1. March 2011 - new-season-new-mods
2. April 2011 - more mod work!
3. April 2011 - Helm and trailer mods
4.  April 2011 - rewiring Galactica's mast
5. May 2011 - too much rain to sail, new pedestal table mod
6. May 2011 - berth mod and finally provisioning for sail
7. June 2011 - rain stopped, sailing MTL, Missouri
8. June 2011 - Summer Sailstice, MTL Missouri
9. June 2011 - Galactica in Arkansas and Branson Missouri
10. July 2011 - Independence Day sailing, MTL Missouri
11. August 2011 - prep Galactica for Florida cruise
12. August 2011 - Great sailing weekend! MTL, Missouri
13. Auguest 2011 - last minute mods before Florida trip
14. September 2011 - Galactica journey to the sea: Florida!!!
15. October 2011 - Sailing the Magic Dragon: LOz Missouri
16. October 2011 - Fantastic Autumn sail at MTL, Missouri

Hope everyone has a great New Year and better than the past few have been!   I cannot wait until sailing season arrives and I can try out an old spinnaker that I picked up for Galactica!!!

Summer Sailtice, 18 June

After picking up and riding my new horses back to our ranch, I headed off for the lake.



18 June was to be a really FUN weekend! Summer Sailstice is a worldwide event for sailors! Angie was teaching so I intended to solo sail in the annual Commodore's cup race followed by an afternoon raftup. We were then going to sail the fleet over to the Florida pool in a regatta topped off with a raftup in cathedral cove. A nearly full moon sail was scheduled for that night.



I got to the lake amid storm warnings and proceeded to rig Galactica. While preparing to raise the mast, gusts of wind were so strong that I had to grab ahold of the boat. I stopped to download fresh weather info when Edward and David stopped by to check out Galactica. Ed's another member of MTLSA and captain of a Hunter 216 which was parked near me.

He let me know that all planned activities were canceled except for a get together at the marina followed by an evening sail. Severe storms were to roll in that night.




We enjoyed conversation and copious amounts of commodore's punch (a mixture of peach, strawberry and coconut rum), beer and wine. Matt, a new owner of a 34' Catalina and I checked out each other's boats. We were graciously invited to share dinner with the Stihlwell family aboard DragonFly which is a beautiful Benneteau.



Afterwards, a large number of us boarded DragonFly for a summer sailtice evening sail. We made it to the dam and turned back as a furious lightning storm was quickly approaching. I headed home later that evening.

Galactica didn't swim but I had a great time regardless. The weather in the midwest has been wet, wild and Dynamic (lots of thunderstorms with damaging winds and lightning.)