Dear readers,
Is it just me, or is it the comparatively good weather and the fact that the trees haven't turned colour yet? I'm just not in the mood for the end of the season this year.
There usually comes a time in autumn when you no longer have to go boating every weekend. The cool and damp weather gets on your nerves and you secretly look forward to the moment when the boat is in the wind and rain-protected hall. At the same time, the list of winter jobs is growing - and yes, I'm a tinkerer and handyman, so I enjoy the screwing, sanding, polishing and painting in winter storage almost as much as the summer on the water.
But this year is different. I'm trying to delay the crane date as much as possible. While more and more boxes remain empty at the jetty or are occupied by yachts without a main boom or rig - they look like they've been plucked - I'm still happily hauling provisions for the weekend to the boat, while others are hauling the sails and the leftover supplies from the summer trip off the boat.
The mast rack in the harbour is filling up as the harbour master brings one yacht after another ashore. At the same time, there is more life on the jetties and boats than on many a beautiful summer weekend. Instead of the usual question about the destination, the focus is now on the crane date. "When are you leaving the water? Have you already winterised everything? It's our turn on Monday." - "At the end of October? That late? Was everything full before then?"
For a moment, I'm tempted to just say yes to have my peace of mind. But if I'm honest: I'm not done with the season yet. There are still the anchorages for which the wind direction is not yet right, so many sunsets and the marvellous starry sky, which can be better enjoyed with the earlier onset of darkness. The thought of mothballing the boat now just feels wrong. A bit like saying goodbye to a good friend prematurely.
Autumn on the water has its own magic - the clear air, the calm harbours, the intense colours. Maybe that's what's keeping me here this year. Or maybe it's simply the realisation that every day on the water is a gift that you should savour while you can.
Hauke Schmidt
YACHT editor
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