"On The Hard"
On November 21st, I reluctantly motored Raven north from my mooring on Shelburne Bay and came to a rest against the dock at Shelburne Shipyard. The crew was waiting with the marine travel lift. Within minutes the slings were placed around Raven's hull and she was hoisted from the water and placed on the steel cradle for the winter.
Various delays led me to December 14th before putting the winter covers on. On that day, I drove down Bay Road and looked out at the lake, basking under an unusually warm sun and waters that seemed to say, "You still could be sailing."
It was over 60 degrees when I finally pulled the tarps over the frame above Raven's deck. We're on track for a record warm December. Sadly, as this warming trend continues, we will be left with an expanding worldwide shoreline to explore in coming years . . .