We hauled the boat out of Flathead Lake, and winterized her for her stay “on the hard” over the next 7+ months. It’s always a bittersweet (mostly bitter) moment to see Spindrift swaying like a stranded fish above the lake, knowing that we’re saying goodbye to sailing the blue-green waters beneath Montana’s beautiful peaks.
This fall’s haul-out was even more poignant, as it’s the last time we’ll sail Spindrift for years. Her owner, John, lives in New York City, and has generously let us share his family’s 1975 Paceship-26 for the past 6 years. He’s looking for new friends to share and maintain the boat, since we’re heading out on our adventure before the next Montana sailing season.
Luckily, the bitterness of saying goodbye to Spindrift is offset by the sweet, sweet knowledge that next time we set foot on a sailboat it’ll be in warm, salty, southern seas!
- Check out Dayton Yacht Harbor’s new yellow tractor! We used to have a 1940s fire truck that pulled out the boats — more ambiance, but also more nerve-wracking.
- Kind of weird to see Rob BELOW the sailboat on the water!
- There she goes! Out of the lake and up the road, pulled by the new yellow tractor.
- Almost at her resting place for the winter. Spindrift stays on jacks “on the hard” from Oct through June.
- A close-up of the high-tech sling device, with Phil expertly handling the controls.
