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We're doing the last regatta of the season. Most of the boats here will be hauled out within the next couple of weeks. We're racing just a couple miles from Niagara Falls, & the current is kind of fast up there. Toward the end of the race, it started to rain.

Tomorrow is the last race of this regatta. ~Sigh ...~ Why is summer so short?

Well, I'm doing the Frostbiters here. They use tech dinghies, which are basically a small shell with a mainsail, a centerboard, a rudder, a tiller & a board you can sit on. We sail between the breakwall on the lake & the club, if conditions allow it. Being as tippy as these boats are, big winds are not on the agenda. And foulies are a must. If we dump, there's a guy out there in a motorboat whose job it is to come get us out & to shore so we can get wrapped in a blanket & taken up for a hot shower & a change of clothes. No one's dumped yet this season, but you never know.

We'll do this until December. Fun & good times.

Meanwhile, a couple of us are working on a winter sail down in Florida for a week. More fun!

Find some folks to go with you to the BVI and bareboat. You'll love it!

just put my boat away yesterday. Nov 1st is last day to be in Chicago harbors. they started writing $250 a day tickets today. we're going to do some Frostbiting this month using Flying Juniors. gonna have to get a dry suit. Trailqueen's right bareboat in BVI. done it 4 times. saving up for the 5th trip now.

I am in awe over SP's post. I can't believe a country can allow city officials, who probably know fuck all about boats, to force boat owners to remove their boat or receive a fine. Are boaters in America so irresponsible they just leave their boats.......hmmmmmmmmmmm. Just answered my own question. Sorry to hear you have to sail on such a tight schedule. Does the lake freeze over and have an ice boating season?. That's a really fast sail..

That's why I sailed south. Don't like winters, so I'm sailing Mexican waters, PV to Huatulco, it's always summer here.

JerryMerry - the harbors do freeze so at some point would be taking chances to leave your boat in the water. plus we can't come back in until April 1st. it's partly the "city" and park district and partly the private company with the contract to manage the harbors. if you want to stay in until end of Nov you can pay an extra $300-400 but probably have to move to one of the "late leaving harbors". one of these days i hope to be able to head 'South when the winter comes (if not be there already). It's frustrating, I think it's not so much that they don't know about boats as don't care about boaters. After all don't you know if you own a boat you're filthy rich and can afford whatever they levy? (sarcasm dripping here) don't know 'bout others but all my "extra" income goes into boat 'cause I love sailing.........

Iceboating looks like fun, but we can't really do it here in Buffalo because the ice breaks up a lot. We get dead west & north winds here & with the force of the current pouring from the lake into the Niagara River, the ice doesn't really stabilize too well. They ice fish along the canal & shores, but I've never seen ice sailing here.

We're still frostbiting here. Matter of fact, someone took photos of us & one was posted in our local newspaper a week ago Monday. This past Sunday, we had a bunch of people along the marina watching us sail. Normally we don't get an audience, but normally, we sail out a few miles from shore. Frostbiting happens inside the breakwall, so you can see it easily.

We don't wear drysuits when frostbiting. I wear foulies with long johns underneath. When we're setting up our boats, we're cold, but once you get going, you start to sweat. If we tip over, the committeeboat comes to get us out, toot sweet. The trick is to try not to tip over.

Our last race on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota was October 24th. There is a group that cruises from the yacht club to a restaurant across the lake for lunch on Sundays until Thanksgiving. They call it the "Shackleton Cup". I have done it in the past, but not this year. We race keelboats, so we generally do not get wet unless it's raining or really windy (maybe 1 foot waves, not like Buffalo!), or too much heel if the mainsheet trimmer isn't doing the job. We have 2 Sonars wrapped up in our yard. My husband is disabled so I am the bosun. Racing is how we met, and a Sonar is a good boat to sail till you're 90!

Still frostbiting. I forgot to grab my sailbag today when I ran out the door this morning, so I helped out on the committeeboat instead & called the finishes. I froze.

Yesterday I helped someone move & had to empty my truck, where my sailing gear stays until I'm all finished sailing for the year. The foulies, boots & life vest went back in last night, but the sailbag sat by the door. That thing is neon ~ you can probably see it from Detroit, but somehow I whipped right past it. My gloves, volleyball kneepads, extra socks, bandanas, full change of clothes & waterproof cellphone box are all in there. With the temperature of the air under 40 degrees this morning & the water under 50 degrees, I won't sail unless I have that all-important change of clothes in case I dump.

Oh well. The bag's in the truck now. I'll be out again on Sunday morning.