April Attitude Adjustment

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For the northern sailor, April is the cruelest month.

Its been five years since I moved back to Florida, but I remember those Rhode Island winters well. With the morning chill and evening darkness coming still too early, it is a

April Attitude Adjustment

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dispiriting time to get real work done. The false hope of April, more than anything else, chafed upon my psyche.

On the warmer days, Id almost fool myself, “Yes! Now is the time to pull back her tarp.” But then grey rain would creep in, along with a north-clocking wind. The wood pile would offer only wet orphans and a few hopeful daffodils.

So Id spend my Saturdays hovering close to an electric heater in the garage, brushing another coat of varnish on Mistys tiller, or helping a friend refinish his weathered Peapod. Later, Id dig through the box of old blocks and lines to make another handy-billy (one can never have too many) or open a box of sailing books still packed after the move ashore.

In a few short weeks, April will be forgotten, as distant as last summer seems today. But for now, it is a burden, what with so much work to be done. A great shift in latitude, it seems, can’t kill old habits. My old yellow legal pad, divided down the middle, is smudged with grease. On the left side are things I must do; on the right, the things I must buy to get them done. Ive neither the time nor the money to put a dent in either column, but this doesn’t stop me.

I can’t say exactly when the next thought first struck me, but Im certain it was April. All of this-the small projects, the long lists, the ticking clock-this is sailing, too. To lean back in a comfortable chair, gnaw on a pencil nub and carefully consider whats important and whats not, this is part of the passage.

Much of what makes a cruise successful depends on what happens ashore. The well-chosen boat, the careful refit, and the endless shopping trips are the inglorious side of sailing away that you seldom read about. Every dreamer of an endless summer must face his own private April.

Done right, even the cruelest April can bring satisfaction. The trick is not to rush her or expect too much. Some days, Ill get nothing done, some days will feel complete. But eight weeks from now, when the afternoon sun warms my skin, and Im reaching across the bay, not aiming for any particular spot, just holding a course that feels right, I might remember April. And it wont seem so cruel after all.

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Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.