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Our Sailing Hideaway Blog and YouTube videos will remain active. Join the HideAways as we tell, through blog stories and videos, what life really is like on a small, 23' Com Pac sailboat. We'll show the joys, thrills and chills of the sailing life, but also what it takes to maintain a boat, trailer and truck. You are just as likely to learn how not to do something correctly as to do it right. That's important too! New! The Hideaways take to the road! Follow Traveling Hideaway: Winds of Wanderlust Transitioning from Sailing Hideaway to Traveling Hideaways as sailors learn to travel without heeling, well, not much, anyway. The Paint Wasters Society unlocks the art of paint squandering with sheer delight, free from the shackles of remorse or guilt. Trust me, a century down the line, nobody's going to bat an eyelash, so why not indulge in some paint splattering shenanigans today? Let's turn those pricey pigments into a canvas of laughter and joy.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Steamy Summer Sailing

The very best time to trim a palm tree on an August day in Florida is just after sunrise.

 “OK – That’s it, I’m done”

“Wait a minute, you only cut down five dead palm fronds!”


“Yeah but the sun came out and I’m soaked through and shaky”

“Break time?”

“Break Time” confirmed the Capt.

The HideAways beat a hasty retreat to air conditioning and a cold beverage enjoyed on the overstuffed recliners. Whimp City in Florida always involves mechanical air conditioning.

The natural version, a shade tree or a summer shower, is only used when no other choice can be found. Either kind though has magical powers as the HideAways noticed on a sultry sunny Saturday recently.

“So, ya wanna go sailing this afternoon?” The Capt mused sipping on his cold beverage and stretching out on his recliner in the aforementioned mechanical air conditioning.

“Whaaaa…?” The Admiral objected “You couldn’t even cut six palm fronds down in this heat and now you want to go sailing??? Ha!”

“Well you know …” excused the Capt “we’ve got to test the motor and fix the bimini and repair the sails…..”

“Ok, hot shot- Let’s review the situation here” the Admiral reasoned;

“It’s 8:00 am and it’s already 85”

“Right”

“The humidity is 81%

“Check”

“The heat index will be 110 this afternoon”

“Yep”

“The water temp is 92.6”

“Aaaa … yeah….. so?”

“Look at the trees—There’s NO WIND”

“Well … suppos’d to….”

“Maybe in Gulfport….Hmmmmm

“Could catch a sea breeze…….

".........Let’s go then!”


The real risk from mechanical air conditioning is it prevents adventure. Yes the trailer tongue was painfully hot to the touch without gloves and yeah the water temp equaled the air temperature and no the HideAways didn’t actually sail anywhere.

But the motor is fixed (waaaahooooo) the bimini is up and the sails repaired. We had a nice swim, practiced throwing our new safety ring, sat around listening to Prairie Home Companion, had a brew or two and headed back in under power as the sunset blazed the evening in the sky.

Not a bad way to spend a steamy summer Saturday in Florida.


“Wanna go......?”

Film at 11

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