Summertime is sailing time and for the past few summers we've always had Wings in shape to at least daysail, despite unfinished trim work. But this winter has not been cooperative and when we were supposed to be hauled last fall for more involved projects, an assortment of things from inhospitable weather to unfeasible yard scheduling seemed to present one insurmountable obstacle after another. So, it is finally warming enough that the ice has melted, but we have at least five or so months of work to do. We finally had to face the fact that to get Wings keel reglassed and the interior done was going to take more than our usual few hours a month.

I used to keep an Irwin 42 down by the bay at Jennings boatyard, a boat-building as well as repair facility about an hour away and began to consider these great facilities. A couple of weeks ago I went down and got briefly reacquainted with Larry Jennings, and for the next year it appears Wings will be on the hard down by the Bay near Reedville, Virginia. We'll miss sailing Angels Wings on a summer whim, but look forward to getting her finished and up to par for the summer of 2011 - hopefully with reglassed keel, more functional and robust cabin as well as some moderate rerigging and general topside upgrading.