Overnight, the wind whistled in our rigging and all the boats around us. I lay awake worrying it might be too windy to launch.

At seven am, we left the boat and went to the yard’s trailer- lounge so they could launch us. On the way, we met Charmaine, proprietress of Abel Marine, in the rain with two trays of paint, ready to paint our centerboard and the jacket and patches as soon as they lifted the boat.

Soon later, Remy, the launch manager stopped by ti tell us he did but think he could launch us in this wind. But he would lift the boat with the trailer and see how it felt.

Half an hour later, we saw our mast moving by, so it must have felt ok. We soon splashed, and spent the rest of the day working on departure details and preparations. That, and trimming the Christmas pine bough.