I took Holland to the boat yesterday in hopes of taking her out. The weather was perfect for December - 60s and 10 knot winds. Unfortunately, the batteries would not take a charge, and we couldn't even get out of the slip. I was disappointed, but upon inspection of the batteries, I discovered that one was bought in 2000 and the other in 2003. Guess we'll have to blame this non-sail on the captain!

We puttered around on the boat, and got some advice from Ron in the office who brought Cole's Point's big battery charger to the rescue, but they were just no longer able to take a charge. We explored the property a bit, including a tour of the cabin on the river, had a late lunch at AC's, and headed home.

Not much exciting to report in this entry, but since it's been almost three months since my last post, I thought I ought to say something! Here are a few highlights:

• I got my first solo sail in on Sept.10. I was unable to sail the courses that I'd planned, but I did manage to get her out of the slip, into the river, sailed for about an hour, and back in the slip without any damage or sinking! The thrill of turning that engine off and sailing alone with only the sounds of wind, water, and your heartbeat is almost magical!
• I sailed single-handedly (with Patsy aboard) on Oct.22, and what I thought would be 10-15 winds suddenly became gusts probably over 20. It was frightening and thrilling all at the same time, but I seem to have done a passable job considering the compliments I got from the "Nova" crew.
• I've gotten a good bit of work done over the last three months, but it's mostly dull stuff like cleaning, replacing the compass, installing a drink holder for the cockpit, and repairing and servicing the head. (Hopefully, the ladies will be pleased!)
• The "dig" at the Cole's Point marina is mostly done, enlarging the size of the harbor by over double by my estimation.