Winterizing Mystic ~ Our first Season

The fall of 2013 turned out to be a busy time for us. It was a bit of a surprise to learn that we had to have Mystic ready for haul out by October 15th. In addition to being disappointed that our season was coming to and end, the timing was bad. Dave had returned to work in September, almost two months earlier than usual. We had our second 2013 marathon scheduled for October 12 in Hartford, CT with plans to stay out East for two weeks. And, we were feverishly trying to get the foundation poured for our garage rebuild project at our home before the cold set in.

We planned and organized as best as we could but fate checked in on September 30th. I got the call after work. My father had passed away suddenly. We had to make our way to Connecticut immediately. There are so many emotions attached to the loss of a loved one. Shock, confusion, and sadness. Dad went so quickly...no time for regrets or goodbyes! It was a long drive from Stillwater, to Mystic. We drove straight through arriving at 5:00 am. After a short nap we dressed for Dad's service.

I've heard it said that death brings out the worst in people. Everyone seems to have a story about family drama raising it's ugly head at funerals. My father's service was no exception. In the midst of loss and sadness, we were faced, with the elephant in the room; the reality that our family was not what we believed it was. My father left our family to start a second family when I was in my early twenties. He and his second wife had one child. My dad's wife and son made all of the service arrangements and posted the obituary. They excluded us, the first family. Although the intent seemed to be to disrespect us, their behavior was more of an insult to the memory of my father. He deserved better. Tired and sad, I could only stand there overwhelmed. All I could think was that my father would have been disappointed.

Wendell B Dailey Jr.
"My Dad"

Wrapped in my fog of grief, I kept my thoughts with my dad as I walked along my favorite beach, Bluff Point in Groton, Connecticut. I go to "The Bluff" to center myself and to find my treasured sea glass along the shore. Super Storm Sandy changed my beach and sea glass was now hard to come by. The first day I walked the bluff was the day after Dad's service. I found only small bits of glass but I was delighted that three of them were shaped like hearts. In addition, I found two heart shaped rocks. I knew that my father had guided me to these treasures. It was his message to me, telling me that he loved me. This brought me peace.

A smile finds me at Bluff Point

"Hearts" Bluff Point Seaglass

Our plans for balancing the trip to Connecticut and winterizing Mystic had to be changed. Dave flew back to Minnesota on Saturday, October 5th to work and take care of the haul out details at Knife River Marina. Mystic was placed on the hard on Monday, October 7th. Dave drove the three plus hours to Knife River after work on Tuesday. He flushed the engine, water lines and commode with anti-freeze then drove home again. He got up the next day for a full day at work. His flight back to Connecticut was early Thursday morning. I picked him up at the airport and we went directly to the ING Hartford marathon Expo to pick up our race packets. The race was on Saturday, October 12th. Following the marathon, we returned home for a nap then attended my 35th High School Reunion. It was a bittersweet time for me.

We left Connecticut for home on Friday, October 18th arriving on Sunday the 20th. Exhausted, we stumbled through the week then headed for Knife River on Saturday, October 26th to finish winterizing Mystic. Dave had gathered some old advertising tarps from work. The plan was to make a custom cover. We arrived early and started at the bow. There were a lot of cuts to make to accommodate the stays and lines. There was a lot of up and down on the ladder too. After each fitting, grommets were added and then each tarp was tied down. We worked without a break for six hours. The wind picked up mid day. It was chilly, but we continued with our work. Once Mystic was snuggled in with her new cover, we made our way across the marina to move our dinghy, Myst. We found her in a grassy area where she'd been resting, and dragged her back balanced on the marina cart. We tucked her underneath Mystic, returned the cart, then headed south toward Stillwater. The only stop we made on our way home was for dinner at Grandma's Restaurant in Duluth.

Winter seems far away. Our first season passed so quickly. We had a fabulous time and cherish each and every memory we created sailing in 2013. On our ride south, Dave began to tell me of all the things he had planned for us in 2014. First on the list is a cold plate for the ice box. We have a lot of bright work to do and a new faucet for the galley is high on our list. Dave is planning to design a custom dodger. The list grew during that long drive home...we sure have a lot to dream about over the long cold winter.