A Windy Night

Living on a boat is full of adventures.  There are days when it seems no different than living on land. Then there are days like today when you have no doubt you are living on a boat!  This morning the rain was pounding down and there was nothing I could do to convince the dogs to brave the rain and go outside.  They were more than happy to wait till a small break in the weather came to go out and do their business.

All day the rain came down and the wind gusted through the marina.  I actually love this time of year and the storms that brew in the winter time.  I love my boat moving in the wind storms as though it were out on the high sea.  I don’t know that I loved it so much when I first moved onto my boat 15 years ago.  I was still learning the dos and don’t of living on the water.  One of the ‘dos’ is being prepared.  You must be prepared for the winter storms.  Dock lines need to be adjusted, anything that might blow away must be tied down, flashlights ready, and just a willingness to stay alert and pay attention to your own boat and your neighbours’ boats.  The biggest don’t would be, don’t put on a bunch of new dock lines right before the rainy season.  The rain will cause the lines to stretch out and you will be retying them constantly  all winter long.

I think the reason I love the windy days and nights so much now has to do with my experience.  I know I have done my part to be prepared and I don’t have to worry about sinking, or coming loose from lines.  Of course this does not mean I can let my guard down – I do still have to be alert and aware of the weather but I have a better sense of knowing what is happening and ways to be more proactive in being prepared and staying that way.