Ship shape

After rebedding the port grab rails and sitting for some time, Hideaway needed a good cleaning. A new scrub brush, some boat soap, and a good hose nozzle and it was on. Turned up the tunes and got to work. It takes a couple hours for a good scrub down. But she looks good again.

The only thing is, I noticed a leak from the heavy spraying in the starboard grab rail. Of course. Well I may put it off but not too long. 

I also got a brief cruise with my mother and step dad who were in town from the East Coast last weekend. Cold and breezy but fun. 

Getting less dangerous

Just finished a three day course at Tradewinds Sailing School, in Richmond, CA. The instructor asked what we all wanted to get out of it. I answered, "I know enough to be dangerous, and I don't want to be dangerous anymore." Mission accomplished. Some basics and some slightly more advanced skills gained. Some bad habits corrected. And just more experience overall. The first day, the sun was bright and wind modest. Saturday and Sunday were a different story. Cloudy and 20-28 knot wind. Exercised reeding maneuvers several times and now totally comfortable with it. A Catalina 25 is significantly different than my Hideaway. Exhilarating in the gusts but with input from our excellent instructor, I felt extremely confident about pushing it while getting great views of the city, Angel Island, and Mt Tam.