Saturday morning I went down to the boat with the single goal of gel coating the transom. I had fixed holes from the transom mounted outboard bracket, and wanted to get it ready for the new name. Mother Nature had a different plan with winds blowing over 20 kts all day long, whipping up waves that kept splashing the transom.

Rather than paint, I set to work on multiple other tasks on the “Spring Checklist.” In an attempt to perform engine repairs or maintenance, one of Gemini‘s previous owners cut a massive access panel into the engine bay from the quarter berth. This access came in handy when I climbed into the bilge to reinstall the engine, but needed to be closed back up for some cruising fun. I began the day by cutting a new panel out of lauan to cover the gaping hole.

After cutting the new panel, I grabbed all the interior hatch covers. Those were sanded then teak oiled and left out to dry. While the hatches dried, I finished install the stern rail mounts for the new bimini, and painted the port bilge storage under the settee. I rounded out the task list by installing brand new bow and stern navigation lights. Before my family arrived at the marina, I performed a full scrub from bow to stern of the interior cabin.

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The crew arrived at the boat around 5pm, when the wind starting showing signs of relief. Up to this point, the wind was consistently blowing 15 – 20 kts, with gusts in the mid 30s recorded. Now, later in the day, we were faced with a moderate breeze. Our friend Brandon joined us as we once again cast off the lines and went for a family adventure.

As soon as we shut down the inboard and set the sails, Georgie was up on deck exploring. Always “keeping one hand for himself, and one for the boat,” he seemed right at home and comfortable moving about the foredeck. Charlie once again played in the cockpit the entire time.

Racing at Dahlgren Yacht Club begins May 9th this year, so Brandon and I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to sail one of the race courses. After rounding the cans for an hour, we set a course for the dock. On our way back into Machodoc Creek, we ended up performing an impromptu Man Over Board drill.

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I had checked the mainsail for proper trim, as we were close hauled sailing into the wind, and when I ducked my head back under the bimini, I hit my hat flipping it off my head and into the water. We set straight to work with Mrs. Gemini keeping an eye on our lost sailor, and Brandon trimming the sails accordingly. We performed a figure eight maneuver, and the hat was safely aboard Gemini in under two minutes. Though it is a maneuver I hope to never need, it was great practice and well executed by the whole crew.

After all that excitement, we enjoyed a gentle sail back up Machodoc Creek to our marina while watching the sun set. All of the hard work that we have put into the boat during the off season is finally coming together. We are now beginning to enjoy our boat together. It is adventures and experiences like these that Mrs. Gemini and I truly enjoy being able to share with our sons.