Laying up ‘Sandpiper’

Realistically I’m not going to do any more sailing with ‘Sandpiper’ this year; therefore I laid her up this afternoon. It only took about an hour-and-a-half to put her to sleep. All I had to do was to remove junk that had accumulated on her foredeck, set the trailer on blocks, and cover the boat with dustsheets. I removed her sails from her spars and put them in the house loft along with my oilskins. Being in the garage, she will be totally protected from the elements. The only thing I need to keep an eye on is her battery. I shall charge and slowly discharge it before charging it again. If the weather is likely to be extremely cold, so as to freeze the acid in the battery, I shall bring it indoors.

Having a small boat like mine reduces hassle and expense at this time of year when boats are laid up. Likewise, making her ready for next season will take very little effort, and there will be minimal expenditure. I’m hoping spring will bring good weather, so that I shall be able to get out on the water and enjoy sailing the boat. This year I spent quite a bit of time making her right, doing things like reseating the centreplate, galvanising it, fitting new standing rigging, shaping the jib and painting the exterior of the hull. I also spent time making the trailer roadworthy by replacing wheel bearings.