Letting Summer Linger before Winter Wrap Up 2024

Summer wasn’t quite ready to let go, and September delivered some of the most beautiful weather of the season. With school back in session and summer vacations over, the water felt quieter. Fewer boats. Less rush. It was the perfect time to stretch out the season just a little longer and escape the lingering heat on the water.

The first weekend of September, we welcomed our friends Mike and Sam aboard for a short cruise around the islands near the yacht club. It was a bit too windy for relaxed sailing, but perfect for learning. We practiced reefing the sails: one of those skills you’re grateful to work on before you really need it.

The following weekend, we tucked into a hidden little spot near Mermaid Island, dropped anchor, and spent the day with my friends Tina, Michael, and Traci. Because we’d been away most of the summer, these moments felt especially precious. They had followed our journey from afar; holding their breath through Facebook updates, sharing in the excitement, the worry, the magic. Being able to share the serenity of the Thousand Islands with them in person felt like closing a circle.

Even in September, it was still too warm to comfortably anchor out overnight. Instead, we leaned into comfort . Cooking at the club. Air conditioning on the boat. An evening of good food, card games, laughter, and friendship. Simple things — but deeply grounding ones.

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As September crept toward its end, reality gently tapped us on the shoulder. It was time to think about winter storage.

How do we store her?

Do we transport the cradle from Racine to Kingston?

Hire someone?

Do it ourselves?

Buy jack stands?

Spend thousands on a new cradle?

Agra2 already had a custom steel cradle waiting in Racine, tucked her away for summer storage.

So we made a plan.

We rented a truck with a tow hitch. I secretly held my breath when Tom was in, the rental office fearing we were on the naughty list from the incident with towing our first boat home from Kingston. Blessed that Tom’s buddy loaned us his ATV trailer. We packed up and headed back to Racine, hopefully for the last time.

And surprisingly… it felt a bit like going home.

We were greeted in the clubhouse as “the Canadians”, smiles, handshakes, quick stories exchanged about how the adventure went. We stopped by the marina office to say hello to familiar faces and take care of paperwork. Customs had gone smoothly when we imported the sailboat, but we’d been warned they might not be as kind when it came to the cradle without the boat.

More paperwork followed, a new bill of sale confirming the cradle was part of the original purchase. Fingers crossed, we hoped to avoid duties on something that had already been hers.

I’m happy to report everything went smoothly. Advice followed, paperwork in order, no additional fees. We crossed the border and brought the cradle home to Iroquois.

With that, the season truly felt complete.

Next up: cleaning, prepping, and winterizing Agra2 for her first winter on the hard. And if I’m being honest? I’m ready for it. Ready to hibernate. Ready for quiet evenings, a good book by the fire, and hot chocolate within arm’s reach.

I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to winter quite like this before. ⚓💙