Bristol Channel Cutter 28

Now that the smoke has cleared it’s starting to settle in. Wow she feels big, I know she will shrink fast but our first impression is that she is a ship. With each new discovery we feel fortunate to have found the perfect boat after passing on so many. Some were shinier, some slightly better equipped. Most we declined immediately. The sad truth is that these boats are getting a little long on the tooth and haven’t been properly maintained. These boats can be extremely labor intensive in the beginning but once you have them smart it’s just a matter of a few weeks each spring and fall.

I have a love-hate relationship with bright work but mostly love, especially after a long hard day. To sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. There is no angle at which Lyle Hess’ designs don’t touch my soul. The boat is paid for but when it comes to bright work you could say I owe my soul to the company store. She has everything but heat and yes, it’s on the list. It’s cold today and the wind is blowing a fit but spring is just around the corner. We plan her first haul out in March so I can have April to pretty her up leaving plenty of summer for local exploration.

Kim-Chi who can’t swim and is terrified of water made her way around the decks like a nervous cat at first. Within an hour she started to get the feel for everything as she helped me remove the sails in the gusty winds. We work well together in all aspects of life. We have a new sailing dinghy coming and a pint sized wetsuit and PFD so she can gain confidence in her ability. Being raised on and in the water it’s easy for me to forget that everybody isn’t as comfortable as I am.