Volume I, Issue 3

     Winter on the hard—What does that crazy statement mean?  We take S/V Shardana out of the water for the winter and store her on land until spring time.  That does not mean she lays dormant—to the contrary, S/V Shardana stays very active getting ready for the 2018 season.

    We sail S/V Shardana from the Chesapeake Bay to Riverside, NJ.  Shardana spends her winters at G. Winters Sailing Center in Riverside, NJ.  Why G. Winters Sailing Center?  First, we purchased this gorgeous boat from G. Winters Sailing Center and have a great working relationship with them.  Second,  any significant work to be done on the boat is done by their service department; and finally, G. Winters Sailing Center is located within a 20 minute drive of my residence.

     We begin by “winterizing” the boat so any water does not freeze and damage any of the systems.  We also change all the oil and filters in preparation for next year.  After Shardana came out of the water she received a nice pressure wash to make her undersides squeaky clean.  We inspect the sacrificial zincs. This is a special piece of metal that protects the propeller, shaft and other metal parts of the boat that may come in contact with salt water.  We replace this sacrificial zinc once a year.   We then inspect her for any potential issues.  I am happy to report that Shardana’s hull and undersides as well as keel, rudder and propeller all look great!  We then remove the sails, canvas and other exterior items and store them for the winter.

    During the winter we slowly prepare Shardana for your enjoyment. We inspect  all the onboard systems as well as the rigging, engines and safety systems.  In the spring we will be painting and waxing her hull as well as getting all the systems back up and running so you will have the most comfortable, luxurious, adventure on your captained sailboat charter on the Chesapeake Bay. 

    We are planning some unique new offers for spring and summer 2018 just for you and will be announcing them over the winter and spring.  We will also be offering a contest;  the winner of the contest will receive a free charter.  

    So you see, even though S/V Shardana is out of the water, our captains and crews are working the whole winter to make your Chesapeake Bay captained sailing charter an experience you will never forget.

Happy Holidays,  Captains Andrew and Davis