Spring forward…please

Editors message Mar11 2021 400

Mar 11, 2021

I’m trying to temper it but Spring Fever has grabbed me by the deck shoes and got me half way out the door to the boat.  This longing has been going on for a bit but came to a head last weekend when I went down ostensibly to check my tarp but then stood on the dock watching the ice melt in the sun. There’s no denying it; spring is springing.

Of course this is all against a backdrop of nasty restrictions and lockdowns. In my neighbourhood, stores opened in a limited way on Monday. On Tuesday I read that the Olympics should go ahead but without foreign visitors. That’s good news since I have big money on Sarah Douglas winning gold in the Laser Radial!

On Wednesday the America’s Cup final got underway and the temperature in Ontario (not Victoria, where undoubtedly the daffodils are already in bloom) hit the teens. This Sunday the clocks move forward and a week Saturday it’s officially spring. All we need is a few vaccine shots and we’re ready to go.

The prospects for this boating season look not so bad. A year ago, we were quaking with fear of the unknown. That turned out to be a fairly rational reaction but somehow boaters adapted and stayed safe. This year we have that experience, so we can start where we left off or possibly even better.

Here is my fearless prediction for the spring and summer of ’21. More boats on the water, more folks enjoying them, more fun.  It’s officially time to start shaking the dust off and shining the boat up to launch.

John Morris
Online Editor
Canadian Yachting Magazine

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