On December 1, 2023 we arrived in the harbor with Ori. We were in the middle of winter and have been so busy with the boat, so I feel like a lot has happened since then. But spring is coming, we are almost back in the water and our next sailing season is upon us. Time for an update!

At the beginning of December, Ori was immediately lifted out of the water for winter storage. The list of repairs and maintenance we had to do was not that long, but we still wanted to give her proper care. After we sailed her to the beginning of the harbor, and she emerged from the water in one piece (always scary) and was taken to her new place among the X-Yachts, our stress levels were finally given a breather.

It was now mid-December, and because she was stored on shore, we had to prepare her for our Dutch winters as best we could, even though the weather was still quite mild. The diesel tank was completely filled with diesel, and at the same time we drained the water tanks and emptied and disconnected the boiler as best we could. We bought an enormous amount of antifreeze and put it in all the pipes, tanks and toilets. We took the sails home with us along with the very heavy anchor.

January was a quiet month. Ori was safely on shore, and during the quiet month we were able to recover from the big steps we had achieved in October, November and December 2023. We even had a little snow, which was enough reason for us to stay inside for a while. In the end we just bought some new anodes and made plans.

The fun could finally begin in February. The weather was still cold, but we had a deadline. We created a list of annual maintenance, such as new anti-fouling, replacing anodes and cleaning the propeller. That list also included Ori-specific jobs such as replacing a few thru hulls, the anchor box repair and removing all stickers. We will be going back into the water at the end of March, so that gave us 2 months. In February we finally managed to remove all stickers from the boat, thoroughly polish the propeller, remove the rust from the keel and apply a new layer of primer. So satisfying to do all these chores and such a good way to get to know your boat a lot better. We spent our Saturdays in the harbor for most of the month.

March came and brought some nice days, but also a lot of cold and rain. Despite the weather we still had to finish some big jobs. Four of our thru hulls had been replaced with hard plastic ones, with matching new hoses and ultimately even a new toilet. Every time we tackle something, we open Pandora's box with more things we have to replace or fix. But it is also very nice to have new toilets and pipes in our boat. It's unbelievable what kind of dirt we found in and around the waste water tank. Regular and good maintenance is extremely important. In the end it will save you from a lot of gross stuff you cannot define.

In addition to the boat chores, we had a Bolle that we had to sell. So we cleaned her up, listed her on the market place and sold her in March. She was picked up by her new owner on March 23 and sailed with him to Monnickendam. A bittersweet moment, when the sailboat I learned to sail on sails away without me. But she deserves nice new sailors who will explore the world with her, or at least the Dutch waters.

Our original plan was to go back into the water on March 23, but due to a bit of stormy weather we decided to postpone for a week. At the last minute, Freek replaced a bit of sealant near the windows, and we placed the new name Ori on the sailboat! Finally, early in the morning of March 30, in the rain, we were hoisted into the water, we sailed the 200 meters to our box and celebrated this appropriately with some friends. Cheers to the sailing season!