Ready for the Water Again
Published 2026-04-29
There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a boat sitting on the hard, freshly cleaned, polished, painted and ready to go back where she belongs. The annual maintenance season is never glamorous. It involves cold hands, aching shoulders, paint in places you didn’t know paint could reach, and a long list of small jobs that somehow grows every time you tick one off. But when it all starts coming together, it feels wonderful.
This year has been a slightly different one for me and for Vixen, my Hunter Horizon 23. After years of being lifted and moved by travel hoist, she was lifted by crane for the first time. I’ll admit, watching your pride and joy dangling in mid-air by slings is not entirely relaxing, but it was also strangely impressive. Boats always look a little vulnerable out of the water, but also rather proud, as if they know they are being prepared for another season of adventures.
One of the biggest jobs this year was antifouling. I have used International Micron 350 for the first time, and I’m hoping it proves to be a good choice for the sort of marina environment Vixen lives in. It’s supposed to work when the boat is stationary, and the water in my marina isn’t moving. For a small sailing boat that spends time sitting quietly between trips, that feels like a sensible choice.
I have also given the hull a proper polish and treated her to a ceramic coating, which feels a bit like giving the boat a spa day before sending her back into the estuary. She is now looking smarter than she has in a while, with a lovely clean shine that makes all the effort worthwhile. I have even added some new fender baskets, which is one of those small upgrades that makes the boat feel just a little bit more organised and shipshape.
I love sailing because it gives me a mixture of peace, challenge and escape. Even the maintenance is part of that. There is pleasure in knowing your boat, caring for her, and preparing her properly for the season ahead.
Now I’m counting down to relaunch on the 6th of May. Soon Vixen will be back in the water, bobbing where she belongs, and I’ll be looking forward to that first sail of the season with a big grin and probably a flask of tea.
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