No Yelling

The snow and deep freeze that affected the middle of the US is just starting to move into New Hampshire. While the Midwest was getting clobbered, we had unusually warm weather. Monday morning, it was 50 degrees. At my dad's place in Florida, it was 39. That just ain't right.

Just to make it interesting, we also got 2 days of rain that turned our 6 inches of snow cover into a slushy mess. Before it turned to frozen slop, I decided to move my sailboat -in the rain, in the dark.

The sailboat had been parked down a fairly steep gravel driveway next to the house. Once the slush freezes, there's no hauling something that heavy up the hill. Decided to move it and park it in a very tight parking spot across the street. Careful measurements showed the boat would fit, if parked exactly at the right angle.

My lovely wife guided me with a flashlight. Here's the thing guys. When backing a trailer, never, never, ever, yell at the wife. Fortunately, it's one of those things I've learned from watching other people. The temptation is there. Even if you've parked trailers before, sometimes the conditions are less than ideal. Communication can be difficult over the roar of the big diesel truck engine. Visibility can be poor.

I'll always remember the time I saw a retired couple trying to back a new camper trailer into a camping site. There was an awful lot of yelling -both ways. In the end, they manged, with a lot of screaming and arm waving, to back the trailer right over the picnic table. Fun to watch, I must confess; from a safe distance.

I vowed to never become that couple. It took some time, but the boat trailer is parked safely. Better yet, my wife still loves me. Even though it took a long time to get it right, my temper was held in check. She was doing her best in bad conditions, and in the end the results were good. This is part of the sailboat experience. No sense making bad memories before we even hit the water.

-Sixbears