Are you good at sharing?

Despite Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow, which calls for six more weeks of winter, George Day in the Cruising Compass reminds us how the astronomical spring began this week at Scuttlebutt HQ:

On March 20, the sun crossed the equator in the Vernal Equinox and is now steadily heading north for the summer, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

The boat yards around us here in the Northeast are getting busy as winter covers come off and boat bottoms are getting sanded and ready for a day warm enough to paint. Those with exterior varnish are sanding and prepping for an ideal morning to get on another layer of varnish. And buffing wheels are spinning madly as topsides get a fresh coat of gelcoat polish.

It’s a happy time for boat owners with the promise of summer ahead and with the calendar filling up with cruising dates, rendezvous, gams and club events. Sharing the sailing lifestyle with friends and new sailors has become something of a tradition around the country that has been fostered by John Arndt, publisher of Latitude 38, and his nationwide Summer Sailstice initiative.

The solstice is on June 24 so why not add a Summer Sailstice event to your summer plans? It’s all about sharing the joy of sailing and cruising. To check out Summer Solstice and scheduled events, click here.