Ashes to ashes, monofilm to god knows what...the time has come to part ways with my favorite sail of all time.
It's a Naish Edge. 5.5 in blue and yellow, 2000 vintage. I bought it after spending three weeks as a "guest tester" with Windsurfing Magazine (an amazingly decadent thing to do if you're planning on buying a lot of gear...go out and sail EVERYTHING and see what you like. I liked the Naish Edge.)
A few years ago when a panel ripped badly, I took it to the shop to get an opinion. Could the local sail repairer save it? Jon Ford looked in my eyes, saw the distress, and put a hand on my shoulder. "We're going to send it to Naish for the repair" he said, "because you're going to own this sail for a long time." The love was that apparent!
Still, I was pushing it sailing last year. The repair tape came out of the supply box more and more. I began to horde sail stickers ("the sail is just fine" I'd tell people, "I just like how the stickers look!"). We were hanging in there. We never took a session for granted. Sailing was good.
But during a session last week time caught up with us. It seemed like every time we stopped to take a break, there was a new tear to repair. I thought I was keeping up, but at the end of the day as I was rolling the sail, my heart stopped when I saw not one but two more long rips in the monofilm. I ignored them, finished rolling it up and gently stowed it in the van. I needed time to come to terms, to adjust. And now I have.
It's time to let go.
I've ordered a 5.5 Naish Amp (the spiritual successor to the Edge). On Saturday I'll take Ol' Paint to the dump.
I hate when an old sail has to be taken outside and put down. When Sailcare told me that my jib was toast, I pulled out a bottle of sake and drank myself silly. It's so hard to say goodbye.
http://www.sailcare.com/
Posted by: Joe Rouse | March 09, 2007 at 12:23 AM
Acceptance is an important stage in the grieving process.
I have a wetsuit like that.
Come to think of it, I also have a surfski that I now don't paddle anywhere where I'm not positive that I can swim to shore (or at all in the wintertime). Gonna be sad when it finally sinks - but not a surprise.
Posted by: bonnie | March 09, 2007 at 01:12 PM
Joe, maybe I'll try that. Tomorrow we go to the dump, and it might be easier fortified by sake. Bonnie, I must say that acceptance is coming and going in waves right now. What I think will mend my heart in the end is the arrival of the new sail. That will be sweet!
Posted by: Peconic Puffin (Michael) | March 09, 2007 at 01:34 PM
So did the sake help?
Might have to try that when it's finally time to bid the old Henderson adieu.
Posted by: bonnie | March 10, 2007 at 03:04 PM
In the end I went with Bordeaux. It did help. I almost pulled a James Brown and thought of keeping the poor dead thing in the barn, but by the second bottle I was ready.
Now I need that new sail!
Posted by: Michael | March 11, 2007 at 01:49 PM
I loved my 6.4m Edge. My sympathies. Let me know how the new sail is treating you.
Posted by: Florian | March 11, 2007 at 10:40 PM