Over the spring and summer, my son, Cade, and I sailed Full Tilt II, getting familiar with the boat and how it handled in normal, mild to slightly stronger winds. We went as much as we could, but it is hard to coordinate and get a college student to just drop what he is doing to go sailing for a few hours with his father.

Over the course of the summer, the heat became too much, and we started going out in the late afternoon; and then, staying well after dark when it was cooler. We caught some beautiful sunsets on the lake and have watched brilliant reds fade slowly to black some days. On others, just a big orange ball disappears in a cloudless sky to be replaced by countless stars on moonless nights. All while out on a small boat with no other distractions around and completely present in the experience. For me, being able to disconnect from anything but the present is what I am looking for when I go out. For that, the evenings have always worked better than the busier daytime.