Snow on the decks of Red Ranger.

The footprints are a technician from one of the service companies at Herrington Harbour.

There's a strike rail around the edge of Red Ranger. It's a wooden offset, between one a two inches deep, about a foot down from the toe rail.

On more modern boats, it's a piece of vinyl, often mounted in a steel rail. On older boats, it's a strip of ancient, weathered teak.

Some Whitby's have "encapsulated" the rail. Filled the voids and chips with epoxy, wrapped it in fiberglass, filled, faired, primed, and painted. The original steel "strike plate" on the outside can then be remounted with all new screws.

Yes. It's a lot of specialized labor. It's got to be done. We've broken the wood and the steel in a few places, and it won't last too many more seasons.

For now, however, we wait patiently until winter ends in mid-March with the vernal equinox,