The beginning of fall has snuck up on us again, surprising us with our first rain and grey skies in months and then retreating just as suddenly in time for the Polish Festival, where it was almost as hot as any weekend this summer, then giving us increasing doses of the Northwest gloom that we'll be living under for the next eight months. I should be thankful that we get a graceful decline into the dismal months, but I'm particularly sad to see this summer go: I've had such a great time on the water, spending time on tall ships and learning to sail, that I don't want to have to sit out half the year before I can go back. So we're thinking about going to the BVIs in the spring and taking bareboating classes in preparation for the day when we quit our jobs and move to a boat in the tropics.

I finally launched the canoe today, and it was pretty disappointing. It seemed like it had a good amount of lateral stability when we set it in the water, but loaded with two adults, it sank down to just a few inches from the rails and it was pretty clear that any sudden movement would sink us. Molly got out and I paddled around in it a bit by myself, but it was still wobbly, and very hard to steer—with its flat bottom, the canoe doesn't tend to go in a straight line—and I made my paddles a little too big and unwieldy to boot. It would probably be a great canoe for children. Or midgets. But not someone with a center of gravity above two feet. Building the canoe was a great learning experience, but next time I'd like to have something to show for all the work I put into it: instead of coming up with my own design that will probably float but may or may not be sailable, I think I'll order plans from a real designer.