12 Days of Opti-mas: Opti Advent Calendar of Real Optimist Spare Parts + Handmade Sailcloth Ditty Bag

PRE-ORDER — two ways to give it, same price. Advent version: order by Friday, November 27 (or sooner if sold out), ships by December 8, in time for the December 13 start. All at once: everything stuffed inside the ditty bag — order by Tuesday, December 8, ships by December 16.

8 name-brand Opti parts + 5 handmade COTG pieces — the gear our sailors lose, snap, and dig through the kit bag for — one a day from December 13 to 24, each in its own numbered muslin pouch, wrapped in sailcloth scraps.

Two we're not keeping secret: a complete wind indicator and a mast safety lock. And the handmade sailcloth ditty bag (about 10″ tall) — it's the Advent version's Christmas Day finale, and the all-at-once version's wrapping, with everything stuffed inside. The rest? Boat care, rigging spares, a repair kit, hardware, and handmade pieces — the rest is a surprise.

Picked by a former sailing coach, so it's all gear they'll actually use. Real brands the kids already race with — Optiparts, Harken, Kingfisher — plus pieces I sew myself from retired sails. No novelty filler. Open one a day, or get it all at once.

Add-ons (pick above): a sailcloth Christmas stocking lined in red spinnaker cloth (+$45), initials on the ditty bag (+$15), or a 48L airbag (+$65), because someone always needs one.

At checkout: please put your sailor's first name in the order note. If you added initials, put those in the note too.

Only a small batch — once they're gone, they're gone. Shipping is charged at cost; local pickup in the Houston area is free.

These are standard kit-bag spares; racing-critical gear should always be checked against current class rules.

Made from real sails. Built to be used.

These are MY thoughts & AI (Muse) helped me write & edit the final piece.

SPOILER — the full list, for parents who want to know:

• Dec 13 — Sponge stick
• Dec 14 — Ring dings (in a handmade clear-vinyl pouch)
• Dec 15 — Sail repair tape, 2″ × 15′, + tell tale set (handmade)
• Dec 16 — Harken 3/16″ stamped shackle
• Dec 17 — Sailcloth luggage tag (handmade)
• Dec 18 — Boom bridle with ring (handmade)
• Dec 19 — Painter / bow line, Kingfisher 6mm, 8m
• Dec 20 — Vectran sail-tie set (handmade)
• Dec 21 — Harken 22mm single block
• Dec 22 — Mast safety lock (Optiparts)
• Dec 23 — Protest flag (handmade)
• Dec 24 — Wind indicator, complete (Optiparts)
• Dec 25 — Handmade sailcloth ditty bag