Hooray! Wind Affair is finally back in the water where she belongs!
After weeks of upgrading and cleaning, and months of patiently (and sometimes very impatiently) waiting we finally did it. Not without a little worry either. Putting up the mast proved to be more difficult than expected as the mast was lying on top of the boat backwards. We were having heck of a time figuring out how we were going to get it turned around before lifting it up. No crane this time – we had to do it ourselves.
Also, we have a serious drought going on, so the water level was dropping (and continues to drop) at a rapid rate. Because of the keel under our boat, our minimum requirement for water clearance is more than a power boat. Our friend, Captain Todd, was concerned, too. Every resource said that reservoir was only down about a foot, but it seemed we’d be cutting it close. We measured the depth at the launch several times and in a few different spots. It was going to be close. Maybe too close.
After some deliberation, Todd called a friend over at the Sailing Club right next door. Their launch area is deeper than the marina’s and they have Gin Pole for raising the mast. He allowed us access on a guest pass, and it was nice to be able to see what they had to offer. We are now considering joining the Sailing Club!
Raising a mast with the help of the gin pole is definitely the way to go, folks. If you have access to one, use it. I was only able to get two pics of us during the mast raising, because I can’t take pics and be an active participant in the raising process. Here is a link to someone else’s site that shows how it looked.
Here are my two pics of our process.
Now that the mast was finally up it was time to put in the water. I’m not to describe it. It’s best to show you. Here is a video: Splashed 7312
It’s possible I got a little excited. Here are few pics, too.
Now that she was in – WHEW! – we get to scrub the deck and cockpit and I get to go to work on the woodwork in the cabin!!