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Chip Ahoy's back in the yard for the
next several months and yesterday I began unloading it for
eventual winter
storage. It's times like this when I wish it was like a VCR, where
I could just replay fast-reverse instead of hauling everything down the ladder
again! (Oct. 14, 2007) |
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I've already begun my "To-Do Wish List 'o8"
-- but everything's pretty much bought and paid for. What's to-do
are almost all projects I've already done, just maintenance. I do
love my new LoadRite
trailer (only a few years old); what an improvement over
the old one. |
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I've given up on the idea of another boat -- a
fin keel C22
-- mostly thanks to Tommy at the boatyard who asked for another chance
to perfect Chip Ahoy's swing keel; for me to give it "one more season" before I
start all over again. The more I look over Chip Ahoy, the more I realize it's done
or darned near to it, that it'd be a sin to abandon it now. (Oct.
14, 2007) |
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My long-lost buddy J. Tobias Reiley found me recently;
saw that I had room to spare for another boat and contacted me.
His is a 32' Jonesport (Maine) built lobster boat that he and his partner
use as a committee boat for juniors racing in Marblehead's Pleon Yacht
Club. We made arrangements, and he had it trucked over today.
Jocelyn Marine
Services (boat haulers) out of Salisbury, MA -- a good crew for sure
to be able to back their big truck and long hydraulic-assisted flatbed
around my wood racks, trees, and house back into that tight open space
beneath overhanging branches. (Oct. 22, 2007) |
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Whoa, Toby had better be careful, having
named
his boat "Firewood"
-- I wonder if he knows what I heat my home with, especially come late February?!?
The wood racks and three cords stacked should have given him a hint! He
cut down some of the dead
branches and will be back to take down a few more, and repair the slight
scrape in the pear tree's trunk. |
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Today we trailered out Michael Sullivan's "Carpe Diem"
over on Winter Island in Salem, across the harbor from Marblehead.
As seems almost appropriate, if not as-usual this time of year, it was a raw, wet morning
when he and Alan brought the boat over at about 10:15 am. My job was to have
Mike's truck and
trailer waiting for recovery, back it down the ramp when they got in close.
(Oct. 25, 2007) |
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Getting Carpe Diem on the trailer went smoothly, but by
then I was glad I'd donned long underwear this morning for the first time this season
and was bundled up with a sweater and my foul-weather jacket. The trailering went so perfectly I didn't even have to get my feet wet this
time! |
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Up in the Winter Island parking lot we went to work
readying the boat to drop the mast. We're all getting pretty good
at this by now, had it prepared to come down in about 20 minutes. |
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Alan (left) and Mike with the mast down and almost ready
to roll out of the lot. |
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My new IdaSailor "Unifoil
High-Performance Kickup Rudder" arrived today from FedEx, like a
Christmas present. After the warning from Kent Kokko on the list
about delivery of his and the damage done, I was cautious upon receiving it, took a photo --
was prepared for the worst before even thinking about opening the box.
(Oct. 30, 2007) |
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While the box was damaged, the
rudder appeared to be in perfect condition as I dissected the
packaging forensically. So I took it out and tried it on the boat. |
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It fit perfectly, gudgeons to pins.
Slipped right in. The new tiller has the pin installed for the
tiller-pilot, so it should be set to go. I may need to add a
couple coats of varnish to the tiller, to get it
up to snuff. |
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Can't ask any more than this -- and each pintle has a
hole drilled through it for a pin. I was going to request from Joel Santarone that one be put in
the bottom pintle -- I thought I'd thought about everything. It
was done despite my non-request. It doesn't get any better! |
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Now all I've got to do is patiently await next spring to
see what a difference it'll make -- but with a new mainsail coming, it's
going to be hard to tell which makes the bigger . . . ! |
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NEXT |
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It's never-ending ... so onward and forward to Sailing Season '08! |
