Happy Birthday “Chief Hiawatha Frostbite”!

Sailing Season ‘08 is over ...
even for John Graichen and Malacass

December 6, 2008

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Description

A closer view of his chain trailer extension.

The trailer submerged, ready for the boat . . . the boat . . . where's the boat?  Somebody get the boat!

This exercise began to seem very strange to me.  It surely wasn't sailing any more, I'm not sure it was even boating.  It was more like canoeing with a load!  It wasn't a case of "Whatever floats your boat," because the ultimate goal was precisely the opposite, unfloating Malacass!

"Chief Hiawatha" and his tow-canoe brings Malacass closer to the ramp.

Call it what you will, John pulled it off!  What do you call it?  I guess simply getting the job done, however and by whatever means.  With the canoe, he never even got his feet wet.  He's real lucky though that there was no wind or seas!

Those conditions are due to arrive tonight and into tomorrow, with wind blowing at over 40 mph and snow falling after midnight and through much of tomorrow.

Malacass leaves the ocean until the next coming of spring.

Up, up, out and away.

With the truck's and trailer's wheels chocked, John and I backed the truck into the trailer hitch ball and connected it, removed the extension chain.  (Hey, nice rudder you've got there, buddy!)

The hardest part is over.  Now it's just drop the mast and hit the road home to New Hampshire.  John insisted he didn't need my help, which was fine by me.  I hadn't dressed to be out in the cold for as long as I was -- I started the day planning to just take a few photos from the cemetery!  I jumped into my warm Blazer and headed home at about 3:00 pm to the other things I'd planned to get done.  Good job, buddy -- despite adversity, you had it all under control.  Somehow.  I still like having a reliable outboard that'll run my boat up onto the trailer, then just pull it out -- but then, my name isn't "Chief Hiawatha Frostbite"!