The never-ending project to fill my hole in the ocean while bailing it out

The 2011 Haul-Out
October 22 – November 22, 2011

I've been waiting for the weather to settle so I could get out and begin stripping Chip Ahoy in preparation for its imminent winter haul-out. All week it's either been raining heavily or too windy — gusts to 45 mph. Finally, today looked like it would be as good as it's going to get: overcast but with wind from the west at about 10 mph, quite cool, reaching maybe 60°, but it's late October and not going to get any warmer.

I took the launch out to Chip Ahoy, climbed aboard at around 11:oo am. I removed and stowed the sail battens and sails in their bags, boom, and rigging below, disconnected the VHF antenna and mast wiring cables and tied off to the mast, removed the radar reflector, mooring pick-up buoy, and mooring line carabineer. By 2:30 pm I was done.

Chip Ahoy is ready to pull out, just dropping the mast and trailering home remains to be accomplished. I'm hoping to have Dion's Yacht Yard, a short distance across the harbor, pull it out and pressure wash the bottom; if necessary I can trailer it out over at the Winter Island ramp — but the launch service stops running next Sunday.  (Oct. 22, 2011)

Vaughn McGrath called, enlisted me again to help take down the mast on "French Curves" over on Marblehead Harbor (even as I was arranging to pay the boatyard to haul-out Chip Ahoy so I didn't need to). As usual this was an exercise in unpreparedness. I told him he'd need to find a new friend before next spring; he's too 'high-maintenance' to afford any longer.  (Oct. 31, 2011)

The launch service from the dock down the street ceased operation on the last day of October. Finally I got the call from Fred J. Dion's Yacht Yard in Salem to bring over Chip Ahoy's trailer, that they'd be ready to haul it out in a few days. As they did last fall, they'd go out and tow my boat into their dock.

Chip Ahoy's mooring is a short distance from the Dion's dock, easily within sight, so retrieving it isn't a big deal for them.  With the harbor and moorings so empty, it's easy to locate it out there.  (Nov. 5, 2011)

We've had a great stretch of Indian Summer since last weekend, sunny with temperatures well into the 60s, even reaching 70° — but heavy rain was forecast for this afternoon. The yard hauled out Chip Ahoy yesterday, pressure-washed the bottom, put it on the trailer and dropped the mast, secured all the rigging nicely with zip ties. I went over early this morning, hooked up the trailer and brought the boat home.  (Nov. 10, 2011)

Over the weekend I got Chip Ahoy emptied out, everything stored away in the house for the winter. I dumped the charcoal briquettes into plastic liners in the cabin compartments, scattered the Bounce dryer sheets throughout the cabin. Finally, I moved the boat and trailer around to the side of the house. Vaughn McGrath's mast for his C22, "French Curves," is here too for the winter, alongside Chip Ahoy's hibernation home. (Nov. 21, 2011)

Today I pulled out the PVC skeleton frame and pipes from the back of the house, secured them over the mast and boat. Next came the two tarps, each 10'x20', over the frame and tied down to the trailer's frame. Sailing Season 2011 is officially over. Chip Ahoy is ready for whatever the coming winter brings.  (Nov. 22, 2011)