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Okay, what am I forgetting? -- oh yeah, the tiller pilot
and GPS, and the chart (not that I really need it in familiar waters
at dead-on high tide) . . . right, get the boat camera out of my seabag
so it's handy; uh
oh, forgot to take the handheld VHF radio off its charger where I put it
last night. But the cabin VHF is working and will do fine for this
short trip around Marblehead. Ah, the annual spring learning curve goes on for this New
England sailor, remembering all the steps that'll be second nature again
in a couple of weeks. |
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We're on our way, this is it at last . . .
|
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Wally backs Chip Ahoy and me down the ramp . . . |
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The winch cable is removed, Chip Ahoy is ready to float
off its trailer . . . |
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One sharp tug on its cord and the new
IdaSailor rudder swings down into place just as it's supposed to. Wally watches as I attempt to electric start the Honda outboard
for the first time since last fall, and it fires right up, hallelujah! |
 |
Letting the outboard warm up . . . |
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With it running in reverse, a little jolt of the
trailer and Chip Ahoy easily floats off -- back into the water finally! |
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Backing out from the trailer and ramp into Marblehead
Harbor. |
 |
Ah, at long last back on the water
again!
|
 |
Time to get on my way. The plan is to just motor
around Marblehead to my mooring. I've still got a little work to
do to the new main sail. It's clew needs to be better attached to
the boom; the third batten needs to be put back in (after discovering
yesterday that it was rubbing the backstay). And the port side
lower aft turnbuckle couldn't be adjusted this morning, was frozen in
place. I lowered the boom a few inches Monday evening to hopefully
resolve the batten problem and sprayed the turnbuckle with PB Blaster to
hopefully loosen it up so it can be adjusted without breaking. |
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Wally and an onlooker watch my departure,
as Barbara snaps away recording the event. |
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NEXT |
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Back to Page 2 | |
Page 4 |
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It's never-ending ... but Sailing Season '08 has arrived! |
