Well, not quite

Saturday morning I got up at 5 and started working to get Aelena ready to launch. By 8, it was scorching hot and I was sweating buckets. But I had accomplished much of what I needed to get done, and by 1o AM she was about ready. We loaded her up - Lori packed a lunch and I stowed the safety and navigation gear. With the trailer hitched and our sunscreen on, I decided to check the marine forecast before we took off. Lo-and-behold, a small craft advisory was in effect in our part of the coast. No way was I going to launch a 17' daysailer in those conditions.

After thinking it over, I called the marina at Great Bay. It's inland and fed by a river so the conditions were much better. We were back in business.

We drove over and we were stepping the mast by 11 AM. The weather was brutally hot - in the 90's and very humid. I bought a chart of the bay and backed Aelena down the ramp. Just like that, she was floating . Ya-hoo!

Then CLUNK and everything stopped. She was half-way off of the trailer and wouldn't go any further. I got down in the water and tried to coax her along, but she was stopped fast. I asked a couple of guys who were waiting to launch their boats if they knew of any obstructions below the water on the ramp. None, they said, and we all gathered around trying to figure it out.

After a few more tries, I pulled her back onto the trailer and out of the water. One of the guys asked if maybe the swing keel was dropping down as the boat floated off the trailer. I got in and made sure the keel was cleated and we tried again. This time, the guys watched the keel as I lowered her into the water. Sure enough, the keel would drop down as the boat floated up. When it dropped, it would catch on the trailer and stop all motion.

This was clearly a problem that I wasn't prepared for. I winched her back onto the trailer and pulled off of the ramp. Around 1:15, thoroughly covered in sweat and salt water, I was forced to abandon the launch.

During all of this, Lori was a trooper. She helped where she could and leant support all-around. She might not have been as frustrated (or sweaty) as I was, but it was tough for her, too. I know she wanted to see me succeed.

Now I have to get Aelena into a boat yard where they can lift her off of the trailer and repair the keel. I'm hoping it's no more than a couple of weeks.

I'll keep you posted!

Cruising at last

I've been in possession of Aelena for about 5 weeks( my Newport 17 daysailer). The work has been rewarding, if sometimes difficult. Some projects that I thought would be a breeze have taken longer and been more involved than I anticipated. (Refinishing the bright-work took two weeks.) And some jobs have gone off without a hitch. (The new roller furler fit well and worked perfectly on the first attempt.)

I've spent more time and money at the West Marine store in Portsmouth than I ever did in such a short period at Woodworkers Warehouse (when they were in Portsmouth.) The checkout girl there now says ' See you tomorrow', when I leave the store.

But finally, my shopping trips are becoming a little less frequent (I haven't bought a boating supply in two days.) The boat is well-equipped and suited out for day sailing. Besides the roller furler, I've painted the bottom, refinished the brightwork, filled the holes left when the previous owner removed all of the deck hardware, installed new deck hardware, replaced all of the lines, cleaned a ton of crud out of the bilge, cleaned the mast and boom, and rubbed out the topsides with compound. She isn't going to win any beauty contests, but I don't think this boat has looked this good or been this well-trimmed in a long time.

Lori has been very patient, but I know she's getting tired of the garbage that's piling up in the garage - not to mention the piles of sailing detritus. And she went so far as to mow the lawn herself today. The pool needs some long-overdue attention and I've been completely ignoring the stuff I should be doing on the house(es). Bear with me , Sweetheart.

So, when will Aelena be ready to sail? Funny you should ask. Barring a major shift in the weather, I hope to have her on the water by 10:00 AM tomorrow. I don't know what to expect. Will she float off of the trailer like a good girl, or will I have to coax her out off with muscle and cussing? Will she sail well to windward? Will we be able to get her back into port once we're out on the ocean? And if we do, how will we get her back on the trailer? And my biggest concern - will Lori's seasickness keep her from enjoying this life-ambition of mine. I should be able to answer these questions by this time tomorrow. Stay tuned.