Tag Archives: end of season

Sailing Season Finale

Taking my punt for a walk!
Taking my punt for a walk!

The last 6 years the dry-docking of the boat has involved a marathon work week-end coming down here after work the day before and trying to get everything done in two or three days.   Then hammering on home late to be ready for work the next day.  Those days are gone.  This year the process has been very leisurely starting with pulling up the moorings.

Actually we were bringing the mooring ashore
Actually we were bringing the mooring ashore
The reason the punt was so low in the water is it had four anchors, two buoys and about 200 feet of anchor chain in it
The reason the punt was so low in the water is it had four anchors, two buoys and about 200 feet of anchor chain in it
Blue dinghy heading home
Blue dinghy heading home
Sails coming off
Sails coming off
Demasting hoist
Demasting hoist

Lowering the mast has transformed from terrifying experiments in amatuerish physics to the current highly evolved, and reasonably safe, method.  That’s a chain-hoist on the end of a steel brace hooked on the top rung of a wharf ladder and all tied down firmly.   Low tide gives us enough height.  Jane operates the hoist and I encourage the mast to land where we want.

Mast step supports on the receiving end
Mast step supports on the receiving end
And voila!
And voila!
Coast Guard trainees towing docks to the Cale Seche
Coast Guard trainees towing docks to the Cale Seche

Every year the marina asks for volunteers to tow the docks around to the dry-dock but in recent years the Coast Guard has held a training session at the right time so they get to have all the fun.  Finally I was available to help and all I got to do was tell Phil when they were leaving on the VHF radio.

They like to practice on inanimate objects
They like to practice on inanimate objects
They're off!
They’re off!
Heading to the dry-dock.  It was a bad year for the engine so I arranged to have an engineer on board...
Heading to the dry-dock. It was a bad year for the engine so I arranged to have an engineer on board…and a spare motor.

The dry-dock is wonderful.  Open the gates at low tide.  The boats all float in at high tide.  Shut the gates again at low tide, and we’re dry for the winter.

Heading through the gates
Heading for the gates

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Our turn
Our turn
Waiting for the tide to fall
Waiting for the tide to fall
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And it did!
Hard aground till May 2015
Hard aground till May 2015