Karen and I took Irish Rover to the Titusville Municipal Boat Ramp for a brief but very important test of the boat. Mostly we wanted to confirm we could handle the various systems, especially raising and lowering the mast on our own, just the two of us. As it turns out, we mostly did fine, but found that if there is a stiff breeze, then I would have trouble keeping the mast from swaying side-to-side. Now we've added stiff side spars to keep the mast centered when less than fully upright. We also discovered that it can be difficult to prevent the slack shrouds and aft stay from fouling while we are busy in the process of raising the mast. On this day, after two episodes of fouling, lowering and re-raising the mast, we recruited a fellow sailor to keep the shrouds and stay free while Karen and I hauled the mast upright.
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| Irish Rover and her tow vehicle, the RV |
As this was our first time preparing the boat for the water, it was also our first time installing the bimini, stowing provisions, shipping the dinghy and motor aboard. We were very careful and deliberate in everything so we took much more time than we expect to in the future. All told, it was 6 hours of preparation before we left the pier and were actually sailing (OK, motoring) away.
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| Sunset, May 9, 2017 |
Thankfully, the weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset, moonrise and sunrise as we prepared our dinner, slept, and breakfasted before returning to the ramp to haul our new-to-me boat, lowering the mast and preparing her for our summer adventures and road trip.
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| Moonrise, May 9, 2017 |
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| Sunrise, May 10, 2017 |
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