With a fresh coat of bottom paint applied on Sunday, I was ready to go. Dropped the launch form at the marina office first thing yesterday but with needing to wait for the tide and the wind coming up at the same time, Matt decided today would be a better day. So as promised, LIQUIDITY was launched at about noon today and is floating happily in slip I-20 at Marina Bay.
There's work to do but the first task today was to introduce Bear to the boat. He hopped right aboard, sniffed the perimeter of the cockpit for a bit and then followed me below. He handled the companionway ladder quite well for a first try and was comfortable enough to take a nap. We need some work on getting UP the companionway ladder!
Did I mention that my 35 year old Volvo MD7A started right up after its Winter rest? Quite amazing, actually; it fired up on the first compression.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Yay!!! The cover is... OFF!
Thanks to my friend Duncan who came all the way down from Canada to Quincy (MA) just so he could help me take the cover off LIQUIDITY. We had a nice lunch, walked Roxy and Bear a bit, then off came the Winter shrink wrap. It's the official start of sailing season.
Oh year, Duncan's son lives in Alston, but I'm pretty sure he came down so he could help me with the boat. Thanks again, Duncan.
Oh year, Duncan's son lives in Alston, but I'm pretty sure he came down so he could help me with the boat. Thanks again, Duncan.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
It's always fun...
... when one of my Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association buddies calls and tells me that he'll be in Boston and asks if we can we get together for a drink. The latest, coming from Canada, has a son living in Boston.
Having never met is of no consequence. We've been corresponding on the Cape Dory message board for years, if not directly, then indirectly as we each read the others' postings. I've never been disappointed with a face to face meeting.
He'll be here in two weeks. If the weather cooperates, the plan is to take the cover off the boat, an easier exercise with two of us, grab a sandwich, crawl on board, have lunch and a beer or two and call it a day.
Pray for warm and sunny. (I did ask my former Rabbi, in fact, if there was a prayer for good weather. "Absolutely," he assured me, although he did add, "Of course, it doesn't work." Oh well. We'll do the best we can, rain or shine, warm or otherwise.
Having never met is of no consequence. We've been corresponding on the Cape Dory message board for years, if not directly, then indirectly as we each read the others' postings. I've never been disappointed with a face to face meeting.
He'll be here in two weeks. If the weather cooperates, the plan is to take the cover off the boat, an easier exercise with two of us, grab a sandwich, crawl on board, have lunch and a beer or two and call it a day.
Pray for warm and sunny. (I did ask my former Rabbi, in fact, if there was a prayer for good weather. "Absolutely," he assured me, although he did add, "Of course, it doesn't work." Oh well. We'll do the best we can, rain or shine, warm or otherwise.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
LIQUIDITY has a new crew member!
As I noted here several weeks ago, we lost Gracie, our almost 12 year old yellow lab, after a short illness. I'm happy to report though that LIQUIDITY has a new crew member, not a replacement for Gracie but because with Gracie gone, we have room on board and in our lives for just one more.
Say hello to Bear! He's purported to be a flat coated retriever / Newfoundland mix... about a year and a half old, 88 lbs... and as I typo, right here sleeping on my foot. Roxy our chocolate lab, at age 13, is still sailing.
Say hello to Bear! He's purported to be a flat coated retriever / Newfoundland mix... about a year and a half old, 88 lbs... and as I typo, right here sleeping on my foot. Roxy our chocolate lab, at age 13, is still sailing.
Friday, February 17, 2012
It's not just about Boston
One more sign of Spring: I'm booking my volunteer week on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. It's not about Boston sailing but it is about sailing and Clearwater's mission is surely not limited to the Hudson River.
A week volunteering on Clearwater teaches about 400 children, 40 at a time, about the river, it's history and the river environment overall. What's learned there applies to most rivers, most harbors, most environments and, generally speaking, about this planet and how we need to take care of it.
Among the other benefits, I get to be a deck hand on a tall ship. It's hard work on the one hand, but easy on the other since much of the heavy lifting is done by the 40 kids. (It's a really good, practical lesson in physics, watching 40 school kids raise a 3,000 lb. main sail.)
There's the teaching part, too, and as I tell the kids as I introduce myself, "I'm not a teacher pretending to be a sailor..." It does seem to work out and I'm looking forward to it.
A week volunteering on Clearwater teaches about 400 children, 40 at a time, about the river, it's history and the river environment overall. What's learned there applies to most rivers, most harbors, most environments and, generally speaking, about this planet and how we need to take care of it.
Among the other benefits, I get to be a deck hand on a tall ship. It's hard work on the one hand, but easy on the other since much of the heavy lifting is done by the 40 kids. (It's a really good, practical lesson in physics, watching 40 school kids raise a 3,000 lb. main sail.)
There's the teaching part, too, and as I tell the kids as I introduce myself, "I'm not a teacher pretending to be a sailor..." It does seem to work out and I'm looking forward to it.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Anything new to see at the Boat Show?
Not really, but that's not why I go. Here's a sampling of the upside of spending two hours at the boat show:
I did see some good design ideas as I crawled over boats yesterday, though. I particularly liked the wine rack behind the fold up table on the Island Packet and will ponder how I work that idea into a storage plan for LIQUIDITY (even though we don't have a fold up table).
People I don't otherwise see: George and Susan used to be dock mates. Yesterday, they were taking tickets at the boat show. Cap't Steve as I renewed my Sea Tow membership. Brian and Jeff at the Marina Bay booth. Chris, another former dock mate.
It's always good to talk boats!
I did see some good design ideas as I crawled over boats yesterday, though. I particularly liked the wine rack behind the fold up table on the Island Packet and will ponder how I work that idea into a storage plan for LIQUIDITY (even though we don't have a fold up table).
People I don't otherwise see: George and Susan used to be dock mates. Yesterday, they were taking tickets at the boat show. Cap't Steve as I renewed my Sea Tow membership. Brian and Jeff at the Marina Bay booth. Chris, another former dock mate.
It's always good to talk boats!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sigh...
Grace didn't make it. No need for details here, but she was in distress and it was time to let her go. I'll miss her.
We're talking about one more voyage, maybe to just off Peddocks Island, where I could count on Grace jumping from the dingy at about 10 yards from shore. Let the tides and currents take her where they may.
We're talking about one more voyage, maybe to just off Peddocks Island, where I could count on Grace jumping from the dingy at about 10 yards from shore. Let the tides and currents take her where they may.
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