First 'event'

Boat prep for a dry sailed "maxi dinghy" is pretty straight forward. You don't have to worry about plumbing; no anti fouling, just re-rigging. The mast is keel stepped. I need three people to help out: one to operate the crane; one above deck; and one below deck, to guide the mast into the step. I like to wait until the big boats have launched (usually on the first weekend in May). One of the great things about sailing is that you get to meet a lot of people. You can't have everyone on the boat at the same time. The solution is to divide the season into different events and sort out crew for each of those events. For the first event of the new season, 'mast step' , Claudiu and Nick were the crew.

I wanted a sunny day with little wind. I also wanted to give the crew enough warning for them to be able to make a commitment. There is a conflict here; the more warning, the less reliable the forecast. Wednesday seemed like a good day. Claudiu was able to help in the afternoon. If all went according to plan we would be ready to step the mast when Nick arrived. We have a plan!

Claudiu and I reattached the life lines. The only mishap was that I broke the windex (again!) and I had to rush over to get a new one. Windexes and I seem to have a problem forming a longterm relationship. Nick arrived just as we were ready to move the boat over to the crane. One of Nick's first comments was about the dark clouds to the west. He figured we would have about an hour. I felt the first drop of rain as I attached the sling to the mast. The stepping went quickly except that the starboard inner shroud was askew. I had to use the bosun's chair to adjust it. We were able to get the mast secured before we got completely drenched! My tradeoff between reliable forecast and planning lead time was a bit off.

Thanks Claudiu and Nick. The first event of the 2010 season was successfully completed.