When I first bought my boat the sea trial entailed setting the mast. I wasn’t in charge but it scared me to have about 6 guys standing around discussing possible ways to get it up. In those days it rested (was stepped) on the deck. Ideas ranged from using the small hoist fastened around the middle to having several men push it up. There was no consensus. The mast was about 35′ long and heavier than one person could lift. I don’t recall what was finally done, but I remember a halyard got stuck at the top and someone used an extension ladder to get up there. Continue reading “Mast Raising”
Boat Launching
When I discovered that it would cost me a good $600 per year to get my boat from my yard to the harbour and back each year, I decided a trailer (costing $1000) would be a good idea. Unfortunately to legally put a 15′ wide trimaran on the road would require special permits, etc. but where I live fishing boats of about the same width are routinely trailered by a commercial carrier (legally) and it is only 2 miles to the harbour. Drivers here are used to encountering wide boats on the highway and, as long as I avoid peak traffic times, things are OK. Continue reading “Boat Launching”