Cloudy Bay wets her bottom!

Thursday 18 Nov, re-launch 2021, HHN day 50: Glue velcro strips on for dinghy chaps. Successfully launched and moored up. Collecting on-line food provisioning.

Yes, we are back in the water!! Yippee! And as I write this just before midnight the wind is howling in the rigging, and we are gently rocking.
But let’s start at the beginning. Today is a stunning autumn day. Sunny with an unusually warm southern wind. It even reached 22 degC midafternoon. Perfect weather for launching and perfect temperature for gluing new velcro onto the Highfield dinghy for the dinghy chaps to attach to.

Previously we had used special hypalon 2-pack glue and stuck the velcro directly onto the rubber rubbing strip. But after 2 summers and a winter, the velcro was falling off. So this time, we have sewn velcro onto Shelterite vinyl and it will be this vinyl that we now glue to the rubber.
First job is to mask off the zone either side of where the velcro will go, then 80-grade sand-off the old glue, which also gives a nice key for the new glue. Now onto glue. Thinking about it now, it wasn’t particularly smart to use expensive hypalon glue, when what we are actually gluing onto is rubber, not the hypalon material. So this time we have bought a simple contact glue made for vinyl. Only time will tell if it’s better or not.

Being afraid the travel-lift will turn up at any moment, to take Cloudy Bay to the launching slip, I decide to glue the velcro in sections of ½ meter at a time. But I’m still certain the launch crew will turn up mid-job and I’ll have to stop.
The trouble with launching in Herrington Marina, like most marinas I suspect, is you never know the exact time they will come get you. And if you try to ask the crew, their answer is always along the lines of: “dunno, we just do the boats we are told to. Go ask the office”. Then the office will say: “You are scheduled, but it’s up to the launch crew to decide when”. It’s been the same story every time we have re-launched. And the problem for me is this stresses us out! Actually, launching and maneuvering the boat after such a long period of not doing so is what stresses me out … the unknown timing of that event just adds to it.

So it’s with some satisfaction that I hear the travel-lift approaching the very moment I finish gluing on the last section of velcro. Perfect timing. Then we swing into action with a well-oiled plan. Power lines need to be brought aboard, the cheapy 110v fridge needs to be moved to the floor (in case it falls over), then we need to exit the boat with camera, car keys, swim platform remote control etc. and get down on the ground. By the time we hit the gravel, they are already lifting the boat. Once here, the crew don’t mess around! With the boat in the slings, I don my coveralls and paint the last bits of antifoul where the keel has been blocked. Then off she goes, our baby in a big cradle, heading to the launch slip.

At the slip, Ray is there to watch the event and help us. As her keel dips into the water, you can almost hear her squeal with delight. This is where she belongs, she is not a land creature!
When she is semi floating, we jump back aboard. Lots of checks to be done. Getting a visual on all the thru-hull fittings for signs of leaks. Especially the 5 that we replaced. And the same with the rudder bearing. Then seacock open for the Volvo. Stern gland valve open to lubricate the PSS shaft seal. Then we fire up the Volvo. And it starts first time! Lovely.

With the engine running and no leaks, it’s time to move out the slip. But first a quick check of the bow thruster. I press the starboard push button but the bow thrusts to port. So I try the port button … but then we thrust to starboard. Oooops, how on earth did that action manage to reverse itself? The only thing I’ve touched on the thruster is to remove the props. I thought they could only go on one way, but clearly not! Well, that will be the first job once I get clear warm water to dive in. Swapping the 2 propellers around the right way again. Till then I’ll have to get used to pressing left for right and right for left. It will be a bit like trying to ride a bike with your hands crossed onto the opposite end of the handlebar. Tricky!

Normally I drive the boat out the slip. But today there is an unhealthy cross wind, so the team man-handle her until we are clear to motor forward. And there we are, moving again under our own steam. I’m both excited and relieved. After all that work, no leaks and everything seems to work, so far!

At C-Dock the marina guys are there to help us with lines and Ray is on deck with us too. Lots of hands. Oana and I could almost sit back and let them do it. Then, before we know it, everyone has gone and we are left alone. Floating and moored as the sun starts to set.
It really was a narrow window of time for us to launch. Today is spring tide, plus a good southerly breeze. We had 20cm under the keel in the slip that is normally only 7ft deep (we draw 8ft, or 2.5m). And tonight we will get a cold front coming through which will swing the wind, and the water will fall again. The next window was at least a week away. So glad we caught this one.

In the evening we head into Edgewater to pick up on-line shopping that Oana had bought over the internet. 2 supermarkets tonight: Weis and Giant. And we are pretty impressed. The trollies are delivered to us with all the physical picking done by the staff. This is SO much better than the usual hours and hours going down each and every isle. Then the same in next shop, then back again in an iterative process. Our only challenge was to fit it all into the car. With all our previous provisioning, I don’t think we’ve ever had so much in one carload.

As we get back to the boat, the weather front is passing, the wind is howling and the temperature has dropped massively. 22 degC down to 10 degC in a matter of 2-3 hours. Let’s see how we sleep tonight with the boat rocking and the water lapping.

Tomorrow, East Coast Marine Rigging will come and fit the new V1 turnbuckles and tune the rig. Then the next lull in the wind (likely Sunday) we will get the sails back up. Soon be time to depart.