Sjösättning

Friday, and all those last minute jobs have run out of minutes. Sjösättning has come!

Karlsunds has it well sorted. On time the crane arrives and with it the trailer that will carry her down to the water. I've seen a bit on tying the strops together to stop them slipping, but here they just get on with it. Strops on, slacken the bottle screws on the cradle and lift. Be careful with her.. as two tonnes swings in to the air.

But no worries. Once on the trailer the supports close to grip her and it's off through the rows of boats to the slipway. So many boats with the covers stlll on, work barely started. It's nice instead to be putting her back into her element.

Despite having tested the sea-cock was water-tight once we'd changed it there's still a small apprehension lingering as she glides off the trailer to lie by the quay. Small and fortunately unfounded.

And so I whisper sweet words to the outboard and smile as it sputters to life on the second pull. Cast off! ...and we back slowly away from the quayside before swing the bow round to face away. Slip her into gear and head off to find the berth, the sun shining and ripples gurgling under the bow.

Go South! Young Man

With the boat almost ready to slip it seemed about time to think about the season ahead. All dressed up with nowhere to go? Well not quite...

The plan was that we would sail to Gotland somewhen under the summer and spend a few days cruising there before heading back. Two boats, for company and added safety, and a little summer sailing adventure. But - talking it over round the table in Tullkrogen there was a more conservative tone from the assembled ship companies. Ah well... night sailing.. weather .. need more crew .. ferries? It's a long way... (about 100nm). So, by consensus - in the best swedish tradition - we are haeding south in the summer. Västervik is nice, if we make it that far.

Gotland? Maybe next year.

That sinking feeling...

The seacock under the sink has not been working... it doesn't shut off. When we changed the old tatty plastic sink for a stainless one we found that the plughole is not so very far above the waterline, so it's comforting to be able to shut off the seacock when we're under way...
So I thought I'd have a look. ..and yes the seacock's kaput. So we just screw it loose from the hull fitting and..
..and it's too close to the bulkhead to screw off! And that's when you get that sinking feeling.

So now it's either loosen the hull fitting - which I'm loathe to do - or add some ventilation to the locker under the berth.
Pass the saw Pål!

Painted and fine

Easter and work starts in earnest... sanding and repainting the anti-fouling, and the annual challenge to get the hull looking it's best.
The blue colour matts out under the summer, and the finish gets streaky and uneven - so every year it's a once over with rubbing paste, and then polish and wax. It works, and gets easier year by year. She looks fine afterwards, but I'd love to find a way to keep her looking that way all year round!
..and someday I will get some gelcoat in the right colour and get rid of all those marks where the anchor has kissed the sides on the way up.

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Covers Off!

Last year at this time the snow was still piled high around the covers, and the bay was thick with ice (...actually not thick enough, but that's another story!). Today though the sun shone and spring is definitely in the air. Time to get started. Covers Off!

It's more symbolic than a big step on the way - but taking down the winter covers at least means we get to check her over before we go to the chandlers. And she will get a little air before we start with the rubbing and painting.

Strange that we're the only ones...

Charted...

The snow is still lying round about, but thoughts turn to spring and getting the boat ready for 'sjösättning'. It is after all spring proper in more southerly climes.

Yesterday, to give a sailing jolt to the system, it was a visit to 'Allt på Sjön' - the annual sailing exhibition here in Stockholm. Amongst all the motorboats and enormous outboards there were sails flying to whet the appetite: A new range of boats from RS - new to me at least - had me yearning for a bit of dinghy sailing, and the small collection of traditional boats reminds me that I really ought to have a boat at home. Something to potter with in the evenings. Living on a lake shore ought to have some benefits!

But... we didn't buy a boat... not even a shiny new kayak. But one thing did open the purse-strings. A new chart - a large scale chart of some of the islands out round Huvudskär - and so we have the beginnings of a plan, for one of those weekend trips...