Monday 16 January – Penryn
Boat yard starts working at 7:30 – toilets are open!
Launch will be at about 11:30
Mike returns the van to Enterprise in Penryn. Very handy being able to do a one way van hire.
Boat is lifted from it’s cradle at about 10:00
Jake and I complete the anti-foul painting under the keel and where the stand pads have been on the hull.
Leave the ladder, platform and painting gear under the boat next to us.
11:30 boat is moved down the slipway. Problem there a parked van blocking the slipway, however the keys are in the van so the boatyard staff move it.
We are in the water! It floats! No water flowing into the bilge.
On the waiting pontoon in 0.4 meters of water under the keel.
Engine will not start, battery does not have enough energy.
Link the starter battery to the house battery bank, she starts. Cannot see water flowing out of the tell tail but after 10 minutes the impeller housing is still cool and the engine has not exploded so we are good.
Jake and Mike work the boost to the end of the jetty so we have water depth. Possible scratch side of boat? no it’s fine. (New paint job last year!)
Current and wind is pinning us to the pontoon.
Simon comes down to see how we are doing.
Gives very helpful advice on how to get the boat off the pontoon using a bow springer.
Have to remember to give the engine some revs to unfold the prop fully.
And we are off under power in the river.
Motor into Falmouth harbour, we take turns manoeuvring onto mooring buoys and pretend marine fingers.
Wind dies as we go back up river to the Premier marina
Zero wind as we come up for mooring, they have given use an easy berth, Jake still has to make a large jump onto the finger as I am about a meter off the pontoon.
We are tied up and safe.
Now it’s time to rig the sales, so many ropes.
We are very lucky there is no wind.
At about 15:00 the previous owner and his friend Chris come down to help rigging.
It takes 5 of us about 2 hours to rig the main sail, its complex and hard work.
We get lots of good advice about the boat and its rig.
At about 18:00 we have finished the sails, it’s not optimal but it’s solid and good enough for the next few days.
I am very tired, Jake is super happy when I suggest we go to Mac Donald which is just outside the marine.
Cannot remember the last time I went but junk food is what we need now.
Back to the boat for a whiskey before bed. Damn I left the ladders and painting gear in the boat yard next door (It’s closed now) bugger.
