Launched!



 It may be late August, but I finally got the boat launched! Fortunately, around here, some of the best sailing is in September, and even early October can be quite nice. I rented a UHaul pickup again and started towing. Less than a mile into the trip, I noticed the left wheel of the trailer wobbling. As I watched in the mirror, I gasped as I saw a lug bolt fly loose! I immediately put my flashers on and pulled over. Thankfully, I was on a slow, residential street and had a jack, jack stands, ramps, and two spare wheels with me. What I didn't have was spare lug bolts! I was incredibly lucky to find all four (of five!) that came loose lying in the road! Thankfully, the last one held long enough for me to pull over. With it jacked up, I made sure to torque them plenty. Strange, I thought I had when I replaced the wheels, but apparently not enough. I stopped twice more to check both wheels, but all stayed tight after that. Launching with the 2-ton hoist at Newport Yacht Club took some effort since it seems the rotational bearings on the hoist are binding under load, but with the help of my dad and a friend, we got it done. The rig went up fairly easy and I motored out to the mooring with the little 4 HP outboard I got on Amazon. I had to rush off for an appointment so I didn't have time for a test sail, but I plan to take one Friday.

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