Blog of S/V Salty Beach

Ever since launching and discovering the keel wouldn't lower all the way, I've been anxious to get the keel out of the boat. With it safely on the hard for the winter, and the weather still fairly warm, it was time. First, I jacked up the trailer and put it on jack stands to prevent sagging as I climbed aboard. Next, I used a bottle jack to lift the front of the boat and placed 4x4 blocks on top of the forward part of the bunks to raise the boat 4" off the trailer. I used a hi-lift jack to lift the transom and do the same at the aft end of the bunks. This was to allow enough clearance between the trailer and boat to get the keel out of the partial trunk of the boat. I put a jack gently under the forward edge of the keel, just barely touching, in an effort to remove load from the pivot bolt. Next, I climbed aboard, used a putty knife to scrape off the Stay Afloat wax I had sealed the pivot bolt with, and removed the nut with a socket and ratchet. A couple whacks with a hamm...

 Forgot to take any pictures, but it went pretty well. Chose a nice sunny day with little wind. I towed the empty trailer with my Toyota Corolla over to Newport where I had rented a U-Haul pickup to tow the boat. Swapped the trailer over and headed down to Newport Yacht Club for haul out with the 2-ton hoist. My dad and brother came down to help. I had originally hoped to drop the keel out of the boat with it on the lift, but my concern that it might be stuck in the slot combined with limited time and my brother's suggestion that we wait and he would help made the decision easier. I removed all the standing and running rigging to minimize weather exposure. Thankfully, it was a smooth drive home. I decided to park the boat on the strip of grass alongside my driveway, closer to my house. It took a bit of maneuvering, but I finally got it just right. Then I returned the pickup and drove home in my Corolla.

Took Tiffany and my future step-daughters out for a light-air evening cruise to Potter Cove in Jamestown for a swim and sunset sail. The light air made for a longer trip than expected, but it was relaxing for a quick swim before heading back. We were treated to a lovely sunset, though didn't return until after dark and our usual launch had stopped running. Consequently, I docked to unload the boat, then motored it solo out to the mooring and took Old Port launch (pay) back. On the bright side, an old friend of mine was the launch driver so it was great to catch up for a few minutes. Tiffany wasn't feeling the greatest even before the sail, but otherwise I think the girls enjoyed it.

 With my middle son Ian as crew, the original plan was to leave Friday, sail to Third Beach in Middletown, RI where my dad has a mooring, then leave in the morning for Cuttyhunk. The weather had other plans. There was virtually no wind Friday, and Saturday's forecast was for gusty conditions from the east, the direction we needed to go. In a typical southwesterly, Cuttyhunk is an easy ride, but I didn't want a long beat for a shakedown cruise, so we changed plans. I saw the Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta was taking place near Bristol around noon, so I figured we could head up the bay and maybe see some of the classic yachts, including the legendary S&S-designed Dorade (for whom the cowl vent boxes are named). After, I figured we could possibly grab our friends' mooring in Potter Cove on Prudence Island, or sail down the west side of Jamestown and anchor in Dutch Harbor. As it turned out, we were much too late leaving to catch any of the action. We were so late we opt...

   After getting everything rigged, I took my son out for a light-air harbor sail. The boat feels great, it even reminds me of the Tanzer 22, which I love! More to come as we have a little cruise planned...

 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...

 Finally, there were only two major tasks left: standing rigging and electrical. For the standing rigging, I decided to go the DIY route and make new cables with Nicopress swages. In the past, I've always relied on professional riggers. The Frers 40 has Nitronic 50 rod which is well beyond my capability to work with, other than  adjusting turnbuckles. When the Tanzer 22 needed a new forestay, we simply had one made by a rigger based on the old one, with the more typical roll-swaged fittings. The reasons for the DIY approach this time were multiple: the rigging on this boat was almost certainly Nicopress swaging originally. The lower shrouds still were, and the rest were mismatched lengths that looked like they were adapted from other boats. the boat is small and relatively light, consequently the loads and therefore rigging are relatively small (1/8" specifically) I had ready access to the tools and information needed, including a proven example on a similar boat at https://st...