Joel Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Finally, five years and six months since the first cut, we got our Weekender in the water. My wife and I launched from the public boat ramp in Silverdale Washington 2 hours after high tide. After a short christening ceremony at the dock we set out for Port Orchard, about 8 miles away. The winds were very light as predicted so we motored with our 2hp Honda. Every once and a while the wind picked up to about five mph. We shut the motor down and sailed until the wind died. The current was in our favor through the Port Washington Narrows so we zipped through to Bremerton just in time to see the car ferry leaving for Seattle. As we approached the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard there were some buoys marking the boundaries of the Navy base. I noticed a small gray patrol boat shadowing us as we motored along just outside the markers. We decided it would be a good time to make the one mile dash across Sinclair Inlet over to Port Orchard. After dodging the passenger ferry wake we killed the motor and sailed right in to the harbor. The boat sailed beautifully! Even the infamous "club footed jib" was well behaved. We stopped in a small cove and celebrated our maiden voyage with a picnic lunch ;D The trip back was not quite so smooth. That favorable current that pushed us through the Narrows into Bremerton was now against us. We started the motor and powered through at half throttle. As we broke out of the Narrows into Dyes Inlet the wind started to build. We pulled the motor up and got ready for some serious sailing. The wind was blowing steady at about 10 knots We were tacking through the Inlet back toward Silverdale. Without much warning the wind started to gust. At first just a little. I eased the mainsheet and things were back to normal. Then..... a BIG GUST I'm sure it was at least 25 knots. The boat healed over hard, I eased the main and it slammed against the starboard shroud. I uncleated the jib and headed up into the wind. After regaining some control I started the motor and headed in. With two miles to go I decided to stay within "swimming distance" of the shore . By the time we got to the dock the winds had calmed down somewhat so we decided to get some pictures of our new boat under sail. As I approached the dock I saw two teen aged boys standing there. I told them what we were trying to do, and they agreed to help. We motored to the dock with the sails up and they caught the mooring lines. My wife got off with the camera, and they let me loose. She got a few pictures and I came back in. Just as we got the sails down the wind started to gust again. It was really blowing hard so we figured we would wait until it calmed down before we tried to get the boat back on the trailer. After an hour or so we decided it wasn't going to get any better. With the aid of our new teen aged friends we left the dock and I motored over to the ramp. The kids ran over to catch our lines again, Thank God, I don't know how we would have done this by ourselves. So ....... a few small dents in the rubrails and a couple of gouges in the bowsprit, and the boat was back on the trailer. Wow what a day! Thanks to everybody on this forum, (especially Captain Jake and Barry Pyeatt) for an endless supply of encouragement and motivation. Here are some pictures of our launching http://picasaweb.google.com/jsacho/SVIslandGirl/photo#5214715956244200674 Joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt jake Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Wow! It sounds like you had a very wide variety of conditions! I am glad it went well for you and I am sorry it didn't work out for me to be there. I would have loved to be there and be part of it! New teen aged friends? New sailing buddies maybe? If they have their heads on straight, that could be a fun time for all. We will have to get together at some point this summer. JW Added: I see your wife found her favorite place again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remod Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Congratulations Joel! She looks right at home on the water. You did quite a beautiful job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Paxton Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Congratulations, Joel. There's nothing like the satisfaction that comes from sailing a boat you built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Posted June 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 Thanks for the nice comments. I still have a list of things I was going to complete before the launch. I guess if you wait until everything is done you will never go sailing. I did make some changes to the trailer setup yesterday. I moved the boat back about a foot and shimmed the bunks up in the front for a tighter fit. I am thinking about making a removable tongue extension that will get the trailer in deeper without launching my little toyota truck. I have been driving around the area looking at the boat ramps. Most seem unusable at low tide with the standard trailer tongue. Joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Pyeatt Posted June 24, 2008 Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 HURRAH JOEL! [glow=red,2,300][/glow] I don't know how to tell you how tickled both Jody and I are that you are finally sailing with your "Island Girl" . I can tell from the photos that she is happy to be on the water. : I know it has been a long time coming, but good things do happen for those with the patience to follow thru on them. Can't wait to see her in the water and looking forward to getting a chance to go out with you. Certainly looks great from the launch photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Posted June 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Thanks Barry, Maybe we could get together with John in the South Sound soon? Or better yet, we could all join you and Jody for you launching of Spirit Wind??? Joel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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