Every year I get to this point and it seems like it came faster than the year before. I so enjoy the sailing on the bay that I find myself preparing my weeks 5 days before they get here. Planning is half the fun of a day on the water. Just running down to the boar yard and out to our boat in the dinghy without any plan seems to just be a waste of good time. Don't get me wrong, I have done it may times, but you really don't get much out of the event except more time on the water. Having a destination or trip planned is very important to you and your family. Having a float plan is important as well. Yes, even while sailing in Raritan Bay! Who knows what could happen while you are out sailing. I have been knocked down, got caught up in the wind to where we could not turn back or even lower the sails with the two of us on deck to lower the sails while almost getting knocked off and into the water. Man over board drills are not a good thing when it is rough and windy. But we survived and it does open your eyes. So in the past weeks prior to leaving home I would post my float plan on the refridge, just in case. I think this is a good practice to get into for everyone going out in the bay or anyplace for that mater.
I am saddened by the fact that Lil Provo is on the hard for the next 7 months. But my way around this is to work on her all winter to make her a better vessel the next season. And boy, do I have plans this winter.
 | ||
| Being out off of Long Island on a calm day is great, even if you can't see the shore. But when the weather cooperates with you it is amazing the sailing you can get in. Call it the little kid inside of all of us. It is just down right fun. |
 |
| Getting close enough to shore is always a comforting feeling and gives you the feeling of a little more control. Out in the ocean, you must roll with the punches mother nature throws at you, so planning good weather for a ocean trip is important and comforting. |
This past weekend was the end of our sailing season. Yes, I have John Olsen pull out Lil Provo and prepare her for the half hour trip home. The first step to this ritual is to load up the dingy on top of the truck and get that all secured. Our dinghy is the larger dinghy bottom up. This is an old fiberglass dinghy that is from the late sixties or early seventies. It has to weight about 150 pounds and all the repairs over the years maybe another 25 pounds. So it is not something you can throw around like the one on it's side next to ours. The new plastic dinghies are really light. Gary and I loaded up the dinghy and then moved on to secure Lil Provo, remove the motor, secure the mast, remove the rudder, and strap her down to her trailer.
This dinghy has paid for itself more times than I can imagine. I rebuilt the small keel on the bottom from IPE wood. All that dragging onto the concrete ramp every time you sail really takes it toll on the small keel. This year we had minimal wear but still wore right through the fiberglass. This winter we will add an aluminum plate along the bottom of the keel for longer life.
With the dinghy secured on the roof of the truck it was now time to get Lil Provo ready for her ride home. It was great the way John had her sitting there very accessible for us. I backed up opened the rear hatch to the truck and loaded the rudder and outboard. We then added my mast supports used for transportation and tied down the mast securely to the boat. I have a bunch of cargo straps that we use. Yes some of them are made for really big things and I feel much more secure with a 3-1/2" strap ratcheted down than I would one that is only an inch. While we were securing Lil Provo we hear a lot of yelling and when we walked out into the parking we saw John's pickup in the water, but hold it, John was not home and no workers were in the yard!
It seems someone decided to use John's truck to pull their boat out of the water and not familiar with truck they slide right down into the bay. They had their boat on the trailer and the weight pulled the truck and trailer down into the water. When we got close enough to take a look, the truck was floating nose down as the trailer was still hooked to the nose ball on the truck. This was not a good thing as this is the truck that is used to pull the boats out of the water and to move them around the property. This time of year it is essential to have this truck working. One of the guys who allowed the truck to make it to the water was now scrambling for the old international pickup to pull the other pickup and trailer from the water. The roar of that old flat hear firing up is a distinguishable sound and after years at the yard, you just know when the have to start the old tank up. Actually the old International is still the workhorse of the boat yard.
The hooked a cable to the rear of the truck from the winch in the back of the International. They had a hard time getting the cable to lay right when they began pulling it up and had to use their hands to guide the cable. At least they smartened up and used the ground tackle secured into the parking lot to make sure another pickup did not make it's way to the water.
This old International has fenders of such heavy steel, you could hit them with a hammer without making a dent. There are many people who would like to get hold of this old truck, but it has been in the family for a long time and John will not part with it.
What a great piece of nostalgia!
With Lil Provo all secured, it was time to head on home to her resting spot for the next seven months. To the left in this photo is an old Olsen wooden boat that is still used. The yards has quite a few of these hanging around and they are really a great riding boat with plenty of room.
We got the boat home without any problems and placed her in her winter home. I still need to jack up the trailer and take the load off the springs and tires. This will be done over the next month. She also will be stripped clean on the inside so I have a clean slate to work on. She will be ready come next May.
During the next few months we hope to share some of the things we have planned for Lil Provo this winter.
