Let the season begin*..

...so we're in... launched..  splashed..   but not without a few interesting wrinkles on the way in..  😀

I was due to go in on the 15th..  it was a half 11 HT..  and as I am usually dumped on the mud at the bottom of the slipway to float off as the tide comes in, I had rocked up to the club about 7'ish to allow for enough time only to find no one there at all!

Kettle on, tea, watch the world go round for half an hour, and the first signs of (lift in) life began to appear..  half an hour later and I'm beginning to think that I may not be in for a dry launch after all, as the water is beginning to show..  first boat goes to the end of the slip, and as the tractor comes back one of the front wheels comes to a halt as the rest of the tractor continues forward..  universal joint (that's one, top left) fractured, not good..

The club is nothing if not rammed with blokes of inestimable mechanical knowledge however, and before you could say anything, the wheel was off, the hub stripped, the remains of the UJ removed with an angle grinder, and the hub rebuilt, and wheel replaced.. the UJ allows 4WD and it wasn't essential for what we needed..

Boat in front of me shifted out of the way, and it was then my turn ..

The water was well up by now, so I had my first ever 'wet' launch (put into the sea on the hoist, and then motor out) which went very OK..  couple of launching party guys on board to handle ropes and slings (which was most useful) and I was soon motoring under the bridge to pick up my mooring strop, which I had taken the opportunity of putting back on the day before so I was ready.. job done...

The day before I had also wired the depth sounder into the electrics, and taken the opportunity to tidy up wiring from the VHF - the moment of truth had arrived..  switched it on and ==>

Boo yah! Result..!  😃

1.4 mtrs under the keel at about HT..  I have set an offset for the keel of 0.9 Mtrs so the water at my mooring is about 2.3 mtrs deep (surface to bottom) - chuffed to nuts with that...

...and this is what it's all about - glorious day in warm sunshine, sat safely on the mooring - quick was down and tidy up and the rescue boat came and took me back to shore..  a very good day all round..

* The next day (today as I write) I took the boom, A frame, and genoa down to the boat - the Jolly Boys are due to convene on Thursday afternoon, weather permitting, to put the mast back up - strictly speaking, the season can really start then..