trailer, rigging and finishing off

Now that the boat was essentially finished, thoughts turned to designing a suitable trailer, getting the boat out of the workshop (walls to be knocked down and a wider opening needed) and final rigging before the launch. We had intended to launch in early spring but it took us much longer to find a suitable trailer design and to get the manufacturer to provide what we wanted.

We eventually settled on a 'Gullwing' aluminium trailer with keel and side wobble rollers. It took a lot of modifications post delivery to get it anything like usable and caused us a lot of angst. It is still not quite right in that launch and retrieval is not easy (impossible if single-handed).

1 April (an appropriate day) was the first time the boat saw the light of day and for the trailer deficiencies to come to real light as we struggled to transfer the boat from the build trolley in the workshop to the waiting trailer outside. Later came more problems in getting the boat off the trailer and onto blocks on the ground where it was to remain for another two months whilst modifications were sorted out. We were able to use some of the time in leathering spars, masts and oars, fixing and testing the wire stays and sorting out all manner of minor things such as cleats on the masts, rudder stock, sprit boom etc. Meanwhile Anne had sorted out boat cushions (we like comfort) and various useful bags for storage of things like rowlocks and belaying pins.

Paul's sister Sarah was commissioned (or was it inveigled) into painting a name plate for us and it really helped finish the boat off.