Launch & Prep Island Spirit 2011

Our wonderful passage from Bermuda to Maryland has ended and we are now moving aboard Island Spirit for the next 12 months! Preparing a boat from the yard to the slip and ready for sea is a lengthy process. All the sails are off, the water lines are full of antifreeze, the dinghy needs to be launched, the outboard needs serviced and the boat needs waxed and cleaned.

So, within 24 hours of hitting the docks from sea, we had her launched, moved into our slip and the sails went on. During this time, I also volunteer my web services to a charity that needed a quick website for the ISTE conference in Phila this week. So I was lucky enough to be doing two of my favorite task....Working on Island Spirit....and....working on websites....

Here are photos of the prep process so far...

The boat in the storage yard, last one left....it is JUNE...remove the cover and launch this GIRL

Launched...but no sails, dinghy on deck, no water, and VERY DIRTY

Roll our properly flaked Genoa/Jib sail onto deck, this is 135% Genny, it is 35% past the mast

Pull sail up to bow, shackle the sail into the furling drum system

Wire the shackles closed so they do not open at sea when the storms hit

Tape wire to prevent sails from catching a wire

Use jib halyard and feed sail into furling foils, hoisting and feeding up sail

Once hoisted, tension the halyard with the winch

Furl / rollup the sail....ready for sea. Note small cutter sail was put on with the same process

Saltwater hands from 6+ days at sea....

Next task....Water system draining and flushing the lines. Change the engine oil, transmission oil, antifreeze and clean and wax the cabin top. After that, enjoy the 4th of July with Wendy and Craig and then depart for Acadia Maine....

SEASON # 11 is LIVE....let's go exploring....