So the time has come. Harry, Tsumoru and I take the boat to the harbor. It is the best day, blue sky, turquoise sea, healthy wind. Truck pulls the boat and trailer supports it. We rig Dileas and everything goes just fine.

What a nice trailer.

We then back the boat down the launching slip. I say we advisedly as I failed embarrassingly and Tsumoru had to take over.   It is very difficult to reverse a trailer but Tsumoru recently won the Budker prize for which tractor driving experience is an imperative. http://www.oist.jp/news-center/press-releases/oist-prof-tsumoru-shintake-awarded-gersch-budker-prize

Fare ye well, lovely Nancy, for I must now leave you.
I am bound to th’ East Indies my course for to steer.
I know very well my long absence will grieve you,
But, true love, I’ll be back in the spring of the year.”

We decide that we should take Dileas for a little spin around the harbor to judge how well the tiny 2 hp Chinese motor would drive the mighty ark. Tsomoru and I set off and things go fairly well. Once the motor established its dominance over inertia we moved forward quite nicely. Suddenly, the motor lost all power. It continued to run but the propeller did not turn. Oh dear, the worst was happening, the wind was driving us onto a lea shore made of expensive fishing boats. Of course lots of people were watching.

We manage to avoid the huge rocks that dominate the harbor but,  powerless, we did indeed crash into the boats. No harm done and we managed to tie up. Looking at the engine it soon became clear that a rope that was destined to pull down the rudder had snarled the propeller. This sort of thing always happens and I actually quite enjoy it.

We take deep breaths and, having freed the propeller, decide to try again. The motor starts and we push off. However the wind instantly blows the bows around and we are  beam on to the wind and waves. It soon becomes clear that the motor does not have enough grunt to push the bows around into the wind and sure enough we  crash back into the expensive fishing boats.

I will have to get a more powerful motor.

Anyway using the painter, we pull Dileas back around the harbor in a very undignified way and get back to the launching slip. Dileas slips back onto the trailer very willingly and truck hauls her up the slip uncomplainingly.

Are we downhearted? – No !

So we take Dileas home and drink ice cold tea.

I then go snorkeling in front of the house.

The water is warm again

Sea cucumber

Sunburn,  er burns as I write this. Summer time is here. Dileas has been in the water and all is well.