Shake-down

The shake-down voyage of SD (sailing dinghy) Skylab - the Sunburst - took place on Easter Monday in light breezes and an outgoing tide.

Launching was complicated by discovering that the launching trolley floats.  The receding tide was uncovering the oyster beds near the slipway so there were some fraught moments where I got thoroughly wet holding the boat off the oysters (wouldn't do to mark the pretty paint job first time out). After that we sailed a few tacks out of the bay and a few gybes back - no capsizes, no drama, no hiking (hanging out over the side with feet under some webbing in the centre of the boat - it is to hold the boat down when you load the sails up and go for speed upwind), and only a small amount of drama getting loaded back onto the floating trailer.

We are clear and in agreement on one thing: we need a road trailer so we can use the van to tow the (plywood) dinghy back up the steep slipway.

There is also now a shopping list of new halyards, assorted shackles (with captive pins so cold, numb fingers don't fumble them 'into the drink'), an anchor, and a more reliable system for holding the centre board up when sailing downwind.

The getting to and from the sea with a so much heavier (than a kayak) boat saps much of the joy, and a lot of the time, of getting out on the water.  Let's hope a road trailer resolves that.