April was the launching. Catch had new wood, fresh paint, a good wash & wax job, and a crew who was anxious to get her on the water. Jeff and Jason went out before I did to set her mast, which they made pretty quick work of, then Luke and I joined them at the lake.
As is usual for that time of year around here, it was WINDY!!! I mean, windy! We were having to speak up rather loudly to hear each other because of it. Okay, we were yelling. But it was organized and professional. Our buddy, Steve, came to help with the launching. You see, launching a sail boat is just a wee bit different than launching a speed boat, or a boat with a water ballast. The trailer has to go much, much further into the water. Once on the ramp and where we wanted to be we chalked the wheels of the trailer, unhitched, and then placed two two ropes together to give the distance we needed. One end connected to the trailer, one end to the ball on on the truck. We also placed an emergency rope for me to hold from the bow of Catch, just in case.
Jason hopped in the truck, Steve and Jeff were aboard Catch, and I was holding the emergency line while trying to video. It was interesting, to say the least. The truck was pulled forward to put just a bit of tension on the tow straps, then I pulled the chalks and started filming.
Slowly, ever so slowly Catch was backed down the ramp into the water. Things were going great! Then we hit a tiny little snag. Jason had a bit of a hiccup and braked just barely too hard...our two straps snapped at their connection point! Off goes Catch (which is good), and off goes the trailer into the lake (which is bad). Thank goodness for the emergency line and Jeff's quick hands!! He somehow managed to untie the line from the boat and get it on the trailer so we didn't lose it. Granted, most ramps have a curb at the bottom just in case your trailer does get loose, but you still need to have some way to get it out. I held the trailer while Jason backed down again. The line was then tied to the ball and the trailer pulled out to where I could chalk the wheels again and Jason hitched back up.
All the while, my little boy was watching. He thought the whole thing was pretty cool, but it was something we hope to not repeat again! Catch has remained in her slip at the lake for the summer. She has gone out and raced, she has shown some family members around a bit, and she has given quite an education to the guys. She hasn't yet won a race out here, but she has come close. She's a fast boat! Her crew just needs to gain a bit more experience.
Catch has also gone through a couple of good hail storms. The most recent was just a few weeks ago and threw stones the size of baseballs. We were lucky, Catch only has a few minor dents. Her deck is in need of being refinished this winter, anyway, so the very few dents will be taken care of at the same time. Other boats didn't fare so well.
Soon she'll come out of the water for the winter. She'll get another bath and waxing, we'll clean the cabin again, and the deck will be refinished. Even being sort of stranded on the shore has been an education for me. I would much rather be on the water, but at least I can take a small part in this wonderful experience!
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