Spoiler alert, we sailed ONKAHYE today to get some photos for a digital magazine, the pictures should be published soon. We watched the tide all morning, 7 inches at the wet end of the dock early in the morning but the ride was flooding. I walked around in my Muck Boots and took a few measurements, time for coffee.
Since the tide was out I got a chance to look over ONKAHYE's bottom. Looks pretty good, bottom paint is over 25 years old and we have some more to apply, maybe next week if the tide is still low. Capn Jack put the bottom paint on a long time ago when ONKAHYE stayed in a slip, but since then she has been a trailer sailer.
The Lugger draws 9 inches with the centerplate up, but we need around 30 inches to drop in the rudder. Once the rudder is in is can swing up for the shallows, but we run a risk of bending things if we spend too much time there. We also need 30 inches of water to remove the rudder. Luggers rudders were also made with a fixed blade, but it is smaller.
We finally got 10 inches at the wet end of the dock, so we off we went, under power of the Suzuki 6, tilted up to the shoal tilt notch (2nd). Could have rowed out or poled out for that matter.
On the way out we dropped the centerboard about halfway, the Lugger draws 4 feet with the board all the way down, couldn't go out that far because the Skipper was on the dock with the zoom lens. Shipped the rudder once we go to about 3 feet of water, then worked bow to stern on the sails. Unfurled the jib, raised the main and loosed the mizzen. Once under sail we killed the motor, raised it to the sailing tilt notch (3rd)) and started the high speed passes for the photog. Here is one shot but the rest will be published once the magazine picks the ones that they would like to use. We took over 100, so there will be plenty.
Running wing and wing to reposition for the next pass....not by design, just worked out that way :)
After about 20 minutes of tacking, jibing, whifferdilling and donutting I stowed all the sails and went to take out the rudder. During the sail I had to raise the centerboard several times but the rudder would swing up on its own. It was dragging aft in the shallows so it wouldn't come out, so we motored out to deeper water where it could drop vertical and I removed the rudder there. By removed I mean I pulled it vertical so the tip cleared the bottom of the hull and put in the rudder chock to hold it in place. If I had bent it I would have just jumped overboard and swam out the sea, never to be seen again, rather than face the Skipper and stand before the mast. On a note of importance, this was the first time she had seen her boat under sail, a proud moment for her to see her cherished possession out sailing the high seas.
ONKAHYE went back on the strap lift, we downrigged her and took a break. Here's a little common sense tip, when raising or lowerin the mast, we tray to make sure that the area we'll be walking on is clear and the stays, sheets, sails, fenders, lifejackets etc... are not going to be in the way or snag something.
Before tidying up, sails and lines underfoot.
Ready to walk backwards while lowering a 16 foot mast.
Strap lift ramblings. The strap lift lets us drop a boat all the way to the bottom, whereas the cradle lift adds about 10 inches because of the cradle. The straps work great on the fiberglass boats, but we like a cradle with bunks under the wooden boat.
Rowed back over to the trailer, loaded up in about 18 inches of water. The drop frame/drop axle trailer that Eddie English built for us make loading and unloading easy.
Fresh water rinse for the boat and trailer, teak oil for the teak, ran a motor in a bucket, a great way to end the day.
Wait, this is a great way to end the day!
FMI: Log of ONKAHYE.
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