Let me see if I can remember the proper sequence of events. First there was disaster. Then a catatrophe. I fell in a pond. Then smooth sailing. And I've only had my first sailing day of the season! Yes the flagship of the Western Montana Home Built Boat Association and the Unofficial Tall Ship of the Circle J Trailer Court the S/V Blue Flower has had her first sailing day of the season!
I woke up this morning needing to go sailing. The weather was perfect, the kind of cloudless hot day that promises rising wind in the afternoon. Only two problems: My boat was ten miles from my house and it wasn't on a legal trailer.
The trailer itself comes from the indomitable Andy Linn who brought it up from Oregon. That coastal and smart state it seems does not require documentation for a trailer as small as this one. Not to mention it had been improved in the care of Mr. Linn. So no title, registration, or plates. After procrastination I learned fixing problem was simplicity itself. I needed to get a VIN assigned to the trailer, have a badged officer inspect and sign off on it, then pay a one time registration fee. Simple.
Except it wasn't. I called in The Typesetter for a bit of help prepping the boat. It took us fifteen minutes cold to get the spars and mast on, rig the main and jib and start trailer sailing. With that done I went to work with an eight dollar Harbor Freight stamp set to put my VIN on the tongue of the trailer. The final step was getting an officer of the law to inspect my work. I called the non emergency number and was informed an officer would show up as soon as possible. Half of Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor later I called again, simply wondering how things were going. I was told it was a very busy day for Missoula's Finest and there was no ETA at this time. Time to take matters into my own hands. I rigged the boat and trailer for motion and set out to the county courthouse with a completly illegal trailer in tow behind my Beetle intending to simply sort it out.
I forgot to mention I purchased a trailer jack as well as the stamp set at Harbor Freight. A wise investment it turns out. Makes single handling the trailer much more user friendly and far less awkward. If you have a trailer I suggest one if you don't have one. Beats the log I was using to prop it up when not in use.
I arrived at the Treasurers office, took a number, waited, and was informed they could not inspect my trailer. No problem the cop shack is across the street. I flagged down an officer and the deed was done. Eighty odd dollars and a printer mishap later I walked out with my plate. Hung it on the trailer with a few paper clips and prepared to hit the water. Did I mention the side chewing my boat took due to a poorly placed ratchet strap? No matter, I was going sailing!
Arrived at the local scum pond just as The Typesetter was getting out. He had been rowing his Teal, the S/V Pica and was knackered. I suggested he dump the sweeps and we form a Teal armada. The wind had risen quite a bit and he did not seem interested in raising sail for it, never mind the armada. I pushed on and splashed S/V Blue Flower. The locals seemed impressed. Seze seemed happy to be in the water once more but it was a front. She was scheming for revenge. With much fanfare I pushed off from the dock. The rudder pin came loose from it's gudgeons and I screamed across the pond with a bone in my teeth right into a submerged tree on the opposite shore. I'm guessing it must have looked quite impressive right to the point I failed to turn and ran into a tree.
I first tried to remove my Teal from the tree by using profanity but that ploy failed. So it was into the drink and much fussing and maneuvering to get the boat turned round and the sail depowered. Robinson Crusoe would have been proud.Underway once more and I could not make against the wind. So it was off to another shore where The Typesetter was kind enough to lend a hand. With a better shape in my sail I managed to beat towards the dock until my boat refused to answer her helm and sails and I crashed into the far shore once more.
It is my guess my boat did not like being locked in a garage all winter and decided she could do what she pleased now that she was on the water. As I fussed and fretted we had a long conversation on who was in fact the boat and who was the captain and what that meant. I think she listened.
Throughout the preceding I had taken my main sheet from triple purchase to hand held. It was a life saver. Although fine on the boats Blue Flower impersonates it is simply to much with varied winds and a very light sail and boom. When hit by a gust the response is just slow enough to be dangerous and the sheet itself was not long enough to truly spill the wind and depower the sail. Single purchases will be the next major upgrade and it will be well worth the small expense and labor.
Out of nowhere a perfect sail shape emerged, the sun came out and the wind died down. I found the boat responsive on all points of sail. I shook out the jib as I had been running main only, sheeted home and Blue Flower hiked up her skirts and took off like a scalded cat. The next two hours was wonderful sailing. We tacked and gybed, ran and beat. Came close to hull speed a few times and impressed the natives with a very slick looking docking maneuver. This was the sailing I had been dreaming about. I closed down the park and am resolved to return next week. Worth it all and can't wait for the next time!
P.S. You may have noticed a lack of pictures. The reason is lack of camera.
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