Not OSHA Approved

It’s now two days before launch on the 22th of September 2019. There were only two hurdles left before I could get my long term project wet for the first time – hanging the centerboard and loading Freya up on her trailer. I wasn’t really worried about the centerboard as it should only be a one bolt operation. A fairly simple task that involved a little heavy lifting. Loading the boat on the other hand is not such an easy task. It was the middle of the week and all of my large buddies were working and, since I had a tight deadline, it was up to me.

Like most people these days whenever I need to learn a new task the first place I head to is YouTube.  Louis from “Tips from a Shipwright” had the information I needed. A plan took shape after watching Louis take his boat off of the trailer. It seemed a little sketchy so an official 911 (emergency services) caller was required. Fortunately my dad was up to the task. Cell phone in hand he was more than happy to watch me lift five years worth of work three feet in the air. First step though was getting her turned the right way.

Once properly positioned, she went back in the shop. I had made some custom stands and cut up a few large wood blocks for the operation and combined it with a floor jack, block and tackle, and jack to do the trick.

Freya was a lot higher in the air than was comfortable but overall she was pretty stable. Inch by inch we backed the trailer in, moving the jacks and bracing as necessary.

Touchdown! and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. The hard part is now out of the way and  it was time to wrap it up and mount the center board. Remember what I said about it being an easy task?

Like most “easy jobs” this one took much longer than it should have. The problem? that sharp corner on the center board. The clearance check was done when there was no paint or fiberglass on either the board or the center case. Now that they both had been sealed and painted they no longer cleared. A quick swipe of the belt sander was all it took.

With the test fit complete, the centerboard was sealed with epoxy and finally mounted.

For the first time in a really long time the shop was empty.  I’ve had Freya out here and there over the years but only for the day. Now she was free to come and go.

Now that the shop was empty it was time to bend the sails on for real then pack the boat up. Launch day is tomorrow.