Tuesday 4th March 2025
0000 hrs
Lat: 50° 24.04'
N
Long: 004° 16.92'
W
Trellugan Boatyard, Cornwall
With the boat being booked for launch on the 5th of March I was down at the yard for a few days before making sure the engine ran and to clean the worst of the green algae that covered the decks.
On starting the engine we discovered that the work done on the water pump, replacing one of the lip seals had not fixed the problem, but was liveable with on the short journey down to the mooring. I also discovered where the fuel leak was! Again liveable with for the trip to the mooring, but will need fixed before we take the boat to sea.
Given the dreich winter we have had the yard was bathed in warm sunshine and lots of people were down and preparing hulls to be antifouled and it was good to wander about the yard chatting to people and hearing of their plans for the summer.
The mast waiting to be stepped
The yard had two jobs to do, step the mast and moved Aphrodite to the top of the slope to the river in readyness to be launched just before high water.
Just after lunch the team arrived and I let them get on with it. The last thing they wanted was an owner looking on while they carefully lifted the mast and positioned it on the deck. From afar I watched the process and once they had the mast up spoke to Dan to make final adjustments to the halyard catcher so the tension was correct.
1600 hrs
The yard tractor, with launch cradle lumbered into sight and I wander off to chat with another owner.
It took some time of toing and froing to get the cradle in the correct position, I was beginning to think that Aphrodite had taken root, as there was an awkward angle between a couple of boats that had to be negotiated.
Toing and Froing
Eventually, I heard the clatter of props falling and knew that the boat was on the cradle. Now just the need to reverse the process, all done quietly without any panic. Aphrodite was then moved to the top of the slope down to the river ready for launching just before High Water. The ladder onto the boat was at the top of quite a long slope and I needed to be careful not to fall off!
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