Putting Elise in the water - countdown

should you or should you not keep your Express 27 (or boat less than 30 ft or so) out of the water?

It's definitely cheaper (the spot is cheaper), and it is cheaper maintenance-wise: you may not need any bottom paint at all (Elise has some but that's because we do some long distance races that will require her to spend a couple of weeks in one place at the other end, she has a really really light anti-fouling). Boats that will remain in the water may need a dive every now and then to scrub off the bottom and once a year a haul out to do a thorough cleaning job. Bottom jobs probably every 3 years or so. It usually is a little easier to find spots ... not always but often.

It's a little hassle whenever you want to put the boat in and take it out of the water: with experience and 2 people, we can do it in 15-20 minutes (timed with Nathan) - you would have to rig the boat anyway afterwards, so that's not time you save there, and it's possible to just put the main up or the engine up and go and rig up the rest underway for most races.

If you are going to race both days over the weekend, it is usually possible to leave the boat in the water overnight. So you put it down on Saturday morning and you haul it out on Sunday night.

Supervising the cleaning up of dock lines and fenders...

Verifying that the mast is still up

Checking to see if the bar's open at the Golden Gate Yacht Club

Admiring the Lady in the water. She's white and blue, very very blue. Herve worked the 'hoist' (basically playing with buttons...), after he was done he said 'I had so much fun! Just like a little kid playing with robots! Got to do this again!'

Herve looking proud

Reversing back into the hoist area. Herve's comment was 'wow, what a nice line'

hehe...proud mother feeling...

Pulling the boat out of the slip

Getting ready to pull out

Securing the mule

Connecting the mule to the trailer (it's blue, it's very very blue)

Lining up the mule and the trailer (note: I am wearing a 'St Tropez Voiles 2009' shirt that Herve brought back from France for me!)

Getting the mule out of the shed

Unloading the car close to the dock (I'll park it legally after that!)