On the Hard (Wednesday, January 23, 2014)

After spending some time on vrbo.com, I sent inquiries to 3 listings about a short-term rental. One of them got back to me within 2 hours and we moved in the following day (Tuesday). It never ceases to amaze me how luxurious life on land can be – just having a full-size sink that fits a big pot is wonderful.

Today, the boat was hauled out and put ‘on the hard.’ If you’ve never seen a boat pulled out, it’s quite thrilling and a bit anxiety-provoking. The TravelLift is driven out over the edge of the water, then lowered until its two large straps are below where the boat hull will be. The boat is then pulled with lines until it is in position above the straps. It takes a few tries to make sure the boat is fully aligned before it is finally hauled up and out. It is then driven away to be set up on blocks and stilts. Because it took a lot of time and resources to get to this point, it feels a bit like being in the hospital with your newborn baby. Although intellectually you know you are surrounded by qualified professionals, as they walk away you still can’t help but feel that there is the small chance yours is the one that will get dropped.

IMG_2872

IMG_2889

IMG_2896