MAIDEN VOYAGE
OF THE WINDROSE 18
 The Windrose, mast up, as Ship 11 crew manuevers the KHYC hoist into place to place her into King Harbor. |
 First water. The crew raises the main and jib as they prepare for first wind! It was a picture perfect day in Redondo Beach. |
 Sure looks good on the KHYC dock as the crew completes final checks and stows gear below. |
 Tension and anticipation mounts, as the crew trims up the headsail and prepares to cast off from the dock for the first time. |
 Seaman Chris Wall on the helm. Thought I overheard him quoting a famous line from the movie What About Bob... "I'm Sailing!" |
 Is this great, or what! Yoeman Breana and Seaman Chris putting the Windrose through her paces on the shakedown cruise. |
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It was a dark and stormy night.... no, wait, that was another story... It was perfect sailing weather in Redondo Beach, as Ship 11 crew members pulled into the lot at King Harbor Yacht Club, the Skipper's favorite haunt. There was a steady breeze in your face, a few clouds overhead for interest, and temperature in the mid-70's. We manuevered the boat up to the hoist. There followed considerable debate about the ability of the sling we had brought to lift the larger Windrose. One of the friendly club members ran home and brought us his double deluxe heavy duty sling that could have probably hauled an aircraft carrier with. We rigged it, and took tension on the hoist. It seemed like an eternity as it took up slack, and finally, daylight between the trailer and the hull, and we were rotating her over the water. Slowly we lower her down, and she touches first water, We all start breathing again! Now the crew climbs on board, drops the centerboard, and checks for leaks. None! OK, crew, lets get the canvas flying and stow the gear below. Hop to it, we're burning daylight! The sails are raised, first the main, then the jib. Trim them up, catch a little wind, and push off the dock, and we're sailing! How was it? Look at the last photo - a picture is worth a thousand words. |
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