Just got her out an on Lake Michigan.
Had a beautiful day and a light breeze, S SW 5 to 8 kt. Waves about 1 foot. Perfect
The shakedown demonstrated the boat is sound, and the skipper - still learning. I had an issue with the Spinnaker shoot line snagging the roller furler, so I took it down. Then the roller furling line was too short when I unfurls the foresail so I had to manually feed the line through repeated to get a bit more purchase line.
I put the lazy jacks on wrong - fixed, I forgot to put the boom vang on - still coming and didnt crank the mainsail up tight to get rid of the slug waves
All that said - I took her out on my own, sailed for a couple hours - tacked, Gybed (controlled), dropped sails and docked perfectly. A perfect Day
Here's a video link (if I figured out how to do it right)
https://youtu.be/yqArBIAdio8 (https://youtu.be/yqArBIAdio8)
very nice.
i haven't had my own boat out on the big lake for sometime now.
maybe this summer.
CC
Hi Carl... if you come to the big lake this summer, let me know and I'll come up to whereever you launch - give you and hand if you want and do some tandem sailing.
Tom
Tom,
I launch at northpoint marina in winthrop harbor, il.
It's on the illinois/wisconsin border.
The drive is about 2 hours for me, so if there is launch in hammond, i could drag the boat out your way for a day sail.
CC
Carl
There is a nice public ramp at Hammond Marina. Just bring a hitch extension as it is long. They long fixed keels to 4 ft or more, but its about 35 feet down the ramp. I launch using the extension on the trailer and an extra 18inch add on. If you need one, a buddy at work has a 4 foot extension.
watch the weather. The Michigan can kick it up some. Here's what she looked like at the Chicago Buoy yesterday.
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10984101_611139672356715_7414011329820428759_n.jpg?oh=f0b7b594238d3bc7859469fb864f74be&oe=56048EF4)
I'd enjoy meeting you and doing a day sail. At Hammond there are some beaches and it is somewhat protected with a breakwall along the Calumet Channel and USS to the south.
(http://sailtomcat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ScreenHunter_56-May.-26-09.33.jpg)