Eclipse is now in Bay View Marina

[alsantini]

Launch day was yesterday for putting the soon to be named Off The Wind, into the marina for most of the summer.  I arrived at Ben Watts Marina around 11 just as the clouds parted and the rain stopped.  The mast raising system in the Eclipse performed like gang busters in pretty high winds.  I place the boat with the stern into the wind, and up she went.  What a system.  By myself I was in the water in around 40 minutes.  I motored about a 1/2 mile to Bay View Marina and my slip, set my lines and realized that a midships cleat will be next on my list.  My previous boat had coach-roof winches that allowed me to drop spring lines over.  With no attachment points midships I just wrapped the spring lines around the side stay base.  Monday will be my drill holes and attach a cleat.  Anyone have an opinion where it should not be?  The plan is to place it slightly ahead or in back of the side stays.  Bay View marina is a small mostly sailboat marina on Pistakee Lake, which is part of the Chain of Lakes in Northern Illinois, in the town of Fox Lake.  I am always up for sailing friends, so if anyone is near Pistakee Lake, yell and we can sail together.
I am looking forward to many years of sailing the "new" Off The Wind.  Once I figure out posting pics, I will get er done.
Al

[Vectordirector]

Al,

You are a little ahead of me in progress for the season.  My boat is mast down at Lake Geneva Yacht Club.  Hoping to go up tomorrow, put up the mast,  and reinstall the cushions, battery, and porta-potti.  I also have a small gouge in the bottom of the rudder I'm going to try and fix with some Marine-Tex.

I agree on the needing the midship cleats if in a slip.   I'm not sure where you could put them so as to not foul the jib sheets.  The jib sheet tracks take up almost all the area where you would want the cleats.  I think this is why they aren't installed or factory options.   I don't recall if there is room outside the tracks on the  part of the hull below the coach house for a cleat.  Maybe, but you might not be able to get to the bottom of the cleat in the cabin to install the backing plate. I think this is where the top and bottom are joined, behind the rub rail.   I'll try to look at it tomorrow and let you know what I think.  If you aren't sure, call the factory, see what they think.  Maybe you could just put some sort of chafe guard on the spring lines and keep them wrapped around the side stay bases?  I have gotten by without them just dry storing the boat and launching/retrieving every time.  I'd love to have a slip some day though. 

Maybe when I move to Punta Gorda.   Right now the plan is to retire the end of September, head down in October, rent something for a while until I decide on if I want to buy/build a house/condo. Preliminary research on line indicates that Burnt Store Marina might be an area I will look at closely.  I like the quick Charlotte Harbor access and homes, while not on a canal, are reasonably priced.  Punta Gorda Isles might work too, if I can find the right property at a do-able price. 

Hope the weather cooperates, so far it has sucked this year, we had snow in Crystal Lake this morning, Crazy...  Sunday looks good and if I don't get called into work, I may take her out.  Wish me luck and fair winds to you.  Can't wait to see some pics of your new boat. 

Vectordirector