New Boat is launched!

Well after 7 long days of boat work and rigging we got on the St. Mary's River! Considering it was misting and chilly (ie. what you would expect in Maryland in late November), it wasn't the best of days, but perfect for breaking in the new boat.

It was a long week of slowly figuring out the boat, but we finally hashed it out and got out on the water. It is all part of the learning curve (to figure it out for ourselves - with the help from our 49er friends: Erik Storck, Trevor Moore and Zack Maxam), but at the time it was frustrating looking at our new machine and not being able to take her out for a 'burst'. Top two "fun" projects include spartiting the centerboard trunk/rudder head and figuring out how to rig the new rig; mixed in with fun trips to West Marine in Solomons and APS in Annapolis! Boat preparation is part of this whole program and we know ample time will always have to be set aside to get the boat ready wherever we sail. We still have numerous modifications to make on the boat before we take her to the Bahamas, but we are well on the way. After much dialogue, we have come upon Seamount Sled as the new boat's name. Not a cliche Bermuda name, but still rooted (literally) there and also an allusion to the exhilarating ride in the boat.

Seamount Sled with her Bermuda Blue kite.

WE NEED TO FIX THAT BRIDLE!

Let the Training begin!

After 11 days and 4500 miles of driving (from California to Grand Canyon to New Orleans to Miami to Charleston to Charlottesville) I got to St Mary's County with our new boat - fresh off the boat from New Zealand - to finally get down to some more training. The boat looks great and we can't wait to get it rigged and sailing ASAP. I got some good advice from buddies/US 49er sailors of mine in Florida; they know a ton about the boat and were real helpful. It kinda felt like that scene in Memphis Belle when the rookie pilots are picking the brains of the veteran crews to try and figure out how to survive flying B-17's over occupied Europe in WWII...ok maybe not the perfect analogy, but there are very specific techniques and rigging secrets that must be done to avoid unintended, expensive consequences.

We have an ambitious sailing schedule from now until February and we are excited to work hard and climb up the learning curve. Special thanks to our Dad for co-piloting the drive from New Orleans to Florida and for helping with the trailer box construction. I simply wouldn't have been able to pull it off without him.

-Zander
Stay tuned for training updates from SMC.