We took our Memory Maker for our first sail!!!!

 After all of our hard work and preparation we finally did it. Saturday afternoon, about 3 pm, we decided the weather was too nice to pass up and the time had come to see if our Memory Maker would float. So we rushed to the store and got some last minute supplies with hopes of spending our first night on the water in her. Arriving back at the lodge we got everything ready to go, loading the boat with  all our gear, cushions, food, beverages and ice in the cooler. I had to do some last minute wiring on the trolling motor as the lake we were taking her to does no allow gas motors. About 6 pm we finally backed up to the trailer and hooked her up to Dottie's 4 Runner. Crap, no trailer lights. They worked when we brought her home but nothing now. I worked for a few minutes trying to get them to work but to no avail. Screw it, add fix trailer lights to the list! We are not going far and if the people behind us can't see the big boat in front of them during the daylight then they don't need to be on the road!
 We arrived at Grouse Ridge lake and at first we thought we had the place to ourselves. But then approaching the launch ramp we saw one truck parked in the turn around area. So I had to go off the pavement and around some trees then back on the pavement, dragging the trailer, to get lined up to back her down. Once backed down to the water we went to work stepping the mast. It had been several months since Cindy and I last stepped the mast and it was not on the slope of a launch ramp. Due to the tree limbs over the ramp we were unable to step the mast up on the more level area. While stepping the mast a couple other guys pulled up and one of them made the comment, in his best redneck draw "that is an awfully big boat for such a little lake". I explained we were just making a trial run to make sure everything worked before we took her to Monroe for the summer. Even with the doubting audience we got the mast up and pinned so I handed Cindy the painter and started backing her and the boat back into the water. I stopped where I thought I would need to be only to find the boat still sitting firmly on the trailer. Argh, so I backed back even further down, still nothing. Finally I am backed so far down the rear bumper was under water with the exhaust making bubbles in the water. But still she sat firmly in her bunks. I think had the bunks not been so curved to match the hull we could have slid her off but it was obvious we were not launching off that ramp. We do have a tilt trailer but there was no way I was going to pull the release. Even if it launched the boat how the heck would we have gotten her loaded back up???
 Disappointed we pulled her back up and dropped the mast and secured everything for the ride back home. Pulling out I noticed we had stepped the mast, tried to launch, and dropped the mast back down and were pulling out in under 30 mins. Not too shabby. Sadly, we drove back home. We already had everything loaded in the boat for an overnighter so I asked Cindy if she would want to do some yard sailing when we got home and spend the night on the boat. She was her usual excited self and jumped at the chance. So once we were safely back up the drive and parked we proceeded to step the mast and make like we were on the water. Boom attached, pop top up, grill mounted, and cockpit cushions in place. It was not long before we fired up the grill for the first time and put our aluminum foil packets of "swamp tators" on the grill!

 Not really the view we were hoping for on our first overnighter on the boat LOL. Instead of Wilson chewing on his bone in front of our garage we were really hoping for a nice scenic sunset over the lake as the boat gently rocked back and forth in the waves. While I cooked Cindy prepared things down in the cabin

 I had grabbed a small whisk broom and dust pan designed to be used in tents and she swept the whole boat with it. Amazing how quickly they get dirty. Once our house keeping chores were done we assumed our positions in the cockpit while we hungrily awaited our cooking dinner. We shared our first overnight toast with a cold bottle of Mill Street red while we worked on our list of what we still need to get and do on the boat before we take her to lake Monroe in a few days.

 Dinner was finally done and we retreated back into the cabin to share dinner at the table. It was peaceful dinner, minus Edward growling at us through the port holes as he knew we were eating something and he was not getting any of it. It was really a shame we were unable to get her launched as the night was perfect for camping on the water. Just a gentle breeze, comfortable temps, bugs were few and far between, and they were forecasting a possible meteor shower.
 It was not long after dinner before Cindy flipped the switch to the anchor light and we turned on the spreader bar lights. We were trying to make like we were actually on the water as much as we possibly could to get a real idea of how things were going to work and what we need to get or change. I really wanted the remote to the stereo but it was a long "swim" to the pool table in the basement which is where I had left it sitting. I finally had to go overboard and let the boys in for the night so I grabbed the remote before I "swam" back out to the boat. Once there I noticed a beach towel hanging over the lifeline like it was drying out. I had to ask as curiosity got the best of me. Cindy said she was making like we had been on the water all day and we had gone for a swim and had our towels drying LOL! Any wonder why I love the lil lady like I do??
 It was getting late so we dropped the pop top down and sought our night time refugee in the v birth. There is just enough room for me to stretch out but once in position it is quite comfy. As we discovered a little later on there is more room than we thought and various positions are obtainable so long as you are creative and flexible ;-). We also learned that during certain adult activities a sailboat can become quite noisy with the halyards and lines beating back and forth off the boom and mast! Cindy was concerned that with all the noise the boat makes those anchored within earshot might know what we were up to. I had to laugh because even if I could find a way to silence the lines it would do nothing for the anchor light swinging wildly back and forth! Being 25 feet above the cabin any movement down below is amplified at the top of the mast. So even if our neighbors at anchor don't hear us I am pretty sure they will know what we are up too once they see the anchor light swinging wildly back forth even though the wind has died and the water is like a sheet of glass!!!
 We slept the night away with the stereo and anchor light on so we could make sure the battery would carry the load all night. Awaking the next morning all was still good. I can't say it was the best night's sleep I have ever had but I have had many far worse. Being that we were sitting on the trailer the bow of the boat was up hill which meant we slept with our heads going downhill. It probably did not make much of a physical difference but mentally I thought it to feel a bit odd. We finally got up and shared a yummy crème cheese cinnamon roll from a local county store.

After breakfast we sat at the table and read sailing blogs on my phone for a good lil bit. We joked that as long as we had our phones and cell signal we would not be bored waiting on the wind to start blowing for the day.
 All too quickly our fun had to come to an end. We had composed a pretty good list of items to get and things we needed to do or change on the boat. We had a lot to do around the house before we headed off to meet up with the gang for a winery run so it was time to unload everything and get busy. Over all we very pleased with the boat and we both really enjoyed our first overnighter on board even if was just yard sailing. Even with overcast skies at 8 am the solar panel was already re charging the battery. The changes we made to the interior of the boat all worked really well and I think were time well spent. Cindy is working on the cushion covers so hopefully in the next week or two they are all done. With a little luck and barring any unforeseen events happening on the way to Lake Monroe the next blog entry should be about our first real sail!!!!