Journal of Something I am trying to Do.

That doesn’t sound very poetic, does it.

I scrubbed Circus’ bottom yesterday. Nothing too unique and adventurous about that. I’ve scrubbed her underbelly many times, and each time it is like scrubbing a big whale.

Circus is Flying Circus, a rather large and orange trimaran. Except her underbelly, which is black. This is how it began:

“I’m too busy to launch. You wanna launch, go get a can of bottom paint. Scrub the bottom. “

That was Guy. He’s the sailor around here with the expertise, having sailed alone across the Atlantic, having sailed here, having sailed there. I have spent my whole life trying to sail 50 yards. Guy finally taught me to sail three years ago, I’ve sailed hundreds of miles now with him, but this year, no. Circus is for sale, (she’s on Yachtworld.com) She’s too much work. He’s had it with that boat.

“If you’re going sailing this year, you have to make it happen. I can’t do it for you.”

That’s what he said. So, okay. I am trying to make it happen.

Here’s the deal. Most boats, you just lower in. With this boat, there is some assembly required. Meaning, there are three hulls that need to be attached. All of them add up to about 4500 pounds.

Here’s the drill. First, you change the registration on your car over to the truck so you can tow the trailer. Then, you try to convince Guy to ask his buddy to lend me another trailer to haul the two outrigger hulls, properly called amas. since they don’t fit on the main trailer with the main hull, which is called the vaca. This buddy is not going to lend me the trailer. He will only lend it to Guy. So there is that little problem.

Second, you have a very large and heavy aluminum mast to get on top of the boat. Usually, you carry the mast with a lot of cursing and near-drops into the barn, where you hook it up to this sling that is operated with a block and tackle. You then hoist the mast to the top of the ceiling. Then, you drive the boat into the barn, and lower the mast down. Well, Guy has a large boat rebuild going on in the barn, so forget it. This is going to require about 6 chicks and two ladders.

Third, you have to move the solar panels that have been stored in the way.

Fourth, we forgot to take off the cover, so, this is actually fifth.
Drive boat out from beneath appletree. Load crossbeams, called akas, into back of pickup. Load trampolines, traveller, rigging, cushions, toolbox, forestay, sails.

Fifth. Drive illegal trailer to public landing with one person tailing closely so cops can’t see out of date registration. (Hope Guy doesn’t make me register it, he never does. I think I am supposed to be a good citizen, though. And it is only 20 bucks.)

Sixth. Go back and get other trailer loaded with the amas, which you have managed to drag up using rollers and come-along. And the 6 chicks.

Seventh. Assemble all hands at the public landing. Hopefully you remembered to bring the crane along. Hoist akas up and on to vaca. This will take at least three people. Lash boards across akas. Hook up crane and come along to vaca. Lash webbing around amas. Hoist amas up to akas. Screw in bolts, which you remembered to bring.

Lash tramps, turn turnbuckles, screw on the traveler.

Eighth and worst. Back assembled trimaran as close to harbor as possible. Hopefully it is high tide. Attach strange contraption made from old snowblower and two by fours that extends the trailer so that you can get in lower. Lash contraption to truck trailer hitch. Lower boat into water, with 4 people on standby to catch her as she goes.

Ninth. You forgot the outboard.

Okay, so, tomorrow, all we have to worry about is one more scrub of the bottom, pulling the boat out so we can get the cover off, attaching the aluminum rack the mast rests on in transport, and engineering a way to get the mast on the boat.