Locking and hoisting ...

 

It was time for the big reveal.  The hull below the waterline had not yet been exposed to air during my tenure as her owner, and now she needed to show us her bottom, warts and all.  Actually, this past summer we dove into the lake to give her hull a light underwater scrub, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.  

I made a Monday morning appointment at a recommended boat yard and began the journey westward.  My plan was to move the boat to Shilshole Marina the weekend prior, so that on the morning of the haul out I would only need to make a quick, easy trip over to the boatyard.  Of course, the weekend arrived and the weather was not ideal; rainy and windy.  I had a sporty sail around Mercer Island and across Lake Washington but once I got to Montlake Cut, the rain ended and the wind subsided.

I stopped at Ivar’s for lunch, picked up the crew and we motored past Gas Works Park and into the ship canal.  The Fremont bridgemaster kindly opened the two bascules for us and soon we were past Fisherman’s Terminal, approaching the Ballard Locks.  I called the lockmaster and he advised us to wait at the entrance to the small lock.  Once the green light came on and the upwater door opened, three of us were ready to enter.

The locks always amaze me.  Raising and lowering vessels weighing thousands of pounds using only the flow of water and the force of gravity; pretty flippin’ amazing.  We weren’t too far past high tide, so we only had to drop about ten feet in elevation.  Soon, the doors were opening, and Sqoop once again got to feel salt water flowing against her fiberglass skin.

We made a half-hearted attempt at sailing once past the last channel marker, but the wind had deserted us and I was pooped from the long day, so we headed to the marina and got her tied up in her home away from home.

I slept fitfully on board Sunday night, listening to the storms blow through and wondering if this is what I would contend with single-handing the boat the next day.  Thankfully, Monday dawned overcast with just a ripple of wind.  I had no problem motoring over to the boat yard and getting her into the sling.

Let the work begin!

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