Launch Day

Launch Day – May 9th 2012

Let me just check the forecast to make sure Wednesday is still sunny. Hmmm…..60% chance of rain and thunder showers now. Oh joy. That was the forecast on Monday and Tuesday. But Wednesday dawned sunny with clear skies. Knowing it wouldn’t last we (Sea Ray Girl, Liddy and myself along with Sea Ray Puppy) set off early for Riverside Marina. We arrived at around 9:00 and there was Plan B sitting in the slings already. How is that for being prepared? Realizing that I had completely forgotten to bring some bottom paint for any touch up around the pads………the yard staff set to work splashing Plan B for the 2012 season. Once afloat Sean fired up the big boys (ah, what a sweet sound) and checked for water leaks, oil leaks and anything untoward. Shutting them down we topped up the oil – needed since we had all the oil cooler lines replaced and re-tensioned the V –belts.


Then a quick load of our stuff and we were out of the slip while Sea Ray Girl drove back to Sarnia to meet us at our slip. Liddy and I idled down Pine River and stopped at St Claire marina for some much loved US fuel – at $4.55/gal ($1.19.7/litre) which is pretty close to last years prices. Adding $300 worth brought the tanks up to about ¾ full. A quick call to the bridge had us ready for the 11:00 opening.






Out into the river the sun was still shinning. Letting her run for a few minutes at around 1500RPM we brought Plan B on plane and settled in for the run up river at just over 20 knots over ground. Half hour later Sarnia Bay and Bridgeview were in site – as were the dark clouds to the NW. The temperature was also noticeably colder the closer we got to Lake Huron and the wind was picking up.






We got docked – the first real docking maneuver of the year with no issues despite having not used the boat for 6 months. As we sat in the cockpit grabbing a bite to eat the dark clouds were building up. I had just commented on the look or rain coming when there was a loud clap of thunder and down came the rain. Well, at least we were at the dock and not on the river. Plan B had run smooth and fast up the river with no issues. She needs a good wash since the accumulation of dust in the sheds over the winter got wet last night and just mad a mess on the decks. Nothing soap and water wont cure. Hopefully the water in on at the docks on the week-end because it was off Wednesday to fix a leak.






The 2012 Season is underway for us.




Plan B waiting in the slings when we arrive at Rivers Bend.

View of the lift bridge from the cockpit as we wait fo rthe 11:00am opening to get out

onto the St Clair River.

Mary (Liddy) helming us up to Sarnia.

Sea Ray Puppy decided my foul weather jacket is the only place to sit



Ready to Launch

April 29th


A day finally dawns sunny but cold – 3 degrees. This is wax day and it has taken some time to coordinate schedules so Mary-Liz and Sea-Ray girl can come down to “wax on, wax off” Plan B while old “gimpy” here does the bottom paint. William, my usual helper is still in South America racing. We got to the marina about 9:30 and got the big doors opened up to let the sunlight in. We gathered up a ladder, steps and brought a picnic table in as work platforms. The girls got to work applying the wax with a power buffer and removing it with a second power buffer and a final hand polish. I set to work underneath using a garage creeper to role around under the boat. Thank goodness we are on a smooth cement floor as this was a great way to move around under the boat and paint. It was certainly time for a full-on bottom painting rather than touch up. A lot of the antifouling had worn away to gel coat so we got good value out of that paint and we know it is not on too thick. The wax took a bit of time to dry at first but as the morning warmed up it dried quicker to be buffed off. By about 1:00PM we were done and had lunch on the grass before packing up.


Sean got all the oil cooler lines replaced so she is ready to splash and be re-commissioned. Launch was to be the 3rd but the forecast for the last week has stubbornly indicated rain and now has rain and thunderstorms. So we moved the launch out to May 9th which so far looks a lot better. I know we can boat in rain but I just don’t want to start the season cold and wet so hopefully we picked a better day.

You can just see my legs under the boat on the creeper painting away. Note the smooth cement floor.

That puts the size of the wax job in perspective!

"right now I wish she was 18 ft long"

Lookin' good.

Sea Ray Puppy helping......no...wait - lying in the sun. Thats the way to do it.