After a one week postponement due to the 11 month old second mate getting a sickness bug, Triola is finally went back in the water on Good Friday. Thomas, Liz and I got down to the boat early to “burnish” the last section of the copper coat to see if that improved its performance for this year.

The Poliglow on the topsides looks amazing, at least for now. We have plans to reapply twice in the season to see if this makes it last! We came alongside the pontoon to straiten the boat up and get everything stowed below.

Liz getting ready to tie up on the pontoon

Thomas looking fetching in his hat and coat (giving away just how cold it was)

Leaving the ‘crew’ ashore (as I didn’t much fancy taking Thomas in the dinghy on the way back from the mooring), a bitterly cold force 4 to 5 and wind over a spring tide made single handed picking up of the mooring (first pick up of the year, so no pickup buoy!) nearly impossible. Approach too slow, a tidal eddy would sweep you away from the mooring, too fast, the following wind would sail her straight by. The boat didn’t miss a beat, with the Yanmar 2GM20 getting a good shakedown, the skipper however, missed the mooring a grand total of eight times before finally threading the rope through the tiny eye on the buoy! Still, everything done and ready for the season… just need to put the sails on now…