Hauling glass and metal...

I like full keels and I cannot lie.

Haulout 2015 is done, somewhat wistfully. In the case of Alchemy, hauled October 24th at National Yacht Club, it's the mixed emotions that we got two months with the stick in, the sails pulling and the fuel filter system complete and (so far) without flaw...and that we got just two months. Still, a lot was done and my cheerfulness has increased thereby.

Stand back, everyone...

Alchemy went up and down without much fuss, although despite a few launches and haulouts without tow assist now, I still get the odd club member (most are) expressing surprise at seeing her self-propelled. I've known for some time that as a boat restorer, I'm a bit of a club joke, having taken years to show progress visible to anyone not actually doing the work, but I feel waving goodbye is more than enough by way of seeing honour satisfied. Speaking of which, we are discussing, prepartory to leaving, downsizing our house; more on this over the winter. Down went the boat, and I'll winterize tomorrow as, after a chilly and gratifyingly breezy October, we are in a days-long warm stretch conducive to such tasks.

Angles like these really show her volume.

Valiente was put on Kijiji last week at what might charitably be called an "incentivizing" price. I got over 350 views and a few phone inquiries; she's been shown (on Sunday, in the water) once and will be shown on Thursday in her cradle, as today was her haulout day. Haulout at Pier 35 off Cherry Street is dirty, because the place is dirty and is abaft a very dusty recycling plant, so the boat is no longer as pristine externally as she was a few weeks ago. Still, a bargain. Felt sad, but then I felt sadder still when I wrote the cheque for winter storage. Sentiment is dangerous to a sailor. Dangerous to the wallet.

The view forward to the east end of Toronto's Inner Harbour. The bike is to get home from Cherry Street.

I have to admit, however, that I couldn't devise a better day to haul: full sunlight, about 5 knots of SW wind to ripple the waters, and temperatures in the teens that required that I shed my sweater by 1000h. Not bad for November 3rd.

Middle right is Marina Quay West, which, despite liking the place and having been treated very well, I hope not to see again soon. Time and salesmanship will tell.

The usual ill-tempered staff (they are competent enough, but the seamanlike language predominates) threw the slings to the marks and up the relatively compact Viking 33 went. Note the placid waters. Much nicer than years in which 20 knots made for exciting crane operations.

While Valiente's hull is flat enough not to require sling cinch belts, I've never seen them in use here, even when a full keeler (see below) is getting hauled.

Just before I arrived, the booze cruiser behind my stern was having its 75-person liferafts removed for a May 2016 recertification. Some actual commercial marine work at Toronto is not often seen.

I deem the VC-17's antifouling performance this year "meh". Let's hope the next owner switches it up.

The slings landed on the pads, leading to more profane pantomime.

After some wobbly repositioning of cradle and slings, Valiente was down and off to her cat-beset winter sootery. Let's keep collective fingers crossed that this Very Good Old Boat is sold the next time I write about her.

Bye for now! And yes, I will winterize the engine and remove the main later this week. Frankly, I want the boat to look like a boat for as long as I'm showing her to potential buyers.