Aboard Again For A Visit

SHIP'S LOG:

I had to go back aboard ABISHAG yesterday to pick up a few items that I neglected to take off when we moored at Yankee in Portland. ABISHAG is still out in the river on a mooring as the week has seen a number of boats making the up river trek for hauling and the yard in planning on exactly how to do it. It is not just a matter of hauling a boat out and sticking stands underneath it. Boats have to be brought into the dock for winterization of engines, water systems, holding tanks, batteries, etc and it takes a certain amount of time to accomplish. Yankee doesn't have a particularly large number of docks and slips and a number are still occupied by people who rent them for the season. They also are limited by having only one marine railway - the slip where the boats are gathered up by the travellift so they can be washed down and then transported, rather slowly, to whatever spot has been selected for their winter rest. Smaller boats are set closer to the river and larger one farther away. In addition, those whose owners want to get back into the water early in the spring are necessarily placed infront to those who have no such plans. As a result there is a slot of shifting and maneuvering and shoehorning that needs to take place and if they can get five boats done in a day that is a lot. The yards crews are also the ones who have to do the winterizing for each boat in addition to the hauling and they are also engaged in whatever repairs and work that needs to be done in the way of maintenance and repairs and all this makes for a very busy time. Weather of course also plays a part and it has only been "fair" this week. Indeed Saturday saw a lot of rain and wind in Portland, a real fall day.

I got taken out to ABISHAGwin a work boat, gathered up most of what I wanted and got back ashore. It was cold and raw and I think I have seen that last of "the Days of Shorts" for a long time. There is nothing I can really do until she gets hauled which will hopefully be this week. Til then, it is just time for waiting.