Long Ordeal Over, Finally!

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New name for an old sailboat!

Has it only been a month since Skibbereen was loaded on a trailer in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and headed south on Interstate 95 to Punta Gorda, Florida? I must say I badly underestimated the cost and time required to un-step the mast, load the boat onto and then off the trailer, re-step the mast and finally launch again.

While on the hard at Punta Gorda Marina with the mast down, I asked Anthony (On Board Rigging, LLC) to rewire the VHF antenna, anchor light and steaming light and replace the standing rigging. I had a brief scare when he mentioned the "awkward" news that the roller furling was poorly prepped for shipping and was damaged. He was able to find a replacement for the broken part and save the cost of a new furler.

My long-time friend, Bill, helped move "Skibbereen", now renamed "FellowShip II", from Punta Gorda Marina to the new slip at Fishermen's Village Marina just down the Peace River a few miles at the head of Charlotte Harbor. We had to wait for high tide to launch and then wait again for low tide to get under the Route 41 twin bridges. At least we should have waited for low tide. What actually happened was we launched on a rising tide and approached the bridge just before high tide.

The specifications for the Cape Dory 28 say the mast height is 41 feet plus about three feet additional for the antenna for a total of 44 feet. The bridge clearance is listed as 45 feet at high tide. No problem--a foot to spare! However, as we approached the center span of the bridge, we were able to read the marker boards, and they indicated the clearance was 44 feet! It was close, but we made it under without scraping.

Safely at the new slip in Fishermen's Village Marina.

We pulled into the slip at Fishermen's Village Marina and tied up with assistance from two very congenial marina workers. Bill volunteered his pickup truck, and we moved an inflatable dingy, three bags of sails and several boxes of gear into a 5' x 5' x 4' storage unit. I was surprised it all fit!

So now "Fellowship II" is safe at her new berth. I'm looking forward to doing some maintenance and upgrades, and then doing some sailing on Charlotte Harbor.

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