38. On the Hard, or My Johnson just got Bigger

I hauled out at Peake’s Marina on Monday. I was worried my anchor would be difficult to get up after nearly five months, 35 feet down, in silt. When I got back from teaching on Saturday afternoon, I saw a free mooring ball and asked Tom to help me move on to it. It meant Monday morning I just had to untie and motor over to the haul out dock.

In the sling

Very exciting to see Sonic Boom being lifted out of the water. The bottom was scraped and power washed. Last time I cleaned the bottom, or tried to, I was chased off by thousands of little shrimp things that bite, two big crabs who were living happily on my rudder, and a kind of orange blob that popped out of what looked like a huge barnacle, and then sprouted yellow feelers.

Flying

Next is sanding and two coats of paint. I’m scheduled to go back in on Friday. I can’t wait.  It’s weird being out of the water; all the bounce has gone, everything on the boat is rock solid. It’s not a nice feeling. A bit like running aground (although I don’t have much experience of that). Also I feel very high up, and it’s hot as hell.

Being parked

While I’m out of the water I will try to fix my dinghy, again: air’s going out and water’s coming in. Actually my dingy situation just got much better. Through some bartering and exchanging, with Tom’s help, I managed to get a much nicer outboard engine, for two crates of beer. It’s a Johnson, like the one I have, but more powerful; up from 3.5hp to 5hp. I took it to Jonathans to be serviced.  I’ll clean up my old one and try and sell it.