Commissioning Time

The moment of truth.

COUP D'ETAT was trucked the ten miles from WPB in South Berwick to Kittery Point Yacht Yard at the break of dawn on June 6th.  Plan was to block her up level for commissioning, then await a tide high enough to launch her at 2200 hours on June13th.

Awaiting Commissioning at KPYY

Would the new mast and rigging fit as expected? More than any other decision, the outcome of this day would determine whether we went sailing this summer or I ended up in the proverbial marital dog house, living on the hard in my ark.

It was nerve-wracking to await Hall Spars arrival from RI to commission the rig. Phil Garland and Henry Maxwell arrived a day late on June 7th but delivered her new boom, vang, Harken furler and diagonal shrouds with turn buckles that were all measured from my dubious transit shots months earlier. I sweated bullets.  OK, ok..sure we measured this mast, dozens of points on the boat and it's fittings seemingly 100x but I would never feel confident until I saw it standing in the boat!

70' of Rig Blowin' in the Wind

On June 8th after the rig was assembled, the KPYY surgical team arrived to prep the patient and work their magic. Chris who operated the crane and John Glessner calling the trajectory did a masterful and drama-free job of finding the partners.

To no one else's amazement, the mast block that Bob Eger built was perfectly positioned and the height exact; the mast slipped in like she was born there; shrouds fit like a glove; boom was the perfect height and length and the only 'field' alteration required was to relocate the bale about 12" forward to clear the pedestal guard.

If anyone was watching me, they would have noticed a massive weight removed from my shoulders and a tear of joyful relief in my eye. The occasion reminded me of each time one of my sons was born... always a joy to attend the delivery combined with trepidation I'd faint, followed by a huge exhale and uncontrollable smile from ear to ear!

KPYY Team at Work

With the rig assembled, work continued inside with WPB's Bob and Jonathon van Campen tweaking the carpentry and systems, Mark Rogers of MME completing the electrical system and me finalizing the electronics connections. The benefit of installing electronics oneself can not be undervalued. Siebe Nordsky of Euro Marine generously helped me to install the NKE instruments over Memorial Day Weekend (WPB installed the actual NKE ram and pad) but the B&G/Simnet components were all mine to conquer, including the NMEA connectivity between the two.

Next major milestone was for UK Sails to arrive from NY with her new sail inventory. For this, Butch Ulmer sent up Jeff Tyree to bend on the main. The jib and innerforestaysail would have to wait until she was in the water, as would final tuning of the rig.

Henry and Phil install the furler

UK Sails Bending on the Main

Pretty Tall from Ground Level

Once the main sail was installed, it was time for action. KPYY's surgical team arrived again at 1400 hours to load the boat onto the trailer, back the trailer onto the rail and .....wait for the evening tide. It would be a full moon and the highest tide of the year. Enough to float COUP D'ETAT and her 7'2" draft.

Once again, this reminded me of giving birth. Anyone who's had a scheduled C-Section can relate to this  - I mean, anyone who's wife has had one, of course.  You know the day is coming. You know it will be an anxious one. You know your life will be different. You have flashbacks of 'life before kids'. You just hope for ten fingers and toes. You arrive and get ready well in advance. You wait for the appointed minute....you pace while you wait and wait while you pace. FINALLY, the surgical team arrives with Dutch precision. For several minutes, you are a bystander to your own destiny until the team and patient is ready for you! The father is hardly mission-critical at this point.

The Delivery Room

But until then...you wait. On this night, I waited alone knowing there would be no official, spousal Christening with a champagne bottle.  She and the kids were back home in CT in bed.  It was just me and my boat. We waited together in silence like two old friends as we listened to the tide rise between the rip-rap alongside the rail.

Even in this part of Maine, the tide rises nearly 8'. When she was loaded onto the rail, it was dry as a bone beneath her. A ladder was placed on the ground to reach her deck. Gradually at first and then very quickly, the tide rose in concert with the moon and covered the bottom two rungs of the ladder. I didn't need a clock to know I would soon be a sailor again.

Being Readied for Launch

At precisely high tide and 2230 hours, Chris, Chris and Tom Allen returned to the yard. Standing atop COUP D'ETAT's deck, I watched their headlights enter the yard and took a deep breath. Alone with my boat, her interior sole hatches opened to inspect for for leaks as the sexiest sound in the business - the KPYY rail system - went into gear to float us. 

The 'jerky-at-first' motion reminded me of an old mechanical roller coaster pulley and chain mechanism that pulls the car to the first hill. Except this was in reverse. But the sound and sensation was familiar. 

I could barely hear the water against the hull as I nervously looked into the bilge.  Sure enough, she had a couple of leaks - one at the keel's trim tab rudder post and a second at her dripless shaft seal. Nothing serious that Chris and the bilge pumps couldn't solve in a few minutes.

When I again poked my head out, we were at the dock with the reflection of the full moon on the river directly astern.  We had given birth to a beautiful baby girl and for the first time in two years of sleeping aboard on hard ground, I would sleep afloat! A celebratory beer with Chris later, I was fast asleep.

The following day, the engine was started with just a little bit of electrical TLC and KPYY went to work commissioning the engine. The backordered B&G radar unit arrived unexpectedly so I went to work installing it. Later in the day, John Glessner and I motored over to the fuel dock to top off the tanks for my morning departure.  A quick drive down to RI to pick up my old friend, 'Uncle Kenny' DiPrete and we would return to the boat for a short night sleep and departure with the morning tide to reach AYC in Rye, NY by Father's Day.

The guys at KPYY truly did a great job of commissioning her - and displayed terrific generosity with WPB and the folks brought in to finish the job. Their pleasant and confident demeanors were the perfect antidote to the natural stress level of completing such a refit.

Awaiting High Tide

It;s a Girl!