[Rhodes22-list] Problems with the launching of Carmie Anne

[LafingBear at aol.com]

I finally got the boat ready to launch after endless delays and a death in 
the family. My daughter and her husband came down from Mass. and we had one day 
to get her in the water. It was Sat. it,was windy, it was choppy, and the 
marina was crowded.   After backing her off the trailer there was no room to turn 
her around, so I kept backing her out between the two rows of big boats. 
Because of the heavy chop, the motor kept bobbing up out of the water and just as I 
got ready to reverse direction ,the motor quit. The wind was between 1-15kts 
and I'm now driftng rapidly towards the docked boats. I had removed my light 
anchor to replace the chain and I didn't have time to drop the main anchor. 
Sooo, I told my daughter to drop the centerboard all the way(  it would act as a 
brake as I  went up on the gravel shoreline and it would straighten out the 
boat so I had some steerage.) There was one open slip at the end of the docks 
and I got the boat close enough to get a line over a post and we  stopped her 
just four feet from the shore. Neat way to start the season!!. I have now 
ordered a long shaft 4cycle Mercury as my other motor is burned out and not 
trustworthy. I was amazed at how fast a motor can seize up! Live and learn, and don't 
forget!
For those of you who sail on Lake Wallenpaupack, in Pa., the Carmie Anne has 
a dark blue hull, red rubline, and white topsides and she's docked at Woodland 
Hills, next to the Cove Haven resort. I'll be up at the lake most of August 
and would like to meet up with the other Rhodies on the lake.
Jim Gifford