Video post.
Source: Day One of Our Adventure
Video post.
Source: Day One of Our Adventure
The boat has been on Lake Travis for a month now. Our favorite excuse for why it's taken so long to publish these last chapters is that we've been busy sailing. And that's the truth. Here are a few photos of us enjoying Dolce Vitaville on Lake Travis.
Here are a few of the folks who have sailed with us.
Tuesday morning we arrived at the boat early to get ready for the actual launch into Lake Travis. We put the dinghy back onto the boat and fastened the fenders to the starboard side of the boat. Eric drove the boat through the parking lot to Eriksen Marine, next door to Emerald Point Marina.
The day came to a close, but he came back early the next morning to do a few last minute things before their noon flight back home to Maine. He helped us re-install the screacher. The screacher is a large sail that we use instead of the jib during light winds. We have found it to be very helpful on Lake Travis at times.
Life is good.
Fair winds,
Stephen and Franci
The mast comes off the trailer.
Dick Vermeulen checks things out.
Dick, Stephen and Eric Stough getting the mast ready to go up.
There were many wires and lines that go through the mast.
The shrouds which support the mast were reconnected. After a lunch break for all involved we returned to the boat to finish putting up the boom and the sails. Here are a few videos of that as well as a video of Dick going up the mast in a Boston's chair to attach the masthead fly.
Thursday was a quiet day. We hung out at the Seabrook Marina pool and got to know some of the other local boat owners. We will miss Seabrook Marina. It has been a marvelous home for Dolce Vitaville for the last month. Thursday evening Eric and his friend, Dave, arrived with the truck. We had a great dinner at Skipper's.
Friday we all arose early prepared for a big day. The guys spent most of the morning preparing and adjusting things on the truck to fit the exact needs of the boat. They did a super job of building the trailer to fit. They scheduled us for the actual lift in the late afternoon so everyone enjoyed a little midday rest in the cool of our motel rooms.
We re-convened later that day for the actual lift onto the truck. We drove the boat over to the shipyard where the marine travelift was waiting to do the job.
They washed the boat off after it came out if the water.
Then it was on to the trailer. Everything fit perfect.
They secured things and tied things down. They put on the signs and flags.
Saturday morning they spent more time making sure things were perfect and ready for an early start on Sunday morning.
We enjoyed our last day at Seabrook Marina. We hung out at the pool area some and went for lunch at Skipper's. That evening we would get to visit with our old dock neighbors, Art and Barbara. We were thrilled to finally get a chance to visit their boat, the Work of Art, an 80' long hull which they have finished themselves over the last twelve years. The work they have done on the interior of the boat is beautiful and original. They go soon to Florida where they will get outfitted with a mast and sails.
Sunday morning we took off early. We left Seabrook at 6 a.m. and took back roads across South Houston to Sugarland, eventually ending up on Highway 71 headed to Austin and Lake Travis.
The trailer had a flat tire along the way. Apparently, that 's to be expected and they had several spares.
There were a couple of wrong turns along the complicated route given us by Tx Dot but we still managed to arrive at Emerald Point before 4 p.m., a successful journey.
The driving team…..Eric and David Stough and Dave.
Life is good.
Fair winds,
Franci and Stephen