Sailing #65

Posted on August 19, 2013 by dolcevitaville

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 we are pulling into our dock space.

Here are a few of the folks who have sailed with us.

Ou first canine passengers. They were very well behaved.

Fun at the helm.

This is our spinnaker. We stlill have things to learn about this.

We hope to have a chance to take each and every one of you sailing. Thanks for following our blog on our incredible journey from Maine to Lake Travis. We hope to be sailing with you soon.

Life is good.

Fair winds,

Stephen and Franci

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0zf7trF8VCXlbrj72vkGsUkDo8QIe8hEO. This link will let you follow us on a map in real time. If you get email notice of new blogs be sure to click on the name at the top of the post to get the pictures and videos or go to dolcevitaville.com

Into the lake #64

Posted on August 19, 2013 by dolcevitaville

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.

We were able to hire them and their equipment to help launch the boat into the lake. This large tractor lowered the trailer and boat down to the water's edge.

Stephen and dockhands with boat hooks were on the dock ready to receive the boat.

Here's a video of the boat being launched into Lake Travis. It was a very exciting moment.

This is how it looked as we drove away from the launch spot.

Here's the happy crew on the first ride on Lake Travis for Dolce Vitaville..

Our friend Lyse was with us during many of the activities in both Seabrook and Lake Travis. Dick met us at the Lakeway Marina and he helped us complete all the things that still needed to be put back together. Of great importance, he re-connected all of the electrical wires that had been disconnected with the unstepping of the mast. He and Stephen also put the jib back on.

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.

He discussed with us how to install the new parts we have gathered to make the screacher easier to manage.

We are thrilled with our new home at Lakeway Marina. My family kept a boat or two there for thirty years so we feel right at home. In addition the folks who work there as well as the services are just great.

We have an end tie close to the breakwater and entrance into Lakeway Marina. We love our location. In the lower photo we are the sailboat on the right. Home Sweet Home. Lucky us!

Life is good.

Fair winds,

Stephen and Franci

Dolce Vitaville goes back together. #63

Posted on August 19, 2013 by dolcevitaville

Our apologies that it has taken so long to put out this portion of the blog. In the last post we had arrived at Lake Travis having left Seabrook very early that morning. (Sunday, July 14)

That same day Dick Vermeulen, the designer and builder of the Maine Cat 30, flew in from Maine with his wife and partner, Lynn. We felt so blessed to have Dick himself come to help us put the boat back together. We met up with Dick and Lynn at my sister Lois' house in Lakeway. She and her husband, Earl, fed all of us a fabulous dinner. Lois and Earl would be our hosts for the next three days while the boat was being launched and put back together. I regret that I did not get a photo of Dick and Lynn that evening.

The following morning was a rainy day in Texas and the work went on as planned. The temperatures the week before had been in the 100's. We were so thrilled to have cool weather for the launching of the boat.

The mast comes off the trailer.

Dick Vermeulen checks things out.

Dick, Stephen and Eric Stough getting the mast ready to go up.

Late morning the crane arrived.

Here's a video of the mast going back onto the boat.

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.