In a couple of days it was supposed to be unseasonably warm, so I rushed to get the boat ready to launch. I had to deal with things like finding some fenders and dock lines. I also got the boat registered, and ordered and installed nice stick-on vinyl numbers. The very last step was to install all my remaining lead ballast.
Then we drove to nearby Mercer Lake, which has a nice free ramp and dock. On a Wednesday afternoon in November, we were the only boat on the lake. The ramp was plenty steep enough, and the boat easily floated off the trailer.
And it sailed fine! Not too much wind, but the boat was easy to handle and comfortable. But it will be next spring before we get to do any real sailing…
