I’ve rarely met an individual that has the competence and composure to be an incredible skipper, but I have to share a story about true integrity. My Pal on Cayuga Lake bought and commissioned, what I believe to be, the largest sailboat on Cayuga. It’s a Tartan 41, that he had shipped overland from Sandusky, Ohio to Ithaca, NY. It took over 5 weeks, from the time of purchase, to get it splashed and have the mast stepped. Power lines in the south end of the lake where the obstacle resides, since his mast is 60+ ft tall. After contracting with an industrial crane company, the weather and location for stepping were his biggest delays. Couldn’t launch from the south channel, where most sailboats are splashed.
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I’ve known
@Mohawk Jack for a couple years now, since we both have Hunter 30’s, of the same Cherubini design (1978-1979) and share similar pier end slips in the Treman Marina.
I was simply asked as a friend to help with the running rigging. I had no idea if we would be successful in one day, as I surveyed the deck, to figure out the multiple halyards, blocks, cleats, fairleads, cam cleats, whisker poles, spinaker attachments, Etc. Jack just wanted to get his new boat out in the decent wind that day. Well, we had to winch Jack up the mast to reroute a few lines that were trapped between spreader, shrouds and front stay, ignored by the crane.stepping crew, but no big deal. After several hours we at least had the basic running rigging established and logically placed. This was a major team event with various opinions offered.
As it turns out our assumptions and line placements worked out. Here’s the result on Cayuga during a 3 hour outing with Jack and his wife In 15 Kts of wind.
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