Sinbad is a Sailboat Again!

It’s been a busy two weeks for Sinbad and crew! It all started on Sept. 20^th after we left the Eire canal and arrived at RCR Yachts in Buffalo NY. The boatyard guys hoisted Sinbad’s masts off the deck and wrapped them to load on the semi-truck and then loaded Sinbad on the truck. Our driver’s name was Dave, the owner of M & N Transportation, Inc. out of Armada, Michigan. Good company and a good guy. We would recommend them to anyone. Three days later Galesville Harbor Yacht Yard splashed Sinbad into the Chesapeake Bay. When we got to the yard they let us know that they couldn’t handle Sinbad’s main mast and we needed to hire a crane (with operator). Great……more money! Oh, and the crane will not available for four days and you need to hire a rigger because my guys don’t do triatic stays at the top of the mast or tune rigging. We had called them two different times and got a total price and none of this was ever mentioned, in spite of the fact that they later claimed to have launched dozens of Whitbys. That is when the old fat retired pipefitter said “b--- s--- we are not hiring a rigger-we will do it ourselves”.

The Flying Sinbads went to work, first connecting the triatic stay between the main and mizzen masts...

After the masts were stepped and the standing rigging connected, we went back to our slip at Pirate’s Cove Marina. There we tuned the rig and the second member of the Flying Sinbads Aerial Team put the spreader boots and lazy jacks on.

Next we bent on the three sails and two fancy new sail covers (complete with broken zipper), reconnecting all the wiring (radar, anchor light, steaming light, spreader light and wind anemometer). Basically, we put Sinbad back together so she’s a cruising boat again.  After seven days we are almost (but not quite) done.

 Back to the Buffalo part of this story, our friend and fellow Whitby owner Patrick Cornelius drove all the way from Delaware to Buffalo to pick us up.  We left after the boat was loaded on the truck and was waiting to receive final permit approval from the State of NY.  Patrick then drove us back to his home, which took almost nine hours.  There we were welcomed by his lovely wife Lisa, with her good company and great chili and cornbread.  The next day Patrick again helped us to get some chores completed, and later we closed down the joint partying in the hot tub ‘til all hours. The next morning Patrick drove us down to Galesville, MD to meet the truck so we could oversee the unloading and launching of the boat.  Our heartfelt thanks to Patrick and Lisa.

Here at Pirate’s Cove we have also been welcomed warmly.  Friend and fellow Whitby owner John Cece met us the first day and took us to the grocery store and Bacon Sails to buy food and boat parts, and to drop off three sails for consignment sale. A couple of later days, Jim, owner of “Beckoning” a Catalina 47, tossed us the keys to his jeep, so we could make another run to West Marine and the grocery store (we get mighty hungry these days). And last night, after seven long days of working, when we were getting pretty worn out, John Cece called and invited us to the Friday night BBQ at West River Sailing Club. It was just the thing- we relaxed, ate some great food, and enjoyed the hospitality and good company of fellow sailors at the boat club.  Starting Sunday, the West River  Sailing  Club ( which is only about 100 yards from Pirate’s Cove where we are docked), will host the Whitby-Brewer Rendezvous where over 40 people and 14 boats will gather to hear some really good presentations, make boat visits, and enjoy each other’s company for three days.  And after that, the Annapolis Sailboat Show!!!!!