The launch of Dulcie-Darlene

The big day has arrived! We had some champagne donated for the event, which also calmed our nerves, and, as there was no-one else around, Gena got some shots of me spraying it over the hull. I was never one big for ceremonies, and Gena even less, but I'm glad we did. Who knows what we might think a year from now in some treacherous sea? With no christening? Will she hold it against us at the first opportunity?


The lift came around the boat, furling stay off, everything forward of the mast pulled back and secured, and straps laid in place. Slowly she went up off of the stands, and down the ramp on her merry way to her element, the waters of the Pacific. Andrew, the lift operator/owner, was very gentle with her compared to the rough, hard working fishing boats we have seen continually go by now that a fishing ban has been lifted. We could tell he has done this uncountable times before.
The video below makes that apparent. Slowly he eases her over the launch, and almost imperceptively lowers her towards the water. Once the deck was at the same height as the launch dock, he asks Gena to climb aboard to hand out lines etc. The boats keel touches water, then the prop, then the hull, and finally the waterline. Oh no! where is the waterline going? Is she floating yet? Suddenly, she turns a bit, and to our relief, she floats! The waterline is low on the aft, but she floats.

The Launch! She floats!!