Beez Launch Pt 1
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Wed 7 Nov 2018 23:47
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Pangkor Marina Launch Day – Part
One  The alarm went off at seven
and we poked our heads out the door to see the Sea Lift in
place.   Launch day at last. No
sooner than we had finished breakfast than the marina
boys arrived to move the mast to the front side of the shed, they saw
Jimmy’s boys and whistled them over to help, lots of joshing and giggling, a joy
to watch. Off they all moved as a raggedy gang.
 James arrived and lowered the platform.    James checked our weight, set the pads appropriately and backed
the machine toward the girl, steadily.    James carefully
got the Sea Lift just so and gently took the weight of the girl, then the boys
set to work with big hammers to break the welds
holding the scaffolding and supports together. All
good to go.   It really caught the breath to watch Beez finally creep forward and get the sun on her beak for the
first time in what seems like forever.     James got the girl in
place by nine thirty ready for the crane man at
ten.  Crane man arrived, I was thrilled and greatly relieved it
was the same man who had lifted her mast.   No sooner than the crane supports were moving the marina
boys appeared as if by magic.    Time for me to take a
picture of the waiting skipper in his usual ‘watching
pose’. Crane ready and of course Win on his phone.    Then came the delays whilst
everyone discussed strops, scratched heads, three
were tried. measured, more discussion. A yachtie appeared with a camera mounted on a
tripod and took pictures, people came and went, eventually the crane driver
called a halt, went off and returned with a brand new strop (to be left with
James). Everyone around us was very tender due to the unstepping of
Kereru when the strop broke dropping and damaging the mast, only
narrowly missing the pilot house and injuring several people – not our crane or
driver as he was off being recertified at the time. Richard couldn’t bear to be
anywhere in the vicinity so he took Bob (next door) off to the chandlery for the
duration.    Finally
the mast was lifted at eleven thirty. Plenty of
hands to make sure all went well with all the various ‘dangly’ bits and
Brett in place on board to receive the swinging
pole.    The swing, Brett hidden
by the ‘dangly bits’ and steering into
place.    Everyone raced around
joining deck fittings – literally all hands on
deck.   Shah
went up the mast to release the strop as Win waited patiently, once free the crane was soon tucked up and spuddled
away.   Jimmy’s
boys arrived to paint the squares where the support pads had been an
after two coats of antifouling waved as they went off to their next job.
We spent the next two hours
attaching bits and bobs enjoying the warm sun for the first time in ages. After
lunch we went to the office to hand over the ninety pound crane hire money, I
cleaned the pram hood supports and Bear attached ropes to hoist the boom from below. I winched it up as Bear and Shah held
it away from the girl. Soon attached along with the support and a quick
tightening of the deck fittings.  The marina boys set to work
tidying and sweeping our pitch until it looked spick and
span. CONTINUED |