Wow Wow Wow wow! We have now launched the Minnehaha and have moved her to the home dock. Now for the WOW. We had a very eventful (we like uneventful) launch this year. Every year comes with its own share of problems and this was like no other (big surprise). Since we were working on the rubrail most of the winter we did not pay attention to hydrating the hull every weekend (spray with water) so this year the boat was very dry when we launched. Now let me add, for all the people who don’t know wood boats, wood is made up of tree cells and when you add water they swell but, when you take it away it contracts. This year it contracted more then usual and as soon as the boat was off the trailer we noticed we were taking on more water than usual. Luckily the marina that we launched at had 4 gas pumps they let us use. At about 5:00 (after 6 or 7 hours of waiting for the boat to swell enough) we decided that we would be able to make it across the lake to the home dock. So with many pumps dumping water overboard we hooked up a hose and filled our fresh water tanks (for the steam engine) with water (kind of ironic). Well we did make it to the dock and we continued to take on water. As the decision to have some crew come back and spend the night was pending, I and some other crew stared blankly at the water coming in and going out. Eventually the inevitable decision that we all knew was coming arrived. We needed to call for a night shift to stay with the boat as it swelled overnight. The Help arrived and I went home and now it looks as though we are nice and stable in the water with crew training beginning on Wednesday and a charter on Thursday we are in pretty good shape. See ya’ll on the Boat.
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