[Rhodes22-list] Commissioning

[Slim]

What's all this fuss about commissioning?  It takes what it takes and that's
all.  It takes more time the first time but then it gets easier.  Just take
it slowly and do what needs to be done and enjoy the process.  Sailing isn't
just sailing--it's all the rest too, so just go through the process and get
'er done.  

Even though I've done this many times, we never try to rush.  It's not a
race.  We take our sweet time and make sure we've got it right.  That's
what's important.  It takes us about an hour to launch or retrieve and get
ready to haul or whatever.  But if it takes more than that, OK.  Don't sweat
it.  

Slim

On 4/16/06 7:52 PM, "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com> wrote:

> Julie,
> 
> Attachment problem?
> 
> I'd like to see your list, too.  I have a lot of "doh" moments when I
> see how others have simply solved problems that I have complicated
> unnecessarily.
> 
> Bill Effros
> 
> Julie Thorndycraft wrote:
>> Dave,
>> I can't admit that we've ever raised the mast and been ready to launch
>> in 30 minutes. Perhaps 45 but generally it's closer to an hour.
>> However, we have absolutely everything tied down so that process alone
>> can take 10 minutes. We also know that when we've had problems it's
>> been because we've been trying to rush or someone has come by and
>> started asking questions about the boat - much better to take it slow
>> and concentrate on what needs to be done.
>> 
>> There are some great checklists for both launch and retrieval, I
>> believe Slim compiled one in the last year or two. We have our own
>> version that is specific to our boat and our methods. I'm attaching
>> our version and I'm sure you can ask Slim for his.
>> 
>> Once you get more familiar with the launch/retrieval process it won't
>> be so exhausting nor will it take that long. We trailer our boat
>> extensively and it does get easier with experience.
>> 
>> Julie
>> s/v Blue Loon
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: <DCLewis1 at aol.com>
>> To: <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2006 7:39 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Commissioning
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Bill,
>> 
>> I don¹t think much went wrong.  The boat was in good shape.  We  did
>> have a
>> dead batt, but there were 2 batts aboard so we could use the other
>> one to get
>> started.  We lost a little time changing out one batt later in  the
>> day and it
>> took a little while initially for Elton to figure out that it was
>> just the
>> one batt and not something in the wiring.  Actually, there is more  to
>> it:
>> turns out that the lid on the batt compartment was routered to
>> accommodate the
>> specific batt that was provided by GBI.  After Elton  figured out it
>> was just
>> the batt, and not the wiring, and after we changed the  batt, we found
>> out that
>> the posts of the new batt had a different configuration  than the
>> posts for
>> the old batt; so he took the lid off  the batt  compartment to take
>> back to
>> Edenton, they¹ll router or drill new holes, mail it  back to me, and I¹ll
>> install.   It was the classic daisy chain, you  find a problem,
>> diagnose it, fix it,
>> which leads to another problem, etc.   It all took a fair while to get
>> it all
>> sorted out - perhaps a couple of  hours.  But there¹s a lesson here
>> for the
>> board, all batts are not the same  because the posts are different,
>> you guys
>> probably knew that.
>> 
>> There also may be a problem with the toilet water inlet valve on the
>> boat,
>> right now it¹s stuck open, Elton is going to do some checking at GBI
>> to see if
>> there¹s a fix.  We spent a little while on that , not a lot, it¹s
>> unresolved.  I'm a little antzy about leaving that valve open, but
>> Elton said it
>> wouldn't be a problem.  Certainly, no water was coming in.
>> 
>> Beyond that, I thought it just took a long time to get an R22 up from
>> it¹s
>> trailer.  I¹m new at this, I have no baseline.  I see PT posted he
>> does it in
>> 30 minutes, I¹m amazed.  Maybe it¹ll go faster next time (a lot  faster,
>> easily x20 faster).
>> 
>> We lost more than an hour in West Marine.  Shopping took a bit of
>> time, of
>> course, but far and away the biggest problem was they couldn¹t get  their
>> checkout system to work right and some products weren¹t marked so no
>> one knew what
>> they cost.  It took a while.  Time in West Marine  shouldn¹t count
>> against
>> launch time, but it¹s time.
>> 
>> After we initially splashed we probably spent an hour, certainly less
>> than 2
>> hrs,  in the harbor while Elton talked us through a few loops.  That
>> shouldn¹
>> t count against launch time, but it made for a longer day.
>> 
>> Also, there were some unique ³first time out² things, like getting the
>> numbers affixed, getting the docking lines right, etc.  You guys
>> probably have
>> all your docking and mooring lines sized, spliced, taped, from year to
>> year.
>> We fumbled around a lot, it's still not the way we want it.
>> 
>> But it just took a lot of time.  Elton¹s methodology, for the most  part,
>> was to tell me what to do and I¹d do it (or try to do it).   That was
>> a slow
>> process, because I wasn¹t at all familiar with the components,  what
>> came next,
>> where it attached, etc.  It took a while (hrs).
>> 
>> I¹m really amazed at the launch times you guys report.  At the end of
>> our
>> commissioning I said to myself ³I never want to do this again².
>> Elton told
>> me he thought people on the board commonly did the sort of thing  we
>> did 2 to 3
>> times a year as they trailered their boats, I was skeptical.   Given the
>> launch time reports on the board, he¹s likely correct.
>> 
>> Again, the delivered boat was in good shape and at the end of the day  we
>> were glad to have it in the water.
>> 
>> Dave
>> 
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