Sailing Genevieve…

After five long months of waiting while Genevieve lay on her ear, we can now happily report that she is on her feet in the yard at Nanny Cay, British Virgin Islands.  We have spent a week going through her every nook and cranny cleaning the gunk left behind by a tsunami of rainwater and muck.  Fortunately, she is in remarkably good shape.  Below she smells a bit musty, but there is no structural damage that is unfixable.  The engine works, she will be watertight. Compared with most of the boats here, we have come through this quite well.

As Genevieve is in no state to sail, she is going to take a cruise back to Fort Lauderdale for repairs over the next few months.  We need a new mast and rig, some fiberglass repairs, a new window, new dinghy davits, and some TLC applied to the interior wood stained by water.  And while we are at it we have a wish list of upgrades that we are going to consider: a new suite of navigation electronics, solar panels, some new canvass, maybe a new outboard for Mimi the dinghy…and maybe even a new Mimi!  And I really, really want blue spreader lights for added glamour!

So, an exciting adventure in March will be to launch Genevieve, make sure she floats (!) and take her by motor to St Thomas, USVI where we will meet a ship that sinks!  That is, it lowers itself down in the water so yachts can sail onto her (see video below).  Once Gen is secured in cradles, the ship re-floats itself and, viola, we are on the deck ready for the journey home.  No cranes, no fuss and a four day steam to Ft. Lauderdale.

Stay tuned sailors…