Last winter T-Fish was onshore, 'high and dry'. Before putting her back into waters, she received a new anti-fouling coating and a two component hull polish. This means - washing the hull, applying the first component, applying the second component and then polishing, thus 4 times hull treatment, all by hand. For someone used to work in front of a computer indeed heavy work. I felt each bone of my body afterwards. Furthermore, in addition to smaller repairs here and there, the engine and gear box oil was exchanged and new filters as well as a new starter battery installed.
T-Fish has a new home port now which was required for the renewal of her registration and to be compliant with the changed German rules (if a boat sails under German flag, it must have a German home port now). The new home port is Berlin, although T-Fish never was there. We lived a couple of years in this exciting city, some 25 years ago and our first daughter was born and is now studying in Berlin. We love the city and who knows, maybe T-Fish one day will come home to a home she doesn't know yet.
After all the work done at the beginning of the season, there is no wonder that boat owner cannot await to take her out for the first time. And there is no wonder to see this glow in their eyes when she is smoothly ploughing through the seas, in an speed which appears record breaking (but which in fact is just some 0.5 - 1.0 kn faster than she usually sails). Anyway, this is how it is.
My season's shakedown cruise brought us to Bosa, Sardinia, some 23 nm south of Fertilia. The crew was my old friend Charly and a Chinese exchange student who was on a sailing boat the first time in her life. She coped well with the seas and I think that she enjoyed the experience. Take a look yourself and enjoy the video.