Back in the water...

The bottom paint is finished, some minor repairs made, and it's time to go back in the water. That's a 130 ton boat hanging from the lift by straps that look - as far as I was concerned - far too delicate for the task of carrying our livelihood back to the water. That's dad on the upper deck, ready to fire the engines to move the boat once it hits the water.

EZ1 on dry dock

The crane dropped the slings under the boat and then slowly lifted the 65' boot in the air. Now the EZ1 is resting on massive cement blocks so that dad and the boatyard crew can mend, clean and then repaint the bottom.

For perspective, dad is 6' and he has to hunch over almost in half to walk under the boat to work. Most of the time it's easier just to crawl. The second pic is of a dock yard worker doing some grinding on the hull. Imagine 130 tons of hard steel hanging over your head!

It's going to be a busy few weeks until they can get the boat back in the water and go catch some albacore...

Getting ready to go catch some albacore!

My folks took a couple of days to bring the boat from Ilwaco to Bellingham so it can be pulled out of the water and its underside tended to. It's been nasty rainy weather, but they got lucky and had a smooth flat-calm ride up the Washington coast and through Puget Sound.

Koko the parrot had a great time - he just loves being on the boat. Pepper the poodle wasn't so sure. As Dad put it, "Pepper followed me like a tick." While dad drove the boat and fixed little bits and pieces, Mom spent hours working on satellite software. Some fun!