It has been a busy week so far and there are no signs of slowing up ahead. After a productive training session a week ago with the Bermuda race crew on board, we got straight into the thick of what is basically a mini refit pre Bermuda race. New nipper Tim Cope arrived on the scene with just enough time to meet Mat and Pam and the very next day was put straight to work and pretty much hasn’t stopped since. Not content with one skilled nipper, the Dorade team has expanded to include Nick Bellico a recent graduate of the IYRS program who will be taking care of cosmetic woodwork over the coming weeks.
Dorade was hauled on Wednesday and except the anticipated anti foul job, nothing unsightly was discovered. Joe Loughborough the head honcho at LMI and all round classic boat specialist has organised a team of experts to complete structural work, metal fabrication and painting the wheels of which were set in motion today and the bottom was being sanded while various craftsmen measured up different parts of Dorade.
For me, my first couple of weeks as boat captain have been full on but enjoyable. I feel as if I am juggling a million balls right now with a jobs list of my own running alongside the endless paperwork it seems to take to get a boat on one ship, a container on another and a race crew put to sea with all the right safety gear registered properly. At least we passed our Bermuda inspection without any trouble. Phew!
So we have 10 days to go until we go back in the water and for sure we are currently in the stage of proceedings where everything looks worse not better. But that is always the way and with the hours of hard work to go and the skill of the craftsmen involved I have no doubt that we will be looking great for both the New York Annual Regatta and of course the Newport to Bermuda Race.
Hannah