It's been quite a change from surviving off the sea and having the moon & tide as my most dominant timepiece, once one hears the siren of the sea her call is constant. I've been four months away from her, Waltzing Matilda arrived on Monday. Mr Yazzettie, my 1st mate and comrade in insanity who assisted in the first restoration as well as navigation duties, original sailing instruction, scared skipper encouragement and all around damn good hand to have aboard towed a trailer from NW Arkansas to Casa Valencia, Islamorada. The first time we pulled her out of the water the trailer had never held her, this was a similar situation but at least this time is wasn't 40F outside.
While she was at the dock a small leak went untended, since the automatic switch in the bilge pump didn't exist she took on water, just a bit of water, every day, for four months. Luckily it was not enough water to sink her and the stain is only 4” above the floor boards, just high enough to soak my cold weather gear half of my tools and all of the dry food stuffs. She sat about 4” lower in the water too so she has an ugly stain around her hull, currently Waltzing Matilda smells worse than the dog.
I was not on this tow from Islamorada to NILA, but it sounds like Yazzettie had quite the adventure, and I now know how much she weighs! (about 30% more than the trailer should hold). Yazzettie suffered minor mechanical difficulties and a bit of fatigue but just after dark on Monday, Waltzing Matilda was parked in my driveway. Even on a trailer she looks so grand. I made sure that Yazz ate a good local po'boy, I even let him taste my gumbo-n-mashed taters. I got some rum and with the green coconuts that came with Matilda we had a dandy time hauling stinking anchors and gear out of his truck.
There is plenty of painting and haul out work to be done, after all she was in the water for all but 24 hours of two years. The adventures are on pause, perhaps Matilda has had her last grand adventure and will be a daysailer for the rest of her life.
