The actual day 5 (yesterday was really 4)

We started the morning with yet another great Grady breakfast. This is living!

Jerry and I started the morning by getting the repeater (a piece of radio gear that allows walkie talkies to function over many miles) to Pete Sarelas. Pete is a history instructor at the Naval Academy who gets involved in race committee each year and is kind of the "Commo" guy. Pete is a great guy and it was nice to meat him. He will be working with our radios for us.

Next it was time to put the mast up on the boat. The mast was so close to the power lines i found it scary and everybody thought I was too careful to insist we move the boat a little bit away from the lines.

The marina did not have much of a crane and the operator was not very inventive. It was extremely difficult to get the mast through the boot. We ended up shaking it for nearly a half hour before we finally had it dropped in place. The crane operator was not a lot of help and we were both frustrated and worn out by the time the mast was securely in place.

Next we rigged the mast. This took us almost an hour, hooking up and adjusting all of the shrouds and attaching the control lines.

we took a short lunch. Our first meal out was at the "rusty Anchor." The food was very good and we left satisfied.

Upon our return to the yard it was time to launch the boat. "Flash Gordon," a Farr 40 was supposed to go before us, but though it was high tide, it was not a real high tide and Flash will have to wait until 12:30 for her launch. Our launch was uneventful thanks to the work of a really good travel lift operator and the professionalism of our own crew. Glenn has kept all of the rigging work on track with the same high quality rigging work that has turned a losing boat into a winning one.

We are on a seawall at old island so we will move for race week. But for the next 5 days. This will be home for Lightning Rod.

It is so nice to see her afloat again.

After launching there is still a great deal of work to do. We started by wiring the electronics and lighting for the top of the mast. Glenn and Jerry worked hard on the rest of the rigging and Grady went back to the house to prepare yet another awesome meal.

While we were getting this done we also received the bad news that there is a problem with the repeater which Pete installed this afternoon. So, my plans for the morning are changed to try to get the repeater functioning. Glenn and Grady will probably try to finish rigging the boat while Jerry and I work on the Comm gear.

so far on this trip there has been sun and temperatures in the high 70s. It couldn't be nicer. Tomorrow afternoon, just in time for us to start sailing, it is supposed to get cold. I am hoping it will stay as beautiful as it has been.