The Dry Boat and the Important Tool

The Nordic Tug Gammel Dansk blocked and just waiting on the hard to be picked up by the Flagship Boat Transporters. Next stop: fresh water on the Mississippi River.

 

This is the machine called a Travel Lift. It is common in the Marine Industry. Particularly in Marinas and Boat yards where boats are removed from the water on to the hard (lands) in Minnesota the water can also be hard at certain times of year. We will escape that fate by spending winter in Florida. 

And here is the Gammel Dansk lifted from the hard for its journey from Washington to Minnesota.

Preparing for the Adventure Part 1

Stairway to the Gammel Dansk

The North Harbor Diesel Repair employees supplied a solid and sturdy stairs with rails to board the boat.  Tori refused to take the stairs.  She is so smart.

Mary oversees the preparation of the Gammel Dansk for Transport... 

... from the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes, Washington to Red Wing, Minnesota for the Great Loop adventure down the Mississippi River to Mobile, Alabama, across the Gulf of Mexico to Florida for the winter.

We signed the boat transport contract and sent money to Flagship Boat Transport. (They are out of North Carolina, and were transporting a boat from the East Coast to the West Coast, so were very happy to have our Gammel Dansk along for a big chunk of the return ride.) Our days of dreaming of this adventure are over: We are not only involved -- we are committed. 

The plan was that the boat would be transported no earlier than September 5th and no later than September 20th. Well, it's the 6th of September, and the boat began its journey today! It will take 3-1/2 days from Anacortes, Washington to Red Wing, Minnesota. Both marinas have a travel lift. In Anacortes, it was used to lift the tug out of the water and load it on to the semi-truck transport trailer. There will be a travel lift in Red Wing to lift the tug off the transport trailer and into the river (just a few blocks down the street from our house!). 

This will be one of the first time tugboating in the fresh water of the Mississippi River. No special equipment is needed transferring from the saltwater of Puget Sound to the freshwater of the Mississippi River. 

Our Great Loop adventure has begun.