The travelift here at AYB isn't really setup for ketch-rigged sailboats. One of the two lifting straps cannot be moved.

Red Ranger needs a strap essentially under each mast. The straps can be pushed a foot or two forward of the mast, but never aft.

Since one of the straps on this lift is underneath the framework, we can't come anywhere near lifting with a strap under each mast.

The lift at the Deltaville Boat Yard has two movable straps. We would back in, slack all the backstays and lower the mizzen boom to make sure the framework didn't collide with the rigging.

We backed into the slip yesterday.

At 07:30 AM this morning, the crew looked at Red Ranger and explained what should have happened yesterday.

1. We should have gone in forward. They'll spin her around for me.

2. I should have removed the two forestays so that they could get the main mast as close to the lift frame as possible.

Okay. I'll rearrange the rigging. Right away. When you think about it, I'm paying these guys to watch me work.

Removing the forestays is something I have never done before. I had slacked them this summer in order to get the backstay chainplates out. So, this was a lot like the chainplate work I've already done. Twice.

I slacked the backstays. That didn't help much.

I took the sails down so that I could take the furling drums apart and slack the forestays.

With a little bit of swearing, I got both forestay clevis pins out and moved the forestays along side the boat, tied in place with short pieces of line. They're immensely long and can't rest comfortably on deck.

The inner stay was pretty easy to get apart. It could probably stand to be a hair tighter when I reassemble.

A little pounding to get the outer pin out is actually a Very Bad Thing™. It means the pin won't go back in because the shackle holes will never align.

In order to put the pin in, I think I need to relax all of the shrouds, also. Then I can pin the forestays. Then I can tension the rig.

Again.

I hope that's all that's required.

By noon today, Friday, the mechanic had our Sure Seal apart and the shaft out of the boat.

So, we're feeling pretty good about getting this done right without a long wait for parts.