Just “Ship It”

For another ten days after Kurt’s departure, Marcia stayed in China monitoring last minute fixes, and the preparation of Alpenglow for shipping. Since we were importing the vessel ourselves, we were going to have to know how to reassemble the boat after it arrived in Seattle.

When the boat is shipped, it will sit on top of shipping containers exposed to the full force of the North Pacific in winter. The mast and rigging had to come down.  All of the electronics on the mast had to be secured or removed. All of the electronics on the fly bridge had to be removed. Everything not bolted down inside the boat has to be secured.

 

 

After the boat is secured, it is driven to a small port near the boat yard where it is put on a small (by shipping standards) vessel and taken to the main port where it is loaded on the large container ship that will take it to Seattle. The boat is securely lashed down to a cradle purpose built to hold our boat.

Let’s Have a Party

On the evening before my (Kurt’s) departure from the boatyard, we had a party to celebrate the “completion” of our boat.  The boat was cleaned and celebratory flags strung. We paid for exotic American food to be brought in, KFC dinner boxes.

Pictures were taken and speeches were given.

Here is Marcia with Henry, our project manager, and  another of both of us with Mr. Gong, the electrical/electronic foreman.