Up the Mast

Last weekend we moved our boat to a new moorage. We were docked in the Multnomah Channel, which is just very skinny and not enough room to sail. We tried to make it work because it was cheap and close to our house. But after being there for a few months, we were doing a whole lot of motoring and not a lot of sailing.

So we made the six hour journey to our new moorage on the Columbia River, which is where we sailed when we were part of the sailing club. The river feels SO huge and it is exciting to know we can actually SAIL now! :)

On our way to the Columbia, we had to pass under a bridge. The water level is very high from all the rain, so the height under the bridge was not as tall as it usually is. When you are passing under a bridge, it's hard to get the perspective to see if the mast is going to fit underneath. To me, it always looks like our mast is going to hit, but that's because we are looking up. 

Landon decided that in order to see if we could fit, he would climb up the mast. I hate climbing a 6 foot ladder, so the thought of climbing up a mast and being 59 feet up FREAKS me out. But Landon had zero hesitation. 

We have a mast climber, so Landon got all hooked up and I took the helm as he climbed. I was shaking, had a stomach ache, and said about a thousand silent prayers. I think it's safe to say I was a nervous wreck. He told me he felt like a bird and flapped his wings :)

He made it safely to the top (after what felt like years to me!) and was just happy enjoying the view. When we got close to the bridge, he told me we were looking good--but to be ready to slow down or go into reverse. I was sooo scared as we were approaching the bridge. It really looked like the mast--with my cute husband perched on top--was going to crash into the bridge. Yikes! 

Luckily, we had about 10 feet of wiggle room and passed under the bridge safely. Phew!

The rest of the trip was so fun because the wind was blowing, it wasn't raining, and we got to SAIL! 

It was such a fun day of sailing!