When bringing the boat ashore, reverse the above process. Lower the keel back onto
the trolley cradle as soon as practical to reduce the loading on the rig.
Ensure it is
lowered before easing the jib halyard tension.
FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU GO AFLOAT……….
Apologies to all the highly experienced, race winning and world girdling yachtsmen
amongst you for this last piece of advice! New boats always take some getting used
to. If it is blowing the doors off and the waves are dumping on the beach, why not
curb that impatience to get afloat in your new toy. If the conditions are favourable, the
chances are that you’ll have far more fun and learn the techniques used on the K6
much more quickly.
When launching and sailing your K6 for the first time, please remember the
following points;
New boats are covered in an invisible layer of mould release wax, and various
silicone release agents, in order to get them out of the moulds. They are also
cleaned and polished as part of the pre-delivery inspection process. For the
first few times that you sail your new boat you should take extra care as it will
be slippery and potentially dangerous until these coatings wear off.
Ropes are also coated in release agents as part of their construction process,
So again, take great care when tying knots or relying on a rope to perform a
specific function, as they may get you into a potentially dangerous situation.
Each time, after sailing the boat for the first 2 or 3 times, take a spanner and
screwdriver and just check that the shroud plates, rudder fastenings, the keel
top plate, and other highly loaded fittings have not “bedded in” or become
loose.
When lowering the keel for the first few times the two chocks will be a little
tight, they tend to wear a little and are designed as a replaceable part.
if necessary, sand or file a little off the chocks as required, to make lowering
and raising the keel easier.
The rudder will also be a very tight fit into the stock and may not go fully down
for the first 2 or 3 sails. This is because the special packing material takes
time to bed down fully.
Last but not least, your boat has been designed to be easy to operate. If you
find yourself needing to use excessive force, or tools such as hammers or
similar, then you are probably doing it wrong. It would be a good idea to stop
and re-evaluate the situation if you need to resort to these measures.
