After a full day of howling winds, the skies calmed just in time for Kora’s grand return to the water – and what a moment it was. Watching her suspended by the crane, gliding through the boatyard like a flying elephant (a graceful one!), was awe-inspiring and nerve-wracking all at once.
We held our breath as she was guided toward the narrow slipway, mere inches of clearance on either side. Slowly, steadily, she was lowered in (see her rocking back and forth at one moment there … yikes!!!). Then came the moment of truth as she hit the water: checking for leaks. All dry! All good!
With nerves still high, we cast off lines and docked her perfectly on our first attempt at a nearby T-dock. Not bad, given it has been nearly 9 months since we last manoeuvered her!
The day rolled on with testing systems, flushing the water tanks, and re-rigging the gennaker (see photo). Over the next few days, we’ll continue to prep Kora with more system checks, firing up the dinghy and provisioning while we wait for our first guests to arrive.
Launch day = success!!! Now… let the adventure begin!
