The Marinervideo
Afloat Again: First Steps
November 28, 2025 · 18 min · 5K views · Portland, Maine
F40 catamaran docks beside luxury yacht in marina
What this video covers
Chris moves the trimaran Spirit from Portland Yacht Services in Portland, Maine, to Four Points Marina, also in Portland, for a weekend layover before sailing south to Boston.5:00
Pre-departure work includes retrieving sails from storage, running the outboard for several hours across throttle levels, checking the daggerboard, and rigging the jib.1:07 The main halyard is missing — Chris declined a $500 crane lift to reeve it and plans to climb the rig instead, meaning the short passage runs under jib alone.6:13 A known outboard defect complicates departure: the aluminum bracket hinges up when reverse is applied, lifting the prop clear of the water, so docking requires ferry-glide technique with no reverse available.1:40 The jib foil extrusion has worn joints and broken helicoils that snag the sail during hoisting.6:37 Hull paint is delaminating but left for a future haulout.0:21
The Casco Bay Bridge requires a lift: the mast is approximately 65 feet, the bridge clears 68 feet at the time of transit, and Chris judges that margin too tight to risk.12:18 He calls the bridge on VHF, declares limited maneuverability, and transits after the span opens.10:51 Four Points Marina is contacted on channel 10; the overlapping wave-attenuator entrance, marked by red pennants, is 80 feet wide.14:01 Docking with a wing mast in five knots of breeze requires a slow, controlled turn with dock crew assistance.14:53
Chris also announces upcoming offshore racing berths on Osprey — Caribbean 600 (February), Antigua Race Week (April), and Newport Bermuda Race — and plans to replace Osprey's 15-year-old standing rigging before the 2027 Global Solo Challenge.8:38
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