A Visual History
 The Building of Aslan
Aslan Goes on Her Trailer
Updated 2/05/01
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To do the standing rigging, Aslan has to be outside, on her trailer (either that or I need a boat shed with a removable roof, and the kids haven't left home yet.  Their bedrooms are above the gar ... er, boat shed.)  Here, Aslan pokes her bowsprit out into the world for the first time.  My wife Jan can be seen just behind the stem.
I was going to wait until my brother and brother in law came up, but then Leah and her boyfriend Dennis came over, and I thought what the heck, if Aslan is going to tip over and crush people, it may as well be young people who have a much better chance of recovery.  While its not important right now, notice the positioning of the Toyota Sienna van in the driveway.
Note that the van is now gone.  During this entire process, I tried to impress my wife with my competence by alternating the "lift-grunt-pull technique" with the "walk-around-the-entire-work-area-muttering-and-
gesturing" technique.  While the various young people, unversed in the ways of the world and obviously impressed, were satisfied that I knew what I was doing, Jan moved the van.  DOWN THE STREET!  HALF A BLOCK!  You'd think I was moving the Queen Mary.
The acute angle caused by the driveway sloping the wrong way (kind of an "anti-boat ramp") made this harder than it had to be.  But I had a choice here, risk scraping Aslan's keel along the concrete as I moved the trailer farther down the driveway, or see if we could slowly and gently ease her onto the trailer with the assistance of the winch.  Dennis and I impressed the ladies by lifting up the stern and managing to gasp "putttt da dolleah undah da boadht" through clenched teeth.  We know the ladies were very impressed because they suffered from that psychological condition that happens in times of great stress sometimes, laughing instead of ooohing and ahhhhing.
Kris is running for cover near the left in this photo, while Dennis and I, having just finished with a rather spectacular session of "lift-grunt-pull", are muttering and gesturing behind the boat.  Note that Leah remains at her post, keeping Aslan from tipping to one side.

Success comes to those that use tried and true techniques.  Just can't beat the combination of "lift-grunt-pull" and "walk-muttering" on a beautiful February 4 in southern California. 

You can now see the van a HALF BLOCK AWAY where Jan thought it was safe.  At this point, several stout and hardy neighbor men showed up to inquire whether the work was finished, and compliment the boat.  After I caught my breath, we all walked around the boat muttering and gesturing, which impressed all our wives. 

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