“Taking Hawila out of the water is like bringing a fish out of the ocean. She resists the crane, benefits from a push by the wind, to escape her cage. Is brought back, and finally surrenders to the metal teeth of the slip, to come up on land, inert.
We can then lay our curious eyes on her hidden face, masked by algae and other shells.
We spent 11 days on the slipway of Gilleleje, Hawila hoisted high up, enjoying this castle view over the whole fisherman town of North Sealand.
Only light work and inspection was planned this year, as we have saved up resources for a larger work effort, that should take place next year in the winter/spring with up to 3 months on the slipway. This year our ambition was to secure the vessel hull for navigating the Baltic, until October, as well as inspecting her to devise an accurate, large refit plan for the coming year.
Collectively, we were 15 people laboring away. The whole Hawila crew, aided by carpenters under the supervision of Yann, a shipwright from Brittany, France. Lots of caulking and small wood repairs were carried out. Additionally, more than a hundred copper plates were fastened to the hull. We held off on scheduled larger planking work for next year. We also enjoyed the opportunity of having her up, to fix our leaking gearbox shaft seal, and adding an experimental shaft sprocket, which will allow us to produce energy while sailing.
Now Hawila is back to her element, the bilges totally dry, the biggest reward for our efforts. Thanks to the great team, that worked continuously, we did more than I had planned, to a higher standard and for less resources, making this beauty’s hull ready for the coming summer!
Now we have sailed to Helsingør, to finish the work on the rig and above the water line on decks and cabins at the HAL16 workshop. By early June she should be ready to hoist the sails for another season!”
Captain Samuel
