New Owner Hull #3

Dear All,

My name is Richard Sharpe and my wife and I have just purchased #3 and shlepped her down to Southern California. We have started the process of changing out the old aluminum spreaders, because they are deformed and listening to the horror stories from owners, we decided to get the fix from Forte Carbon as a first priority. I have two questions (only two I hear you say) 1. Has anybody ever put the mast up on the hard with the keel in the up position? If so how the heck did you do that? and 2. What methods of locking down the keel have you used? This one is not locked down.

I see this boat as a big challenge to us, but hope that it will give us lots of fun. We were a kick ass team in an Olson 30, 3rd in the recent Nationals and killer on the coast, but the handicap here is going to kill us. 102 W/L, 75 RLC, 65 OWC. Any help you can give in weight saving, running rigging and sail setting will be welcome. I will now go home and read the blog from the beginning.