Commander 227

[Commander227]

Today after work Tim and I were installing the coaming boards on The Princess when disaster struck!! We had removed the gantry lift straps and moved the boat stand pads high up on the freeboard to apply the barrier coat. We looked at the boat and talked about it's stability before climbing up. I worried that the keel which was sitting on some 2x6s on the cement floor could skid out and the boat would rotate inside the stands, but the barrier coat was too soft to put the straps back on and I really wanted to get the coaming boards on tonight. Well, that is exactly what happened just as we were both on one side of the boat; Tim pushing on the board to flex it into position and me with drill in hand to pop the first hole. The Princess started to go over...Tim, the experienced scow sailor, started climbing to the high side and looked ready to jump over the rail to stand on the keel to keep her from turning turtle while I rode her down and jumped out just before she settled on the floor. No one was hurt and the damage seems limited to a couple of gouges from the boat stands amid ship, some dings on the toe rail in two spots, and the straps played havoc in the fresh barrier coat when we righted her, all in all it could have been much worse.