Views from Layla

Sunset in Taylor's Creek

We have turned the page and it changes everything. 

Among the different views

Marsh, birds and everything

More of this to come

Checking out Layla under sail

Riding over a swell

Over several days and under varying conditions, we took Layla sailing to check out systems and get familiar with her strengths and weaknesses. On the day pictured above, the winds had increased to 15 steady knots with 3-5 foot seas. These are not conditions many boaters, particularly motor vessels, typically embrace with zeal, but these were certainly the conditions that gave us a good test for Layla. She impressed us as she rode the swells with that comfortable "sea kindly motion" for which Hans Christians are known. 

Layla on her own headed to Cape Lookout

On the very first day sailing, we discovered that once the sails were set, Layla sailed straight without any assistance. She was very well balanced under sail. She seemed to find the best course that was not necessarily the fastest but always the most comfortable for long distance cruising. 

Good speed

Fred guiding Layla

Layla also demonstrated that she is no slow poke. On each of the days, we could readily get her up to hull speed (about 8.4 knots).


I have been serving as "the apprentice" to Fred and Ernie as they provide tips and tricks from their years of living aboard and sailing to distant shores. I am shedding the "landlubber" habits and re-discovering those lost skills.

Ernie relaxing under sail

Overall, Layla lived up to her reputation as solid, and comfortable blue-water cruiser and impressed us with her agility and ease of sail. This is fun. We will get you on board again Tracy. Really we will.

Splash! Finally in the water

Getting ready to travel across the yard

After all of the work and whining over the past year and a half, by comparison the decision to put Layla back in the water came together very quickly. With the bottom painted and a slip located, Layla was going to get wet!

An amazing sight to see her "driving" through the lot

Tracy was not here for the event. But our good friends Fred, and later Ernie and Oliver, provided expert guidance to get back in the water.

Ah, water at last.

We then headed back towards Taylor's Creek to Layla's new home in Beaufort.

Fred and Ernie

Layla in Beaufort inlet

Oliver inspects Layla from the dinghy

More inspection by Oliver

In Taylor's Creek

The plan is to continue with some shakedown cruises and complete more of the projects on the "to do" list. We are now in the next phase.

And now for the paint

Yes, that is black paint in his hair

Water break about every 15 minutes

Tedious task but excellent results

Paint on the face and about everywhere

Tracy was not as messy

Nice smooth bottom

With this all important task done, you know what is next?

Catching up - First with the bottom

Layla's sanded bottom

We have had a lot going on these last couple of weeks and will now be catching up in a flurry of posts here. 

It was HOT, HOT, HOT. So let's do something that is really fun to do in the heat and humidity - let's sand the bottom in preparation for painting the bottom with "anti-fouling" paint.

Actually it was not that bad of a job. With an electric sander, I completed the job by myself in about 4 hours. The bottom was in pretty good shape. Of course I don't have any pictures of how I looked after all the work. And yes, I used the proper equipment including a vacuum attached to the sander to collect the dust and a nice warm mask on my face to collect more dust.  

But the boat is all ready for Tracy to arrive for her "holiday" to assist in the painting.