This year has been very special for the Mimi Jane crew; it was the end of a long boat building adventure and the start of a new exciting adventure on the water. There is so much that could be said about the past year but I will limit it to saying thankyou to everyone who was there, close and far; thanks for following us, thanks for cheering us, thanks for crossing our path and thanks for sharing time with us. It all matters, as much in the moment of joy as when we face challenges. 2022, you were challenging but amazing. 2023, here we come!! We can’t wait to see what you will bring. Cette annee a ete tres speciale pour l’equipage de Mimi Jane; c’etait la fin d’une longue aventure avec la construction du bateau et le debut d’une nouvelle aventure sur l’eau. Il y a tellement de chose que je pourrais dire sur la derniere annee mais je vais me limiter a dire merci a tous ceux qui ont ete la, de loins ou plus pres; merci de nous suivre, merci pour vos encouragements, merci de croiser notre chemin et merci pour les moment partages avce nous. Toutes ces interactions comptent, autant dans les moments de joie que quand nous faisont face aux obstacles. 2022, tu nous as gate en defis mais tu as ete extraordinaire. 2023, on arrive!! Et on est impatients de decouvrir ce que tu nous apporteras.
The original plan was to load Mimi Jane with a crane. Du to a crane operators strike we were thankful for Fralex self loading option. A 14 hour day in 6 minutes. In preparation for the loading we had Mimi Jane sitting 18 inch up and keel parallel to the ground. Her stands were set wide enough to accommodate the width of the trailer but with very little extra to maneuver. Also complicating the operation was the limited space behind the boat to position the rear axle assembly and the uneven ground; making the precise alignment a real challenge. These guys were amazing. The conditions were not easy but they loaded Mimi Jane and had her comfortably secured for her 150km trip to the water. Loaded at 14’6″ Width 15’3″ Length 51’5″ (If you are not interested by the technical feat, you should still check out the end of the video. We were gifted with fantastic light changes and a good luck rainbow for the upcoming voyage) Steps: The trailer is dropped off to be disassembled The trailer is dissembled The rear axle is positioned behind the boat The beams are extended and slid in place along the boat, between the keel and the stands. The beams are still slightly wider apart to leave space to slide in the cross members. Some cross members are brought over between the beams before placing the second beam At this point there is a lot of alignment and leveling, made a challenge by the sloped and uneven ground. Weight of the boat gets transferred several times from the ground supports to the trailer to move supports around and make space for the cross beams. When the beams are aligned with each other and keel supports are out of the way more crossbeams are added. The whole assembly gets centered and lined up under the boat. Precision work with heavy loads over bumpy ground. Finally, stand are placed on the trailer and the boat weight is fully transferred to the trailer. The trailer lifts the boat. The boat is strapped and secured to the trailer. Thanks to Terry, John, Jeff, Nat, Serge for helping out. Thanks Jane and Brian for keeping every one fed through this long day. Greatest thanks to Raymond and Francois Turbid of Fralex Express, we couldnt have asked for better people to trust with Mimi Jane. M
Naming a boat, more so a boat we built over many years of dedication, is not trivial, this name will be her identity. We need to feel attached to her name and we want her name to be unforgettable.
