Lining Up Your Dates - Early Bird Gets the Worm!

When I was growing up, I was fortunate to live next door to my grandparents. My grandmother was always saying "early bird get the worm." Recently, while setting up the different appointments to have our boat hauled out and shipped I was reminded of this saying.

Around the beginning of February, the decision was made to move our Gemini 3200 to the Atlanta coast in April, instead of September. This gave us two months to complete the boat moving task list. After selecting a destination marina and boat transporter, we turned our attention to setting up all of the appointments for hauling out/power washing/blocking, step the mast, transporter pick up, and receiving boat at destination marina. Bill expressed his desire that the appointment be made as soon as possible. So one afternoon, I went about the task of coordinating with the two marinas and the transporter and making all the necessary appointments. Since I was making the appointment almost 2 months out, I had no problem getting our first choice of dates and times. All the appointments were made and everyone, except the transporter had been notified. Everything was going great until I talked to the transporter and give him the pick up date. He didn't take issue with the date, as much as the day of the week. See, I had scheduled pick up and deliver for a Friday. The transporter's concern was what if something happen and he is not able to deliver the boat to the Sail Harbor Marina before the boat yards last appointment time/closed. Most boat yards are only open Monday through Friday. If he didn't make delivery by the last appointment on Friday, no one would be around to unload the boat until the following Monday morning. Not good.

It was a good thing that I was making the appointments almost 2 months in advance. All I had to do was call the marina and change the pickup appointment to Thursday morning. No problem, it took just a minute. The lady, at the marina, that was helping me stated it was a good thing that I made the change as quickly as I did, because if I had waited a couple of weeks the change might not have happen so smoothly.

So, early bird gets the worm!