After hours of adjustments to line up the ship correctly, the mega-yacht facility lifted the 185-ton Pride of Baltimore II out of the water Tuesday so it could recaulked, checked over by the Coast Guard and repainted.

With a mast that reached 107 feet into the sky and a draft of more than 12 feet, the Pride stood almost 120 feet tall. So positioning keel and side blocks in just the right formation was literally a delicate balancing act and an unusual job for a Virginia company.

"From a purely practical standpoint, we'd rather do our work in Maryland; after all, she's Maryland-owned," said Jan Miles, longtime captain of the Pride, who watched as workers got the boat ready to lift.

But the Baltimore shipyard that has done the job for at least a decade suddenly got busy with other clients and couldn't handle it, Miles said. This set off a scramble that began with calls to a one-time colleague in Norfolk and ended with a 187-mile, overnight sail down the bay.

Glover put him in contact with several local yards, and Ocean Marine came up with the winning bid, Miles said -- somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000, depending on length of time out of the water and work to be done. The Pride is wooden, with square topsails and a massive bowsprit that takes the length out to 157 feet. So it was not the usual boat yard project.

"It's exciting, and the challenge is what you look for," said Daryl Smith, the company's operation chief and dock master, as he gave orders to position the boat.

As the vessel entered the slip, workers hauled on lines to get it in the precise center. A diver dove down to see how it rested on the blocks. Several minor adjustments were made. Large wedges were inserted to distribute the weight evenly.

At last, the 1,250-ton lift hummed, and Maryland's tall ship was safely out of the water.

Now that the Pride is 15 years old, the Coast Guard inspects things like hull fastenings and keel bolts. And constant attention is paid to raising funds to keep it sailing.

It serves as a reminder of the work that has to be done to keep ocean-going wooden ships operating.