IT IS STARTING TO COME TOGETHER!

SHIP'S LOG

I have given up on the hull zinc. I surrender. I quite. I have tried drilling the four holes necessary to affix it to the hull and have only been partially successful. Getting the two next larger bits proved unsuccessful. I can not get the drill bit through the zinc. It keeps binding up if it gets the slightest out of line. I am going to have to find someone with a drill press if I am going to get this zinc drilled right and I am going to get it drilled right.

Ground out the holes in the transom and filled them in with Marinetex. This did two things. First it filled the holes. Secondly, it made it absolutely necessary to repaint the transom. It was going to be painted sometime as it declares that the boat is "BLITHE SPIRIT" from "Alexandria, VA" and as we ll know, such is no longer the case. The Marinetex will take a good day to cure completely and then the repairs, long with the name and hailing port with be sanded, primed and painted. I figure it should rain pretty much every day next week.

I was also unable to save the threads on the boarding ladder. In drilling them out, I scored them more than once. Actually, that wasn't too bad, but what queered the deal was the fact that the boat is English built, as are all of the original pieces of hardware. And while we share a great deal with our English brothers and sisters, there are many things that we do not, on of them being bolt sizing. The bolts on the boarding ladder were not metric, were not SAE, but were English Imperial. I had no die that could re-cut the threads an so the boarding ladder sits forlornly on the aft deck will I came up with another plan to reattach it.

And speaking of "English" sized marine hardware, I have discovered that the exterior flanges that I need for the thru-hulls are no longer made and the new version does not fit the old(read the ones I have) thru-hull bodies. So it is that all of the damaged thru-hulls need to be replace in toto.

Going through "THE LIST" I discovered that all but two of the repairs required by the Insurance Company are actually done. The two that remain are the new tach and temp gauge for the engine and fitting the solenoid valve for the propane system. All are acquired and sit patiently, awaiting the completion of the wiring, or the re-wiring. Truth be told, I am still mining copper from the boat and it will be awhile before things start going the other way in the wiring department. The propane solenoid will also have to await solving the propane tank locker riddle, how to make two 16" tall cylinders fit into a locker only 14" deep. The only new locker I could find cost 1.01 Marine Units (A "Marine Unit" is $500. It somehow makes it easier to purchase something for "2 Marine Units" as opposed to $1,000) and getting it into place would require a major operation to the cabinets in the salon. Even then, I am not sure it would fit. For those who blithely suggest fiberglass, which you are probably right, you have never worked with the stuff or else you would not be so blithe in your suggestion. But something will get done and I will have use of the stove and oven, just not right now.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I think I may have discovered why God allowed me to hurt my leg. As it is, about once an hour, it starts to ache and cramp, especially if I have been in one position for too long and I have to stop what I am doing and sit and rest. I usually make my gimpy way up to sit in the cockpit. And sitting there, looking at the water, enjoying the breeze, I realize I am being told to live in the moment. Working on all the stuff that needs doing I often find myself thinking that I am never going to get it all done, or at least enough of it to start the trip. I keep think about the weather window and that it is closing on me. Setting off in late October, let alone in November, is not all that pleasant to think about. I keep thinking, if I don't get this done, I won't get away in time, or maybe I won't get away at all. Then again, so what? If I don't go now, I'll go later, whenever later happens to be. If I keep thinking like that, about finishing all the work and setting off, I will miss the journey that I am already on and what is happening on it.

And what is happening on this journey? Well, to being with I am making a lot of discoveries. I have learned that not matter how well or thoroughly I plan something, I can never plan for every contingency. It is not that something always goes wrong so much as as things will not always go right. Then I have to chose how to deal with whatever has comes up. I have learned that throwing tools or anything else that is handy is never a good choice, unless you want a new porthole somewhere. In truth, the best things is often to walk away. It is really amazing how that simple act will put the whole thing is perspective and how doing so will get you led right to the answer.

I have also discovered that I know a lot of stuff, more than I ever gave myself credit for. I am also making the discovery of learning what I don't know, which is also a lot, but I am learning more. I has also discovered that I will never know it all and that it is a good thing to have friends who do, or at least know something you don't. It can be very humbling to ask someone for help with something and yet humility is a virtue. Humility is the flip side of pride and pride gets you into more trouble than anything else. I think it was T.S. Elliot who said something about half of the worlds problems being caused by people's pride. I am beginning to think he was being overly kind. Trying to get a boat ready to sail can be a humbling experience which for me is a wonderful endeavour.