ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER JOB DONE!

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, we did get all the rain necessary to trace the hatch leaks but I wasn't down at the boat in the rain. Since such is the case, I have to deal with the leaks going from the simplest fix first and then on to the harder ones. I spent the day installing weather stripping on the four deck hatches. It went simply and without a hitch. . . . . .which is a first for just about every job on ABISHAG. Now, I will have to test the fix out to see if it actually solved the problem. If not, it means that I have to move up to the next, more extensive (and expensive) fix. I am hopeful that this is just another case of a lack of maintenance by the previous owner, examples of which are a legion.

The main cockpit hatch was rebuilt some time in the past and fitted with amber Plexiglas. It adds a view and light into the salon, but it was not fitted tightly. It would allow water (rain) to pool on the hatch and drip into the overhead. I took some of the gasket material I got from Skip and fashioned a seal on the hatch. It seems to function well and I hope it solves the problem. I will test it today along with the hatches. I am also helpful that these fixes will finally seal the boat and keep the water on the outside where it belongs.

In the coaming at the first of the cockpit, there are two holes cut into the it. They are obviously a part of the design of the boat but I have now idea what they are for!I can't seem to trace where they go or what purpose them serve. I don't want to seal them as they might have an important and necessary function, but what it might be I have no clue. I am going to have to go to the owners website and see if any other owners of the 39 has figured them out.

I also created a sign for the auto pilot. This marvelous piece of nautical equipment is really something. A previous owner installed a newer AUTOHELM auto pilot because it was easier to use and ate less power. Evidently, both ere turned on at the same time and worked against each other and the old auto pilot ate the new one's lunch. It literally destroyed it, overloading the controls and breaking the fixtures that were attached to the wheel. The old guy is one powerful piece of equipment. Strangely, it has paper labels on the control panel and, after 30 years, they have seen better days. I used one of the left over plastic strips from the thru-hull project and attached it with SUPER GLUE. Not very nautical but it works!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

The West Mystic Shipyard is evidently an upscale facility. It doesn't seem as though many of the owners do much of the real work of getting their craft ready for the season. There is something comforting doing as much of the work as I can as it helps me know that the work got done and how it got done. It means that I know ABISHAG better, where and how things are. This creates a much more comfortable feeling about the boat, increasing my confidence in the boat and feeling sure about what she can take. This is not to say that the owners don't work on their boats, but it really seems as though it is more of a matter making sure that the brass is polished and the teak shines and that the larder is well stocked. I have not seen more than a half-dozen or so owners. I am beginning to wonder how much any of these boats get used. They seem more like condo's on the water.

I am hoping that I will be out of here before the end of the month. The season is coming quickly but not quickly enough.