The LIST

SHIP'S LOG:

     The "Projects List" is only 10 pages long! Truth be told it is shorter than i expected though the longer I let it sit while waiting until the weather makes work possible, the longer it gets. I can be doing a whole lot of things not associated with boating or boat maintenance and suddenly, out of the blue, an idea for another project - a vitally important one - pops into my head and it goes on the list. This can be the frustrating part of boating in New England, even southern New England, the fact that there are so many things to be done which can't be done due to the weather.

     I have been looking at pictures of CN 39s online and some of them really have been restored to fantastic shape, at least in the interior. Some of the pictures make it hard to believe that I am looking at the same boat as ABISHAG.  Of course, with lots of money, one can do anything, ( Come on Publisher's Clearing House!) still there are a lot of things that can be done with the stuff already in my possession.  and again, it really is the setting of priorities. ABISHAG could go into the water right now and be just fine, but as old friend, Ed Davis was want to say, "Preventive maintenance!"  i would really like to tackle the wiring in ABISHAG. Most of the remaining wiring, that left over and in place from the great "ripping out" of last year, is as old as the boat and in in need of replacement, or at least maintenance. Neither of the florescent light fixtures in the main salon function. I don't know whether it is the bulbs that are gone or whether the wiring is so corroded that it is broken or producing too much resistance for it to function. I spent a rain day last spring tagging the wires that I could easily get too, but there are still "miles" that are un-tagged and unidentified. Electricity is still all voodoo to me but this work must be done.  The electric anchor light and white steaming light on the main mast do not function, though again whether it is bulbs or wiring I can't say. The white steaming light and cockpit light on the mizzen are also inoperative and remain so for the same reasons. Of the engine gauges, the tach, the engine hour meter and oil pressure work but none of the other four. Last spring I disassembled the engine panel and removed and cleaning and corrosion blocked all of the them, but they continue not to work. It could be the gauges, it could be the sender, I simply don't know. But as with the nav lights it must be a priority.

     Another priority is cleaning the engine room/compartment. There is 35 years worth of soot and oil residue and diesel film all over the place and it needs to be made to disappear. I cleaned the engine bed last year, something that really needed to be done. I am still trying to figure out where all of the dirt and oil scum comes from. How does "dirt" get on a boat that in on the water all the time? I have tried cleaning the bilge several times and it seems as though I am just going through layers and this time I want to get all the "gunk" out. When you don't, you get what Fred likes to refer to as "bilge breath," a rather unpleasant fragrance where permeates the atmosphere of the boat and even gets into any clothing stored on the boat, as well as the fabric on the cushions. So it is that cleaning the various surfaces just does work. It is a matter of dealing with the disease and not just the symptoms. Fred claims to have the solution and it involves a 2,500psi sprayer. Should be a rather interesting project!

     And all that is just a small part of the List. Eventually, I will have to prioritize the List for that will determine the funds to be spent and when you don't have any funds, this is a major concern.