It Is Getting A Little Naked In There!

SHIP'S LOG:

     The interior of ABISHAG is getting naked. Now, all of the cushions are gone to their winter residence, though not without a little struggle.  While most were easily removed from the inside, the two cushions from the berth in the aft cabin were a real pain to get out.  They were "just a bit" larger that the cockpit hatch way and, being made of closed - cell foam, didn't bend much. As a result, I had to used docklines to "cinch" then and constrict their size so that thy would fit through the opening. It took a lot of cinching and a fair amount of cussing to complete the job, but once done, they dropped easily over the side. Along with the the other interior cushions and all of the cockpit cushions, ABISHAG is a lot less "Soft" than she was. All that remains inside are a dozen or so bags that contain the items stored in the various lockers and drawers. They will get transported sometime this week and then all that will remain aboard are the backup anchor, the wing and rudder from the wind vane steering system, the storm sail and spinnaker (which will also be going), the lubricants and oils for the engine, and a bottle of bleach, one of white vinegar and one of distilled water. These last three will also make the trip north to storage and then the stripping will be complete.

     I took down the ceiling panels in the aft cabin and the aft head. For the life of me, I still can't figure out where the leak or leaks back there are. They are not obvious so it will require the "Sherlock Holmes" approach to discovery - " When you eliminate all possible causes, the one that remains, however improbable, is the answer." I also removed the ceiling panels from the lockers in the galley and those from the lockers in the salon. Those provided access tot eh machine screws that hold a couple of the deck stanchions in place. It is clear that the stanchions at the starboard side gate are loose and need re-bedding. That they are also leaking is clear beyond doubt. I will make an effort to pop&re-bed all of them, and hopefully will be able to do the same for all the deck hardware, even those that are not leaking. They have all been in place for 35 years now and that is long passed any reasonable expectations for the caulking that was used in putting them in place originally. In one sense, it will be a relatively easy fix. The truly hard part is to figure out how to hold the nut in place while screwing bolt down. One is inside and one is outside and no one has arms long enough to hold and screw at the same time! But I'll come up with something or someone when the time comes.

     I am amazed at the amount of "stuff" that got "stuffed" into ABISHAG. For some reason, maybe carefully storage, it didn't seem like all that much, but then again, I only used a small portion of these items at any one time. The things that I used a lot where always at the top of the locker or in the front of the shelf or drawer, and I just didn't pay all that much attention to things that were not being regularly used. I've got a DYMO Label  Maker which I used during a two day attempt to identify and mark all the wires and hoses leading every which way throughout the boat. But basically, it has sat unused in a locker for about five years. I've got a couple of spare PFDs and tethers, and occasionally when I am making a passage with "crew," they come in handy, but for the most part I sail alone and they remain carefully store and ready but unused. There is lots of stuff like that, not to mention spares and the items needed for projects planned but undone. All these items were necessary at one time, if only to provide a sense of security away from home, but now will be the time to culled them and store them. the problem is that like most sailors, I hate to get caught "short" in a moment of need. If you gathered 5 - to -10 sailboats together, you could easily build and outfit another from all the spares and maintenance items aboard. AH, the fun of boat ownership!