SHIP'S LOG:
All things being equal, had I not pulled a Fernande Magellan( discovering new land), I would have spent the last couple of days either in the Delaware or Chesapeake Bays in some truly awful weather. Looks like God did know better than I as to the future and saw to it that I spent the time safe and sound and dry and warm and on land! A very good move on God's part, at least from my present perspective.
I was not planning to do any planning for the boat but after having closed her up, I began to reflect on what needed to be done to get her back in the water in the Spring. Not surprisingly, there really is very little.
1.) Find out why the mainsail jams and/or doesn't furl properly and fix. If I can't get it squared away, I might just remove the whole system. Luckily, the Facnor Furling System didn't require any disruption of the former Mainsail system. It would require re-adapting the mainsail, adding a Lazy Jack system and a Jiffy reefing system, but it would by simpler and less prone to complications. Best of all, it could be done for under one(1) Marine Unit.
2.) Remove the Lectrosan system from the forward head. I don't envision going any place in the near future where I can use it and discharge the result. Just about all of the East Coast from Maine to the Keys is one large no discharge zone. It eat amps and is one more electrical problem waiting to break and be in need of fixing.
3.) Move the holding tank from the aft head to the the forward head. Right now, it is located at the foot of the starboard aft bunk. It is an unsatisfactory solution to the problem of needing to have a holding tank. Unfortunately, there is no locker storage space available in the aft spaces of the boat to accommodate it. I didn't put it forward due to the presence of the Lectrosansystem. With that becoming problematic and due to be removed come the Spring, moving it forward now becomes the best and most sensible solution. The best part, is that I basically have all that I need to do it already present in the old system. I will add a pump so that I can discharge overboard when necessary, when beyond the three(3) mile limit, and still be able to have it pumped out. I will return the aft head to a direct discharge, usualbe only when appropriate. Again, the cost will be less than one (1) Marine Unit.
4.) Correct the last of the electrical problems - make sure all the lights, bells and whistles work. I may never get all the ghosts out of the system, it is English after all(if you have ever owner an MG or Triumph, you understand), but I will chase at least a few more out.
5.) Fix or replace the anntenna cable and/or Anntena for the GPS. Way less than 5% of a Marine Unit.
Other than that, while there are a never ending list of things that can be done, there are no other "haves to be done" - at least at this time. But is isn't even Officially Winter yet, let alone Spring. Who knows what else "will NEED to be done" come Spring?
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
ABISHAG is all closed up and snuggled down for the winter. I was able to take the pictures above of the damage. Top is the stern of the keel, the center is the gouge along the side of the keel, the bottom is the front of the keel. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
I'm Still Watching The Weather
SHIP'S LOG:
I am going to have to go down to ABISHAG today. Have to in that the weather in the next couple of days is going to be rather "wintry" and there are still a couple of things to do. The gas containers, along with the outboard and the generator really need to be removed from the boat. If the Genoa and Mizzen are still bent-on, they have to be removed and stored. The dinghy has to0 be removed and deflated and stored. The wind vane needs to be removed and I have to find my IPOD! O what fun ! ! ! ! ! ! ! If I can figure out just how they go, I might even put on the side-curtins that are suppose to be fixed to the bimini (the sun cover that goes over the cockpit) in some way . . .to keep the snow out of the cockpit over the winter.
I also want to take a few pictures of the damage. I doubt that they have begun work on the keel as I haven't heard that the Insurance company has gotten an estimate or approved the work as of yet. Then again, Bruce and Johnson began the work before they got the OK from the Insurance company figuring, quite rightly, that the work was going to be done n matter who was going to pay for it. I suspect that the same approach might be taken by the crew at Captain's Cove Seaport and that will also be right.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am not really excited to go down to the boat and finish off the unloading. It's not the work so much as it is going down and feeling stupid about being on the hard instead of being at this moment approaching the ICW. True the weather is nasty and going to get more so, but for a navigation error, I would, in all likelihood, be well on the way down the Chesapeake, heading for the sun. I am going to miss the Sun ! ! ! ! !
I am going to have to go down to ABISHAG today. Have to in that the weather in the next couple of days is going to be rather "wintry" and there are still a couple of things to do. The gas containers, along with the outboard and the generator really need to be removed from the boat. If the Genoa and Mizzen are still bent-on, they have to be removed and stored. The dinghy has to0 be removed and deflated and stored. The wind vane needs to be removed and I have to find my IPOD! O what fun ! ! ! ! ! ! ! If I can figure out just how they go, I might even put on the side-curtins that are suppose to be fixed to the bimini (the sun cover that goes over the cockpit) in some way . . .to keep the snow out of the cockpit over the winter.
I also want to take a few pictures of the damage. I doubt that they have begun work on the keel as I haven't heard that the Insurance company has gotten an estimate or approved the work as of yet. Then again, Bruce and Johnson began the work before they got the OK from the Insurance company figuring, quite rightly, that the work was going to be done n matter who was going to pay for it. I suspect that the same approach might be taken by the crew at Captain's Cove Seaport and that will also be right.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am not really excited to go down to the boat and finish off the unloading. It's not the work so much as it is going down and feeling stupid about being on the hard instead of being at this moment approaching the ICW. True the weather is nasty and going to get more so, but for a navigation error, I would, in all likelihood, be well on the way down the Chesapeake, heading for the sun. I am going to miss the Sun ! ! ! ! !
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow ! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Well that settles that! I woke up this morning to a covering of snow on the ground. Boy, this was the last thing I wanted to see. I had hope, in my naivete, that by this time I would be sucking down the OJ and slathering on the sun screen. I guess that I missed that goal by just a little. Instead of being in Fort Lauderdale, a toasty brown, in shorts and tee-shirt, swimming in the morning, sailing in the afternoon, trying to decided between the Keys and the Bahamas, I am up in Connecticut, freezing, on the hard again, with no prospects of getting South before next Fall if ever. Yup, definitely missed that one by just a smidge!
Someone inquired about what exactly a Marine Unit was. Well, way back in this blog I shared the concept a friend of mine has that one would never spend the money necessary on a boat if you talked in real dollars. He developed and I adopted the concept of the Marine Unit. One marine Unit equals $500. It is a lot easier on one's psyche to spend only "2 Marine Units" on a repair or a piece of equipment than to spend $1,000! True, it is a silly ploy but it has probably saved many a boat owner from taking up golf. And so the haul out, storage and launching is costing 5 Marine Units. The Deductible is a little more that 3 Marine Units. The salvage operation a week ago Saturday was 11 Marine Units. And so on and so forth. Now you know why some boat owners take up piracy!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Today was the first day that I really, REALLY felt like I want to climb back into that saddle once again. Perhaps it was the snow, but whatever it happened to be, i am inspired to begin again. It's not like I am starting from scratch, there are only a few things that need doing, but it is the desire to do them. If not for the cold and snow and the approximate 80 mile one way trip, I would be there today . . . that an the fact that it is 144 days before she will be launched. No need in getting hr all dressed up as she's got no place to go . . . . right now!
Well that settles that! I woke up this morning to a covering of snow on the ground. Boy, this was the last thing I wanted to see. I had hope, in my naivete, that by this time I would be sucking down the OJ and slathering on the sun screen. I guess that I missed that goal by just a little. Instead of being in Fort Lauderdale, a toasty brown, in shorts and tee-shirt, swimming in the morning, sailing in the afternoon, trying to decided between the Keys and the Bahamas, I am up in Connecticut, freezing, on the hard again, with no prospects of getting South before next Fall if ever. Yup, definitely missed that one by just a smidge!
Someone inquired about what exactly a Marine Unit was. Well, way back in this blog I shared the concept a friend of mine has that one would never spend the money necessary on a boat if you talked in real dollars. He developed and I adopted the concept of the Marine Unit. One marine Unit equals $500. It is a lot easier on one's psyche to spend only "2 Marine Units" on a repair or a piece of equipment than to spend $1,000! True, it is a silly ploy but it has probably saved many a boat owner from taking up golf. And so the haul out, storage and launching is costing 5 Marine Units. The Deductible is a little more that 3 Marine Units. The salvage operation a week ago Saturday was 11 Marine Units. And so on and so forth. Now you know why some boat owners take up piracy!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Today was the first day that I really, REALLY felt like I want to climb back into that saddle once again. Perhaps it was the snow, but whatever it happened to be, i am inspired to begin again. It's not like I am starting from scratch, there are only a few things that need doing, but it is the desire to do them. If not for the cold and snow and the approximate 80 mile one way trip, I would be there today . . . that an the fact that it is 144 days before she will be launched. No need in getting hr all dressed up as she's got no place to go . . . . right now!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
145 Days And Counting! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
It is 145 days until the first of May. the reason that this is significant is that ABISHAG has to go into the water by then. I am not quite clear on what will happen if she would not be ready but it would not be a good thing. It never is.
I did NOT receive a phone call from the yard Boss on Friday so I must presume that the winterization went off without a hitch. I am planning to go down early next week to retrieve the outboard, gas cans and anything else from the boat I overlooked in the unloading on Thursday. I can't think of much or anything really that I left behind, but it always pays to take a good look around. You never know what you will find . . . . maybe several Marine Units that I had forgotten about. I doubt it but, you never know. Maybe the Tooth Fairy has a cousin who works that boating industry or something. The complete winterization will run another probable 2 Marine Units, so here's hoping.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
They have used the "S" word on the weather forecasts several times this week, so perhaps pulling an Edward Smith, he of TITANIC fame, will turn out to be a good thing. After the first of the year, I can get into the serious planning stage for the Spring outfitting. There in little or nothing ABISHAG needs, but there are two or three things I want to change and perhaps continue on with trying to solve the mystery of her electrical system.. It is just a week now and while I am still quite down about the whole thing, I can already feel myself getting reved-up to get started again.It is just too bad that I have to go through the Winter to get to the Spring from the Fall. But who knows, perhaps, with sufficient study, I will be able to begin to make a start on understanding electricity. It is still magic to me!
It is 145 days until the first of May. the reason that this is significant is that ABISHAG has to go into the water by then. I am not quite clear on what will happen if she would not be ready but it would not be a good thing. It never is.
I did NOT receive a phone call from the yard Boss on Friday so I must presume that the winterization went off without a hitch. I am planning to go down early next week to retrieve the outboard, gas cans and anything else from the boat I overlooked in the unloading on Thursday. I can't think of much or anything really that I left behind, but it always pays to take a good look around. You never know what you will find . . . . maybe several Marine Units that I had forgotten about. I doubt it but, you never know. Maybe the Tooth Fairy has a cousin who works that boating industry or something. The complete winterization will run another probable 2 Marine Units, so here's hoping.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
They have used the "S" word on the weather forecasts several times this week, so perhaps pulling an Edward Smith, he of TITANIC fame, will turn out to be a good thing. After the first of the year, I can get into the serious planning stage for the Spring outfitting. There in little or nothing ABISHAG needs, but there are two or three things I want to change and perhaps continue on with trying to solve the mystery of her electrical system.. It is just a week now and while I am still quite down about the whole thing, I can already feel myself getting reved-up to get started again.It is just too bad that I have to go through the Winter to get to the Spring from the Fall. But who knows, perhaps, with sufficient study, I will be able to begin to make a start on understanding electricity. It is still magic to me!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I Formally Declare It To Be Winter! BRRRRRRRR!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
My friend Russ and I went down to Captain's Cove Seaport and emptied ABISHAG, 90-95%. It took about 2 1/2 hours and I am glad we did it while the boat was still in the water at the dock. Four milk crates of books, two large duffles of clothes, a couple of baskets of tools, and assorted bags of food and other stores. The good part of this will be that I have a second shot at doing a culling of this stuff before it goes back into the boat come the Spring. It all got hauled and stuffed back into the garage. It was a long day.
I helped move ABISHAG to the travel lift and she got hauled out and we got a look at the bottom. The good news: the rudder is fine, the prop is perfect . . . it is still shiny. Bad news: at both the front corner and back corner of the keel the fiberglass was busted open. There was also a 2 foot gash in the fiberglass along the port side of the keel and some significant scuffing along the very bottom of the keel. It looks like several Marine Units of fiberglass work but nothing really serious. It could have been worse. It could have been better. As it is, it is what it is and I'll let the Insurance Company and the Captain's Cove Seaport Boat Shop work everything out. They have several month (sigh) until ABISHAG hits the water on May 1st ad I am sure that everything will turn out just fine.
I talked with the Yard Boss and they will winterize the boat tomorrow. That will be 4 Marine Units and counting. It is going to be an expensive winter and I'll be spending money I don't have in a place I didn't necessarily want to be. (Sigh)
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Winter has come. When the keel of my boat leaves the water, it is Winter. It really didn't bother me as much to see the damage this time as it did the last time. I guess that I had come the the conclusion a lot early that the trip was over for this year and so it didn't hurts as much. I get to spend the next fee months planning again and trying to locate a source for more Marine Units. Sometime I am going to have to come up with another deductible (3 Marine Units) which will be do when the work is done. Maybe it is Powerball Ticket Time.
My friend Russ and I went down to Captain's Cove Seaport and emptied ABISHAG, 90-95%. It took about 2 1/2 hours and I am glad we did it while the boat was still in the water at the dock. Four milk crates of books, two large duffles of clothes, a couple of baskets of tools, and assorted bags of food and other stores. The good part of this will be that I have a second shot at doing a culling of this stuff before it goes back into the boat come the Spring. It all got hauled and stuffed back into the garage. It was a long day.
I helped move ABISHAG to the travel lift and she got hauled out and we got a look at the bottom. The good news: the rudder is fine, the prop is perfect . . . it is still shiny. Bad news: at both the front corner and back corner of the keel the fiberglass was busted open. There was also a 2 foot gash in the fiberglass along the port side of the keel and some significant scuffing along the very bottom of the keel. It looks like several Marine Units of fiberglass work but nothing really serious. It could have been worse. It could have been better. As it is, it is what it is and I'll let the Insurance Company and the Captain's Cove Seaport Boat Shop work everything out. They have several month (sigh) until ABISHAG hits the water on May 1st ad I am sure that everything will turn out just fine.
I talked with the Yard Boss and they will winterize the boat tomorrow. That will be 4 Marine Units and counting. It is going to be an expensive winter and I'll be spending money I don't have in a place I didn't necessarily want to be. (Sigh)
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Winter has come. When the keel of my boat leaves the water, it is Winter. It really didn't bother me as much to see the damage this time as it did the last time. I guess that I had come the the conclusion a lot early that the trip was over for this year and so it didn't hurts as much. I get to spend the next fee months planning again and trying to locate a source for more Marine Units. Sometime I am going to have to come up with another deductible (3 Marine Units) which will be do when the work is done. Maybe it is Powerball Ticket Time.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
And So It Goes! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I was sent a fax from the BOATSHOP at Captain's Cove Seaport where rests ABISHAG. It was a "Winter Service Contract," listing all the things that could be done to "winterize" the boat before storage. I hadn't had the contract in my hand an hour when I got a phone call from one of the owners of Captain's Cove Seaport. He did some fancy dancing around a couple of concerns he had about winterizing ABISHAG.
First of all was the engine. As you might remember from "The Engine Saga" of this past winter, a metal fixture on the engine crack and led to the engine overheating problem. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the Mystic Shipyard Staff could not find a replacement part. In a choice between manufacturing a custom part, they chose to epoxy the old piece with a special epoxy designed to hand the heat and pressure. It has worked fine since they did it but the Yard Boss at Captain's Cove is "uncomfortable" winterizing the engine with such a repair in place. He was not very complementary toward the Mystic Shipyard's crew and he wants me to winterize the engine. I am not sure that I can handle it and will try to work something out with the Seaport yard staff. I'll see if they are willing and able to custom manufacture the part.
Secondly was the head system. The Yard Boss doesn't like the plumbing for the holding tank in the aft head. He doesn't like the location of the holding tank in the aft Cabin. They don't want to winterize the head system plumbing. I will be able to do that. I am already planning to remove the holding tank from the aft head and use it in the front head, replacing the LECTROSAN Unit, as there are fewer and fewer places where you can discharge it. I'll return the aft head to its former glory as a direct discharge unit.
Three was the fresh water system. He doesn't like the way the hoses run and where the fresh water pump is located. He thinks the hot water system is terrible and he doesn't want to winterize it less it should break down and leak over the winter, possibly making them liable for damage.
Fourthly, the Yard Boss was also concerned about the fact that the interior of ABISHAG was "obviously kept in a very personal manner." In other words, he was concerned with all the personal items that were on the boat and the "chaotic" state of the interior. I tried to explain to him that ABISHAG was a live aboard boat. I also tried to explain that when the boat laid over during the grounding, everything on the port side took it upon itself to transfer to the starboard side and I really hadn't had the time to get it all back in place. Try picturing the scene in the movie "TITANIC" where, as the ship is sinking, everything is falling off shelves and slidding all over the place and you will get a sense. I let Yard Boss know that I would be removing all the personal stuff from the boat and that seemed to cause him to breathe easier.
Suffice it to say, ABISHAG will be winterize and stored and snuggled down for the winter, probably by next Monday. And then the winter truly begins.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
What a drag. The phone call from the owner with the stuff about winterizing was something like pouring salt in an open wound. Thank goodness for all that I have been through because I am fairly sure that had I not had the expereince, I really would have done something stupid, like put ABISHAG up for sale. All of these problems can be worked out and will be, but I want them to go away as quick as possible. I just want someone to make them all go away, but I realize that I am the only one who can do it. So I will. It will be another "root-canal-done-through-the-ear" sort of exercise, but it will get done. the I will have several months to plan and dream and try to figure things out. It was what I wanted to do on the boat but now I will simply be doing it off the boat.
I was sent a fax from the BOATSHOP at Captain's Cove Seaport where rests ABISHAG. It was a "Winter Service Contract," listing all the things that could be done to "winterize" the boat before storage. I hadn't had the contract in my hand an hour when I got a phone call from one of the owners of Captain's Cove Seaport. He did some fancy dancing around a couple of concerns he had about winterizing ABISHAG.
First of all was the engine. As you might remember from "The Engine Saga" of this past winter, a metal fixture on the engine crack and led to the engine overheating problem. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the Mystic Shipyard Staff could not find a replacement part. In a choice between manufacturing a custom part, they chose to epoxy the old piece with a special epoxy designed to hand the heat and pressure. It has worked fine since they did it but the Yard Boss at Captain's Cove is "uncomfortable" winterizing the engine with such a repair in place. He was not very complementary toward the Mystic Shipyard's crew and he wants me to winterize the engine. I am not sure that I can handle it and will try to work something out with the Seaport yard staff. I'll see if they are willing and able to custom manufacture the part.
Secondly was the head system. The Yard Boss doesn't like the plumbing for the holding tank in the aft head. He doesn't like the location of the holding tank in the aft Cabin. They don't want to winterize the head system plumbing. I will be able to do that. I am already planning to remove the holding tank from the aft head and use it in the front head, replacing the LECTROSAN Unit, as there are fewer and fewer places where you can discharge it. I'll return the aft head to its former glory as a direct discharge unit.
Three was the fresh water system. He doesn't like the way the hoses run and where the fresh water pump is located. He thinks the hot water system is terrible and he doesn't want to winterize it less it should break down and leak over the winter, possibly making them liable for damage.
Fourthly, the Yard Boss was also concerned about the fact that the interior of ABISHAG was "obviously kept in a very personal manner." In other words, he was concerned with all the personal items that were on the boat and the "chaotic" state of the interior. I tried to explain to him that ABISHAG was a live aboard boat. I also tried to explain that when the boat laid over during the grounding, everything on the port side took it upon itself to transfer to the starboard side and I really hadn't had the time to get it all back in place. Try picturing the scene in the movie "TITANIC" where, as the ship is sinking, everything is falling off shelves and slidding all over the place and you will get a sense. I let Yard Boss know that I would be removing all the personal stuff from the boat and that seemed to cause him to breathe easier.
Suffice it to say, ABISHAG will be winterize and stored and snuggled down for the winter, probably by next Monday. And then the winter truly begins.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
What a drag. The phone call from the owner with the stuff about winterizing was something like pouring salt in an open wound. Thank goodness for all that I have been through because I am fairly sure that had I not had the expereince, I really would have done something stupid, like put ABISHAG up for sale. All of these problems can be worked out and will be, but I want them to go away as quick as possible. I just want someone to make them all go away, but I realize that I am the only one who can do it. So I will. It will be another "root-canal-done-through-the-ear" sort of exercise, but it will get done. the I will have several months to plan and dream and try to figure things out. It was what I wanted to do on the boat but now I will simply be doing it off the boat.
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