SHIP'S LOG:
Having the furling system, the biggest problems to overcome is how to attach it. That is not a simple problem either. With ABISHAG on the hard, the top of her mast, where the top end of the forestay is attached, is some 60ft above the ground. The old forestay must be removed and the new forestay, enclosed within the furling system, must be attached. But how to do it?
I could have the mast removed from the boat. It would only cost $18 a foot to take it out and then put it back. $18 a foot times 58 feet: you do the math! It's more money than I have.
The yard does not have a crane that could reach that height which means that there is no way to put someone in a bosun's chair and haul them up to the top of the mast twice, once to remove the old and once to install the new.
The yard does have a man-lift, sort of a platform on an arm that lifts someone up but sadly it is about 8 feet short of the height we need. Dean, the yard manager, tried yesterday to removed old forestay but just was not able to do it.
After much head scratching, Dean of the Yard, Kevin of the Sail Loft and I decided that the best way to do this is launch ABISHAG. Once she is in the water, it should be possible to used the man-lift on the bulkhead that surrounds the launching bay to get the job done. It looks like it will be sometime next week.
Now comes the paranoia. ABISHAG has sat for over a year. Sure she was ready to go last year at this time. And sure the Yard has said that everything will be ready. Now it is a matter of re-installing the batteries and crank the engine and all will be right with the world. But will it be? Will everything work? Will there be an unanticipated problem? Unlike most boat owners, I hate to watch them launch my boat. The most nerve racking day of the sailing season is the day of the launch, followed by the second must never racking day, the trip down river to TYC. ( The third, by the way, is the trip up the river in October to haul the boat.) O well, it is part of the fun of boat ownership.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
A Thing Of Beauty
SHIP'S LOG:
The furling system and the forestay showed up yesterday. It is a thing of beauty and as soon as I can arrange to get them installed, well sailing won't be far behind. Perhaps a week or 10 days And ABISHAG will get splash for her trip to New London. Friend Fred and I will finish up the odds and ends on Thursday and then it is just waiting.
The furling system and the forestay showed up yesterday. It is a thing of beauty and as soon as I can arrange to get them installed, well sailing won't be far behind. Perhaps a week or 10 days And ABISHAG will get splash for her trip to New London. Friend Fred and I will finish up the odds and ends on Thursday and then it is just waiting.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Close, O So Close! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, the Bow Pulpit is In Place!!!!! Friend Fred & I worked on it last weekend and got it straightened out . . . well almost. we were able to get the rail almost back in place simply by using "our weight." By bouncing up and down on the rail and pulling on the rails, we got it almost straightened out. It still has a bit of a curve where it was really bent out of true, but it simply gives ABISHAG character, sort of like a boxer with a broken nose.
It did take a lot of effort to get the legs to fit into their original places and, after a lot of sweating and groaning and effort, we got them to fit in place. Once they were where they belong, once all the holes were drilled in the proper spots, once all the machine screws were in place, once everything fit as it should, we had to dismantle the whole thing. The excess fiberglass repairs were ground down to where they were flat and time ran out. We had to wait until this weekend to finish up. And finish up we did. Dur to all the work done last weekend, it only took a little over 90 minutes to bed it, screw it in place and sit back an marvel at what we had done. All that remains is to await the arrival and installation of the new forestay-furling system to be installed and it is sailing time.
In the meantime, the launch is calling me. I had to do launch duty Friday and Saturday and will be on duty again on Monday Morning! It is wonderful to have money coming in from the sail loft and the launch, but it is ruining my free time to work on ABISHAG. Well, unless there is a serious delay on the forestay-furling system delivery, we should be afloat inside of two weeks!
Well, the Bow Pulpit is In Place!!!!! Friend Fred & I worked on it last weekend and got it straightened out . . . well almost. we were able to get the rail almost back in place simply by using "our weight." By bouncing up and down on the rail and pulling on the rails, we got it almost straightened out. It still has a bit of a curve where it was really bent out of true, but it simply gives ABISHAG character, sort of like a boxer with a broken nose.
It did take a lot of effort to get the legs to fit into their original places and, after a lot of sweating and groaning and effort, we got them to fit in place. Once they were where they belong, once all the holes were drilled in the proper spots, once all the machine screws were in place, once everything fit as it should, we had to dismantle the whole thing. The excess fiberglass repairs were ground down to where they were flat and time ran out. We had to wait until this weekend to finish up. And finish up we did. Dur to all the work done last weekend, it only took a little over 90 minutes to bed it, screw it in place and sit back an marvel at what we had done. All that remains is to await the arrival and installation of the new forestay-furling system to be installed and it is sailing time.
In the meantime, the launch is calling me. I had to do launch duty Friday and Saturday and will be on duty again on Monday Morning! It is wonderful to have money coming in from the sail loft and the launch, but it is ruining my free time to work on ABISHAG. Well, unless there is a serious delay on the forestay-furling system delivery, we should be afloat inside of two weeks!
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Let's Hear It For Bleach!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, ABISHAG is clean on the inside and cleaner than she was on the outside. In that she was really ready to go last June, it was a question of getting rid of the mold and mildew that so often develops when you shut up a boat for 6 months or more. It is not a big job and is really just wiping down the moldy/mildewy surfaces with a bleach solution and it all goes away.
I also did all the interior woodwork with Murphy's Oil Soap, getting rid of all the dust and dirt that comes from somewhere and adheres to just everything. After all that cleaning, it smells wonderful inside. Even after I pumped the bilge, there was no "bilge breath." I guess the two year project to absolutely clean the bilge of all oil and detritus is finally producing results.
The Morning Dove's eggs have hatch though there is only one chick. Hopefully the other(s) took off on their own and the remaining chick will be gone soon. Friend Fred and I will "brute force" the tubing for the bow pulpit this week and put it back in place. Having the birds there will be a problem. The sooner they go the better.
Maneuvering around the boat and deck went very well. Going up and down the ladder is a bit painful but other than that it isn't a problem. I was concerned that the healing hadn't progress enough and that it would be a problem but it seems that it has come far enough.
I get to paint my mooring ball tomorrow. Another step closer to getting in the water. Huzzah!
Well, ABISHAG is clean on the inside and cleaner than she was on the outside. In that she was really ready to go last June, it was a question of getting rid of the mold and mildew that so often develops when you shut up a boat for 6 months or more. It is not a big job and is really just wiping down the moldy/mildewy surfaces with a bleach solution and it all goes away.
I also did all the interior woodwork with Murphy's Oil Soap, getting rid of all the dust and dirt that comes from somewhere and adheres to just everything. After all that cleaning, it smells wonderful inside. Even after I pumped the bilge, there was no "bilge breath." I guess the two year project to absolutely clean the bilge of all oil and detritus is finally producing results.
The Morning Dove's eggs have hatch though there is only one chick. Hopefully the other(s) took off on their own and the remaining chick will be gone soon. Friend Fred and I will "brute force" the tubing for the bow pulpit this week and put it back in place. Having the birds there will be a problem. The sooner they go the better.
Maneuvering around the boat and deck went very well. Going up and down the ladder is a bit painful but other than that it isn't a problem. I was concerned that the healing hadn't progress enough and that it would be a problem but it seems that it has come far enough.
I get to paint my mooring ball tomorrow. Another step closer to getting in the water. Huzzah!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
It IS Getting Closer
SHIP'S LOG:
I haven't been able to get up to see ABISHAG in a couple of weeks as when I had the free-time (of which I had little) it rained. Friend Fred has been trying to find someone who can "fix" the tube in the furler. I has a bend in it, not a great one, but one large enough to basically render it unusable. If he finds someone who can do the job, all well and good. If not it means that a new one needs to be purchased and installed and even getting it at cost, it will be more than a pretty penny, of which i have few.
Sunday will be wash down day inside and out. Saying goodbye to the outside dirt and the inside mold and mildew. Then perhaps during the week I can get up to lay down some non-skid paint. There are several areas that need it as well as simply needs painting as the current covering is wearing away and exposing the plywood below the fiberglass. The non skid paint will satisfy both needs. Thoiugh considering I want to paint, we'll probably get lots of rain this week.
The East Hadem Swing Bridge that cross the river in East Hadem (where else?) is undergoing"emergency repairs and will be until sometime in July. It normally operates on a half-hour schedule, opening on the half hour if there are boat waiting. During the repairs, it will operate by open upon request . . . so long as you make the request by phone 2 hours before you want it to open. What happens if two or more boats request openings two hours a head of time as requested but do so 20 to 20 minutes apart. Will they be told to wait until there is a group to go through? Will they open for each request independently of the others? Will they just say the hell with the request plan and open it say once an hour? Who knows but it shall surely add another source of anxiety for the journey as I have no idea how long it will take to get down from Portland to the bridge. The most inefficient way to go anyway is by boat and we are always being told never try to keep to a schedule of any kind when traveling by boat. AH! The fun of boat ownership!
I haven't been able to get up to see ABISHAG in a couple of weeks as when I had the free-time (of which I had little) it rained. Friend Fred has been trying to find someone who can "fix" the tube in the furler. I has a bend in it, not a great one, but one large enough to basically render it unusable. If he finds someone who can do the job, all well and good. If not it means that a new one needs to be purchased and installed and even getting it at cost, it will be more than a pretty penny, of which i have few.
Sunday will be wash down day inside and out. Saying goodbye to the outside dirt and the inside mold and mildew. Then perhaps during the week I can get up to lay down some non-skid paint. There are several areas that need it as well as simply needs painting as the current covering is wearing away and exposing the plywood below the fiberglass. The non skid paint will satisfy both needs. Thoiugh considering I want to paint, we'll probably get lots of rain this week.
The East Hadem Swing Bridge that cross the river in East Hadem (where else?) is undergoing"emergency repairs and will be until sometime in July. It normally operates on a half-hour schedule, opening on the half hour if there are boat waiting. During the repairs, it will operate by open upon request . . . so long as you make the request by phone 2 hours before you want it to open. What happens if two or more boats request openings two hours a head of time as requested but do so 20 to 20 minutes apart. Will they be told to wait until there is a group to go through? Will they open for each request independently of the others? Will they just say the hell with the request plan and open it say once an hour? Who knows but it shall surely add another source of anxiety for the journey as I have no idea how long it will take to get down from Portland to the bridge. The most inefficient way to go anyway is by boat and we are always being told never try to keep to a schedule of any kind when traveling by boat. AH! The fun of boat ownership!
Sunday, April 24, 2016
An Intersting Day
SHIP'S LOG:
It was an interesting day! It certainly was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and most spring-like. Driving up to see ABISHAG about 11am, I was joined on the various roads by everyone who owned an antique car. I don't think there was a meet or anything like that as they were going in all directions. It seemed that people we just out, driving around, showing off their cars. Some were very impressive.
When I got to the boatyard, there as almost no place to park. Large parts of the roadways between the boats were filled with floating docks that have yet to be put into the water, as well as by the cars of those who had come to work on their boats and that appeared to be almost everyone!
I finally found a place to park and went to my boat. I had just unchained the ladder and had set it up when a woman walked up and asked it it was my boat. When I said that it was she said that she had something to show me. She took out her I-Phone and showed me a picture of a Morning Dove sitting on its nest. She point up at the anchor roller and said that the Dove had built the nest where my two anchors were resting. Great! I can't move the nest as it is obvious she is sitting on eggs. I will have to check with the ASPCA to see if they will move it or if can be moved, once the eggs hatch.
The major reason I was going up the boatyard was to do measurements on the squashed bow pulpit as well as the bow where it previously rested. That is, almost where the nest now rests! Doing the measurements was an exercise in being careful not to disturb Dove or the nest and still get the measurements right. I was able to do it though it took a lot of time trying to be careful as well as accurate.
Once that was done, I did a little maintenance work on the grating in the cockpit. It needs to be fixed, sanded and varnished. It hasn't been a big priority on the "To-Do" list, but I will have the time this spring as most of the other maintenance issues were done last spring and don't need to be re-done. This means that there will be time to do some of the projects that I have never really had the time to get to before. But no matter, I will never get them all done, but it will be nice to make a dent in the list.
I drove the 42 miles home to the Hermitage only to discover that my wallet didn't make the trip and was still aboard ABISHAG. O well, at least it was a nice day for a drive!
It was an interesting day! It certainly was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and most spring-like. Driving up to see ABISHAG about 11am, I was joined on the various roads by everyone who owned an antique car. I don't think there was a meet or anything like that as they were going in all directions. It seemed that people we just out, driving around, showing off their cars. Some were very impressive.
When I got to the boatyard, there as almost no place to park. Large parts of the roadways between the boats were filled with floating docks that have yet to be put into the water, as well as by the cars of those who had come to work on their boats and that appeared to be almost everyone!
I finally found a place to park and went to my boat. I had just unchained the ladder and had set it up when a woman walked up and asked it it was my boat. When I said that it was she said that she had something to show me. She took out her I-Phone and showed me a picture of a Morning Dove sitting on its nest. She point up at the anchor roller and said that the Dove had built the nest where my two anchors were resting. Great! I can't move the nest as it is obvious she is sitting on eggs. I will have to check with the ASPCA to see if they will move it or if can be moved, once the eggs hatch.
The major reason I was going up the boatyard was to do measurements on the squashed bow pulpit as well as the bow where it previously rested. That is, almost where the nest now rests! Doing the measurements was an exercise in being careful not to disturb Dove or the nest and still get the measurements right. I was able to do it though it took a lot of time trying to be careful as well as accurate.
Once that was done, I did a little maintenance work on the grating in the cockpit. It needs to be fixed, sanded and varnished. It hasn't been a big priority on the "To-Do" list, but I will have the time this spring as most of the other maintenance issues were done last spring and don't need to be re-done. This means that there will be time to do some of the projects that I have never really had the time to get to before. But no matter, I will never get them all done, but it will be nice to make a dent in the list.
I drove the 42 miles home to the Hermitage only to discover that my wallet didn't make the trip and was still aboard ABISHAG. O well, at least it was a nice day for a drive!
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Good News/Bad News
SHIP'S LOG:
I got up to see ABISHAG and she looks good though "wounded." I squared away all the schedule for all the spring maintenance issues. I made arrangements to also re-attach the mast head wind instrument, have the radio antenna checked and re-install a new Windex. And that's the good news.
The bad news is that the "metal-working guy" at the boatyard says that he can't fix the bow pulpit. There is a "kink" in part of the rail, right next to where it is affixed to a stanchion and that there is no way that he can straighten it. I found a possible replacement on EBAY but at the cost of $275. I may have to bite the bullet on it but before I do, i want to see if "surgery" is a possibility. If I can cutout the kinked section, cut off the welded top of the stanchion, put a "T-Connection" on, insert good part of the old section of the rail in the forward part of the "T-Section" and a new rail in the stern part of the "T-Section", and then connect the new rail into another connector that affixes to the remaining part of the rail that was kinked, then I could get it for less than $100 and the bow pulpit would still be "original" to the boat. In that the kinked section is curved, I am going to have to find someone with a pipe bender butt hat should be relatively "easy."
The little stainless steel doohickey that someone almost cut through when they were removing the tree has been welded and it looks good. Friend Fred has dismantled the furler and its various parts so that should be up to speed once he puts it all back together.
I will be going back up on Sunday and actually get some work done. At the very least, the interior should bet a good cleaning. I also have a little sewing to do on the Bimini. Once that is done, I will try spraying it with FlexSeal and see if I can get another y.ear or two out of it. I am excited!
I got up to see ABISHAG and she looks good though "wounded." I squared away all the schedule for all the spring maintenance issues. I made arrangements to also re-attach the mast head wind instrument, have the radio antenna checked and re-install a new Windex. And that's the good news.
The bad news is that the "metal-working guy" at the boatyard says that he can't fix the bow pulpit. There is a "kink" in part of the rail, right next to where it is affixed to a stanchion and that there is no way that he can straighten it. I found a possible replacement on EBAY but at the cost of $275. I may have to bite the bullet on it but before I do, i want to see if "surgery" is a possibility. If I can cutout the kinked section, cut off the welded top of the stanchion, put a "T-Connection" on, insert good part of the old section of the rail in the forward part of the "T-Section" and a new rail in the stern part of the "T-Section", and then connect the new rail into another connector that affixes to the remaining part of the rail that was kinked, then I could get it for less than $100 and the bow pulpit would still be "original" to the boat. In that the kinked section is curved, I am going to have to find someone with a pipe bender butt hat should be relatively "easy."
The little stainless steel doohickey that someone almost cut through when they were removing the tree has been welded and it looks good. Friend Fred has dismantled the furler and its various parts so that should be up to speed once he puts it all back together.
I will be going back up on Sunday and actually get some work done. At the very least, the interior should bet a good cleaning. I also have a little sewing to do on the Bimini. Once that is done, I will try spraying it with FlexSeal and see if I can get another y.ear or two out of it. I am excited!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
