SHIP'S LOG:
The new furling system on ABISHAG was not furling ie. rolling up the jib -correctly.Quite naturally I felt that the furling system was at fault However, Kevin from the Loft, who installed the system, came down to the boat and after a few tries announced that the problem was not the furling system but the sail. So off the sail came and off to the sail loft with it.
Kevin suspected that a repair that I had done to the sail was done incorrectly (No, Kevin didn't have anything to do with the repair.). Based on how the sail was furling, he described what was wrong with it and when we laid it out on the loft floor, what he predicted was exactly what we found. That was a relief and also a prelude to anxiety for to fix the mistake and then do the repair correctly, the luft (front edge) of the sail had to be taken apart. The luft tape, the patches and the padding all had to be removed . . . . by me. Seams had top be ripped, patches cut, padding removed, a process which took five (5) hours, during which time I was worrying that I would screw up, cut the wrong thing or create a bigger problem than I already had. But evidently everything went well. Then this morning, a real pain in the butt job, flattening the sail. Don't sound too bad, does it, but a sail is made of straight pieces of cloth that are curved to shape the sail. By nature, it doesn't want to lay flat, do the whole thing has to be laid out and then stretched and pinned in place with push pins. It was a small three hour job. Tomorrow, a new curve showing the new shape of the sail will be inscribed and the patches and padding glued and pre-sewn back in place. The the new curve will be cut (no place for mistakes then) and the luft tape pre-sewn onto the new luft, and voila, the sail will be ready to fly. Ah, the joy of boat ownership!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Where To Begin?!?!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, we have to go back to the middle of July. Somewhere then, Kevin from the sail loft got enough free time to go with me up to Yankee and put the furling system together. The day before, we spent 3 hours literally calculating just how long it should be. The distance from the forestay anchor point at the top of the mast down to the proper hole on the head stem was a known distance - 47 feet, 1 & 3/4 inches. The forestay wire itself had to pass through a series of foils( metal groves that hold the front of the jib to the forestay), through the furling drum which, when a line was pulled, would wrap the sail around the foils so that only the outer, sun-resistant cloth was left exposed. At the bottom of the drum was a fixture to which the forestay was to be attached, which in-turn was to be shackled to the stem head. Clear? Let us just say that we would have only a few millimeters of play to play with so getting the proper length in the finished product was essential. Like I said, it took us three (3) hours to assemble it and we seemed to be spot on. Once that was all done, the whole works had to be disassemble and repacked in the cartons it came in for transport to Yankee the following morning.
The next day turned out to be a cloudless summer day and one of the hottest of the summer. The second assembly took two hours and boy did we get cooked. Once it was all done, it rested beautiful on some boat stands right next to ABISHAG awaiting Dean, the boat yard manager who had to attach it to the boat. Strange as it may see, the boatyard did not have a lift or a crane that could reach the top of the mast which was approximately 63 feet above the ground. But Dean had a friend who had a tree trimming service and his friend had a boom truck that could do the job. They had already used it do take down the old system so we knew it would work to put up the new. It would happen within the next 24 hours so Kevin and I went back to the loft.
The next day, I got a call from Dean say that the clevis pin which attached the forestay to the stem ]head didn't fit the hole in the stemhead. It was too big. Kevin and Dean had an animated discussion about the situation and after a could of days it was decided to use a hex bolt (1/2") in place of the clevis pin so that we could get ABISHAG of the hard. Then we had to wait for the full moon high tide. Even though Portland is some 20 miles up river from the sound it is still affected by the tides. In addition, it has been a very dry summer and the Connecticut River is down significantly. The yard couldn't and wouldn't launch ABISHAG (5 1/2foot draft) if there wasn't enough water in the launching pen. There was a three day wait for high tide and enough water and when there was sufficient water, ABISHAG was launch and towed to the near by dock.
That Saturday I had launch duty and so friend Fred went aboard to been on the sails and generally get things "ship-shape." Then on Sunday, we arrived there at 10 with the intention of leaving ASAP. The rig had to be tuned and the lines cleared from the deck. At 11 o'clock, I checked the engine, put the key in the ignition and turned it. NOTHING! It took only a minute to determine that the batteries had not been reinstalled. So it was a call to Dean, on his day off, and kicked-out a couple of yard workers to find the right batteries and install them. Thus we got underway about 11:30.
We had to luck as we hit both of the swing bridges a the moment they were opening and got to the sound at 3pm. The wind was bang on the nose and blowing about 20 which meant a pounding all the way from Old Saybrook to New London. It was not the most fun I have ever had aboard ABISHAG but the 3 hours it took were endurable because when they ended, ABISHAG was on her own mooring and at home. Ah, the joy of boat ownership.
Well, we have to go back to the middle of July. Somewhere then, Kevin from the sail loft got enough free time to go with me up to Yankee and put the furling system together. The day before, we spent 3 hours literally calculating just how long it should be. The distance from the forestay anchor point at the top of the mast down to the proper hole on the head stem was a known distance - 47 feet, 1 & 3/4 inches. The forestay wire itself had to pass through a series of foils( metal groves that hold the front of the jib to the forestay), through the furling drum which, when a line was pulled, would wrap the sail around the foils so that only the outer, sun-resistant cloth was left exposed. At the bottom of the drum was a fixture to which the forestay was to be attached, which in-turn was to be shackled to the stem head. Clear? Let us just say that we would have only a few millimeters of play to play with so getting the proper length in the finished product was essential. Like I said, it took us three (3) hours to assemble it and we seemed to be spot on. Once that was all done, the whole works had to be disassemble and repacked in the cartons it came in for transport to Yankee the following morning.
The next day turned out to be a cloudless summer day and one of the hottest of the summer. The second assembly took two hours and boy did we get cooked. Once it was all done, it rested beautiful on some boat stands right next to ABISHAG awaiting Dean, the boat yard manager who had to attach it to the boat. Strange as it may see, the boatyard did not have a lift or a crane that could reach the top of the mast which was approximately 63 feet above the ground. But Dean had a friend who had a tree trimming service and his friend had a boom truck that could do the job. They had already used it do take down the old system so we knew it would work to put up the new. It would happen within the next 24 hours so Kevin and I went back to the loft.
The next day, I got a call from Dean say that the clevis pin which attached the forestay to the stem ]head didn't fit the hole in the stemhead. It was too big. Kevin and Dean had an animated discussion about the situation and after a could of days it was decided to use a hex bolt (1/2") in place of the clevis pin so that we could get ABISHAG of the hard. Then we had to wait for the full moon high tide. Even though Portland is some 20 miles up river from the sound it is still affected by the tides. In addition, it has been a very dry summer and the Connecticut River is down significantly. The yard couldn't and wouldn't launch ABISHAG (5 1/2foot draft) if there wasn't enough water in the launching pen. There was a three day wait for high tide and enough water and when there was sufficient water, ABISHAG was launch and towed to the near by dock.
That Saturday I had launch duty and so friend Fred went aboard to been on the sails and generally get things "ship-shape." Then on Sunday, we arrived there at 10 with the intention of leaving ASAP. The rig had to be tuned and the lines cleared from the deck. At 11 o'clock, I checked the engine, put the key in the ignition and turned it. NOTHING! It took only a minute to determine that the batteries had not been reinstalled. So it was a call to Dean, on his day off, and kicked-out a couple of yard workers to find the right batteries and install them. Thus we got underway about 11:30.
We had to luck as we hit both of the swing bridges a the moment they were opening and got to the sound at 3pm. The wind was bang on the nose and blowing about 20 which meant a pounding all the way from Old Saybrook to New London. It was not the most fun I have ever had aboard ABISHAG but the 3 hours it took were endurable because when they ended, ABISHAG was on her own mooring and at home. Ah, the joy of boat ownership.
Thursday, August 4, 2016
ABISHAG IS HOME AT TYC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yes! ABISHAG is back at TYC and she got there before August, but just! Friend Fred and I brought her down on Sunday, the 31st. Took seven hours but she's there! Details to follow.
Yes! ABISHAG is back at TYC and she got there before August, but just! Friend Fred and I brought her down on Sunday, the 31st. Took seven hours but she's there! Details to follow.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
SPLASH!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, it looks as though Tuesday next, Wednesday next if there is an unforeseen difficulty, will be the day ABISHAG will kiss water for the first time since October of 2014! Wow, October 2014. I knew it was a long time but II had forgotten just how long! God willing, I shall be at TYC by next weekend.
Well, it looks as though Tuesday next, Wednesday next if there is an unforeseen difficulty, will be the day ABISHAG will kiss water for the first time since October of 2014! Wow, October 2014. I knew it was a long time but II had forgotten just how long! God willing, I shall be at TYC by next weekend.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
It's Paranoia Time
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.
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.
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!
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