SHIP'S LOG:
Well, if you must know, the answer is, "No, not really!" I did mask the waterline and all of the thru-hulls ( I forgot that there were 10 of them!). I did paint, with a brush, the masked waterline and around each of the thru-hulls. I then painted the hull, leaving the wounded keel untouched. I stared about 1:30PM and ended around 5:15PM. In the nice, pleasantly warm and rather dry weather, the paint needed thinning and stirring even more than usual, so it was a case of stir, thin, paint, stop and stir and thin and then paint, stopping to reload after having stirred and thinned again. I actually got most of the paint on the hull too! My arthritic, going-to-need-to-be-replaced-someday-soon right hip did not appreciate this particular type of activity what with the bending and squatting and other such contorted stance a part of the painting process and it let me know about it in no uncertain terms. It was literally a pain in the butt! But . . . . However, the job was done and the first coat is on. Second coat goes on Sunday!
Shelia of the Fiberglass shop crew stopped by and said that they were starting on the boat on Monday . . . . well, at least they were having the boat picked up and their EPA required catch-all tarp put underneath. This is perfect as they will have the yard crew move the boat stands, all seven of them, to new positions so that I can paint the spots they covered on the hull.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I think that perhaps I might be beginning to make a start at getting old. It is beginning to feel that way. Going up and down the ladder, squatting, bending , twisting and contorting, reaching, stretching, lifting and hauling and all the other assorted movements one goes through readying a boat for the season are taking their toll. I find myself stopping to rest more than it seems that i did in the past. I also find myself stretching to get ride of kinks and pulls that weren't there last year . . . . or maybe they were, I just don't remember them. I find myself fantasizing about what it would be like to be one of those boat owners who have enough money so that they can pay the yard crews do get the boat ready for the season. Then again, I am paranoid enough so that if I did that, I would worry about the job they did and did they get to everything and get it right! Ah, the fun part of boating! As it is, I am broke and probably the better for it, as I get to do the work and will KNOW just how well or how poorly it was done. Still, it is good to work on the boat, though it would be better to be sailing her, but that will come . . . rather soon I expect.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
60% 0f a Marine Unit
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, it has started. The threat of rain at the yard, along with the rather chilly temp, made yesterday a "Buying/Spending" type of day. In the end, I ended up spending 60% of a Marine Unit, about $335, 2/3's of it for bottom paint. It is bad to be an "impulse marine item buyer" turned loose in a West Marine store but I actually bought only the stuff I actually, positively, truly, absolutely needed. Now I actually have to make use of the purchases.
That will happen today, or at least will begin today. Today is boat bottom painting day! It is a slightly messy and often contorted process. First, I have to edge the waterline with masking tape so I don't paint over it. That means setting up the ladder, running a strip of tape about 10 feet or so, then getting off the ladder, moving it an appropriate distance, then back up the ladder and run-out another 10 feet or so of tape, then down off the ladder, move it and go back up . . . . . . . Once the waterline is done, all the thru-hulls have to be taped over as you do not want to paint over these metal items. the copper in the paint will react with the copper in the bronze and stainless steel and can induce galvanic corrosion which is a bad thing. It tends to eat away the metal and since the thru-hull are under water, it it makes the metal fittings go away, leaves you with holes in the bottom of the boat. No problem out of the water, big problem in it. Once all the taping is done, then you have to paint around it with a brush as you can't really do it cleanly a roller. That means mix the paint, up the ladder, paint 10 feet or so, down the ladder and move it, stir the paint, up the ladder and away around the boat. The warmer the weather, the quicker the paint dries, on the boat and in the can. The warmer the weather, the more thinning and and stirring needs doing. After I have cut out all the taped sections, then then it is time to paint the rest of the hull with the roller. That is actually the easiest part but the messiest and the roller tends to spray the paint around, usually on me. It will take a couple of hours to do and it will dry out by tomorrow so that the second coat can go on. Then it is done . . . except for the part that is being repaired. Once they finish the work . . .that they haven't started yet . . . . I will paint the repairs and ABISHAG will be ready for the water. HUZZAH ! ! ! !
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I really wish the boat wasn't so far away. It's a good 80 miles and it is a drag to drive. Thank goodness it is all highway but it is still a drag. Getting the bottom done will really make things seem like they are moving along toward summer, and that can't come soon enough.
Well, it has started. The threat of rain at the yard, along with the rather chilly temp, made yesterday a "Buying/Spending" type of day. In the end, I ended up spending 60% of a Marine Unit, about $335, 2/3's of it for bottom paint. It is bad to be an "impulse marine item buyer" turned loose in a West Marine store but I actually bought only the stuff I actually, positively, truly, absolutely needed. Now I actually have to make use of the purchases.
That will happen today, or at least will begin today. Today is boat bottom painting day! It is a slightly messy and often contorted process. First, I have to edge the waterline with masking tape so I don't paint over it. That means setting up the ladder, running a strip of tape about 10 feet or so, then getting off the ladder, moving it an appropriate distance, then back up the ladder and run-out another 10 feet or so of tape, then down off the ladder, move it and go back up . . . . . . . Once the waterline is done, all the thru-hulls have to be taped over as you do not want to paint over these metal items. the copper in the paint will react with the copper in the bronze and stainless steel and can induce galvanic corrosion which is a bad thing. It tends to eat away the metal and since the thru-hull are under water, it it makes the metal fittings go away, leaves you with holes in the bottom of the boat. No problem out of the water, big problem in it. Once all the taping is done, then you have to paint around it with a brush as you can't really do it cleanly a roller. That means mix the paint, up the ladder, paint 10 feet or so, down the ladder and move it, stir the paint, up the ladder and away around the boat. The warmer the weather, the quicker the paint dries, on the boat and in the can. The warmer the weather, the more thinning and and stirring needs doing. After I have cut out all the taped sections, then then it is time to paint the rest of the hull with the roller. That is actually the easiest part but the messiest and the roller tends to spray the paint around, usually on me. It will take a couple of hours to do and it will dry out by tomorrow so that the second coat can go on. Then it is done . . . except for the part that is being repaired. Once they finish the work . . .that they haven't started yet . . . . I will paint the repairs and ABISHAG will be ready for the water. HUZZAH ! ! ! !
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I really wish the boat wasn't so far away. It's a good 80 miles and it is a drag to drive. Thank goodness it is all highway but it is still a drag. Getting the bottom done will really make things seem like they are moving along toward summer, and that can't come soon enough.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Would You Believe . . . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, what would the boating pre-season be without a setback or two. Nothing major but the rather harsh winter has put the fiberglass people behind in their work and they will not be able to get to ABISHAG's bottom until mid-May! truth be told, I am not that disappointed as it will allow some more time to finish up some work. They will smooth things over with the yard who was expecting me out by May 1st so all things being equal, perhaps I'll be in by Memorial Day. As you should know by now, that's just the way things work in boating!
Someone has slapped some bottom pain on ABISHAG's bottom, nothing systematic but random spots here and there. Everyone in the yard claims ignorance. Perhaps someone was just trying to clean a brush or something. At least the color is the same.
I suspect that taking the LECTROSAN out of the boat will be the easiest part of the project to get the boat in EPA compliance. I have a funny feeling that the "old" holding tank will not fit in the proposed space under the forward bunk. It may require a "new" tank to go with the other items to put the whole system together. Boating is nothing if not expensive. well, I'll consider it may part of the stimulus package for the marine industry.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is still a bit chilly down along the coast and cold inside the boat. Varnish won't flow, caulking won't spread or adhere, fingers get numb working in any wet environment. Ah Spring! It is great to get down to the boat and work. Just sitting there gets me to dream about sailing . . . not hitting anything. Hopefully, all things being equal, my first trip of the season will be Black Rock Harbor to New London. Having done it one way, the return trip should be a piece of cake. After that, some weeks of cruising around the Rhode Island/ Connecticut area, then off to Maine . . . all plans subject to change based on weather and a whole host of variables. I won't go any further than that. we'll just have to see what happens.
Well, what would the boating pre-season be without a setback or two. Nothing major but the rather harsh winter has put the fiberglass people behind in their work and they will not be able to get to ABISHAG's bottom until mid-May! truth be told, I am not that disappointed as it will allow some more time to finish up some work. They will smooth things over with the yard who was expecting me out by May 1st so all things being equal, perhaps I'll be in by Memorial Day. As you should know by now, that's just the way things work in boating!
Someone has slapped some bottom pain on ABISHAG's bottom, nothing systematic but random spots here and there. Everyone in the yard claims ignorance. Perhaps someone was just trying to clean a brush or something. At least the color is the same.
I suspect that taking the LECTROSAN out of the boat will be the easiest part of the project to get the boat in EPA compliance. I have a funny feeling that the "old" holding tank will not fit in the proposed space under the forward bunk. It may require a "new" tank to go with the other items to put the whole system together. Boating is nothing if not expensive. well, I'll consider it may part of the stimulus package for the marine industry.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is still a bit chilly down along the coast and cold inside the boat. Varnish won't flow, caulking won't spread or adhere, fingers get numb working in any wet environment. Ah Spring! It is great to get down to the boat and work. Just sitting there gets me to dream about sailing . . . not hitting anything. Hopefully, all things being equal, my first trip of the season will be Black Rock Harbor to New London. Having done it one way, the return trip should be a piece of cake. After that, some weeks of cruising around the Rhode Island/ Connecticut area, then off to Maine . . . all plans subject to change based on weather and a whole host of variables. I won't go any further than that. we'll just have to see what happens.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
AH YES ! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
O how I have longed to say it . . . I was down working on ABISHAG yesterday! As Spring-like as it seemed, it was actually quite chilly by the water, but who cares? Certainly not me at this point!
Surprisingly, someone had dabbed bottom paint on parts of the hull and I can't figure out who. I ask the yard crew and they said "No." I asked the people doing the repairs and they said "No." I can't figure out who did it. IT doesn't matter as it will call get covered in a week or so.
I won't be out of the yard by the 1st of May as the repair work will not be completed. The repair people will square this with the Yard people so all should be OK there.
The inside of the boat was still pretty much like a bomb went off in and it was impossible to do any work so the first order of business was to clean and arrange everything. This brought me my first "hidden gift" from the last little adventure. when ABISHAG went over on her side as the tide went out the tool draw cabinet slid to the low side. When the water entered . . not much . . . before I smartened up and closed the thruhulls, enough water got in to fill the bottom draw. I never thought to check it and so it fermented all winter. The Good news was that it contained only my stainless steel sockets plus one not stainless steel bar. The Bad news was that bar rusted all winter and carried rust and corrosion to every piece of stainless steel. True it was only surface contamination but it was a pain in the butt cleaning the draw and cleaning the rust off of EVERY SINGLE SOCKET inside and out. I smell like WD40 which is a great product for such work . . . . but the fragrance lingers.
Completing that got me to the furler on the main mast . . . . .I know that doesn't seem like a logical path but it is. The WD40 was in the same container as the POWER BLASTER penetrating oil and lubricant. I used that to see if it would make the furler less binding so that furling the main in an out would be less of a chore. It seems to work just fine now.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! ! !
Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !
CAPTAIN'S PERSONAL LOG:
The weather is changing. Rather than being crappy all of the time, it is crappy just most of the time. Once it gets to a 50/50 split, it will be time to get serious with the boat. Of course that could be the middle of May but what the hey, as long as the boat can be splashed on the 1st of May, that means the engine commissioned, zincs on and bottom painted, everything else can be done . . . sort of . . . in the water. It would have been so much better in the Keys, or in the Virgins, or in the Leeward's or the Windward's. Next year!!!!!
Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! ! !
Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! ! Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !Waiting For the Spring Weather To Arrive ! !
CAPTAIN'S PERSONAL LOG:
The weather is changing. Rather than being crappy all of the time, it is crappy just most of the time. Once it gets to a 50/50 split, it will be time to get serious with the boat. Of course that could be the middle of May but what the hey, as long as the boat can be splashed on the 1st of May, that means the engine commissioned, zincs on and bottom painted, everything else can be done . . . sort of . . . in the water. It would have been so much better in the Keys, or in the Virgins, or in the Leeward's or the Windward's. Next year!!!!!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Back Again!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Sorry that it has been such a long time between posts, but there really has been a lot going on . . . . . . at least as regards ABISHAG. She is covered with snow, really covered now, and patiently awaits the onset of spring and warmer weather.
The Insurance company came through with a check for $10,221 for their portion of the repairs. i hand delivered the check as it was made out to me and not the people doing the work. It was a chance to meet them and Sheila & Dave Roxburgh seem to be a very knowledgeable husband and wife team of fiberglass repair technicians. Dave noted that if the masts had been removed from ABISHAG for winter storage they would have moved her into the shop and would have done the work there. It would already have been completed but with the 52foot Mainmast on top of a 10 foot span from the bottom of the keel to the top of the cabin, they couldn't squeeze her inside. So the work will have to await the onset of spring weather . . . . which is a good thing as I don't have the 3.2 Marine Units to cover the deductible right now.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It has been more than a little depressing recently. It seems that things haven't been going as well as I had hoped. Finances have gotten to the point that I have had to employ a non-profit debt service organization to get a handle on my finances. It cost me two credit card accounts which had to be closed and will take five years to pay off. It will make for some rather interesting financial adventures if the threatened halving of income comes to fruition. It would make things a lot better, at least financially, if the condo could be sold but, while people have looked, not one has made an offer. It bothers me that I am expending so much concern over finances and making ends meet but I guess I am just one of the many others who find themselves in the same situation. I have just got to put it in God's hands and believe that God will make it all right in his own way and at his own time.
Sorry that it has been such a long time between posts, but there really has been a lot going on . . . . . . at least as regards ABISHAG. She is covered with snow, really covered now, and patiently awaits the onset of spring and warmer weather.
The Insurance company came through with a check for $10,221 for their portion of the repairs. i hand delivered the check as it was made out to me and not the people doing the work. It was a chance to meet them and Sheila & Dave Roxburgh seem to be a very knowledgeable husband and wife team of fiberglass repair technicians. Dave noted that if the masts had been removed from ABISHAG for winter storage they would have moved her into the shop and would have done the work there. It would already have been completed but with the 52foot Mainmast on top of a 10 foot span from the bottom of the keel to the top of the cabin, they couldn't squeeze her inside. So the work will have to await the onset of spring weather . . . . which is a good thing as I don't have the 3.2 Marine Units to cover the deductible right now.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It has been more than a little depressing recently. It seems that things haven't been going as well as I had hoped. Finances have gotten to the point that I have had to employ a non-profit debt service organization to get a handle on my finances. It cost me two credit card accounts which had to be closed and will take five years to pay off. It will make for some rather interesting financial adventures if the threatened halving of income comes to fruition. It would make things a lot better, at least financially, if the condo could be sold but, while people have looked, not one has made an offer. It bothers me that I am expending so much concern over finances and making ends meet but I guess I am just one of the many others who find themselves in the same situation. I have just got to put it in God's hands and believe that God will make it all right in his own way and at his own time.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
AHOY! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I wish that I had lots of news to report but sadly it is winter in the Northeast and it really inhibits working on boats. I did get a call from the Boatyard to confirm that I wanted them to do the repair work on the keel. i told them to go ahead and when the check came in from the insurance company i would bring it down. They said that that was fine but, what with the weather and all, it would be "months" before they go to it. O well, more waiting and more patience practice.
Electricity is beginning to make more and more sense. It's not getting clearer, it is just making more sense. In that it makes any sense whatever means it is making more sense than it did before, so it is an improvement, but a rather tiny one. I still have some time for it to become a little more knowledge and skill and rather less "magic."
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am afraid that it has started already. A couple of large (41+foot) boats have mysteriously caught fire and sunk in their winter berths in the last week. I expect more the closer we get to the summer season and if things don't sort themselves out financially by fall, that number will really increase. People who are trying to sell their boats are all but giving them away and still are having serious trouble unloading them. Like every other industry, the marine industry and it subsidiary institutions are going to take a serious hit in the current financial crisis. I am just hoping to be able to get ABISHAG in shape to sail by spring and then to do just that.
I wish that I had lots of news to report but sadly it is winter in the Northeast and it really inhibits working on boats. I did get a call from the Boatyard to confirm that I wanted them to do the repair work on the keel. i told them to go ahead and when the check came in from the insurance company i would bring it down. They said that that was fine but, what with the weather and all, it would be "months" before they go to it. O well, more waiting and more patience practice.
Electricity is beginning to make more and more sense. It's not getting clearer, it is just making more sense. In that it makes any sense whatever means it is making more sense than it did before, so it is an improvement, but a rather tiny one. I still have some time for it to become a little more knowledge and skill and rather less "magic."
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am afraid that it has started already. A couple of large (41+foot) boats have mysteriously caught fire and sunk in their winter berths in the last week. I expect more the closer we get to the summer season and if things don't sort themselves out financially by fall, that number will really increase. People who are trying to sell their boats are all but giving them away and still are having serious trouble unloading them. Like every other industry, the marine industry and it subsidiary institutions are going to take a serious hit in the current financial crisis. I am just hoping to be able to get ABISHAG in shape to sail by spring and then to do just that.
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