SHIP'S LOG:
The broker is suppose to call me tomorrow and we are suppose to go up to Portland where he can inspect ABISHAG. SOOOOOO Naturally, it is suppose to snow tomorrow through Thursday night. As someone once said, "timing is everything in life!"
Know that if I delay and wait until tomorrow to do the measuring I wrote about, so I can have another reason to drive up to Portland and the boat, that the broker would cancel and the snow would prevent the trip, I went up to Yankee Boatyard today to do the measuring, guaranteeing that it will be bright and sunny tomorrow, even after the broker cancels the trip.
The measuring took a little over and hour and a half. The toughest part was getting into the engine compartment to measure the size of the stuffing box packing nut and its accompanying locking nut. The stuffing box packing nut is on a piece of thread pipe through which passes the drive shaft from the engine/transmission inside the boat to the prop out side the boat. The stuffing box packing nut holds several pieces of "packing" - a cord of waxed flax that is wrapped around the shaft and compressed by the stuffing box packing nut hard enough to keep the water out but no so hard as to off resistance to the spinning shaft. I can see that extracting the old flax packing, which requires a tool that looks like a tiny corkscrew on the end of a braided wire with a "T" handle, is going to be a bit "trying." Basically I'll have to lay on the engine to get at the stuffing box. Getting all the packing out will something akin to doing a root canal anally. I did it before when I had the O'Day 27 but access to the stuffing box in the boat was clear and easy. in addition, friend John Planet, a brilliant mind with all thing nautical, was present thus making the job a snap. I look forward to this job not at all.
I am going to need about 12 feet of wood for the cap-rail scarfing. Teak runs a good $9.50/ ft Of course there are other hard woods but teak is the best which is why it is rare and expensive. I have a couple of pieces that kicking around and some of the left over wood from last year's project, but now where near enough. I will do what I can with what I have and then bite the bullet.
I am still learning things about ABISHAG and her construction. On the engine compartment bulkhead that faces the galley, there is a small counter, more space for use in preparing meals. At the forward end of this counter there is a "pole" that sticks into it. I was measuring this counter space for the tiling project and it irritated me that this "pole" was there. I thought that it was some sort of "support" for the part of the cockpit flooring that over hung the counter. On further inspection it turns out that this chrome "pole" is actually the drain pipe form the starboard side cockpit drain. It made me realize that there needs to be a plumbing schematic done for ABISHAG to go along with the electrical schematic that needs to be done. AH, more projects!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Spring Be Here . . . well, at Least Meteorologically!
SHIP'S LOG:
Got a call from the broker yesterday and we set up a time to go and check out ABISHAG up at Yankee. He actually seemed excited about it. We'll meet up there on Wednesday afternoon and I'll answer all his questions and, who knows, maybe he'll actually work hard enough to (gulp) sell her! I am not counting on it however and so I will continue to prepare her for the coming season.
Wednesday will be Measurement Day. I have to measure the shaft so that I can purchase the proper zinc for it. I also have another zinc, one attached to the hull in a nifty little indentation, that serves some purpose or another. It looks like it might be a part of the grounding system, perhaps something to do with the SSB(Single Side-Band Radio) or perhaps they just put it there to cause me angst wondering and worrying about what it's for!
I am also going to measure out the galley counter-tops for possible conversion to tile. I'll even measure out the counter-tops in both heads - as the English say - "just for a jolly!" Who knows, maybe because I don't actually live at my mailing address, Publisher's Clearing House couldn't find me last month but may look harder this month! In any event, having them sized means I am one step closer to actually getting that project underway. It will also give me an opportunity to see if there is sufficient room for the water-maker in the looker in the stern.
An additional measuring job will be the cap rail on the port side. I was able to scarf in a piece last year in a badly damaged section and it looks great. Unfortunately, several whacks to the rail during a storm while "secured" in a slip at TYC chewed up another section and it needs fixing. Right now, the pieces that remain are held in place with Gorilla Glue and it looks like crap. Once I get it measures, I need to find the wood to "scarf in."
With hope renewed in the possibility that ABISHAG may get a new owner, I have been "unfaithful" and have been casting my eyes about for " a new girl." I will be down-sizing so that the expenses will be down-sized too. I expect to top-out at 33 feet in my search but drastically limiting myself, I'll probably end up in the 27-foot range. One problem is that it is going to have to be big enough to live aboard. It is not that I have all that much stuff or need all that much storage - lots of the "stuff" that was on-board was basically for the ICW Trip - it's just that it is nice to be able to stand up when you are putting on your pants and have a door in the head!
Got a call from the broker yesterday and we set up a time to go and check out ABISHAG up at Yankee. He actually seemed excited about it. We'll meet up there on Wednesday afternoon and I'll answer all his questions and, who knows, maybe he'll actually work hard enough to (gulp) sell her! I am not counting on it however and so I will continue to prepare her for the coming season.
Wednesday will be Measurement Day. I have to measure the shaft so that I can purchase the proper zinc for it. I also have another zinc, one attached to the hull in a nifty little indentation, that serves some purpose or another. It looks like it might be a part of the grounding system, perhaps something to do with the SSB(Single Side-Band Radio) or perhaps they just put it there to cause me angst wondering and worrying about what it's for!
I am also going to measure out the galley counter-tops for possible conversion to tile. I'll even measure out the counter-tops in both heads - as the English say - "just for a jolly!" Who knows, maybe because I don't actually live at my mailing address, Publisher's Clearing House couldn't find me last month but may look harder this month! In any event, having them sized means I am one step closer to actually getting that project underway. It will also give me an opportunity to see if there is sufficient room for the water-maker in the looker in the stern.
An additional measuring job will be the cap rail on the port side. I was able to scarf in a piece last year in a badly damaged section and it looks great. Unfortunately, several whacks to the rail during a storm while "secured" in a slip at TYC chewed up another section and it needs fixing. Right now, the pieces that remain are held in place with Gorilla Glue and it looks like crap. Once I get it measures, I need to find the wood to "scarf in."
With hope renewed in the possibility that ABISHAG may get a new owner, I have been "unfaithful" and have been casting my eyes about for " a new girl." I will be down-sizing so that the expenses will be down-sized too. I expect to top-out at 33 feet in my search but drastically limiting myself, I'll probably end up in the 27-foot range. One problem is that it is going to have to be big enough to live aboard. It is not that I have all that much stuff or need all that much storage - lots of the "stuff" that was on-board was basically for the ICW Trip - it's just that it is nice to be able to stand up when you are putting on your pants and have a door in the head!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Just On The Spur Of The Moment . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
One of the projects I would like to get done come "the Spring," is two-fold: a.) move the water-maker which is currently ensconced partially above and below the only usable counter space in the galley to the locker in the stern formally occupied by the refrigeration unit and compressor and b.) because of some holes left by the water-maker in the galley counter space, do over the galley counter top with ceramic tiles. I took the time to head out to Home Depot and Lowe's to check out 1.) how to do it; 2.) what would be needed; and 3.) what the project would cost. It is definitely not a "must-do-before-launch" project, so I wasn't terribly disappointed to find that it is a relatively not-difficult DIY project and would cost about 2 Marine Units. The down side is two-fold: I would have a fair amount of stuff left over after completion and I would be loathed to toss it, but would doubtfully have enough say to finish off another counter-top, say the one in the forward head, and I don't have the spare @marine Units at the current time. So it will probably go down in the project book as a project to be done someday.
I haven't heard from the new broker yet. If I don't hear by Monday, I'll give him a call. Squeaky wheel and all that.
One of the projects I would like to get done come "the Spring," is two-fold: a.) move the water-maker which is currently ensconced partially above and below the only usable counter space in the galley to the locker in the stern formally occupied by the refrigeration unit and compressor and b.) because of some holes left by the water-maker in the galley counter space, do over the galley counter top with ceramic tiles. I took the time to head out to Home Depot and Lowe's to check out 1.) how to do it; 2.) what would be needed; and 3.) what the project would cost. It is definitely not a "must-do-before-launch" project, so I wasn't terribly disappointed to find that it is a relatively not-difficult DIY project and would cost about 2 Marine Units. The down side is two-fold: I would have a fair amount of stuff left over after completion and I would be loathed to toss it, but would doubtfully have enough say to finish off another counter-top, say the one in the forward head, and I don't have the spare @marine Units at the current time. So it will probably go down in the project book as a project to be done someday.
I haven't heard from the new broker yet. If I don't hear by Monday, I'll give him a call. Squeaky wheel and all that.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
It's A Good Day! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Even though the weather started out crappy, it has turned into a rather nice day. Hoping it would, I made a trek up to see ABISHAG. Truth be told, I wanted to d a little straightening up as the broker is going to go see her sometime soon and she did need at least a little bit of "pre-cleaning lady" cleaning. It wasn't much, sort of "re-arranging the deck chairs on the TITANIC" sort of stuff and, anyway, it was nice to be on board on what turned out to be a nice day.
I wasn't the only person with what friend John Plante refers to as "flange foot." This particular malady afflicts boat owners who stay to long off their craft and can only be cure, if only temporarily, by contact with fiberglass of the marine variety. Another lost soul was on his boat across the yard and he stopped by as I was getting off. He started asking all sorts of questions about how I liked the center-cockpit style vs the aft cockpit style and about ABISHAG in particular. So I gave him the Cook's Tour and found out that even though he has a nice Hunter Cherubini 33, he is looking to move up! Now before you get too excited, I doubt that he is a candidate to purchase ABISHAG though he is looking at a Bristol 41 currently. He is at least a year away from make a move . . . though he did buy his current craft totally on the spur of the moment. It would be nice though, so to keep the pot boiling, I told him if he ever wanted to go out for a sail on "a center-cockpit," to stop by TYC and we'll go for a spin. He keep his boat over in Noank and knows several TYC members and seemed interested in the offer. Maybe, maybe not. I'll just wait and see.
Even though the weather started out crappy, it has turned into a rather nice day. Hoping it would, I made a trek up to see ABISHAG. Truth be told, I wanted to d a little straightening up as the broker is going to go see her sometime soon and she did need at least a little bit of "pre-cleaning lady" cleaning. It wasn't much, sort of "re-arranging the deck chairs on the TITANIC" sort of stuff and, anyway, it was nice to be on board on what turned out to be a nice day.
I wasn't the only person with what friend John Plante refers to as "flange foot." This particular malady afflicts boat owners who stay to long off their craft and can only be cure, if only temporarily, by contact with fiberglass of the marine variety. Another lost soul was on his boat across the yard and he stopped by as I was getting off. He started asking all sorts of questions about how I liked the center-cockpit style vs the aft cockpit style and about ABISHAG in particular. So I gave him the Cook's Tour and found out that even though he has a nice Hunter Cherubini 33, he is looking to move up! Now before you get too excited, I doubt that he is a candidate to purchase ABISHAG though he is looking at a Bristol 41 currently. He is at least a year away from make a move . . . though he did buy his current craft totally on the spur of the moment. It would be nice though, so to keep the pot boiling, I told him if he ever wanted to go out for a sail on "a center-cockpit," to stop by TYC and we'll go for a spin. He keep his boat over in Noank and knows several TYC members and seemed interested in the offer. Maybe, maybe not. I'll just wait and see.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
And Now For A Bit Of Fun ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I had reason to take Pequot Avenue along the Thames this morning and, down at Osprey Beach, waves were breaking over the sea wall! It is really honking out there! Ledge Light is recording a steady wind of 45mph with gusts to 56!! It is quite the storm! When I parked my car along Pequot, the wind was shaking rather briskly. 'Tain't a Noreaster because the wind seems to coming out of the Southeast but if you are out in it, who cares? Even a trip on one of the Cross Sound ferries today would be rather rollicking!
I finally tracked down the partner of my former broker and got assurances that I am free and clear from any obligation to his firm. It turns out that they still have a picture of ABISHAG in the window of their office but the boat has not been active for awhile. The partner couldn't say how long exactly but seemed embarrassed by the screw-up. I also got the idea he was more than happy for me to take ABISHAG to someone else. My whole experience with them was far less gracious and satisfying that I was led to believe it would be. The efforts they made on my behalf were poor, so it was a mutually acceptable and amicable "divorce."
On to the next broker who works for Eastern Yacht Sales at Hellier just down the street from TYC. The broker, John Zomermaand, wants to go up and see ABISHAG and we'll go up together in the next few days. May need a day or so after the storm to let the mud dry up around her. The snow should be gone after all the rain, but the weather has been well above freezing for the last few days, so the ground is not frozen anymore. this means that the rain will sort of sink in and make a nice muddy mess. Better to let things dry a bit.
Of course, the "ridiculous" price I was asking for ABISHAG, $80,000, is going to have to come down, and a lot I am afraid. But at this point, one has to do what one has to do. If I can get a decent amount, perhaps I will be able to pay off the mortgage on the condo, and the real estate broker ( God Bless her long suffering heart) and then the condo income will do more than come into my checking account and then going right out the door HSBC. And perhaps, if I am really, Really lucky, I'll even have enough for another new(old) boat. I have already found 2 or three candidates, 27 - 30feet, for under $10,000 but that is jumping the gun a bit. Odds are, I am sad and happy to say, that ABISHAG will probably sell as well now as she did when she was off the market. Such is the boating industry. Now, if I had a a really obscene yacht, 50or 60 foot long with all the toys and electronics, and was asking an outrageous price, I would have little problems selling it. Such are the vagaries of the boating industry today.
I had reason to take Pequot Avenue along the Thames this morning and, down at Osprey Beach, waves were breaking over the sea wall! It is really honking out there! Ledge Light is recording a steady wind of 45mph with gusts to 56!! It is quite the storm! When I parked my car along Pequot, the wind was shaking rather briskly. 'Tain't a Noreaster because the wind seems to coming out of the Southeast but if you are out in it, who cares? Even a trip on one of the Cross Sound ferries today would be rather rollicking!
I finally tracked down the partner of my former broker and got assurances that I am free and clear from any obligation to his firm. It turns out that they still have a picture of ABISHAG in the window of their office but the boat has not been active for awhile. The partner couldn't say how long exactly but seemed embarrassed by the screw-up. I also got the idea he was more than happy for me to take ABISHAG to someone else. My whole experience with them was far less gracious and satisfying that I was led to believe it would be. The efforts they made on my behalf were poor, so it was a mutually acceptable and amicable "divorce."
On to the next broker who works for Eastern Yacht Sales at Hellier just down the street from TYC. The broker, John Zomermaand, wants to go up and see ABISHAG and we'll go up together in the next few days. May need a day or so after the storm to let the mud dry up around her. The snow should be gone after all the rain, but the weather has been well above freezing for the last few days, so the ground is not frozen anymore. this means that the rain will sort of sink in and make a nice muddy mess. Better to let things dry a bit.
Of course, the "ridiculous" price I was asking for ABISHAG, $80,000, is going to have to come down, and a lot I am afraid. But at this point, one has to do what one has to do. If I can get a decent amount, perhaps I will be able to pay off the mortgage on the condo, and the real estate broker ( God Bless her long suffering heart) and then the condo income will do more than come into my checking account and then going right out the door HSBC. And perhaps, if I am really, Really lucky, I'll even have enough for another new(old) boat. I have already found 2 or three candidates, 27 - 30feet, for under $10,000 but that is jumping the gun a bit. Odds are, I am sad and happy to say, that ABISHAG will probably sell as well now as she did when she was off the market. Such is the boating industry. Now, if I had a a really obscene yacht, 50or 60 foot long with all the toys and electronics, and was asking an outrageous price, I would have little problems selling it. Such are the vagaries of the boating industry today.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
I've Been Screwed! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I found out something rather distress today. As you know, ABISHAG has been up for sail since before I went up and down the ICW. I talked with a broker in the spring/summer of 2010 and he put the boat on the market at what I thought was a fair price. Well, with the economy and all the other financial things, lots of what people consider "toys" were not selling. I didn't want to drop the price less I unload her for less than she is worth. And I waited.
Since I am in the process of selling, or trying to sell my condo, and have been for even longer than I've been trying to sell ABISHAG, I knew that I wasn't going to hear much if anything from the broker unless he a a nibble. But after three years, I heard nothing so I decided to bite the bullet and make a serious drop in asking price. Since this would entail some paper work, I headed over to the broker's office this morning . . . . only to find that it was closed. And not only closed, but a brand new business now occupies the spot!
I got back home and dashed of an email to the broker only to get a demon-mailer response that the email address was no longer any good. I went on several online boats-for-sale sites and look for ABISHAG thinking to contact the broker at whatever number was listed. Surprise, she wasn't listed anywhere! I have no idea how long the business has been closed and I have no idea how long they have not been trying to sell my boat. Now, I've got to find a new broker and go through all the nonsense again. O well, maybe it will work this time!
I found out something rather distress today. As you know, ABISHAG has been up for sail since before I went up and down the ICW. I talked with a broker in the spring/summer of 2010 and he put the boat on the market at what I thought was a fair price. Well, with the economy and all the other financial things, lots of what people consider "toys" were not selling. I didn't want to drop the price less I unload her for less than she is worth. And I waited.
Since I am in the process of selling, or trying to sell my condo, and have been for even longer than I've been trying to sell ABISHAG, I knew that I wasn't going to hear much if anything from the broker unless he a a nibble. But after three years, I heard nothing so I decided to bite the bullet and make a serious drop in asking price. Since this would entail some paper work, I headed over to the broker's office this morning . . . . only to find that it was closed. And not only closed, but a brand new business now occupies the spot!
I got back home and dashed of an email to the broker only to get a demon-mailer response that the email address was no longer any good. I went on several online boats-for-sale sites and look for ABISHAG thinking to contact the broker at whatever number was listed. Surprise, she wasn't listed anywhere! I have no idea how long the business has been closed and I have no idea how long they have not been trying to sell my boat. Now, I've got to find a new broker and go through all the nonsense again. O well, maybe it will work this time!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Maintenance Begins! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Since I had to go up to the Portland area, I took the time to swing by Yankee and take a look at ABISHAG. She looks rather forlorn in the snow. Hike through the snow and got aboard. The cockpit was full of snow so I took some time to clean the cockpit scuppers as best I could, which was only fair. Enough snow had melted so that I was able to find the screw that backed out of the base of one of the support legs of the Bimini frame. Took less than a minute to put it back in place and so finish the first maintenance project of the season. The rip in the Bimini cover is no worse than it was which is a good thing and I should be able to fix it with "rescue tape." This stuff is marvelous. Applied to, in this case, the vinyl cover it will literally become "one with the vinyl" and the will seal the breach.
The inside of the boat is a freezer, so much colder than the temperature outside. It is a good thing in the summer buck it is rather nasty during the winter, hence the reticence to trying to attempt maintenance before the weather turns. I am hoping that it will not be too long before it happens. Yet as all sailors know, you deal with what you get. The weather in Florida though ain't much better though it will break a lot more quickly there than here.!
Since I had to go up to the Portland area, I took the time to swing by Yankee and take a look at ABISHAG. She looks rather forlorn in the snow. Hike through the snow and got aboard. The cockpit was full of snow so I took some time to clean the cockpit scuppers as best I could, which was only fair. Enough snow had melted so that I was able to find the screw that backed out of the base of one of the support legs of the Bimini frame. Took less than a minute to put it back in place and so finish the first maintenance project of the season. The rip in the Bimini cover is no worse than it was which is a good thing and I should be able to fix it with "rescue tape." This stuff is marvelous. Applied to, in this case, the vinyl cover it will literally become "one with the vinyl" and the will seal the breach.
The inside of the boat is a freezer, so much colder than the temperature outside. It is a good thing in the summer buck it is rather nasty during the winter, hence the reticence to trying to attempt maintenance before the weather turns. I am hoping that it will not be too long before it happens. Yet as all sailors know, you deal with what you get. The weather in Florida though ain't much better though it will break a lot more quickly there than here.!
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