SHIP'S LOG:
Well, Thanksgiving Day was special. Basically, it was just "old" folks around the table, sharing our aches and pains, proclaiming how good the food was (and it was!!!!!) and trying to not be overwhelmed by the "triptophane" (or however you spell it, you know, the chemical in turkey that makes you fall asleep) onslaught. Everyone had plenty of the first and it was sort of a "can-you-top-this" contest. Everyone proclaimed the greatness of the feast by consuming "mass quantities," or at least more that we were planning to when we got to the table. And while only my sister fell asleep, the rest of us did get pretty dozy.
My "Black Friday" Shopping spree was limited to a quick trip to Harbor Freight where I purchased three smallish blue-poly traps and some clothesline for covering the hatches on ABISHAG. I want to make an attempt to keep her as dry as possible inside to prevent the growth of any more mold. I found several products online that will do the job and all sorts of suggestions and processes to eliminate it in a "natural" way. Everything from bleach and ammonia(just DON'T Mix 'em) to borax and white distilled vinegar. It will have to wait in any case until March at the earliest unless spring comes very early. I am just getting a head start.
I'll be heading up early in the week to do my "Christmas Wrapping" as it is too cold today and tomorrow calls for rain. Not that I really trust NOAA, but tying lines and wrestling with tarps is something best do in above freezing temperatures and dry.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Well, That's Done!
SHIP'S LOG:
I am still amazed about how much gear, alright "crap," I have taken out of ABISHAG during the stripping out process. I "knew" that I had it all, it is just that I didn't quite remember I had it all. Truth be told, there were few items that were not "necessary." There was the Domino set - never got to play anyone; there were the novels - read'em all and even traded most for "new" ones; there were hammocks and netting and redundant items of all sorts. And now they are all gone, well, at least out of the boat. It is so empty inside that you can almost hear your thoughts bouncing around and off the bulkheads. The only items that remain are the boat's electrical cords, the rudder and vane for the wind steering system, lubricants and oils, fenders and lines, the life raft and the PFDs. Sometime in the next week to 10 days, I will get up there to tied some tarps over the hatches and cockpit to keep the snow out and the long winter sleep will begin. well, at least for ABISHAG.
There wasn't a great deal or attentive organization applied when I was emptying the boat. Basically, aside from a couple of lift out locker linings, everything went into heavy duty plastic trash bags. The days ahead - post New Years - will be filled with getting everything out and organized. Stuff that is basically used-up, no longer functioning, passed its expiration date and/or whose identity and purpose is just unknown will need to be tossed out. Redundant tools and spares will need to separated from those going back aboard. I won't toss them out, but merely set them aside and store them in case they should be needed. I have found that most tools don't float and spares are needed for things that wear out, but it is no longer necessary to be always prepared for every possible contingency all the time. Those items going back aboard need to be identified, cleaned and lubed and whatever to maintain them, put in proper containers which identify what they are and set aside. The rest needs only to be identified, maintained and stored.
What may take a little time will be tool maintenance. Every socket, every pair of pliers, every wrench, every metal tool need to be cleaned and hit with a rust inhibitor. The salt air on a boat does a real nasty job on metal tools, indeed on everything metal. The salt retains moisture and it only goes away when you clean it and inhibit it. And salt air gets in everywhere. All the electronics are affected as well. cleaning and maintaining is rather limited as most are sealed but the connectors for power and antennas do have to be taken care of properly. (That also goes for those affixed to the boat as well.) So it appears that I will wile away the winter days in Russ' basement doing all that needs doing.
Sometime before the coming of the spring weather, perhaps before I "tarp-up" the boat, I will removed all of the overhead panels. I've taken down those over the aft cabin and the aft head, as well as those in the lockers over the galley and the port settee.That still leaves most in place. I want to be careful with this next step for three reasons: 1.) I need to carefully mark the panels and where they go and how they fit before I take them down. This will set up where the extra stringers go in and how and where they get affixed. No need to make extra work for myself. 2.) I will have to measure and cut the panels while they are in-place. I didn't do that with the panels in the aft cabin and I can see that that was a mistake, but one that is correctable. Doing the cutting "in situ" allows me to be able to work alone which is often the case anyhow. And 3.) I am pretty well certain that there will be black mold behind some of the panels and that is nasty stuff. When the panels come down, I want to be armed with serious respiratory protection and nuclear black mold killer. Anticipating this "certainty" was another reason to empty the whole boat. Basically, I want to be able to "sterilize" the inside. It is also a reason for making the ceiling panels easily removable. I will paint the underside of the deck with white marine enamel which will show up the mold should it reoccur.
So far as gaining access to the fasteners for the deck hardware, as far as I can tell, the only ones that I will have to cut access holes for are main back stays chain-plates and the fasteners for the stern pulpits. It is a lot less cutting than I imagined there would be and for that I am thankful. Speaking of "thankful," I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
I am still amazed about how much gear, alright "crap," I have taken out of ABISHAG during the stripping out process. I "knew" that I had it all, it is just that I didn't quite remember I had it all. Truth be told, there were few items that were not "necessary." There was the Domino set - never got to play anyone; there were the novels - read'em all and even traded most for "new" ones; there were hammocks and netting and redundant items of all sorts. And now they are all gone, well, at least out of the boat. It is so empty inside that you can almost hear your thoughts bouncing around and off the bulkheads. The only items that remain are the boat's electrical cords, the rudder and vane for the wind steering system, lubricants and oils, fenders and lines, the life raft and the PFDs. Sometime in the next week to 10 days, I will get up there to tied some tarps over the hatches and cockpit to keep the snow out and the long winter sleep will begin. well, at least for ABISHAG.
There wasn't a great deal or attentive organization applied when I was emptying the boat. Basically, aside from a couple of lift out locker linings, everything went into heavy duty plastic trash bags. The days ahead - post New Years - will be filled with getting everything out and organized. Stuff that is basically used-up, no longer functioning, passed its expiration date and/or whose identity and purpose is just unknown will need to be tossed out. Redundant tools and spares will need to separated from those going back aboard. I won't toss them out, but merely set them aside and store them in case they should be needed. I have found that most tools don't float and spares are needed for things that wear out, but it is no longer necessary to be always prepared for every possible contingency all the time. Those items going back aboard need to be identified, cleaned and lubed and whatever to maintain them, put in proper containers which identify what they are and set aside. The rest needs only to be identified, maintained and stored.
What may take a little time will be tool maintenance. Every socket, every pair of pliers, every wrench, every metal tool need to be cleaned and hit with a rust inhibitor. The salt air on a boat does a real nasty job on metal tools, indeed on everything metal. The salt retains moisture and it only goes away when you clean it and inhibit it. And salt air gets in everywhere. All the electronics are affected as well. cleaning and maintaining is rather limited as most are sealed but the connectors for power and antennas do have to be taken care of properly. (That also goes for those affixed to the boat as well.) So it appears that I will wile away the winter days in Russ' basement doing all that needs doing.
Sometime before the coming of the spring weather, perhaps before I "tarp-up" the boat, I will removed all of the overhead panels. I've taken down those over the aft cabin and the aft head, as well as those in the lockers over the galley and the port settee.That still leaves most in place. I want to be careful with this next step for three reasons: 1.) I need to carefully mark the panels and where they go and how they fit before I take them down. This will set up where the extra stringers go in and how and where they get affixed. No need to make extra work for myself. 2.) I will have to measure and cut the panels while they are in-place. I didn't do that with the panels in the aft cabin and I can see that that was a mistake, but one that is correctable. Doing the cutting "in situ" allows me to be able to work alone which is often the case anyhow. And 3.) I am pretty well certain that there will be black mold behind some of the panels and that is nasty stuff. When the panels come down, I want to be armed with serious respiratory protection and nuclear black mold killer. Anticipating this "certainty" was another reason to empty the whole boat. Basically, I want to be able to "sterilize" the inside. It is also a reason for making the ceiling panels easily removable. I will paint the underside of the deck with white marine enamel which will show up the mold should it reoccur.
So far as gaining access to the fasteners for the deck hardware, as far as I can tell, the only ones that I will have to cut access holes for are main back stays chain-plates and the fasteners for the stern pulpits. It is a lot less cutting than I imagined there would be and for that I am thankful. Speaking of "thankful," I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
It Is Getting A Little Naked In There!
SHIP'S LOG:
The interior of ABISHAG is getting naked. Now, all of the cushions are gone to their winter residence, though not without a little struggle. While most were easily removed from the inside, the two cushions from the berth in the aft cabin were a real pain to get out. They were "just a bit" larger that the cockpit hatch way and, being made of closed - cell foam, didn't bend much. As a result, I had to used docklines to "cinch" then and constrict their size so that thy would fit through the opening. It took a lot of cinching and a fair amount of cussing to complete the job, but once done, they dropped easily over the side. Along with the the other interior cushions and all of the cockpit cushions, ABISHAG is a lot less "Soft" than she was. All that remains inside are a dozen or so bags that contain the items stored in the various lockers and drawers. They will get transported sometime this week and then all that will remain aboard are the backup anchor, the wing and rudder from the wind vane steering system, the storm sail and spinnaker (which will also be going), the lubricants and oils for the engine, and a bottle of bleach, one of white vinegar and one of distilled water. These last three will also make the trip north to storage and then the stripping will be complete.
I took down the ceiling panels in the aft cabin and the aft head. For the life of me, I still can't figure out where the leak or leaks back there are. They are not obvious so it will require the "Sherlock Holmes" approach to discovery - " When you eliminate all possible causes, the one that remains, however improbable, is the answer." I also removed the ceiling panels from the lockers in the galley and those from the lockers in the salon. Those provided access tot eh machine screws that hold a couple of the deck stanchions in place. It is clear that the stanchions at the starboard side gate are loose and need re-bedding. That they are also leaking is clear beyond doubt. I will make an effort to pop&re-bed all of them, and hopefully will be able to do the same for all the deck hardware, even those that are not leaking. They have all been in place for 35 years now and that is long passed any reasonable expectations for the caulking that was used in putting them in place originally. In one sense, it will be a relatively easy fix. The truly hard part is to figure out how to hold the nut in place while screwing bolt down. One is inside and one is outside and no one has arms long enough to hold and screw at the same time! But I'll come up with something or someone when the time comes.
I am amazed at the amount of "stuff" that got "stuffed" into ABISHAG. For some reason, maybe carefully storage, it didn't seem like all that much, but then again, I only used a small portion of these items at any one time. The things that I used a lot where always at the top of the locker or in the front of the shelf or drawer, and I just didn't pay all that much attention to things that were not being regularly used. I've got a DYMO Label Maker which I used during a two day attempt to identify and mark all the wires and hoses leading every which way throughout the boat. But basically, it has sat unused in a locker for about five years. I've got a couple of spare PFDs and tethers, and occasionally when I am making a passage with "crew," they come in handy, but for the most part I sail alone and they remain carefully store and ready but unused. There is lots of stuff like that, not to mention spares and the items needed for projects planned but undone. All these items were necessary at one time, if only to provide a sense of security away from home, but now will be the time to culled them and store them. the problem is that like most sailors, I hate to get caught "short" in a moment of need. If you gathered 5 - to -10 sailboats together, you could easily build and outfit another from all the spares and maintenance items aboard. AH, the fun of boat ownership!
The interior of ABISHAG is getting naked. Now, all of the cushions are gone to their winter residence, though not without a little struggle. While most were easily removed from the inside, the two cushions from the berth in the aft cabin were a real pain to get out. They were "just a bit" larger that the cockpit hatch way and, being made of closed - cell foam, didn't bend much. As a result, I had to used docklines to "cinch" then and constrict their size so that thy would fit through the opening. It took a lot of cinching and a fair amount of cussing to complete the job, but once done, they dropped easily over the side. Along with the the other interior cushions and all of the cockpit cushions, ABISHAG is a lot less "Soft" than she was. All that remains inside are a dozen or so bags that contain the items stored in the various lockers and drawers. They will get transported sometime this week and then all that will remain aboard are the backup anchor, the wing and rudder from the wind vane steering system, the storm sail and spinnaker (which will also be going), the lubricants and oils for the engine, and a bottle of bleach, one of white vinegar and one of distilled water. These last three will also make the trip north to storage and then the stripping will be complete.
I took down the ceiling panels in the aft cabin and the aft head. For the life of me, I still can't figure out where the leak or leaks back there are. They are not obvious so it will require the "Sherlock Holmes" approach to discovery - " When you eliminate all possible causes, the one that remains, however improbable, is the answer." I also removed the ceiling panels from the lockers in the galley and those from the lockers in the salon. Those provided access tot eh machine screws that hold a couple of the deck stanchions in place. It is clear that the stanchions at the starboard side gate are loose and need re-bedding. That they are also leaking is clear beyond doubt. I will make an effort to pop&re-bed all of them, and hopefully will be able to do the same for all the deck hardware, even those that are not leaking. They have all been in place for 35 years now and that is long passed any reasonable expectations for the caulking that was used in putting them in place originally. In one sense, it will be a relatively easy fix. The truly hard part is to figure out how to hold the nut in place while screwing bolt down. One is inside and one is outside and no one has arms long enough to hold and screw at the same time! But I'll come up with something or someone when the time comes.
I am amazed at the amount of "stuff" that got "stuffed" into ABISHAG. For some reason, maybe carefully storage, it didn't seem like all that much, but then again, I only used a small portion of these items at any one time. The things that I used a lot where always at the top of the locker or in the front of the shelf or drawer, and I just didn't pay all that much attention to things that were not being regularly used. I've got a DYMO Label Maker which I used during a two day attempt to identify and mark all the wires and hoses leading every which way throughout the boat. But basically, it has sat unused in a locker for about five years. I've got a couple of spare PFDs and tethers, and occasionally when I am making a passage with "crew," they come in handy, but for the most part I sail alone and they remain carefully store and ready but unused. There is lots of stuff like that, not to mention spares and the items needed for projects planned but undone. All these items were necessary at one time, if only to provide a sense of security away from home, but now will be the time to culled them and store them. the problem is that like most sailors, I hate to get caught "short" in a moment of need. If you gathered 5 - to -10 sailboats together, you could easily build and outfit another from all the spares and maintenance items aboard. AH, the fun of boat ownership!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
"BIG SIGH!"
SHIP'S LOG:
I am looking out the window and IT IS SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW BAD IS THAT!??!?!? Granted t is not a raging blizzard, but it is snow. I AM SOOO Depressed!
Did another trip to ABISHAG yesterday to continue the stripping out. Out went everything in the aft cabin and with all that free room, I couldn't help but do a little "destructive" maintenance. I took down the headliner and exposed the underside of the deck. There have been some leaks back there and I am not sure whether they are from the hatches ( there are two of them back there) or from some other source. From a first cursory glance, there isn't any obvious leak-source that I can see though it is clear that there has been some leaking going on. The mold and mildew on both the headliner and the underside of the deck make that clear. It will take a serious washing down to get it all out. The raw fiberglass of the deck and topside is thick but rather rough and uneven. I have a couple of months to decide whether to paint it or level it, fair it and then paint it.
I though I was a lousy "marine electrician," but which ever former owner who installed the goose-neck lights in the aft cabin was far worse than I. The wires had no support of any kind, just laying on the panels. Half of the connections were simply wires tied together, wrapped in yards of electrical tape. It is a wonder that the boat didn't catch fire when the lights were energized.
I will have to add some fairing strips in the aft cabin. The panels were "formerly" held in place by being screwed along their edges into the ferrying strips. This will not provide enough support when I use Velcro to replace the screws, that and the fact that the panels will be smaller as well. One other disappointing discovery is that there is no direct access to the fasteners for that stanchion bases. The hard fiberglass liner that exists will require holes be cut into it to developed that access. There is the old boating proverb that basically says that doing one project reveals four more that also need doing. In this case, not only will I have to cut into the fiberglass liner to create an access hole, I will also have to eventually come up with a way of camouflaging it less the interior look as though insane, fiberglass-eating moles, have been at work. Once the interior is stripped out, this is some work that I can begin. I won't be able to pop the nuts and re-bed the stanchions until spring, but creating access will make that job a lot easier. I was thinking that perhaps a thin wooden panel, with a Delf tile depicting a sailing scene, could eventually be used to cover the access hole. Now I only have to find the tiles and the cut the wood and figure out how to affix the tile to the wood and the wood to the liner. That's FOUR!
I am hoping that sometime this week, I can prevail upon Russ to help me haul up the last of the stuff in the boat. My new/old car actually has less room that my old P.O.S. Not that it matters that much as I would not have been able to haul the cushions and remaining sail in it anyhow. Once that is done, all of the headliner panels can come down and if it is above freezing, I will hit the interior overhead with mold/mildew killer. And then the last thing will be to wrap ABISHAG up. I HATE WINTER .. . . . . . . . AND IT IS STILL SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am looking out the window and IT IS SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW BAD IS THAT!??!?!? Granted t is not a raging blizzard, but it is snow. I AM SOOO Depressed!
Did another trip to ABISHAG yesterday to continue the stripping out. Out went everything in the aft cabin and with all that free room, I couldn't help but do a little "destructive" maintenance. I took down the headliner and exposed the underside of the deck. There have been some leaks back there and I am not sure whether they are from the hatches ( there are two of them back there) or from some other source. From a first cursory glance, there isn't any obvious leak-source that I can see though it is clear that there has been some leaking going on. The mold and mildew on both the headliner and the underside of the deck make that clear. It will take a serious washing down to get it all out. The raw fiberglass of the deck and topside is thick but rather rough and uneven. I have a couple of months to decide whether to paint it or level it, fair it and then paint it.
I though I was a lousy "marine electrician," but which ever former owner who installed the goose-neck lights in the aft cabin was far worse than I. The wires had no support of any kind, just laying on the panels. Half of the connections were simply wires tied together, wrapped in yards of electrical tape. It is a wonder that the boat didn't catch fire when the lights were energized.
I will have to add some fairing strips in the aft cabin. The panels were "formerly" held in place by being screwed along their edges into the ferrying strips. This will not provide enough support when I use Velcro to replace the screws, that and the fact that the panels will be smaller as well. One other disappointing discovery is that there is no direct access to the fasteners for that stanchion bases. The hard fiberglass liner that exists will require holes be cut into it to developed that access. There is the old boating proverb that basically says that doing one project reveals four more that also need doing. In this case, not only will I have to cut into the fiberglass liner to create an access hole, I will also have to eventually come up with a way of camouflaging it less the interior look as though insane, fiberglass-eating moles, have been at work. Once the interior is stripped out, this is some work that I can begin. I won't be able to pop the nuts and re-bed the stanchions until spring, but creating access will make that job a lot easier. I was thinking that perhaps a thin wooden panel, with a Delf tile depicting a sailing scene, could eventually be used to cover the access hole. Now I only have to find the tiles and the cut the wood and figure out how to affix the tile to the wood and the wood to the liner. That's FOUR!
I am hoping that sometime this week, I can prevail upon Russ to help me haul up the last of the stuff in the boat. My new/old car actually has less room that my old P.O.S. Not that it matters that much as I would not have been able to haul the cushions and remaining sail in it anyhow. Once that is done, all of the headliner panels can come down and if it is above freezing, I will hit the interior overhead with mold/mildew killer. And then the last thing will be to wrap ABISHAG up. I HATE WINTER .. . . . . . . . AND IT IS STILL SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, November 11, 2013
SNOW! They Are Actually Calling For Snow Tonight!
SHIP'S LOG:
Lethargy can get you into some uncomfortable situations. I took yesterday to "finally" start emptying ABISHAG. I had taken a load of stuff up to Russ' basement last week, but surprisingly it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the nautical collection aboard. It was simply a "stripping of the surface" and yesterday was much more a plunge below the surface as it were.
I started in the forepeak and I found stuff that I didn't recall that I had aboard. I found a set of the most "garish" bed linens that you have ever seen. Pier 1 Imports would not have carried them. I also re-discovered the drogue. A drogue is pear-shaped device made of webbing that one trails behind one's boat should one want to slow down in bad weather. I knew I had it, I just didn't know where it was. But Sunday's exploration and packing turned it up. In addition to the drogue itself, indeed stored with it, was 300 feet of 3/4 inch line (seemingly brand new) and 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain. The idea is to attach the drogue to the chain and the chain to the line and the line to the stern of the boat and toss the whole mess over-board. The drogue pays out to the end of the chain&line and creates a drag which slows down and stabilizes the boat. According to all that I have read it works wonderfully well. I can't confirm this from personal experience as I have never used it. And that is just as well as the worst weather incident I experienced, aside from the trip down the New Jersey coast where we actually were well in control of speed, was the micro-burst at Fort Pierce. In that case, I wasn't even moving, less you call being pushed slowly down in the water at anchor "moving." Get the drogue itself to the stern of the boat would have been no problem. The problem was trying to drag the 300 feet of 3/4 inch line and the 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain from the fore peak, through the salon, up the ladder, across the cockpit, over the back deck to the stern without giving myself a hernia. I don't know how much it weighs, but even carefully tied up, it was a pain to move and Sunday the boats was still and on land. The thought of doing it in a blow was, shall we say, "most uncomfortable." Me going out in bad weather is anathema! Not that ABISHAG can't take it, or even me know that I have don it, but rather I don't look at sailing as a survival sport. If the weather is bad, I stay at anchor. So the drogue is going to the Consignment shop. The chain and the 3/4 inch line stays here. Where exactly I don't know but that stuff is something I can realistically use.
Ah, lethargy! If I hadn't been afflicted, this is something I would have done right after ABSIHAG go hauled. Then again, the need for gas for the car and the lack of funds to fill the tank, even part way, put a real crimp in my plans. Now, it is a rush against snow and it appears that the snow is going to win! Damn!!!!
I received a couple of emails from club members who have made the trip to sunny Florida. I must be infected with "powerboat-itse" for while wouldn't mind being there with them, the prospect of the trip, with all the motoring and anchoring and all that stuff down and back was the real deterrent. They all sound like they are having a great time. At least they have the weather this year. Truth be told, I wish that I could start working on ABISHAG today to get her ready for the Spring. I really must be getting old or something for as much as I complain about the maintenance, I can't wait to start!
Lethargy can get you into some uncomfortable situations. I took yesterday to "finally" start emptying ABISHAG. I had taken a load of stuff up to Russ' basement last week, but surprisingly it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the nautical collection aboard. It was simply a "stripping of the surface" and yesterday was much more a plunge below the surface as it were.
I started in the forepeak and I found stuff that I didn't recall that I had aboard. I found a set of the most "garish" bed linens that you have ever seen. Pier 1 Imports would not have carried them. I also re-discovered the drogue. A drogue is pear-shaped device made of webbing that one trails behind one's boat should one want to slow down in bad weather. I knew I had it, I just didn't know where it was. But Sunday's exploration and packing turned it up. In addition to the drogue itself, indeed stored with it, was 300 feet of 3/4 inch line (seemingly brand new) and 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain. The idea is to attach the drogue to the chain and the chain to the line and the line to the stern of the boat and toss the whole mess over-board. The drogue pays out to the end of the chain&line and creates a drag which slows down and stabilizes the boat. According to all that I have read it works wonderfully well. I can't confirm this from personal experience as I have never used it. And that is just as well as the worst weather incident I experienced, aside from the trip down the New Jersey coast where we actually were well in control of speed, was the micro-burst at Fort Pierce. In that case, I wasn't even moving, less you call being pushed slowly down in the water at anchor "moving." Get the drogue itself to the stern of the boat would have been no problem. The problem was trying to drag the 300 feet of 3/4 inch line and the 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain from the fore peak, through the salon, up the ladder, across the cockpit, over the back deck to the stern without giving myself a hernia. I don't know how much it weighs, but even carefully tied up, it was a pain to move and Sunday the boats was still and on land. The thought of doing it in a blow was, shall we say, "most uncomfortable." Me going out in bad weather is anathema! Not that ABISHAG can't take it, or even me know that I have don it, but rather I don't look at sailing as a survival sport. If the weather is bad, I stay at anchor. So the drogue is going to the Consignment shop. The chain and the 3/4 inch line stays here. Where exactly I don't know but that stuff is something I can realistically use.
Ah, lethargy! If I hadn't been afflicted, this is something I would have done right after ABSIHAG go hauled. Then again, the need for gas for the car and the lack of funds to fill the tank, even part way, put a real crimp in my plans. Now, it is a rush against snow and it appears that the snow is going to win! Damn!!!!
I received a couple of emails from club members who have made the trip to sunny Florida. I must be infected with "powerboat-itse" for while wouldn't mind being there with them, the prospect of the trip, with all the motoring and anchoring and all that stuff down and back was the real deterrent. They all sound like they are having a great time. At least they have the weather this year. Truth be told, I wish that I could start working on ABISHAG today to get her ready for the Spring. I really must be getting old or something for as much as I complain about the maintenance, I can't wait to start!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Fall Planning
SHIP'S LOG:
With the onset of "winter," I have got to get to work winterizing ABISHAG. Some of it will be done by the Boatyard crews, but there is still plenty I have to do. The biggest job, though in one sense the easiest, is emptying the boat. I will be taking everything out of ABISHAG and store it at Russ' for the winter. And when I say everything, I mean everything, from cushions to spare parts to galley items to electronics to sails to cordage . . . I mean everything. And I will be most careful as to what gets hauled back aboard come the spring.
The Main & Genoa are already at the sail-makers as they have had the most use and need the most work. The Cruising Spinnaker, Mizzen and Storm Jib will winter in Russ' basement as they had only easy use. Time and energy permitting, I may wash them but then again, maybe not!
I've got loads of spare parts that I took on for the ICW trip. I was certainly glad that I did so as there were several times when i made use of them, especially in jury rigging to correct problems. Unfortunately, they add a lot of weight to the boat. You would not think that stainless steel screws and bolts would weigh that much, but when you have lots of them they do! And if you multiply that by fittings and other spare parts, it really adds up. It has gotten to the point when I am not sure exactly what I have available. There is nothing I hate more than going out to buy something I need for the boat only to find I already have it on-board, a fact I find usually after the purchase. What I really need now for coastal cruising is a lot different than what I needed for making the ICW trip. Removing these items and putting back aboard only what I might realistically need will create more storage space.
I have a locker filled with topside paint, caulkings of various kinds, solvents, all sorts of adhesives, fiberglass and resin and hardeners, tools for using fiberglass to make repairs, paintbrushes(bristles and foam) and paint sticks, etc. all of which have been useful but most of the time they just sit there, taking up room. Doing the spring commissioning hopefully will use up most if not all of these times and so free up another locker.
Of course there are also items that can go away permanently. I have a "GALE-RIDER" Drogue which is really great if you are running downwind in a gale (40 knots or better) but won't get a lot of use on the coastal cruising. It is a likely candidate for the "Consignment" Shop in Mystic, or perhaps the one in Wickford in RI which is owned by the same people but is bigger and seems to have a larger turnover.
I also have a portable generator which I haven't used since I got back . . 2 years ago. In fact the only time I needed it was once during this summer, when there was no electrical power on the TYC dock, and it wouldn't start! Chuck the launch driver had the same one and his stopped working as well. He took it off to a HONDA dealer and they charged him over $400 to get it working again. It might be worth getting it going again, though I have no idea why it is not running. Doesn't seem to be any spark so that it would seem to be an electrical problem and you know how I feel about electricity. Perhaps it would be a good thing to get running as the memories of Sandy and Irene and the power outages would make it a useful item to have. Then again, during both Irene and Sandy, the generator rested safe and sound aboard and never got use, so maybe it would be another item for the Consignment Shop. Or perhaps I could give it to TYC in lieu of dues.
Of course there are also plates and pot and cutlery and linens of all types, and while most f them get used regularly when I am "living aboard," I seem to have more than I need. As a reuslt, some deteriorate and have to be tossed. So perhaps it would be better just to keep what I use and "consign" the rest.
Then there are all the cushions, inside and outside. The cockpit cushions are really falling apart. They are low density foam and as a result, unless I remove them from the cockpit when they are not in use, they soak up moister like a sponge which is basically what they are. The vinyl coverings are split along most of the seams and have become so fragile that they rip if you look at them the wrong way. This summer, I got a roll of "Shrink-wrap tape," what they use to hold the shrink wrap on boats before they shrink the wrap on the boat as a winter cover, and re-did the seems ad cover most of the holes. It was not as easy task afloat, but it seemed to work quite well. However, I need to re-do them for two reason: 1.) the finished job wasn't the neatest; and 2.) there is still moisture in the foam. A winter in a nice warm and dry basement will dry them out completely and will allow me to seal them completely for the upcoming season. To replace them would be about 4 Marine Units, none of which I have. And the inside cushions, well at the least, they need cleaning. They have at least seven years of interior dirt and diesel odor to be removed. They covers on all are all in need of being "de-mildewed" and in the case of the cushions in the fore-peak, they need new covers. New covers will not be coming unless I an find a really generous seamstress or tailor. Otherwise, it is a matter of "match-&-patch" by me to cover the really bad holes and then waiting for Publishers Clearing House to find me.
The real reason for the "stripping out" of ABISHAG is the fact that there are several spring projects that require it. I am going to have to create access panels to allow me to get at the bolts and machine screws securing the stanchions. A couple are leaking and the rest, if not, are surely over do from removal and re-bedding. Cutting wood and fiberglass create a lot of dust and detritus and clean-up is easier if the boat interior is bare. The overheads have to come down as well so that I can get at the wiring they conceal. Too many fixtures throughout the boat don't function and the wiring needs replace. At the very least, all of the connection have to be check and the bad ones re-done. The overheads also have to come down because all of the deck hatches have to be removed and re-bedded as they all leak. The overheads are some type of fiberboard and are as old as the boat and really showing their age. They are not simple to remove, held in by dozens of screws, and the wood into which the fasteners are screw are falling apart as well. In addition, the back of the main cockpit hatch leaks and the wood of its framing is bad and it has to be ripped out and replace. Before I can do that job, I have to find the leak so the problem just doesn't continue. I would like to be able to install a new overhead of some type of type so that I can have ease of access, but that will depend on (naturally) the cost. It is all just one fun thing after another
With the onset of "winter," I have got to get to work winterizing ABISHAG. Some of it will be done by the Boatyard crews, but there is still plenty I have to do. The biggest job, though in one sense the easiest, is emptying the boat. I will be taking everything out of ABISHAG and store it at Russ' for the winter. And when I say everything, I mean everything, from cushions to spare parts to galley items to electronics to sails to cordage . . . I mean everything. And I will be most careful as to what gets hauled back aboard come the spring.
The Main & Genoa are already at the sail-makers as they have had the most use and need the most work. The Cruising Spinnaker, Mizzen and Storm Jib will winter in Russ' basement as they had only easy use. Time and energy permitting, I may wash them but then again, maybe not!
I've got loads of spare parts that I took on for the ICW trip. I was certainly glad that I did so as there were several times when i made use of them, especially in jury rigging to correct problems. Unfortunately, they add a lot of weight to the boat. You would not think that stainless steel screws and bolts would weigh that much, but when you have lots of them they do! And if you multiply that by fittings and other spare parts, it really adds up. It has gotten to the point when I am not sure exactly what I have available. There is nothing I hate more than going out to buy something I need for the boat only to find I already have it on-board, a fact I find usually after the purchase. What I really need now for coastal cruising is a lot different than what I needed for making the ICW trip. Removing these items and putting back aboard only what I might realistically need will create more storage space.
I have a locker filled with topside paint, caulkings of various kinds, solvents, all sorts of adhesives, fiberglass and resin and hardeners, tools for using fiberglass to make repairs, paintbrushes(bristles and foam) and paint sticks, etc. all of which have been useful but most of the time they just sit there, taking up room. Doing the spring commissioning hopefully will use up most if not all of these times and so free up another locker.
Of course there are also items that can go away permanently. I have a "GALE-RIDER" Drogue which is really great if you are running downwind in a gale (40 knots or better) but won't get a lot of use on the coastal cruising. It is a likely candidate for the "Consignment" Shop in Mystic, or perhaps the one in Wickford in RI which is owned by the same people but is bigger and seems to have a larger turnover.
I also have a portable generator which I haven't used since I got back . . 2 years ago. In fact the only time I needed it was once during this summer, when there was no electrical power on the TYC dock, and it wouldn't start! Chuck the launch driver had the same one and his stopped working as well. He took it off to a HONDA dealer and they charged him over $400 to get it working again. It might be worth getting it going again, though I have no idea why it is not running. Doesn't seem to be any spark so that it would seem to be an electrical problem and you know how I feel about electricity. Perhaps it would be a good thing to get running as the memories of Sandy and Irene and the power outages would make it a useful item to have. Then again, during both Irene and Sandy, the generator rested safe and sound aboard and never got use, so maybe it would be another item for the Consignment Shop. Or perhaps I could give it to TYC in lieu of dues.
Of course there are also plates and pot and cutlery and linens of all types, and while most f them get used regularly when I am "living aboard," I seem to have more than I need. As a reuslt, some deteriorate and have to be tossed. So perhaps it would be better just to keep what I use and "consign" the rest.
Then there are all the cushions, inside and outside. The cockpit cushions are really falling apart. They are low density foam and as a result, unless I remove them from the cockpit when they are not in use, they soak up moister like a sponge which is basically what they are. The vinyl coverings are split along most of the seams and have become so fragile that they rip if you look at them the wrong way. This summer, I got a roll of "Shrink-wrap tape," what they use to hold the shrink wrap on boats before they shrink the wrap on the boat as a winter cover, and re-did the seems ad cover most of the holes. It was not as easy task afloat, but it seemed to work quite well. However, I need to re-do them for two reason: 1.) the finished job wasn't the neatest; and 2.) there is still moisture in the foam. A winter in a nice warm and dry basement will dry them out completely and will allow me to seal them completely for the upcoming season. To replace them would be about 4 Marine Units, none of which I have. And the inside cushions, well at the least, they need cleaning. They have at least seven years of interior dirt and diesel odor to be removed. They covers on all are all in need of being "de-mildewed" and in the case of the cushions in the fore-peak, they need new covers. New covers will not be coming unless I an find a really generous seamstress or tailor. Otherwise, it is a matter of "match-&-patch" by me to cover the really bad holes and then waiting for Publishers Clearing House to find me.
The real reason for the "stripping out" of ABISHAG is the fact that there are several spring projects that require it. I am going to have to create access panels to allow me to get at the bolts and machine screws securing the stanchions. A couple are leaking and the rest, if not, are surely over do from removal and re-bedding. Cutting wood and fiberglass create a lot of dust and detritus and clean-up is easier if the boat interior is bare. The overheads have to come down as well so that I can get at the wiring they conceal. Too many fixtures throughout the boat don't function and the wiring needs replace. At the very least, all of the connection have to be check and the bad ones re-done. The overheads also have to come down because all of the deck hatches have to be removed and re-bedded as they all leak. The overheads are some type of fiberboard and are as old as the boat and really showing their age. They are not simple to remove, held in by dozens of screws, and the wood into which the fasteners are screw are falling apart as well. In addition, the back of the main cockpit hatch leaks and the wood of its framing is bad and it has to be ripped out and replace. Before I can do that job, I have to find the leak so the problem just doesn't continue. I would like to be able to install a new overhead of some type of type so that I can have ease of access, but that will depend on (naturally) the cost. It is all just one fun thing after another
Monday, October 21, 2013
Frost!!! We're Talking FROST!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yesterday was the second to the last race. Next Sunday will bring the racing season to and end and probably just in time. When I got up this morning int he woods of Griswold, there was Frost everywhere. And I am not talking just a light, frosty coating but a serious hard frost. Now that I pretty much have abandon checking the weather every day, except for Sunday because we race on Sundays but only for one more weekend, it caught me by surprise to say the least. Thank goodness I am off the boat as it would have been rather difficult to get out of the sack this morning. Not to mention what a trial it would have been to plunk my butt down on that cold, cold toilet seat in the head! Still, ain't it just a bit early?
The mooring field at TYC is getting rather barren and empty. Saturday, pretty close to a dozen boats left to get hauled for the winter. And Sunday, more left, even a few racers who at least waited until the race was over. Next weekend will see the great fall exodus as the TYC "closes" on November 1st and everyone "must be gone."It will still take a couple of weeks but the only ones who will remain will be those few who haul-out locally. The Saybrook or Portland or Stonington or Westerly crowd will be gone by Sunday next Westerly as the weather gets more hinkey and the temperature starts to head for the basement. Except for those who are into "frostbite" sailing, the season will be over and any time spent on boats will be for winterizing, wrapping and emptying. It is such a terrible time of the year. The only good aspect is that all those things one has somehow "lost " on the boat during the season will suddenly and miraculously reveal themselves.
I will head up to Portland today to see if I have been hauled and to pick up a few small items. Once I get out of the water, a major "stripping" will be done and then I'll wrap ABISHAG for her winter snooze. It gets SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Depressing!
Yesterday was the second to the last race. Next Sunday will bring the racing season to and end and probably just in time. When I got up this morning int he woods of Griswold, there was Frost everywhere. And I am not talking just a light, frosty coating but a serious hard frost. Now that I pretty much have abandon checking the weather every day, except for Sunday because we race on Sundays but only for one more weekend, it caught me by surprise to say the least. Thank goodness I am off the boat as it would have been rather difficult to get out of the sack this morning. Not to mention what a trial it would have been to plunk my butt down on that cold, cold toilet seat in the head! Still, ain't it just a bit early?
The mooring field at TYC is getting rather barren and empty. Saturday, pretty close to a dozen boats left to get hauled for the winter. And Sunday, more left, even a few racers who at least waited until the race was over. Next weekend will see the great fall exodus as the TYC "closes" on November 1st and everyone "must be gone."It will still take a couple of weeks but the only ones who will remain will be those few who haul-out locally. The Saybrook or Portland or Stonington or Westerly crowd will be gone by Sunday next Westerly as the weather gets more hinkey and the temperature starts to head for the basement. Except for those who are into "frostbite" sailing, the season will be over and any time spent on boats will be for winterizing, wrapping and emptying. It is such a terrible time of the year. The only good aspect is that all those things one has somehow "lost " on the boat during the season will suddenly and miraculously reveal themselves.
I will head up to Portland today to see if I have been hauled and to pick up a few small items. Once I get out of the water, a major "stripping" will be done and then I'll wrap ABISHAG for her winter snooze. It gets SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Depressing!
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