Lil Provo sits on her trailer in Keyport NJ awaiting some special attention for the damage incurred late this season. Last weekend I took a drive down and unloaded some things from the cabin and worked on getting the motor off. We soaked the Master lock last week with WD40 before leaving the boat yard and after sitting for a week I inserted the key only to find that the WD40 had not worked at all and the lock would not unlock. I then walked to the back of my truck and pulled out my 100 foot extension cord and die grinder. In a couple minutes the lock was lying on the ground, well the bottom half anyway. I was alone, with my bad back and shoulder, and had to remove the engine which was over my shoulder height. After unscrewing the motor clamps I got my arms around the lower portion of the engine and picked it up to get it off the bracket. I wish I had thought this out before picking it up. I should have set a big block by me so I sit the bottom of the engine on it while I got a better grip. Not having a block, I had to bend my knees and gingerly lower the engine skeg to the pavement. I then changed my grip and picked it up and carried it to the back of the truck where I slide her in. There was case of water I wanted to get out before temperatures went below freezing. There was also the charts, depth finder, VHF, GPS, and a couple other items. This coming weekend I will have to go down and get the rest of the things that should not be left in the boat over the winter. The portapotti is a must to come home. I already miss sailing and maybe hanging out down there on the weekends will help that pass.
The boat needs a lot of attention this winter. She needs the damage repaired from the accident, needs new bottom paint, I need to address a soft spot on the cabin sole where a table had been mounted, A super cleaning to get her back in shape for a new season.
I will be leaving for China and Korea in another week and will not be down to the boat in weeks after this weekend. I'll keep you posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment