Getting Her Ready

I have been working on designing the dodger and it isn't going as well as I thought it would. The curves on the tubing are not tight enough and make it look like a bubble on top of the companionway. My engineer told me to make a jig and fill the tubes with sand which will allow me to bend tighter corners. I did find all the hardware I needed on ebay and far less than the marine stores. I plan on using brass screws to mount the frame to the teak atop the companionway. I will try the fit again tomorrow.

Next is to bring all the stuff up from the basement and get the boat back in shape. The cushions, potti, sails, signal flares, life jackets, etc. Once I have everything in the boat, I can see what more I need to stow the gear properly.

I need to do a little cosmetic work in the cabin, but that will be about it. The outside is just about done with the exception of the touch up to the bottom paint. It seems every year they power wash the bottom and some of the bottom paint just blows off. I try to scuff up the surface to get good adhesion but the end of the season, another area will be off. Being the bottom paint lasts a few years and only requires me to touch it up, I am going to have to take it all off one day and prepare the bottom better then the person before me did. I have been using the Micron CSC, but just found Cukote by Sea Hawk which according to them is better. The cost of the product will be the deciding factor.

That's it for this writing.

Plugging along

This past weekend I worked on the teak wood of the boat. The exterior has the toe rail along the deck, the hand rails on the cabin, and the companion way hatch trim. All of these areas were sanded and polyurethaned. Yes polyurethaned! I have tried the teak oil and that actually needed to be done twice during the season, tried marine varnish and that pealed off of the teak before the end of the season, so I needed to try something different. Yes, I heard pros and cons about various products, but it is what works for you. So this year we purchased a super strength poly to try. I'm not one who is interested in keeping the teak oiled, I just need it to remain durable and not require any work until she is back home for the winter. The boat sits on that mooring in the glaring sun all summer and there has to be something that will not wear out before the end of the season.

We also worked more on the deck to try to stop any water infiltration from the rain. After working on the boat this weekend, we had some rain and I did not find any drippings inside the cabin. I hope this means that I cured the problem. I'll check again after the next rain. This was my biggest problem last year. Last year I siliconed the windows thinking it was them, being it isn't, I will peel away the silicon used last year.

I need to work on the mast antenna and mast light. Not really sure how to attack the problem, but I must figure something out. I put a plug in line for the mast, but the marina evidently doesn't check for plugs and takes the mast down without unplugging the wire and breaks the wire. Maybe there is something out there already designed and made for this type of problem.

I plan to build some more storage inside over the nex couple weeks. I need storage so things are not loose in the cabin as healing over throws loose items around. I also think I want to place a carpet or something on the floor to make it look a little homier.

That's it for this week, we'll keep you posted.

The boat still needs a good cleaning and that will be the last thing before we bring her to the marina.

Changing seasons

The weather has been rainy for almost 2 weeks now. I had the opportunity to climb onboard and lay out my dodger base which is going to be made from ipe wood. It will mount onto the teak runners on the sides companion way hatch. So now I can begin the designing process.

I also checked the bilge and found it with just a little water inside. I know the boat leaked from the deck someplace during the rain last season. Now with the boat in the driveway, I can begin the sealing process of all deck items and then the rubber guard along the sides where the top and bottom are joined. I will run a small bead of clear silicon along the top of the rubber to make sure the water isn't coming in from there. The life line sanctions and some other hardware on deck will have to be checked and sealed.

I also have to get a replacement Windex vane as my aVane was stolen or we lost it on the way home from the marina last year. It wasn't there when we got home and I never checked to see if it was there when I took her home. I would also like to get a new VHF transceiver with DSC this season. I figure if I buy one piece of electronics per season, eventually I should be in good shape. I now have the Midland handheld VHF and two handheld GPS units. A new radio will require a new antenna.

There is so much on my list, I can't see me finishing by May. I think some of the stuff I will do once I get her in the water. The sewing of the sail in a couple places will have to wait until I get them on the boat. I'll sit in the cockpit one day and sew them up (While I have a fishing pole out the back.).

The move of spring

The first day of spring brought some nice warm temperatures. This was the sign to clear a path and move the boat from deep in the back yard to the driveway. This will make working on it so much easier. Once I moved her into the driveway, I removed her cover to find a dirty boat underneath. I guess the wind blew dust under the cover and it settled in spots on the deck. There were a few areas where there was black mildew starting. I pulled out my great boat brush, mixed up a spray bottle of cleaner and gave her a quick wash down with the pressure nozzle of the hose and some scrubbing. I checked the bilge and it was still pretty empty. We have had rain since I moved the boat, so I will have to get the power on in the boat to put the bilge on automatic.

I spoke with my first mate this weekend and discussed fixing the lose seam I have in both sails. We both agreed that it would be easier to fix on the boat during a calm day, than unrolling them in the back yard and having to roll them up again. So sail repair will wait until she is in the water.

I also moved the dinghy and placed her on top on cider blocks so I can begin stripping the bottom for a layer of new fiberglass. I don't expect this to be too troublesome of a job. Once this is done, the dinghy should leak no more.

My list looks so big right now. There is a page and a half of work to complete in the next 5 weeks. I will have to spend some time each evening, plus I will take a few days off to give me a chance to really chop away at the list. We'll keep you all posted as we progress.

Finding the time

It has been a tough winter so far and today we are suppose to be in the 50's. It won't be long before Lil Provo is moved from the back yard to the driveway to commence preparation for the coming season. The list keeps growing, I'm wondering if you ever complete the list of things you want to get done on your boat. It seems not, as one comes off, two go on. I am comfortable that this is the normal for all boat owners.

I will need new tires for the trailer this year. I chanced it last year with the dry rotted tires, but I will not push my luck for another season. To get her in the driveway, I will need those new tires as the old ones have let go during the winter. With the soggy back yard, the blocks I had under the trailer sank into the ground and placed the weight back onto the tires, causing them to pop off of their rims. Perfect timing for new tires.

My target date is the first week of May for getting her on her mooring. So there is much to do until then. I have taken some time off so I could get things done, I just hope it is enough time.

As you can see in the picture above, the snow has really stopped a lot of winter boat work. Lil Provo sits on her trailer covered up . There she sits until we are sure the weather is changing.

Building a list

There is still at least 15" of snow on the ground and temperatures are expected to get into the 40's F over the next few days. I am hoping that some of the white stuff melts away and allows me to get back to measuring the entire boat which will be converted to a CAD file later on.

In the meantime I am working on list of things that need to be done before we place her back into the water in May. With my arm out of the sling and the approval to pick up more than two pounds, I am ready to get going. I can't wait to get her out of the back yard and into the driveway where she will be sitting on hard ground and close to the house for electricity and water.

During the winter I have been following Jessica and Abby as each works on their sailing trip around the world without stopping. I think about it, but don't know if that is something I can do. If I was able to stop at various ports, I think it would be a great trip. Could you imagine taking a year or two and sailing around the world. I certainly would need a much bigger boat, but the thought is enticing.

We'llget back to you soon with updates.

Cold Winter

The winter has been cold and we have not had a chance to get onboard to complete measuring the parts of the cabin. They are calling for another snow storm this weekend and again we will be pushed back. To keep the sanity I am following the blogs of Jessica as she passes her half way mark in sailing around the world and the new comer, Abby who has been encountering problem after problem. If it were me, I'd turn around. Having problems from the start and being so young can only lead to problems when your out of reach of help. I wish her well, but have my doubts.