August 28, 2014

Amazingly, I actually took the boat out this week...albeit briefly. Carol and I took her across the channel to Smugglers Cove on Santa Cruz Island.  There was no wind...just a long south swell from a hurricane off Mexico, so we had to motor.  Despite the placid seas, Carol was afflicted with mal de mer, which was no fun. Fortunately, she recovered enough to enjoy the party on the mother ship (a DeFever 55) and was much better on the trip back the next day. We saw some dolphins, but only at a distance, and a lot of velella velella. There was just enough wind to try out the new lazy jacks.  They worked in that they controlled the main enough that I could wait to properly flake it until I was in the slip.  However, I added a couple of more lines to try to hold it on the boom more neatly.  I also resolved that, when I can afford it, I will replace some of the running rigging.  It's not that it's suspect, it's just that there are so many lines all alike and all terminating at the foot of the mast that it's tough to sort them out and keep them straight.  Color coded lines and labeled cleats will make it much easier.

After a day and half spent putting things away and cleaning up from the trip, it was back to stripping, sanding and refinishing the starboard cap rail.  For some reason it seems to be going a bit faster than the port side.  Might be because the sun has stripped a bit more of it.  With luck I might get it done next week.  Then I get to start on the stern cap rail.  Joy!

August 21, 2014

The main project for the week was the completion of the lazy jacks to control the main when it's dropped, especially important with a big doghouse that makes it more difficult to get to the boom.  I used an article from Good Old Boat magazine as my guide.   Because Circadian has roller reefing for the main, I could not connect the lines to fixed points on the rotating boom. Instead, I ran a baseline from the mast to the main sheet shackle on the end of the boom (which doesn't rotate) and put eyes with thimbles where needed for the verticle lines.  It's done, but final adjustments will need to wait until I test it this weekend.  (The wind was always from the wrong direction at the dock.)

I also spent a lot of time just putting things back together to make the boat seaworthy again (anchors, sheets, instruments, helm seat, etc, etc.).  I had to pump out the holding tank, get outboard gas mixed and a propane tank filled.  I wanted to do some routine engine maintenance, but it was clear there wouldn't be time.  Another week and 10 more hours running time won't make any difference.  (I did start it and run it for a while to make sure everything was operating properly).  One day was devoted to doing mast work on Circadian and a dockmate's boat.  We helped each other.  He needed help running a wire cable through his mast, I needed a belay when I went up the mast to drill and thread holes on the spreaders for the eye straps holding up the lazy jacks. (He's a former rock climber and surgeon, so you couldn't ask for a better qualified belay partner!)

It's been hectic trying to get everything done so that Carol and I can head to Santa Cruz Island Saturday for a dockmate's annual cruise-in birthday bash, costume contest, fish fry and potluck.  It'll be good to get to sea again, and fun, but probably exhausting since we have to squeeze it into a tight schedule.  Big change from last weekend when all I had to do was eat lobster to help Carol celebrate her birthday!

August 15, 2014

Going from the birthday-boy to shit-shifter was quite an adjustment.  I spent much of the week clearing stuff out of the truck so that it could be hauled away as a total loss, clearing out two marina lockers and moving it all into a new rented storage space.  None of that did my back any good at a time when it was giving me grief anyway.  One great piece of luck, tho, was a stranger at the storage yard giving me a very nice heavy duty shelf on castors.  He was from out of state and clearing out the last of his stuff, so he was happy to be rid of it.  I just rolled it right over to my space.  It turned out to be critically important:  I could never have gotten everything into my little space without it, and because it rolls, I can still get easy access to everything.

I also finally got to cleaning out the dust and debris left in the engine room from the big painting project.  That entailed removing much of the gear stowed there, hosing off the gear and the engine room, drying out everything and reorganizing as it was stowed.  That didn’t help my back much either, so I took a break, shopped for the materials needed for next week's project, lazy jacks, and went sailing on my buddy’s new Montgomery 15.  

The most important and challenging task, however, was finding a suitable birthday present for Carol, whose birthday is this weekend. Wish me luck!

August 7, 2014

Rather than start  this week on stripping, sanding and refinishing the starboard cap rail (a 3-week job), I decided to begin getting the boat ready for sea so that I can join some friends at the Island in two weeks for the annual fish-fry, birthday party and bacchanal at Smugglers Cove.  I wanted to get two major projects done by then (in addition to routine maintenance items):  install lazy jacks for the main and solve the problem of the anchor chain stacking up in the locker and jamming before all the chain can be cranked aboard. 

This week I tackled the anchor chain problem.  I replaced the small chain pipe tube with an 8 inch heavy duty PVC pipe that was large enough for the chain to pile up inside it.  It proved big enough to accommodate all the chain.  Now the chain can be knocked down into the locker at leisure later rather than requiring crew below while the anchor is being raised. 

I also started properly re-stowing all the gear that had been tossed into the dinghy during the cabin and deck painting process.  Doing so revealed several other new issues that had to be dealt with this week.   Oars had to be sanded and refinished, leaks sealed, chafed line and stripped davit crank set screw repaired, etc, etc.

But this weekend:  BIRTHDAY!!!  I MIGHT recover enough by Monday to get back to work....