December 11, 2014

Another week punctuated by inclement weather meant that I had to be nimble in juggling work tasks.  I managed to get in a bit more painting and varnishing as well as some other little projects.  Several items I had previously ordered arrived, and they provided some impetus too.  The biggest one (literally and figuratively) was a new helm seat. At about one third the size and weight of the old one, it will be much easier to move around and stow out of the way.  More important from a safety and security standpoint, however, was a new chain hook for the anchor rode snubber.  I’ll be modifying the snubber next week as a result.

The annual holiday boat parade is coming this weekend, and several of my dockmates are working hard decorating their boats despite the threat of rain. With the biggest storm so far this year set to unleash some heavy rain in the wee hours tonight, I’ll soon find out if my re-caulking of a cabin-top hatch last week fixed the little leak.  Do your dry dance!

December 4, 2014

The first half of the week was spent traveling up to the Bay area with Carol to celebrate the holiday and visit friends.  In between the gourmet feasts and hobnobbing, I managed a visit to Hyde Street Pier at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.  It berths quite a few historic boats and ships, many of which can be toured.  I also went to the old Maritime Museum, which sadly is a museum no more.  Probably a victim of budget cuts.  After eight hours of battling horrendous holiday traffic in the rain on Sunday, we arrived back in Ventura tired and stressed.

After a bit of rest, I was ready for some boat therapy!  Unfortunately, the rain limited me to inside work, so I had to make a few adjustments (which is not too difficult, since something always wants doing, inside or out).  The rain also revealed the return of a small, but annoying, leak around one of the teak hatches over the galley. So that got added to the fair weather list.  Once the rain cleared, I got back to varnishing the companionway teak and painting the windvanes for the Hydrovane.  I also recaulked the base of the leaking hatch.  With rain forecast in about a week, it shouldn’t be long before I find out if I’ve got it or not.