As expect this was a weekend of no wind, a touch of rain, and temps well into the 90s (actual stats at this moment; temp 93, dew point 73, heat index 103). With the sun covers in place we started our normal weekend flog. And as normal jobs lead along unexpected paths. We finished the last of the exterior teak (which looks freaking fine - if I can boast on the work mostly done by Deb). A serious run was made at fixing the V-berth hatch leak but all efforts proved for naught. As it turns out disassembling, cleaning, driving to town to look for parts, fixing and reassembling the port side handle won't fix a leak that is due to a main gasket being ancient, stiff, and shedding pieces. (But Your Honor, the gasket leak was at the handle, how was I to know?) That leak is still on the to-do list.
Somehow finishing the teak and working on the hatch got linked in what passes for my brain; the badly corroded hatch frames are now completely unbearable. Some experimentation later and we discovered that 1500 wet/dry and a palm sander is the cure for many an ill...only 3 more hatches to go. (And another item added to the list.)
Deb has been working tirelessly on selling enough stuff to pay for the new head system - which will get ordered this week. Looking forward to having a latest-and-greatest (and hopefully orderless) head system is off-set by a total dread of the work staring me in the face. There is no doubt we will get it done, and equally no doubt I'll be beat, battered and bruised in the process.
All these projects got me to wondering, "What's next?" Not what project is next (there will always be another project). But right now "The Retirement Project" is this boat. We have spent literally uncountable hundreds of hours grinding on this and wrestling with that, while the sweat dripped off our noses and occasional blood oozed off our fingers. We have been underway, sail and motor, for 38. (Remember that anal logbook thing?) Someday we will transition from, "What do we need to do to the boat," to, "What do we want to do with the boat." Working on the boat will not be the project, living and traveling on the boat will. And the fact is, except for one trip around Long Island and another to Bahama, I don't know much about living and traveling on a boat.
I'm looking forward to what's next.
Companionway teak trim and grabrails all done!
Somehow finishing the teak and working on the hatch got linked in what passes for my brain; the badly corroded hatch frames are now completely unbearable. Some experimentation later and we discovered that 1500 wet/dry and a palm sander is the cure for many an ill...only 3 more hatches to go. (And another item added to the list.)
Before...
After.
Deb has been working tirelessly on selling enough stuff to pay for the new head system - which will get ordered this week. Looking forward to having a latest-and-greatest (and hopefully orderless) head system is off-set by a total dread of the work staring me in the face. There is no doubt we will get it done, and equally no doubt I'll be beat, battered and bruised in the process.
The gauntlet has been thrown...
All these projects got me to wondering, "What's next?" Not what project is next (there will always be another project). But right now "The Retirement Project" is this boat. We have spent literally uncountable hundreds of hours grinding on this and wrestling with that, while the sweat dripped off our noses and occasional blood oozed off our fingers. We have been underway, sail and motor, for 38. (Remember that anal logbook thing?) Someday we will transition from, "What do we need to do to the boat," to, "What do we want to do with the boat." Working on the boat will not be the project, living and traveling on the boat will. And the fact is, except for one trip around Long Island and another to Bahama, I don't know much about living and traveling on a boat.
I'm looking forward to what's next.
1 comment:
Teak and hatches look terrific!
~~_/)~~_/)~~_/)~~
Sabrina & Tom
s/v Honey Ryder Caliber 40 LRC
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