Thursday October 31, 2013
Today is planning day. We have 51 boat projects plus some travelling to do, plus need some family time with Kylie, ryan and Mason. The project list is so long that I am setting up a "Project Management" system on the computer. Work starts tomorrow!
Primarily on David and Jen's prompting we have arranged a "Blackman family get-together" in Ashville, NC. We have rented a house for a week and expect all 13 of us to participate. We expect to be away at least a week 11/24 to 12/01. Should be fun.
On December 4 we fly to Phoenix for 13 days. Deidre and I have lined up a bunch of doctor and dentist appointments, plus a couple of Xmas parties plus I have a 3 day visit for a business meeting in Las Vegas. We will stay at the Anthem house.
Friday November 1, 2013
Started washing the boat. Deidre had hosed it off yesterday and got most of the salt off the hull. I started up top washing the bimini and clears. Had Stan from "Belleair" over for dinner.
Saturday November 2, 2013
Carpet cleaning day. After breakfast Deidre and I dismantled the Salon and moved most of the furniture out onto the aft deck. Ryan called in about 10 AM and helped with the couch (It weighed a ton). Ryan gave me a ride into Mt Pleasant to pick up the carpet cleaner. We had to deal with the Salon carpet "in situ", but the other pieces we carried up to the house and laid them out on a deck. Ryan also helped me move the freezer of the Flying Bridge onto the dinghy deck, so I could inspect and remove the wooden base.
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| Hillbilly boat |
The carpet pieces are pretty beat up, but they cleaned up as well as can be expected. I think we have decided to get a contractor to refinish the teak and holly floor in the galley and replace the carpet in the Pilothouse with new teak and holly. It would look very sexy. I carried the freezer base over to the house and sanded it down, and gave it its first coat of varnish.
The house needs a drain down the west side. Rain water drips off the roof and splashes the side of the house with mud as it digs a hole. So while I waited for the varnish to dry and Deidre to finish up I started digging the drain trench.
Sunday November 3, 2013
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| Breakfast with the family |
Breakfast out with the "young Taylors" and the "not so young Taylors" (Gene and Nelma). Mason sat up in a high chair and otherwise was handed from Grand parent to Grand parent. Gene is a great mechanic so I chatted with him about my dinghy project
Back to the boat and Ryan helped Deidre and I unload the lazerette. Two truckloads later the contents were in the garage under the house. The boat came 4" out of the water. The rest of the day I spent cleaning the ER and lazerette, and attempting to stop the rudder post leak by adjusting the pressure on the packing.
Ryan also helped me move the freezer off the fly bridge and onto the dinghy deck. I then unfastened the base and took it over to the house to get cleaned up and refinished. The freezer also needs some touch up.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Visited Aloha Friday (Ted & Nancy) to hear about their solar system. Deidre borrowed the car and we went grocery and project shopping. I continued to clean the ER and did some part sorting over at the house. Got cold and we turned on the heat. I have a lot of projects underway but very few crossed off! The guy coming to quote on the "teak and holly" floor was stopped by the police on the island and arrested. So much for that.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Bloody cold and windy - just 46 degrees when we got up. Deidre and Kylie went to the baby doctor - big news is that Mason is in the 80th percentile for weight but 45th for height - so a true Blackman! While they were away I visited with the owners of a new DeFever 49 RPH on our finger, "River Girl".
Lunch with Aloha Friday. After lunch I got back to work on the ElectroScan, installing an immersion pump into the salt tank. I ordered the pump from the UK. Took me all afternoon. I fired it up and so far it has successfully completed 3 cycles. A bit early to claim victory, but out sanitation woes may be over. :)
Mason, Ryan and Kylie came for dinner, and I told them all about my immersion pump.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The immersion pump is still working. So I tidied up the wiring and consider it done. Next job was to dismantle the windlass to retrieve the parts for chrome plating. It came apart well and we will drive them to the plater on Friday. Cleaned and painted the ER floor. Deidre started taping the rails for varnish. If the weather is OK will big sanding and varnishing tomorrow.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
The immersion pump is still working! Borrowed Kylie's car and went shopping. Back at the boat Deidre and I started taping and sanding the varnished teak rails. Two visitors today quoting on "teak and holly" and electronics. Drinks over at BelleAire, dinner on the boat.
Friday, November 8, 2013
We borrowed Kylie's car and were on the road by 8:15 AM. First stop was breakfast at Denny's! That was a bit of a bust but we were back on the road by 9:15AM with ETA at the Chrome Plater of 1:00 PM. The processor was located in a run down industrial park in Greenwood, SC. "In the day", Greenwood was a traditional "company town" with 28 cotton and textile mills owned by a Mr Self. He owned everything - the mills, the brick works, the lumber mill, the houses, the movie theater - the lot. Mr Self and family are well gone now, the town is down to one textile mill, but otherwise seems to be doing OK. Our parts will be ready in 4-6 weeks - that will be cutting it fine!
Then off to another little town called "Donalds, SC" where I had identified a teak distributor. I need a piece to replace a broken door stop and cannot find it in Charleston. The town was barely an intersection, one gas station, no McDonalds! The address took us down a narrow country road, I was expecting to find a hillbilly in a garage. Lo and behold around a corner on a leafy hill - the largest importer and teak mill in the USA. Maybe 20 acres of processing and storage. My Dad would have loved the place, so much wood.
We were back at the boat by 7 PM, having driven about 400 miles and had a lot of fun.
Saturday, November 8. 2013
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| At least that got done! |
I tried to start sanding early but it was probably 10 AM before I started. I wanted to get all the railing ready for the Admiral. Deidre started varnishing after lunch and I moved to repairing the Salon door stop. Then the kids came! and that was sorta that. Maybe 25% got varnished, but the door stop is glued and screwed!
Mark & Donna called and invited us to a movie at the Italian Film Festival. The movie was a bit strange but it was good to be down town on a Saturday night. Light dinner afterwards.
Sunday November 10, 2013
Completed the first coat of varnish today! Started on the Flying Bridge varnish project by replacing the bow thruster boot with the new one. Began preparing the area for sanding and prep by dismantling the perspex anti-glare shield and removing the "odds and ends boxes".
I have taped posters all over the marina looking for other people needing to galvanize their chains, so we can jointly reach the minimum weight. I was approached today by a boat owner with 110 lb of anchors to galvanize. Its a start.
This afternoon we were invited to the Taylors' for family bar-b-que. Its always fun to be in such an expanded family situation, plus watch the fuss they all make of Mason. A good time.
Project Count:
8 Complete
15 Started
42 Not started
65 TOTAL
Monday November 11, 2013
This morning I sanded the rails again and Deidre applied another coat. Another flooring person visited to price the pilothouse teak & holly project. I continued preparing the FB for sanding and varnish - dropped a stainless fitting into the water moments after I said to myself: "Self, don't drop anything over the side!" I have decided to do one side at a time and have started stripping the port side.
After lunch we launched the dink. One of the bladders was quite flat so tried to pump it up. The hand pump split so ended up jury rigging the hose and using the compressor. Good thing I did because Gene Taylor called and was waiting at the marina launch ramp with a small trailer on his truck. Took the dink to his workshop on the golf course. (Friends in right places...... )
Talked to a yard today about the solar project. Seems like it is a "Go".
Project Count:
8 Complete
20 Started
37 Not started
65 TOTAL
Tuesday November 12, 2013
Good progress today. I sanded the rails with 400 grit wet and dry and Deidre varnished. This is the 3rd coat and the rails are starting to look like glass. While Deidre varnished I routed out the cable pass in the FB counter and fitted a plastic the collar.
We had applied chemical stripper on the port side of the FB yesterday and I started scraping today. It is now 80% clean. I hope to finish tomorrow - weather permitting.
I met Gene over at his workshop at about 3PM. The idea was that I was going to do the work under his supervision - but too late. By the time I arrived the motor was off and the center console removed. The dink is looking a bit sad now. Gene will bring it back to the house and I plan to clean it up and mount the new motor - that I have not found yet.
We are expecting a big storm tonight with gale force winds so we are buttoning up the boat.
Wednesday November 13, 2013
Very windy last night, northerly on our stern. The wind load was primarily on one spring line, and it was groaning, so at about 9 PM I ventured out into the cold and added lines. Even in the marina we rocked around a bit during the night. When we woke up the temp was down to 38 degrees and thew wind was still blowing. Deidre headed over to the house to babysit for Kylie (who had an interview later in the morning) and I met a contractor who was quoting on the solar panel frame.
When he left I resumed work on stripping and scraping the teak on the Fly Bridge, and continued all day. It is a tedious job but I think I have the stripping part 95% complete, and then the sanding stage to look forward to! (And that is just on the port side)
Thursday November 14, 2013
Back into scraping and sanding. Ready to varnish about 2:00 PM and gave it a coat. The result did not "jump out at me" like I hoped. But maybe after another 6 or 7 coats. At 3:00 PM I rode back over to the house to restart work on the trench and continue sorting through stores. I am getting a bit frustrated with the "contractors". The electronics guy promised a quote a week ago - still absent. We picked the lowest bid on the teak & holly and now they are not responding. Time is ticking.
Took the three kids out for Mexican tonight.
Friday November 15, 2013
Progress! Both the welding guy and the flooring lady called back! I agreed on a price for the welding, and the flooring lady made an appointment to show us samples. Progress at last. If only the wireless guy would respond.....
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| The Admiral at work |
Deidre headed to town in Ky's car to the Chiropractor and shopping, and I sanded and prepped varnish. Now that the welder is back in play I can get him to build the "staples" for the dinghy. Deidre ran back to "sit" Mason while Ky did an over the phone interview. Back on the boat she resumed varnishing. I installed a couple of U bolts into the shed wall at the top of the ramp to bolt our bikes to.
Gene is coming over for a beer after work. After dinner we will babysit Mason so the kids can go to the movies. Its all go!!!!
Saturday November 16, 2013
Thought we deserved a treat so we headed off for breakfast on our bikes to one of the restaurants in the resort. We both chose a local version of Eggs Benedict - poached egg on a crab cake over a fried green tomato. (Plus grits, but we sent those back!) Plenty of calories but the bike ride was at least two miles each way thru the tropical paradise that this part of the island is all about.
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| Chemicals and scraper |
Back to sanding and staining. I must admit that today I felt a bit overwhelmed with the state of the boat projects. The varnishing project is especially hard on the Admiral because it is so disruptive and the boat is in such disarray as a result. Plus I have used up 2 1/2 weeks of our 9 weeks here - but we "lose" 1 week for Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Arizona, so I am starting to feel that I am running out of time. I need to increase my pace and intensity and ease up on the Admiral!
Dinner out with the (senior) Taylor's - another local experience - each table at "Gilligans" has a two gallon plastic bucket countersunk in the middle for the crab and shrimp detritus - and I have seen them filled to the brim! Really pleasant evening plus good news from Gene - he has come up with a buyer for the 25HP outboard off the dinghy! That will help the budget.
Sunday November 17, 2013
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| The Drain Digger |
Breakfast at Kylies, followed by more stripping and varnishing. PH port now has 4 coats - half way? Work curtailed by rain. Installed Hi Water alarm sender and tested OK. Two more boats interested in re-galvanizing chain, for a total of 5, and all I need is 4. Spent another hour digging the trench at the house - the digging part is now about 75% complete.
Monday November 18, 2013
I tried to get rolling a little earlier today. Most of the morning on the phone ordering parts and organizing the anchor chain project. Actually made phone contact with the flooring lady and explained my new rules: "You must commit to responding to my email or phone calls withing 24 hours or the deal is off". She is promising samples by Wednesday. We will see.
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| Deidre was doing the work but did not want her photo taken. |
Deidre washed the dinghy canvas (it needs to go to the repair man) and then scrubbed the dinghy. I dug a few more feet of the trench. Then reloaded the grease gun and greased the rudder posts. Then back to scraping, sanding and varnishing.
Bad and good news. Rockville Marine cannot take us before Monday Jan 6. Puts us 6 days behind plan (which is OK if we can remain here) and gives me 6 more days to get the projects finished. Dinner on BelleAire tonight.
Tuesday November 19, 2013
Productive day today. This morning I ordered parts and spares from the diesel engine supply company. Then ordered the solar panels, the charge controller and miscel equipment from the solar company. Then contacted all 4 of the chain re-galvanizing people and filled them in on our plan to truck the chains to Jacksonville on Friday. Biked over to Kylie's and built a solid crate for our chain (the chain will weigh about 300lbs) and then dug another few feet of the drain trench. I think the trench is about 75% and so need to start thinking gravel and slotted pipe.
Back at the boat I put another couple of hours into scraping on the rails on the stb. side of the bridge. I guess I am about 75% done (on a square inch basis) and about 50% done (on a time and effort basis - all the easy bits are done.) Gave the port side another coat of varnish. Swept up.
Wednesday November 19, 2013
Cold and windy. I spent the morning inside on the computer organizing work for the fabricator. Resumed scraping for a couple of hours. Its really too cold for the chemicals to work (Needs 60 degrees). Finished attaching the new wipers. Deidre went shopping with Ky.
"Cavara" arrived about 5 PM. Don and Barb have been working on her for 4 years and this is their maiden voyage from Beaufort, NC. We met them and shared a bottle of champagne followed by nice dinner at the marina restaurant. Their boat is the same model and year as Tide Hiker.
Updated project count:
Finished 14
Started 18
Not Started 34
Total 66
Thursday November 20, 2013
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| Best to haul the chain at hi tide |
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| Not at low tide |
High tide was at about 10 AM so we wanted to get the chain on dry land by then. We did better than that and got it into a plastic box by the road. It was then apparent that the crate I had built was too small so back to the house to reconstruct the box.
Quick trip over to the "teak & holly" lady'd place to look at samples. They look good so gave her the OK. The electronics guy came up with a price for the AIS - no dice.
After late lunch Deidre babysat while Ky went to a job interview. I returned to scraping and sanding. I think I am close - maybe 98% done. Picked up the rental truck at 5PM. Dinner at Kylie's. Ryan helped load the chain and the anchors in the truck. Ready for an early start in the AM.
Friday November 22, 2013
Big day - we were on the road by 7:30 AM, arrived the galvanizing plant at about Noon and turned around as we needed to have the truck back by 5:30 PM. Turns out we had enough time to pick up drain pipe for the ditch and 20 gallons of oil for the boat and still made it. The rental car guy did a double take noting the 510 miles for the day....
