Greetings, O moribund newsgroup :{))
I just finished a letter to my son who asked when I was going to set sail.
Here's what I said:
Today marks the last day of sanding on the last batch of the epoxy fairing
compound we've been putting all over our hull, sanding down with longboards
to minimize all the dings. It's come out VERY well.
Barrier coat will start tomorrow, if we don't find something bad enough to
warrant making up some more fairing (which may happen; there are a myriad of
little bubble spots which will have to be filled, either at this stage, or
at the first layer of barrier coat, with a much smaller makeup of a
different epoxy filler).
Rudder and shaft challenges have also crept in and will delay our departure
if they aren't resolved before we're finished with the bottom paint. About
40 small chores are also on the list. Not all the current pix are up, but
you can get an idea of what we've accomplished so far by clicking the
gallery link, then the 2011 refit thumbnail.
As always, a boat's an onion - peel a layer, cry, peel another layer, cry
some more :{))
So, as to setting sail, that's still very much up in the air, complicated by
family-type stuff. There are two major events that I'm sure Lydia will want
to be a part of, one in April, and another some time this summer, in Rabun
County. Last I heard, your sister will produce another nephew for you
somewhere in that same time frame, as well, so if we have to be in the
neighborhood at that time, I'll take advantage of that as well. Lydia's
mother is still on the fence, but we expect her with us once we actually
start sailing. If all the above happens first, she'll stay where she is at
the moment; if not, it could get interesting as to how and where she stays
during all our travels aground.
So, our original thought to immediately head to Haiti via the Bahamas and
beyond doesn't make all that much sense (airplanes back in such a short
time, along with all the challenges related to boat storage and Portia). In
addition, there has been enough done, and the boat out of the water long
enough, that I want to shake it down before we start crossing oceans. As we
still don't have any real idea of when it will be that we go back in the
water, we'll have to play it by ear, but a trip through the Keys is
something we've never done. Likewise, we never really got to enjoy Maine or
the rest of that area, as it was late enough in the year that we had to
sorta hurry south after the two miserable weeks of constant rain there.
Ironically, should we decide to go north, we got taken advantage of in
Georgetown, giving ALL our charts and books for everything north of Florida
to a cruising couple who were going to do that trip next. We hadn't
discussed costs, and we believe that they thought we were just giving them
away (despite our meeting having come via their asking if anyone had charts
over the morning VHF net), so brought a bottle of wine. We didn't feel
comfortable making an issue of it once their intent was evident, especially
since we really didn't expect to need them again. MANY hundreds of dollars
worth of charts and books which we'll have to replace if that's what we
do...
Ennyhoo, it will certainly be several weeks before we CAN go back in the
water. Barrier coat, bottom coat (both with having to move jack stands on
each coat), and boot stripes on the hull, removal and cutting (long story
about my mistakes when we got the new shaft during our initial refit) the
driveshaft, along with a critical decision on whether to return to a
standard packing or keep the dripless one we have now (technical discussion)
as well as replacing the cutlass bearing (with one of the two spares I
bought when I replaced it in the initial refit) are absolutes; since we
can't replace the rudder (another long story), leak (occasioned by the major
pitting present chewing up packing material) remediation at the packing
gland for the rudder post is under way and options being considered for that
as well.
"What can I say? It's a boat!" is a mantra among cruisers facing the same
or like challenges...
So, that's what's up with Flying Pig. All the intervening time (we're
closing in on a year in this filthy yard) has had unexpected benefits,
allowing us to be here for significant family events, a good thing,
silver-lining/lemonade-from-lemons-wise, but we're definitely ready to get
back on the water.
There are lots more pictures I've not uploaded, of the projects which have
either been completed since the last uploading session (only done during
extended visits to Lydia's mother, staying at a high-school friends' home
while she patiently waits for us to finish, where there's broadband), or new
ones which have arisen; I'll come back with reports on that when they're up.
Suffice to say, some of them are pretty scary if you know what you're
looking at!
L8R
Skip and Crew
--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at
www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
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I expect to pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any
kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now.
Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
- Etienne Griellet