The Sun Will be Out Tomorrow

Just as a general update, I am posting the latest pics  on the Venture.

We THOUGHT we were going to real simply put the 4x4 under the hull , stand it up on blocks far enough apart for the wheels of the trailer to slide out and be done with it.  SO much for what thinking did this round!

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Had EVERYTHING all set to go. It WAS a perfect plan!

Had bow all set and everything!

Then REALITY set in and blew the whole darn  plan straight into the trash! The 4x4 wont hold the weight! What to do? After a hard look around Richard noticed the pile of shingles

Wala! We now have a soft but strong support under the boat that works.

OK so its not what I wanted.  Once again it has gone from way to hot to cool at night and if I am going to get ANYTHING done this fall it has to be NOW so the heck with what I THOUGHT I was going to do. Tomorrow I get the angle grinder out and get after it! Utilities are getting turned on tomorrow and I'm going to be getting mighty grubby in the next couple of days bit that bottom is getting done come heck or high water! DA***ED the torpedo's and cold FULL STEAM AHEAD!
SAIL!

Here I sit........

Here I sit in midwest America waiting to see how all this turns out.  Dead beat tenants who like  damaging the property but not paying the bill took off, which i figured that was going to happen.  The mail man tells me they finally turned in a change of address so sending that letter is now an easily option. It will save me cash since now I wont have to pay for tracking them down.  They did not go to far I see since I see her car every time I come up to wifi. I do have to wait until I have the cash to file. That will be some time this next  week or so if I can get a new contract on this house. If not it has to wait until the first.   Life goes on.

The up side is we got the boat lifted and up off the trailer so I can do some work.  The idea was to pull the trailer completely out from under the boat.  It would have worked too. The 4 x 4 is not strong enough to support the weight and started cracking so  we had to keep a center support under the 4 x 4. That blocks the cross tie on the trailer from being able to slide out.  I am back to keep the trailer under the boat.  It works. It is not as comfortable as not having the trailer out from under but it works.  What all this drama means is I have to rethink how I do the keel. Its a lollipop.  The only thing I can think of to do at this point other then having a boat place lift it and drop the keel out is  we put jacks and boards under it,  drop it down on the jacks and let it land on the board and slide it down to the ground on my car ramps. Re install is a simple reversal of all that.
 
I have some thoughts on how to get the keel to electricity to use the grinder. That part is not to hard if I can do it. The bottom of the boat is  pretty close to being clean of old paint but in a few spots there is still this faint residue.  Same times I think it is from the under coat starting to show through the thin parts of the gel coat..  The bottom paint itself sands off pretty fast even with just using the sponge sanders I got. More and more I'm thinking it is just a spot that the gel coat is really thin shining through.
 
The bad news is no electric.   This is what i GET FOR NOT GETTING A DEPOSIT WITH THE DOWN. LIVE AND LEARN. Have been wiping it down with  acetone and hand sanding the thin layer of residue off in every place I can. Have been exploring the idea of plugging my sander into the  inverter in the van. so far the  battery does not want to charge enough to support that. Does that have any thing to do with the bad repair job recently got? I don't know.  I need to check it out.
 I keep forgetting my passwords and now I have other issues on all that so it has been quite the month.  This too will pass!


FINALLY have the storage and house ready to load. I figure if I REALLY had to I could be completely loaded and gone in  maybe 5 hours if I had to do it all by myself.  That IS taking my own sweet time of course. If I had energetic help, I figure one hour tops.

Took some photos. Am sitting here waiting for you tube to finish uploading. Once that is done  if they turned out decent I will post links.
Other then all that not a lot happening.  Sail safe but get out there and sail!

Accept The Things I Cannot Change.

In most 12 step programs I am aware of they do a particular prayer at the end of each meeting. It is a prayer asking The All Mighty to help them to change the things they can, accept that they cannot change certain things and the wisdom to know the difference.  This is really good advice for parents of adult children. Some times you just have to let them figure it out on their own no matter how hard it is.  This is the part of being a parent I REALLY DO NOT LIKE!

The good news is I am so incredibly close to getting out of here I can once more taste it! The renters from hell left.  I have some paperwork to do. The house is dirty but nothing a mop won't fix. I have new paperwork typed out for the most part, on the house and an  ad on Facebook posted.

Getting things sorted out for the final  loading at the house. There are four piles in the shed. Take it for boat. Take it for van. Take it for personal stuff and the throw it out pile. The only thing left I am donating is my coffee table and that is in the van waiting to go to good will. Other then the area immediately surrounding the boat it self , the yard is clear. Next area is getting my room cleared out. That is not going to take a lot of time since it is mostly stuff that can go into the shed until I get place under contract. Once house is under contract, all I have to do is get tire on van, clear storage of my stuff,  go buy a stinger to hook boat up with, then it is load and leave.
Finally, with  the exception of the area in the keel cavity, I have the entire hull under the water line sanded . All antifiouling paint is off except for that thin residue in a few spots. I figure that will come off with washing and some acetone. Once I get my room cleared I plan on working on that a bit at a time  and the storage shed while I wait for a new buyer. It is close!

Sail safe but get out there and SAIL!

The Striptease

As I was updating my blog I noticed that some how this got saved as a draft instead of published. As a result my followeres are getting 2 different post in short order. Enjoy!

As I am finding out that  the so called  TLC on this boat is in fact a restore I am truly beginning to appreciate why men enjoy a strip show so much. As the gel coat comes off, this old boat is looking better and better.
Don't have pics presently due to upload issues but the deck is almost completely devoid of gel-coat. Am deciding that I will have to take the ports out to get that area stripped and some hardware I had not noticed needs to be pulled but other then that, small areas I just did not feel like fooling with at the time in corners etc, the motor well and a small section of the inner transom she is almost done. Once that is done if I can get the deck lifted enough to put boards under it to lift it up to make absolutely sure we have no fiberglass cracks in the hull I am going to strip her down  to the water line since there is no way I figure on this old of a gel coat matching colors is a reasonable or feasible feat.
I noticed on the starboard cockpit seats, the top layer at the cloth level is cracked all over. Will sand that down to get rid of the cracks and re-glass her. Except for the areas showing stress cracks form no backing plates she is actually looking pretty good.
Ordered some Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure. It is  supposed to do real well on cracks. Will let you al know how that works out. Now that the temps are dropping just a bit I figure I can get busy and deal with some of this stuff with out having to worry about the  resin setting so fast I don't have time to work.
Sail safe but sail!

Tires, Renters, Transportation and Torpedos

I once read a post some where along the line that says life is what happens to you when you are making other plans. I am of the opinion that this is extremely true.   

Here I sit so close to getting out of here and its one more thing. The van is as fixed as much as I am going to fool with. Got the boat tires on rims sitting in the yard, the shocks, ball joint etc are done. It still squeals. I'm just not going to worry about it.  The rear end ended up needing replacing. Got all that stuff done. It is down to finish  sorting out a very small part of what is in the storage unit, getting some stuff I am preparing to mail ready to go and load and leave. I had it all figured out., Now I have renters from hell.  All that work I did on the yard was wasted because they don't like work. GRRRRRRRRR.   They have been given notice.  I am not going to fool around with this. I am of the opinion this kind of deal with why landlord just stop caring about property. I have to wait and see how all that proves out. In the mean while I think I will jack up the boat and go ahead and start on the keel while I ride this out. What the heck It needs done and I may as well do it here.   I called up the court clerks office. This could take a week or so .

 The good news is it is cooling off. I figure to actually be able to get some serious work in on the bottom of the boat while I wait on this other stuff. Have every thing but the bottom paint which I can do that later. Once I get this part done, the actual painting won't take but a couple of hours and drying time.
 I have a few side issues to deal with. The good news it they are where the water is, so I can split time between looking at boats and doing that . Once that is done, I've got a wild hair on where to look if nothing shows up in the first area I plan to search.  I've been watching certain web site on sailboats fore what a couple of years now. The pattern is just to obvious to ignore.  The general idea is start at one place in the gulf coast and work my way East and North. I will find something suitable  in my price range.
 
I have been researching undispersed camp sites. There are a LOT of National Forest between me and the East coast so having a landing spot  to fit my gas budget is not going to be a difficult issue. Most of the grinding on the gel coat is done. Little spots here and there still need to be done where the  disk are just to darn big to get into. That is not a big deal. I went to Harbor Freight and found all kinds of toys to fit my grinder.  Who knows I might actually get that part done while I wait on this other stuff. 

 I got the plastic drawers loaded with groceries. The question of do I put them back in the  boat or load them up on the van is still unanswered. It's an either or thing that really does not make a bit of difference as long as they go some where. It is convenience as to them being in the  boat but a weight issue while pulling the boat so I am still mentally throwing that one around. Am seriously thinking the thing to do is just load the actual groceries in the  v berth  or van and put the drawers in place. The weight will be fine if I do it that way.
 Am seriously considering selling the back seats in the van. On one hand I hate doing it. There is no way I will ever find matching seats to a custom van unless I buy new. On the other hand the space that it will open up is incredible!


It is CRUNCH TIME!  Every one that has been with in the sound of my voice has heard me make the statement that if ANY THING interferes with me getting out of here I am going into pure cold hard B***CH mode! I am not being nice. I am not being pleasant. It is about either I get me, my van and this boat out of here and headed toward blue water or there WILL be you know what to pay!

 I have updated  the blog advertising the details on the house. As soon as it is appropriate, I am putting an ad in the paper with the blog address. Charging an application fee this time should cull the heard quite a bit as far as dead beats go. I HATE being a hard A$$ on any thing, especially this part of my life.  I don't see any other option.

THE GOAL IS GETTING MY BUTT ON THE WATER! ANY THING that interferes with this is NOT going to be tolerated! I have come to the conclusion I have been being way to nice and way to patient and It is costing me time on the water! That's IT! NO MORE!


Current get out of here bucket list: 

1.GET RID OF CURRENT RENTERS!
2. Re rent house
3. Hire yard person ( to be paid out of rent)
4. Finish sorting the few boxes left in the storage unit and either pitch, donate, load or pack to mail.
5. Install tires on boat trailer.
6. Replace one tire ( I jumped to many curbs and warranty does not cover it. )
7 LOAD
8. LEAVE!
It is time for me to get a serious case of tunnel vision and adopt a one track mind!
All I REALLY have to do  is just suck it in and become a complete jerk and start telling every one NO!  I CAN DO THIS!

ITS ABOUT THE BOAT! The heck with Murphy's so called law. Murphy should get his head out of his hind end and stay the heck out of my life. The heck with spending hours of my time each week listening to every one else's sob story over their self inflicted crisis'.  Unless it is a TRUE emergency, they can wait for a bit while I sort out my boat life and get this part of my world in order.  Yes, those people know who they are.
What I do not understand is why is this part of things so incredibly difficult? Why am I feeling guilty over actuary putting what I NEED and want to do first for a change. Its not like I am hurting any one.


ALL  THAT WILL HAVE TO SORT ITSELF OUT ON ITS OWN. ITS ABOUT ME GETTING ON THE WATER !
It is time for damned the torpedo's FULL STEAM AHEAD!
Sail safe but get out there and sail!

It Happens!

Here I am sitting at Appleby's uploading videos  and wondering what I am going to do. Every thing is down to load and leave! I should be at the storage picking through what is going now and what is staying for the next trip and I find out I am not going any where for a bit.  I bought the van, Did a lot of remedial work, ( so much for it was well maintained by previous owner). The new shocks are on, the vacuum lines are good to go.  There was still a weird noise so the mechanic test drove it with the diagnosis of new rear end, ( ring gear and pinion).  OK, Have someone who when it comes to mechanics I take what they say to the bank. The two agreed on what to do.  I kept the van at garage and put money in bank to wait til the mechanic found a good used rear end. Figured by end of this week I would be on my way!
It happens. The mechanic came by and told me he is going in for eye surgery and since he can't find decent help during his recovery the shop is closing down. Here I set, tires for trailer are ready to be mounted on axle, every thing is good to go and here I sit in this land locked area with a bum rear end. Mechanic says I could make the trip.  My gut says NO WAY am I pulling my boat with a bad rear end. Sure it might last another 10,000 miles. Those things do happen.  Then again I can also see it happening with me sitting on the die of the road wishing I had used my head!
If you have been following this blog you have figured out by now I am a firm believer in Providence and know there is a reason for every thing. The concept of The All Mighty's timing is not  new to me. Some how some way I know He has this all figured out. That is a good thing. If it was up to me, I think I would go see if it is possible to be burned out on maple Crown on one sitting.
The up side is I have had an interesting week. It turns out that someone I know from way back is thinking along the same lines as me. Once I pull out of here, and I AM GETTING OUT OF HERE, I think I am going to go fishing in that general area when I'm not working on the Venture and see how he is at handling a screw driver to help with the deck hard ware. It might prove to be interesting.

Such is life
Sail safe BUT GO SAIL!

Break Out Another Thousand

Yesterday was about boat shopping. Not the fun stuff mind you but the boring material kind of stuff we all have to do sooner or later if we do our own boat work. This project has turned into a restore. It is as simple as that. The good news is I have every thing needed except the actual paint it self for the bottom job. The primer and  pre-paint wax degrease  scrub is on the way. I decided to go with the Interlux 202 Fiberglass Solvent Wash and the Sea Hawk Barrier Coat Primer. The decision was made for this between reviews and cost. The paint is going to be ordered next week if all goes well.  Absolutely cannot find microfibers locally so I will be ordering that as well. Present plan on paint is Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote NT. It is about the Benjamin's and reviews for now. 
Found out the next town over has both an attwoods and Harbor Freight. Wish I has known that before I hit lowe's and Home depot.
Oh well, live and learn. It is time to go out side and start playing with all the nifty stuff I got yesterday.
Sail safe  but sail!

 

Rudder Revisited

 I am so glad I bought the angle grinder. It makes fast work of what was a slow job with the oscillating sander and uses a LOT less sanding disks!

Yesterday I finally got around to playing with this new toy. If you have never used and angle  grinder to sand be VERY AWARE you can destroy your piece in a heart beat as it will quite literally tear it up in a tremendously fast hurry. The good news was I wanted to get the cracks tore out and they went really deep as the pictures will show so I had time to get used to it.  The guy who sold me this boat said it was not in that tornado.Maybe it was not. I'm not calling him a lair  but something pretty darned big and this boat collided some where along the line. Part of it is abuse from not having backing plates on it. Seriously as you can see from the pics especially in the chain plate area, the damage is just to obvious from lack of backing plates. The good news is red oak is fairly cheap around here and I'm buying more this month! Just to get started I bought one disk of 36 and one disk of 50. What I got done yesterday in a matter of a few hours used to take all day and a huge pile of sanding disk.
Without further adue here's the pics . I forgot to take some before I started applying the resin but you can still see how deep I had to go to get all of the crack safely out of the way.

 These spots I posted in original post I think.

This next series of shots are from grinding out the  cracks to make sure it is done right.

 

The fiberglass hanging over the edge is not me just being lazy. I am going to have to fill in the gaps which are of a significant size. The cloth is to have something as a back for the thickened epoxy. Yes, I'm actually taking the plunge and using honest to gosh epoxy instead of poly resin for this.  Planning on adding micro fibers to it for strength.

 

 I was planning on having the next part of sanding off the blush and getting another layer of resin on it until I learned that you can destroy a rubber backing plate on a grinder by expecting it to flex to much.It is either that or I hit something and did not realize it until much lager. I was doing a flat part of boat when I did this!

 More "gel coat cracks" At this point based on what I Have seen, I'm NOT trusting it. If it is a crack, it gets sanded and if it is deep enough to be in the fiberglass, it gets sanded down til it is gone  or gouged out and filled in with epoxy and microfibers.

Bow and starboard side of boat.

I got the stress cracks sanded out here.

This is what is left on port side in one area after a bruise was sanded down.

This used to  be the chain plate area.

Curve of boat going from cock pit to top of cabin.

Front deck

Starboard chain plate area. My big feet are intentionally in photo so you can see how far the cracks go.

                                                   Can you say BACKING PLATES!






                                                 My son has a sense of humor.

 

 Sail Safe but sail!