Survey Says!

We wrapped up our tasks for our rigging survey.  Survey said we had to replace the boots on the upper spreaders, and that meant going up the mast.  All of the other necessities  had been taken care of (cracked swage, locking pins in the lifeline turnbuckles, shortened the backstay, and a cotter pin in the forestay turnbuckle), but we just hadn't gone up the mast for any other reason and the boots were all we needed to do.  So we went up the mast.  Or more accurately, Jenny went up the mast.  She figured it was easier to replace the boots one-handed than cranking Mike up almost 50' with one hand.  No problems, no incidents, everything went well, and our rigging is now insured.

Up the mast

New boots for Abake

We were also able to make a sleeve for the furled genoa and test that out this week.  It looks good.  Then, we started winterizing Abake by taking down the genoa.  Once the sail was down and folded, as Mike was tying it together, Jenny had a brain fart and raised the furler head.  Oops!  Guess who had to go back up the mast (twice in one week!) and retrieve it.  Mike was a good sport and cranked her up again, luckily not as far as before.

Sleeve being raised

Sleeve being sewn

Mike has continued to work on the generator, and the shelf brackets were welded at Gary's house just after we made our last post.  He has cut pieces for the alternator bracket and is waiting to weld them. So Gary, he's not done with your welder yet!

Welded brackets for generator shelf

 In order to mount the new generator, space on the bulkhead had to be cleared.  This required moving the CO detector, the automatic fire extinguishing system, and the auto-pilot control.  These were all re-located in the engine room.  He also converted the 160 amp alternator on the main engine (a Ford Lehman) to use an external voltage regulator, and removed the internal regulator.  Our external regulator will allow us to adjust the programming for charging the battery and has sensors to prevent damage from overheating.  The previous internal regulator only knew one way to charge, had no sensors, and could make no adjustments.

In Maryland for the Winter

Well, we're officially saying (out loud) that we're not heading South this winter on Abake.  (We've known it for a while, but just didn't say it out loud.)  We will, however, drive to FL to visit Jenny's folks and some friends, to get a taste of some warmer weather.  Anyone who has ever retrofitted/rebuilt a boat understands some of what happened.  As we would take things apart, we'd decide to "fix things the right way" while they were accessible.  So, our list of things "to do" would grow, and our schedule would slide.  Don't get us wrong, the boat was in good shape when we bought her, but some of you will understand.  And, there were items that we were not going to install before this winter, that we had planned on adding to Abake next summer, but again, chose to do them this Fall.  Then, there's Jenny's thumb.  She was in denial about how long it would really take to heal.  Now, at 12 weeks after surgery (on Christmas Day), she's hoping she's given the go-ahead to start strengthening her grip with some light pinching and gripping exercises.  There's still no line handling for her for the near future.

Cruising a long distance on a boat with new and unfamiliar electronics as well as new systems, along with sails that have been modified and not tried is not wise.  We originally planned to do shakedown cruises on the Chesapeake Bay this past summer, with a long one scheduled for the winter.  Not having done our shorter shakedown cruises, we didn't think it was wise for us to take off for a trip to Florida or the Bahamas as our first shakedown.  We are back to our original plan, but just a year later.

So we continue to upgrade Abake this winter for what we believe will be our cruising lifestyle.  We can't do everything, because we don't exactly know what our liveaboard lifestyle will be.  But we can upgrade her with the things we're sure we're going to want -- like a watermaker.

Mike, in between other projects, has been assembling a Kubota DC generator that will charge the house batteries, make water, and freeze the cold plate for the refrigerator.  He has most of it assembled and has cut brackets for mounting it.  The next step is to weld the bracket pieces together and mount them on the forward bulkhead in the engine room.  We're hoping to weld the brackets today.

Adjuster bracket

Serpentine belt on DC generator

Angle bracket reading for welding

Also, while he was cutting formica for the aft sink, he also cut the formica and replaced the dark-colored formica on top of the dresser in the rear cabin.  All the plugs were sanded and the rails were re-stained.

New formica on dresser

When Abake was out of the water for hurricane Sandy, we took the opportunity to move the 3 new house batteries (Lifeline 4D AGM batteries) on board.  They've been positioned under the companionway stairs and Mike's been designing the distribution system.  That also means that he had to decipher what the current system was in order to remove the unneeded cables.  What a chore!  There will be quite a bit of re-design because we're adding the Kubota and upgrading the charging system.  Abake was never set up for liveaboard cruising (away from shore, or AC power).

Old house bank

Removing cables

And, we learned that an upgrade is available for our SSB to keep it from "clipping" (i.e., intermittently dropping the voice while talking).  This is a free modification from ICOM, but requires that the radio be sent to Washington state.  We had our previous SSB serviced by them and had great results.  And, to our favor, the radio had not been mounted on the boat yet, so now it is on it's way to Bellevue, Washington.

House Duties

Well, not much progress was made on the boat lately.  The weather has been beautiful (a great time to sail), but tasks around the house and yard prevailed.  Work was done in the flower garden, but mostly we have had a chain saw running.  We topped the 5 leland cypress (took off 15' or more), had to "notch" a tree and replace an 8' section of fence (the tree has grown so much it is pushing/bowing the fence), and found one of our sweetgum trees was riddled with termites at the base.  Unfortunately this tree was leaning toward the shed, so it had to come down before Mother Nature decided when and where it would fall.

Sweetgum trees

Termite damage

Topping the leland cypress

Notching oak tree for fence

But, before all the yardwork, Mike has been finishing the formica work.  (It's hard to store large pieces of the formica.)  He replaced the dark colored formica in the aft cabin with the same pattern we used in the galley and on the nav station. 

Old formica stripped

New formica and sink reinstalled

 

 

 

 

He is also working on the top of the dresser in the aft cabin.  All that would be left is the top of one other cabinet next to the settee in the salon.  We haven't decided yet whether we'll bit the bullet and do it now (the weather is colder and makes drying the glue, i.e.,contact cement, a little more difficult) or just cut the piece of formica and store it until it is warmer and easier to dry the glue.

And, to celebrate a decade anniversary this year, we took a sunrise balloon ride over the Eastern shore on Thanksgiving Day.  It was a beautiful ride and we cruised at a max of 1100 ft and 25 mph.  It was like sailing, but in the air.

Sunrise from the balloon over MD's Eastern Shore

Fire-breathing dragon

Happy passengers

More Carpentry and Hot Water

The galley is looking really good these days.  All the trim has been completed and stained.  The corner trim took a few tries, but the end result is perfection.

Corner by stove

Outside corner of refrigerator

The slats along the hull behind the stove were cut and mounted and stained.  The wood came in 3 5' long pieces (all teak) but teak has many different shades.  So we ended up with a very interesting pattern of varying teak tones and really like it.

Teak slats behind the stove

So the galley looks beautiful and ready for some home-cooked meals.  This picture is with it all cleaned up before the rails are stained.  But you can get an idea of how much work was put into it.  We'll post side-by-side pictures  (before and after) once the cabin is completely cleaned.

Galley before trim is stained

Galley view from companionway

The galley wasn't the only project this week.  We also installed a fresh water pump and a hot water heater on a new shelf.

Fresh water pump (upper left corner)

Hot water heater on new shelf

And we replaced the cracked swage fitting for the inner forestay. We wanted to try to keep the quick-release fitting on the forestay, but to get a replacement piece was prohibitively expensive (as was a whole new quick-release fitting).  So we went with the standard turnbuckle approach.

Old fitting (with quick release) and new fitting in place

Also, the length of the backstay was adjusted by cutting off about 1 1/2".  And, Mike worked on the shelving over the nav station, securing the mount for the (fuel and water) gauges and staining and securing the shelf for the electronics.  Hey, it looks like it belongs and was always there!  (He does such good work.)  After we mount the SSB, all the wires will be cleaned up and out of the way.

Weathering Sandy

As you've probably already seen, Sandy blew through one-third of the lower 48 and hit the East Coast hard.  Luckily, the 70 mph winds we saw here were not as damaging as they could have been.  Both the house and Abake came through the storm safely and in tact.  One of the piers at our marina was flooded but for the liveaboards, it was no worries -- they had all the comforts of home.  However, just a little bit further up the coast in New Jersey and beyond were others who weren't so fortunate.  Our hearts go out to them.


While Abake was out of the water, we didn't go on board during the stormy days.  Once it calmed, Mike was able to replace a cockpit drain hose and clean the transducer (so we can have accurate depth readings again), jobs that are much easier with the boat out of the water.  She went back in on Wednesday.  So while she was at the bulkhead, we took the opportunity to move 3 "4D" batteries (each weighing about 120 lbs) on board.  With that weight, it would have been difficult to get them on from the finger pier.  We staged them in the cockpit when one of the yard workers spotted and took pity on one-handed Jenny and her pink cast and helped Mike get them down the companionway steps.  We were grateful for the assistance (and the strength)!

After Sandy at the bulkhead

So the past week or two Mike has been doing his carpenter gig.  He's finished the storage area in the galley under the gunwale, and he has almost finished the shelving behind the stove.  We're still waiting for the slats to arrive to cover the hull area behind the stove.  They should be here any day now.

Storage space replacing microwave/convection oven

Shelving behind the new stove

And, he's been designing and building structures in the nav station for gauges and some of our electronic equipment:

Mounting gauges and electronics

Ready for Sandy

Since we last wrote, the galley has been the primary focus.  Surprised?  The refrigerator was completed:  the countertop and lid openings were framed, gaskets were installed around the lids, and the refrigerant charge was tested and adjusted.  It is more than efficient -- the freezer measured 7°F and the refrigerator measured 22°F.  Since it is a spillover system, all it will take is a little adjusting of the damper and a little more insulation around the divider and she will be ready to chill the wine and beer!

Gaskets around refrigerator lids

Refrigeration installation completed

Mike has been working hard at getting the cupboards back in to the galley.  Many needed to be rebuilt, since the galley configuration was changed.  They've all been installed including the shelf for dishes that divides the salon bunk from the galley.  

Framing the refrigerator for the lids and dish shelf installed

Because new teak was used, the cupboards were stained to match the existing teak.  And, the dinette was sanded and stained and the cabin sole (floor) was only sanded, then both were coated with polyurethane (Bristol) and look as good as new!  We're waiting on some more wood to finish the teak slats behind the stove as well as the fiddles (rails) around the edge of the counter.

Cupboard finished with refrigeration and stove controls

Finished cabin sole

In addition, the radar and chart plotter were connected and appear to be working well.  And, Mike fiberglassed in the lazarette and installed a drain to properly prepare it for use as a propane locker.  It had been open and drained directly to the bilge, which is not safe for a propane spill/leak.  Propane "gas" would sink to the bottom and cause a hazardous condition in the boat.  This way any spills are contained in the lazarette and exit the boat through the drain, keeping it away from the engine and the cabin.

Since hurricane Sandy is going to be hitting us, we decided to have Abake hauled.  We wanted to clean the bottom before heading South, and our depth gauge was giving us some problems with erratic readings.  Since the insurance company pays to have it hauled (for named storms), the timing was good.  The depth transducer needed to be inspected and once hauled was an easy fix -- clean it!

Dirty depth transducer

 Jenny took a week to visit family and friends in the midwest and also to attend a funeral.  With only one "wing" (as a fellow travelling passenger put it), she wasn't much help to Mike.  Considering all the work he did that week, maybe she should have stayed a little longer.

We be Gammin'!

Yes, last weekend we missed a post.  But we have a good excuse ... we went out on Abake to SSCA's 2012 Gam!  The term gam came from a gathering of whales, and SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Assn) adopted the term for weekend get-togethers, where there are speakers, vendors, round tables, parties, and lots of socializing with fellow cruisers.  We met some wonderful people, who we'll see again, and we enjoyed the speakers and the events.

Yes, we took Abake, so she moved out of the slip and around the corner (without sails) and we anchored her in the Rhode River, near Camp Letts.  We saw some beautiful sunrises, too.

About 65 boats anchored for the Gam

Eye Candy at sunrise

We be cookin'!

Mike had cleaned her up a little and had gotten the stove installed, and the fresh water pump working, so we were able to cook and get fresh water!

We still used a cooler for refrigerated items (we're waiting on insulation panels for the refrigerator lids), but all was good. 

What was THAT noise?

Zander even enjoyed himself and became very exploratory.  But, when the engine was started he was scared.  So he found himself a safe perch, high atop the dresser in the aft cabin.







But the rest of the time, he was relaxed and enjoyed the undivided attention he got from going from one of us for scratches, brushing, and loving, to the other, and back again.  We have no doubt he'll enjoy the cruising life.  He's already found his favorite nap place.

Nap time

Yes, we have projects left.  But we installed our new halyards (although one was too short and needs to be re-ordered) that weekend and tested the stove (but not the oven).  We had no sails on (which made it easy to find her at night!), but they are ready to go.  And, Mike hand-sewed the new slugs (30) onto the main on Wednesday, while Jenny was loopy, recovering from an operation on her thumb.  She had an old softball injury come back to haunt her.  The ligament (the ulnar collateral ligament) had stretched to the point that she was losing (pinching/grip) strength in that hand.  It will be a few weeks of recovery, followed by physical therapy.  Better now than later.

 Between fixing the Toyota's emission problems, working on Abake, volunteering at the Gam and the boat show, and Jenny's surgery, retirement has been quite busy.  We do plan on heading South this winter.  It just won't be as early as we had originally hoped.

Abake's "New" Sole

Abake has new life and is starting to look like she wants to go cruising!  This past week the floor was re-laid in the galley and in the dining area.  Some of it had to be cut to fit the reconfigured refrigerator and stove arrangement.  About 100 plugs had to be glued and sanded. 

Installing the galley floor

These show the galley floor and the dining area (entrance at the companionway).

Dining area (bottom of companionway)

Galley floor

The stove insert also arrived and fits the frame.  So Mike ran the gas line for the stove and installed the refrigerator condenser under the stove.  It has plenty of room for air circulation, so we're hoping to get good efficiency in this location:

New stove insert (and condenser below)

Condenser with breathing room

Mike also cut a new countertop for the refrigerator out of marine plywood and added 3" of insulation.  The current project is now to install it.

And, the roller furling lead blocks were installed, along with the line.  So along with the sail modification, we now have the forestay cruising configuration completed.  Well, we'll need a sock or cover for the jib.  But that's not urgent.