T-Minus 3 Days Till Lift-Out

A depressing time of year usually, but for us, it is also a good time. It means we can work on the things that can't be done with the boat in the water, and things that are just easier to do when its out.

We have decided to replace all of the seacocks. They are 30 year old gate valves, and although they work fine, they are not the type that bolts through the hull, they are just the screw on type. Failure of one of these could sink the boat very easily, so for the sake of a couple days work, and a few hundred dollars, it makes sense in my book. We are also going to raise the waterline 4" on spec. We had originally hoped to have the boat loaded for cruising to determine where the new waterline should be, but as fate would have it, we'll just have to make an educated guess. Then there is finishing all of the exterior wood, which Serena has graciously offered to help with. Nice to have both of us working on the boat for a change. The transmission needs to come out and be sent to Toronto for rebuild. We noticed last year that when it warms up it tends to slip when first engaging from neutral. Which, according to the gurus, is because the cone that engages the drive has gotten a little too shinny and lost its traction.

Yesterday we delivered the cradle to the boat. Took the girl over to the pump out to empty the holding tank. Removed the temporary 110V electrical panel, so that it could be put into the new panel, and removed the big yellow umbilical cord that provided the dock juice. The rest of the day was shopping. I was going to paint, but we had to show the house this morning, and I didn't think the lady would be too happy about the smell of 2-part polyurethane paint.

Today was good. I finished the electrical panel, and got the first coat of cetol on it. Made the molds for the cockpit locker lids, and spent an hour practicing the guitar. We all need a hobby... Tonight is painting, staining, and fibreglassing different things at different stages, and the polyurethane paint is about to go off in about 5 minutes, so I better get back to it. Pictures tomorrow, of something I'm sure....