I can see (more) clearly now...

Or, "out with the old, in with the new."
I had the good fortune to buy new portholes at a bargain price. The fellow down the dock ordered extra portholes for his boat and had two left over. He sold them to me for the volume discount price that he received.
He's now on this year's Christmas card list.
After talking it over with him and a few other people, I undertook the task of installing them.
It's not as difficult as it would seem to be.
Prying out the old porthole took a bit of doing as they were caulked shut for ten years and the mounting screws had been in place for 40 years.

40 year-old porthole

To get a proper seal, the mounting surfaces must be clean, clean, clean as a friend of mine would say. That requires mineral spirits, towels, and a way to remove the old sealant. Just because the sealant is old doesn't mean it's gonna be easy to take off. I used my Dremel tool set to a medium speed and a wire wheel to remove the old stuff. Be careful to keep moving and don't bear down more than necessary to do the job.

Removing the old sealant

Take your time and be thorough. New sealant won't stick to old sealant so get it all off. Wipe the area with mineral spirits and let dry.
In my case, the new porthole matched almost perfectly with the old. The one adjustment to be made was where the drains fit. Again, out came the Dremel tool. Using a routing bit, I was able to clear out the needed space. Wear safety glasses, and don't breathe the dust. Wipe the whole thing with mineral spirits.

Adjusting for the new drains

I kept test fitting until I had it right. Once the new porthole popped in without resistance, I was ready to drill the new mounting holes.
Using the porthole as the template, I drilled the holes using the appropriate (1/4") drill bit. Use a sharp bit and don't force it. Let the bit do the work. Clean the area using mineral spirits and remove all of the dust.
Drill the trim ring to match the porthole holes. The twist was that the trim ring holes had to be one bit larger (5/8") to accommodate the barrel bolts I was using to sandwich the assembly together. I used the porthole as a template and drilled the holes to the 1/4" size and then separately re-drilled the trim ring to the 5/8" size.
Once done, test fit everything BEFORE opening up the tube of sealant. This way you will escape the trap of getting sealant all over the place and then finding out that one or more of the holes don't line up. Don't ask how I know this. Just trust me.
Now you're ready to get really messy.
For this step I suggest not working in direct sunlight or in the heat of the day. The sealant will skin over quickly, reducing your working time.
Apply a wide bead of sealant to the area around the porthole. Be generous. You want the stuff to squeeze out around the trim ring to indicate full coverage.
Make the assembly and install all of the bolts. Tighten them as needed.
Use a tool to remove the excess sealant from around the trim ring and use mineral spirits to clean the rest of the sealant from the area. The use of mineral spirits will keep the sealant from drying too quickly and when finished, will give a professional finish to the job.

The finished product

My 2000 Watt Insurance Policy

In my quest to have more options on the boat, I added a generator. My concern was that I would be "out there" and run out of power and be unable to start the diesel or recharge batteries or not be able to recharge battery powered tools and the like.
I am no fan of gasoline on a boat but I took the leap and got a 2000 watt generator that is gas powered. At the moment I keep a one gallon gas can on the rail next to the diesel jugs. In the event there is a spill, the fumes and gasoline (or diesel) will go over the side harmlessly.
I use the same plan for the propane canisters on board. They are stored in a 4" PVC tube strapped to one of the stanchions and hanging over the side. Since propane fumes are heavier than air, they will drop over the side and not settle in the cabin or the bilge.
Back to the generator.

My 2000 Watt Insurance Policy

2000 watts is enough to recharge the batteries and power the boat lighting, radios and bilge pump. I put together a cord that plugs into the generator and the shore power input on the boat. Once the generator is running, the boat operates as if on shore power. The power goes through the battery charger and the interior 120V plugs.
So I have three options for recharging batteries: the diesel engine's 35 amp generator, the 2000 watt gas generator and the 100 watts of solar on the top of the bimini.
One thing I would still like to add to the mix is the ability to pull start the diesel like a lawnmower. It would require an additional pulley on the main crank shaft and a few feet of rope. By opening the compression levers and giving the cord a yank, I could start the diesel if all else fails.
Having options while "out there" is a good thing and to me, the more the merrier!

Louisiana and Its Charms

The trip from Kemah, Texas was an advanced course in boating. Thankfully I had the help of Scott, a former US Coast Guardsman and well versed in the waters around New Orleans.
The trip took a week or so longer than planned because of weather stops and taking a week off in New Orleans for me to visit my brother and he his daughter.
All in all, it was a good experience. I will tell the tale in pieces instead of trying to spit it out in order with a lot of detail. Parts of the trip were crushingly boring, like driving through the salt grass of Louisiana, and others were heart-stopping moments.
There is a beauty to all of the areas we passed through. Well, maybe not the Harvey Canal. That is as industrial as it gets. Driving a little plastic sailboat past all of those hulking, steel barges, ships and structures just waiting to crush you to bits is humbling.
The anchorages, like the Mermentau river or Shell Island for example, were beautiful. I'd stay there again if given the chance.

Anchored in the Mermentau River

Since there were no cities around, the night sky was on full display. I hadn't seen that many stars since back in the 90's when camping in the Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park in Texas.
In March the temperatures were comfortable and the nights cool. The one word of warning though, and you'll see this coming - is put the screens up before sunset because the mosquitoes arrive in clouds! The buzzing might just keep you awake.
Watching birds is something I really enjoy and along the Intra Coastal Water Way (ICW) there are plenty of opportunities. We identified Bald Eagles, Osprey, Ibis, plenty of sea gulls. There were several other varieties I don't know.

There were trees full of these guys for maybe a mile or so

If you have the opportunity, take a trip on the ICW. The scenery and people along the way make the trip worthwhile.

Rain, Lighting, Work and Long Hauls

It rains a lot here. A LOT!
It's not so much the rain as there is also a regular light show, seemingly every night. I'm told that Florida is the lighting capitol of the world. I thought it was local boasting: you know, like the biggest mosquitoes or highest winds. Nope. It's not boasting if it's true.
This time of year you can count on a bit of rain most every afternoon. You can't set your watch by it but it is regular. When the forecast says "isolated" showers take them at their word. Walk a few feet and you're out of the rain.
Big deal. I live on a boat.
I'm now working at a West Marine store near the boat. It's a two-mile commute so there's no crying about that. They're a nice bunch of people and of course, they all have boating in common. It beats the office.
Retail is new to me. I've always been on the other side of the counter. It's a new perspective. I don't have any horror stories yet but give me time. I'm sure there'll be some.
Getting settled in takes time but I'm managing. It's not a sprint. I'm in for the long haul.

At the tiller on the trip from Kemah, Texas

Change is good. Right?

After several years of planning and many, many stops and starts, I have moved the whole shebang to Florida.
Originally, I was to take a year off and go sailing and then return to Texas and reinsert myself into the office work life.
So much for that!
Three years later, having made the promise to move to Florida if my parents did the same, I have finally cut the lines and now find myself in the Tampa area.
It's an open-ended plan and going about as well as can be expected. Leaving behind all of the music contacts, boating contacts and office contacts has me a bit out of sorts. When I think about it, dragging me up out of my rut will be a good thing.
Mind you, I liked my rut. It was comfortable. I had squelched myself down in the mud and knew where everything was. All of my favorite restaurants and guitar stores and hideouts were right where I knew and all was good.
Now I'm trying to work my way into a new music scene, learn where all of the shoals are in the waterways and find some work that will keep food in the fridge.
There is much to be gained. I am closer to some really good cruising grounds and the water here is amazing! The trip over was an advanced boating course in itself and I had many firsts - often several in a day.
So. A new chapter opens and as intimidating as it is, here I go.
Jeff

A New Year and a New Commitment to Keeping Up With this Thing

So, okay.  I've been derelict in my blogging duties.  Oops!
Frankly, I've become lax in realizing just how many people enjoy reading about the foibles of living on and working on boats.  I've been at it long enough that it's old hat to me.
I'll do better.

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Robert Burns from his poem, “To a Mouse” and the source to John Steinbeck’s title, “Of Mice and Men.”

Or

“All dressed up and nowhere to go.”

Insert your favorite platitude here.

I’m still at the dock after all these months. The plan was to leave in January after quitting the day job in December. Lucky thing I didn’t leave. The transmission conked out and required several boat bucks (a measurement of money in thousand-dollar increments) to repair. It’s just as well. I would have ended up in a foreign boat yard trying to negotiate a deal.  As it is I worked with the local guys that I already have a working relationship with. While a good thing, I’m still out many boat bucks and the cruising kitty is reduced.

Next on the horizon is hurricane season. It’s a little lottery we on the gulf coast look forward to every year hoping we don’t win. Maybe ‘looking forward to’ isn’t exactly accurate and in my particular case I’m enduring it. It will set my evil scheme back another six months.

So here I sit at the dock working on various boat projects and trying not to fry in the Texas gulf coast sun (106°F heat index today).  Fortunately I’ve picked up with the band again and found work on a work boat during the week. “What about the office?” you say. Not a chance. While my wallet would thank me my nerves just wouldn’t. I’ve become accustomed to not commuting and the negative atmosphere would do me in.

Why would I want to do that? I’m driving a paid-off pickup truck that suits my needs and living on a boat that I’ve rebuilt, made more close friends than I’ve ever had and hanging out with a bunch of quirky retirees that entertain me daily. I’ve seen my first alligator in the wild and more fish than I can count.

We all cuss the ducks and their duck byproducts they leave on the docks and argue when the next high tide will be. My favorite is the “who’s laundry day is it?” conversation. You’d never guess the level of interest in laundry machine availability. Go to the office and miss this?

I wake up with the sun and often go to bed by it too. I’m more relaxed and my blood pressure has dropped. I’m eating a little better and the neighbor that drives the big rig occasionally brings fruits and veggies from his trips to the valley. We share here and look out for each other.

So I don't grouse about not getting away just yet. I already have. 

How Cold Was It?

It has been a ridiculously cold winter here in Houston. Unnecessarily cold. “Dammit!” quality cold. Today was the first day in weeks that didn’t require a jacket of some kind.

When it’s this cold I lose the will to work on the boat. Most boat tasks require taking large quantities of stuff out of the boat and placing them on the dock or in the cockpit. The hatches are open and the companionway is open and it’s just too cold for that. So I sit inside and eat. And nap. It’s rough. Don’t try this at home kids. Leave it to the professionals.

Right now the air temperature is in the 60s and I have the boat opened up to air it out. What a relief. Even the cat is acting a little less crazy.

Now that I have quit the day job I have the time for the next part of my nefarious scheme. I’ll begin anchoring out for a night or two at a time to make sure I have things sorted out. I need more time sailing and getting offshore is a requirement. I have got to get my sea legs under me. I can’t just “read” that part away. Getting used to the motion of the boat is something that can’t be done at the dock.

So it’s off to various anchorages around the area. I’ll mix in forays off into the Gulf and back to get more comfortable with being in bigger water. Nothing serious – I’ll leave the anchorage in the morning, sail out a few miles and come back in for the night. After a few trips, I’ll return to the home port and think about what happened. Easy. Right?

Easy or not, it's got to be done. Until I have the sea legs under me, there's really no trip. And no trip is not an option.

Biding My Time

Two milestones are rapidly approaching; my 55^th birthday and the final task on the boat. The last big project is installing the Cape Horn steering system.  Once that’s in place it is the jog to the finish line.

That will be the fun part. I’ll have to spend time sailing and making minor adjustments to the boat.  I know, I know. Tis a tough job but you know, someone has to do it. I plan a couple trips to Freeport and maybe the Flower Gardens 100 miles off the coast. Those trips will give me the offshore experience I need to begin making open-water passages by myself. Now that the wind and water are becoming more favorable for my part of the coast, I can make plans more reliably.

I’m toying with the idea of moving the departure date up by four weeks or so. Still chewing on that idea. While I don’t want to cut my training period short I’m getting the itch to get gone.

This trip is gonna be soooo cool! The plan is one year off to shake off old memories and hurt feelings and gain a new perspective for the next 30 or 40 years. At the end of 12 months I’ll reconsider; should I keep going or come back and reinsert myself into the matrix. 

Sitting here I don’t know what person I’ll be when that decision time comes. It will be fun to see.

Rounding Third and Heading for Home!

As the to-do list grows shorter and the months zoom by I am both eager and nervous about leaving. Focusing on the many details of getting the boat ready leaves me little time to just daydream about what it will be like when I arrive.

White sand, salt air, clear water and the cry of seagulls overhead are what I have to keep in mind. Venturing ashore to visit the village taco cart and chit chat with the locals is what I’m looking forward to. That and mixing with other cruisers that are happy to be where they are.

For now I’ll have to satisfy myself with reading the blogs and looking at the pictures of those already there.

Sitting here doing the math I find I’ll have enough to complete the boat projects and if I play my cards right I’ll have a dollar or two extra to put into the cruising kitty. Postponing departure to make extra money is not an option. I’ll go with what I have and work it out later.

Inching Closer to the Finish Line

Well a lot has happened in the last few months.
Bonnie Lou is just about finished. The most recent project was to install the new propeller, inspect and repack the stuffing box, inspect the rudder for water and other damage and get the bottom painted. I contacted Captain Randy Pruitt to do the work. He had done the initial work on the boat when I bought her in 2010.

With the installation of the new motor last February the propeller was now in need of replacement. The old Volvo MD7A rotated counter clockwise and at a much lower speed than the new Yanmar 2GM20 that rotates clockwise at almost twice the RPMs.
I contacted Bauman Propellers here in Houston and answered their questions and had a new propeller a couple of days later. The engine installer had (unbeknownst to me) reversed the transmission link so when the shift handle was in the forward position, the boat moved forward while actually operating in reverse. A tip of the hat to the installer for a quick remedy but not a situation I want to live with.

This Will Do Nicely

So, all is well on the mechanical propulsion front. Everything, from the deck fill to the cotter pin on the propeller has either been replaced with new or refurbished professionally.
Now when I put the boat in gear she really moves.
The rudder checked out fine except for some minor fiberglass repair at the top near the post. A bit of glass, resin and some paint and back on the boat it went. The play in the tiller was gone and my fear of the whole thing dropping to the bottom of the bay has gone away.
The stuffing box was a non-event too (am I living right, or what?). Just an inspection and repack. The shaft and bearings looked good.
There were a few blisters to attend to and then two coats of bottom paint.
Earlier in her life, little Bonnie Lou got up against the piling and scuffed the hull up a bit. I’d guess it was during hurricane Ike. I had the rough spot repaired by a friend in the marina. The Randy agreed to compound and buff the hull and paint the repair. That bit of work took an extra day in the yard but I’m certainly not complaining. The boat looks great!


Before



After

Now I’m in the envious position of living on a refurbished 35-year-old boat that’s paid for.

Traditions!

In keeping with tradition, I placed a coin at the base of the mast for good luck. I put a 1979 quarter because that’s the model year of the boat (and I didn’t have a 1978 for when the keel was laid).

While I’m not terribly superstitious, I don’t want to miss my ride across the river Styx because I didn’t have the toll. The legend is that Charon, the ferryman, requires a toll to take souls across the river. If you arrive and have no way to pay, some say your soul must wander the shores for one hundred years. I’m guessing a quarter is a worthwhile investment.  

Hope I Don't Need it to Make a Phone Call!

Another tradition I’ve considered is painting eyes on the bow of the boat. This is a very old tradition dating back to the Egyptians. The belief is that eyes help to guide the ship safely to its destination.  I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

Everything from the chain plates to the masthead has either been replaced with new or reconditioned. While luck has its attractions I’m going to go with new parts.

In the interest of making repairs far afield I skipped the swage fittings and chose mechanical fittings. They’re reusable and I can make adjustments to them with a couple of wrenches.

The 35 year-old wiring was replaced with new and attached inside the mast to quiet that clacking noise every time I stepped onto or off of the boat. I had an LED deck light added for those times when you just gotta see what’s on the deck and of course all of the masthead parts were replaced. The original tricolor was sun rotted and cracked when I gave it a twist to look at the bezel.  

Did They Get the Colors On the Correct Side?

The fellows that were going to reinstall the mast weren’t really sure what to say when I suggested I go get an antenna ball from Jack In The Box to put on the new VHF antenna. This comes from the guy that wanted to go with plaid sails!

I was gently dissuaded from the plaid sails. I may add the antenna ball later when I get the nerve to climb the mast. Stay tuned.