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.

Apologies for the Delay

Sorry for the delay. I've been busy saling and working out issues with the boat. I'll have a post here soon. Here's something I found while poking around that I keep on my desk to keep me focused. Perhaps it will do the same for you:
Where a brooding Buddha blinks,
Deeply graven is the message,
It’s later than you think.
The clock of time is wound but once,
And no man has the power,
To tell just where the hands will stop,
At late or early hour.
Now is all the time you own,
The past a golden link.
Live now my brothers,
It’s later than you think.
~On the ancient wall of China

Like I Need a Reason?

The reasons I’m doing this are:

To finally live my life on my terms. I’ve worked for others doing what they want me to do to produce things that benefit them in some way and reward me with money. What I want is to spend my time as I chose and be rewarded with life experiences that have meaning for me. Experiences like; seeing other places and cultures in their habitat and not the ‘Americanized’ version; live on my wits without comparison to others and the judgment that I’ve experience in those comparisons; I want to be in the company of others of a like mind that possessions are not the end goal; I want to do work that has meaning for me and gives me satisfaction;

I want to leave the routine of seeing the same people every day saying the same pre-programmed things. I’ve learned that we all have about five stories that we love to tell and to go beyond that requires thought, action and some risk. Thought and action require self-study and that can be unpleasant and require more than most are interested in actually doing. It’s far easier to wave our hands dismissively and say something like, “whatever. You know what I mean” instead of taking the time to think the topic through and explain the beliefs held. That short circuit of the thought process is, I believe, a result of our present ‘sound bite’, condensed-media-story life style. As a group we have convinced ourselves that differing opinions and discussion are passé and show some kind of weakness. We have become so concerned about offending someone or some group that we can’t say anything. On top of that there are the constant jokes about political correctness (PC). PC used to be just being polite. What’s wrong with being polite?

The risk comes from not wanting to take the chance that what you say may be unpopular. The presumed price would be the loss of friendship or maybe ridicule. None of us, regardless of how thick our skin is, want that.

And after some inward reflection we may find out that we don’t like what we see and that would take a decision to change and that would require some work on our part and that’s just not acceptable. It’s easier to wave our hands dismissively and turn back to listening to the talking head on the TV or radio.

So you see, I’ve done the 9-5 thing in the office and the field work in the heat; I’ve done the self-employment thing and the corporate drone act; I’ve done the single and married things. I’ve been so immersed in the American way and lifestyle that I really would like to try something else.

Having been showered every day of my life with the deluge of images, sounds and information messages that each of us is subjected to I am looking forward to the almost depravation-chamber quiet I expect on a days-long passage. I really wonder how I will respond. Will it take me a week to acclimate? A month? Will it be an easy transition? Will I grab the first person I see upon landfall and start talking nonstop just to hear another voice?

I hope to re-learn the trick of creating a complete thought in my head. I’m sure there was a time in my life when I could do that. It’s just been so long ago. I’ve always had a touch of ADD and the fast-forward society I live in doesn’t help at all.

The thought of slowing down to the pace of the boat and the waves is a bit daunting. I admit at times crossing the lake at 4 knots is a bit dull. But then I’m still living the 70+mph world of commuting to work every day. Once I make the change to a life at a walking pace I’ll know better how to deal with it.

I hope for a great cleansing; a new start. A reset, if you will. After the year is up I’ll make up my mind to continue or head back to civilization to pick up where I left off. I know I’ll never be the same.

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.

This is Where Boating Gets Expensive

I had the mast surveyed and there were several serious issues. What do you want? It’s a 35 year-old boat with mostly original parts!

I’m always amazed when I see someone go up a mast with such nonchalance. Kevin of Stix ‘n Riggin’ buckled into his harness and zipped up there so easily I was envious. I’ll have to learn to do that soon. He looked things over and called down what was needed to Brian, who stood on the deck making notes and keeping track of the halyard holding Kevin up.

All of the plastic parts were shot. The swage fittings were cracked. The lights that were still good couldn’t be seen through the sun-damaged lenses. The list grew. There was much to be done.

After Kevin finished his high wire act, he zoomed off to some other task and left Brian to describe the job to me. The original bid listed 26 line items. When completed, I’ll have a nicely refurbished mast that will last another 35 years.

The Pros Doing Their Bit

One of the line items was painting the mast. The price was high enough that I decided to consult “the committee” to see what they thought. The committee consists of neighbors that have been involved with boats either by cruising, repairing or being around them for many years. The consensus was to skip painting the mast. The reasoning goes like this: the mast is aluminum and naturally oxidizes thereby protecting itself from surface damage. Painting the mast would require acid etching to remove the oxidation so the paint would adhere. If the paint were damaged moisture would wick under the paint and create bubbles in the paint. Then the cycle of sand-and-paint would begin. Better to leave it unpainted and let the aluminum protect itself.

So I passed on the painting and added lazy jacks and an LED spreader light to the bid.

The original masthead had a wind point and anemometer that was wired to gauges in the cockpit. I don’t need no stinkin’ wind pointer to tell me where the wind is coming from! I’ll just use my face. It’s easy; just look into the wind until you feel it evenly on your face. Job done! That’s one more gauge and the wires and electricity needed to operate it out of the system.  I even passed on the Windex. I have the sails to tell me if I’m not pointing correctly and tell tales on the jib and main to indicate airflow. Low tech – that’s the object here.

The anemometer is fun for referencing wind strength but I’ll do without the electric draw for that too.

Now there are folks that told me that I could do this stuff myself. Sure. That’s true. It would take me a dozen trips up the mast…in the 95 degree heat…and maybe three months of my time. This way it’s done in TWO WEEKS and done correctly. I have a friend rebuilding his mast himself and it’s been a year. Nope. Right now I’ve got the resources (a paying job) so I’ll have a pro do it.

Without the mast the boat looks wrong. I’ll be happy when the mast is back up where it belongs.

Looks a Little Sad, Don't It?

Twenty Months and Counting

I may just beat the May ’14 deadline for having the boat ready. Actually, I believe I’ll have the boat ready by December of 2013. That will give me an even 12 months to practice boat skills and prepare the rest of my business to leave in December ’14.

That’s the plan now – leave on December 1, 2014. The Gulf hurricane season closes the last day of November and doesn’t reopen until June 1. That gives me six months of sailing and fooling around without worrying about big storms. By then I’ll have decided if I like the lifestyle. Then it’s a matter of running south to get below the hurricane belt or north back home.

I have the good fortune of a mentor arriving at just the right time. There's the usual "committee" that I consult on various projects - paint the mast or not, what stove works best, anchor sizes for my particular boat - that sort of thing. This fellow is a captain with many years of experience operating crew boats and delivering private yachts in the Gulf and the Bahamas. He's willing to teach me the nuts and bolts of navigating, charting, trip planning and other necessities of getting around safely. He's also volunteered to go sailing with me and show me how this sailing thing is actually done. That will be a real time saver.

After class is over, we'll celebrate with Mexican food!