The Ladder to Adventure

     One of my winter projects was to finish the wooden steps for the access ladder to the flybridge and top deck. The steps had never been finished and had a dull boring look. After 5 coats of Cetol and double strips of anti-slip on each step, the project is done. One project down and I don't know how many more to do - I lost count. As discussed earlier, most projects are on hold except for the Must-Do projects and the projects that are labor intensive and require minimal expenditures, as in $1.00 or less. Next Must-Do project is bottom paint - wahoo! I can hardly wait. The excitement keeps me up at night.

The Unofficial Start to Boating Season

     We are off and running with the boat repairs so to speak. However I should clarify the title to this blog entry. It should read " The Unofficial Start to the Boat Repair Season. If you have a boat you will understand what I mean. I spent one day down in the engine room taking care of a few necessary items. You got to love those Gulf Coast Filters. The large one used to polish the fuel uses a roll of paper towels as the filter medium. We also have a Gulf Coast junior filter for the generator that uses a roll of toilet paper to filter the oil. No high priced proprietary filters. Yes, those engineers who designed these Gulf Coast Filter units should be highly commended for applying the KISS (keep it simple stupid) method. After all, you can purchase paper towels and TP at almost any store.

     Next week we will be pulling the hydraulic steering pump from the flybridge helm and sending it out to be overhauled. It has been leaking for some time. I had considered overhauling the pump myself but decided to let a professional do it. Then I know it will be done right. Speaking of pumps, I removed the raw water pump from the generator to rebuild it at home on a proper workbench, something that the boat is lacking is a good workbench. Maybe Sharon will share the galley counter top for installation of a hefty vise, it could also be used to crack those stubborn crabs.

     I have decided to scale back on boat work while the boat is on the hard - first is the issue of no running water. Then there is the ladder deal to get on and off the boat. So, slap some bottom paint on her, send her over the side and let the work begin.

    On another note, a pair of Bald Eagles have taken up residence again in the Osprey nest across from the marina office. Last year a pair of Bald Eagles tried to move in on the same nest, that was until the Ospreys returned from down south. Believe it or not, the majestic bird of this great nation, the Bald Eagle, does not stand a chance against the more aggressive Osprey. Well, at least our forefathers did not adopt Ben's Turkey as the national bird.

Not Only Bears Hibernate

     Let's just say we are going to write off January and February. Other than catching up on some reading and taking a few wilderness hikes, those 2 months were a total bust. Now would be the time to get serious and get back on track - boat work. I had generated a boat work list for this season that was comprised of the following categories - Must Do, Safety Issues, Electrical/Mechanical Upgrades and Luxury Gotta-Haves. Well, this year's boat work has been drastically shortened by the economy when it decided to puke all over itself. Sorry, but I will not be doing my part to kick start the economy this year. Although we did try to sustain the local economy in Rock Hall last year. So we are going to apply some bottom paint, install dinghy mounts for the new dinghy, fix the generator raw water pump and a few other must do items. When that short Must Do list is done, we may just slip back into hibernation. By the way, did I say the hibernation was going to be on the boat with a couple of cold ones!