Five days at the boat; 19.5 hours This was mostly on the cabin sole. I
ran out of 1/2 and 1/4 inch diameter teak bungs and those I used were noticeably darker
than the teak, leaving a random dotted effect, not polka dots because those are
both in an even pattern and all the same size. I kind of like our cabin sole;
it has "character" and is smooth, shiny and well protected by
polyurethane. Once it is done, all I have to do is remember to remind myself
and guests to not put heavy things on surfaces from which they can fall. So,
with no teak bungs, I bought two dowels of light colored hard wood at a local art
supply store, cut lengths of them, rounded the bottom edge to ease insertion,
applied glue, pounded them in and after the glue dried, sanded the tops even
with the existing sole, creating a "grain" like effect in them with
the sandpaper (because the dowels present end grain, which means no grain). Then I stained them darker with my existing cherry stain
"pen". And I got two coats of polyurethane on the boards now but
need a third. A third can't hurt, but is needed in this case because when I tried to rough
up the first coat, it was not quite dry enough, leaving the sanded surface just
a bit sticky. But in a few more days, the second coat I put on over the first will be bone dry, and
easily sanded lightly for the third coat.
I also pulled out the first reef line, which had had its outer
cover shredded by its thumb cleat, leaving a messenger line in place to pull the
new one through, back into place.
More significantly, I finally figured out the most efficient
way (and put it in place) to prevent the thumb cleat from ruining the future
reefing line. There are actually four such thumb cleats hanging in a row from a rod near the bottom of the front end of the boom. You are supposed to pull down on the
line with all your weight and might, and then push the little lever up of the thumb cleat up, with
its ridges grabbing the line and holding it in place. But all of our lines now
run past the thumb cleats to the cockpit, where the coach roof winches can pull
them tighter and clutches hold them better. But with the bounding main, the
thumb cleat had accidentally grabbed the reeling line and the power of the
winch shredded its red cover. The major
part of the strength of the line is it its white core, but it was not as strong
as it was with the cover and it looked ratty.
But how to prevent recurrence was the issue. First, I thought I
could pound out the rod that holds the thumb cleats, from the side. This made a
racket but did not budge the rod. Second, well we will drill it out; also abandoned. Third,
two small holes, one through each side of the four inch wide boom, and a four
plus inch very thin bolt through both holes, with a nut on the other side to hold the
tails of the light weight thumb cleats out of the way. But how to line up the two holes,
four inches apart so that the bolt could go through both holes? Fourth, and
finally, a length if simple 1/8" line, from a piece of the "small stuff" (short pieces of line) that are always laying around. I fed it through both holes, with a knot in each end on the
outside. I must confess that I'm a bit to pleased with myself for the elegant
simplicity of this current, and I hope, final answer.
I also participated at an open house at the Club, designed to
attract new members where I met some nice folks. Some seemed impressed with what we
have to offer and the free wine and cheese were good. I also gave $50 to the Commodore that I collected, ten from each participant in
the Winter Art Cruise. I told him to credit it to the Cruise
Committee budget line, which was a joke because there has never been such a
budget line.
John, former a Harlemite, now living on Maryland's Eastern Shore
has appeared in this blog several times, mostly when we cruised in the
Chesapeake, 2006, 2011, 2014 and 2015. He has been a big help in getting
things fixed and installed. And he sailed with me from the Chesapeake to the
Harlem in 2016, and lent me the Fostner bits used to drill the bung holes.
He was our guest for two days which gave me the chance to give
him what he can't get in Maryland. A master class taught in public by the chief
violist of the Met Opera orchestra to three talented NYU students, an organ
recital at Grace Church, a performance of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony by
the orchestra of The New School University and a performance of "The
Amateurs" at the Vineyard Theater. Each an average of five blocks from our
apartment and the first three free. And in the same two days: dinners at a new
Vegan Restaurant and a Greek one with grilled octopus salad after breakfasts of
omelets and mango/blueberry/sweet potato pancakes fried in coconut oil with
maple syrup.
Soon the water will be turned back on and work on the hull, not much this year, can begin.
