February Is Gone Allready!

And at its end, a few warm days, in the 50's to encourage us to hang in for summer. So bits of warm weather, sailing magazines and the blog Sail Pandora (currently in the Caribbean) are keeping me warm these winter days.

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.