tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3791453351658214792024-03-18T05:48:04.283-04:00Dock Six ChroniclesThe adventures of the merry band of misfits who call Dock Six in Port Dover their summer home. Boat repair, boat maintenance, boat building, boat cruises, boat philosophy, boat recipes and just plain boats are the focus, fueled by good food, good friends and cheap booze. Welcome!Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.comBlogger329125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-63659326195965387322020-03-25T17:35:00.000-04:002020-03-25T17:37:07.461-04:00Living a Low Wake Life<br />
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<i>"</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Why in the world would anybody put chains on me?"</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i> -lionel richie</i><br /><br /><br /><br />Chances are, if you're living in the Age of COVID, you're probably reading this at home.<br /><br />Welcome to living a "No Wake Life"<br /><br />It's what we called it back in 2013- </span><a href="https://docksixchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/03/another-dock-diatribe-debut.html">https://docksixchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/03/another-dock-diatribe-debut.html</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /><br />it's still true today.<br /><br />Since the link is intermittent, here it is:</span><br />
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">We work our asses off to buy stuff that
we can’t enjoy because we are working our asses off to pay for the stuff we buy
while diligently saving (or attempting to save) for our retirement which we
keep pushing back because we keep working our asses off to buy yet more
stuff to enjoy that we have to work our asses off to pay for, and there
is always something else that we want or need or think we need (but really
want) that we have to work our asses off to pay for and…</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> A generation ago somebody coined
the phrase “rat race” to describe this phenomenon of modern consumerism, and
the term stuck.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">It’s wrong. </span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">It ain’t a race.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">You can <i>win</i> a race.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Modern consumerist life is a
strictly no-win proposition, friends…</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">… and none of us gets out of here
alive.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">I began to think about this a few years
ago, when I received a matched set of stainless steel rechargeable electric
salt and pepper grinders as a gift.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Think about that: Electric salt
and pepper grinders.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> I am pretty sure this is an
answer to a question nobody asked.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">This gift made me ponder, and I came to
some conclusions:</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">I must be one of those
“hard-to-shop-for” people.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">I’d rather have an LCBO gift card.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Grinding pepper over your mashed
potatoes is apparently much more strenuous than I ever thought., that somebody
decided the world needed this.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">A gadget that doesn’t really save any
appreciable time or effort and provides little entertainment required somebody
to work to earn the money to purchase it.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Enough is enough.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCJTU1Fy-ORYVCvcO9eIU989S-AVfrLCQ15tRilB3unQVYYFp4blXXuSqX4OZaqpXsfEmyXmAbCHDsabXMVqiqVddtP-YSEpjcBy2i5_zW-fxtW0iC31p6byGDmLm0KXurRKaKJU5FrQ/s1600/no+wake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCJTU1Fy-ORYVCvcO9eIU989S-AVfrLCQ15tRilB3unQVYYFp4blXXuSqX4OZaqpXsfEmyXmAbCHDsabXMVqiqVddtP-YSEpjcBy2i5_zW-fxtW0iC31p6byGDmLm0KXurRKaKJU5FrQ/s320/no+wake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> At the time, I was working a gig
that required me to work 12 hour days 6-7 days a week, put in 40 000 km a
year behind the wheel of a car traveling to meet prospects, 75% of whom
either don’t want or can’t afford what I am selling, so that I can afford
the next toy/vacation/orthodontist payment/thing with the 50% of my income that
the tax man has allowed me to keep. I was alienated from, and alienating,
my kids, my wife, because of my absence from home life, and I became an
overcompensating asshole for the same reason which increased the tension and…</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">…any of you out there who have climbed
out of the wreckage of a crashed marriage know exactly where I’m coming from.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Actually, scratch that vacation
part. At the time I hadn’t taken more than a long weekend off in over a
decade.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> And I thought I was <i>successful</i>.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> I began to question where I was
going, what I was doing, and why. </span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> Frankly, I figured
enjoying retirement is a myth.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">That whole “Freedom 55” thing?
Bullshit.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> First, you gotta get there.
With my diet, hours, stress level and number of miles driven every year, the
odds were good I wasn’t gonna make it. </span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Second, you gotta pay for it. You
need to keep squirreling away the cash, tending your investments, watching your
nest egg grow, deferring and sacrificing today for the dream of a better
tomorrow…</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">….As long as the market doesn’t tank,
your health holds up, property values don’t plummet, or your kids don’t move
back in, with their kids.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> Money may not buy
happiness, but always feeling like you don’t have enough will make you bitchy
as hell.</span><span style="color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">I was sitting in the cockpit of our
old, small, paid-for sailboat one morning, enjoying a cup of coffee when
it hit me:</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> As a society we are conditioned
to approach life like a big twin-engine cabin cruiser- heavy consumption, lots
of noise, lots of flash, throwing a big wake. Unless you are getting
noticed, you’re not succeeding.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> I finally figured out that
there is a lot to be said for living a NO wake lifestyle. </span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> But how?</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> With a bit of soul searching we
realized we had to quit confusing our wants with our needs.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> My wife and I realized that we
were perfectly content spending time on our old, small, paid-off boat in
our low-cost slip on our no-frills dock. We didn’t <i>need</i> a
bigger boat on a fancier dock.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> And we didn’t <i>need</i> new
cars. As long as the old cars keep running , it is always gonna be
cheaper to fix ‘em than replace ‘em. If I need a new whip to impress you,
you’re likely not worth impressing.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> Besides, there’s
something real liberating about parking wherever you damn well please, because
dings and scratches just don’t matter.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> And we didn’t <i>need</i> a
$20 000 kitchen reno or a $10 000 bathroom makeover. Or a bigger
house. Or a bigger garage. </span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">Or a bigger mortgage.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">For a longer time.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> With fatter payments.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> We didn’t <i>need</i> to
stand in line to be grilled by a soul-patch sporting “barista” first thing in
the morning just to get a simple cup of coffee which costs as much as a Happy
Meal, when we had a perfectly good underused coffee maker on the kitchen
counter.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> </span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">We needed to live life NOW, on OUR
terms.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> A funny thing happened. By
deciding what we could live without, we could now afford to live.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;">With less financial stress, I didn’t
need to be on the road, living out of a car and fueling up on fast food three
meals a day. My wife and I discovered that cooking dinner together was a
great way to re-connect at the end of the workday. Chopping, sautéing,
stirring with a glass of wine while recapping our respective days beats the
hell out of eating a Whopper an hour from home.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> We didn’t have to save
dining at restaurants with tablecloths for a special occasion to fit the
budget.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> We could afford to drink
the bottles of wine we could only read about before.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> We could take vacation
days without figuring out what we had to sacrifice to make up for the lost
wages.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> Hell, we could take whole
damn vacations, for that matter!</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> The sunsets look
just as pretty from a small, paid-off sailboat as it does from the bridge of a
six-figure cabin cruiser.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> The rum goes down
just as well.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> And I can enjoy it
instead of working to afford it.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15pt; padding: 0cm;"> And so can you.</span><span style="border: none 1.0pt; color: #494949; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-74856824847892447032019-12-31T21:51:00.000-05:002020-01-02T10:17:53.158-05:00Thoughts On a Toolbox, and Re-Starting from Scratch<br />
<br />
<i>"But it wasn't because I didn't know enough..."</i> -Gnarls Barkley<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Tl;dr: I built a toolbox from workshop scraps.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(Backstory starts here. If you’re looking for the toolbox part, scroll down until you see TOOLBOX PART and start reading there.)</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">2019 was the year I gave up.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">2019 was also the year I started again.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Looking back at the blog neglect over the past few years, faithful reader, the fading frequency and the inconsistency, you could see it coming.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">When a writer stops writing, there’s a problem. </span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Writers don’t write for an audience. We writers are a selfish lot- we write for ourselves. If anyone else likes it, great!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">But… what happens when a writer stops writing for himself, because the audience is no longer interested?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">2019 happens, that’s what.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">So, here’s the backstory:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Back in 2012, it was time for a career change- I had held the same independent contractor gig for 15 years of 7 day weeks and it was time for a different direction. I wanted to be more involved in my community and a chance to use my writing skills along with my sales and promotion skillset.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I got back to my roots and went to work at the local radio station as an account executive- It was a great fit, and a great change, at the right time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">My new worklife close to home led me to also joining our local Rotary Club, the United Way, and becoming a Downtown Simcoe Board member as well as serving on the boards of a number of other organizations in our community. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">It was a full plate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">6 years later, I felt like a part of my community for the first time in my adult life, but that “great fit” job wasn’t a great fit any longer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I was burning out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I probably stayed a year longer than I should have.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">But…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">When you’re 52, career-jumping isn’t as attractive, or as lucrative, as when you’re 32.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">There is comfort and safety in tedium.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(“Is this the TOOLBOX PART yet?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">No, keep scrolling.)</span><br />
<br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">if you’re someone with that popular mental health surf- and-turf combo of anxiety and depression, add stress and a feeling of failure to the mix and life gets very, very unfun.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I’ve had dark days before, days when it was tough, but nothing like this.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Not even before medication</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">All of my energy went into my job, selling, writing and voicing ads, keeping clients happy, being ON 50 hours a week. Everything outside of work began to slip.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I did very little boat work during the winter, for the first winter in a decade. Let’s add that to the growing failure list I was carefully tending, because depression loves to keep that crop growing. The lack of off-season accomplishment led to an expectation of a busy spring punchlist.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Yeah. Then spring happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">The rainy, wet, high water spring meant April and May were virtual write-offs for boatyard work, which added outside complication to my inner trainwreck.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">By the end of June we still had no boats in the water…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">…for the first time in a decade.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZLS1RE0OTuOQF3CqtINGiyQEStO9eSRy6yBVNqtHVhG9oAaSlAYLwr_C790bq6czW05glhCTqhFCIz7BTAMW98Icx_yLV6vDKJLJKPMxiS31LOhzrKaqY3cfIq-BSSQ0KJDVv7cOYuA/s1600/20190707_101918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ZLS1RE0OTuOQF3CqtINGiyQEStO9eSRy6yBVNqtHVhG9oAaSlAYLwr_C790bq6czW05glhCTqhFCIz7BTAMW98Icx_yLV6vDKJLJKPMxiS31LOhzrKaqY3cfIq-BSSQ0KJDVv7cOYuA/s640/20190707_101918.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">Throughout my life, sailing helped preserve my sanity.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">The boats, the Dock, were where I regrouped, decompressed, and recouped. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">By the end of June we still didn’t have a boat in the water.<br /></span><br />
Great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRFP6zNZ4wwApczxLSHb0G7G3xDbHIBjGQRz00L7ucorv5w2hpiT_Uc7m1qHAZwMlo88pho-zRJ9yV1Ice-JWrOcsCW1jsmOmWsQUkxA7XxveyELVMPj8ag91UR-Q9ACFAIbHkif4yHc/s1600/20190625_104127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRFP6zNZ4wwApczxLSHb0G7G3xDbHIBjGQRz00L7ucorv5w2hpiT_Uc7m1qHAZwMlo88pho-zRJ9yV1Ice-JWrOcsCW1jsmOmWsQUkxA7XxveyELVMPj8ag91UR-Q9ACFAIbHkif4yHc/s640/20190625_104127.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;"> </span><i style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">The water is only a few inches deep, but there's a half dozen or so sketchy extension cords under the surface.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">Hell, I </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-still had to rebuild or replace Karma’s engine.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">Oh, and I </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-had to finish demolishing a boat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">The longer the boats stayed out of the water, the longer the punchlist became.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">Hey, while we’re at it, let’s </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">- install a new fuel filter and new fuel lines on Karma</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-make new cushions for Karma, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-repair Ereni’s nose, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-caulk Ereni’s chainplates</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-paint both boats, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-make a new saloon table, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-and a new dish rack, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-and install a washdown system, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-and a new chart plotter, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-varnish the swim platform</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">and</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">-the usual spring rituals of bottom sanding and bottom paint.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">And, crap, now we need to</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px; text-align: start;">- replace the destroyed plastic window in the dodger.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(“Is this the TOOLBOX PART?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">No, not yet. Keep scrolling)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">June became a rainy, HOT, humid, high water July, and we’re paying for empty slips.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">We got to sail with the Dock Three Squad- so we weren’t completely off the water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Thanks, gang.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">By mid-August we had managed to get SWMBO’S boat, Ereni in the water.<br />Yay!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rvt3jPxhlHqe1O572YdgHEa637Pr9MY801xTo6gpwb9Qh4eiqwHuJ51vTQcK-BY1ww-ryXWf0pm8LSKplgH9i-x1jUksQYX-gSXi41Tkcf7CmrZhvp1hZq4SViDTH1TSOoHjZIYV_p0/s1600/20190831_104136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rvt3jPxhlHqe1O572YdgHEa637Pr9MY801xTo6gpwb9Qh4eiqwHuJ51vTQcK-BY1ww-ryXWf0pm8LSKplgH9i-x1jUksQYX-gSXi41Tkcf7CmrZhvp1hZq4SViDTH1TSOoHjZIYV_p0/s640/20190831_104136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9S-fIPV-J3s-i_1heGXzgrmxdkpVu6kX_PTAiHICmTEzIOWaefrz-dNqyqiTBp2SyeZ4X14nPrXt7rgsthwjR1AUMVJm6a4V4pc-ZfnLz8GcOzZ55X-l_4HPG_VgGlQ0hzeoKtENRw8/s1600/20190502_112342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> <br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">That was the high point of my August.<br />And the high point of my summer, and likely SWMBO’S as well.<br />We had gotten damn near everything on the punchlist accomplished, with the glaring and vital exception of getting Karma’s engine to run.<br />Lots of accomplishment, lots of tasks finished…but I felt like a failure.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">I was not fun to be around, as the wheels started to come off.<br />By the end of August I had nothing left- I quietly fell apart, and spent a weekend in isolation. Then, back to the grind.<br />We never ever did get Karma in the water.<br />Louise sold Ereni.<br />Something had to give.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> (“You’re just shitting us about the TOOLBOX PART, right?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Nope, but you’re almost there.)<br />
<br />
<br />
I made the decision to quit my job, take advantage of an untapped opportunity
in the marketplace….<br />
…And launch a new business.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I gave four weeks notice, told my clients, wrapped up most of what I need to
wrap up, then Finnegan J Smalldawg snuffled his last, and we got robbed, fast forward to the end of September, and I
suddenly have no place to go in the morning, which felt … weird.<br />
<br />
But, I wasn’t throwing up, I wasn’t grinding my teeth, I wasn’t wanting to
sleep all the time, I…<br />
… decided to open a boutique communications agency.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.penandkeys.ca/" target="_blank">Pen&Keys Communications</a> was born.<br />
<br />
When my anxiety level dropped to background chatter and I began sleeping through
the night after a robbery and a dead dog, while launching a business from scratch
with no warchest, no budget, and no
clients as winter is coming, I knew I made the right choice.<br />
<br />
I decided to take 90 days to plan and execute the launch of Pen&Keys like a member of my
target market, with no marketing plan and no marketing budget to see if
the truisms, and some theories I had
been developing, panned out.<br />
<br />
For the first time in a long time, I am having a hell of a lot of fun working.<br />
<br />
Now that the occupational plate was spinning successfully on it’s stick, it was
time to reset the remaining wobbling plates, and replace the ones that crashed.<br />
<br />
“THE TOOLBOX PART!!!!!!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Which brings me to the <br /><br /><br /><b>TOOLBOX PART</b></span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(SEE?)</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">My personal life was a mess- literally. My office was a mess, my desk was dust covered, the garage and my workshop were cluttered with wood scraps and boat parts and tools and sawdust and cobwebs. Our dining room table was covered with upholstery scraps and sewing supplies</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">If I was going to find my way back to a satisfying life, this was a damn near perfect place to start.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Cleaning up the dining room table and my desk was the easy part.</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">The workshop and the garage? Not so much.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I realized that my workspaces had been neglected. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">This is the end result of living for too long at the intersection of “As much as I can” and “As Little As Possible” in the heart of Allicanhandleville.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Shit ain’t gonna change if shit don’t change.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">So I decided to change some shit.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I lowered my expectations. Instead of expecting to clean my garage and my workshop and the boatshed and the garden shed in a weekend and then putting in 2 14-hour narrow-focus days, forgetting to eat, and ending exhausted and frustrated and unfinished, I decided to work on the clutter for 2 hours a day. No more, no less.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">In less than a week, my workspaces were more squared away than they had been for years, and I learned some things.</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">“Oh, ferfucksakes, TOOLBOX?”</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">WHAT DO YOU THINK WE’RE TALKING ABOUT?</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(Great. In the middle of a mental health overshare, I have to go ALLCAPS.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">I learned that I had tool prejudice.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Al of my mechanics tools were organized. The tall roller chest stored sockets, ratchets, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers air tools, and precision tools. The short chest stored welding tools, metal working tools, and brake tools.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Easy enough to keep organized, because they never leave the garage.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">(A complete socket-set-in-a-plastic-box lives on the boat)</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">My woodworking and general carpentry tools, however, move from the workshop to the Dock to the boat to somebody else’s boat, to the car, to the workshop. </span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Repeatedly.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">My drills had a bag, but I had not found a suitable solution for my hand tools. </span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> Toolbags never seem to be the right size or shape, tool rolls require space to roll out, and good luck finding the right screwdriver on the first reach into the dark toolbag.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">And saws? There’s another bag.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Chisels? Another roll.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">It was a cumbersome way to schlep tools to and fro the boat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">And not horribly secure, when a roll under your arm decides to unroll and puke it’s gut full of wrenches all over the Dock, more than one of which manage to dance through the cracks between the dock treads.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">*lightbulb*</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">This is why one of the first tasks of a shipwright’s apprentice is building a toolchest- a box to store and transport the tools of his trade safely and securely.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Yeah, I needed to build a toolbox.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Literally and figuratively.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">I started with some basic parameters:<br />-My toolbox had to be portable- under 40 lbs, fully loaded.<br />-The most commonly used tools had to be within easy reach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">-it had to fit inside my hanging locker on Karma- less than 24” long, and less than 12” wide.<br />-My toolbox had to be my complete kit, sans mechanics tools and power tools- I want to be able to have the carpentry tools I need where I need them.<br />-a $20 budget. The only expenses would be hardware- my box would be built with materials on hand<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">-No deadline except the end of the year… but I would put some effort into the project daily.<br /><br />On December 1, I started drawing dimensions, pondering how much real estate each tool needs, and the most compact way to arrange them.<br /><br />It was therapeutic.<br />It was a business plan for a toolbox.<br /><br />I inventoried my scrap storage, and laid out the raw materials.<br />Then I laid out every tool I wanted those raw materials to contain.<br /><br />Then I redrew my drawings, and redrew again, to create the smallest, lightest possible container.<br /><br />Then I started making sawdust.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDlLi6AH9ggja4fiuoGBQmPRG09zybrCyYeM1pralV3qx_I7W6q6G5REIe4JCtSHcUPcrUTN0UaPS3BGidK8shILGpcAFPyJlwIkI_uwLcmIGantBcCnmpemPgCTrfdPEJGb4uE_vjX0/s1600/20191217_134828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDlLi6AH9ggja4fiuoGBQmPRG09zybrCyYeM1pralV3qx_I7W6q6G5REIe4JCtSHcUPcrUTN0UaPS3BGidK8shILGpcAFPyJlwIkI_uwLcmIGantBcCnmpemPgCTrfdPEJGb4uE_vjX0/s640/20191217_134828.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">I designed a “backbone” box. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Most toolboxes are like a football stadium: 90% empty space, with everything happening around the perimeter. It’s intuitive to have all of your screwdrivers and pliers and chisels arranged around the perimeter of the bag, but it leads to three problems- 1. Too much stuff ends up just tossed in the middle of the bag instead of being stowed, and 2. When everything is stowed, it’s too tempting to toss too much crap into the bag, making it heavier than it needs to be, and 3. With all the stowage around the perimeter, the pendulum effect makes walking with it in hand for any length of time annoying, as one arm gets swung harder than the other with each step and your wrist turns as the bag swings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Ergonomically unideal.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT8yz_R8V8DzRJ6OJLBkrXq-s3D2GTA_wNSYwcB11gbml2cPMvePppuopf62c0v0EVqlRx61ZHvRpIDWBOcwA_vKnZuDeHOrwe6ANXvJCIK0oTPGBN_R63HnRLDz7z8Jtj3sJ8SuIXoM/s1600/20191222_153525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvT8yz_R8V8DzRJ6OJLBkrXq-s3D2GTA_wNSYwcB11gbml2cPMvePppuopf62c0v0EVqlRx61ZHvRpIDWBOcwA_vKnZuDeHOrwe6ANXvJCIK0oTPGBN_R63HnRLDz7z8Jtj3sJ8SuIXoM/s640/20191222_153525.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">I figured with the majority of tools, and the heaviest tools, aligned down the center of the box, it would be easier to carry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">By essentially hanging tools on the center backbone like a toolrack, sides were unnecessary. Hell, a floor was unnecessary- this box didn’t have to be a box.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">But, a floor and drop sides would triple the storage capacity and provide protection to the tools contained inside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">So, let’s add drop sides.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-nLNsYNL5fBj9FPaSfVEZq4FqU3Vzh707NW8h_6AlX5Ls_ar6y373r9bh3ZMEPGiAJjsJ1XnJZ3vILvc7-o9UOk6JP9Yxn6VcKchjEP8osW9BzpGJp-vn4Hv8MCVTaXHkx-kEGPqUzk/s1600/20191223_130124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-nLNsYNL5fBj9FPaSfVEZq4FqU3Vzh707NW8h_6AlX5Ls_ar6y373r9bh3ZMEPGiAJjsJ1XnJZ3vILvc7-o9UOk6JP9Yxn6VcKchjEP8osW9BzpGJp-vn4Hv8MCVTaXHkx-kEGPqUzk/s640/20191223_130124.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">The box is essentially divided in two:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqX-tJYNhOaWB5GrmU0HIiLdOPAxl7WxCI6jK6SgCkZKwQHFD05RrBZpqEsD9qPRY21b8EpQZV6r8IcfaoQZIu-7ePFh2Q0aPv2JG90H6wxcSFhslp_Asx7uWB938oscNSogXMY7Snds/s1600/20191223_130306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqX-tJYNhOaWB5GrmU0HIiLdOPAxl7WxCI6jK6SgCkZKwQHFD05RrBZpqEsD9qPRY21b8EpQZV6r8IcfaoQZIu-7ePFh2Q0aPv2JG90H6wxcSFhslp_Asx7uWB938oscNSogXMY7Snds/s640/20191223_130306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">One side is cutters- Long and short chisels in 3 widths, two “hacking” chisels, a flushcut saw, a backsaw, a pull saw, a keyhole saw, a combo saw, a dovetail saw and dovetail jig and a small block plane.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrqMWChttvu__HW9nulNd89nhzqZ1D1AO9YSgh7Y4HmwLqA5JM4Y1U6czDoaxHXur7mZ6FGBe842ECwTMLWJSwDEtQcF9X6tZQPBrFBPBJZWWubN3Uh5lxqzKLPGajQSHSHyH9_ihMww/s1600/20191223_130408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJrqMWChttvu__HW9nulNd89nhzqZ1D1AO9YSgh7Y4HmwLqA5JM4Y1U6czDoaxHXur7mZ6FGBe842ECwTMLWJSwDEtQcF9X6tZQPBrFBPBJZWWubN3Uh5lxqzKLPGajQSHSHyH9_ihMww/s640/20191223_130408.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">The other side is fasteners- Robertson, Phillips and slotted screwdrivers, two combination squares, one fixed square, a brad setter, cabinet hammer,cats paw prybar, nail sets and punches, two pencils, two bevel gauges, two measuring tapes, level, and a Kreg Multi-Mark.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnr6tKkOXwpbqhfCsMlirGngVjvbm612mVs16dNxFJGrE95lMhYTmTYsploTY8S3VeUBLDLaQCColKka-rNL64gzwQdNB9KjD979bf9U10tqiC7gpAVq9oI75_7AuxtNaXoX641zSGWQ/s1600/20191223_130335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnr6tKkOXwpbqhfCsMlirGngVjvbm612mVs16dNxFJGrE95lMhYTmTYsploTY8S3VeUBLDLaQCColKka-rNL64gzwQdNB9KjD979bf9U10tqiC7gpAVq9oI75_7AuxtNaXoX641zSGWQ/s640/20191223_130335.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">The feet are extra tall to keep the tools out of the bilge when the box rides in the dinghy.<br /><br />It felt GOOD to work the problem, and find the wins.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">I slowed down from the half-panicked pace of shortstaffed radio.<br />Measured three times, cut once. <br />Worked through my stack of castoffs, finding the right offcuts- a little part of this boat here, a piece from an old desk there.</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">When all is said and done, there are parts from four boats and some leftover radio studio furniture in this box.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">It's damn near biographical.</span><br />
<br style="font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">As I worked, the shop became tidier. For every piece of wood that went into the box, three more lesser cuts were tossed into the burn box and the trash.</span><br />
<br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;" />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">An hour or two a day, through the first three weeks of December, and by Christmas eve, it was done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Under 30 lbs fully loaded.</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">47 tools.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">23” x 10” x 15” high.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgZ4WXW6rJTXmLC09_16qi6niecgfheO-1cZYn6R8oU3ANeaT-Bl1V0bEPO4cmIiJmlzWp075VZ3dx2NyCHxVLASE9U14p3lmCaigr9Bx53iBNXR4nEvl2KOgdAcKDaulPmFxg6ecS48/s1600/20191223_130042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgZ4WXW6rJTXmLC09_16qi6niecgfheO-1cZYn6R8oU3ANeaT-Bl1V0bEPO4cmIiJmlzWp075VZ3dx2NyCHxVLASE9U14p3lmCaigr9Bx53iBNXR4nEvl2KOgdAcKDaulPmFxg6ecS48/s320/20191223_130042.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I felt something I hadn’t felt in a while:</span><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Satisfaction.</span><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">It’s a start.</span><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Happy New Year.</span><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">I mean it.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
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<!--[endif]--></span>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-54327206239374781842018-12-31T23:25:00.001-05:002018-12-31T23:25:39.249-05:002018 Recap: It Was a Year.<br />
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"<i>Somebody somewhere must've kicked you around some..."</i><br />
<i> - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
As seasons go... we've had better. More tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdI-MwEmEVKu_UhPuHu38dIEhPM0ZC8BQXHGrZJSaKB_Ea-Uawe8y4D5cYAhkUKZGTlTU1K2-_y9EIAorqNBjhpYb8kEqDUGEB-XuOMpTKP6xHz315e8l0SU36WTlEzd65iFvSz4d0G8/s1600/20180915_181941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdI-MwEmEVKu_UhPuHu38dIEhPM0ZC8BQXHGrZJSaKB_Ea-Uawe8y4D5cYAhkUKZGTlTU1K2-_y9EIAorqNBjhpYb8kEqDUGEB-XuOMpTKP6xHz315e8l0SU36WTlEzd65iFvSz4d0G8/s640/20180915_181941.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-39434250300626011382017-12-31T16:48:00.002-05:002017-12-31T16:48:58.610-05:00Just Under the Wire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i> "Times we know will soon be gone...."</i></div>
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<i> -John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band</i></div>
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<i> </i> Anybody else glad to see 2017 in the taillights? It might not be Queen Liz's "annus horribilis", but it certainly wasn't a prizewinner.</div>
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I wanted to get one last post in before the ball fell, and make sure my new image server works.....</div>
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YAY!!!!!!</div>
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<br />Here's some pictures. I'll add context tomorrow.</div>
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!</div>
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As always, thanks for checking in. Please feel free to "talk the Dock"- pass the word!<br />
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<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-45699435038891798472017-12-12T09:25:00.001-05:002017-12-12T10:09:37.272-05:00Wreckage<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>"...full of broken thoughts..."</i><br />
<i> -Johnny Cash</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i><b>June:</b><br />
<i> </i>Scene: <i>Interior, daylight, sunny, early summer. Scribbler and loyal dog in center of scene, surrounded by debris. Scribbler stands, mug in hand, surveying the wreckage of his blog. He scratches loyal dog behind her ear, raises his mug, swallows the dregs of this morning's coffee. Scribbler adjusts his cap, squints into the distance, and his shoulders slump.</i><br />
<br />
"Well, shit."<br />
<br />
<i>Scribbler turns , loyal dog following, and walks out the door. At the threshold Scribbler pauses, and takes one last look over his shoulder, then, decision made, closes the door and walks away.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i><b>December:</b><br />
<b> </b>Scene: <i>Interior, daylight, overcast, winter. Scribbler opens blog door and steps in, mug in hand, loyal dog at his side. He takes a deep breath, exhales slowly.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> "</i>I've got some work to do."<br />
<br />
<i>Loyal dog nods.</i><br />
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So, here's the deal:<br />
<br />
When I first cracked the seal on this trainwreck back in 2011, Blogger was a little tightfisted with image storage. It wasn't long before I had to find a third party to host my photos, and I already had a Photobucket account. This was an arrangement that worked okay- I uploaded my photos to Photobucket, then shared the photos to my blog. It wasn't as efficient as simply loading the pics into the blog, but it was what it was.<br />
<br />
Right up until it no longer was.<br />
<br />
In June, with no notice, with no warning, with no communication, Photobucket decided to end third-party hosting. Overnight, pictures disappeared from my blog.<br />
<br />
<b>HUNDREDS </b>of pictures.<br />
<br />
<b>DAMN NEAR ALL OF THE PICTURES AND VIDEOS</b> that populate the Dock Six Chronicles were<br />
<b> JUST</b>.<br />
<b>PLAIN.</b><br />
<b> GONE.</b><br />
<br />
Which kinda makes the majority of posts valueless.<br />
<br />
Over THREE HUNDRED POSTS, approximately THREE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND WORDS become blinker fluid because the PICTURES ARE MISSING.<br />
<br />
<br />
FUCK.<br />
<br />
It was beyond discouraging, and decisions had to be made, so I decided:<br />
<br />
I decided not to decide.<br />
<br />
I just quietly closed the door on the wreckage and walked away until I was ready to deal with it.<br />
<br />
I'm ready.<br />
<br />
I think.<br />
<br />
Over the next few week I will be finding, importing, moving, and shuffling images and rebuilding posts from files found on dormant computers, memory sticks and sd cards.<br />
<br />
Bear with me. This gonna take some time. But, make no mistake...<br />
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<b>I'M BACK.</b><br />
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Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-72007714154428508122017-03-03T21:47:00.001-05:002017-03-03T22:06:29.834-05:00Shine On- A Brightwork Tutorial<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX114816580" style="direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
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<i>"Baby, get your shine on!"</i></div>
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<i> Florida Georgia Line</i></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Varnish just works.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Nothing else is as durable, as protective, and as plain damn beautiful as varnish.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0SpzlLlReZTBWqgcAAzDzXmqUN0PYc9obtIhyAfoC13oEVZlxIPcXibKCllvw77FEcLcwH5ck-CDbG_iOIA6Ousf52UgOmL8dFtvEbDJLwpYs52cFTm-zlL-0AJ02nlwlyD4j7rLA6M/s1600/IMG_9565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0SpzlLlReZTBWqgcAAzDzXmqUN0PYc9obtIhyAfoC13oEVZlxIPcXibKCllvw77FEcLcwH5ck-CDbG_iOIA6Ousf52UgOmL8dFtvEbDJLwpYs52cFTm-zlL-0AJ02nlwlyD4j7rLA6M/s640/IMG_9565.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's dead sexy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d1JGvXl_H9iLdQqylYMGjzYEqc6vaoupmaqPiPnHh2m9BaGUOn9GBJiiUhXShKa0LpYetYyh5spsc_oJjwutUdcidt_CxuZ7T9on4yA6quQBX4ZxAwCxE-pHC030Aoj1klW99Kqc8q0/s1600/IMG_9573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0d1JGvXl_H9iLdQqylYMGjzYEqc6vaoupmaqPiPnHh2m9BaGUOn9GBJiiUhXShKa0LpYetYyh5spsc_oJjwutUdcidt_CxuZ7T9on4yA6quQBX4ZxAwCxE-pHC030Aoj1klW99Kqc8q0/s640/IMG_9573.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHS4IoW6ddugrTQJO_apBLewWs7vsxFMvBjJFmfDZTlL7XyHOyqvOEC00KMZME-ssYeIa89ecWEJ9BqzdWNv9axJNIPrpg2bGuNbTaELYpXEQqOqelowp8W55pWaPrIjPtq6Kd-57_Tg4/s1600/IMG_9560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">It's that simple.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">But</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sailors </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">argue</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">that varnish "doesn't hold up," "takes too long," </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">"requires constant maintenance"</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, and is "too much work"…..</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">…</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">..</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> as they buy another can of </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Cetol</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> (or similar)</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to dull their brightwork. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Again.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Just like last year. And the year before that, and...</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">…</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and,</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">has anyone noticed that </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Cetol (or similar)...</span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">(let's call it That Other Stuff, or TOS, going </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">forwa</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rd</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">) </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">...has change their formulation at least 3 times in the last decade to make their product more durable, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">more </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">transparent</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, more like...</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">…</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> varnish?</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">All of the complaints about varnish aren't really the fault of the coating, but rather the result of inadequate </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">prepa</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ration</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, or an inadequate coating schedule.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">In an effort to make the nautical world a , </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">er</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, brighter place, I figured I'd bring varnish back, with some advice on how to get a durable, attractive finish that will last for years, even in Florida.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> The less time you have to spend on </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">your</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">bri</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ghtwork</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, the more time you can spend sailing, sunning, or doing all of the other stuff on every boater's </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">neverending</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">punchlist</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Welc</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ome</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to varnish school.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">You're going to need...</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Sandpaper</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">- </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">60- 220 grit. Pro-Tip: Don't cheap out on paper. I use Norton 3X. It lasts longer, and saves time with fewer paper </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">swapouts</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Buy it by the ream. You'll use it.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Sanding blocks, sanding boards, power sanders- use as appropriate.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Scrapers- I like a cabinet scraper</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> with a handle, sometimes also known as a paint scraper</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Get a </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">variety</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> , with a couple of different profiles. </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> It never hurts to have 2 or 3 of each type, as they will dull through use. A</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> good sharp scraper can remove material faster than a sander, with less loss of material.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Foam brushes- I find I get </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">result</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> that are just as presentable with a $1 foam brush as with </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">$20 all-</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">natu</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ral</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> imported b</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">adger bristle brushes. When working in a boatyard, bugs, dew, and birds are likely going to be bigger dangers to the finish than brush quality. U</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sing cheap brushes saves time and eliminates the risk of the finish getting contaminated because you </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">imp</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">roperly</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> cleaned your brush after the previous coat.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Small l</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ow pile lint-free</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> rollers- On large surfaces- as wide as the roller or more-</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I like rolling and tipping , just like with paint. Which makes </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sense when one realizes that varnish is, as someone once said, just paint without </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">colour</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Disposable nitrile gloves.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> The keys to a durable finish are preparation and penetration. E</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ach finish coat has to bond to the previous coat, which has to be firmly bonded to the surface being coated. At the risk of being all new-</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">agey</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> metaphorical, think of a varnish job like growing a tree- it needs to be able to plant roots, and then grow, one layer at a time</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> So, continuing the metaphor, you need to prepare the soil for </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">planting. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 1. T</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> first step is to ensure that the surface is entirely naked- free of paint, old varnish, old caulk, et cetera. A</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ny place where an old finish remains is a place where a new finish can't take root.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I like using a cabinet scraper to get the worst off, then sanding with </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">60/80/120/</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">150 grit until the wood is bare. If you use a chemical stripper, makes sure you wash the surface thoroughly to remove any trace of stripper prior to sanding.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 2. Sand the bare wood with 180 grit sandpaper to </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">prep</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">are</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the surface for the first coat.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 3. Clean the surface to be varnished. I use methyl hydrate (alcohol) on a lint free rag, or paper towel</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">- </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. It picks up dust well and evaporates quickly, leaving nothing behind to contaminate the finish coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 4. Prepare your finish</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">-Open your can of varnish, and mix the varnish by STIRRING, not shaking.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">T</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hin</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> your varnish of choice , with the </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">appropriate thinner, to a ration of about 1:10- 1 part varnish to 10 parts thinner. Y</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">eah,</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> it's 90% thinner, for a reason- you want the first coat to </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">pen</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">etrate</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> DEEP </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">into</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the wood. </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> advantage</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> of</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> a thin coat is that it cures relatively quickly, allowing you to apply multiple coats per day.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Obviously, you're not working straight from the can. </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I like to decant the varnish into a plastic sour cream or yogurt container with a lid before thinning.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Apply with a foam brush, or a low pile lint-free roller on larger surfaces</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. I like to let the brush "rest" in the cup for a couple of minutes while I wipe down the wood to be finished. When applying, work in one direction, with the grain, from end to end, always working from the wet surface to dry. Don't flap your brush back and forth- work in one direction only.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Don't overload the brush or roller! This </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> is a </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">thin coat</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">- a little goes a long way, and any more than a little will run and drip and waste material. Don't panic about bubbles. They will </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">flow out within seconds.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> When finished, put the lid on your varnish cup, and throw your roller or brush away. </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">C</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">lean your roller tray if you used one. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> When Coat #1 is dry the touch, move on to the next step.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" paraeid="{547afe07-f59a-40f9-8169-afe7157a2257}{72}" paraid="1953110508" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 5. Apply coat #2- Thin your varnish of choice, with the appropriate thinner, to a ratio of about 1:5 – 20% varnish, 80% thinner. Chances are, you have some left in your yogurt container- just add some more varnish and stir. All of the ratios are approximate, so being a little over or under is not the end of the world on these early penetration coats. Apply the same way you did coat #</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">1.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 6. Sand. Using a sanding block, sanding board, or power sander, sand the surface with</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">220 grit. Time-saving </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Pro Tip: Load your sander of choice with multiple sheets of paper. A</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">s a sheet lo</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ses its grit, tear it off and keep going. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 7. Clean the surface with alcohol</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 8. Apply Coat #3 thinned about 1:1 – 50% varnish, 50% thinner. </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Apply as previous coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" paraeid="{547afe07-f59a-40f9-8169-afe7157a2257}{88}" paraid="1810369443" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 9.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> When Coat #3 is dry to the touch, apply Coat #4, thinned 1:1. Apply as previous coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{356408a3-e45a-486a-8cd2-523dd2ef98de}{216}" paraid="752736721" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 10. Now you are starting to see some </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">shine, and probably some runs and drips as well. Sand with 220 grit, to knock off the gloss and give some tooth to the surface. Sand out any runs and drips, but be careful not to get carried away and sand off an entire coat!</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{356408a3-e45a-486a-8cd2-523dd2ef98de}{216}" paraid="752736721" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1927f742-df0f-4acc-bedb-830542426d40}{78}" paraid="1954428085" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 11. Clean the surface with alcohol.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{1927f742-df0f-4acc-bedb-830542426d40}{78}" paraid="1954428085" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{6a5fc65d-e34c-4ebe-a73c-979c7fa4c772}{21}" paraid="670923230" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 12. Apply C</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">oat # 5, thinned about 3:1 - 75% varnish, 25% thinner. Apply as previous coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{40d6ae50-0e81-487b-b30b-243496a0de67}{110}" paraid="479520391" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 13. When Coat #5 is dry to the touch, apply Coat #6, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">thinned</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> 3:1. Apply as previous coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{40d6ae50-0e81-487b-b30b-243496a0de67}{110}" paraid="479520391" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{6928d6ef-5e34-42bd-b648-a2835863be01}{233}" paraid="37113643" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 14. You will start seeing some real depth to the finish, and some impressive shine.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> You will admire your reflection in the surface, and take </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">pictu</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">res</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to show your friends on </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">facebook</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. Bystanders</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> will compliment your work. You will think "it's good enough.' You will want to be done. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">You are not. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Sand, just like in Steps 6 and 10. </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{39e0bcea-b332-4175-bee4-8e69a02b57df}{250}" paraid="1705269648" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 15. Clean the surface, one last time, with alcohol.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{39e0bcea-b332-4175-bee4-8e69a02b57df}{250}" paraid="1705269648" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{31a78c62-eec1-4ab5-96e2-99d6232ae2b5}{188}" paraid="217305962" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 16: Apply Coat #7, thinned 9:1- Yep, you guessed it, 90% varnish, 10% thinner. Apply sparingly and slowly- a little goes a long way.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{31a78c62-eec1-4ab5-96e2-99d6232ae2b5}{188}" paraid="217305962" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{78188b2e-a59b-4019-93f3-98c98c6d183e}{116}" paraid="1750599016" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 17: When Coat #7 is dry to</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the touch, LIGHTLY scuff the surface with 220 grit sandpaper or higher. If I am feeling finicky, and working with a surface where a mirror gloss finish is </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">desir</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ed</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, like a table top, I will wet sand with 400 grit paper. For most exterior marine wood, like coamings, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">rubrails</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">toerails</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">etc</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, 220 grit is more than sufficient. Any minor swirls and scuffs will go unnoticed as new scuffs and swirls are added during regular use.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{78188b2e-a59b-4019-93f3-98c98c6d183e}{116}" paraid="1750599016" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 18: One last time, clean the surface with alcohol.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{17be60c7-5a31-41bb-b6ff-eb1a4e8d20a8}{37}" paraid="1521618429" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{84568028-adc1-4052-856d-29c9ab52c9b8}{223}" paraid="838683670" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 19</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">: At last! Finally, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">apply Coat #8, thinned 95:5- 95% varnish, 5% thinner.....</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Step 20: ….Unless you sail where the butter melts in January. Then, when Coat #8 is dry to the touch,</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> add a Tropical Coat #9, thinned as Coat #8.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> "Great mother of Neptune!" Skeptical Reader thinks to him/herself, (but not out </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">loud, because</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> you are a P</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">olite, as well as S</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">keptical, Reader</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">),</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> "That's a crap-ton of work! All that sanding and thinning and brushing and sanding and cleaning and thinning and, I thought you said this was going to take less time!"</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Once you have the surface prepped, all the old crud off and ready for refinishing, you can apply two coats of varnish per day- one in the late morning after the dew is off, and one in the late afternoon. So, figure four days to apply 8 coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> But, once you have put in those four days, applied those 8 coats, </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">san</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ded</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and prepped and brushed and sanded and cleaned , repeat, repeat , repeat... the hard work is done for YEARS.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Every three years or so</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, scuff the surface and apply a maintenance coat, thinned 5%, just like Coat #8. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> If any nicks, scratches, dings, dents, gouges or chunks </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">occur (and we all know they will) </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> scuff</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and recoat </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ASAP. T</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he key to a lasting finish</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> is to m</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ake</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> sure the wood is not</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> exposed for any length of time</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Yes, Skeptical Reader? How is this less time –consuming than applying T</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">hat O</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ther S</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">tuff, you ask?</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{abf02265-27a3-44f7-9707-752c9eb82d23}{202}" paraid="1303345719" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Let's do the math: if you only plan to keep your boat for a single year, there is no time savings- applying a knee-</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">weakeningly</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> gorgeous varnish finish is </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">more </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">labour</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">intensiv</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">e</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> than smearing the recommended three </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> coats of TOS all </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">ov</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">er</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> your teak and mahogany and oak. </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> But, applying those three coats will require 3 days, minimum- you can't "hot-coat" TOS- it needs to dry for 24 hours between coats.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> So </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">initial</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> application is 3 days of time, plus initial prep, PLUS, you need to sand between coats.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">In year two, the surface will have to be sanded and another coat of TOS </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">will need to be applied. </span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">In year three, sand and apply another</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">new coat</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">In year four, sand and </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">apply another new coat</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">n year five, sand and apply another new coat.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">In year six, sand and apply another new </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">coat.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> So over 6 years of ownership, at least 8</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">coats of </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Cetol</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> have been applied, and the finish </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sanded after each coat- in other words, 8 times</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Compare</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to varnish: </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{d0551a6b-8299-4f4e-81d0-a29b66fb2351}{218}" paraid="179675313" style="color: windowtext; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> S</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">anding 5 times during the initial application schedule, and NOTHING until a scuff </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sanding and maintenance coat every </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">3 years.</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Over 6 years, you have only had to sand the brightwork and apply a maintenance coat twice. Sanding and cleaning always takes more time than applying finish, so the less sanding and cleaning you </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">have</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to do, the more</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">time you have to do something else</span><span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="TextRun SCX114816580" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;" xml:lang="EN-US">And we all know there is always something else to do.</span><span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfqHxLaIIC1DQ2EbQ0OwmFMklMaQ8QmAXzg5OidDpgKG49H3hYZCGal9jREDmuBNLpo8IcFtuIAYduSNx4DRYlJQSF-vOBgvWKbUpHqzyyH98seounmttRBKLkL63h7CGQsegAdXxunk/s1600/IMG_9585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfqHxLaIIC1DQ2EbQ0OwmFMklMaQ8QmAXzg5OidDpgKG49H3hYZCGal9jREDmuBNLpo8IcFtuIAYduSNx4DRYlJQSF-vOBgvWKbUpHqzyyH98seounmttRBKLkL63h7CGQsegAdXxunk/s640/IMG_9585.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="EOP SCX114816580" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px;">Thanks for dropping by- Please, feel free to "Talk the Dock!"</span></div>
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Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-25634841469294084012016-12-16T20:13:00.001-05:002016-12-16T23:29:58.043-05:00Welcome to the Jungle <br />
<br />
<i>"Hey man, thanks!!!!!!"</i><br />
<i> -The Tragically Hip</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i><i> </i>So, here it is, August 14th, and the weather is hot and sweaty.<br />
<br />
Just like yesterday.<br />
<br />
The forecast is hot and sweaty tomorrow.<br />
<br />
In fact, the forecast is hot and sweaty for at least the next week, with no relief in sight.<br />
<br />
No wind. Might as well take a nap. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***************</div>
<br />
<br />
*Yawn.*<br />
<br />
*Stretch.*<br />
<br />
Uh-oh.<br />
<br />
Great googley-moogley!!!!! How the HELL did it get to <strike>NOBLOODYVEMBER</strike> DEDAMNCEMBER already?<br />
<br />
<br />
This has definitely moved me into the quarter-finals of the World Procrastination Championship (Playoff schedule to be announced shortly, maybe.)<br />
<br />
*sigh*<br />
<br />
<br />
Well, in the words of Inigo Montoya,<br />
<br />
"There is too much. Let me sum up."<br />
<br />
It's been an interesting few months.<br />
<br />
Might as well begin at the beginning, way back in August:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Completely off the Dock, but worth mentioning, because it was such a unique experience- SWMBO and I got to see The Tragically Hip play the Air Canada Centre on August 10.<br />
<br />
I have never felt so damn Canadian.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoqH5hbdS8r_HzdceICXI5necgvbG5tD-tp-Sx7UM59lqsafR6wJVKKWt8Lp1gCk6UMI2x_VQ8kXlJTKzZT3qdqrvqpiAJxCuUVICMC1w2U3yxkZ_tW0CEknCC0Mi3SiRjbCFAiPPR1U/s1600/13939538_10155195912528065_4260376975134708703_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoqH5hbdS8r_HzdceICXI5necgvbG5tD-tp-Sx7UM59lqsafR6wJVKKWt8Lp1gCk6UMI2x_VQ8kXlJTKzZT3qdqrvqpiAJxCuUVICMC1w2U3yxkZ_tW0CEknCC0Mi3SiRjbCFAiPPR1U/s640/13939538_10155195912528065_4260376975134708703_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i><i> </i><br />
See, here's the deal: The Tragically Hip is like Canada's house band. They aren't the soundtrack of our 20something to 40something lives, The Hip is more like the score: always there, always in the background, sometimes swelling to take the spotlight, and, sometimes, taken for granted,<br />
because they were always THERE. <br />
<br />
There was always another tour next year, another album, another chance...<br />
<br />
.... until there wasn't.<br />
<br />
The band's quirky writer and frontman, Gord Downie, announced in June that, well...<br />
<br />
... he was dying.<br />
<br />
He had a brain tumour, and while the prognosis was clear, that he was a dead man walking, there was some time.<br />
<br />
The band decided, as a band, (because make no mistake, even though Gord was the face and voice, these five guys were a unit, playing together since high school, nigh on 35 years,) to launch one last tour.<br />
<br />
What followed was a uniquely Canadian event- a concert tour that was equal parts concert, party, wake, and tribute to Gord.<br />
(Yeah, I think every Canadian calls him Gord- it's that kind of band, he's that kind of person, and we're that kind of people.)<br />
<br />
Shows sold out across the country, and by the time the band rolled into Toronto, it was obvious this was no gentle victory lap of greatest hits.<br />
<br />
<br />
I am lucky enough to work in the radio industry,<br />
Further lucky enough to work for a small network run by a guy who loves what he does, and likes his crew- he held a contest for employees, giving away a pair of tickets,<br />
and I was lucky enough to WIN!<br />
<br />
Thanks, Jon!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
From the opening chord of "Courage (for Hugh Mclennan)", that dead man walking worked that stage for almost three solid hours that night in Toronto. Gord was occasionally teary eyed, and some say he looked frail,<br />
<br />
but he flat <i>ran</i> that room.<br />
<br />
And if you didn't tear up at least once, you weren't there.<br />
<br />
How big a deal was this concert tour by the best band you've never heard of?<br />
<br />
This is where things really get Canadian.<br />
<br />
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, often maligned, often unappreciated, often viewed as an anachronistic irrelevancy in the 21st century, lived up to it's name, reclaimed it's role as CANADA'S media, dropped the bomb, and then dropped the mic:<br />
<br />
The CBC stepped up and decided to bring the party to the people, by broadcasting the final show live, on all of it's platforms. Television, radio, online, on demand....<br />
<br />
.... for free.<br />
<br />
So, we saw The Hip again, on August 20th, at the Marina, broadcast on a sheet hung in one of the pavilions at the foot of Dock One, along with a hundred or so others...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHc3V1dMbU4uKmKH-hIBiScRtiEcGGX7PFuqJjMKm4KpcyR74mZkf-Y7j-o4s-_49WROZEuG5rP2VWHpW3qIT_lFeMKk-guxTpH7sxbBgt3ch5NFgIpTOOjIJp0cQaRkCS5dliRqh1hZ4/s1600/20160820_214629_LLS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHc3V1dMbU4uKmKH-hIBiScRtiEcGGX7PFuqJjMKm4KpcyR74mZkf-Y7j-o4s-_49WROZEuG5rP2VWHpW3qIT_lFeMKk-guxTpH7sxbBgt3ch5NFgIpTOOjIJp0cQaRkCS5dliRqh1hZ4/s640/20160820_214629_LLS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
...and over 11 million other Canadians .<br />
<br />
And if you didn't tear up at least once, you weren't there.<br />
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<br />
Paul, Johnny, Gord, Rob and Gord: Thanks for everything.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/85k4RxqRyv8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/85k4RxqRyv8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<i>-video courtesy of VEVO and YouTube</i><br />
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<br />
As noted earlier, the summer of 2016 was hot.<br />
<br />
The winter of 2015/16 was not cold, nor long.<br />
<br />
That made conditions perfect for a bumper crop of Dockgrass, aka Eurasian Water-Milfoil.<br />
<br />
This shit is evil. It grows rapidly, it grows long, and it grows tenacious. During the month of August it quite literally clogged the fairways of the marina. It wraps props, snags centerboards and generally acts as a hazard to navigation.<br />
<br />
<br />
Typically, after backing out of our slip and leaving the marina 2 knots slower than usual, a quick blast of reverse would clear a ball of weeds from the prop that looks like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P1Fv2JQovX7ojaKi6tnF8ARnA4nsg8_5-CFHXOxiRGoZJDE79UdguvriZHkvgdt5sh6t2sjCekvNZH5QtD_J1On7p5qnNEk3AGKkcowO39RCh9X9ukjG9YtbJS4uO02HDcPZ6vqIRWI/s1600/20160717_165625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2P1Fv2JQovX7ojaKi6tnF8ARnA4nsg8_5-CFHXOxiRGoZJDE79UdguvriZHkvgdt5sh6t2sjCekvNZH5QtD_J1On7p5qnNEk3AGKkcowO39RCh9X9ukjG9YtbJS4uO02HDcPZ6vqIRWI/s640/20160717_165625.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i><i> </i>We are responsible for keeping our slips clear of weeds, so every couple of days, our Dock looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUV85rPvyZQhxCs6xwvNkLaukExoNnf27jBon0qz2RxBrhY7A1eoHYbJ6swP5FLEBvPpCI3_hSxyztZvGv0AlnFzHeifzI9W68Ar_KmCE28F3EXzY1ge2tFnMWS2WC8955IvUyyV_vsIk/s1600/20160814_171631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUV85rPvyZQhxCs6xwvNkLaukExoNnf27jBon0qz2RxBrhY7A1eoHYbJ6swP5FLEBvPpCI3_hSxyztZvGv0AlnFzHeifzI9W68Ar_KmCE28F3EXzY1ge2tFnMWS2WC8955IvUyyV_vsIk/s640/20160814_171631.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
That's two days worth of growth, in two slips.<br />
<br />
Down the Dock it's even thicker, as wind and wave action tends to push the floating mass into the corner, where the Dock meets shore.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbjeyu8hMQ2FXoqokiVVvawkHk1AhnCtYVZgTKS7IRDf_vIsrTsQCdu88d8RsV3kjmr6O0JgqlzvuHNSqmCnir7izQ2sIiWE2cTvIx-pJ5EwBXYYrvDERxKMrm7QoeRaNmth9TYs9N_M/s1600/20160814_175355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbjeyu8hMQ2FXoqokiVVvawkHk1AhnCtYVZgTKS7IRDf_vIsrTsQCdu88d8RsV3kjmr6O0JgqlzvuHNSqmCnir7izQ2sIiWE2cTvIx-pJ5EwBXYYrvDERxKMrm7QoeRaNmth9TYs9N_M/s640/20160814_175355.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<i> </i>The marina has a dedicated harvester, but it's one machine fighting a losing battle- it's payload is relatively light, so the bulk of running time is spent transiting to shore to offload into a 40 foot bin, then transiting back to the fairway in play, and then back to unload...<br />
<br />
There's no easy solution, so we bear it and keep sailing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have a suspicion that Dockweed hastened a soon-to-be discovered problem aboard <i>Karma.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>SWMBO and I took an extended Labour Day weekend and on Friday decided to make an afternoon run to Pottahawk and back. We motorsailed out, making good time, clicking along at a happy 5-6 knots in 8-10 knots of wind. Motorsailing, because I'd been having some concerns about our engine- <i>Karma </i>had felt down on power in recent days, so I thought a good 2-3 hour run wouldn't hurt.<br />
<br />
<br />
We scooted past Port Ryerse, then past the site of Bushstock, a new 2 day music event in the 'folk....<br />
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Then sailed past Fisher's Glen...</div>
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...making good time, we continued past Normandale....<br />
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...two hours out, we spy Turkey Point to starboard...<br />
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... as the beach trailed behind our transom we turned to port to cross the gut that separates outer Long Point Bay from the Inner Bay, and headed to Pottahawk...<br />
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<i> </i>It was a damn near enough perfect day for sailing- decent wind, and fairly typical bay chop, but we had the Bay pretty much to ourselves- in 20 miles-ish of travel, we saw just a handful of other boats.<br />
<br />
<br />
We reached Pottahawk, turned to port again to head for home, and with the wind on our nose, it was all engine now, so we furled sails and throttled up to 2/3 throttle, call it 2200 rpm, which gave us...<br />
<br />
... a blistering 3 knots.<br />
<br />
Huh- maybe the headwind is stronger than it feels.<br />
<br />
So nudging the throttle to 3/4, about 2700 rpm, we found ourselves pounding along at<br />
.... a blistering 3 knots.<br />
<br />
Which shortly decreased to 2.8, then 2.7, then 2.5 knots<br />
<br />
"That's not right," methinks.<br />
<br />
Throttling back, SWMBO and I chugged along at a now steady 2.5 knots, and troubleshot:<br />
<br />
Maybe a ball of weeds around the prop?<br />
<br />
SWMBO throttled down, shifted into reverse, boat speed jumped to 4.5 knots, no telltale mulched weeds arose from under the boat.<br />
<br />
Back into forward, back to 2.5 knots. <br />
<br />
Huh.<br />
<br />
I go below, retrieve the service manual for our mighty Yanmar YSM-8 powerplant and start reading. <br />
<br />
Shit.<br />
<br />
The transmission on our iron genny has two "friction discs", essentially clutch discs that do the job of taking the 8 hp created by the engine and transferring it to the prop shaft to drive the boat. One clutch disc handles forward go, one clutch disc is tasked to handle reverse. <br />
<br />
Guess which one is used more?<br />
<br />
Guess which one signals it's decided to retire by no longer transferring all of the engine's mighty 8 hp into usable propulsion?<br />
<br />
Yeah- obviously the reverse disc was still good to go, but the forward disc would go no mo'.<br />
<br />
<br />
Yay, problem diagnosed! But, there wasn't a damn thing we could do, except motor along at 2.5...<br />
<br />
...2.4...<br />
<br />
...2.3 knots.<br />
...and dropping.<br />
<br />
Oh well, lots of time to surf for replacement parts on my phone, which led me to discover that, like many parts for boats built when John Lennon was still alive, the friction discs in question were rumoured to be No Longer Available.<br />
<br />
Great.<br />
<br />
Five and a half hours of feathering and nursing the throttle after making the port turn at Pottahawk for home, we limped into the marina, in the dark, inching into our slip at 1.5 knots.<br />
<br />
I stopped into Bridge Yachts on the Tuesday after Labour Day, and requested they find the part, if possible. Three days later I got a call- they found two discs.<br />
<br />
The last two YSM-8 friction discs on the planet allegedly.<br />
In Japan.<br />
They would be here in three weeks. <br />
I ordered them both.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile <i>Karma </i>lay forlorn in her slip.<br />
<br />
Where <i>Karma </i>largely remained, until Phil and Corinne and <i>Compass Rose </i>towed our burdened beast up the river to the Bridge Yachts yard at the end of October. <br />
<br />
The last two Yanmar YSM-8 friction discs on the planet finally arrived.... in the third week of November.<br />
<br />
I'll deal with it in the spring.<br />
<br />
The great thing about owning a fleet is that, while the big boat may be down and out, SWMBO's ride, <i>Ereni</i>, was more than happy to stretch her legs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Ereni </i>is no faster than <i>Karma- </i>in fact, if you belief PHRF, that sleek little race-pedigreed one design daysailer is owed a little time by <i>Karma</i>-<br />
<br />
but she FEELS faster.<br />
<br />
It's like stepping out of a cabover Kenworth truck and stepping into an E-type: The same speed feels entirely different.<br />
<br />
Sailing <i>Karma</i> is fun. <br />
<br />
Sailing <i>Ereni </i>is <i>FUN.</i><br />
<br />
Brutal honesty time- too often, sailing <i>Ereni</i> is a bit of a shitshow. The mainsail reefing line too tight, or too loose...<br />
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<br />
....the topping lift hung up on the backstay....<br />
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Her sails are blown out, her bottom is fuzzy, she needs new standing rigging, new running rigging, new mainsail tackle, her fuel tank relocated, her brightwork brightened, the list of what she needs goes on and on...<br />
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.....but when we get it right, it is pure magic:<br />
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So, that brings us (mostly) up to current- the boats are on the hard, largely put to bed, all gear is now occupying our dining room and den, waiting to be stowed away, and the winter punchlist has begun. Hopefully, I can bring you up to speed on <i>that</i> little ball of mission-creep before the boats splash for the 2017 season.<br />
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In the meantime, if I don't talk at you in the meantime...<br />
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Merry, Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year, to all y'all.<br />
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Thanks for checkingin, and as always, please, "Talk the Dock!"<br />
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<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-9623940670615146672016-07-31T17:11:00.000-04:002016-12-21T15:23:21.831-05:00Spring has Sprung... Right Into Summer pt. 2<br />
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<i>"</i><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><i>But where we are going, </i></span><i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Oh it hasn't fully, fully been told..."</i><br />
<i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> -Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics</i><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> So, where were we?</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Right: Boat is launched, boat is sinking, boat stops sinking, yadda yadda, <i>Karma</i> glides into her slip with no further drama. </span><br />
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<i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> </i><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">With one boat launched successfully, it was on to the rest of the fleet. With a little help from the crew of <i> Boats....</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">...we got our commuter dinghy, </span><i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Chameleon</i><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">, to the marina and into the water.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Then, we tackled </span><i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Ereni</i><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">, giving SWMBO's Bluenose a quick and dirty makeover... and a black nose in the process, to cover some of that quick and dirty. </span><br />
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<i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Ereni</i><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> is due for some serious hull refitting this winter- the brightwork needs to be brightened, the hull needs to have some blisters ground/filled/faired, and then we'll refinish the deck and topsides. But, we think we'll keep the nose treatment, and add some nose art- SWMBO and I agree we both kinda dig the vintage "rat rod' vibe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Over the two full years we've lived with, and aboard, <i>Karma</i>, we've developed a pretty good idea of our wants and needs, and have fulfilled many of them along the way...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">... and created new ones.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Our reefer install has been a well-received luxury, with an unintended consequence- power insecurity.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> We have 3 40w solar panels that live on top of our bimini, feeding a single Group 24 house battery and a Group 24 starting battery, also charged by the 35 amp alternator on the inboard diesel. Last season, this system proved sufficient....</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">... barely. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> If the solar panels underperformed for more than a day, some motorsailing was required to top up the batteries. We were careful about energy usage, charging electronics only during the middle of the day, being judicious about illumination, vhf and instrument use, etc. and never <i>really</i> had a power crisis...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> But still....</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> This season, I made the decision to add more power and more power storage. Here's the plan: add another 100w of solar power, in the form of a semi-flexible 100 w panel installed on the dodger, then combine the 2 Group 24 batteries already onboard into a two battery house bank, and add a third Group 24 battery for starting, locating it just aft of the transmission in the engine bay. Next year, we will replace the group 24 house bank with a pair of 230 amp hour 6 volt GC-1 golf cart batteries, if we find that the 160 amp hour capacity of the house bank is not enough We decided to isolate the starting battery from the charging circuit- we opted to install a Xantrex Digital Echo Charge. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> To quote the manual:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"> "</span></span>The Digital echo-charge automatically switches ON
and OFF, charging a starter or auxiliary battery without affecting the main
house battery bank. The maximum charge current is 15 amps when the
starting battery is 1/2 volt to 1 volt DC less than the house battery... When the input voltage is 13.0/25.5 volts DC or higher, echo-charge
automatically switches ON. The LED glows a steady green. When the
input voltage is lower than 13.0/25.5 volts, the echo-charge automatically
switches OFF, and the LED blinks green. The output voltage of echocharge
is limited to 14.4/28.8 volts. When it reaches 14.4/28.8 volts, the
charge current will decrease, maintaining a float condition. "<br />
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So, I bought a bunch of obscenely priced cable, less obscenely priced wire, a battery and assorted electrical parts and pieces and tools and stuff and dug in, on the hottest day of the year....<br />
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... and everything largely went together better than I expected....<br />
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.... once I pretty much gave up on the original plan.<br />
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I cut and stripped and crimped new cable to wire the existing batteries in parallel...<br />
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...and that is pretty much where the original plan ended.<br />
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A "<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">a semi-flexible 100w panel installed on the dodger" became a semi-flexible 100w panel mounted on the foredeck. temporarily laying the panel on top of the dodger and measuring output demonstrated that there was just too much shading for the panel to generate anywhere near it's potential output. Because of our boat's design, and our usage, the foredeck gets little traffic, so I decided to see if the "you can even walk on it' claims about semi-flexible panels were true. </span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> The install was pretty straightforward, once I wrapped my head around drilling 3/4" holes in the deck. An hours worth of work saw two of the aforementioned holes drilled, some wires run, and the panel fastened to the deck with, and all fittings sealed with, 3M 4200. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">The new panel got a new charge controller, to complement the existing bimini bank charge controllers, then the controller output for both the bimini solar bank and the foredeck solar bank were driven to a distribution block and thence to batteries... </span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> ...Which were not happy at all.</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Note to self: always check polarity before connecting 100 w panel to new charge controller.</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Then check it again.</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Then check it again.</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> I didn't, and wired the panel to the charge controller backward, and didn't realize my error for 48 hours. </span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> I bought a new charge controller, and now the batteries happily charged away... but wouldn't hold a charge. Well, 5 year old lead acid batteries are due for replacement anyway, so "</span><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Next year, we will replace the group 24 house bank with a pair of 230 amp hour 6 volt GC-1 golf cart batteries" became "TODAY </span><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">we will replace the group 24 house bank with a pair of 230 amp hour 6 volt GC-1 golf cart batteries."</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> (Note to those of you playing along at home: Golf cart batteries are about the same width and length as Group 24 batteries...but about twice the weight. Getting them up onto the boat, then down into the boat, then down further into the battery bay, was an exercise that, in retrospect, would be less danger-filled if one is wearing steel-toed boots, not flip-flops.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">So, new batteries go in, cabling is connected, and power flows! Meanwhile, it becomes apparent that "</span><span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">add a third Group 24 battery for starting, locating it just aft of the transmission in the engine bay." is a non-starter. So, the new batery gets located slightly farther aft, under the aft cabin berth. The Xantrex Echo Charge install was a breeze- the instructions were clear, the manual was well-written, and all of the supplied bits and bobs were of good quality. </span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Was it worth it?</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> Yep. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> We now generate more power than we can use and store most days, and have had no problem keeping ahead of our loads even during our very hot July, when our refrigerator was running much more often than it's typical 30% duty cycle.</span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> As we have realized the need for more power, we also have been grappling with our need for more space. the S2 8.0C is a cleverly designed boat, pulling 26 feet of accomodations out of a 26 foot LOA hull... but that means that on-deck and cockpit storage is non-existent. Coaming pockets would be a big help for line management- sheets would no longer be all over the cockpit benches and underass, an uncomfortable proposition during a crash tack. I did some measuring, found a pair of fire extinguisher pockets in the clearance rack at a local chandlery, and a little mahogany and varnish and cutting larger holes in our boat and screws later...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Our cockpit is slightly more organized.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Also seen in the above picture, behind the compact sportsdawg, you can kinda spy that scrap mahogany was also used to craft risers, to raise the height of the bimini slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;">Below, little has changed, other than a new trawler lamp, cushions that are 1" thicker and comfier, and new Low-Buck back cushions and throw pillows have been added:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #474747; font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"> </span></span><br />
We lucked out at our local grocery store (I shit you not- the grocery store) and found outdoor furniture cushions and pillows in the right colours, and amazingly, the right size, for half price.<br />
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Life is good, and more comfortable than ever...and the sailing's not too bad either.<br />
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Thanks for having a read. Pass the word- Please "Talk the Dock!"<br />
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<i style="color: #474747; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px;"><br /></i>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-77199659940515051542016-06-30T23:54:00.000-04:002016-12-21T15:23:47.930-05:00Spring has Sprung... Right Into Summer Pt. 1<br />
<i>"This heat has got right out of hand..."</i><br />
<i> -Bananarama</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> * I started writing this post on May 30th....how the HELL did it become the end of June????</i><br />
<i><br /></i> Spring has sprung...<br />
<br />
... and then more Summer came along and kicked it's ass.<br />
<br />
Check this- May 13th, we had sun, rain and temps around 15 degrees on the c scale.<br />
May 14th, we had 30 knot winds and 6 degree temps.<br />
May 15th, we had snow on the Dock.<br />
<br />
SNOW.<br />
<br />
Note that I did not opt to do any boatwork on those days. Nope, not me. I had a list of things to do but...<br />
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<br />
I opted out. I called it on account of weather. <br />
<br />
SWMBO and I got a lot done in the weeks prior to splash, including, new carpet, new foam for the cabin cushions, and a new Low-Buck swim platform...<br />
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<br />
<i>Karma</i> hit the water on the first Friday of May, one of our earliest launches ever.... <br />
<br />
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<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<br />
...and she promptly decided to start to sink.<br />
<br />
I was toiling away at my day job, making local businesses locally famous, so SWMBO was supervising the launch solo. As I was on my way to the boatyard, toiling completed, I received a cryptic text message:<br />
<br />
"Water"<br />
<br />
Hmmm...<br />
Is SWMBO thirsty?<br />
Is she telling me that the boat is now in the water? <br />
Or...is she telling me that the water is now in the boat?<br />
<br />
Then, I received another cryptic text message:<br />
<br />
"Hurry"<br />
<br />
So, I hurried.<br />
<br />
I got to the yard, and spied SWMBO in <i>Karma's</i> cockpit, pumping away. Turns out, "water" was , in deed, coming into the boat.... at a worrisome rate. "Hurry" was appropriate, as the sole was awash, and SWMBO was usunre where the water was coming from. I hurried down the companionway ladder, tore open access panels, checked the stuffing box (fine) and then the raw water strainer (decidedly unfine, water streaming from the top of the reservoir).<br />
<br />
I closed the seacock so the water stopped hurrying into the boat and removed the strainer and found that the o-ring seal was no longer sealing.<br />
<br />
It's Friday, it's after 5, nothing is open that is going to have the part that will solve this problem. As I was pondering the paucity of options, Skipper Andy wanders past, headed to <i>Cyclone</i>, docked at the Bridge yachts yard this season. I yell, enquiring rather loudly whether he may have any sealant materials aboard.<br />
<br />
Turns out he does- and it is appropriately named:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsPcFKti9AXtBg_gFvTyS7xBQjPHZiqNEnOBSBOD2uZvKdr_h78ZAuk5Cl2B-x-bP4uNTAj2IOxSOl5oVIIrTnpJeHbQ5qxAwRuIIOOuBQkkOOPDHIhcBdSu-22yeBbxQv1-xj7BORcQ/s1600/18150-GR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsPcFKti9AXtBg_gFvTyS7xBQjPHZiqNEnOBSBOD2uZvKdr_h78ZAuk5Cl2B-x-bP4uNTAj2IOxSOl5oVIIrTnpJeHbQ5qxAwRuIIOOuBQkkOOPDHIhcBdSu-22yeBbxQv1-xj7BORcQ/s400/18150-GR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
a strip of caulk later, and we're back in business, leak free.<br />
<br />
Thanks, Skipper!!<br />
<br />
It turns out that the water strainer seal has likely been quietly leaking, unseen, for several years- the strainer is located in a corner of the engine bay and the leak was not visible. But, that unseen unknown leak meant that we had to be vigilant to pump our smallish bilge ever 3-4 days. Since resealing, we now pump our bilge every 7- 10 days, with little to show for the effort.<br />
<br />
So, boat no longer sinking, we fire up the trusty Yanmar YSM-8 and set off downriver and around the corner to the marina, and we survey what's new on the Dock.<br />
<br />
Turns out, quite a bit.<br />
<br />
More to come in Pt. 2.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by. Please "Talk the Dock!" and pass the word.<br />
<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-19303391252133280942016-04-30T22:50:00.001-04:002016-04-30T22:50:17.710-04:00Splashdance.<br />
<i>"The plan was set, the plan was done..."</i><br />
<i> -Steely Dan</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Every year, the boats come out of the water aroundabout Halloween-ish. Every fall, I think to myself,<br />
<br />
"This winter, it's going to be different. this winter, I am going to make a list of all the boatprojects that we want to complete, and I will schedule them over the next six months, so that we're not busting ass at the last minute, racing a ticking clock, as we run up against the immovable barrier of our splash date."<br />
<br />
Yeah, I <i>think </i>that.<br />
<br />
The reality is always entirely, frantically, different...<br />
<br />
Five and a half months go by and suddenly the world looks like this:<br />
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<br />
<br />
and I look like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnF06pwdO8wazOcNJ-Lwr5vHGTwSJyAdk7jAx0lOcFFErDhIFRVXrW2sp53YsZjbu4IKMfuNA7Ro7nXyOstlM6EGLXc5j5H0aC1pnGQnJ6iqDGiddTUgZ-vAil8jere_N4RMJhS3RaqHU/s1600/tVZnRGX.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnF06pwdO8wazOcNJ-Lwr5vHGTwSJyAdk7jAx0lOcFFErDhIFRVXrW2sp53YsZjbu4IKMfuNA7Ro7nXyOstlM6EGLXc5j5H0aC1pnGQnJ6iqDGiddTUgZ-vAil8jere_N4RMJhS3RaqHU/s640/tVZnRGX.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<i> - image courtesy of reddit</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
With a big ol' procrastination -driven project backlog monkey on my back.<br />
<br />
<br />
Inevitably. our spring splash punchlist gets prioritized, with projects falling into three categories:<br />
<br />
1. Shit that absolutely has to get done before the boats get dropped in the water, or they don't happen. Or the boat sinks.<br />
<br />
2. Shit that was scheduled to get done before we splashed, but who the hell am I kidding?<br />
<br />
3. Shit that gone done on, or ahead of, schedule, purely by accident, or because, rarely, it is easier and simpler than we thought it was going to be.<br />
<br />
Well, all the 3. stuff has been done, now it's just 1. and 2. fighting to finish.<br />
<br />
We splash <i>Karma</i> May 6. <i>Ereni</i> will splash at a later date, which buys us some time.<br />
But, the next few nights after work are going to be jam-packed with fun stuff like (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
1. Installing a new/used swim platform (including modifying mounting brackets, reshaping platform, finishing trim to finish platform, cutting backing plates, and actual installation.)<br />
<br />
2. Installing a topping lift.<br />
<br />
3. Installing a 100 w semi-flexible solar panel.<br />
<br />
4. Installing a new charge controller, and a new starting battery, wiring both existing batteries into a house bank, and installing a new Xantrex Echo Charger to simplify our charging system.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
5. Raising and stiffening bimini, installing longer frame stringers on rigid solar panel frame to solve top sag problem, install a couple of additional struts to stiffen the frame.<br />
<br />
6. Cleaning and rebuilding the cabin cushions.<br />
<br />
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<br />
7. Finishing the construction of the first SUMO dinghy.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
8. And, of course, sanding and painting the bottom, and finishing washing and waxing the topsides.<br />
<br />
<br />
And, dammit, I love every minute of it. The next best thing to being on the water is getting the boats ready for the water, stress and all. The best part of the next best thing is that SWMBO is right alongside, busting hump with me.<br />
<br />
It beats the hell out of winter.<br />
<br />
Six days left.<br />
<br />
We'll be (mostly) ready.<br />
<br />
I think.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by! Please take the time to "Talk the Dock," and pass the word.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-58027443718739029182016-03-31T23:40:00.000-04:002016-12-21T15:33:59.565-05:00Small Boat Rules, Vol. 1<br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"</i><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i>told his wife, 'you can tell all your friends, i</i></span></span><i style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">t's been real but it ain't been fun, gonna get us one of them</span></i><br />
<i style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">boats'..." </span></i><br />
<i style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> -Kenny Chesney</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
While <i>Karma </i>is a bigger than <i>Whiskeyjack</i>, and while she is a bigger "big small boat", at just shy of 26 feet LOA, she is still a small boat. <br />
<br />
We are perfectly fine with that.<br />
<br />
Someone once said, "Buy as little boat as you can stand, not as much boat as you can find, for what you can afford."<br />
<br />
Like all good advice, that one stuck with me. It's a great life- have we thought about getting a bigger boat?<br />
<br />
<br />
Constantly.<br />
<br />
But going bigger would mean leaving the Dock, and giving up the best sunsets in the marina:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQ4E3bNzyZJ6p7OkghRjTogdp3nl2DJrlXW9s0jy2ARlGvXd1F8fB_jj4awT1X5Ufv4JZ6LPWVDMgWv0Ce9mDKtBxCUe70IpsqZ_3J4_DRTbFHZF0bgOVV7jL7477IpQ2RgxMmwbnmZY/s1600/IMG_9647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQ4E3bNzyZJ6p7OkghRjTogdp3nl2DJrlXW9s0jy2ARlGvXd1F8fB_jj4awT1X5Ufv4JZ6LPWVDMgWv0Ce9mDKtBxCUe70IpsqZ_3J4_DRTbFHZF0bgOVV7jL7477IpQ2RgxMmwbnmZY/s640/IMG_9647.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
So, we make it work.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
…. As seasonal small-boat liveaboards who still have
full-time dirt jobs, here is a dozen things we have learned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. You wake up earlier. When the shower is a dinghy ride
away, rather than just off the bedroom, you're not slapping the snoozebar as
often.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. The order of the morning ritual changes. Instead of
stumbling out of the shower and surveying the closet, you have to figure out
what you are going to wear, take it with you into the shower and hang it off
the back of the door to steam out the inevitable wrinkles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. You don't need 8 pairs of shoes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. No one notices that you only have two sport coats.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. If your clothes are black, khaki and beige, you don't
need to have as many clothes because everything goes together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. As a salesperson, I find you can get away with guayaberas
and flowered shirts when you tell people you live on your boat. It's also a
great warm-up. In fact, if you don't wear flowered shirts and guayaberas,
prospects look at you suspiciously. Dress too well and they think you are
living on a 60 ft motoryacht, which means you are making waaaayyy too much.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. Tight on storage? Underwear,socks, t-shirts and shorts go
in pillow cases, your good clothes go in the drawers/bins. Voila- extra
pillows, and less-wrinkled workwear.<o:p></o:p><br />
<i>edit- CLEAN underwear and socks!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. When doing laundry, let everything spend extra time in
the dryer. You want your clothes DRY. Mildew is not your friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. Keep a package or two of silica gel and a sachet of pot
pourri, or at least a dryer sheet, in your clothes storage bins, and/or drawers, and/or lockers. Your clothes
will stay mildew free and smell good.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
10. Keep your bilge and engine bay/ room CLEAN. I like the
nautical funk of diesel, icebox runoff and stuffing box drippings as much as
the next sailor, but your clothes will pick up the smell, and it ain't as
provocative in a client's office.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11. There's no place for packaging aboard. Unbox it, unwrap it, unpack it, recycle the box, wrapping and packaging before you hit the dock or the dinghy, label what's left and stow it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
12. If something new comes aboard, something old has to leave- don't become an accidental hoarder. It takes a hell of a lot less time, and stuff, to fill up 200 sq ft. of space on the water than it does 2500 sq ft on the dirt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and a bonus:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
13. if you take it out, move it, or use it, put it back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fellow liveaboards and cruisers, I'd love to add to this list, so feel free to sing out and comment with what works for you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As always, thanks for stopping by. Please, "Talk the Dock!"- spread the word.</div>
<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-52479916901622829152016-02-22T08:22:00.000-05:002016-12-21T15:43:30.788-05:00A Half Decade Later... And A Love Letter<br />
<br />
<i>"...It's been five long years and I love you just the same..."</i><br />
<i> -Colin James</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Five years.<br />
<br />
318 posts.<br />
<br />
250 000 reads... and growing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I started scribbling the Dock Six Chronicles back in '11, I didn't expect the D6C to find a worldwide audience.<br />
<br />
But, we did.<br />
<br />
A big part of the "why?" is our location, and my affection for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
I love this place, this sprawling county, this shore, this
coast, this garden that is Norfolk County.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am also, occasionally, one of it’s harshest critics.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For 5 years, I have been quietly blogging about my little
part of this little place.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ‘folk has been going through a rough patch of late. Unemployment
is up and opportunity is down. The number of vacant core storefronts in our towns and
villages is growing, while our outskirts big box stores don’t have vacant parking
spaces.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We seem to have lost our self-confidence, seeking affirmation
from beyond our borders. (Seriously, the
County Economic Development Department hands out an award for the best blogger
from OUTSIDE Norfolk. There is no award
recognizing homegrown bloggers. *Ahem*)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe it’s time we start thinking about what makes us great
and start patting ourselves on the back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today is the last birthday I will ever celebrate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Oh, ferpetesake, NO, this is not a suicide note- this is my
49<sup>th</sup> birthday, and I am NOT going to celebrate my 50<sup>th</sup>-
that’s too much like growing up.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that in mind, here’s a list of 49 things I LOVE about
this place. Feel free to add your own.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--> No 400
series highways.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->No traffic jams.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Guacamole at <b><a href="http://www.amigasbistro.ca/" target="_blank">Amiga's</a>.</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Club sandwiches at <a href="https://www.kaleysrestaurant.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kaley's</b></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->A nice home is yours for the down payment on a
house in the 416.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The beaches.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TurkeyPoint-beachEH-RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TurkeyPoint-beachEH-RD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>-image courtesy of norfolktourism.ca</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The <b><a href="http://www.norfolkcounty.ca/locations/port-dover-harbour-marina/" target="_blank">Port Dover Harbour Marina</a>.</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The sunsets at aforementioned marina. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AQIZyoIBhyXx9csvH3oW5-1cYPImF3huFZBGgI5UjTnDYueeBOwRDl8fiQ7X3tWGin65BrjLx45qHnPG4gdglGozvttLYGLYifWNzfkyr3ioy1PLg8GZ7ujIy8pBcTA3uEH85hzEo3k/s1600/IMG_9648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0AQIZyoIBhyXx9csvH3oW5-1cYPImF3huFZBGgI5UjTnDYueeBOwRDl8fiQ7X3tWGin65BrjLx45qHnPG4gdglGozvttLYGLYifWNzfkyr3ioy1PLg8GZ7ujIy8pBcTA3uEH85hzEo3k/s640/IMG_9648.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <a href="http://www.norfolkcounty.ca/living/heritage-culture/museums/" target="_blank"><b>museums</b></a>, big and small.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our<b> </b><a href="http://wholesomepickins.ca/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">strawberries</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <a href="http://www.dovercheese.com/" target="_blank"><b>entrepreneurs</b></a> .<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <b><a href="http://www.stoneyshomehardware.com/" target="_blank">Home Hardware stores.</a></b><o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <b><a href="http://goldenleafwinery.ca/" target="_blank">wineries</a> </b>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->14.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <b><a href="http://newlimburg.com/" target="_blank">microbreweries</a> </b>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->15.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our apple cider donuts.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/apple-cider-doughnut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/apple-cider-doughnut.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>-image courtesy of norfolktourism.ca</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->16.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The <b><a href="http://www.norfolkcountyfair.com/" target="_blank">Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show</a> .</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->17.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our <b> <a href="http://www.lynnvalleytrail.com/" target="_blank">trail system</a> </b>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->18.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Long Point.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAZ-gtJHKRjiXvTG2QjygXhPUxf8vRAf6RWO3jdlWVOKhpFugJyFVHGdp4VnyYZp6rdXqU4kSJSjKhQ9_oDO7Iq1m07PxKq3tQYi9TFg0jTi_jVyIlhqy15zQUtXOZ2IMTkpPFiIBLEo/s1600/matt+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAZ-gtJHKRjiXvTG2QjygXhPUxf8vRAf6RWO3jdlWVOKhpFugJyFVHGdp4VnyYZp6rdXqU4kSJSjKhQ9_oDO7Iq1m07PxKq3tQYi9TFg0jTi_jVyIlhqy15zQUtXOZ2IMTkpPFiIBLEo/s640/matt+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->19.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our history- rum runners, wreckers, tobacco
growers, transplanted Arkansas guitar pickers, wars and wastrels.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->20.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><b><a href="http://annaleisecarr.com/" target="_blank">Annaliese Carr</a> </b>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->21.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The <a href="http://lighthousetheatre.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lighthouse Festival Theatre</b></a> .<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->22.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Norfolk Has Talent. This should be a mandatory attendance event
for everyone in the county.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->23.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Perch at <b><a href="http://www.knechtelfoods.ca/" target="_blank">Knechtel's</a> </b>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->24.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Golden Glow at the Arbor<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://optimismofcolor.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/the-arbor11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://optimismofcolor.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/the-arbor11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->25.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><b><a href="http://www.pottahawkpissup.ca/" target="_blank">Pottahawk</a> </b>.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->26.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal;"><b> <a href="http://www.pd13.com/" target="_blank">Friday the 13th</a> </b>.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->27.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Port Rowan<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11065952_824363497643154_6233833064280774718_n.jpg?oh=696afbcf7aba9d8b91a690b38dda8eb8&oe=576AE4D8" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/11065952_824363497643154_6233833064280774718_n.jpg?oh=696afbcf7aba9d8b91a690b38dda8eb8&oe=576AE4D8" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->28.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Gyros at The Bunkhouse in Delhi.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->29.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal;">Chipnuts, er, Crispy Potato Chip Covered Peanuts, from <b><a href="http://www.picardspeanuts.com/" target="_blank">Picards</a> </b>.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->30.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our sweet corn.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->31.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Our generations of Stanley Cup winning hockey players, especially Red Kelly- he won 8 Stanley cups, playing for 2 different teams, including winning one Cup in 1964, while serving as a Member of Parliament.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Fj8hCM_MsC2wLERr-C8Ut1ZJ5-RvFwpG70J20B2I3Bih_pK_zXZHv5xnbmeFj6DuUEUZDXSYxPulucCFkszJNITpNt82VFayiCE5B6p_ggInaBcOm5TwNQlrHBnL0cQ961fU6fEUV-8/s640/red+kelly+stanley+cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Fj8hCM_MsC2wLERr-C8Ut1ZJ5-RvFwpG70J20B2I3Bih_pK_zXZHv5xnbmeFj6DuUEUZDXSYxPulucCFkszJNITpNt82VFayiCE5B6p_ggInaBcOm5TwNQlrHBnL0cQ961fU6fEUV-8/s640/red+kelly+stanley+cup.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
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</div>
<i>-image courtesy of Dirty Dangle Hockey</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->32.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The New Year’s Day <a href="http://docksixchronicles.blogspot.ca/2014/01/stories-from-behind-beach-another-crazy.html" target="_blank"><b>Polar Bear Dip</b></a> .<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Port%20Dover%20NYDay%20Dip%202014/Doverpolarbeardip2014088_zpsc40677ef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Port%20Dover%20NYDay%20Dip%202014/Doverpolarbeardip2014088_zpsc40677ef.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->33.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">
</span><a href="http://www.turkeypoint.ca/summerfest.asp" target="_blank"><b>Summerfest</b></a></span><b> </b>in Turkey Point.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->34.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal;"><u><b>
<a href="http://pumpkinfest.com/" target="_blank">Pumpkinfest</a></b></u></span> in Waterford.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->35.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The Waterford ponds.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->36.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Backus Mill<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->37.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The patio (and the tagline) at <a href="http://211mainportdover.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">211 Main</a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/08/6a/90/f4/211-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/08/6a/90/f4/211-main.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>-image courtesy of tripadvisor.ca</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->38.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Sailboat races on Monday and Wednesday nights.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Mobile%20Uploads/20150608_190055_zpskwkf6ixq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Mobile%20Uploads/20150608_190055_zpskwkf6ixq.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->39.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><span style="font-stretch: normal;">Ross Bateman</span><span style="font-stretch: normal;">.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->40.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Normandale and Fisher’s Glen.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->41.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Spooky Hollow Road.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SQIxtag2ME/TydwB0Z8ChI/AAAAAAAACMw/f5vxkzLu7bI/spooky.2_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SQIxtag2ME/TydwB0Z8ChI/AAAAAAAACMw/f5vxkzLu7bI/spooky.2_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->42.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Port Ryerse.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 54.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->43.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The Sand Hills.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Sand-Hills-RD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://www.norfolktourism.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Sand-Hills-RD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>- image courtesy of norfolktourism.ca</i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->44.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Damn near every road is paved.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->45.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Sangria and churros at <a href="http://www.thecombine.ca/" target="_blank">The Combine</a><o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->46.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Gamble’s Shipyard.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Up%20the%20river/IMG_8667_zps5f810352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Up%20the%20river/IMG_8667_zps5f810352.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->47.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->The lift bridge in Port Dover.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Up%20the%20river/IMG_8801_zps920fa424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Up%20the%20river/IMG_8801_zps920fa424.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->48.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Waterford <a href="http://www.oldtownhall.org/" target="_blank"><b>Old Town Hall</b></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->49.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><b> <a href="http://www.simcoepanorama.ca/" target="_blank">Panorama</a></b></span>, in all of it’s anachronistic glory.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Okay, locals, it's your turn: Why do YOU love Norfolk County?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
To all of you faithful readers over the past 5 years, thanks for sticking around, and passing the word. Please, continue to "Talk the dock!"</div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-39667407998822746142016-02-07T17:57:00.001-05:002016-02-07T18:05:36.052-05:00The Benefits of Bottom Feeding<br />
<br />
<i>"But I gotta stay paid, gotta stay above water..."</i><br />
<i> - Three Six Mafia</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Originally published in Ontario Sailor magazine, now published here. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I admit, I am hard pressed to find the value in a new boat. <br />
Before anybody goes grabbin' pitchforks and torches, let me disclaim here for a minute:<br />
<br />
There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a new boat.<br />
<br />
At all.<br />
<br />
Ever.<br />
<br />
<br />
Some sailors like to buy new and trade the uncovered unknowns of an old boat for the hopefully-warranty-covered unknowns of commissioning, others have scrimped and saved and worked damn hard over the years to trade up and up, with the goal of buying a boat that is not just new-to-them, but brand-spankin' NEW, while other others are just plain filthy rich and wouldn't think of anything BUT buying big, brand new and blinged out. <br />
<br />
Good on 'em, I say!<br />
<br />
If that is what floats your boat and puts a smile on your face, Neptune love ya!<br />
<br />
But I can't do it.<br />
<br />
Or, more correctly, I won't do it, because if I can't justify the value, I definitely can't justify carrying the 25 year note, so "can't" and "won't" are damn near enough interchangeable in this equation.<br />
<br />
I am a bottom feeder- and I like it down here.<br />
<br />
As my 40th birthday gets ever smaller in the rearview mirror, my gut gets bigger, and 50 looms at damn near the next exit on my life as a highway, a few stone truths have become apparent:<br />
<br />
I was never all that good looking.<br />
<br />
I was never all that talented.<br />
<br />
Compared to the dreams I had when I was 18, I am a damn failure.<br />
<br />
I never became a rock star, I didn't get a three book deal and a 6 figure advance cheque, and I didn't become a multi-millionaire by 30. Thus, to 18 year old me, I failed.<br />
<br />
And, I am okay with all of that.<br />
<br />
Because I am a failure, because I am nothing but unrealized potential stuffed into a pair of Dockers, (aka Toughskins for adults) I have learned the life hacks and workarounds necessary to live like I made it.<br />
Which is why sailing is perfect for me.<br />
<br />
There are virtually no seaworthy 40 year old 30 foot powerboats on the market for less than the price of a 2007 Hyundai...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iihs.org/frontend/iihs/ratings/images/api-model-year-image.ashx?id=2127&width=730" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.iihs.org/frontend/iihs/ratings/images/api-model-year-image.ashx?id=2127&width=730" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
... But, there are a crapload of perfectly acceptable sailboats out there for four figures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_20140810_1341461_zps069da70f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_20140810_1341461_zps069da70f.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
The best part? I can sail the bejeezus out of a $5000 boat for four or five seasons and likely sell it for....<br />
....$5000.<br />
<br />
<br />
and if I can't? <br />
Hell, even if I have to give it away five seasons down the road, my loss is only $1000/year. <br />
Less than $3 a day.<br />
<br />
A draft beer a day.<br />
<br />
<i>Domestic </i>draft.<br />
<br />
When was the last time a draft beer gave us this much fun, this many grins, this much excitement and life?<br />
<br />
Yes, I hear you, Yeahbutniks: "Yeah, but, there are repairs and maintenance and upgrades and dockage and ..."<br />
<br />
...and all of that is cheaper down here on the bottom as well. When you buy an expensive boat, the idea of buying used gear is, to some, a little unseemly, and rightly so. Used gear on a newish boat devalues the boat and raises suspicions of the next buyer.<br />
On the bottom, used gear looks LESS out of place and LESS suspicious than NEW gear.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
It is also a lot less nerve-wracking to drill new holes in an old deck than it is to drill new holes in a new deck.<br />
<br />
<br />
As Gunny Highway said, "You improvise, you adapt, you overcome."<br />
<br />
Oh yeah, back to that nerve-wracking thing- with less invested, there is less risk in attempting new skills and new (at least to you) ideas to refit or upgrade your ride.<br />
<br />
A generation ago, a 30 foot cruising boat was what you traded up TO, and you kept her for 20 years, because you'd made it- you had space and luxury, and comfort to cruise or weekend comfortably- it was the boat you never felt you would outgrow...and most didn't.<br />
<br />
Today, a 30 foot boat is marketed as an "entry level" cruising boat, a boat to start with, and trade out of as quickly as possible.<br />
<br />
Thankfully.<br />
<br />
Because the more often a boat is traded, the faster it depreciates, and the sooner it hits the bottom of it's depreciation curve, which means there is a whole new batch of boats at the bottom of their depreciation curve sooner, hopefully for new generations of adventuresome failures to discover.<br />
<br />
And the price of admission is only a draft beer a day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
If you're a bottom feeder, keep on keeping on. And take a newbie for a sail every once in a while. We need more greenhorns sailing.<br />
<br />
After all, we need someone to sell our boats to.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by. Please, feel free to "Talk the Dock!" Pass the word!<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-84528230485389335152016-01-23T19:16:00.001-05:002016-01-23T19:16:39.355-05:00Good Enough.<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>"There must be something else..."</i><br />
<i> -Lifehouse</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i> <br />
<br />
A fleet of beveraged sailors congregating to celebrate sundown (and we had some great ones last season:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9373_zps4cdc2x4i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9373_zps4cdc2x4i.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a>),</div>
<br />
inevitably leads to discussion deep into the dark hours. One such confab meandered through the usual "Cruising versus Racing", "Tiller versus Wheel", "Power versus Sail", "Rum versus Rye", "Dock 6 versus Dock 5" debates to a topic which we discovered is a lot more nuanced:<br />
<br />
"Correct versus Incorrect Gear and Installation."<br />
<br />
or, "When is Good Enough, Good Enough?"<br />
<br />
One thing all in attendance agreed on:<br />
<br />
The answer, as it so often is, is...<br />
<br />
..."It depends." <br />
<br />
Except when it doesn't.<br />
<br />
Electrical/electronical stuff is kinda fussy about how it is connected, for example. Get yer positives and yer negatives backversed and all the smoke comes out of the wires and you're left pondering how to lie on the warranty claim for your new, but now dead, chartsounderhaildar thingy.<br />
<br />
Same thing with wrapping jibsheets around the winch- it only works one way, clockwise, dumbass!<br />
<br />
On BOTH sides of the boat!<br />
<br />
(At least 8 of you out there just air-wrapped an invisible winch to see if I was right... after you first pointed your finger in front of you like a pistol and then rotated it in the air, lefty-loosey and then righty-tighty, to remind yourself what "clockwise" meant.)<br />
<br />
<br />
(( You KNOW you did. Don't even try.))<br />
<br />
Restringing 6:1 mainsheet tackle takes at least two tries because nobody ever gets the sheave order right the first time and nobody bothers to take "before" pictures before unstringing the old sheet from the blocks... and, of course, it only works one way.<br />
<br />
<br />
Adjusting the valve clearance on your engine, and flushing the head are other examples of "one way only" systems, gear and procedures.<br />
<br />
Most of the other stuff on your boat?<br />
<br />
Not so much.<br />
<br />
Which is kinda reassuring.<br />
<br />
When I am not sailing, and boatbuilding and boatpart building and wordsmithing, I am a gearhead.<br />
<br />
But not as gearheady as I used to be.<br />
<br />
Back in the day, BB (the era Before Boats), I was a die-hard 24/7 VW freak. Since I was 16, I owned 'em, fixed 'em, bought 'em, built 'em, sold 'em, lived 'em, and, sometimes, in 'em. At last count I had owned 47.3 of them.<br />
<br />
The .3 is still in the backyard of Stately Jones Manor.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0023.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
(NOT the backyard of SJM, but at times, it was close.)<br />
<br />
I've laid hands on some of the rarest of the rare,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0005.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/DSCF0028.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdCp8gwPhDJbr4gM4EiRx2gZsZCX8pFZj4-M3Q7Jkr5TT9Ssl0YQL-mEAzm-mdE0NFEWbdNKWMBEaZPhro9rwbBfbttWg-0A2-kNRZAFEFxGibX8-aPqzq3odR7kztMoQE1czh4A1Ak0/s1600/November+pics+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdCp8gwPhDJbr4gM4EiRx2gZsZCX8pFZj4-M3Q7Jkr5TT9Ssl0YQL-mEAzm-mdE0NFEWbdNKWMBEaZPhro9rwbBfbttWg-0A2-kNRZAFEFxGibX8-aPqzq3odR7kztMoQE1czh4A1Ak0/s1600/November+pics+008.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/syncro3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/syncro3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
...and rubbed elbows with some of the coolest of the cool.<br />
<br />
At the top of my "I Shit You Not" Stories list, I helped a bunch of local Canadian high school kids build a race car that ran in the 2005 Baja 1000:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ciia.com/images/baja2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ciia.com/images/baja2.jpg" height="320" width="288" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.ciia.com/images/baja1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ciia.com/images/baja1.jpg" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As the old NASCAR joke goes, I wasn't involved, I was committed. (Look it up.)<br />
<br />
<br />
Occasionally my wheeled obsession met my keeled obsession. Little known fact: my first dinghy , <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://docksixchronicles.blogspot.ca/2011/02/meet-fleet-part-tree-birth-of-chirp.html" target="_blank">Chirp</a> </b>, built back in 2009, was sized to fit inside my VW Vanagon Syncro.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/newpics017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/newpics017.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Confession: I haven't wrenched on a VW in 5 years.<br />
<br />
What happened?<br />
<br />
I discovered the "good enough" freedom of boats, and realized the math worked.<br />
<br />
See here's the deal: <br />
<br />
Old VWs are not just collectible, they are <i>appreciating</i>. Like crazy. Like, a -$5000 -price -tag -on- a- rusty- dented -non-running- project- bus- that- needs -everything -is -a -steal kind of crazy.<br />
<br />
The shit got serious. And when the shit gets serious, you gotta get serious about the shit- an incorrect part, an ill-fitting aftermarket panel, a wheel with the wrong date stamp, is a step backward. A perfectly serviceable, but incorrect, $100 aftermarket muffler might cut the value of your pride and joy by $150. <br />
<br />
And there are plenty of enthusiasts who will happily let you know, at every show and swap meet you attend with your incorrect ride.<br />
<br />
As the value of the vehicles rose, the price of original and good aftermarket parts rose accordingly, stretching my always tight fun budget.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, in Old Boat World, or at least the part of it I discovered and happily reside in, nobody gives a shit about whether there are period correct bolts holding the stanchions to decks that are covered with unscuffed original non-skid. Having peeling decals on the air filter will not hurt the value of my boat at all.<br />
<br />
Owning a floating summer home that will likely not appreciate in value, but will just as likely not depreciate much either, is kinda liberating.<br />
<br />
I was spending more time messing around with boats, and less time in the garage. Finally, I had to face the fiscal reality:<br />
<br />
My fun budget can support messing around with boats, or messing around with cars. Not both. <br />
<br />
For now.<br />
<br />
So, back to the original question. What was the consensus that our confab reached that night?<br />
<br />
When is good enough, good enough?<br />
<br />
We came up with the "Good Enough" rule of thumb: Every part, part replacement and modification on-board must answer "Yes" to three questions-<br />
1. Does it work?<br />
2. Is it safe?<br />
3. Is it durable?<br />
<br />
That's a standard I can meet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to "Talk the Dock" and pass the word.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-59919384178708617782015-12-24T22:53:00.001-05:002015-12-24T23:24:13.213-05:00New Gear Installation: Keeping Our Cool<br />
<br />
<br />
<i> "You want paradise..."</i><br />
<i> -Foreigner</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
First, a little personal history:<br />
<br />
A decade ago, in the era PB (Pre-Boat), SWMBO and I (okay, mostly SWMBO) decided that we needed to replace the shed in the backyard of Stately Jones Manor. The shed was...<br />
<br />
... less than stately.<br />
<br />
Hell, it was less than intact and decidedly unsafe. Although uitilized as shelter for our underused and oft-neglected lawn and garden equipment, that equipment was now doing double duty holding up the shedding shed.<br />
<br />
Clearly, we had to do something.<br />
<br />
We knew we didn't want an aluminum panel -and-channel nuts-and-bolts utilitarian box. We wanted a stately wood shed that would be an attractive addition to our backyard, not just a holds-our-crap blight. We also knew we didn't have the ambition or the skill set to build a shed from scratch, and didn't have the ready cash to buy a pre-fabricated shed, or hire a crew to build one for us. <br />
<br />
So, we procrastinated and pondered, as the existing shed grew ever less square and vertical and closer to the ground.<br />
<br />
<br />
Perusing the sale flyers in our local free throw-away newspaper, we discovered a local lumberyard had attractive affordable, stick-built shed kits available.<br />
<br />
A shed KIT! Perfect!<br />
<br />
I built model kits as a kid, I had assembled damn near a houseful of IKEA furniture, I could definitely build a shed from a kit!<br />
<br />
We went to the yard, picked a design we liked from their catalogue, and were assured that our shed kit would be delivered in time for the weekend.<br />
<br />
Perfect! We can have this thing assembled before Monday!<br />
<br />
Friday, as promised, a truck from the lumberyard pulls up, and deposits our shed kit in the driveway of SJM.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/shed%20build/Newshedakapileoflumber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/shed%20build/Newshedakapileoflumber.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The "kit" consisted of a big pile of lumber, three bundles of shingles,a bag of nails and screws and hardware, a door, and 2 pages of poorly photocopied plans.<br />
<br />
<br />
"Kit", my ass.<br />
<br />
We got it done, and it still does it's job ten years on, but it took a lot longer than a weekend, and it took more manpower than SWMBO and I.<br />
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This project taught us some skills, and taught us that we could do it<br />
<br />
Ever since, however, I have been dubious of the ease of assembly of any DIY "kit."<br />
<br />
Flash forward to the summer of 2015:<br />
<br />
<i>Karma, </i>like <i>Whiskeyjack </i>before her, has an icebox. For 8 seasons, we schlepped bins and blocks of ice down the Dock, and dealt with the daily ritual of emptying catchbottles of meltwater. Iceboxes are simple systems, and do a more than adequate job of keeping food and beverages cold. It was a good system on <i>Whiskeyjack</i> that gave us no reason to complain. <br />
<br />
On <i>Karma</i>?<br />
<br />
Not so much.<br />
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First, <i>Karma's </i>icebox is oddly, trapezoidally, shaped.<br />
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This meant that the bins that we used to hold iceblocks and contain meltwater on <i>Whiskeyjack</i> didn't fit. Not an insurmountable issue, it simply means that ice blocks have to be loaded into the icebox naked, and rather than meltwater being caught in a bin, is allowed to drain from the icebox...<br />
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.... into the (shallow) bilge. Not ideal.<br />
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At the beginning of this season, i redirected the drain into a catchbottle, which required emptying daily. Again, not an insurmountable issue, but one more daily chore, albeit not onerous... unless you're away from the boat for more than a day in which case the catchbottle no longer catches and overflows onto the carpeted sole.<br />
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Again, not ideal.<br />
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Lastly, the shape of the icebox limited iceblock placement, which in turn limited food and beverage capacity. <br />
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Yet again, not ideal.<br />
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<br />
So, refrigeration became a topic of discussion. Said discussion boiled down to:<br />
<br />
Will it fit?<br />
<br />
Will it work?<br />
<br />
Can we afford it?<br />
<br />
<br />
Will it fit? Good question. An S2 8.0C is a roomy boat with lots of storage, but just as the icebox is weirdly shaped , so are many of the lockers and bins. Lots of research and measuring told me that installing a typical refrigeration system's compressor and condensor and stuff wasn't going to be simple or easy. Measuring inside the icebox, and comparing cold plate sizes online, our options were limited.<br />
<br />
Will it work? Good question. Regular Readers know that we are off the grid on the Dock- no water, no shorepower. Our electrical needs are supplied by our solar panels- so, anything electrical that we add to our boathome has to work within the restrictions of the available battery and charging capacity.<br />
<br />
Can we afford it? Good question. Tallying the costs, we were looking at an expenditure of anywhere from $1200 to $2200. Ouch. This would be our first four-figure boat project in, like, ever.<br />
<br />
So, after pondering, we realized that we didn't think it would fit, weren't sure if it would work, and didn't figure we could afford it.<br />
<br />
Then I discovered the <a href="http://ca.binnacle.com/p5853/DOMETIC-(WAECO)-COOLMATIC-COOLING-KIT-(DIY)/product_info.html" target="_blank"><b>Dometic/Waeco/Adler-Barbour Coolmatic Cooling Conversion Kit.</b></a><br />
<br />
Note that last word.<br />
<br />
It's dreaded kit status notwithstanding, it seemed to tick all of our boxes-<br />
<br />
Dimensionally, it fit- instead of being a internal evaporator/external compressor/condenser set up, the Coolmatic is an all-in-one unit measuring about 10" x 12". Cut a hole in the side of the icebox, screw the unit in place, run some wires, done.<br />
<br />
That "about" becomes important later.<br />
<br />
It wasn't too taxing for our electrical system either- the advertised draw was 4 amps, with a 20-30% duty cycle. In theory, that means it draws less than 1.5 amps per hour, and this would be the largest constant draw on the boat- our lighting is all LED, and the only other energy use is charging electronics. so our 120 watts of solar delivering an average of 60 amps/day should keep us ahead of the charging curve.<br />
<br />
It's not a cheap system, but at $799 (on sale), even with tax it didn't break the psychological 4 figure barrier.<br />
<br />
So, we pulled the trigger, and ordered one up from our friends at Binnacle.com .<br />
<br />
4 days later, a day earlier than promised, a box showed up.<br />
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Once unwrapped, our kit is revealed;<br />
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Okay, looks pretty much plug-and-play.</div>
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Here's the plan: </div>
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1. Measure and mark the cutout in the side of the icebox.</div>
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2. Drill pilot hole.</div>
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3. Cut out panel with jigsaw</div>
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4. fit cooling unit into hole.</div>
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5. Screw into place.</div>
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6. Wire into distribution panel.</div>
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7. Enjoy cold beverage.</div>
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I figured it would be an hour's work, tops.</div>
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SWMBO and I emptied the icebox of contents, transferring said contents to a cooler brought aboard expressly for this purpose, and I embarked on step 1.</div>
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Jones's 4th Law of Boatwork- no plan ever survives past step 1 unchanged.</div>
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My initial plan, based on the measurements I had taken before buying this kit, and the measurements quoted in all of the manufacturer's literature, was to install the unit on the aft side of the icebox. Now, with my new Coolmatic in hand, I discover that the aft wall of the icebox was 1/4" too narrow.</div>
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Well, shit. </div>
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Okay, so I need to mount it on the forward side of the icebox, and hopefully it will clear the sink and still have decent ventilation around the fan and cooling fins. </div>
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So, I careful trace the cut-out, according to the template included in the installation instructions, drill my pilot hole, and discover that the forward wall of the icebox is 4" thick...and my drill bit is 3 1/2" long.</div>
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Well, double shit.</div>
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Did I mention that I decided to jump into this endeavour during the hottest week of the summer?</div>
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At this point I am 2 hours in and soaked in sweat. Time to call it a day.</div>
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Day 2, I cut out the inner wall of the icebox, gouge out all of the insulation ( this icebox has about 3" of insulation), then get out the sawzall and carve out a hole in the panel between the icebox and the sink cabinet. </div>
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I gently slide the Coolmatic into the icebox...</div>
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... and it doesn't fit through the icebox opening.</div>
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SHIIIITTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!</div>
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Okay, new Step 4(a)- out comes the jigsaw, the ice box opening is enlarged (which means the icebox lid will no longer fit. Son of a ....)</div>
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_121024_zpse28ngmhx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_121024_zpse28ngmhx.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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Now the Coolmatic will slide into the icebox...</div>
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.... but not slide into the freshly cut hole. </div>
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I am beyond profanity at this point.</div>
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So, Step 4(b)- test fit, retrim, test fit, re-trim, test fit, retrim, testfit, retrim, testfit retrim, testfitretrimtestfitretrimtestfitretrimtestfit... it FINALLY fits.</div>
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I am now 6 hours total into this job, in 90 degree heat. Look up "masochist" in the dictionary- See that picture? That's not me, that's some other poor sap, because I was still installing a FUCKING REFRIGERATION "KIT"!!!</div>
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Once the "kit" was installed, the rest was relatively straightforward- screw the reefer unit into place, seal it up with some caulking, trim the icebox shelf to fit and reinstall, clean everything up (again), wire it up, and put everything that came out of the icebox back into the icebox...</div>
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_231132_zpshfmdnvxc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_231132_zpshfmdnvxc.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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...Then build a new icebox lid. I repurposed a cutting board, added some styrofoam insulation to the underside and some foam weatherstripping, and called it done.</div>
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_230758_zpsi3g13u5v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/20150819_230758_zpsi3g13u5v.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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From start to finish, I had 9 hours into the job, over 3 days. </div>
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(To be fair, Dockneighbour Frank bought the same unit after seeing ours, and he DID get his installed on his O'day in under an hour. Having a uniform sized icebox with a big lid and easy access makes a ton of timesaving difference.)</div>
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But, the end result is worth it.</div>
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This unit is <i>quiet</i>. It is quieter than the fridge in our kitchen at SJM. Power consumption seems to be in line with specs. In the spring I will rework the lid/opening flange to get a better seal, and add some more foam board to the lid for better insulation. The contents of our reefer (can't call it an icebox any more) are kept acceptably cool, with the dial set to 4, but adding a little insulation and improving the seal can't hurt.</div>
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I'd do it again. we now have more room in our chillybox, no more lugging ice, and no catchbottles to drain daily.</div>
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The economics are subjective, and a bit of a toss-up. In the short term, it doesn't make sense, from a cost-savings standpoint. A block of ice would last three days in our icebox on average, and if there were serious perishables onboard, we would load in two blocks at a time. At $3/block, call it $150/season. Over 10 years, however, assuming the cost of ice doesn't rise or drop, that's $1500 that we don't have to spend on ice, by spending $800 (plus tax) on a refrigeration "kit" So, long-term, it makes sense.</div>
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It also means that, while our current electrical system is keeping up, I am now considering adding a second house battery and another solar panel, just in case. </div>
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But, that's another project, for another day.</div>
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Merry Christmas, everyone.</div>
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Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-81638298823722810492015-11-19T21:42:00.000-05:002015-11-19T21:42:23.600-05:00The Birth of FrankenMotor<br />
<i>"Don't have a clue what I am in for...."</i><br />
<i> -Stitched Up Heart</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Here's the scene:<br />
It's mid-October, I am feeding my browsing addiction, checking the Kijiji and Craigslist traplines, killing time that would be better spent tapping out another brilliant blog post.<br />
<br />
<br />
Before falling any further down this rabbit hole, let's get some semantics dealt with- the difference between "shopping" and "browsing"<br />
<br />
Shopping is an act with a purpose- to acquire something, singular or plural, that you need or want.<br />
<br />
Shopping is focused- it's hunting and gathering for a consumerist society. Find it, buy it, go. One STARTS shopping with an end goal in mind... like, oh, a pair of shoes. I don't understand anyone who answer's a salesclerk's "Can I help you?" with, "No, I'm just browsing."<br />
<br />
No, you damn well aren't.<br />
<br />
You want a pair of shoes, size 9, triple E, brown, casual with good arch support. You have a goal.<br />
<br />
Browsing is simply seeing what is for sale. You don't need or want anything in particular, you're just....<br />
<br />
...Browsing.<br />
<br />
<br />
I spy an ad online- dude is looking to trade his Tanaka 3hp outboard for an electric trolling motor, and some cash, either way.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://docksixchronicles.blogspot.ca/2011/08/low-buck-outboard-shoot-out-comparo.html" target="_blank">Which, I had</a>.</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>Well, the trolling motor, if not necessarily the cash, either way.<br />
<br />
Now, I didn't need a Tanaka 3 hp outboard.<br />
<br />
But I didn't need an electric trolling motor either. <br />
<br />
I bounced it off SWMBO, who gave me the nod, providing the new motor was running...<br />
<br />
(Apparently, the saga of the Trio of Dead Mopeds is not going to be lost to history anytime soon around Stately Jones Manor.)<br />
<br />
... "Dude says it does."...<br />
<br />
...... and I didn't "spend any more on it than that old trolling motor cost."<br />
<br />
In other words, I couldn't spend more than $25 on this motor.<br />
<br />
In other, other words, as the premier of Ontario puts it, this project had to be revenue neutral.<br />
<br />
<br />
So, after a flurry of email negotiations, and after I added an old battery box to the package to sweeten the deal, we made the trade straight across, no cash either way.<br />
<br />
...and then I brought home my new acquisition and surveyed what I had.<br />
<br />
You've never heard of Tanaka? You're not alone.<br />
<br />
From Tanaka's corporate site:<br />
<br />
'In 1918, the Tanaka business was started in Japan by Takashi Tanaka who created “Tanaka Iron Works” near Tokyo, Japan. In 1941 the manufacturing plant near Narashino (approximately 25 miles SE of Tokyo) was built and in 1948, Tanaka began research and development of compact internal combustion engines. In 1950, the company name was changed to Tanaka Kogyo Co., Ltd. The word “Kogyo” (pronounced “Koh-gyoh”) means industries in Japanese. ....<br />
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(lots of boring irrelevant stuff here...)</div>
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... in 1974, introduced a 2.5 hp outboard motor that would eventually be private label for Sears. ...<br />
In 1978, Tanaka Kogyo (USA) Co., Ltd. was established in Kent, WA to pursue and support North American sales. In 1984, Tanaka acquired a small mail order company, Aquabug International, expanded its product offering and renamed it Sporting Edge.<br />
In 1985, Tanaka relocated its entire operation to a new 70,000 sq. ft. facility in Bothell, WA. In 1987, the Tanaka Kogyo (USA) Co., Ltd/Sporting Edge assets were purchased from Tanaka Japan by an investment group led by Bill Thomson. The company, while now separate from Tanaka Japan, retained the identity of Tanaka Kogyo (USA) Co., Ltd and the exclusive marketing rights for Tanaka North, Central and South America.<br />
In 1989, Tanaka’s USA assets and marketing rights were purchased by the Ariens Co. of Brillion, Wisconsin. Soon after, a new subsidiary company of Ariens, Tanaka Ltd., was established to continue marketing and support of Tanaka products. In 1990, a new line of Ariens brand 2-cycle handheld products (made by Tanaka) was introduced for Ariens Distributors and Dealers. In 1992, Ariens discontinued its relationship with Tanaka and ISM was established by a five long-time Tanaka employees....'<br />
<br />
<br />
So, lot's of history, of which Tanaka's illustrious line of outboard motors gets... half a sentence.<br />
<br />
Basically, the design brief was to build a simple, low-buck, low output 2 stroke outboard motor.<br />
<br />
It's essentially a weed trimmer with a prop.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/forums/attachments/4944d1377538929-3hp-outboard-motor-175-00n0n_aldnj9xrtqy_600x450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.newjerseyhunter.com/forums/attachments/4944d1377538929-3hp-outboard-motor-175-00n0n_aldnj9xrtqy_600x450.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
<i>-from the web</i><br />
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<br />
If you decided to build an outboard motor with as few parts as possible, you would end up with a Tanaka 300.<br />
<br />
Our old 2 hp Yamaha P45 was more complicated.<br />
<br />
The powerhead is aircooled, with a dry exhaust that exits below the waterline. There's a small built in fuel tank, and no provision for an auxiliary tank. There's a choke, a fuel shutoff petcock, a twist grip throttle on a very short tiller,a kill switch and that is the entire list of controls... and features. There's no reverse, and no clutch- it's pull, point and shoot. <br />
<br />
It's light, simple and loud.... ish. More on that in a bit.<br />
<br />
So, I got my new find home, gave it a once over and realized that there were some vital parts missing- like the fuel shut off petcock and fuel lines, the wiring for the kill switch, and the twist grip throttle.<br />
<br />
Other than that, it wasn't in bad shape. The tank was clean, the plastic was uncracked, the engine kicked over fine and the starter cord recoil recoiled.<br />
<br />
Errrrm... okay, it should run, with the missing bits no longer missing. Parts are available, and fairly cheap and the manual is a point and click away online. Whew. As I sat in the skunkworks and pondered this orphan, I got thinking.<br />
<br />
"What if," thought I, "I optimized this motor for dinghy use?"<br />
<br />
First things first- the tiller is too short.<br />
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The outboards on SWMBO's Bluenose and our Walker Bay dinghy were treated to Minn Kota tiller extensions a the beginning of this season...<br />
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<br />
and SWMBO and I both agreed that the longer reach made a world of difference in comfort and control.<br />
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The only challenge was that a tiller extension exceeded my SWMBO-approved $25 budget.<br />
<br />
I pondered the pile of cast-offs that hadn't quite been cast off from the corners of the workshop yet, and discovered an old broken lawnmower handle.<br />
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<br />
Hmmm...<br />
<br />
This might be <i>better </i>than store-bought.<br />
<br />
A little measuring and eyeballing and cutting and ...<br />
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<br />
...add a bicycle brake lever, a foam grip, a throttle cable from a citi moped, some zipties, a new petcock, a VW fuel filter, fuel hoses, and $23 later....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9941_zpsv97qrfj4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9941_zpsv97qrfj4.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Whuh-BAM! Frankenmotor is born.<br />
<br />
Why the curved tiller?<br />
<br />
Sitting astride the center seat of a dinghy, a straight tiller with a twist-grip throttle is fine, in a straight line. Start to turn, though, and as you push or pull the tiller your wrist wants to either roll off the throttle, or roll on the throttle. It feels awkward. With nothing significant invested other than my time, I decided to try a curved tiller and a throttle lever rather than a twist grip.<br />
<br />
But, before schlepping Frankenmotor down the dock, I hung it from a sawhorse, added some fuel to the tank, put enough water in a bucket to cover the prop, opened the choke and gave the cord a pull. First pull she lit up!<br />
<br />
RIIIIINNGGGGGGG DING DA DING DA DING DA DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!!!<br />
<br />
True to it's weed trimmer, er, roots, it is weed trimmer loud. <br />
<br />
Kinda obnoxious loud. Kinda, might-piss-off-fellow-Marina-boaters loud.<br />
<br />
But maybe that's just in the garage, with the exhaust above the waterline<br />
<br />
Well, it's the end of the season, there are few boats around, there's no better time to see how loud it really is, in the real world.<br />
<br />
SWMBO volunteered to be the test pilot. we swapped out our 2.3 hp Suzuki outboard and clamped on Frankenmotor.<br />
<br />
SWMBO got Frankie to light up on the first pull and off she went. With the exhaust outlet underwater, the motor was noticeably quieter. Not as quiet as our Suzuki water-cooled outboard, but comparable to a Honda 2.3 hp aircooled outboard.<br />
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At full throttle, according to my handheld GPS, in back-to-back sheltered flat water tests, Frankenmotor drives our porky 10' Walker Bay dinghy at a similar pace to the Suzuki-about 6 knots full out.<br />
<br />
That junkyard tiller and throttle?<br />
<br />
Success! the L shaped tiller makes for a more comfortable grip, with less wrist fatigue, and SWMBO demonstrated that a doubled up hair elastic makes a good throttle lock.<br />
<br />
As I mentioned, I don't <i>need</i> another outboard, but now that I've got one...<br />
<br />
... I should probably build a boat to fit it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by, and please, "Talk the Dock!"<br /><br />
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<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-48497601839704903432015-10-30T23:10:00.001-04:002015-10-30T23:13:12.618-04:00The Slow Fade<i> </i><br />
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<i>"Summer has come and passed....."</i><br />
<i> -Green Day</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i> But, autumn has been pretty damn awesome.<br />
<br />
Actually, the whole season , from beginning to end, has been great, meteorologically and oceanographically speaking.<br />
<br />
After two reallydamncold winters with 95%+ ice cover on the Lakes, the water level has been high all season.<br />
<br />
At least 2 feet higher than 2012/2013. <br />
<br />
Usually, the water level is highest in the late spring early summer, as snow melt and spring rains swell tributaries and upper Lakes- this year, weirdly, the water level in July was <i>higher </i>than June:<br />
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<a href="http://tides.gc.ca/eng/Chart/Month?sid=12710&tz=EDT&date=2015%2F6%2F30&pres=0&type=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tides.gc.ca/eng/Chart/Month?sid=12710&tz=EDT&date=2015%2F6%2F30&pres=0&type=1" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://tides.gc.ca/eng/Chart/Month?sid=12710&tz=EDT&date=2015%2F7%2F31&pres=0&type=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tides.gc.ca/eng/Chart/Month?sid=12710&tz=EDT&date=2015%2F7%2F31&pres=0&type=1" height="372" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>-charts courtesy of Fisheries and Oceans Canada</i><br />
<br />
<br />
... And pretty much stayed there through the middle of September, before gradually starting to fall.<br />
<br />
As an added bonus, the summer was relatively dry- enough rain to keep farmers happy, enough sun to keep beachgoers happy, and enough wind to keep sailors happy...mostly.<br />
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The sunsets were absofreakinlutely spectacular.<br />
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<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>As the season slowly faded, I discovered that the sunrises were pretty damn amazing too, even if the fact that I was observing them meant that endofseason was looming:<br />
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<br />
In September I FINALLY accomplished a task that had been out of my reach for two seasons.<br />
<br />
(No, it wasn't "writing another blog post", Smartass Reader.)<br />
<br />
When <a href="http://www.goodoldboat.com/" target="_blank">Good Old Boat</a> slated my account of our acquisition of <i> Karma</i>, Tim, the Managing Editor, requested some high resolution photos of <i>Karma</i> under sail. clicking through the hundreds of pics on my computer, I realized I had NO high res photos of us under full sail. There were lots of pics of us loafing along with the genny fully bagged out, there were low-res pics of us with both main and genoa looking full, fat and sassy...<br />
<br />
But no magazine-worthy, high-resolution, mainsail-and-foresail-as-Neptune-intended pics of <i>Karma </i>in full double-stitched Dacron splendour.<br />
<br />
So, the only pics in my international magazine debut article... are of <i>Karma </i>sailing half-assed.<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/nordica%202048_zpsw5cet1bm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/nordica%202048_zpsw5cet1bm.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sigh.<br />
<br />
<br />
Yeah, shut up- even I can see the symbolism. <br />
<br />
Anyfail, September saw Jack and Hilary step up and catch some full sail sunset shots. Thanks, guys!<br />
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Speaking of full sails and Hilary, he started flying his assymetrical spinnaker this year, making him easy to spot on the lake:</div>
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"What of <i>Whiskeyjack?</i>" the faithful hordes ask. "Have you forsaken the ass which formerly bore you?"</div>
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Nay, my friends, and I report that <i>Whiskeyjack</i> is in good hands. </div>
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Phil has been sailing her ass off, on her ear, grinning ear to ear:</div>
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She's still in the water, still on the dock, and due for haul out the same day as <i>Karma, </i>November 5th.</div>
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Frank and Lorraine and <i>Keara</i> are also wringing the last few sailing days out of the season as well:</div>
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By the last half of October the Dock was looking sparse:</div>
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Sunday, SWMBO's boat <i>Ereni </i>came out of the water;</div>
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By Tuesday, there were three- <i>Karma, Keara, and Whiskeyjack. </i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<i> </i>Sigh.</div>
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Hurricane Patricia's walk of shame across North America forced us to move to the relative safety of virtually empty Dock Five to ride out the 50 knot gusts and 2 metre waves. That's us, below, on the dock closest to shore. The sunsets suck, but it sure is calm in there.</div>
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The water level is up about 2 feet in 12 hours.</div>
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We seldom see waves rolling deep enough, and strong enough, to make the dinghy dock hump.</div>
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No shame here about leaving the dock- there were four freighters hunkered as deep in the Bay as their draft would allow.</div>
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Tomorrow the three boats leave the Marina for the season and start a new tradition- we move to the dinghy dock for the night, roll out the jack-o-lanterns and candy for intrepid trick or treaters, and enjoy one last night on the water. Then it's under the bridge to the yard to wait for haulout.</div>
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Then, six long months on the dirt begin.</div>
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Sigh.</div>
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Thanks for checking in, and please remember to "Talk the dock!"</div>
Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-69105058902899566652015-09-30T16:59:00.002-04:002015-09-30T16:59:23.872-04:00So, This Happened....<br />
<i>"But your thoughts will soon be wandering, the way they always do..."</i><br />
<i> -Bob Seger</i><br />
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... And it's kinda cool. <br />
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<br />
The story of the purchase and delivery of <i>Karma </i>has now been told! Please pick up an issue, at your local fine magazine retailer, or from <b><a href="http://www.goodoldboat.com/" target="_blank">Good Old Boat</a> </b>directly.<br />
<br />
Karen Larson and the team at GOB were a delight to work with, from start to finish. Thanks!<br />
<br />
Hopefully this is the start of a long rewarding relationship.<br />
<br />
<br />
And thanks to all of you, Faithful Readers, for your support of the D6C over the years- your support and enthusiasm for our small time, small town, small boat adventures are where it all began, and where ti continues to grow.<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to have a look, and taking the time to...<br />
<br />
"Talk the Dock!"<br />
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<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-10674383678665581552015-08-19T10:37:00.002-04:002015-08-19T10:37:29.821-04:00The July Dock Digest- Lots of Really Good Nothing<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> "I'm gonna tell 'em that I've got no one to blame..."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> -Sheryl Crow</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br />*</i>I recommend grabbing a beverage- I've got a lot of ground to cover here.*</span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i>So, where to begin?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> At the lack of beginning, I suppose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> As I am sure you have figured out, Faithful Reader, I have been procrastinating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> And a near bloody thing it was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> See here's the thing about procrastination, it's a delay of stages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> It starts with, "I'm (tired, busy, working, sailing, eating, drinking, pick one), I'll do it tomorrow."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Then "I'll do it tomorrow" becomes "I'll do it this week," then this week becomes next week, next week ends up in the dust and becomes last week, then last week becomes two weeks past, then becomes last month, then P</span>rocrastination Induced Panic (henceforth known as PIP- if it's not a documented disorder, it should be) starts to nibble the already frayed edge of my writer's psyche, and I begin to wonder if procrastination has mestastasized into writers block or worse...<br />
<br />
.... have I run out of things to write?<br />
<br />
Or am I just fuckin' lazy?<br />
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Neither diagnosis is an attractive one, and in either case , the only solution is to sit my fat ass down in front of a keyboard and pound away until I produce something fit for consumption by the <strike>voracious hungering masses</strike> handful of loyal readers who have, thankfully, stuck it out and stuck by me.<br />
<br />
If I can't come up with something fit for consumption, we still have this.<br />
<br />
So, as Inigo Montoya uttered, "Lemme sum up"<br />
<br />
July was a great, busy month. But I realized I should backtrack: Let's review who is on the Dock roster this year, who is on the disabled list and who is missing in action:<br />
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Phil and <i>Whiskeyjack</i> are back, Gordon and <i>QuidiVidi</i> are back, the Irelands are back, Rick is back with <i>20th hole</i>, (still for sale), Hillary is back, Jordan is back, with a new-to-him ex-Jack Bluenose, <i>Buttons</i>,<br />
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Eric is back with <i>After School,</i> his DS20, a boat muskrats seem to admire:<br />
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Jamie and Tran have upped the Soundbox fleet game with a pontoon boat. Yes, it may arguably be the coolest boat on the Dock.<br />
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Nancy and Drew are back with their Precision 23, resplendent with refinished brightwork and renamed in Nancy's honour...<br />
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Frank and Lorraine are back in the slip beside us with their new-to-them O'day,<i> Keara </i>and Bruce is back with<i> Prolific</i>, two slips down...<br />
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...and of course Jack is back, splashing a Bluenose...<br />
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...and with Jim's <i>Carpe Diem</i> returning, that's 4 on the Dock this season- that may be a record fleet west of Mahone Bay... I even got him to take the helm on Karma:<br />
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Speaking of helming <i>Karma,</i> SWMBO has demonstrated a degree of badassery at the helm.<br />
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The rental SeaDoos are corraled at the foot of the Dock again. 'nuff said.<br />
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John is back to work, cancer-free, and busy, so his Sirius 22 is absent from the Dock this season, although he still wanders down from time to time.<br />
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The water level is WAY up. Two winters with almost complete great Lakes ice-over really helps. This season, the water level is at least 3 feet over 2013, month for month. It is a little weird to have to walk UP from land to get onto the water.<br />
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The water level is high enough that Hillary was able to safely make a run into Hoover's Marina in Nanticoke, normally a dicey proposition for a boat with a 5' draft.<br />
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We paraded in the Canada Day boat parade on July 1....<br />
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...finishing 3rd, behind <i>Keara....</i><br />
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which got us $25 and a nice plaque, now hanging in <i>Karma's </i>saloon.<br />
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Speaking of <i>Karma's </i>saloon, a number of low-buck projects found their way onboard- the tv wall was covered in the aft cabin...<br />
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and I built a new cabinet to make better use of the storage space in the saloon:<br />
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and the cockpit table is finished and installed in the, er, cockpit.<br />
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More on that later.<br />
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Pottahawk was relatively trouble-free and drama-free this year- nobody sank in the fairway, for instance. The return parade was relatively subdued, evidence that all had a good time. <br />
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The weather has been damn near ideal for sailing this summer, so we sailed. We sailed <i>Ereni</i>, we sailed <i>Karma</i>,<br />
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We discovered what a sweet sailing boat a Bluenose is.<br />
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And I am again racing on <i>Cyclone...</i><br />
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....where out crew continues to surprise with their skills including spinn pole surfing:<br />
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And there's lots more going on- stay tuned.<br />
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All told, life on the Dock doesn't suck. <br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read the D6C. If you liked what you read, please Talk the Dock! Spread the word.<br />
<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-21030040553217445242015-06-09T23:38:00.000-04:002015-06-10T08:33:23.875-04:00SWMBO's New Ride<i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> "Gonna ride like the wind, before I get old..."</i><br />
<i> -Christopher Cross</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>Lemme tell you a little backstory, to explain how we got from where we was to where we is:<br />
<br />
Faithful Readers may know that SWMBO is not a lifelong sailor. In fact, she had never set foot on a sailboat until February 2008, when she sailed for the first time, aboard a 16 footish dinghy, in San Diego's Mission Bay, as part of a work-related team building exercise.<br />
<br />
She was hooked.<br />
<br />
<i>Bad.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Her enthusiasm got me back into the sailing game, after a 2 decade detour into the masochistic world of wooden powerboats. By the time her return flight hit the tarmac at YYZ, I had lined up a half dozen boats for us to look at. 6 weeks after SWMBO's homecoming we signed a contract on the perfect boat for us, the Georgian 23 named <i>Whiskeyjack</i>. <br />
<br />
What was perfect for <i>us</i> was not necessarily, nor entirely, perfect for SWMBO.<br />
<br />
See, <i>Whiskeyjack </i>and her successor, <i>Karma, </i>are big little boats- lots of accommodation in a smallish LOA.<br />
<br />
What they aren't, is that 16 footish dinghy that hooked SWMBO.<br />
<br />
They also aren't a Bluenose.<br />
<br />
Enter <b><a href="http://docksixchronicles.blogspot.ca/2012/04/out-with-old-in-with-new-part-2-you.html" target="_blank">Jack</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> </b>SWMBO had admired Jack's ever-changing collection of daysailers since we first set foot on the Dock: Tempests and Nordica 16s and Hughes 24s and Minuets, oh, my!<br />
<br />
But Bluenoses were Jack's favourites. At any given time, he owned a handful of the sleek full- keeled <b><a href="http://www.nsbluenoseclass.com/" target="_blank">belles of Mahone Bay</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b> </b>SWMBOs fate was sealed when she first laid eyes on <i>Carpe Diem</i>, the other Bluenose on the Dock, owned by <a href="http://docksixchronicles.blogspot.ca/2011/03/two-and-half-jims.html" target="_blank">Carpe Diem Jim</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR6vPHPzCsYGMBolhZJhLrS21u2WKH0I-snOgfhfhTw2Laqf0Rin6Jk95bqSBFUvFRbHj-CX6aP-dbN1iFcYH8z9-_i3extnPpGvlHaI82AbO8nSkbrWObcIRHNQ5fXJuC73531_R3gE/s640/new+pics+229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR6vPHPzCsYGMBolhZJhLrS21u2WKH0I-snOgfhfhTw2Laqf0Rin6Jk95bqSBFUvFRbHj-CX6aP-dbN1iFcYH8z9-_i3extnPpGvlHaI82AbO8nSkbrWObcIRHNQ5fXJuC73531_R3gE/s640/new+pics+229.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A half decade ago, SWMBO declared, "I want one."<br />
<br />
Alas, although her fate was sealed , the fates conspired against us...<br />
<br />
..... until last winter.<br />
<br />
December rolls around and I get an email from Jack. He has decided he needs to thin his fleet, so enquires if SWMBO might be interested in a Bluenose.<br />
<br />
I ask.<br />
<br />
"Uh, yeah! Duh." was her response.<br />
<br />
I email a reply to Jack's email, he replies back, SWMBO and I count our shekels, and the deal is done.<br />
<br />
SWMBO now owns a Bluenose.<br />
<br />
So does <a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_7757_zps0b69cf1b.jpg" target="_blank">Jordan</a><b>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> </b>Jack released two Bluenoses from his fleet, one going to Jordan, one to SWMBO. <br />
<br />
Last weekend, SWMBOs Bluenose hit the water.<br />
<br />
Sunday, we got a call from jack that he could drop SWMBOs new old boat into the water that afternoon... if that was okay with us. <br />
<br />
I asked.<br />
<br />
"Uh, yeah! Duh." was her response.<br />
<br />
An hour later, loyal Docksters Lorraine and Frank and John had gathered at the ramp to help Jack launch ....<br />
<br />
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<br />
Then <strike>Thelma,</strike> er, Lorraine and Louise set off with Jack for the short motor transit from the ramp to the Dock.<br />
<b> </b><br />
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<br />
<br />
....arriving uneventfully at her new slip:<br />
<br />
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By sunset, with the help of fellow Docksters and my last-minute-visiting 'rents, we had the mast up and the deck and topsides kinda gleaming:<br />
<br />
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<br />
This season, the Bluenose fleet on the Dock has doubled in size.<br />
<br />
Oh, and that "thinning the fleet" idea of Jack's? Not so much. The day he dropped off SWMBOs boat, he headed to London to pick up two more.<br />
<br />
SWMBO is still grinning<br />
<br />
It's gonna be a great summer.Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-33979776969712451762015-06-03T09:40:00.003-04:002015-06-03T10:00:12.652-04:00Help Us Help Someone Else.<br />
<br />
"<i>We know that there's always tomorrow..."</i><br />
<i> -Bill Withers</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
But this time, tomorrow is too late. The contest closes at 5 pm tonight.<br />
<br />
Here's the deal: Below, you see a link to a "win a concert" contest, being offered by a great performer, <a href="http://www.davidcavanfraser.com/" target="_blank"><b>David Cavan Fraser</b></a> . What started off as a "hey, this would be fun to win" lark got a little bigger when somebody came up with the idea of doing some good with this prize... if we won.<br />
(Notice that at this point it went from "I" to "we"?)<br />
<br />
My friend and colleague Aaron Gautreau is a cancer survivor who won the battle, but lost his leg in the process. He needs a new artificial leg, and he needs to find $80K+ to make it happen.<br />
<br />
So, with your help, we win a concert that we can use to raise money for a new leg for a good guy... win/win/win!<br />
<br />
But, there's only one hurdle-<br />
<br />
We have to win.<br />
<br />
To win, we need to get as many people to enter the contest as possible. For every entry, our team gets points.<br />
<br />
It's kinda paradoxical- the winner is the person who has brought the most competitors into the contest.<br />
<br />
<br />
I know some of my friends have entered already, and I thank you for that- Now I put the call out to everyone to please step up and sign up to help someone get a leg up.<br />
<br />
Please click on the link and enter. You won't get spammed and no personal info is required.<br />
<br />
And share it with your friends. <br />
<br />
Let's DO this.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/s1KLfB" target="_blank"><b> click here: https://goo.gl/s1KLfB</b></a>Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-62197810214088788482015-06-02T21:31:00.000-04:002015-06-02T21:36:43.728-04:00New Gear Reviewsday Tuesday: Low-buck, Big Sound - Eton Rukus XL<br />
<br />
<i>"It gives it's heat to everyone...."</i><br />
<i> -The Police</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Our purchase of <i>Karma</i> was a transaction of compromises:<br />
<br />
More room, but less gear.<br />
Bigger hull, but less power.<br />
Longer waterline, but more tender.<br />
Sink in the head, but no stereo.<br />
<br />
That was a problem. <br />
<br />
For SWMBO and I, tunes are an important part of our life aboard.<br />
<br />
An important part of our life, period.<br />
<br />
But, until we lived with our new summer home a while, I didn't want to start running cables and cutting holes for speakers, and bolting up a head unit.<br />
<br />
Last season, we made do with playing our ASUS Transformer netbook-housed music library linked all Bluetoothy with a Sony <b><a href="http://store.sony.com/SNYNA_27/pimg/pSNYNA-SRSBTM8~BLK_main_enh.png" target="_blank">SRS-BTM8</a> </b>speaker. <br />
<br />
It was ...okay.<br />
<br />
Mostly.<br />
<br />
The upside was the portability- do you want sound in the cockpit or on the fordeck, or on the back porch? No problem. Pick up the speaker and move it wherever the tunes need to be.<br />
<br />
The connectivity was great. The netbook could stay warm and dry below, and the signal would reach the speaker anywhere on deck.<br />
<br />
The sound quality was okay. Not a ton of bass, but no distortion at full volume.<br />
<br />
Speaking of volume, while it had okay sound quality, the sound QUANTITY was sub-par. Down below, the speaker filled the saloon with sound. On deck...<br />
<br />
...not so much.<br />
<br />
The battery life was meh. it seemed like we were loading AAAs in every day or so.<br />
<br />
So, as winter rolled reluctantly toward spring and the dawn of boating season, I was looking for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Alternative 1: I was toying with a Poly-Planar MRD system driving hardwired speakers in the cockpit and below.<br />
<br />
Alternative 2: Sticking with a netbook driven mp3 library and player coupled to more robust wireless speakers.<br />
<br />
Alternative 3:.... uhm, I didn't get that far.<br />
<br />
Then I got a flyer from <b><a href="http://radioworld.ca/index.php" target="_blank">Radioworld</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> </b>Browsing through the clearance section, I spy a Bluetooth speaker of some substance... that is solar powered. <br />
It is SO solar powered, it can not only charge itself, but can also charge other USB devices.... while in use.<br />
<br />
So, I pointed, I clicked, I ordered, and 3 days later a box showed up on the doorstep of SJM.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Eton Rukus XL:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_front1.jpg?itok=Drpm8AiH" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_front1.jpg?itok=Drpm8AiH" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>-all images in this post courtesy of etoncorp.com</i><br />
<br />
It. Is. Awesome. <br />
<br />
Mostly.<br />
<br />
I'll get to that in a minute.<br />
<br />
First, I can hear your question, Faithful Reader: "Who the hell is Eton?"<br />
<br />
Well, Eton is an anomaly: A distributor who essentially outlived and outthrived the manufacturer for whom they distributed. Eton is an American company that started manufacturing shortwave radios back in 1986, but were primarily a distributor for famous German shortwave radio manufacturer Grundig. At the dawn of the 21st century, with Grundig sales flagging, Eton began focusing on alternative energy products- in 2002 they introduced their first crank operated radio. By 2004, Grundig was bankrupt in Germany, but the name lived on in North America- Eton continued to manufacture Grundig branded products for the North American market.<br />
<br />
So, these guys kinda know their stuff.<br />
<br />
Initial impressions of the Rukus XL<br />
<br />
It is BIG.<br />
<br />
At almost 15 inches wide and a little more than 8" tall, it dwarfs the Sony speaker. Unfold the solar panel that folds down against the back of the speaker, and the height almost doubles.<br />
<br />
<br />
It is HEAVY.<br />
<br />
This unit weighs in at a hefty 7 lbs<br />
<br />
To provide some scale, the Rukus XL is essentially the same size as a 5 pound bag of potatoes, but almost 50% heavier.<br />
<br />
It is, indeed, seriously XL.<br />
<br />
It is also serious about sound.<br />
<br />
There are 2 tweeters, 2 woofers, and 4 passive radiators, punching out 22 watts of sound. this thing is just covered with cones:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_angle2.jpg?itok=YvGsEyms" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_angle2.jpg?itok=YvGsEyms" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br />
In the center of the front face is a flip down panel, revealing a docking bay for most smart phones:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_angleWiPhone.jpg?itok=IclGb7qI" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.etoncorp.com/sites/default/files/styles/details-main/public/Products/RukusXL/rukusXL_angleWiPhone.jpg?itok=IclGb7qI" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Alas, our Samsung Galaxy Mega phablets are too huge to fit this hideyhole.<br />
<br />
All switchgear is rubberized, the charging port /aux in port bay has a rubber flap cover, so there is some level of moderate weather resistance. I wouldn't leave it out in a driving rainstorm, but<br />
<br />
<br />
In the box is a 110 v wall wart (for charging on cloudly days or indoors) and a manual. <br />
<br />
Operation is ridiculously simple. Outdoors in sunlight, flip up the solar panel, turn it on, pair with your Bluetooth enabled device, and play. Indoors, plug in the AC adapter and play.<br />
<br />
The fully charged lithium battery will blast tunes for 8 hours or more. That's not just over-optimistic marketing department bullshit- we have consistently run this speaker for 8 hours plus before recharging.<br />
<br />
The solar panel can fully charge the speaker in 5 hours or so of sunlight. AC charging results in 100% battery in 2.5 hours.<br />
<br />
The sound is FANTASTIC. Great tone throughout the entire range. My go-to soundcheck on new audio is Stevie Ray Vaughan's rendition of "Little Wing." so, I cued it up and worked the volume controls- no mud in the bottom, no buzz at the top, just crisp, clean, clear, solid sound. If you need some extra bump in the bottom, there is a bass boost button.<br />
<br />
The Bluetooth range is excellent- we have had the Rukus up to 50 feet from the sound source, with no connection drop.<br />
<br />
The manufacturer's warranty is pretty typical- 1 year, parts and labour.<br />
<br />
So, what about that "mostly" part?<br />
<br />
Only one minor gripe- the ergonomics of the handle, and the proximity of the switchgear. Pick up the speaker to move it and, more often than not, your hand will brush the power button, shutting it down.<br />
<br />
<br />
Retail on the rukus XL is $199.99, just under the low-buck cap. At full retail, considering the performance, it is a good deal. Keep an eye open for specials, though- we got ours for $79.99 CDN. At that price, it is a SCREAMING good deal.<br />
<br />
This is an ideal wireless sound solution.<br />
<br />
Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-33404876058129444702015-05-13T22:49:00.001-04:002015-05-13T22:49:32.846-04:00It's THAT day!!!<br />
<br />
<i>"Oh, I've been missing you, and the way you make me feel inside...."</i><br />
<i> -Gregory Abbott</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i>Finally, SWMBO and I can stop looking homeless.<br />
<br />
Winter here in Southern Ontario is a time of slumber for our vessels, stored on the hard, and, for sailors, a season of dirt-stranded planning , forethought, and inevitable procrastination...<br />
<br />
.... which means all the jobs that SHOULD have gotten done during the depths of winter get compressed into a frenzied fortnight of forced labour leading up to splash day....<br />
<br />
... which means every spare minute is spent in the Bridge Yachts boatyard, punching through all the planned punchlist projects that were pushed off by the punishing winter...<br />
<br />
.... which means that one is always travelling with a vehicle packed full of tools, work clothes, paint, epoxy, generator, ladders, wood...<br />
<br />
... leading uninitiated onlookers to wonder if we are indeed living in our Ford.<br />
<br />
As usual, we fell prey to mission creep. <br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
We knew we wanted to remove the carbuncle, a dead depth through-hull transducer installed ahead of the keel:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Which we did. Beveled, backed, filled, and faired...<br />
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While slathering on eleventy-seven coats of Interprotect 2000, we realized that this would be a good time to repaint the blue boot stripe, which clashed with the bottom paint, and if we're going to do that, we might as well removed the worn cove stripe...<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9087_zpsf5e48d60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/blog%20photos/IMG_9087_zpsf5e48d60.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
... which we did, and then realized that, without a cove stripe, NextBoat's already generous freeboard looks beyond generous- it looked like Liberal spending in the 905 prior to an election.<br />
<br />
...So clearly a new cove stripe was in order in addition to the boot stripe:<br />
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Since we're changing colours, red bottom paint is out, black bottom paint is in...<br />
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<br />
with the stripes and the bottom looking good, it behooves us to clean and wax and buff the hull and make it all shiny. Which we did. Leaving us to finish installing the head, hoses, pumps, tank, new hose clamps on cooling hoses, and a list of more unsexy nobody-will-ever-see it stuff the night before we splash.<br />
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We got it done, and NextBoat is now hullwet.<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_105218_zpsc2kul2kv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_105218_zpsc2kul2kv.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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NextBoat is also no longer NextBoat.<br />
<br />
Before:<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150430_185043_zpsbtxqscl7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150430_185043_zpsbtxqscl7.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now. Please meet <i>Karma</i>: <br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_104336_zpsrgogdy1z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_104336_zpsrgogdy1z.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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The weather was nothing but cooperative in the weeks leading up to launch. The last two weeks have been dry, sunny and warm, culminating with HOT weather during the last few days before <i>Karma </i>was launched...<br />
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....which ended the moment she began her transit from the yard to the Dock.<br />
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<i> (Frank and Lorraine were on hand to watch and take pictures)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
By the time <i>Karma </i> and I passed under the lift bridge, the clouds had rolled in, and long sleeves had been donned. We figured we'd get the boom hung and sails bent on at the Dock, rather than waiting another half hour for the next bridge opening.<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/imagejpeg_3_zpspm5eldfk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/imagejpeg_3_zpspm5eldfk.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Okay, she ain't pretty, but she's purposeful)</i><br />
It was a prudent move.<br />
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By the time we had cleared the river mouth and made the turn to port to the marina cut, the temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up.<br />
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After tying her up safe in our slip, we realized rigging could wait.<br />
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_195018_zpsmr4ghcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Karma/20150511_195018_zpsmr4ghcat.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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Within minutes the winds picked up, the temp plummeted and we were deluged.<br />
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It hasn't warmed up since.<br />
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No matter. We're back in the water, where we belong.<br />
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We're home.<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read the D6C. If you liked what you read, please Talk the Dock! Spread the word.<br />
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<br />Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-20619073726795671432015-03-18T22:35:00.000-04:002015-03-19T16:10:26.958-04:00Head Games<br />
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<i> " 'til I can't take it anymore, no more...."</i><br />
<i> -Foreigner</i><br />
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<i> *This post contains harsh realities of boat life. Reader discretion is advised.*</i><br />
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<i> </i>Have I mentioned how much winter sucks?<br />
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If so, too bad. I'm gonna reiterate:<br />
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Winter sucks.<br />
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This winter was like a bad party guest- it came late, stuck around, and wasn't much fun.</div>
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How hard was this winter?</div>
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Lemme tell you a story:</div>
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Back in November of 1975, the <i>Edmund Fitzgerald </i>sank during a storm on Lake Superior. The last ship to have visual and radio contact with the freighter was another freighter, the <i>Arthur M. Anderson</i>, which survived the same storm unscathed. </div>
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That's one tough boat.</div>
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February 2015, the <i>Arthur M. Anderson</i>, the Chuck Norris of lakeboats, is stuck, trapped by Lake Erie ice just off Conneaut, Ohio.</div>
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<a href="http://images.techtimes.com/data/images/full/50604/stranded-arthur-m-anderson.jpg?w=600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.techtimes.com/data/images/full/50604/stranded-arthur-m-anderson.jpg?w=600" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> -image courtesy of techtimes.com</i></div>
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The ice of February did what the gales of November couldn't: Forced the <i>Arthur M. Anderson </i>to accept Coast Guard assistance.</div>
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<a href="https://localtvwjw.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/photo2.jpg?w=2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://localtvwjw.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/photo2.jpg?w=2000" width="640" /></a></div>
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- <i>image courtesy of fox8.com</i></div>
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Yeah, THAT hard.</div>
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The only, very limited, upside to this winter was the extended period of solidly sub-freezing temperature.</div>
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Emphasis on the word "solid'.</div>
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Perfect for one particular boat job.</div>
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One Sunday afternoon, Elly the Crazy Boatdawg™ and I dealt with our cabin fever by making a run to the boatyard, and while one of us ran around the boatyard...</div>
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The other one of us able to climb a ladder did so, and then dug a path through the cockpit and uncovered the companionway...</div>
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/low-buck%20projects/IMG_9193_zpse6229aa9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/low-buck%20projects/IMG_9193_zpse6229aa9.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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To clamber below and begin to deal with one part of the boat that SWMBO and I both agreed needed improvement with a quickness...</div>
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...The head.</div>
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The head was NextBoat's one minor, mild disappointment. The height was uncomfortable and it was poorly located in the space leaving a user feeling, er...</div>
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....cramped. </div>
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That was fixable, but the bigger practical issues weren't- the integrated holding tank didn't hold much, and, not to put too fine a point on it, when aforementioned holding tank was close to full, (often, because of it's limited size), the holding tank tended to be less-than-diligent about the "holding" part when the boat heeled past 15 degrees.</div>
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Yeah, the head leaked when the boat heeled. </div>
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Ick.</div>
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So, with everydamnthing between here and the state of Georgia frozen solid, the time was right to remove the offending fixture, and plot and plan its replacement. Yeah, <i>in theory,</i> the head <i>should</i> be empty, but Murphy's Law of Marine Plumbing Disruption states that no head is completely empty. the only safe head is a frozen solid head, I figure. </div>
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Before.....</div>
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<a href="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Dinghy%20build/S2%2080C/P1000387_zps048b813e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/bljones/Dinghy%20build/S2%2080C/P1000387_zps048b813e.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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10 minutes of quick hose hacking and yanking, and a heave over the side....</div>
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During, removed from, and stowed beneath, NextBoat.... </div>
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I acquired a larger holding tank from Jack's Used Boat Part Emporium and cleaned up the head reclaimed from DonorBoat, and a few days ago SWMBO and I loaded in the new/old head, and eyeballed the layout:</div>
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Yeah, we think this will work.</div>
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The old vinyl flooring and carpet has to come out, a new floor has to go in, a seacock needs to be installed, the holding tank needs to be fitted...</div>
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But the worst is done.</div>
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- Thanks for stopping by, and please remember to "Talk the Dock!"</div>
Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379145335165821479.post-7288916153043636152015-02-18T20:50:00.001-05:002015-02-19T21:59:55.904-05:00Low-Buck Arts & Crafts at Stately Jones Manor<br />
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<i>"In the meadow, we can build a snowman..."</i><br />
<i> -Felix Bernard</i><br />
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<i> </i>...... or not.<br />
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As I write this, the temperature outside has nosedived to around -23 celsius.<br />
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I am not nearly masochistic enough to calculate the windchill.<br />
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If one is a skier, skater, ice fisherman, snowmobiler, snowboarder or snowshoer, one might enjoy freely frolicking in this frozen frontier.<br />
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I, however, am none of the above. <br />
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I am a sailor.<br />
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And I am NOT going outside into this fucking frozen freakshow unless I absolutely have to.<br />
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Luckily, I have a punchlist of off-season boat work to keep me occupied until the lake ceases to be a solid mass entirely, and utterly, incapable of floating a boat.<br />
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Doing something with our wobbly and plain saloon table was near the top of the "Boat projects that can be accomplished from the comfort of SJM" list.<br />
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I've got some ideas for this project, boldly going where I had never gone before, but first: a warm-up project, an aft cabin amuse-bouche if you will:<br />
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Fixing the TV wall.<br />
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The previous owners installed a small flat screen TV- its removal prior to sale has left an ugly blight in an otherwise very pleasant aft cabin.<br />
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SWMBO and I ruminated over this disfigurement throughout the season, and finally came up with an idea:<br />
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A piece of scrap luan, some wood glue, and a cheap spreader to quickly, evenly and economically spread the adhesive....<br />
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Then, trim a chart to size...<br />
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Apply the chart to the very sticky board....<br />
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Slather more glue on top, recalling skills vaguely remembered from elementary school art class decoupage projects. While waiting for all that glue to dry, construct a frame from scrap mahogany trim...<br />
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Assemble and varnish......<br />
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...and install (right side up) when the weather warms up.<br />
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Right, so, feeling cocky, I got back to that saloon table....<br />
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My initial thought was that we needed a larger table that would tie into the stripper pole, er, compression post. Upon further measuring and headscratching I realized that bigger is not better in this case. Enlarging the table would make our current expansive and inviting recroom feel like a cramped and cluttered cell, with a table that would be difficult to move around and would prevent the locker door under the stove from opening fully.<br />
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So, the table can get no bigger. <br />
Okay. <br />
It does, however need to be more stable, so I lengthened the collar underneath, that fits over the post. Now, no wobble.<br />
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But, there is a crapload of winter left, and it is a rather plain table, so I might as well try to figure out marquetry.<br />
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Marquetry, as defined by the OED: "Inlaid work made from small pieces of coloured wood or other materials, used for the decoration of furniture."<br />
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So, a supply run to <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/en/home/Announcement.aspx" target="_blank">Lee Valley Tools</a> was in order. I needed glue, veneer.... that was pretty much it.<br />
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I still managed to spend damn near $200. <br />
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It's that kind of store.<br />
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I bought a <a href="http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32716&cat=1,250,43217" target="_blank">"box of veneer"</a> which was exactly as described- a pizza box full of very thin sheets of a variety of different woods:<br />
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Like, 80-100 square feet of the stuff. <br />
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The table in question is about 3 square feet.<br />
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I quickly cobbled together a low-buck veneer cutting jig- a piece of scrap ply for a bed, some aluminum angle and scraps of luan trimmed to create 90 degree, 45 degree and 22.5 degree guides to simplify the math...<br />
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... and discovered the tricks to cutting very thin, very brittle pieces of wood... after destroying a bunch of very thin, very brittle pieces of wood.<br />
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Luckily, I had a lot of it.<br />
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After marking the center on the table, and the half way polints on all four sides, I laid out a simple geometric design, and proceeded to cut and tape and glue and clamp and swear my way to an end result;<br />
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It still needs some sanding and a few more coats of varnish, but I'm not completely embarassed by the end result.<br />
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And I still have a crapload of veneer left over.<br />
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And a crapload of winter.<br />
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I rummaged through the scrap pile and did some sketching and came up with a plan for a simple cockpit table. A little ply, some reclaimed teak trim from DonorBoat, and the basics are done:<br />
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the rough work is done, now it's just a matter of mortising and installing the hinges, final sanding, and finishing. I'm saving that until next weekend.<br />
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It looks like there's still lots of winter left.<br />
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Thanks for checking in, and don't forget to "Talk the Dock!"Dock Six Chronicleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03597255314638510360noreply@blogger.com4