-Lee Dorsey
When we're not sailing, or fishing, or roaring across the Bay, or cleaning, or drinking, or eating, Docksters are usually fixing. Or improving. Or fixing what we had previously improved. Since winter significantly cuts down on the "sailing, or fishing, or roaring across the bay, or cleaning" parts of our existence, we are left to fill the void with additional drinking, eating and fixing.
Especially the fixing.
If we drank any more than we already do, we'd have to start attending meetings.
Bottom line, from October to April we get fat and work on our boats... not necessarily in that order.
This winter was an especially busy one- it seems like everyone had a project or two underway.
Jim and Marianne gave Cranky a makeover- new topsides and deck paint, hardware rebedded, and fresh bottom paint.
I like the rolling cradle, Jim.
I have to admit to some serious boat shed envy. Look at that high-falutin' ceiling fan in the background! And Jim is working in short sleeves! Heat AND ventilation AND shelter- that ain't fair.
Here is what Cranky looked like before she entered the shed:
Nice colour choice, Jim and Marianne. It looks like we are starting an official colour scheme for the Dock Six fleet!
James gets the "Pimp My Hull" award. He built new smoked acrylic transom doors for George Too II, added more LED mood lighting, installed a deck throne, dialed in both outboards, and installed a new stereo with a DVD player and retractable LCD screen. With the new entertainment system instalkled, James added cabling that will enable him to display his smartphone on the screen- download Navionics chart app to the phone and voila! A fixed mount chartplotter. Then he went over the top- he installed night vision cameras fore and aft, and tied them into the screen on his stereo! I can't wait to see how it all works.
Jack bought another boat. Jack will be splashing an O'day Tempest this season, providing he can find the sails, which apparently have gone missing. I predict that Jack will buy another boat just to acquire the needed sails.
Jim and Jill have been working on Carpe Diem, reworking the running rigging, installing a new loose-footed mainsail, and refinishing the teak trim. It sounds like one of the prettiest boats on the dock just got prettier. I can't wait to see her.
Rumour has it that Gavin bought new skatelaces for his fenders. (Oooohhhh, I'm gonna hear about that one.)
The new boat, After School, saw some serious structural surgery take place. Eric discovered that the mast step was a little soft...
...so he did a little exploring...
...then a little more...
... then he cut away about half of the deck and the cabintop...
... pulled out all of the wet rotted core...
Installed new oak core, laid new fiberglass...
...then fabricated new mounting points for his bow pulpit, allowing him to remove the pulpit so the boat fits in his garage. Slick!
Jordan, Andy and the family got bitten by the dinghy bug, and decided to build a D4 dinghy, Tempus 2.
I focused on adding function to the interior of Whiskeyjack. There was a lot of wasted space under the v- berth:
So we decided to add a hanging cubby to the underside of the v-berth filler panel, which you can see just above the dog in the picture.
Hopefully the dog will still fit.
In true low-buck fashion, this is a freebie project. One of the advantages of being a really lousy woodworker is that I always have lots of scrap wood lying around from earlier mistakes. Some of it is really nice wood, which I decided to put to use in a galley extension. Our galley counter space is limited, and our room to add more counter space is limited as well, so I cobbled together a folding extension which will mount to the aft end of the galley, beside the sink in the picture below:
Here is the extension folded for storage:
(Please ignore the epoxy bubbles and runs- I still need to sand and add the final finish.)
And here, it's ready for use:
(While you are ignoring the epoxy runs and bubbles, please also ignore the dirty, disorganized, disheveled workshop in the background. Please.)
Hidden behind the flap when it is stowed is a narrow shelf, just big enough for nav tools, pencils, a pad of paper and issues of Good Old Boat and Small Craft Advisor.
Most of the materials were scrap on-hand, but I did have to shell out $7.46 for hinges.
Next, we plan to build some small book shelves for the v-berth, a stowable helm seat, and I still have to install a larger solar panel. Luckily, the Easter weekend is approaching, allowing me to get some of this stuff done.
Fellow Docksters, if I got details wrong or left projects out, please give me a shout, and I'll get the info up here.
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