November 16,2011

O what a beautiful day.. Howard got me up at 7 am ok lets go... What is it? It is   early where are we going?? To the boat ok... Let me make the sandwiches, pack the cooler,( water, V8, fruit, & today we have a few beers) Out the door at 845am to the boat yard again... Well this will be the last time for awhile!! We are putting her into the water...
At 11am I went to the yard foreman Bob & said to him please put my boat in the water! He thought I was joking with him!!! I said no lets go!!!  So the crew at the yard loaded her up onto the travel-lift.... put her into the water in the sling & let her rest for about 30 minutes Howard got aboard to see if there was water coming in anyplace.... THANK YOU GOD No leaks!!! AND DORY FLOATS!
We set out about 12pm for our ride to the Marina.. What a nice feeling. It took all of 20 minutes to get to the Marina! When I called the Dock-master and asked him to catch my lines he thought I was pulling him leg. I said no we are on our way in now! Look for us... He couldnt see us because we were stick-less! As we were going to the Marina Howard asked me how we should go in I said aft first.... Well she didn't want to move as fast as he asked her... Thank you AL for holding us off the other dock! ( we weren't going very fast!) We got her into to her slip and toasted with a BEER!!!!!! To new adventures!!!!

 

November

Howard has come home again... The weather is a lot nicer! Please put this boat in the water!!!!!!!I cant stand it anymore!! So we / he changed the oil, the oil pressure switch,( Honey get me one of these Friday afternoon 4:30 of a Holiday weekend), re-pipe & replaced fuel filters primary & secondary. Installed perko sea strainer. Installed battery Isolator for house & starting battery.

Mind you there has been loads for chatter about the naming of the boat Facebook Votes.. Family votes... Howard & I decided it would be DORY!!!! A huge thanks to Uncle Al for the fine paint job!!!

October

Uncle Bob comes back from out west.... Howard wants a new Bow Spirit along with that comes a new toe Rail & rub Rail while we are at it.Uncle Bob would love to do this work out of the water it will be easier for him.  What a beautiful job Uncle Bob. In the mean time there are several items that have been completed... New chain plates ( old ones removed & fiberglass replaced) Back Stay shortened to 18inches( the old one was 3 feet long) Mast step plate installed, tin coated grounding plate installed below the water line,Tv antenna onto mast, new led spreader lights, new Preko Led automatic on/off mast night,led steaming light.... The Rigger has a bum knee. HE had to have surgery... So need less to say the mast is not up yet. Soon come!

September..

Howard goes to work... for 3 weeks... I do what I can.... getting more Items for him to do when he gets back.The first week of October we are going on a Cruise. Howard didn't want to hear that!!! Off to Mexico & Grand Cayman we go

August The Mast comes down...

So the owners of the boat yard didn't want to take the mast off of the boat while it was on the hard. Because 20 years ago they saw someone take one down & the boat went up with the mast & down on its side it went. Howard talked to the Yard foreman & he was all for it!  Down she came no problems a hammer couldnt solve. Thank you Jerry for your help. The weather people are talking about a hurricane... The yard closed for 4 days as prevention.
Howard & I spent the better part of a day rewiring the mast. What should have taken about 45 minutes... took 4 hours. But we got it done without to much arguing. IT WAS A HOT ONE THAT DAY!!!! Lets go for a swim in the sea!

week 15,16 17

Howard comes home the end of June... he took all of  the A/C wires out of the boat. Short days spent at the boat  VERY HOT!

weeks 12,13,14

The topside of the hull was painted. Awlgrip.  The bottom will be back together before Howard gets  home.  This was apoxy re applied, then 3 coats of Gray bottom paint on top of that went 3 coat of blue ablative paint. Wow is it pretty.

Weeks9,10,11

Boy o' Boy it is getting hot in Florida...

Howard has taken all of the lights off & is working on replacing then all with leds. The new prop has arrived it doesn't look like the one we had but the man said it is better.... we will see. We went through the entire boat & got rid of a lot of "junk".

Weeks 6,7,8

Howard is home & here we go again.... Like gang busters! The shaft had to be cut out because it WOULD NOT release from the coupling.... Come to find out there was electrolysis that welded it together. As you have guessed there was TONS of electrolysis. The shaft, prop, rudder pin... the wonder bar was also eaten up. All things for me to find while Howard worked on other things...... we dont remember.

Weeks 3,4,5

Howard was at work for 3 weeks.  I sanded & cleaned all the varnish off the Teak on the exterior of the boat. On day 3 I had a friends husband help out. I had 3 burns from the chemicals I used to strip the teak.... not fun. We talked about what to do with the Teak I said I am never using this chemical again... I want to oil it. it didnt happen.... More about that later.
While Howard was working I the list of items he requested together... Dock lines, thru hulls, life jackets, gps,Thru hull transducer (with depth).

Week 2

I called a friend.... He came with a Plainer and proceeded to cut the gel coat off of the hull.... Now we wait for it to "Dry Out".   I pressure washed it every other day for weeks! Howard went back to work for his 3 weeks... I pressure washed the boat.

Week 1

We get to the Marina to Haul "it" out. Trying to go East with a South West wind doesn't work very well under power. With a rudder that doesnt want to move anymore. Out of the water she came...Pressure washed ... We went home to change clothes get good coffee & supplies.
We started to scrape the haul.... and scrape and scrape. We did try to sand it as well. for 3 days and we had two thirds done on one side...

. I asked someone else about he "Pocking" at the water. Well the gel coat was pocked like the worst case on chicken pocks you have seen.

Aquiring Dory

My husband (Howard) has been looking at Sailboats for about 2 years on the internet DAILY!! Today he was on Craigs List looking at sail boats  & saw a 28 ft 1975 Cape Dory Hull number 29. It was in a town 50 minutes away. I said call him & and lets look at it.  He said no I am just looking, I said I want to see the inside of it.. I called the guy made arrangements to go see it.  The next day we were off to see the boat.Howard wasnt sure this was the one and I said lets do it!!!! I was tried of him looking on the internet for hours on end only dreaming!

The dreaming is now over. We picked her up on March 7th 2011. Motored down the river about  44 nautical miles. Howard need to go to the head.. Left me at the tiller & soon we were no longer moving. "Honey something happened we arent going anyplace"  He comes out of the Cabin and says the channel marker is 50 feet the the left Dear! We tried to get it unstuck! To no avail. I called my brother who Lives not far from where I had run it a ground! HE comes out with another guy to "help"  He got into the water & tried to "rock" it off. NOT HAPPENING!!! Thank God it was an incoming tide. We finally float off and back down the river we go ( four Hours later). Our goal was to be at the Marina for Haul Out at 8am.... it was 9am