Why hang in the Virgins? Working on stuff on the boat. Mostly those that know us know we had a minor problem with the Roller Furling the last 6 hours of our trip south.
So to help those not familiar with cruising understand that this is truly not a vacation but a style of living I’m going to list what much of our work load has been these last few weeks.
- Remove the Genoa. (Contact and discuss with sailmaker how we wanted to have it repaired and changed)
Fitting grabs Line
Remove Roller furling track ( Contact and order new track. Get mailing address for track to be shipped to)
- Change the oil in the generator.
- Replace Control Lines on Self Steering
Add screw / bolt on push pit so the control blocks don’t slide
Add new saltwater manifold. Fix saltwater manifold (it leaked). Fix failed. Build new saltwater manifold. (This entailed getting new parts which meant walking to hardware store and back). - Discover that two pumps are mounted vertically when they should be mounted horizontally. Change the mounting which entails cutting new hoses and replumbing and changing some electrical wiring. (I hate plumbing on the boat!) Fixed. Now when motoring at 6 kts the DC refrigeration will work. However sailing on a port tack still gets enough air in the line to stop the refrigeration. But! Once air is in the line and we’re back upright I don’t need to purge the line, the DC refrigeration will start back up fine.
- Replumb the raw water for the Generator. Three Times! Discover 2 small oil leaks. Contact Aquamarine about. Fix oil leak by using a hammer and punch to reset press in plug in the cast block. Tighten fitting on other leak.
- Remove upper spreader lifts (W/ had to haul me up the mast again).
- End for end lines on Genoa.
- Shorten Head Stay. (This required removing the stay - I needed W/ to haul me up the mast, dropping it to the deck, cutting the wire, removing the Hayn fitting, reinstalling the end fitting, then reattaching the wire - W again needed to haul me up the mast.)
- Fix roller furling head fitting.
Can't get Caught
- Add new roller furling track. This took almost 4 weeks from the time we started to time of installation for the track to arrive! Installing involved two days work - well about 8 hours labor between W/ and I. I at least didn’t need to go up the mast again.
- Re-tune the rigging
- Replace Genoa (wait for as calm a day as possible and then haul it up and furl it.
- Bought a “cruising cart” a dolly so I could haul heavy stuff without having to make many, many trips.
- Adjust tightening screw on the two forward facing ports as they’re too tight an currently not leaking.
- Re-tighten port screws as just 1/4 turn caused them to leak.
Re-Installing the Track
In the BVI’s we….
- Polished most of the Stainless Steel.
- Cleaned / waxed the area the engine exhaust makes black on the hull
- Re-cut the awning poles (for large awning) and added so now we have full boat shade again
- Washed the boat really, really, really, well.
All the while these projects were ongoing we attempted to enjoy being here - well as much as we could. Meeting past cruising chums, coming up with a couple new ones. We did all the laundry several times which entails walking two large bags (I couldn’t get W/ to do it more frequently :) ) so we carried the bags to the laundry.
SS Wire Hose Clamps
Famet Details: Notice the wire clamps. The Clamptite tool is really a god send on the boat. I’ve easily saved the price in hose clamps and there are situations I didn’t want a hose clamp that the tool works …….. GREAT! Also notice that the wire runs over the screws that hold the head fitting on so they can’t come out!