Big Girl

Swashbuckler got some leave from work and is signed on to crew the sailing vessel Claudia IV, a Swan 68. This boat is beautiful and fully equipped with every modern day convenience, minus email. Myself and three others will be delivering the boat from Honolulu to Vancouver. We hope to depart today provided some extra parts arrive in the mail. Looking forward to a good passage on an amazing boat with some very talented sailors. JC

Puzzle Pieces

The last piece of the puzzle was finally fabricated Thursday. The Headstay chainplate, the most critical piece to the standing rigging, was made by a guy named Brendan at Universal Metals. It's taken just over a year to get this piece. It started with one guy saying he would build it, but took nearly 9 months, then a collaborator came along, did great work, took it back to the welder who measured from the wrong end during the welding process, rendering it useless despite the perfect welds. At this point it was time to pay the big bucks to the professionals. A template needed to be made of the bow as well as a wood model to give to the professionals to draw. Well, the template and model were cherry, but the professionals seemed to have a hard time at following directions. It took them three times to get it right, but they finally got it, and it fits like Cinderella's slipper.

Weekend Special

Take a look at that bottom. That's 100 man hours of work over 3 days. Last weekend was a learning experience like no other. It was epic. Rather than describe all the colorful moments of grinding, prepping, and painting, I'm going to make a list of stuff I learned. The sense of satisfaction this picture depicts is mind blowing.

• 80 grit on an orbital sander does a beautiful job, but you're looking at 4 hours to do a 4 foot square. Go with a grinder soft pad at 60 grit. Don't go lower than 60.
  
• Have all your tools and safety gear ready to go for that opportune moment when 5 of your friends are standing around the boat itching to help out.
• Pizza can get at least 2 more hours of manual labor out of even the tiredest worker.
• Take all the "advice" you receive and pick and choose what you want to use.
  
• Paint takes at least twice as long to properly set up at night.
  
• Two grinders are better than one.
• Have enough power options for all your tools and lights.
• Keep companionway hatch closed to reduce yard dust inside.
• Remove oily outboard from well before grinding to prevent it from being coated in dust.
• Wire wheel brushes are awesome on the keel, but at 20 bucks a pop, make them last.
• Plastic mixing cups with barrier coat don't mix well.
• Wrap the roller in tape to remove all the lent prior to painting.
• Barrier coat seems to go on better with a foam roller than a normal fuzzy one.
• A fully enclosed face mask to keep out dust from the eyes while grinding.
• Etching seems to weaken old faring causing it to flake off.

That's about it. We'll haul out again in 6-12 months to install new through hulls and put on some more bottom paint. Coming soon...standing the mast.

Tsunami 2010

Feb 27, 0900hrs, Keehi Lagoon channel - Night Moves being towed by John and Lisa on Kia Makani. The Destructive wave was scheduled to strike the shores of Oahu at 1137hrs. Hundreds of boats were leaving the harbors. I saw boats on the water I'd never seen before. It was awesome. The tsunami came, but was very small, creating strange currents and surges in the channels. Night Moves returned to her berth at 1530hrs.

Night Moves in her new berth at the lovely Keehi Lagoon Feb 1, 2010. Currently in the process of overhauling the standing rigging and then a haul out for a new bottom and sea cocks. That's all Greek to most of ya out there. Translation: A lot of hard work and money over an extended period of time where she can't go out for an afternoon sail. Despite the reef growing on her underside, the light is getting brighter at the bottom of the keel. Soon she'll be stretching her reach. . . I've been waiting my whole life for this moment.