2013-07-04 — The 4th of July ALREADY????????

I have neglected to write on this blog much since Memorial Day and here it is the 4th already! This fact could be attributed to 3 things, 1) Procrastination (possible but not normally given to that) 2) Dis-interest? (again possibly, but I do want to document this adventure for all our grandchildren – no kids, going to make the former a harder sell.) 3) In ”retirement” I am working harder now than I ever did in real life.  All three are partially true but heavily weighted to 3). (That’s my story and sticking to it!)

After some really great sailing in late May and early June we have been relegated to so so wind and phase I of the electronics upgrade. During our Mast and Rig work winter before last we had a Raymarine HD Chartplotter antenna installed on the mast as well has, yes a television antenna (not going to be newlyweds forever!!!) Needed to run power cable for the radar from the mast step to 12 volt panel and another from cockpit to panel for the Raymarine C95 Chartplotter. In addition to power had to pull Raymarine Network cables to make all the new hardware talk to each other. With that complete it was time to mount the chart-plotter plotter in the binnacle pod. The pod is a HUGELY overly-priced piece of plastic so the thought of taking a saw to it was rather unnerving. A number of sources recommended this power tool or that for the job. I went with something a lot slower and less likely to result in catastrophic failure. I used this saw that uses a hack saw blade but leaves one end completely open enabling it to cut out the hole to hold the chart plotter.

With the chart plotter mounted it was a relatively simple thing to connect up the radar and the already installed Autopilot. All the Raymarine equipment is  plug and play so that was simply and plug in and turn on. Things usually come apart at the turn on part and it works part! Amazingly everything came right up and worked as expected including that radar that was installed 18 months ago! (The television antenna has been working fine for some time).

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Interfacing the Standard Horizon GX2000 VHF Radar was a different critter all together. I had to use the NMEA 183 ports available on both devices and make a couple adjustments in each of the devices. In the end, worked with no major issues, more stress than issues!

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Admiral inspected and approved the installation. That is rather important since she spends 10 times more than I behind that wheel!

Magnolia will be getting underway this weekend with some of the Steinke Gen IV kids (I am included in that population). More precisely some Mona McAndrews, grandchildren.  Should be a great day. Monday then Magnolia is intending to take Annette and I to Norfolk for a visit. Straight line it is about 115 miles but there never is such a thing on a sailboat! We are looking forward to get going!!!

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Promise to write more when we are off the dock and underway! Be Safe A**2

2013-06-12 “Where are we and what day is it anyway?”

I am finding it a little disconcerting how quickly our view of the world has changed. I find myself trying to remember what day of the week it is most of the time. No really, there are times (mostly all the time) that I could not tell you the day of the week to save my behind. The only time I am really sure is when we are expecting guests aboard Magnolia. Most definitely want to be at the dock when they arrive!!!

As far as the “where” question…well as I lie here in bed writing this (the same bed for the last 12+ years) it seems familiar but not home. Annette has been back here a couple times but this is my first in about a month and wow how quickly our life’s center has relocated from this condominium next to National Airport looking at out at the Potomac and monuments beyond to a little sailboat tucked way up Lurch Creek 3 miles off the Chesapeake Bay.

Learning experience definitely! Really living? Feeling more alive than ever before….

2013-05-31 Why the Wye???

Because it is the first hot spell of the season and the water is terrific in the Wye River. It is also home of to the Audubon Society (Maryland) and the Admiral wanted to see it! I must digress though.

The Admirals last day of work was last Thursday and we got underway with a lovely couple who have sailed with us before to attend the Pentagon Sailing Club event. This Memorial Day the event was near Oxford MD on the Choptank. It was a great weekend filled with some very spirited sailing on Saturday! We made a passage south down the bay in winds in the mid 20knt range which gave Magnolia and crew a fabulously fun & fast passage to Oxford.

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After returning from the weekend event the Admiral & I spent Tuesday at our marina in Galesville doing some boat chores and a little laundry. We had made arrangements with our engine doctor for a quick check up in Annapolis on Thursday and meet up with some friends on Wednesday. We took a mooring ball right in downtown Annapolis and dinghy’d in for a walk and a ice cream cone. Our friends visited Magnolia as our first “cruising guests” and had a lovely evening.

Thursday we needed to meet the engine doctor in Back Creek so we motored the mile over there arriving at a dock we had never been too! Every dock is a new experience! Annette did great getting us in and out though. I thought she was going to have a coronary though when I told her she would need to do it twice because the mechanic was coming with for a test run! She did great though, simply cannot say enough on the subject!

We were able to get underway for the Wye River by late morning. It is about 30 miles over there and when adding in distance for tacking gets close to 40. None the less we had a lovely sail with winds in the mid teens and comfortable temperatures. It was a long day so after getting the anchor down a dip in the river and a ice cold beer really hit the spot.

2013-05-30 Annapolis-Wye River

Adding another first (of many this week) Annette started and took the dinghy (Blossom)out for an extended ride to find the Audubon Center up Pickering Creek. It may not sound like much but you get a 15 horse Yamaha fired and controlled for a several mile run and back! We have VHF radio so Blossom could always call Magnolia if she needed!

We have a storm front coming through the mid-Atlantic on  Sunday so we are going to head back to Galesville and continue boat chores tomorrow. I have a little more topside varnish and electronics upgrade to complete. It’s a a boat, there is always something more!

2013-05-20–Three Years, “We’ve Come A Long Way”

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It seems a little surreal that is was just three (3) years ago today that we arrived “home” after Magnolias first trip north from Florida. The preparations and the trip are well documented starting here. Not only did our friends Greg & Marie get Magnolia, Annette and I safely home but they set the “tone” on Magnolia that we observe today.

The rhythm on Magnolia is slow and steady with an emphasis on safety. As I was heard many times, “It’s a sailboat, things don’t happen that fast, patience.” I am not sure if the following is a hard and fast rule aboard S/V Second Sally (Greg & Marie) but “we only go in and out of ports that ships do too.” We have learned so much from them but unspoken lessons are some of the most memorable. A couple years ago Magnolia was in company of Second Sally departing the Choptank River. As we have been through this area many times we had grown accustomed to “cutting a corner” by ignoring one of the markers. We knew there was “plenty of water.” A couple of minutes later I looked back and saw Second Sally further back than I anticipated. She had not cut the marker, I felt a little guilty and somewhat irresponsible at the time but I got the lesson! Funny thing, to this day Greg has no idea he even taught a  lesson that day!

Fast forward to yesterday…last fall we met a couple of similar age as Annette and I with similar plans. I received a surprise message from Frank on FB yesterday afternoon that S/V Eleanor Q was anchored here in the West River. What a treat to share some time with Frank & Mary-Marie sharing thoughts and lessons of the last couple weeks…yup they are ahead simple by a couple weeks! (and yet I am jealous!!)

As Annette take off for sometime in the Chesapeake to celebrate her retirement (tomorrow) we take with us gifts of old and new friends! We are very lucky to have this opportunity!  What an exciting time here on Magnolia!

2013-05-08 Hanging Locker Conversion

The Admiral wanted the hanging locker converted for additional shelf space. If you go back and review 2012-04-16 “Single Digit Midget” & “Nearing Splash Time” you will see the beginning of this project. As I said at the time “The Admiral suggested Wire Rack Shelves but I initially resisted because of  how to make them work with a curved which backs the cabinet. I will build some suspense with the answer cause I think it might be one of my best ever ideas! In the meantime I used some left over oak threshold material for supports. I used some thickened West epoxy to attach them to the exposed hull fiberglass. After some primer and paint they will be ready for that surprise shelf solution so standby!”

As can be seen below the supports were indeed epoxied to the bulkhead, taped up and painted. As you can see the paint plan came off the tracks, it happens. The paint bled behind tape! Thankfully the supports are at the BACK of the cabinet!

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As you probably know there are no square edges on a boat yet the Admiral wants rectangular wire shelves installed. The solution was to simply trim the wire shelves to the shape of the hull as required.

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The Admiral and I split a piece of 1/2 inch PVC lengthwise and opened it wide enough to insert the individual shelf wires. The PVC grips the wires like a vice and completely stiffens the overall shelf. I am not sure about corrosion where the shelves were cut. Could be a problem down the road (waterway), but if they need to be redone, they are cheap and next time I will fill the the PVC with epoxy. (I think I am becoming an epoxy addict)  

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2013-04-23 Workshop In The Clouds

I was preparing to apply a coat of varnish to some shelves out of the aft cabin when realized how lucky I am to have such a scenic workshop. Granted it is open to the weather a bit more than I would prefer but perhaps that is part of its charm. As you can see we live in a 11th floor condominium in Arlington, VA. The pictures truly do not do the view justice but what a gift to see the world from this vantage point.  The good and the bad. We are close enough to the Pentagon that on 9-11 the inside of the house smelled of smoke and the silence of the airport was deafening.

About 1.5 miles is the Jefferson Memorial (left of the mineral spirits can).

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The US Capital is between to the two cans along with the Potomac river below

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Oh yes, and the shelve too!

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Washington Reagan Airport with the Potomac beyond is a close neighbor too. Amazingly planes are not too noisy, it’s the nearby trains that sometimes irritate! When they do, we just look at the river and wonder where Magnolia is going to take us!

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2013-04-19 Hatch Installation–CHECK!

In preparation for launching Magnolia this week, “Material Condition Zebra” has been set! Material Condition Zebra is the Navy term for configuring hatches and valves in such a manner to make the ship water tight as possible.

Magnolia has 11 deck hatches in over this last winter they were shipped to Select Plastics in  East Norwalk, CT in groups of 5. Turn around time approximately 5 weeks and the work was completed as promised and on time. They replaced the lenses, gasket seals and performed other maintenance as required.

I used a Butyl tape to provide a gasket seal for the frame and individual screws. I applied 3 –4 layers of tape to the frame leaving the backing tape to the last layer applied.

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I also applied a wrap of Butyl tape to each of the screw heads. I was able to complete the application of the Butyl tape at home. The screws were placed on wax paper for easy transport to Magnolia for installation.

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Once “onboard” I used an ice pick to punch a hole through the Butyl tape and the backing tape. Yes there was a drop of blood shed as can be seen. Come on, you give me an ice-pick I am certainly good for at least one wound!

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I then used a couple of ice picks to align the frame to the mounting holes BEFORE removing the backing tape! BEFORE removing the backing tape!! You have been warned!

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Once the holes were all aligned the backing tape was removed the the individual screw inserted. Do not press down the frame firm yet.

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The frames were checked for any gaps and an additional bead of Butyl tape for pressed under the frame for using an ice pick.

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The secret to successful use of Butyl  tape I am told is slowly compressing the seal. I gently snugged up all the screws applying equal compression all around to the Butyl tape. I will repeatedly snug the screws down during our next couple visits to the boat.

In addition to getting the hatches installed, Annette cycled and ensured each of the thru-hull valves were left in the closed position. With that, Magnolia is ready for re-launch this Thursday!!

2012-04-16 “Single Digit Midget” & “Nearing Splash Time”

As you can tell from above I made it to Day 9 in my “Stop Work Countdown.” It is hard to believe it is nearly here. I remember 500, that we celebrated in the Bahamas on a sailboat. I remember 100, that was in BVI also on a sailboat. Lots of mixed emotions as time winds down. It has been a great experience and the opportunities unconceivable to a kid from Detroit. Going to sea on this countries First Aegis Cruiser, Ticonderoga to helping come up with a way and shoot down an errant US Satellite to now the most challenging job, Captain of Magnolia.  Thankfully I have the Admiral to share this one with! Enough history, the future looks bright and we are so very grateful for the opportunities!

The Hartge Yacht Harbor is scheduled to put Magnolia back in the water on the 24th of April so it has been a race against the calendar. We are certainly not winning but seem to be keeping up! The legendary hatches are expected to arrive this afternoon. We need to apply Butyl Tape (like caulk but a lot less messy) to the frames and then I will start installing them on Friday.

In the meantime there has been a bevy of activity onboard!

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The “ceiling” has been fully installed and varnished. The match is better than I hoped and did not require tearing out the entire bulkhead so that was good. There is shelving to be re-installed that covers most of the bulkhead so I think in the end you won’t even notice the difference in the wood.

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The settee cushion’s were back for a dry fit and George Whitehead of Captain Canvas did a fabulous job with the Ultra Leather. The Admiral tells me the stuff is bullet proof and nearly stain proof. If I ever come up missing, you can assume I spilled something on the settee and was “eliminated” by the Admiral!

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Not nearly as fun as Ultra Leather, but the aft cabin hanging locker is being converted to shelf friendly at the direction of the Admiral, Captain concurs of course! The Admiral suggested Wire Rack Shelves but I initially resisted because of  how to make them work with a curved which backs the cabinet. I will build some suspense with the answer cause I think it might be one of my best ever ideas! In the meantime I used some left over oak threshold material for supports. I used some thickened West epoxy to attach them to the exposed hull fiberglass. After some primer and paint they will be ready for that surprise shelf solution so standby!

2013-03-26 Day 30 & Critical Path Crunch

I know it has been a while since my last post but that should be not be taken as an indication of tasks not being completed! The big speed bump on the “critical path” to getting Magnolia underway for Memorial Day Weekend (our short term goal) is getting the cabin top hatches back from overhaul and re-installed. Obviously we can’t remove the shrink wrap until the hatches are re-installed. In addition we can not finish sanding the the port side toe rail until the shrink wrap has been removed. That leads to not being able to varnish the port side toe rail until it has been sanded. If you can not varnish the cap rail you certainly cannot install the life line stanchions on top of the toe rail. If the lifeline stanchions cannot be installed, you cannot measure for the new lifelines. If you cannot measure for the new lifelines, cannot order new ones from the fabricator. Until you order new ones, wait for fabrication and then install them, we you cannot go sailing (safely) on Memorial Day weekend…  See how those hatches are holding everything up?

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Admiral over seeing hatch removal

In the mean time we have taking care of all those onesy and twosys tasks. Annette has completed making all new curtains, duvet for the bunk and a plethora of very cool throw pillows. George (ZZ Top’s twin) has finished the cockpit enclosure and called last evening to let Annette know the Settee Cushion recovering is complete. (If you need a canvas guy, George is GREAT!) Bayshore Marine has finished the engine and generator maintenance and Shiver Me Timbers should finish the refrigeration this week. I still have some glue, varnish and shelf installation in the aft cabin but there is time for that!

Bottom line, things are coming along as best as we could hope for! As soon as we can get the hatches off the Critical Path, we will have much better control of our destiny!!

 

2012-03-09 Yup, and wood too!

You have to hand it to that “Jack!” “He is like a Jack of all trades and a master on none!” The one thing  he does pretty well is wood and that exactly what I got to do this weekend. Here’s “Jack” taking a little mid job coffee break and enjoying a day on the boat since the temperatures were well into the high 50s, what a treat!

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I have never been a mechanical person, pretty good understanding of electrical but little practical experience but wood is definitely my medium of choice. I did not think about it till this moment by if you want to get a well rounded skill set get a boat! This winter I have done a little bit of everything!

For some reason, beyond my level of understanding they call the wood strip on the horizontal bulkhead ceiling. As I said above I know a little about a lot of things and even some rocket science but why they call stuff on the wall ceiling, well that is what we call in the trade, “black magic!”

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Now this is simply pedestrian wood work, not like pulling up a cap-rail like Dani did on S/V Sundowner! The job started with having some Ash lumber milled into strips and then using a hand sander I rounded off the edges to similar style as the existing ceiling.

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I don’t have an adjustable miter box so after making a template and giving thanks the after bulk head was a consistent angle (about 56degrees) it was a pretty straightforward job to cut and fit

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The boards are just dry fit right now, have to wait a couple more weeks until temperatures are a little more consistent before I can glue and finish them.