Up the creek with a newly varnished paddle.....

September 24, 2016

I bought a CD9 Cascade Sailing Dinghy from a friend.  It was built in 1980, so it had some wear and tear.  I spent the weekend sanding down the teak dagger board and the teak rudder to varnish them again.  I also took the time to strip down the oars with an orbital sander and 80 grit paper.

Here you can see the before and after sanding of the oars.

Once stripped down, I added a personal touch of a couple of Hawaii Kai decal's.  It made the oars look like a branded well finished product.

After decals added with Hawaiian Kai decals.

The final step was coating the oars with 6 coats of varnish.  They were both sanded with 220 grit in between coats.  This sanding provided a smooth coating of varnish and a glassy look to them.

Final finish with 6 coats of varnish on the oars and the teak boards.

Here's a look at the CD9 which is to be tackled next week.

CD9 Cascade Sailing Dinghy.

Out of the water getting a new bottom....

Well the CarolMarie is now on the hard, out the water.    Ray and I motored her down to Schooner Creek Boat Works on Hayden Island last Sunday.  On Monday morning I when down to watch her being pulled out of the water.

In the photo above she's being turned around.

Then she was lifted out of the water and the bottom was cleaned.   Here's what she looked like before the bottom was cleaned.

Once the bottom was cleaned she was put up on stands.

We sanded her and raised the water line.

She was sanded a lot more and then finally she two coats of red bottom paint.

Finishing Teak to a high gloss with Bristol Finish

New Head for S/V CarolMarie

Work has been too busy recently to go out.   But the final touches were done to the head over the weekend, and I think it's finally there.

When we first took ownership of the boat the head was placed sideways in a small closet, on a elevated platform forward of the captain's bunk.

Original Head

Appart from being oddly placed ladies don't care for pumping for some reason.   So we decided to move the head to a better location and convert it from a manual to an electric flush.  We hired Gary from our yacht club to do the work.  We aren't all that good with wood, and he's a master.

The first step was finding a place to put it.  Most Han Christian 38MKII have the head in the bow of the ship.   Usually the head is in a small locker of it's own and shares the space with the shower.   We liked the idea and had ours moved there.

The second step was to pick out the toilet and get a plan to build the box around it.  

As you can see there was a good fit and plenty of room on the shower floor to back the head into the bow of the ship inside.

Once the plans were made, Gary built a platform for the head of marine plywood, that was level with the shower floor.  He cut the gate to match the remaining area of the shower floor.

The next step was to fit the toilet into to the bolts as shown below.

With the toilet in place Gary constructed the box around the toilet.  He used the batteries as weight to keep the pressure on the pieces as the epoxy cured.

Finally a lid was built for enclosure, and the last item of a brass plaque reading W.C. was added.

Several coats of epoxy were added to the box to keep it waterproof with the shower being in the same room.    

Numerous people said that it wouldn't be useful at sea because  you'd bounce around to much to use it.   After traveling to Barkely Sound and back I would have to say they were all wrong.  it worked out very well.   Also sitting on the box while showering was also helpful, and comfortable, both at anchor and at sea.  I am extremely happy with the way it turned out.

The nice thing is now we also have a large closet on the boat!!

Closet were the head once was located.

Blown Alternator and Class T 300Amp Fuse

Well when stuff goes wrong on a boat it never seems to be an easy fix.  In an attempt to find out what happened during last week's trip down river when we lost electrical power, I began trouble shooting our 12V system.

Upon testing the alternator I discovered the diodes were blown in it.   Luckily I had a back up alternator on boat.

Blown Alternator

As you can see in the photo a good deal of black soot was coming from the back around the area of the button diodes.

Shiny new alternator

Both alternators had the same rating, but the new one had terminals slightly higher then the older one, requiring a new ground cable to the engine block.  Once that was done all work well with the engine.

Fitting new ground cables

But not everything worked the way it should.  The house batteries would only work when the starter battery switch was in the combined mode.  So I dug all around in the engine room looking for the issue.    Then I thought about the two little girls from AdventureSail a couple of weeks ago.   Their motto was it's never the wrong time for a selfie.   I figured why not, no one would really believe I was upside down the in the engine room any way.

A bit more digging around led to the discovery that current on the house batteries were reversing themselves through the combiner. A Class T 300 Amp fuse near the positive side of the house batteries had blown.  Replacing that led to the problems all begin resolved.

Winter is coming....

It's been a while since we have posted, but several news worthy events have occurred.   The new watch commander below, who is ever vigilant, got on me for not posting enough last year.

New Watch Commander

Of course the winter snow came and hit the boat, but not enough to cover her up.

All was fine the boat, but we did loose our starter battery.  We replaced it last week with a new one, but not without personal injury.  In removing the older starter battery I dropped one of the house batteries on my ring finger causing it to swell to 3 times the norm size.   Needless to say my grandson learned how many swear words I could shout in an instant of time.

With the Cap'n of Ranidan, I finished my OUPV course and will be a USCG Cap'n upon completing the packet for submission.   The course was excellent and recommend anybody needing a refresher or wanting a OUPV license to go through the Columbia Maritime Institute.  

Finally with dreams of sailing, I built a little boat waiting for boat-show season.....

Winterized the CarolMarie, OUPV Classes, and Engine Maintenance

Last weekend we pulled off the mainsail, staysail and jib.  We brought them home to the garage for safe keeping.  Not that they'd be stolen, but more from a being safe from the winter storms here in Portland, and the mold/mildew that comes in the spring.

We had the local diesel mechanic out at the same time to change the oil, oil filter and the fuel filter.  He said the fuel filter was the original one that came on the boat.  That was surprising because the engine is now 33 years oil, and the filter was still working.  She had no oil leaks which the mechanic also said was amazing given the age of the motor.

We shut off the LP gas too.  Hooked up the dehumidifier, and the anti-freeze heater.

I went over to see Kim then at Columbia Marina Exchange.   I picked up a gently used copy of Charlie's Charts for Mexico, we are beginning to plan for the trip south.

I also signed up for the OUPV License class here in Portland at Columbia Pacific Maritime.  The class begins in the last weeks of December and there is a rush of stuff to do before the class.  The list includes getting a Transportation Worker ID Card, taking a physical, getting letters of reference, and taking a drug test.

I better get busy.....

Barlett Landing and Battery Time

It's that time of the year that I always remember the first cruise I went on.  It was in October 2001 on our Catalina Capri 25.  My son and Daughter were very young, and we went to Coon Island with the Catalina Owners for the Halloween Cruise.  The kids had a great time, and I have been yearning since then to go out.

We recently came across a great group of folks at the Sauvies Island Yacht Club  and decided to join them for their annual October Cruise to Barlett Landing on Government Island.  Before going off down river I was certain that the batteries were near their end, so with the help of my son we replaced all four of the house batteries.

Changing them was dirty work, and they are very heavy.  I wasn't certain on their age and condition, and before going out overnight I wanted to ensure we had power.

With the batteries changed the week before, last Saturday the 19th we worked our way to the marina early in the morning.   The forecasted weather was 70oF high and no clouds through the weekend.  We we certain we'd be crowded out if we didn't get there soon.  I had looked up the location of Barlett's Landing earlier in the week on the web.  To my surprise two other yacht clubs had also scheduled on the same day and the same time. Bartlett Landing is the public dock at the eastern end of Government Island. The landing is part of the Government Island State Park with approximately 400 feet of concrete dock. The outside most dock is subject to thrashing from river traffic, so we wanted to ensure we got on the inside of the docks to have a peaceful nights sleep.  I was a little nervous because it was my wife's first time on a cruise overnight on a small boat.

Needless to say when we arrived at the marina the fog was so thick we couldn't get out. The spiders had been busy through the night and the entire marina was full of webs that had caught the morning fog.

We picked up our friend Jim from S/V Ranidan on the way down.  Jim was the one that introduced us to the SIYC and he and his wife Linda decided to join us.  The fog lifted and we motored our way the 7.5 NM to the docks.  When we arrived we were met by George the Commodore of the club, who'd lined up a host of people to grab line and get us in on the inside of the landing.

The CarolMarie is the second on down on the inside dock.

Over 10 boats came from the SIYC, in all.  Jim found a great space behind us, and was tied up and ready for a club potluck on the docks.  About half the boaters came in costumes, including myself as pirate.  The club members visited with each other, and on each other's boat as the darkness came in.  We tried out a cheap 400W inverter to run the TV but it only last for about 20 minutes and it was gone. We lit the oil lamp for heat and went to bed.  Even being on the inside the marina was noisy from the continuous trains passing along the Washington side shore.  I felt two heavy commercial boat pass in the night, so I wouldn't say the park is all that quiet.

The next morning the fog had set in and once again we waited for it to lift.

While waiting Jim invited us over to have breakfast on his boat.  Jim cooked as Linda kept us entertained by telling us about her classes and adventures on their NW cruise this summer.  Jim mad these wonderful eggs, and we'd brought over marinated steak left over from the potluck the night before.  The hot coffee seemed to take off the morning chill, as we continued to visit with them.  

We made one more circle around all the boat saying our goodbye's.  With the same hospitality we had coming docking a host of people held our stern line and helped push the boats bow down river, helping us get underway.

Jim snapped the photo above us return to Salpare Bay.  Charing said she had a good time, and enjoyed her first cruise.  It looks like we'll be going out more, which suits me fine.  I am blessed to have her as my shipmate.  

Opening Day Disaster......

Two weeks ago was opening day for the sailing season and boating season here on the Columbia River.  It was also the first time the weather was good and the cap rail was done.  Before I get into the epic that led to a great deal of skipper talk, let me show the before and after photo from the cap rail.  It was amazing to say the least.

Hopefully you can see the difference from the two.  In the bottom photo was the state she was in when we bought her, while the top is the finished product.  The Bristol Finish claims to last 10 yrs before another application is needed.  We will see.

Now on to the epic.....  It all started the night before when the co-skipper called one of her friends.  The friend warned her about the massive amount of boats that would be out in the river on opening day.  Never mind I say, I know the Navigational Rules, and we'll be fine.  These came to be the famous last words.

The day started out simple enough; for crew we had Charing, Kevin, Michelle, Rachael, Cheryl, and myself.  I had been watching the weather the night before on sailpdx.org.  It showed the winds building to 10 knots by 11am then shifting after lunch 180o, building to 18-20 knots by 4pm.  The goal was to be off the river by 4pm, so we didn't have reef, and could go out with the main and stay sail up on a nice blustery spring day.

By 11am we had the stay sail and the main up and we were nicely making way from Salpare Bay Marina toward the I205 Bridge.  Charing brought out the GoPro and took a couple of nice photos of the crew and the boat in action.

As you can see my good friend Kevin is there by my side. This last photo was taken right about when all the bad decision I made turn into the epic humiliation. As I stood up from the helm I looked forward to see another cutter rig in the distance ahead.  Breaking out the binoculars I could see the blazing black insignia on the mainsail, HC 38.

No way I thought to myself, another HC38 out on opening day, on my river.  "Well," I said to Kevin, "should we catch him?"

He looked through the binoculars and said, "well not at this speed." Ok, for two engineers we should have known better, but we decided to run forward on the bow sprit to put up the new 110% lapper.   It was about this time the motor boats start coming out on the river.  Not just a couple of sink pots mind you, but every one of them that was over 30ft. All of them wearing the little blue blazers and fancy shirts, waving all types of banners and flags.  I am not exaggerating when I say there was a line of stink pots  from the airport to the I5 bridge in three lines. And we were dead in the middle of them wrestling the lapper trying to get it up.

Once it was raised about half way, the co-skipper calls out that the helm isn't responding.  She can't keep the boat on course. I look upward to see the wind vane has spun around 180o; we are lock in irons. With the wind building and the helm all the way over the rudder acted like a sail underwater pushing us back with the current, while the wind kept us straight pointed up wind.

I stop putting up the lapper, and with it half way up run back to the cockpit to get the boat moved in one direction or another. We needed steerage because we were being encroached upon by a horde of power boats, whose skippers are out on the water only for opening day, because the price to run their ships is too expense with today's fuel prices.

When I finally get steerage our northerly course is set directly into the parade of boats.  Now to say interrupting their once a year time on the river time on the river was frowned upon would be an understatement. Frankly I have never in my life seen so many air horns outside of a sale at West Marine in my life.

Horns going off everywhere while I tried in vain to bark out orders to the crew. As we drifted through the parade we were soon coming up on the other side of the river.  Did I forget to mention that the winds, once they changed directions came on us at 18-25knots.  Whitecaps were seen suddenly all up and down the river as if they came out of nowhere.  The lapper was flogging on the forestay with such noise it became harder to hear the morons with their air horns.  Even with half the lapper up the other half was now in the water at risk of being torn as it beat itself against the bow sprit.

Remembering the ASA course lesson of when in trouble - heave to, I whipped the boat around southernly stopping our sail and causing us to drift back into the parade. I ran up toward the bow to lower the sails only to find the stiff breeze was pushing us faster toward the parade once again.  With even greater zest, the power boat skipper once again lay on those air horns as I struggled to drop the stay sail, the main sail and the rest of the lapper.  Of course by the time I had them all down we were once again in the middle of the parade.  At this point I was steaming mad; I raised my middle fingers and in my loudest hailing voice used language only the French and true sailors knew.  I believe the power boats didn't take either French or knew much about sailing language because after my rant the horns went off again with more enthusiasm.

I started the motor and got far out to their way, heading back to my slip.  I was glad in the end that nothing was damage and no harm came to anyone outside of a bruised ego or two.

Well next weekend is our commissioning party.  Hopefully having a proper name on the boat will bring us better luck.  And next time I should stick to my sail plan from the beginning.

New Sails, Taxes, Lost Phone

The new sails came in from Lee Sails on Saturday.  We had intended on going out to the Columbia and watching the opening day races, but the tax guy called.  We needed to rush over to his office to pick up the paper work before he left for the day so the sails sat in the cabin for the night.

The next morning I sent a text to Katie (our daughter) and Kevin (our friend) inviting them to go sailing with the new sails.   Kevin brought along Linda and Sarah for ride.  We spent about an hour putting on the new sails while the wind blew out of the north-east about 10-15 knots.  By the time we got the sails on and out in the river the wind dropped to nothing.  With the sails up we motored past Hayden Island eastward, to catch the end of the fleet finishing the opening day regatta. Turning off the motor there was no wind and we began to drift backwards.

Suddenly from behind us a front rushed in from the southwest blowing us eastward. The new 110 jib lifted the front of the boat as we hit 5.1knots heading up river on a reach. We ran with the wind until we passed the airport about 1/2 a mile from the 205 bridge.  We turned around because it was nearing 5:00pm.  As we turned another front came in on top of us creating winds over 20knots.  Kevin and Linda were up on the  foredeck trying to stow the new sail. I was afraid I'd loose them in the river from the gusts and the bucking on the boat.   Finally Kevin decided to tie down the jib and we'll stow it at the dock.

When we got to the docks, we pulled the jib off the boat to fold it on the deck.   While doing it, my iPhone 5 dropped from my pocket making a splash as it hit the water. Watching the silvery back sway back and forth as it descended 22 feet to the river's bottom, was hard to take.  Adding insult to injury Kevin pointed at the bubbles rising from the water stating, "I guess the fish are using your phone, there are bubble coming up."  Well that's where the great photo's are too, on the bottom.

Vacation in Hawaii, new TV antenna, co-skipper gets high

Spring break in Oregon and spring break in Hawaii, meant it's time to see the grandkids and take in some sun on the beach.  So we flew this time all out to Oahu to visit the grandkids.  We also visited our future home for Carol-Marie at Ko'Olina (http://www.koolinamarina.com).  The marina staff were very nice and walked us around the facilities. We also had a chance to visit the  Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve on Oahu.  The preserve was re-established by the City and County of Honolulu in the 1990's after recognizing the damage done by years of neglect and abuse by allowing some three million visitors annually.  The plan they came up with now implemented is centered  around a Marine Education Center in August 2002.  Additionally they restricted the number of visitors a day, and invitied volunteers to help patrol the beach to educate visitors and snorkelers.  Hanauma now has a site where its education program flourishes. A short video welcomes residents and visitors, encouraging them to join staff and volunteers as stewards of this precious gift of Hanauma and other living reef environments they may visit.

I worked with the grandkids on guitar, although I think he's going to have to get a little bigger before we progress to a real guitar.

Once we got back I worked on installing the new TV antenna.  It wasn't as hard as I thought going together fairly easily, and routing  turned out to only take an hour.

Hayden Island Canvas finished the BBQ cover and it got mounted over the weekend too.  It's odd that it sits on the T-rail track but on the outside track will be over the water.

The car rail too is coming along nicely.  Sanding, and prep are everything in getting the brightwork done properly.   We have decided to use Bristol Epoxy to coat the rail.  According to the staff at Columbia Marine Exchange the two part epoxy won't yellow, crack or buckle and has a 10 yr life.  I was never a fan of Cetol, but after 2 Catalina's with teak trim and the Norsea 27 which had as much teak as the Hans per square inch, I am tired of varnishing every year.

We swung by West Marine and found a match to our broken spreader light.  My co-skipper couldn't wait to get everything fixed.  Jim and I hoisted her up to the spreader over the weekend to scope out what will be needed to install the new light.  

What she is actually doing is taking some pictures of the  broken light so we know what tools we will need to install it next weekend.  Here's the photo's she took while she was up there.

Broken light

looking down

Hopefully this week the new sails come from Lee Sails.  We are waiting on the new mainsail to make the new mainsail cover which will complete the canvas work.

Sabbatical begins, along with the boat chores....

Sabbatical began this week, and although many think that I should have taken it in the summer I deferred to now to do all the maintenance I could on the boat.  I began with looking at my surroundings in the marina, and noticed I had squatters on my dock.  Like many squatters they had no concern for place and decided to dump where ever they felt like it.  Being one not to interfere with wild life I moved the boat to the another slip, a cheaper one without the surrounding wildlife.

Squatters on the dock