Spring Time?

If you use your imagination your can see where our skeg will go on these plans.

  We've had a spat of unreasonably nice weather for march recently, we've seen sixty degrees! So of course I took full advantage. After much world problem solving and general jaw jacking the Typesetter and I have decided to add as skeg to the S/V Kat Boat. Jim was kind enough to include the space where a skeg could go in the plans. He did have drawn plans for a keelson but we've decided that a small foil at the back will do as well. This entailed the work I mentioned in the last post. Mainly getting the boat off the trailer. And one sunny day, it happened.

The Typsetter setting blocking.

She's up and off!

 Not only will this allow us to work under the boat but we can do some necessary inspections and work on the trailer in the meantime. I drew a center line on the bottom, taped it, and added paint remover. I let it sit for half an hour and then attacked it with a wire brush and a scraper. The scraper did nothing. The wire brush was genius. The Lady was a great help as my energy was sapped by the process. But with a little bit of sandpaper we got the area relatively clean.

Before

After

 In the following days I got a sheet of offsets for the skeg and The Typesetter was kind enough to cut out a single 3/4" blank. With some shaping it should join it's twin and once the weather returns we'll get it attached. Our Memorial Day Plans are now for an overnight so looking forward to that for sure. 

I should mention some auction and Craigslist doings. There was a wonderful it tired wooden boat up for auction at The Center For Wooden Boats'  gala auction. There was a bid placed but it was far outstripped. But the threat of the buzz saw has been avoided and that is a win our book any day. I tossed in my oar on some assorted vintage radios but no luck there either. Maybe next year. As we congratulated ourselves on missing the financial boondoggle that is bidding on marine hardware I happened to check our local Craigslist. I have a link to a search for sail powered vessels on my browser toolbar. And wouldn't you know it, a free small sailboat showed up. No centerboard or sail but decent enough kit for a knock about boat. Hope to get it in the water soon. WMSBA strikes again!

We're not sure of the make but it fits in a pickup bed!

Trailer Work

 

First sun of 2021!

  With two days of decent weather The Typsetter and I did some trailer work. With a full season in front of us and June being far closer then we think it is far better to do this work now then later. The original plan was to pull the trailer out from under the boat and send it for a tire check up. That was the plan until the RV landed back in our rear parkway. So new plan. I figured we could service the bearing buddies ourselves and I could take the tires in for a professional opinion. My opinion on tire ends at the point if they roll or not. So this required getting the tires off the boat.

 I acquired a grease gun and marine grease from Murdoch's and we returned to my place. After the required coffee mind you. The bearings were easily greased and at the rate I'm using it I have enough grease for approximately 243 years. Then it came time to jack and block the trailer and boat. Now I know very little about blocking and jacking. I was present when the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad volunteers moved some passengers cars around my old stomping grounds of Nevada City. Said one "You can do anything with jacks and enough blocking." And he was right. The previous day I had gone to a local building recycling center and purchased about 21' of 2x4 solely for turning into blocking. Turns out that was a good idea. 

 The Typsetter moves giant printing presses for a hobby so he's a good guy to have around when I attempt stuff like this. He did the first starboard side, and I the port. The wheels came off as they should and there was no obvious issues with the bearings or axles that we could surmise. That was a good thing. It's so important to look at stuff like this when you get a chance. Far to often I imagine boat owners don't. And a few hours of sitting in the mud will pay off handsomely once the season starts. Water takes no prisoners no matter if it's boat, trailer or sailor. 

The Typesetter contemplating how he got here.

 

 It's a good thing I took the tires in too. They are ripe for replacement and we'll go from the four ply to six ply in the process. I don't want to be out Port Townsend way and have any sort of issue. Heck I don't want to be up Flathead way and have any sort of issue. We've been there and done that.

 So the boat is on blocks until such time the tires are replaced. I need to get a spare and get that mounted as well. Did I mention the missing fender? The weather is only supposed to be this good ending today so we'll have to await our next work window But it does feel good now knowing I'm just a little bit closer to June.

Lighter by two wheels.

 

 I also purchased the foam for bench cushions and we'll start that project here soon too. Moving the Type IV's on every tack is really annoying and it's like sitting on concrete after two hours or so. Hopefully this will ensure a more comfortable ride in 2021.