Finally, Florida started holding up its end of the bargain for 2017. Gorgeous blue sky and mid 70 temps for the weekend. This motivated me to get out and do some boat chores.
The first was figuring out why the knotmeter wasn’t registering. I recently found it located in a locker that was screwed shut (instead of fixing the broken latch they just bolted it shut). I unscrewed it and with one hand over the hole in the boat (that was pumping in water) pulled it out. The paddle wheel was blocked by a growth of shells. As I was breaking them out, a baby crab popped out and scampered across the living room floor. As I was stuck holding the water back, I never did find him.
The next project was to take down the stanchions (the poles that hold the wire railing around the edge of the boat) and polish them. They were getting rusted after all these years. As the stern rail will soon be replaced the rusted sanctions will stick out.
Before
After
I’m not sure if I’m going to put them back up now, though. The deck feels larger without them. After the accident repairs happen I’ll do a couple daysails and see.
I also did my first epoxy and fiberglass repairs. Just a few bolt hole fills. I’ll do more next weekend as I have to replace some of the headliner in the salon to get ready for wrapping up the interior paint job.
Also finished up the teak trim in the V-berth (I had run out of wood to finish this up a couple months ago).
Great to read your boating trials and tribulations, much like my own in so many ways! I too recently purchased a Cabot 36 here in Canada; she’s hull #45, and built right here in Sydney, NS where my wife and I live. Funny thing; I had to go all the way to Toronto, in central Canada to find a Cabot built here in NS. I’m happy!
Buying her in late September, the days were short and my work schedule didn’t permit me much time to get to know her well, but this winter, even under shrink wrap, and with propane heaters, I manage to get to work on her daily, hence my fascination with your site.
I’d be happy to chat more directly about upgrades, replacements, repairs and additions we’ll perhaps both have to muddle through.
Wish I was in Florida; hopefully come November 2017!
Wilson
Wilson, Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to email me daniel.wedeking@yahoo.com . My understanding (which may be wrong) is that a lot of the cabots were finished by the first owners. So they got the shell of the boat with the major components laid out and then the systems were added to the owner’s specs. There’s not a lot of information out there so I’m always looking for someone to share ideas with.