Finally took care of one of the gremlins in the electrical system this weekend. I tend to dislike troubleshooting electrical issues. It has never been one of my strong suites, and I tend to avoid things I’m not good at (or don’t have much hope of improving on). So the friend...
I didn’t get any projects moved ahead this week. I’ve been moving the last of the stuff from the apartment (a duffle bag a day on my trip from work) and trying to sort out where I’m going to store everything. Unlike a house or an apartment where you have multiple levels...
August was a bad month for me in regards to getting boat jobs done. Just couldn’t find the motivation especially with the heat. But this final weekend I got focused and took care of some items even if most of them were just simple R&R jobs (remove and replace). One job that I...
I had a productive Saturday. Practiced docking stern first which is harder to do with a sailboat. Since there is only a single propeller sailboats tend to walk (move sideways, in the case of Palani to the port side) in reverse. So you have to compensate for prop walk, the cross wind that...
I think my boat is possessed. There’s this evil spirit that grabs you as you come up the companionway first thing in the morning and throws you into a seat. And you just get stuck there all day looking at dolphins or people watching all the boaters at the boat ramp. I thought at...
The goal for this weekend was to finish up the exterior teak and other wood working projects. It was another scorcher this weekend, 90’s with 70% humidity and RealFeel was 104. I think the heat and humidity slows me down more than the work. Another day of getting up early to beat...
Spent Saturday morning working on the exterior teak on the sailboat Palani. It was forecast to be a sweltering day, so I started at 5 am. The teak was originally varnished but allowed to go bad over the last few years. The varnish (what little bit that was left) was spotty and coming off...
I’ve decided to go through the boat one section at a time and document the existing condition. This will allow me to find all the hidden storage areas, build an inventory of what’s on the boat (tossing anything not needed) and get an overall game plan on what to do. So today I...
Sailing Vessel Palani is hull number 18 in the Cabot 36 series. She was manufactured in Canada in 1978. She is rigged as a cutter; this means she has three sails. The main sail, a large genoa located at the bow and then a smaller jib that is between the main and genoa. She is a shoal...
After everything that had happened the day before Friday started out with a wonderful sunrise on the St Johns. Standing on the deck of my new boat watching the sun come up over a river that’s smooth as glass was energizing and filled me with a sense of “right”. Being from the West Coast...
Well, the first day of boat ownership was a challenge. A perfect storm of poor planning on my part, inexperience – again on my part and mechanical issues. Palani is Hawai’ian for “FreeMan” and the sailboat will provide a means of leaving the gilded cage of society. Poor...