Slowly but surely time is becoming available to get back to "normal" things. Somehow during the pandemic I did not feel like building on my little boat.
Lower planks starboard and port were cut to size and dry fitted. Along the lower edge they are now attached with tie-wraps.
Next is gluing them in place.
The heat is customary for this time of year. Without wind (13 knots only) we do not have the trades to keep us cooler. September and October are hotter months, calling in the autumn.
As time flies by us the last day of Summer somehow puts more pressure on the remaining days. Not for more "work" but for more exercise, boat-work, sailing and visiting friends and family.
And more posts here.
Monday 30th of August.
Started to watch some sailing videos again after months of not bothering.
Waiting for what? For more time to pass? As with some other areas of my life I tend to wait till the last moment to start to move and then try to catch up. Maybe boredom? Or the need for enough stress to react?
My boats are patient. The ocean awaits, as Webb writes. Whenever I am ready, I can and will go. Like my artist daughter, she loves to paint, but only when her spirit tells her to. Weird but sounds very logical to me.
Whether it is programming, sailing or building boats, it is all the same to me. Moving, processing, making something out of nothing. Only to eventually have everything you created, built and processed be forgotten in time.
Monday thoughts. Gotta start moving...
Webb seems stuck in the area of no or less wind. Overlaying his tracking info and the Earth site it is visualized:
https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=289.20,30.22,1810
Webb cast off to Bermuda islands.
This is the tracking link:
From his blogpost:
https://self-portraitinthepresentseajournal.blogspot.com/2021/04/hilton-head-island-unstitched.html:
During last sail with Paul the mizzen-sheet slipped at the wrong moments. The plastic clam-cleat was not working 100% anymore, maybe because the sheet has been worn some. This called for a small project:
Made of ipe hardwood a pattern from "The Marlinspike Sailor" was was cut and sanded. It fits the sheet and it clamps satisfactorily on the hard. How it works on the water remains to be seen. The cleat is bathing in linseed oil for a few days after it was heated first and left to cool with the cleat in it.
The centerboard can be nuisance in the middle of the boat for passengers. Especially the tackle for the centerboard. Also the water from the forward hole in the cb case splashes water onto the deck. The solution is to make a nice plank on top of the case, covering the tackle so that the passenger can have put your arm or leg on it without interfering with any lines. I want it strong enough for somebody to sit on while checking out the surroundings. This called for another project:
The forward section will be completely enclosed so that any splash water stays in the case. The aft part will have two struts. One is temporarily dry-fitted on pictures.
The compass has moved on top of the planktable so that better bearings can be made. The original spot will be used for the mainsheet clam block. Also the clamcleat used for the centerboard uphaul has moved on top of the cb case, so the working end remains in line with the tackle blocks under the planktable.
After too many months of interruptions Vanessa was finally on the water.
She has undergone some minor mods. One of these included clam cleats setup change for the jib sheets.
Another one was the addition of a new 3.3 hp Mercury outboard:
See previous posts for more info.
Sail was enjoyable. Winds fluky between 20 and 28 knots. Small craft warning for west coast, just some extra wave action noticed.
We hoisted jib and mizzen only. I am taking it easy and zero risks. I need to get comfortable with her again. Easy does it. With this wind and with engine we will just go and have some fun on the water.
About safety: The life jacket I had on board for Paul did not fit him (another lesson), so I made him keep the flotation cushion with him all the time. We stayed close to shore and the fact that he can swim and sail made me comfortable to go ahead with him on board. Not having a boom as risk also made the risk much less.
Here is the vid taken of the trip with the gopro (see first pic in this post).
