2005, Splashed again

SHE's A BOAT!!!

On Saturday afternoon at about 3:45pm, TIME MACHINE was floating, still in
the slings of the hoist, but definitely floating.

This was by no means a sure thing....  On Friday afternoon at 4:00pm, the
topsides were still not waxed, the bottom fairing still needed to be sanded
and then re-faired, the bottom paint was not on, the rudder was still in my
garage with the bearing torn down.  I stopped by the boat, sanded down the
repair on the keel, re-applied the last coat of fairing, rushed home.  Jim
came over and we re-assembled the bearing (it almost didn't happen, but with
calm and perseverance we got it together).  Then we packed the car and
called it a day at about 10:00pm.  At dawn I got going and headed for North
Cape.  By 8:45am I had half the topsides waxed and the last fairing on the
keel sanded.  Jim arrived and we started on the rudder assembly.  By 10:00am
the rudder was secured and installed better than ever before.  We then
proceeded to finish waxing the top-sides.  Next was the brass wool on the
bottom and the painting the bottom.  By 2:15, that job was complete and we
could re-insert the transducers for the instruments.  At 3:00pm the TBM crew
came and picked up the boat.

What a day!!!  Needless to say, Jim and I were exhausted.  We didn't even
hang around the club long enough to have a Rum & Coke.  Jim still had to
pick up Marcie who was teaching a power squadron class at Cabelas and I had
to clean up things on the boat.

Sunday I was awakened by a nasty headache, but managed to get moving anyway
and Jim and I met at TIME MACHINE at about 1:30.  We started by getting some
help from other members to move the mast off the trees and onto the
saw-horses.  We put the spreaders on and secured them to vertical supports
with spring clamps.  It makes the mast very stable on the saw-horses.  Next
we addressed the re-assembly of the traveler track with the new main-sheet
plate.  It all went together pretty much as planned.  Then it was back to
the mast to remove the old steaming light, drill and tap holes for the new
light, remove the spinnaker car track and all the gear.  By this time, it
was indeed time for a visit to the NCYC bar, where we met up with the
TEACHER's PET 2 gang.  They had just completed the stepping of their mast.

Remaining to be done is the following:
Pickup the new mast-ring track from Thomas (Tuesday afternoon)
Drop off the main halyard (fix the chafe from the exit plate)
Drop off the jib-sheets (splice on the J-locks)
Install the keyed-threaded inserts in the mast (36 times)
Mount the new rail
Mount the new mast ring car
Mount the new end blocks and rig the control line
Connect the electrical for the Steaming light
Mount the steaming light
Run the halyards
Clean and wax the mast and all the standing rigging
Mount the VHF ant.
Step the mast
Connect the instruments
Setup the rig tensions
Install all the stuff at the top of the mast.

GO SAILING!

Skip McCullough reports that the depth in the channel is 8-8.5 feet.  We
shouldn't have a problem getting in and out until this fall.

Plan is to make a run to Thomas Hardware  this afternoon, work on the mast
on Wednesday evening, work on the mast more on Saturday and hopefully step
it on Saturday.

The boat is filthy inside and needs a good scrub.  The deck looks like a
herd of elephants had party on it.  It needs a good scrub.

Who's up for some nautical fun this weekend!!!