Some one drilled holes in the new deck!

Well the work is progressing along nicely. The cap rail has been varnished with Epifanes Wood gloss. It came out great and the pictures don't do it justice.

Next step was to start drilling. It is a little scary drilling holes in the new deck and paint job. I only messed up one but it was easily fixed with some epoxy. I started by drilling the holes for the life line stantions and worked from the bow back. Once the varnish was complete I put the bow pulpit back on and started putting the new life lines back on. 

Once the holes were drilled, I then sealed the core where I didn't put a piece of e-plate. I used thickened epoxy to fully seal the opening and then sanded it to the proper dimension for the fitting. 

I have the entire bow back together now and everything looks great!

So moving on today, the varnish was fully dried and I was able to mount the bow pulpit and anchor windlass. The bow area is now pretty much done and I can start moving towards the stern. 

Most of the life line stantions are mounted and next I have to install the stern pulpits. There is some other work going on as well in the interior. I have the batteries hooked up and working. The nav station is back together now that the through bolts are back from the deck hardware. The carpenter is working hard on getting the companion way back together. He also is redoing the dorade box trim so I can remount them.

I also rebuilt the forward side of the main hatch so that new teak can be installed to match the sliding hatch. 

All in all, the boat is starting to be put back together. I am a little behind schedule with how I would want to be, but I am plugging along in the hot humid heat down here. By the end of the day, I look like I just got out of the shower and have drunk over a gallon of water, nothing too much different than working on a ship in the Middle East. I'm trying to stay motivated but may need some time off before the next trip back to work in August. Hopefully I will be sipping Margarita's on Stella Maris before the end of summer...

“The fatigue was there, but some people understood that putting it aside was the single most important factor in succeeding.” ~ Seth Godin

Back to the grind

Well, I am back at it. Made it back to Wilmington and found the boat freshly painted with awl grip and tuff coat non-skid. I am happy how it came out, there are still a few spots that need to be touched up and are being addressed.

Over all it looks great and like a whole new boat. Now I am working on sanding the cap rail to varnish it before I re-install all the deck hardware. The old varnish sanded off nicely and should look great when done.

Also getting back I found a mountain of boxes of gear that I order while I was at work and had a pay check burning a hole in my pocket. Everything I ordered seems to be here and I should have a well stocked boat for cruising, although there is always a long wish list of more stuff that would be nice to have. 

I have also received my new 6 person life raft, which is smaller than the 4 person I had... I still have the old one if anyone wants to buy it and have it re-certified? The canvas guy came by and made patterns for the new dodger that I am having made. Should be a great investment for the boat and really make it look great. Can't wait to see it!

This is just a quick update as I get back into the swing of things down here. It is hot and humid and tough working but I am plugging along making head way. I planned on launching her by the end of June but don't know how it will plan out. The carpenter didn't do any work while I was gone and that will set me back some time, but I will have to make up for it other ways. Starting to look like a real sailing boat now, getting excited to go sailing!

“A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when the going gets tough.” -Ronald Regan