The Varnish Was Framed

Well, it is still mild save that we are being told that this weekend a major snowstorm will move in from Texas and that it will sit off the eastern shore and dump 2 feet of snow on us. Well, one more project to fit in. I want to replace the galley screen that works in hand with the upper clapboard.  Sure, teak would have been good but I am already over 700% spend over the purchase price of the Constance Marie. Hey, sailing and improving the boat is my primary hobby.

Figure 171 - Cockpit table

I started with the teak clapboards. All last season, I used Old English furniture polish to draw out the impurities in the wood. Now I sanded the pieces with 80 grit to get the weather off and used 120 to give it that smooth shave feel.

Three coats of CETOL Teak stain followed by 3 heavy coats of SPAR Varnish until the mirrored look set in.  I love how the same application can make various pieces of teak look different. All in the wood.

Figure 172 - Clap Boards and Compression Post

Figure 173 - Galley Way screen

You can see the how I cut the frames to sandwich a piece of black fiberglass screen in between them. I pulled the screen taught and applied a few staples sunk flush with the wood and then gorilla glued the two pieces of wood together and clamping them every 4 inches. In Figure 172 if you look close to the right of the blue box, you will see two wooden knobs that I drilled and attached center to the outside and inside of the screen frame. These are to make it easy to pull the screen out of its position when you want to enter or exit the galley.

MASTer and Communicator

CRAZY CRAZY warm weather.  It hit 72 degrees the other day and it's DECEMBER!  With moderate temperatures seducing me, I decided to tackle running the new wires and coax for the VHS-DSC radio from the mast boot through the deck and inside the compression post.  The OEM connector had only a 4 prong connector (Figure 167) and I needed a 5 prong connector to support the new LED anchor light and LED combo steamer spreader light. I took some time to determine whether I wanted to array more capabilities at the top of the mast, like an anemometer or wi-fi antennae.  I shot both of them down.  However, that same  thought process concluded in a brilliantly inexpensive idea for the 5 prong connector - a standard trailer harness with male and female connector.  They cost between $12-14 as a kit for both, have 18 guage wire and are built for rugged weather use.  The female end comes with a two foot trailer of multi-color wires that will easily support the amperage requirements of the LED lights and allow that length of wire to traverse through the deck (Figure 168) to the inner harness.

Figure 167 - 4 Prong OEM Plug

Figure 168 - Mast Wires Through Deck

Figure 169 - Ingenuity at its best

I bought a Blue Sea 30 ampere AC/DC 6 circuit terminal block to connect the five wires in Figure 168 to the wiring run from the DC panel.  I was able to buy the exact same color wire (but 16AWG) from Best Boat Wire.com for a 25 foot roll at $3.50 a roll (Figure 170).  I will work some wood to provide easy access and have it look good at the same time.

Figure 170 - Matching colors of 16 AWG

Wired Right!

2015 November's weather was surreal for the Northern Chesapeake.  Mild and short sleeve weather.  Perfect weather to get ahead of projects and help get the boat back into the water to take advantage of those early April winds.  

Like many old boats in the Chesapeake Bay that are not slipped, the AC power is rarely used.  In my world, my friends and I gunk hole every chance and every where we can. We are not status people. You know who status people are.....they buy things they don't need, with money they don't have to impress people they don't like.  Don't misunderstand what I am saying.  Sailors who associate with our Club, are do it yourselfers by choice.  

Some of us are ok with 10 and 12 hp engines that may not get us out of the Sassafras River with a strong incoming tide, 10-15 mph headwinds and 2-3 foot swells.  We have to stay ahead of the weather conditions probably more than the average Captain probably has to.  Most of us live on the sailing edge and we love it.

Let's catch up on what I have been doing since the Constance Marie has been on the hard since late October. The Constance Marie was in such poor shape when we bought Her, that although I did a wiring overhaul (Phase I), I never did it to the level that would satisfy me.  You guys know what I mean.   She hadA DC panel that had only 7 positions yet was being asked to support every increasing

Figure 165 - 10 is better than 7

requirements as I added the capabilities of a fridge pump, a Garmin, a radio, a pedestal speaker, and a 12 volt socket for charging a handheld radio, power fans and support the inverter. With a little creativity, keeping things nice and clean, I decided on upgrading to a 10 position LED illuminated panel with voltmeter and ampmeter guages. I decided on a Blue Sea 10 position with three battery bank selector. With Automated Charging Relay (ACR) doing the yeoman's job between the starter and house batteries, I think I can position another bank of 6V batteries that would give me some redundancy at a lower cost. The 27 Hunter has a nice room navigation table and I did not want to reduce the space to elevate a large panel. The LED lights will clearly show me what the switch controls and whether it is on or off. The new panel was a bit smaller in width than the original OEM one so i built a teak frame around it and added a bottom brass hinge so the panel rotates forward for easy maintenance. Make sure all your wires are long enough to allow the panel to rotate forward all the way to the floor.

Figure 166 - Like my college dorm 

 Did I mention that when you re-wire a boat, things quickly get out of place.  You can see some water on the floor near the entrance to the head.  That is from me addressing the wiring in the mast boot above deck.  More on that next time.  See ya.

End of the Season - Out of the Water, Midnight?

The rest of September and October were days of 1 and 2 hour sailing after work.  With all the chores around the house to get ready for winter (cutting tall grasses, splitting wood for next season, painting decks, landscaping mulch, pruning trees, blah, blah, blah), I could not find the time to gunk hole with anybody. I coordinated with one of our drivers, Greg and set a time to haul the Constance Marie out of the water.

I had to return first to the boatyard and de-mast again for the winter to re do the wiring throughout the boat. It just wasn't the way I wanted it.  The haul-out day came, but the tide on the river did not. Wind blowing the wrong way along with the Tetrad (blood moon) Lunar Eclipse reversing the high tide of from day into night made it impossible to haul out during the day. So.......

Five guys showed up around 2300 hours to help me haul-out the boat.  It was a Thursday.  Can you imagine.  The folks we have around the Club are beyond terrific.

Figure 159 - We need 4'6

Figure 160 - We got her at 4'8"

Figure 161 - Medium to front, Long to back

Figure 162- Watch out for that hole on the port side of the ramp

Figure 163 - Easy now, that's it

Figure 164 - The mast looks like the Constance Marie is sticking its tongue out at the Chessie telling her that I got the best of you again this year.

^^^^^^^ONLY 5 MORE MONTHS TILL OPENING DAY^^^^^^^

YEAHHHHHH - "DOWN THE BAY" Cruise

In the blink of an eye, here it was near the end of another sailing season.  We opened it in April with the Burning of the Socks. Now we begin the close of the season with Fall Cruising, Pig Roasts, Commodore's Ball, Thanksgiving and the Christmas Gathering.

I had contacted my very good friend Dave (aka "ELWOOD") back in July about crewing with me during the September cruise.  Yes, "I am JAKE" and together in the business world we kicked butt!

Figure 134 - Elwood and Jake

For some of us, we have been blessed with a friend who will stick with you through thick and thin, whose loyalty is beyond doubt and who knows how to get things done whether you are there or not.  Dave is my friend. Dave came and visited the club this spring to help me paint the inside of the Constance Marie and fell in love with Brigadoon.  That is my nickname for the Club because it is a throwback to the 50's and 60's when we lived in an America that was thankful and proud of its heritage.  Well, Dave became a member of the Club although he lives over 2 1/2 hours away in Virginia. While putting the meal plan together, I got a call from Dave and he told me that he could not make it due to needs that arose out of nowhere (hey we all get older, we all develop stuff we don't plan on).  Dave and I will do the deed in 2016!

So there I was.  No auto-helm and staring at probably 200 miles if I single handled the Constance Marie. Not good.  I began asking around the Club and was sitting at the bar when I overhead that one of our boats was cancelling the cruise.  I immediately called John see if he would like to crew with me.  To my joy, John said he would be happy to! People you don't understand.  Of course you don't because I have not told you yet.  John is considered today to be the most experienced and knowledgeable Captain in our Club.  To think that I would spend a week with him on the Bay was surreal.  I will let the pictures tell the story.  The Constance Marie was continuously trimmed out during those seven days.  Thank you John for all the sailing wisdom and thank you GOD for reminding me to use my two ears and keep my mouth shut.

Figure 135 - Day 1 - Worten Creek - 12 boats and Ice Cream! (Yes, I shot this with my I5S phone)

Figure 136 - Day 2 - My first use of a whisker pole.  Head sail is a 135% brand new.  Main is original H27. Needs replacing.

Figure 137 - Chillin'

Figure 137 - John "reflecting"

Figure 138 - John alone in his thoughts

Figure 139 - Respite on the Chester River

Figure 140 - John leading us into Chestertown

Figure 141 - Sultana?

Figure 142 - We almost drifted into her
when the anchor rode loosened due to the currents

Figure 143 - Chestertown Egress

Figure 144 - Always checking the wind - here there was none

Figure 145 - Never satisfied with the trim

Figure 146- Lady of Baltimore?

Figure 147 - A man lost in his dreams

Figure 148 - A man lost in his nightmare 

Figure 149 - Entering Mordor or is it Baltimore Harbor

To get to Baltimore Inner Harbor, you have to cruise up the Patapsco River.  This is where the Constance Marie was first launched back in 1980.  I might have blogged that fact earlier, but it always strikes a warm moment with me.

Figure 151 - John acting as the Captain he is.

Figure 150 - It approaches

 A storm is moving as our seven boats slipped into Anchorage Marina like the battleships were lined up just before Pearl Harbor   

Figure 152 - Now this is a Captain living in Hell (minus the 20 foot waves and gale force winds,
which hit about two minutes after this picture was taken around 1900 in September.

Figure 153 - Back across Chessie to Fairlee Creek

Figure 154 - Navigated Jelly Roll Shoals and into that sweet lagoon

 

Figure 155 - The fleet joins us on the Constance Marie for appetizers
Commodore Ray is closest to the camera.

Figure 156 - That's my good buddy Denis who ran the portable bar like the good Irishman he is.

 We spent a great night.  After a dip in the lagoon after breakfast, the final leg home.

Figure 157 - Reefed sails

Figure 158 - C'mon, everyone does a selfie every now and then, right?

Constantly Missing Dink

Figure 130 - New fiberglass, epoxy and paint

If you remember back on September 2014, the Club undertook its annual "Down The Bay" cruise.  Not having a VHS radio on board, I was limited to the range of a hand held.  It was inevitable that the Constance Marie would separate from the fleet and so it did.  Upon rejoining the fleet, it was dubbed, the Constantly Missing. Well I thought I would create a testimonial to that term of endearment.

Figure 131 - A Walker Bay Raised From The Dead

I went out to the back of the yard behind the Maintenance building and began roaming around the "graveyard" of dinghys.  You will find Walker Bays, Water Quest tenders, Buoy Yatch, PS7s, and those I can't identify.

You can see that the Constantly Missing is a Walker Bay that I found snuggled under some brush.  Dirty, needed some patching and a whole bunch new paint.

Figure 132 - She will serve the Club for many years

Figure 133 - Looking good.

Even managed to put matching boat stripes on her to show everybody she is the daughter of the Constance Marie.

It took about three days to re-work her.  When I put the 2.5hp Yammie on her, the stern was barely three inches above the waterline.  I use the Constantly Missing to row out to the Constance Marie on calm days.  It's good exercise and the peace that passes understanding is usually my companion.

Mid-summer Nights

July and August were unusual for me as all I did was enjoy all that the Constance Marie could give me.  It was a lot of short sailings of one and two hours after work during the week and lots of day sailings during the weekends.  It was a time of enjoying life.

Figure 129 - More chillin

Figure 128 - Chillin

"Much ado about nothing"