The Engine Room (ER) project...

I have never liked engine rooms. I like engines even less. So ideally I like a large, well lit ER (which TIH has), clean and with easy access for repair and routine maintenance. My best chance of achieving a clean painted and insulated ER will be before I fill it with all the usual engine junk.



The first project now that TIH is floating is to clean and paint the ER.

I know where you all are lurking!!!!!!!!!

Click on the FEEDJIT map on the right. A national flag pops up for everyone browsing this site, you can run but you can't hide. Post a comment or drop me a quick email at gtod25 "at" gmail.com, if you feel the urge.

Gerry

In case we forget.....

why we do all this boat work stuff. We have just returned from a one week charter in the Bahamas on a Sunsail catamaran. All in all an outstanding week. The following photo encapsulates why people cruise sailboats.



This represents about 5% of cruising time but makes for about 95% of the memories, along with the people you share it with.

And the new seacocks work.

Groco two part seacock installed (Nine in total). Valve can screwed off and replaced as necessary.

TIH swims........

TIH has masts....

Rig up, Triatic stay not installed yet. This might explain the aft rake of the mizzen mast (very scary).


Main mast through cabin top.
and anti fouling bottom paint. Painting being done by Larry of "Wookie Marine". Nice to be able to paint barefoot in November.

Name change process...

TIH may have a new name, but we will not be using it until we have had the official de-naming / naming ceremony.

Vigor's Interdenominational
Boat Denaming Ceremony
by John Vigor

Why would anyone believe in such superstition, you may ask? Well for the same reason I won't sail on a Friday. There is enough scary stuff out at sea without annoying God/Allah/Buddha/Neptune or any other deity, real or imagined.

We have a name.......

Lynne and I met in Haiti and have huge affection for that amazing country. Simbi is a water loa (spirit).

More Simbi info here.

Not alone do we get a name but also our own veve;

Simbi Veve (Check out CafePress's excellent products).

and a song by RAM, a great Haitian band that we used to listen to in the Hotel Oloffoson, Port au Prince.

RAM - Simbi

Beat that "Ship Happens"

Mast re rigged....

The previously mentioned Jim E. has re rigged the masts and they are due to be reinstalled first thing tomorrow (Monday 10 Nov.).

Barrier Coat

Hard....tooo.....typee.....with..soreeee..arms......... Well as TIH had spend 15 years on the hard (i.e. out of the water) this was a good time to put on the required number of barrier coats to reduce the risk of osmosis. Intelux 2000E comes highly recommended and so far has worked out. The photo is of Jim E. (Boat guru, everything boat related expert etc. etc.) putting on the first coat. After that it was gray coat, white coat, gray coat etc. We got 5 coats on today but as the last one was done in the dark I cannot vouch for its completeness.



Four coats on, fifth going on the the dark by, painting by braille.



Cutlass bearing in, shaft installed and rudder shoe and gudgeon dry fitted. Usual saga with cutlass bearings. TIH uses a 6 inch long 2 inch diameter bearing. After inserting it about two inches it put up a fight, so the usual cruiser hi-tech solution was employed. A number of whacks with a suitable sledge hammer convinced it to behave. Removal in a few years will be less that fun, but that is why God invented sawzalls'.

The daily grind.....

There is not a lot you can say about grinding the hull of a 42ft sailboat. When I recover the full use of my arms I may post more details.