Just got back from spending the weekend at the boat. We thought the weekend was going to be fairly warm and dry. Huh! As many of us know Ohio weather is at the very least "fickle". Instead of "fairly" warm and dry we had 30-40 degrees and rain/snow/hail, UGH!!!! But like the boat people we have become we stuck it out. With one small space heater, several layers of clothing and some warm meals we made it through. Of course when we were getting ready to come home the sun comes out and it starts to warm up, go figure. Luckily the work that we had planned to do was inside the boat. We took up a truckload (literally) of things to add to, put on, adjust with on the boat.

I was able to finally get me a comfortable chair up to the boat. I had till this time been sitting on a portable canvas lawnchair. Good for a little but, but not very substantial. So we moved things on to the boat, it really is starting to feel more like a home. Mike made some beautiful shelves to use in the State Room to utilize our space. He also worked in the engine room. Bless his heart it is a small, compact, tight (however you want to describe it) space. About two days of that kind of work is about all one man can handle. But he was able to get accomplished what he set out to do. I worked in/on the head. Scrubbed the floor and removed the screws from the current head in preparation for painting the floor and installing a new head. For those who are not "boat" savvy the head is the bathroom/toilet. I also worked on straightening out the forepeak which seems to have become the "catch all" room for working equipment, tools and such. Don't get me wrong I love my husband more than life itself, but he is not very neat and organized when it comes to the storage of his tools etc. And I have a tendency to be a bit of a neat freak. I like things to be a bit neat and orderly. So I spent some time just organizing that room and putting things below that we just were not going to use any more. As most everyone knows the space on a 36 foot boat is limited. Hopefully he wasn't to irritated, he did say I did a nice job.

Even though the weekend was cold, and rainy we still were able to squeeze in TWO visits to Toft's Ice Cream store. YUM!!! is all I can say about that.

I've been working on a box to hold the batteries in the engine room. Material is ½ inch exterior plywood covered with fiberglass. Exterior grade plywood uses the same water-resistant glue that marine ply uses. The difference is that marine ply is made from really good wood, and has no voids or plugs in any of the plys. Exterior plywood will have plugs and voids here and there. Since this will not be subject to direct contact with water, I can live with the flaws, and fill them with epoxy. Oh, and the price difference is staggering! The fiberglass will add strength, and protect the wood from any spilled electrolyte (acid). The box has eight partitions to hold all the batteries we'll need.
The "house" bank (used for lighting, pumps, and appliances) will consist of 6 6 volt golf cart batteries of 230 amp/hour capacity. Two hooked together in series will give the equivalent of a single 12 volt battery. I'm using golf cart batteries because they are made for rough use, heavy discharge all day, and a quick re-charge over night. That would kill a regular battery in a very short time. They are also a most economical source of stored power. Sam's Club has them for about half the price of a "marine" 6 volt unit. Another advantage is that I can move them on and off by myself if I have to swap one out in the future.
The other spots will be for the two 12 volt engine starting batteries. One for the main engines (1000 amp) and one for the generator (750 amp). These will have the capability of being combined for a really cold morning, or the off chance that one goes dead. The boat came with 2 massive starting batteries that weigh about 130 pounds each. I won't have them on board since I can't move them myself. The marina guys had to use a small crane to get them off the boat.
I am currently making a filet on all the edges of the box, using epoxy that has been thickened to the consistency of peanut butter. This binds everything together, and provides a smooth transition between surfaces when I apply the fiberglass cloth later on. I managed to run out of epoxy supplies, so I'm waiting for a shipment from Jamestown Distributors later this week. I'm using WEST System epoxy, which is great stuff. It is mixed in a 5 to 1 ratio between the resin and the hardener. I bought some pumps which screw into the appropriate container, and provide the correct mixture with a single pump of each one. Takes all the guesswork out, and gives a consistent product. The down side is that I have to use relatively small batches at a time, or else the epoxy will "kick" (set up) quickly in the container before I can use it all . The epoxy generates heat as it sets up, and a large batch mixed in a tall, narrow container will set if off in a dramatic fashion (read smoke and flames!) Don't ask me how I know ;>)
Go to the photo gallery for more views.

Well we came up to Sandusky today, our Valentine's Day fun. I have to work on Valentine's Day so we decided to make a trip up to Sandusky to check on the boat and visit a couple of places that sells "pieces parts" for the boat and talk with some of the folks at the marina and of course stop at Toft's for ice cream. The weather was clear and cold, hello it's February! But Mike was able to talk with a couple different guys about working on the electrical system for the boat, our next big project. It's so much fun to see how happy he is when he's doing "boat stuff". Like a kid in a candy shop. While Mike was checking on some things on the boat I walk around the docks and took some more pictures. I must admit I am getting anxious about getting the boat in the water. A good anxious! For now we keep working on the smaller projects here at home and getting the house ready to sell.

Well we have made yet another move to "living aboard". We have decided to put the house on the market May 1st with the hopes it will be sold by August 1st. The realtor is hopeful, as are we. From here we will move to Delaware (Ohio) and live in a two bedroom apartment. This will make our trip to "the boat" an hour shorter, but still close enough for Mike to continue working at Columbus State. And of course still close to family. Deciding to put the house up for sale has been our goal all along, but now that we have "officially" made this decision "it's not ours anymore" the house that is. We are repainting "neutral" colors which anyone who knows me that is not my thing. We have already sent 3 truckloads of stuff to the auction house, which I must admit has been refreshing. It is amazing how much stuff one can accumulate over the years. But trying to get your house ready for complete strangers to walk through in hopes that they say "I have to have this house" is a bit stressful. On top of this, loosing my mother a little over a month ago has put my stress level into overdrive. I am though making a concentrated effort to make my life "less cluttered" in EVERY aspect and to not worry about every little thing. So for now, until the weather is warmer and we can get back up to the boat I will concentrate on fixing up the house and realize it brings us one step closer to our ultimate goal.

With the stanchions finished, the next step in making the boat weather-proof is reworking the ports and windows. I had inspected the ports earlier to assess their condition. The bad news is – the ports were made by the Fuller Brush Company!!!! The good news is – they are still in business!!!!! A phone call to their Kansas factory got me transferred to their MARINE division (Yay!) and talking to a REAL PERSON (WoooHooo!) Yes, they still make ports for boats. Yes, they still provide parts to maintain the ports. I got the parts break down by email in a matter of minutes, and ordered what I thought would be needed to fix all 8 ports. The main assembly is installed through the opening from the inside, and a trim ring is installed from the outside to seal everything. I ordered one main assembly and three trim rings, thinking I could salvage the other 5. The first port I worked on shot that theory in the butt. The trim ring had been installed with good old 3M 5200 adhesive!!!!!! I had to use the heat gun with putty knives and wedges to get the ring off. The ring was cracked in several places since the mounting screws had been over-torqued in an attempt to fix the leaks, and the ring came off in pieces. I had to use the heat gun to remove the remaining adhesive and clean up the fiberglass. I installed a new trim ring with butyl tape, marine sealant, and new screws. I got three ports done in a day and a half, then closed everything up due to a thunderstorm. This project is taking longer than I planned on. (When will I ever learn?) The storm showed more work needed on the galley port, so off it came, and more acky-poo applied. I taped off the ring so that I’d have a neat edge when finished, unlike the globs that the previous owner had left. (It looked like he had smeared goop on with a mop). Now to order 5 more rings, another couple of tubes of sealant, and another week’s work to finish the ports. Frustrating? Somewhat, but it’s still FUN!!!!

Wow another week of working on the Lady J. Was able to get so much accomplished. Finished stripping the Toe Rail and then applied two coats of epoxy and then three coats of varnish. To quote Mike “it’s a beauty”. While I was busy working on the Toe Rail, Mike worked on replacing several of the Ports and adjusting the Hatch, these updates have made the boat much more water tight. He started to work on the de-lamination on the fly bridge, but because the weather was a little “iffy” he decided to hold off on that until our next long visit.

During this week at the Marina we met so many new folks. One couple in particular was Lenny and Maggie. What a delightful couple. They spend their summers in Sandusky and winters at their home in Cape Coral (oh I hope I have that right). They truly made our week so enjoyable and was instrumental in helping us meet new folks. Lenny (and Maggie) encouraged us to join the Yacht Club there at the Marina. We had talked about it before but where a little leery about it since our boat isn’t actually in the water yet. They encouraged us to join stating that this would be a great way to meet new folks and take care of the wonderful facility they have there, plus they were having a special on the entry fee. So we joined and boy are we glad we did. Lenny & Maggie were correct. We met so many new, very down to earth people. The Yacht Club we were part of before was rather pretentious and the people were not very welcoming, I hated it. This club on the other hand was extremely welcoming and very gracious. We are both looking forward to participating in the upcoming events. It’s funny since our boat is “on the hard” under the pavilion, which by the way is right across from the club, we are now know as “those people who are diligently working on their boat”. I must admit we both like that description. Now folks aren’t afraid to come by and say something while we are working. We are always happy to take a break to talk with a passerby or even give the them “15 cent tour”.

We did take a couple of hours off this past week and went over to Vermillion and Lorain. Stopped at a beautiful Rose Garden. Let me say two things. First if you are new to your Marina do everything you can to meet new folks it really helps immensely. Even look into joining their Yacht Club if they have one. Also if you are working on your boat like we are make sure to “take some breaks”. It not only helps your outlook on the whole thing but if you are doing it with a mate it helps keep you from getting on each others last nerve. Back home now to work a little (need more boat bucks), but will be back up to SHM before the end of the month.