Let me tell you, working on boats is a younger mans job. Up and down the ladder numerous times. Lifting things aboard using a rope and hook as we emptied the car again. Boy did we bring too much stuff. We'd forgotten how much we already had on board. We'd left more than either of us remember. Now we have more. Heaven help Zephyr when we launch her. Sure hope she stays afloat.

Monday, I took off two hatches and took them over to Guaymas to see about having them fiber glassed over. When Zephyr was built, they included two lockers in the stern section--one for the propane tanks and the second we treat as a garage with lots of stuff crammed into it. Both hatches were built like picture frames with solid wood around the edges and a piece of plywood filling in the center of the frame. Teak was then laid across the top. Over the years and with a good bit of moisture(water) the underlying plywood has begun to fall apart and with it, the structural stability of the hatch in general. When you step on the hatch, it sinks slightly into the locker below. Not a good thing. I fixed one with angle mending plates screwed into the solid wood so it would hold the plywood in place. Well, when the second hatch began to come apart, it was time to get serious about getting them fixed and having it done properly. Off came the hatches and I went in search of a good fiberglass repairman. With enough epoxy and pieces of fiberglass mat, they should be nice and stable when we get them back. I dropped them off Monday and expect to have them back on Saturday. Hows that for a fast turnaround? We'll see how they look when they get back.
Meanwhile, the frig is up and running great. The freezer is nice and cold and the frig area was at 25 degrees this morning after a good start up last evening. With that news, we packed up what was left at the condo(Gringo Pete's) and headed for Zephyr this morning. We're now living aboard again after a long 4.5 months away. I brought Blue aboard first thing and got her set up on the "throne". The top perch of a tall cat tree(smuggled aboard at night so no one would laugh at us while we were still in Newport, OR). She looked around and settled in. She's spent most of the day there or slowly wandering around the deck taking in the sights of her home again. She's not to impress with the boatyard dogs that go running around under all the boats(and that is just fine). She will stay on board. Snowshoe took up residence in the stern bunk and really hasn't move much. He knows he's home and appears to be quite happy about it.

I tried to open some of the through hulls so sinks can drain around the boat. Nope--stuck TIGHT. No amount of heaving or hoing was going to undo them. I finally stuck a big wooden dowel under it and it broke free--sort of. I consulted with another(much more experienced boater) about my problem. He came aboard and took the whole thing apart and showed me how to clean and rebuild it. It's a big family here with everyone helping each other. I loaned my drill and some screwdrivers to another boater a few days ago.
And that's about it for now. The body is in need of some pain killers(more than just alcohol). More tomorrow.