I always wondered why some bloggers dont keep things updated. Here i sit, in the boat . At anchorage on the west side of Beckwith getting caught up. June was a busy month.

We had the hot water tank welded and then we repacked it. Better insulation and clean. A new element was the trick yet the sensors that turn it off dont work so the breaker kicks in. The breaker on the unit.
Add it to the list.

After completely cleaning the boat again, it was time to start putting the boat back together. With so many little issues, It can be overwhelming. We try to do one project at a time. That is not always easy. Squirrel......its easy to get side tracked. July We launched the boat in july with a little positive support from Bob and Geordie. We were seriously thinking of staying on the hard for the season and work on the boat. Boats were leaving for the summer vacations and slips close to the launch slip were available. In we went with no leaks. A gentle push to the other side and we were boating. At the slip. I am in. Wheeee.

While Dutchmans is a reasonable price, No break wall means a few bumpy monents. Do not tie your boat up too tight at the dock. Let it move with the flow. While in the water we worked on a few systems. We continue to clean as we go.

The mast was prepared. We installed a new cable and antenna. Cleaned all electrical contacts and inspected all connections for wear. More evidence that the boat was hardly used. No wear. During that week, the summer heat was at full force. A small five thousand BTU air conditioner in the aft window did the trick. Kept the inside dry and cool while tempatures climbed into the mid to high thirties. Drink lots of water. Putting the mast up meant more work . How did it go back together? Thank goodness We marked a majority of the lines and stays while taking them down.

As the boat was now looking like a sailboat, the challenge of going out was developing. With estimates of sixty to ninety days to have the gears built, a tranny was out of the equation. Who needs an engine. Don Street and other old salts sailed the world without them. The boat has a main, a 155% genoa and our old spinnaker. Three great engines of the wind. Plans were made to strap the dingy with the 15hp mercury to the rear and push and pull us in and out of the slip.

Solar panel. We kept our solar panel from our last boat. A 110 watt unit. The solar boost 2000 controller. It needed to be installed, it simply attached to the back end rail with a little additional stretch. Stainless is easy to work with. At the end. , getting 6-7 amps on a sunny day is a much needed addition.

July long weekend Well, we were in the water, all ready to sail. No excuses. The boat was loaded and ready for a few days out. Four actually. Thursday afternoon the solar panel was working, out we went. Helping hands watched as jacqueline was in the dingy, full reverse , full forward. Tense was the word. Once out, we put the sails up in the light winds and made out way out the bay . The winds were in our favour. Light winds from the east meant the islands off Beckwith , Hope and Christian were too far. Methodist would be our targeted anchorage for the night. We Had the spinnaker up and running till the wind completely died. We dingy pushed half a mile into the anchorage. While not a windy adventure, we needed a relaxing swim to cool off. Our first night out .

The morning was started with three hours of heavy rain and no wind. Hot and muggy start to the day. A few more leaks were found . Silicone on the hatches fixed that for now, in time all the hatches and ports are coming off. Butale and 5200 3m will fix them for life. On a boat, That is about 15 or less years. Later that day, the sun came out. The fog lifted and we sailed to little sandy bay on christian island. Great sail. Carribean of the north. Crystal clear waters , Ten feet of water and rippled sand. But only seventy five degrees . Refreshing. Copper penny, wind and wuthering joined us for the weekend.

Sunday we headed home , Good day for a sail home. The wind picked up from the south, ten to fifteen knots as we tacked into penatang bay. A dingy push a half mile to the slip. This time on the outside end dock where we should be. Straight in and stop. Ahhhh. We can do this.