Sunday 7 March 2021

If you've never started a project that reveals at least one more project which must be done before original, usually easier, effort can be completed, you may not have lived on a boat. In order to remove old washer, front panel and hatch trim had to be removed before it could be winched out through hatch on spare halyard and swung over to dock cart. This was the easy bit. Cleaning up the rusty, dirty mess underneath was accomplished and new washer fit through hatch without further disassembly. Even easier. Got old machine in then out of car trunk at solid waste landfill. Not as hard as envisioned. Placing the new guy into position, however, showed that when area was reconstructed for custom installation, underlying structure was not properly supported and removing old machine allowed weight of batteries to slide platform down angled hull and push cabinet base forward about four centimeters causing drawers to bind and cabinet fascia to protrude past front of machine. Trip initiated to Home Depot for parts and tools, floor jacked up, cabinet jacked back into position and braces installed. Will momentarily head home from coffee at Wooden Rooster to see how the whole thing comes together. Maybe it'll work. Anything's possible.

Monday

Celebrated success last night with Shepherd's pie and too much red wine. This week expect delivery of new plotter, autopilot and anchor chain. Can hardly wait to get started on those tasks. Boat work is my life.

Ability to send shipments to previous neighbor and lovely friend rather than general delivery and being planted in same location for at least a month has allowed ordering massive amounts of toys in addition to project parts. Once finished with ortho this afternoon expect to go pickup what bits and bobs have arrived to begin playing with between eruptions of work.

Wednesday

Bone guy stopped short of suggesting that amputation and wooden peg are best alternatives for hip. He couldn't determine from x-rays so would have to cut leg open for third time to possibly do things like cutting off top of femur and installing a longer spike and ball, installing a double cup that if dislocated would require surgery to fix or some other reconstruction that sounded equally enticing. He's retiring soon with bad back so referred me to one of three other orthopods for additional good news and follow-up. May consider after Pacific trip done with idea to avoid infelicitous movements in precarious situations.

Speaking of which, looks like this year is a go for SV Freezing Rain to make trip from Hawaii to Alaska then Seattle even if British Columbia still closed in July/August. After additional time in the forty ninth state may just sail offshore from Ketchikan to Washington, about six hundred fifty NM - four over-nights, and blow off locked-down Canucks. BC's loss is Alaska's gain.

Thursday

Two thirds of autopilot hardware now mounted awaiting rewiring and chain ready to be marked and installed once dirty, rusty locker swabbed. Anchors removed for re-galvanizing and three hundred fifty pounds of old chain moved to trunk in case extra traction is needed for snow. Jan noted car is front wheel drive, last ice age is well past and extra weight uses more fuel. May rethink strategy. Plotter remains backordered.

Costco eye center exams yesterday provided slightly altered prescription for Jan, who bought new glasses, and determined that additional crew is not significantly more blind than previously and will continue to stumble around using their cheapo cheaters for reading. Newly confirmed vision subsequently used to closely peruse every item on every aisle to buy the usual cart full of necessities including a truck load of toilet tissue (slight exaggeration) as it is apparently now widely available.

Jack & Jan