Readying Cat Tales for a New Season in the Sun, presently in Grenada

Dawn and I had another normal summer in New Brunswick:  playing pool, book club, home repairs and renovations, a little camping, a little sailing, and some visitations.  Two couples who visited you would know from our past weblogs: Dawn’s sister Lorna and brother-in-law Brian from s/v Peace & Plenty, and Cindy and Dan from s/v Sittatunga.  We also hosted my brother Paul and his wife Alida, and grand-niece Emilie.  All visits were great fun.  We also suffered the death of a family member after some illness.  That has been sad and took not just a little time out of our summer.

We were able to get Dan and Cindy (s/v Sittatunga) out on our Hobie 21 while they were visiting us.

Lorna and Brian and Laurie, on a visit to The Hopewell Rocks, which didn’t disappoint!

Laurie’s sister Lolly and her cat Mister.  When Lolly died this summer, we have her kitty and he’s as cute as he looks! While we’re away, Mister is  being looked after by Lolly’s  dear friend, Marilyn who lives in her building.  Lolly will be missed for sure!  She was the funniest gal who always had everyone laughing!  Some would say she was into ‘shock humour’!

However, since November 9th, we have been back into the apartments at Cool Running, just across the street from the Spice Island Boatyard, southern Grenada where Cat Tales has been stored for the summer, hurricane season.  Much of the work is usual for each year, but the big project this year is the replacement of baffles for both saildrives.  We budgeted 3 extra days for it, but it is sucking up a lot of our time.  Still, there is a better than average chance that we will meet our scheduled launch on Friday.

Still, we are enjoying our evenings at One Love Restaurant and at the Container Park bars and restaurants near the university, all with Richard and Heather of s/v Sea Pearl of Lunenburg, and the more recently arrived Hugh and Maria of m/v White Pearl of Saint John, NB.  As well, wherever we go and whatever we do, we meet up with old friends among the boaters, workers, and service providers.  With the air conditioned apartment we seem to be able to manage the heat rather well.  Dawn has overdone it and is going to nurse her back this afternoon while putting up the weblog.  Likely she will be passing tools for me too.

TECHNICAL

Dawn has 90 % of the boat cleaned and waxed, I applied two coats of bottom paint (which was normally applied by us in the spring), and one saildrive completed but for some touch-ups.  The interior cleaning is continuing, as are many of the little checks and chores on the relaunch list and the problems found during the haul-out list.

Dawn doing her usual “Wax On, Wax Off”!!

Just look at that shine!  Bottom paint applied and a lovely sharp waterline!  Oo, la, la!

Laurie cleaning up the roller and pans from the bottom painting and then we’ll put that equipment to bed! 

Just so you know, to remove a saildrive takes 30 bolts, one clevis pin, and a few hose clamps.  Dawn cleaned each of these bolts and they are shining!  The engine has to be unbolted from the floor and slid forward to allow the saildrive to come out.  Then 8 more allen-key bolts also have to be removed.  At that point, you have to be ready, if it is an older saildrive, for serious cleaning, scraping and sanding, then coatings of Ospho, zinc phosphate primer or zinc chromate primer, outboard paint, and finally some aluminum-friendly ablative bottom paint.  Time between coatings is the big issue, but as already mentioned there are many other chores to do.  Right now, I can put on one of the folding propellers.  The props had been soaked in vinegar last April and were tucked away completely clean.

Bolts and washers for the port saildrive are looking rather pretty after a vinegar soak and soap scrub down, but Dawn’s fingernails, not so much!

This is the first saildrive (starboard side) and is undergoing reassembly after all parts and pieces were cleaned and painted and necessary parts replaced.

34 degrees and a shirt he can wring out!  This is the second of the two saildrives to be removed and serviced.