Evanston: degrowled; auxiliary powered
Evanston: degrowled; auxiliary powered
As I discovered to my pleasure the big red GROWLERs on both sides of the hull were decals. I removed them yesterday. After lifting an edge with a razor blade, they peeled right off. So although it doesn’t say “gannet” on her hull, she is.
While there isn’t much I can do with the mast on deck and the boom in the cabin, I sat on the boat and considered possibilities and priorities.
She requires a mental adjustment. I think of boats in terms of crossing oceans, and there are a slew of problems that must be solved if I ever do sail GANNET offshore. However they don’t need to be solved now. In the five years we lived aboard THE HAWKE OF TUONELA in Boston, the farthest we sailed was to New York City and back one summer. Other years we did not go farther than Maine, overnight to the north; or day hop down to Martha’s Vineyard or Newport, Rhode Island. That is the way most people use their boats everywhere. So I need to stop thinking ocean.
Step one is to get GANNET in the water and in my control.
Step two is get her sorted out enough to go for a sail.
Step three is to get her fully equipped and organized to sail single-handed and with Carol on the Great Lakes.
We’re still on step one. She is not under my control. GANNET and I are waiting for the boat yard to rig and launch her.
Just as I was leaving yesterday afternoon I noticed a two inch chip on the epoxy coating at the bottom of her keel. I expect that this happened as she was lowered by crane onto the trailer. While this is only cosmetic, I drove to a nearby WEST store and got some filler, which I faired as well as possible using a paint stirring stick. I might go back up tomorrow or Friday and sand it smoother. But I’d prefer that the next time I see GANNET she is floating. Sanding can wait till fall.
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I have learned that North Point Marina does not permit sailing inside the breakwater. It also does not permit “rowing, sculling or paddling.” With 1500 slips making it the biggest fresh water marina in the world, more than five times the size of Opua or Constitution marinas, this is not surprising or unreasonable. That is a lot of boats in one narrow channel.
The boat yard does not have a work boat, and the service manager wanted to be certain one of my outboards will start.
The former owner told me that the 2 hp, which is a Mariner rather than a Mercury as I mistakenly thought, is “completely reliable”, while the 3.5 hp Yamaha tends to stall after running for ten or fifteen minutes. So I gave the yard the Mariner, which is almost forty years old, rather than the Yamaha, which is ten or fifteen. And it is true. The museum piece Mariner started right up.
However, handling the motors even briefly reminded me how much I don’t like gasoline outboards, don’t want to have to mix oil and gasoline, and don’t want to store either on board. So I placed an order for an electric Torqeedo Travel 1003. This model is backordered, but supposed to be in stock next week. I’ve heard that before about other items, but I live in hope.
A few hours after placing the order I received an email that the article I wrote about the mooring has been bought, so I deceive myself that I’m getting the Torqeedo for free.
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In the distant and unlamented days when I had what are strangely called by some people “real jobs” I kept my desk clean. Paper in; paper out.
Here where I seldom work at my desk--my laptop is a laptop--my desk is always clean. Except now. Insurance; title; Minnesota registration card; application for Illinois registration; marina lease and regulations; winter storage contract; equipment manuals; bill of sale; inventory. A paper sea.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011