some motoring pictures

Here are three pictures from our first two outings (both motoring).  We hope to have a calm day soon where we can attempt sailing.

a weekend of (many) failed projects

Well I had the weekend to myself, Amanda was out of town, and I thought I might be able to get a lot done to surprise her with.  The boat had other plans.

I've been trying to clean the foam backing and glue residue from where I ripped out the old headliner in the v berth.  Here is a cool panoramic I took to explain what I mean, the headliner was removed from the walls.

I've tried all sorts of methods to remove it, none are working well.  The original plan was to clean the fiberglass and paint it instead of using more headliner to avoid the nasty mold mess that was on the vinyl I ripped out.  I tried a paint scraper at first which did next to nothing.  Then I got a wire brush which did a little bit of good.  After the wire brush I tried acetone which also did some good but left the fiberglass looking "white" - some kind of chemical burn I think.  Then I tried a circular wire brush in a drill.  The drill was battery powered and the battery died very quickly.  I also tried the handle of the wire brush which was a one inch wide plastic scraper which did better than the metal scraper but still left a lot to be desired.  Finally I went back to Lowe's and got a new drill (with a wire - no batteries) and a different type of brush to use with it.  That worked the best but left me itchy all over...  This took many, many hours and left me basically where I started.  Here's a picture of the mess I'm dealing with close up and my 'workshop.'

I switched gears at some point and tried started on the galley.  I told Amanda I'm approaching this like all the Survivorman type shows where we need food, water, and shelter.  At this point the water is fine (although I haven't tasted it yet) but the v berth and galley need work

So anyways, I figured I'd remove everything from the galley so that I have a clean counter to work with.  The stove came out just fine.  Then I tried to remove the cabinet which appeared to only ahve two screws holding it in.  After some effort, I got the screws out but the cabinet wouldn't budge.  After more hours with a chisel and hammer going around every edge over and over I was able to wiggle it.  I gave up and went home for the night.  The next morning didn't fare any better and I admitted defeat for the first time and decided to leave it in.  I'm pretty sure it's being held by a combination of the fiberglass above pushing down extremely hard and small lips of old stain/paint/caulk around all the edges.  

galley

the stove (with the top hinged open)

sans stove

some of the mess I made chiseling

an example of the headliner edges curling and moldy

It also rained once while I was on the boat this weekend and I was able to look for leaks.  We've been pretty fortunate so far in that it's a very dry boat.  The only leaks we can find are the cleats that the previous owner installed (they are a collapsible type and they appear to leak through the tubes the cleat collapses into) and one of the lifeline stanchions.  I'm waiting on a new vent to install over the v berth and I figure I'll re-bed the stanchion when I install that.

About the only thing that went well this weekend was just enjoying sitting on the boat - it's very relaxing and has an awesome view.

starting off on the right foot

Not only have we started out our project on the right foot by choosing an appropriate vessel for our purposes, but Kyle has started out our venture on the right shoe--two right shoes!  We are clearly destined for success.

Superficially, our first attempt at sailing the vessel during a pre-purchase sea-trial appeared tumultuous:  the foresail sheet ripped off the forward dorade, Kyle lost a sandal, I tore a sizable hole in the main sail (I broke it; he bought it).  But the real goal wasn't to test out our sailing skills (we weren't even really the ones sailing--the previous owner was taking us out), it was to determine whether we could see ourselves making a home from the mass of floating fiberglass.  In that regard, the trip was a resounding success!

And so Kyle, the English bulldog Emma ("Chubbers"), Mr. Knightly the cat, and myself will be moving aboard August 1st.  Is it all a little crazy? ... Invariably. ;)  However, going back to the simplicity of life aboard as well as experiencing nature so closely in its raw and watery wonderfulness is perhaps one of the smartest choices one can make if your objective is to enjoy life.

Three Projects

We have three projects that we are trying to accomplish before moving aboard and about 7 weeks to complete them.  We are hoping to replace the vinyl headliner, paint all of the laminate, and replace the cushions.  I'm in charge of the headliner, Amanda is doing the cushions, and we are both going to help with the painting.

The vinyl headliner was starting to curl up in some corners and had a lot of mold/mildew growing on the backside and in the foam backing.  So far we have basically ripped out most of the headliner and I am in the process of cleaning the hull behind it.  Luckily the headliner is only on the walls of the V berth and in a few places in the main cabin.  Some of the headliner will be replaced with a similar material, some of it will not be replaced but the surfaces painted instead.  Here's a link to the headliner I plan to use as a replacement (Perforated Headliner).  I hope that the perforation might help the foam backing to breath better and reduce the mold problems in the future.

Amanda would like to paint all the Formica laminate in the boat so..... we are painting all the Formica laminate in the boat, haha.  It does look pretty bad - a lot of it is faux wood and pretty cheesy from the 70's. Our plan instead is to paint it all a solid white.  For the table and counter tops we will be covering it with a thin layer of the clear epoxy that is used in bar tables.  We've read that preparing and painting laminate is actually pretty easy.

I'll let Amanda make a post on the cushions, she is really excited about that project!

Initial Likes/Dislikes About the Pearson 30

Our goal for the Pearson 30 is to use it as a "starter" boat.  We by no means think it is a perfect boat, but there are a lot of things we like about it for it's intended purpose as a "starter" boat.

• The price ($5600).
• How simple it is for a production boat.  There are very few parts on board that can break and very few systems to learn.  It has tiller steering, an Atomic 4 engine, one electric bilge bump, one manual bilge pump, a VHF radio, a CD player with two speakers, pressurized water, an alcohol stove, a Jabsco marine head, roller furling and a very simple interior construction.
• The keel is not bolted to the hull, it is integral to it and encased in the hull.  This was one thing that made not getting a survey less worrisome.
• I've heard that tiller steering is more responsive and I hope that it makes learning to sail (I know sailing basics but need lots of practice) easier.  The tiller can also be folded up while not moving to make room in the cockpit.  Conversely, while underway it can take up more space while it swings in the cockpit.
• The headroom is high enough (barely) for me to stand up in (6'1").
• The companionway steps are manageable by Amanda's dog.

There are also some things that we dislike.

• It has a fin keel and a spade rudder which are more performance oriented.  I'd prefer a full keel or a skeg hung rudder for some more durability.
• The five foot draft is a little deep for Florida waters.  This shouldn't be too bad though.
• It is a little on the small side, but starting small is probably better.
• The table folds down from the bulkhead, I'd rather have a permanently mounted one.

Some other things to note that aren't necessarily likes or dislikes.

• We plan on adding air conditioning (either a window mount or portable unit) and an electric cooler for refrigeration.
• The engine is a gasoline  Atomic 4.  I really like how quiet it is and the lack of vibration compared to the diesel motors I've seen run on sailboats.  I don't like that gasoline fumes are heavier than air and can sit in the bilge waiting for a spark to ignite them.  With proper precautions (our blower, sniffer and awareness) should mitigate this though.

We Got a Boat!

Amanda and I got our first boat!  It's a 1973 Pearson 30.  Here's a video from the day I first went to look at it.

And two more from the following weekend.

I've been looking for a boat on and off for going on three years, it's nice to finally have one.  I chose not to have a survey done (hopefully I don't regret it later, I haven't so far) for a variety of reasons.  The purchase price of the boat was $5600.  With such a small investment, it's not possible to take much of a gamble.  It's the only boat I looked at under $10k that didn't smell inside.  The motor works (burns some oil, runs a little hot), the sails work (however, the main sail is in serviceable condition at best), the rigging looks recent, and the inside of the boat is in very nice shape.

Amanda and I plan to live on the boat with her dog and cat.  We plan to stay at the Sunset Bay marina in Stuart, FL.  Right now the boat is located at the Sandpiper marina just up the inlet from Sunset Bay.  Sandpiper is cheaper, but a longer drive to work.  I don't mind the extra drive now because I don't have to drive it everyday.  Sunset Bay is also closer to downtown Stuart which is a nice place to go out for dinner, drinks or walks in the evenings and on the weekends.