Saturday, July 21

Another beautiful day at the bunny under a fabulous sky and perfect conditions.

We started the morning with a 5 hour stint on the Cedar Skiff Other than the floorboards getting a first coat it is hard to see the advancement, but I assure you that the 2 coats with 2 sand outs are pretty heavy going.

Most of the afternoon was spent on Chenoa trying to sort out a botched engine installation. These guys were total animals equipped with stone axes. It was a perfect job for Chris who can fit into these inaccessible places and at the end of the ordeal appeared with only minor marks of the battle. Chenoa does now however shift positively and properly.

Sunday July 22, 2007

We finally took a bit of time off the Skiff project and made a loop of Waupoos Island and Great South Bay Sunday afternoon. Aboard were Jan, Larry,Chris and myself making the merry crew. Both the lap and the parking went well and it was just nice to be out on the water again.

Marine Forecast issued for Eastern Lake Ontario. Issued: 10.30 AM EDT Tuesday 24 July 2007 for the period ending at 10.30 AM Wednesday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind west 15 knots becoming light and variable this afternoon. Chance of a shower ending late this morning then fair. Waves 1 metre or less. Outlook..Light and variable.

The weather finally turned in our favor and by 11:30 EDT the humidity had dropped to 70% and we were able to put the last pre-coat on the skiff.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

I expect the same climate pattern to hold true so if we progresses according to plan by noon it will be back in the mid 60% range. There is still several hours of final 600 grit fine sanding before we Endura clear coat. The hull is looking amazingly true for being 70 odd years old proving the value of the tedious block sanding. You can watch the reflections of the trailer in the boat and it is like looking in a mirror.

Overnight the humidity has crept back up to 90% which is deep in no-no territory for final coatings so we waited to 60% and 13:00 EDT to lay the final coat and then hung around doing small jobs for a full two hours with the doors open. When we came back later in the evening all was set and looked 100%.

Wednesday, July 25 PM

Once we got the final pre-coat down we pulled the old primary water pump on Defiance in preparation for installing the new 3250 GPH monster. Getting it out did not take long and the medication to fit the new pump will be pretty easy and be accomplished with nothing more than a drill press and a bit of tapping.

Jan and the Harris Tweed were singing at the Lions Concerts in the Park in Belleville which drew us from Waupoos to the big city for an evening. Then George and his family showed up from Collins Bay making a very busy social Wednesday. Unfortunately we could not hang around for the after gig bar.

John and Dingo are progressing well with Joy B with all thge excess dinghy's now sold. The Fighting Lady Yellow with the blue stripe and tan decks look great. Dingo has now adapted to shore life and has found a supply of tennis balls to supplement his stick obsessions.

Clive the ban cat from Sunnydale Farms (Scott) has now found the marina and like mooching better than killing mice for a living in the barn. I feel so poor for poor Clive as he lived with me for a week as a 10 week old kitten as innocent and as handsome as anything. When he first reappeared at the marina he had a huge bite mark from some dog on his neck and was skin and bones. Poor Clive all he wants is love and is extremely sociable. On the other hand he and Rufus seem to have a buddy thing going and like to hang out together.

As we were sitting on Georges Allied Seawind working on the grog Clive comes by joined by Rufus. The two of them checking over each boat with the care only a cat can find. What a pair they make! I will give Clive a Revolution fix today which will help his critter problem and if I could only figure out how he gets so many injuries I would feel a lot better about his barn home. I am now tracking it as it seem he comes back with a new cut, scrape or bruise every time I see him. If Rufus did not get uptight who knows. They seem to get along far better than Rufus and Sweetie. Then again Sweetie was super wild and Clive is a lover.

Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Thursday 26 July 2007 for the period ending at 3.00 AM Friday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind light and variable. Mist patches dissipating this morning then redeveloping this evening otherwise fair. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light and variable.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

This is it! Third Epoxy Pre-Coat ready for Endura Clear coat #1

It may seem days and it is since the last update. This was the week of the final sanding and it went on forever. The final Epoxy Pre-Coat went down perfectly and lay gleaming for inspection on our arrival at the shop.

Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Friday 27 July 2007 for the period ending at 3.00 AM Saturday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind light and variable. Chance of a shower early this morning. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms beginning later this morning. Mist and fog patches dissipating this morning. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light and variable becoming northeasterlies.

Friday, July 27, 2007

It was rewarding yesterday when a very nice gentleman reader of the Blogs phoned me to talk about the Moon and Gangly. Absolutely marvelous I say. For years I have corresponded with Cruising Canada’s readers by email but it was nice to know someone reads the ramblings of the Blog.

George and crew were still here last night so it became another evening at the bonfire pit. I even managed to make it past my normal pumpkin time and stay awake until 00:30. It is 07:05 and quiet now, but the marina is busy.After burgers followed by the evening went to marshmallows and grog. As the night went on another highlands beer drinking contest between Chris George and Josh developed that lasted well into the wee small hours of Friday morning. I was so positive at 07:00 Friday AM came and there was no life from Chris. I have been there before and when the lad is sleeping it off it is useless to push him. So I waited, waited, and waited more until noon before he opened his eyes.

This is it! IT

Friday was to be the day that we got got only the interior its first coat of colour, but a second coat of Endura Clear. As it was by the time we got to the shop it was 12:45 and although coat #1 Endura Clear on the hull had gone off perfectly the interior needed yet another sanding before color. We both busted hard and got the boat sanded only to have a storm cloud creep up and begin raining on us pushing the humidity back up to over 80% which is a no-go humidity for these materials.

Four hours of sanding only to be snagged by weather. Now it will be trickier as the forecast has showers called for over the next three days. I will head in this AM and see if I can get a coat of Brightside down, but doubt with all the fog around this morning that there is a window for more Endura. Perhaps it is OK as last week was a pretty heavy day for applications and it will need another light pre sand after several days drying before another coat in any matter.