Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Saturday 28 July 2007 for the period ending at 3.00 AM Sunday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind light and variable. Mist patches dissipating this morning. Isolated showers with risk of a thunderstorm beginning this morning and ending this evening. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light and variable becoming northeasterlies.

The fog is thick this morning as I enjoy some quiet time aboard now that Chris has returned to the city for the weekend. Yesterday was not what I would have wished for and now I get to add putting the first coat of Brightside on the interior to my weekend agenda. Just Swell and Sushi are Waupoos Marina's resident powerboat woodie representation since Naughty Lass will not be launched this year. They can be found gracing the end of B Dock.

The install of the new primary water pump on Defiance hit a snag whenChris broke a tap in the base plate, worse a super good production tap that is too hard to drill. Big poor pah. Finally I have had to cut a section of the the corner off the mounting plate and will build it back up with weld and grind to the correct shape before re drilling the hole. Gurr. It is what it is the pump is off now and I have no engine until I get the new one installed.

Rufus spent all evening on board last night and is back below again now which is unusual for him. Something scared him enough ashore for him to put up with the boredom for the security. I feel a lot better with him on board than out in the Marina where there are more than a couple of self centered non attention paying idiot drivers using cars as weapons. I will never figure out the lookie loo turkey who has to try to drive through everything. GET OUT and walk.

There was a fleet of 20 big powerboats that arrived Saturday and the shortage of power made for a few tense times as there is not enough power for visiting boats. It is ridiculous and I am not about to give up my power because some fiberglass monster wants 120 AMPS. Nor am I about to put up with being told to give up my power.Unfortunatelyy, it appears my denial brought its own pay back as I lost the use of the shop without notice bringing a end to the water pump job. Petty Petty. Waupoos is not the place it once was. It is like these transient are some sort of gods who should be given what they want. I pay for my power and have been marginalized enough by the management here.

It is half way thought the primary boat selling season and I have no firm deposits on Defiance yet leading me to believe that it is a hard market out there. A couple of days and I will be another year closer to my old age pension and am still out in the world trying to make it as an independent ship repair. Defiance has been advertised heavily in enough publications that I have no doubt that the boat has been exposed to most of those who are looking to buy a trawler. There has been less tire kicking I am happy to say and note that every single person who has inspected the vessel has been nice. Ever since my body went into rebellion and began to quit big time on me I have been working with the Health people to find a sustainable solution to my medical issues. Every byte of official guidance says Defiance must go and a properly planned for my issues small place near a town replace it as a residence.

However, the truth is this is the turning point and I have not taken a non-refundable deposit yet and there is only 60 days left in this buying season. My official future life plan worked out with my Ontario medical and social advisors still would see me sell Defiance and get a place not too far from town that I can manage on my own as the body gets worse. The fact may be that there is NOT a ready buyer for Defiance and official plan or not the boat sells for survey value or not at all. That means that I must now really get my head around a haul out and winter plans for 2007/2008. I have a semi schedule visit to the shipyard within 3 weeks and I am no where near financially ready, yet I must do the bottom before freeze up and I want to do it in good weather as I will have steel uncoated for days.

The humidity was high on Saturday and I choose not to try to any painting on the Skiff. Instead I worked on Defiance's new water pump install. By early afternoon the rain came with a vengance and my choice to desist worthwhile.

Sunday, July 29

Sunday arrived clear and cooler after the rains. I was hot on the Skiff project and was at the shop before 08:00 to put a first oat of colour on the interior. It takes so much time to paint the lapstrake that I spent 5 hours to mask and paint the interior.

Once I got the boat painted I returned to the marina with the intention of meeting Terry to work on Chenoa but he never showed up so I had a afternoon off. I spent it hanging around and swimming and visiting.

Monday, July 30

Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Monday 30 July 2007 for the period ending at 3.00 AM Tuesday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind light and variable. Fair. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light and variable becoming northerlies.

Another clear day and the horde has left leaving life to return to normal. Money so often makes for poor neighbours. No word from Chris but I did not expect him to be calling from the station at 08:00. In fact I will pretty much guarantee that there will be no work from him until at least tomorrow. Thats OK as Dave is going to give me a hand this morning and perhaps we will be able to get this pump on so that Defiance can once again go play.

Tuesday, July 31

I keep thinking of the finishing touches to the lady as it all starts to come together. Now I am favoring a very light touch of Muskoka Art in the form of painting rather than carving. On the other hand we have not seen what the floorboards will look like when we fasten the frames to them.

Sometimes you can't win. I must admit that the sanding time I had spent under the shear strake was inadequate once we got serious about the final finish coating. Chris spent 9 full hours cleaning up under the bulwarks and in the underside space in the shear.

I did the cedar hunt for the aft seat and floorboard frames. I cannot believe how hard it is to find good boat wood. Then to have bought wood as clear cedar I would have been paying $30.00 per 1X6 by 8'. Almost 45 minutes later and virtually the entire pallet sorted through I managed to find planks that will work quite nicely once finished up for $9.00 per plank.

The craft is begining to really come together! Picture to the right is Monday July, 30.