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Saturday September 22 to Thursday September 27, earliest entries posted first.Click on the thumbnail picture for a full screen image

Position: 44°00.0718 North     076°59.4611 West
Defiance is on the hard for major bottom work

Saturday September 22, 2007

There is a brisk wind that has set in from the south this morning kicking up the surface of Smith's Bay. My timing seems to be all or nothing as I will pick Chris back up for the weekend as I Colin Cole, the welder man is going to come Sunday to weld up the keel edges. I have no idea but between whatever happens on Defiances steel and Chenoa I am going to need help. There will probably not be any updates until sometime next week when there will be a lot of pictures as I suspect this will be an intense work period.

Chris boat Itsoma is tucked away in a deep little corner of the Kingston Marina inner pool for the winter. I am still glad that I did not try to do the haul out there as the boats that I would have been blocking went in during the week and I am still struggling with the bottom of the keel.

Waupoos Marina fairly teemed with life by mid afternoon with far above the normal average of boat out enjoying the perfect breeze. There is however a air of finality in the air as people emptied out their boats and folded their sails for another season.

Sunday was another beautiful sunrise that ushered in a spectacular day. The welder was due and of course never showed up again leaving me with Chris and no grinding. What a waste as now I will have to pay him welding fees for grinding let alone the prior costs. All was not a loss as we emptied out Chenoa's locker and managed to stuff Chris far enough into inaccessible recesses to resolve the shifting issue. It must be so wonderful to be 30, I look at his contortions and go straight into intensive care.

Under the "What did they do!" rave category. We went in to solve a shifting problem only to find the entire pedistal mount in the binnacle was pooched. Try to shift and you got throttle, and worse could feel cables rubbing. Pooched! Seen to the right the evidence of the last person in here, caveman! How can anyone do that, seriously stone axe. The unbelievably terrible hole cut out in the pedestal was the only way to resolve the broken shifting mechanism. Once finished there is a waterproof plug that will cover the hole creating a neat watertight insert ready to be painted as part of the job.

Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Tuesday 25 September 2007 for the period ending At 3.00 AM Wednesday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind south 10 knots veering to southwest 15 to 20 knots near noon. Fair with chance of a shower or thunderstorm beginning this evening. Waves less than 1 metre building to near 1 this afternoon. Outlook..Moderate to strong southwesterlies veering to moderate northwesterlies then diminishing to light and variable.

Monday September 24, 2007

Now, and hour and a half later I can hear a string of expletives floating up from below the boat interspersed with the crackle of the arc. Perhaps the most telling phrase is “I am begining to hate this #*#@! Job already!” Even though Defiance’s hull is welded on both sides there is a considerable amount of contamination from the original weld and subsequent coatings over the years to make a fine fireworks display (sparks right) as Colin progresses down the keel. Welding progress is slow as Colin can only run a foot or two before he has to go back and re grind the spot for a second pass. On the other hand, the bottom job is far more hassle than I had expected for this haul out, but that is the advantage of steel is you can get to the root of the evil and fix it, once and for all.

The sun set after a day of heavy going welding up the keel. One more time I am amazed at the lengths people will go to avoid addressing a problem. As Gord says "there are no big jobs, only small men". This is going to be an expensive haul out but Defiance will be solid and proper.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Dawn comes with my first coffee today as another quiet sunrise in Waupoos today with 80% cloud cover. The weather forcast is for record high temperatures of 30°C followed by a storm late this evening. I totally airheaded yesterday and missed my doctors appointment. I must break free during the day and try to sneak into the hospital as the ankle wound is still looking questionable.

The work site is quiet now with Colin not due for another hour and a half. My best laid plans have gone to heck with late arrivals and estimates that called for 2 1/2 to 3 hours welding turning into 15 or more hours when he gets down to it. I already had to stop once the keel was done to earn more money, now the bottomless pit has spoken again demanding many more dollars.

Absolutely not what I need as I will not have time to get the 5 coats of Ameron 238 on before the rain. That means that I will have to sand blast and prep again claiming another $300.00. Combined with unsettled weather forecast for week end I am not a happy puppy.

The wind picked up and we had to tarp the boat making the space a warm oven to work in, however no wind to blow the argon shield gas away from the arc. After a talk about the absolute maximum funds available progress picked up and by the time the sun set the accessable keel areas have been welded full length both sides of the keel bottom.

Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 3.00 AM EDT Wednesday 26 September 2007 for the period ending At 3.00 AM Thursday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind southwest 15 to 20 knots veering to west this morning then diminishing to 10 this afternoon. Wind becoming light and variable this evening. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light northeasterlies becoming variable.

The forecast rain arrived last night and the morning is gray and damp. I am beat after the emotional stress of dealing with the "County Time" work ethic. However, so be it the keel is welded and I have fallen another full week behind schedule and there is nothing that I can do about it. Now I have to face grinding the full 80 feet of keel and re blasting before I can go to coatings. Today I must get my nose back to the grindstone and focus on work as this has hit the pocketbook badly.

Finally I got back to troubleshooting Chenoa's electrics. Now that I am in the main panel it is slow going as there is not an inch of space nor is anything marked, let alone a wiring diagram. The problem is everything was layered, in wraps of cable tied cables, stuffed in tight. Not good in reality as ABYC likes to see the wires "run neatly, with proper mounting and not subject to movement. But to fix it would require rebuilding the panel and that is a $30,000 job. So I make the best of it. I never stop riling at the caviler attitude some backyard mechanics approach things with. Just look at the picture. This radio was installed (Ha Ha) by a person earning a living as a mechanic!

Marine Forecast issued for Lake Ontario. Issued: 10.30 AM EDT Thursday 27 September 2007 for the period ending At 10.30 AM Friday with an outlook for the following 24 hours. Forecast: Wind light north becoming variable this afternoon. Scattered showers ending overnight then redeveloping Friday morning. Waves less than 1 metre. Outlook..Light and variable increasing to moderate northeasterlies and to strong.

The rain set in during the night with a couple of good downpours waking me up with their drumming on the deck. As the morning dawns there is a slight collection of water in the tray on the foredeck as light began to provide detail to the day.

I have a growing conundrum in the Clyde once again greeted me in the salon having fully mastered the cat door. Clyde is a persuasive mush, but ever so politely he was moved outside again. Then mr personality returned to bring a nice fresh mouse back for approval, all within ten minutes. Poor guy, he is trying so hard to do more than just visit Defiance leaving me the hard nose, as he has a home and I no future. Rufus also seems to like Clyde and the two of them spend a lot of time together which is good for Rufus who tends to be a bit too much of a loner. The feral Serendipity and Sweetie have moved from the orange building, not at all happy with Louie's clean up to an abandoned boat and round out the Waupoos Marina cats.

The upper patio in front of the “Dew Drop Inn” has proved a huge success for the Marina. It is popular with all the visitors as its elevation provides an excellent view of the main dock and channel while being close to the washrooms. During the day the orange building provides shade and a wind stop. By evening the winterized play set, parked in the patio corner is a hot spot for cat socials. Serendipity, can usually be found on the slide platform with Sweetie occupying a lower step. Rufus and Clyde can find a number of shenanigans to entertain all. As I write this Clyde is mid basketball plaza and has a mouse that he is playing keep away with from Rufus. Clyde’s actions are as deliberate as only a cat with a mouse can be allowing the creature to get just far enough to tempt Rufus foreword before he pounces on the hapless mouse.

As I make my evening head stop (washroom) I will often linger for a half hour or more as the cat party goes on. All of them are healthy and happy with the marina quiet and a decrease in traffic. With the stress of the keel-bottom I have not been inclined to take my evening cat walks which circumnavigate the entire property all cats in tow as I am beat by days end.

Today is the publication deadline for most of my print advertising and I will have to make another run into the library for the Internet as I need to change the ads. The lending and insurance community now has so much control it is making it difficult for potential buyers to find financing on older custom vessels. One way or the other I have no choice but to make a change to reflect my changing health picture. If Defiance as my home must end then perhaps I will open the transition process to include “part trade and vendor financing” options as I must move ashore permanently very soon.