WORK WEEKEND #2

Well, the tools and the cooler are packed again and we are off to our second work weekend at the hangar.  This weekend, I should be able to get some of my sewing done.  Hopefully we will also be able to cross a few more things off of our to do lists.  Our son Ken is coming with us as he is going to do a plumbing job I have on my list. 

I am taking my crock pot with me this weekend.  that will take care of one meal with very little work.  I'm going to try that great looking Orange Chicken recipe that was on Facebook this week.   

I will also take some pre-made burgers with me.  That should do the trick and keep us fed with out too much hassle.  

So I will be working on my canvas cover and Dan is still working on his bow repairs.  Once this weekend is finished we only have 3 more, ( the 10th, 17th and 24th) so the push is on. 

We will also try to book our launch date, while we are there this weekend. 

That's the plan.  But, as everyone knows, the best laid plans always go awry.  So, we will see what happens. 

WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH

I didn't get as much done as I had hoped, but I did get a lot of stuff sorted out on the boat and I'm ready for a big push next weekend.  I have a very long list of things that I have discovered I need to pick up for our work projects.  I have discovered I don't have enough Blue and Green plaid upholstery fabric.  I was sure I had lots, but it turns out, no matter which way I turn what I have, it's not wide enough for my new back rest.  The length is good but the width is not.  Oh, well, I have to go back to the suppliers anyway, I also found I am a little short of canvas as well. 

At least we got my Sewing Machine all set up and ready to go, for next weekend. 

Dan has completed the generator, it is now running perfectly.  So that can be put away and crossed off our to do list.  Thanks Sean, for all your assistance.  Dan also made some good headway on the bow repairs as well. 




I think I will pre-make some meals for next weekend.  Stopping to cook takes too much time away for chores.  Even cleaning up and going out to eat takes away from work time as well, so I'll give some thought to that for next weekend. 

I GUESS IT WAS A GOOD FIRST WEEKEND

 

 



THE HARBOUR GOES FROM ICE TO WATER

What a difference a couple of good warm days make. 

 At right is what our marina looked like on Friday when we went out to Gimli, to work on the boat for the weekend.  All iced in. 

Then on Sunday as we were heading home after a warm sunny weekend, this is what the harbour looked like.  The water flowing free. 

 

 

By next weekend all the snow around the edges will be gone.  And there will be some boaters that will be champing at the bit to get their boats launched.  There are some that would have been in the water by mid April, if the weather had co-operated.  There are only a few that can launch, here in this harbour though.  Most of us have boats that are too large to launch in here and must launch in Gimli harbour and cruise out on the lake the 12 miles to get here, and the lake is still full of ice.  So we will all be watching for that to disappear and putting our names on the launch roster. 

 

 

IT CAN'T COME TOO SOON FOR ME. 

 

 

GREAT IMPROVEMENTS AT HANGAR #2

For years we have had a lounge in hangar #2 with a fridge and Stove, table and chairs and TV and Sofas etc.  But, to reach anything with plumbing, you had to leave that room and go out into the hall, which ran parallel, where you would find the washroom, shower and galley sink etc.  So, I've been saying for years, "Why don't they take down that wall?"

Well, they finally did.  Now you can go from the kitchen work area, to the sink in just a few short steps.  Instead of leaving the room and going down the hall to get to these other facilities.  What a simple, but great improvement.  Now this Lounge is so much more functional. 

You can always make a quick sandwich and a drink on the boat for lunch, but at the end of the day, we now have this much improved galley to retire to.

It is great after a long day of working on projects.   I bring from the boat, into the galley/lounge
what I need to cook dinner.   We relax and have dinner and we spend the evening watching satellite TV.  We can have a shower, before we return to the boat to turn in for the night and start again the next day. 

WELL DONE DEAN!

FINALLY, A WORK WEEKEND AT THE HANGAR

We finally get to go out to the lake for a work weekend.  It may even turn out to be warm enough for fibre glassing.  So, Friday we will load the tools and groceries in the truck and head for Gimli, to tackle those to do lists.  We will go out on Friday Morning and stay right though Sunday.

 The first thing we will have to do is stop in at Gord and Ellie's and pick up my commercial sewing machine. I want to set that up right behind the boat. Nice and handy for my sewing chores.  Then I have to get our dinghy down off the top of the boat for measurements and fittings, as that is going to be my first and biggest project. 

Weather permitting, Dan will be able get his fibre glassing at least started, if not finished.  If that gets done it will be ready for sanding and painting next weekend.    Time permitting we may get more than that done.  As stated in previous blogs the to do list are long and we only have 4 or 5 weekends until we launch.  Hopefully in early June. 

 

 

 

 

AT LEAST THAT WILL BE A START, FINALLY

 

 

 

DIY: THE NEW CAPTAIN'S SEAT

This week I am going to track down the  upholstery and lumber  supplies we need to complete the Captain's and Navigator's seats on the boat.  When we decided to replace the original Captains seat, there were a number of things we wanted to accomplish.  We wanted it to be different from the run of the mill boat seats, large and comfortable, have some storage capacity, and match all the original wood work and the new upholstery in the Pilot House. 

So, I made a sketch of what I thought it should look like, so that Dan could understand what I had in mind. He agreed with my concept.

So, I marked the full swing of all the existing cabinet doors, onto the floor with a black felt marker.  (That was before we had carpet in there, of course.)  That way I knew exactly how much room I had to work with, without interfering with those doors opening and closing. 


That's how we decided on the actual size it would be.  We also took one of the existing cabinet doors to a custom wood worker and had him make the matching doors we wanted.  (Yikes that was expensive.)

I think Dan did a great job of building this.  They no longer sell Mahogany plywood, so if we wanted it to match the existing woodwork, we had to buy the veneer and glue and make it ourselves.  No easy task I'll tell you, but we accomplished it.  Dan built the cabinet I stained and varnished it, then I upholstered the seat. 

 I think it all matches very well.  And it really holds a lot of soft drinks and snacks etc..   So this year all we have to do is make the back rest. The idea is that it will swivel back and forward so that the seat can be used facing the couch when we are not cruising. I still have to re-upholster the navigator's stool as well this year.  These are simple enough jobs, if they don't get put to the bottom of the to do lists. 

 

 

 

SO, THE CAPTAIN HAS A NEW SEAT

 

 

MAKING A LIST OF "TO DOS"

Now comes the time for making lists of things that have to be accomplished before we launch the boat this spring. 

Dan has some  projects on the go.  He is working on the used 3000 watt generator he bought.  It was missing the exhaust system , electric start and fuel lines etc.  So he is searching out missing parts and putting that back together.  He is also going to be working on some fiber glass repairs that he started working on in the fall.  If the weather ever warms up enough.  He also wants to re-do the packing on our drive shaft, and put an extension on the exhaust system.  So, that's Dan's to do list. 

As for me, I want to complete the swivel back rest for our new captains seat, and re-upholster my navigator's stool to match.  Then I want to make a canvas cover for our Dinghy, make a canvas cover for our on board Bar-B-Q and a run off cover for our back deck cushions.  I would also love to install new carpet in the pilot house if I can find what I am looking for.  (I have a very specific colour in mind, which might prove hard to find.)  So, that's my to do list. 

So these projects should keep us busy until our launch date,  if we can even get them all done.    Our launch date is going to be as soon as possible in June.  We better get cracking once this weather breaks. 

 

 

BOAT CHORES ARE NEVER ENDING