BOUNDARY CREEK MARINA

Our home port is called "Boundary Creek  Marina".  This Marina is owned and operated by "Lake Agassiz Marine" , which also owns and operates the hangars where we store our boats in the winter.   

 

The bottom
and top left corners of the attached photo is the lake .  The marina consists of what we call the outer harbour, the inner harbour and the back harbour.  The grey toned area is where the creek runs from the back harbour through the marina and out into the lake. 









We have two areas in this park like marina, where we gather and socialize.  One is just up on the grass in front of where we dock, there, we have a couple of picnic tables with umbrellas.   This area is well down the creek in what we call the inner harbour, so it is well sheltered from the lake breezes, on a windy day.

On the other hand if it is a hot, hot day 

we are more inclined to go up to the Gazebo.  This Gazebo is closer to what we call the outer harbour, next to the mouth of the creek and closer to the lake.  And it is on a large knoll which allows you to get a nice breeze off of the lake.  If it's a hot muggy day we usually all take our boats out, unless it's too rough, then you'll see a lot of people at the Gazebo.  Both of these harbour areas are full of large power boats and cruisers.  And last but certainly not least, there is the area furthest up the creek, that is known as the back harbour.  This area is the most sheltered area in the marina and holds the widest variety of boats.  From large and small cruisers, to large and small power boats, sail boats, runabouts and Sea-doos.   

The other wonderful thing that is so enjoyable about Boundary Creek Marina is the wild life.  And the general pulse of nature that you become so aware of once you spend some time there.  We have Grey Herons, White Pelicans, huge Carp, Bass, Pickerel, you name it.  Occasionally we will see a beaver or two and the odd muskrat. 

 

This is a wonderful place to live, in the summer time and a wonderful port to cruise out of.  With lots of wonderful friends to socialize with. 

 

 

 

THIS IS WHERE WE ARE HEADING ON FRIDAY

 

 

 

DIY: BOAT REFIT

In the year 2000 we purchased the "Thunderbird", our old 46 foot steel hulled diesel trawler.  When we bought her we were looking for a retirement project and knew she was in serious need of a total refit.  Leaking roofs, out dated interior, a questionable motor, that we knew could be fixed and an iffy transmission that we were really concerned about.  But, I have always loved this boat, so I convinced Dan that we should go ahead. 

Over the last 10 years we have worked hard on this refit.  Each year, we worked on her until the ratio of work, to fun, tips to the point, that it is time to stop working on her and put her in the water and enjoy some boating.   Here we are in 2013 and our major work on "Thunderbird" is over.  We have no more "have to dos" and we are finally down to a few "want to dos" plus yearly maintenance stuff. 

Over the next while I will go back over my ships log and relate some of the trials and tribulations of our many refit projects.   As I did with the recent description of my upholstery projects. 

Each one of these Blogs will be prefixed with a DIY.  As all of this certainly was the ultimate DIY project.                  

PREPPING OUR DOCK FOR OUR ARRIVAL

The weekend before we launch we always drive down to Boundary Creek Marina with a number of items that we need for the summer.  We have a small pair of boarding steps that sit on the dock to assist us in getting aboard the Thunderbird. 

 
To prepare our dock for our arrival Dan also has to install our large permanent bumpers.  That way we don't have to hang fenders out when we go in and out of our home port for a short cruise, we only use the hanging fenders when we go into a strange harbour. 

Today our harbour looks pretty deserted.  By now there are usually quite a few boats around, but as I said in a previous post everyone is "iced in",  in Gimli Harbour.  I'm sure that "Fleet" will all be here by the time we get here next Friday.  I think we lucked out on the timing of our Splash down this year.   

SO THE DOCK IS AS READY FOR OUR ARRIVAL, AS THE BOAT IS







DIY: OUR TO DO LISTS ARE FINISHED

This weekend was the end of the spring work session.  The final touches of paint have been applied, the mast repairs are completed and it has been repainted and stowed on the roof to be erected once we are in the harbour. 

Dan has also completed all his mechanical adjustments.  All those things he kept telling me about oil this and grease that, it seems they are all finished. 

The last item on that list was to check the packing on the drive shaft.  He even has custom built wrenches to do that job.  Check!





We will return on Thursday and prep the boat with lines and fenders and sleep on board to await the launch on Friday morning. 

WE ARE READY FOR A SUMMER  OF BOATING

 

 

 

THE BOATS ARE ACCUMULATING

The boats are starting to accumulate in Gimli Harbour.  Some are the Gimli regulars, but a lot of them, are boats from Boundary Creek Marina, who were launched in the last couple of weeks and are still waiting for the lake to clear of ice.   

The lake is clear for the most part, but we have been having pretty consistent easterly winds, keeping what little ice there is socked in all around the harbour. 


 

Some of it even invaded the harbour this weekend.  There isn't much of it but it's blocking the harbour entrance.  Everyone  is just waiting for it to clear away.  As soon as that happens there will  be an Armada of boats heading south down the lake to the beach.  I'm sure it will be all cleared out by the time we launch next Friday. 

 

 

LAUNCH ANTICIPATION IS BUILDING FOR US

 

 



OUR FINAL WORK WEEKEND

This will be our final work weekend.  As I have booked our launch with Barb, for Friday, May 31st.   

Hopefully we will be able to "Splash " as early as possible in the morning.  Weather and Ice conditions permitting, we would like to cruise right on to the Beach, immediately following our launch.  Hopefully the ice will be off the lake by then. 

But, that's a whole week from now, so for now it's back to work.  On the schedule, is lots of sanding of the inevitable fibre glass repairs and a lot of painting.  Every year we find spots where the outer fibre glass "skin" has cracked and water has penetrated the wood underneath.  (That is the problem with Fibre Glass over plywood.  But, it's to late now to discuss the original construction techniques used back in the 70s.  It's what we have and we deal with it.  ) 

When it does happen, we immediately dig out any wet or rotted wood and re-fibre glass over the area.  When we took a look at the mast last weekend, we found a lot of rot at the base, so that had to be re-built.  Then two layers of fibre glass over the repairs.  That has to be all re-sanded again this weekend, then get a couple of coats of paint. 

This is the constant maintenance that we have to do to our old boat every year.  Because if we don't keep on top of it, we will be right back to where we were when we had to totally remove and replace the pilot house roof and remove and re-build the entire back deck. 

There are a number of other repairs in process that were done over the last couple of weekends that also have to have another layer of fibre glass or another coat of paint.  But, we are getting down to the final items on our lists.  We should finish it all, this weekend. 

THE ANTICIPATION OF LAUNCH DAY IS BUILDING

 

 

 

DIY: THE UPHOLSTERY ON OUR BOAT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REPLACED

With the help of my daughter Wendy, I have totally replaced all of the upholstery in the Thunderbird.  She was working in an upholstery shop at the time we bought the boat, plus running a part time upholstery business of her own. 

It has only been 10 years since we started this project back in 2003.  First she brought all her upholstery sample books out to the boat and left them on board with me for a couple of weeks, so that I could choose a colour palette that would work throughout and so that I could see it, in that proper setting and in the appropriate light.  (The boat was in our yard on Henderson Highway, at the time. ) Those books were very helpful and she just needed to help me with final choices for accent colours. 

The next thing was, she requested that I draw her some pictures of what I wanted it all to look like.  From those sketches she made her patterns and  proceeded to take all her measurements.  With fabric choices made and measurements taken, I purchased all my upholstery fabric at that time. 


Then on the Easter long weekend, of 2004 with the boat having been moved into hangar 2, her and I spent the weekend on board and completed almost the entire upholstery job. 








The Pilot House Couch -  My Sketch                 And this is how it turned out



The Salon Couch -  My Sketch                         And this is how it turned out


                      









                                                                                       



The Dinette - My Sketch                                   And this is how it turned out

 









All the boat had when we bought it was foam mattresses on the couches and no backs on any of them.  Not only does this look better, it's much more comfortable.  And the skirts on the couches, cover up extra storage under each couch, plus the extra cushions on the Salon couch serve as bed pillows for overnight guests on the other couches. 

Now with what I have learned from my daughters experience I have continued on.  I had to complete on my own,  the arm rest cushions for the Pilot House and the 5 pillows for the Salon Couch.  The new Captains seat in the Pilot House and the Navigator's stool.  

So, my upholstering and sewing is finally finished.  Unless I or someone else thinks of something I still have to sew.  I am done.  All of the entire boat furniture has been re-upholstered. 

And all of the Canvas items that we felt we needed are also finished.  I have made a tonneau cover for our fly bridge area, all new cushions for our back deck, a cover for our dinghy, a runoff cover for the back deck cushions and a small cover for our Bar-B-Q.  So, I am done. 

IT WAS A LOT OF WORK, BUT WELL WORTH IT