A new thread for me, I guess, since its a "new" boat now...

[CapnK]

Frankie sent me a PM wondering where I have been and whats been going on, and (begging yer permission, Frank-eh) I thought I'd reply to him publicly since I haven't wrot emuch at all lately, so that ya'll would know as well. :)

He asked about what - or who ;) - I've been doing, how's things going with the 'new' boat, the dog, and life in general... Well, here are some answers. ;D

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I haven't done anybody in so long that I will have to get instructions just to see where the parts go, if I ever get the chance again.. :D

New boat - I like it, but darn I just wish I could blow Katie up some in size, because that's the only advantage, when I consider most everything... Was having a beer night before last, watching the snowbirds flocking into the city harbor, trying in vain for 20 or more minutes to get their hooks set, and realized that with the draft of the Islander (5' or so), I'll have to anchor out among *those* wahoos... :) No sneaking into the shallower areas, where theres less boats and you need less scope and the people have an easier time handling their vessels...

Been doing a lot of small stuff that needs doing, some for the reason that it's sat for so long, some for the reason that things just weren't kept up and/or were poorly implemented and needed a bit of fixing. Like the shower, draining into the bilge and thence into a shower sump to be pumped over. I'm making it so that that gray water gets pumped into the sink drain. Making a little table/storage cube for the salon, instead of the gargantuan 6' long fold-out thing they put in there which would be great for hoity-toity snoots at the Yacht Club, but which really doesn't work out well for how I live/use the area. Sooner or later I am going to eviscerate the v-berth, it is a terrible horrible waste of space and I am only using it as a sort of 'clothes storage platform' right now. Found out yesterday that to convert the nice, CNG-using, stainless steel 3 burner stove/oven to propane would cost in excess of $250, and even then it would not be compliant with safety standards, not to the point that the USCG or an insurance company would like... Have some Sunbrella Plus on the way to make a new bimini, dodger, main cover, and roller snarler sun strip... Swapped out almost all the incandescent interior bulbs with LED's from Amazon and they work great. That sort of stuff, and more...

Oh - this is extremely relevant - now that I have lived daily with a wet head for ~6 months, even though it is a properly working example, I can state without a doubt that a composting setup is FAR AND ABOVE the better solution, in every way. I will be rectifying that situation eventually.

Dog Barque is good, but so full of energy that at times it is exasperating. He ran off for a bit last night and ignored me calling him back from wherever he was (he doesn't usually go out of voice range), and I was royally pissed. I do love the little bugger, but he doesn't have an anchor set in my heart like Molly and Buffett did, and if it is gonna be a pain to cruise with him, then - well, I'll have to find him a home. That sucks, cuz he's a cool dog and loves me to death, but he gets so one-track dog-minded at times that its like he's crazy and stops thinking about the rules and such, and then I have to get all Capt Bligh.
Yeah, I guess that's normal dog behavior, and I just probably don't remember so well the times when it happened with Molls or Mr B, but I am a lot closer to finally getting to untie and get off the farging dock finally, and that's something I just ***gotta*** do, and if he makes it difficult, he'll have to become a land dog, somewheres...

We had a bit of a storm last weekend, but it wasn't too bad. Gusts around 40-50 tops, mostly for Gtown it was a big rain event. The path it traveled, we got nailed by the rain bands. I don't know what out totals were, but I would guess we easily got over 3-4" in a day or two.

It's snobwird season, so there are lots of transients moving through right now heading N. But the other day some stopped in who are headed to Texas on a Gemini 105 they'd just bought - and it had a 35# Bulwagga hanging ion the front, still with the original label stuck to one of the flukes. I tried my best to get the guy to sell it to me, but he wasn't having it. Darnit.

Met another young guy night before last, who's getting close to finishing the Loop. He started last July from Connecticut on a Catalina 27, northbound. The boat has green canvas, his name is Kevin, and the boat name is, IIRC, "Mostly Driftin'" I invited him here, but am unsure as to his net access status...

Well, that's most of it for now, I reckon.

[Norman]

Hey Captain K!  If this is your Islander thread, you need to add the Islander to your signature!  Good to get up to date on the happenings and planning with your boats and dog.  Yep, a dog has to know and answer to the master, or there will be a disconnect, most especially if home is mobile.

The needed modifications to the Islander don't seem to overwhelming as you lay them out.  how many are needed before cruising?  Is the moss off the bottom yet :-X ?

I just read GODOT's link to Alain Frasse's very complete guide to anchoring science.  With the new height above deck for the roller and depth under the waterline required for safety with a 5 foot draft, you are going to need a whole lot more rode to get the same scope that you had with the Arial.  The trade off for more space and comfort bring a lot more work, but that is made up for when anchored!http://sailfar.net/forum/Smileys/default/cheesy.gif

Norman

[Tim]

Good to hear what's going on Capn.

Tell Barque he is acting like a Liz Clark's cat and he better shape up and act like a good sea dog.

And as you know, more ballast = more headaches, not just when your bottom painting either.  ;)

Take care and enjoy

[Godot]

CapnK, if the time is coming to head out for awhile, I guess you are planning on taking the big Islander, and not the little Katie?

[CapnK]

Norman - Sig updated... 8) I guess I'll use this thread until the time comes to make a decision about renaming... or something like that (For Trade: Islander 36 in good shape, for Cape Dory 30-33/Alberg 30/35...  ;) ) . The boat is pretty much good for coastwise cruising as-is, though until I get the motor running she is still helping to keep the river filtered with her hanging jungle.  :o ;D That'll be a few weeks from now; I'll be sailing her come early/mid June. I would want to replace the standing rigging if I was headed offshore, as it is of an indeterminate age - that's a late summer project goal.
Will have to check out that anchoring info. Luckily, over the past few years, I have managed to acquire several hundred feet - maybe even 1K - of line of sufficient diameter (.5" and up) that it will work for heavy anchor rodes on this boat. She has a Delta (IIRC) hanging off her snoot, and I have a 45# plow with a slightly bent shank that I got for near free, so while I am not ready for a 'cane, I could handle most weather with this ground tackle. :)

Thanks Tim - I will definitely be keeping it as KISS as possible, to minimize the headaches/work! :)

Adam - that's what I am thinking. Like I mentioned above, it is not set in stone, if the fickle winds of fate should blow me about even more.;)  I do believe the boat to be capable of whatever I am, it's just a kind of big mindset change, mostly due to being unforeseen or planned. And I am lucky she is the shoal draft version - most of these I36's draw 7'!  :o :P