Current Weather

[CapnK]

Mele Kalikimaka! :) Plans to spend this day with family have been superceded, for a while at least, by the vagaries of winter weather...

Originally, I was headed over to my childhood home yesterday afternoon. Last thing before leaving the boat, I thought to check the forecast, and that was a Good Thing! As it stands right now:

Today
Se winds 20 to 25 kt with gusts up to 35 kt... becoming S 25 to 35 kt with gusts up to 45 kt late this morning and afternoon. Seas 9 to 10 ft. Seas around 6 ft near shore. Isolated tstms. Widespread rain this morning...then widespread showers this afternoon.

Last night I had the good sense to run extra lines across my slip to the finger pier on the other side, make sure that my decks were cleared up, and to retighten the lines on my 'boom tent', so that Katie was all ready to deal with what comes our way. I knew that with these wind directions, there would be a mile of fetch pointing right at my slip and that it would probably get lumpy. That was the Lesson of Hurricane Gaston being remembered... ;)

I woke at 6:30 this morning, surprised enough at the relative calm to actually climb out of the v-berth and take a look at conditions. Light rain, light wind - hmmm, OK - back to bed, then. :D

I was reawakened at 8 by the pitching of the boat. ;D

It was already bumpy enough to toss water out of the coffee maker before I had the chance to set it brewing, and I could see that my dock neighbors fenders have been flattened between her Hunter 27 and the finger pier. Tuning the radio to a Christmas music station, I gave my Mom a happy holiday morning call, and poured myself the first half-cup of black magic as it came through the filter. CrewDog Buffett stood legs splayed across the cabin sole, staring at me balefully for a bit, before deciding it might be better just to lay back down. On the radio, Christmas carols get interrupted by the blatting squawk of NOAA's Emergency Alert system, which says that we are under a Tornado Watch until later this afternoon. As I write this, I also hear the 41' Coast Guard cutter sounding one long blast on the horn, signaling departure. I hope that wherever they have to go, for whatever reason, it is just a minor event.

Well, my first cuppa joe is finished, and it's time to throw on some foulies and go do stuff in the outside. :) Merry Windy Christmas, everyone!

[s/v Faith]

I hope the cutter is just going out to 'stand by' in case of trouble. 

Well, my first cuppa joe is finished, and it's time to throw on some foulies and go do stuff in the outside.  Merry Windy Christmas, everyone!

  Last year was the same thing (at least here).  I remember because I sailed on Christmas Eve last year and it was cold but nice.... then Christmas day I remember it being nasty.

  Hope you are able to keep warm, and all is well as you ride this one out Kurt.

Christmas Weather:  .....

Funny story on this.. I laid the second layer of fiberglass over the bow yesterday.  Used a single piece of 6oz mat and wet out the entire bow (of course all the hardware has been removed.)

  After the entire foredeck is wet out..  I hear this forecast on the radio.....  :-\

  I am trying to figure out how I am gonna secure Faith in her slip... the bow is held in place by a single line wrapped around the forestay.... not gonna be a good set up in a blow.  :o

  I took a pencil and poked the bolt holes open so I could mount the bit on the foredeck.

After about 4 hours the epoxy had hardened just enough for me to lay flat on my stomach and inch up to where I could reach the lines and install the bit without disturbing the un-hardened epoxy (it was not a warm day, it cures pretty slowly this time of year).

  I got the bit in, and she is tied up well.... doubt I will be able to work with any fairing today........  :P
 

[CapnK]

How goes the work, Craig?

We had some lumpiness here again last night. Wintertime is good for that. ;)

[s/v Faith]

Foredeck is faired, mounted platform the roller will sit on  ;D

  Got the new drawers mounted in the new step I made for the galley... these are the original drawers from #338 that Ebbs sent me.  I cut them down to 15" and made a new top step for them to mount in....

  Chain locker cover and access plate are made, just need to be glassed in, waiting till the new anchor roller, is in place as it is going to have the mother of all backing plates...

  Feel like I am making some progress, rushing off to a YC meeting right now, and then a race.... it is tough to race a boat in the midst of a major refit.  ;)