Way-ho Deck Hardware Away

Circle:
Sunday was a beautiful day and Square and I removed the deck hardware. But, I was worried about the bow deck...might need someone to look at it. Our prow seemed a little shaky...I wouldn't want it to protect me from the sea...maybe Square, not me! I believe that if I put on weight on it, I might be swept off the deck into the sea WITH the prow.
What to do! Better to be safe and know. But, might need an expert on fibreglass...is it rotted, cored, soggy...and all the words about fibreglass problems!
While Square was sit on the deck supervising the yard...prime time for boat removal with the club's boom....and I worried! The "what if" worries.
On Monday, I sanded the 'crazing' and the cracks...I think I got most of them. Next, open up the cracks so the epoxy can bond in the cracks and crazing.
Inside the cabin, I stripped all the wood to take it home to refinish in my garage. Then, I will start grinding the crazing in the cabin and the cracks in the gel-coat to prepare to begin epoxy.
We live in the Maritimes and winter is coming so I have to work when I can...it would be great to have the boat in a building so I can work all winter and have Pole Pole shape-ship! Does anyone have a building in Halifax where I can work on Pole Pole for free????

Pole Pole...Where is thy mast?

Circle:

No mast! How can you be a sailor if you don't have a mast to set up your sails? Grrrr!!!

The season almost finished and Pole Pole (pronounced Polee Polee) doesn't have a mast! We are frustrated. Our rigger hasn't done a good job of finding a second-hand mast for Square's 22 Columbia....maybe there isn't second-hand mast for 22 Columbia or another one that might fit!

Our insurance claim assayer said why don't you get a sleeve on the broken mask...our rigger doesn't like that idea. The mast snapped off at the middle where the spreaders are connected due to metal fatigue, if the mast has metal fatigue Square is worried that a sleeve isn't a good idea either. Okay, could Square buy a new mast? No....it would be at least $6000. I called a company to have a quote for a sleeve, so we'll see.

But, in the meantime ....what to do?

Well, when Square was away in Ethiopia in July, I decided to surprise her by fixing Pole Pole's deck blisters....didn't seem to be hard. I googled about blisters and read Don Casey's book about blisters. At first, there was about 6 blisters, but when I started open them up and sanded them...I found more...and more and more. I had to warn Square that Pole Pole wasn't pretty anymore.

And, the more I read and search about repairs to fibreglass boats, the more I was scared that Pole Pole would need to be put down...

Circle:

So, I decided to talk with our insurance claims assayer to see what Square's options would be. Stu (claims assayer) told us that Pole Pole was a good boat, but any money that we would put on Pole Pole wouldn't come if Square wanted to sell because of the Pole Pole age. Hmmm....I wouldn't want anyone to decide that because I was old, it wasn't worthwhile to spend money on me! Sounds wrong...there must be a way to make things better. So, Square and me decided (argued) that 'we' would repair Pole Pole this year. After all, if your horse 'bucked' you, better to get on again and bond with your horse!

On fine days, I go to Pole Pole and fought for territory that the seagulls and sea birds captured...oh my god, everytime I would go to the moor there were 4-6 birds on board and they had no giving up "their" boat where they ate and shit! I'm not accustomized in my bathroom...but they seem to be accustomizing to eating on their table!

It takes 2 hours to clean their bathroom before I'm ready to work on Pole Pole! And, everytime I go, it's the same!

So, I decided with Square's agreement that Pole Pole should move to the marina. Then, the birds wouldn't land on Pole Pole AND I could use my tools....did I tell I bought grinder and a dremel...I had to, to repair the boat!

Right now, I bet you are thinking "Why is the boat on the water if she can't sail?" Well.....we decided that we could bob on the water and motor, waiting to our rigger to find a @!#%^& mast!

And, our trailer is getting a redo and isn't ready yet to move the boat to the yard.

So, now Square and I have taken most of the deck hardware away to reset them and to paint.....I haven't sanded all of the deck...yet! But, I'm prepared to reset the deck hardware, ports, hatch and old holes.

Resources:
Virtual Boatyard
West Systems