Another short day of working on my lovely little sloop. I couldn't get down to see her till around 4:00 in the afternoon, but I recruited the help of my little brother, Liam, to help with some sanding. We scrubbed out the bilge a bit, and I painted some scuzzy looking parts of the cabin top and the cockpit while Liam ran around sanding some of the woodwork. I hadn't really added up how much varnish it's going to take to get her in Bristol condition, but I'm sure it will be well worth the effort of doing it properly. The weather here in Wisconsin is warming up a bit, but that is bringing in more moisture than I'd like, so it's been foggy and rainy. Tomorrow is supposed to be up to 71 degrees, but it's also supposed to have crazy thunderstorms and almost tornado conditions. I've been reading up a bit on what I can do to forestall my decision on what to do about the engine. My Bristol 24 had a small diesel engine that is meant to be mounted inboard just under the cockpit. This is a nice setup because while it's running it can also charge the batteries, and since the propeller is lower down in the water, it is more likely to stay under water in the event of rough seas. It would be simple to mount an outboard motor onto the transom, but that would look ugly, and I'd have to raise it and lower it every time I want to use it..... and it would cost more money that I don't have.
I finally bought insurance for my boat, so now at least if I crash into anyone I'll be covered. Now the only main expenses I have are paying off the rest of the boat slip ($691) and buying a set of sails; I figure I can pick up a used set for about $500. When I think about how quickly the boat is coming together I get really excited for the summer. I get the feeling that it will be more and more difficult to bring myself into work each day when I have the prospect of taking off and cruising whenever I want. The one thing I know that will keep me grounded is knowing that my cruising range is limited by my funds, and in order to do my big cruise next summer I'm going to have to work hard and save a lot.
I recently watched a couple of sailing movies. I had heard Abby Sunderland recommend Deep Water, a documentary about one ill-fated sailor and his attempt in the first solo, non-stop round the world race. It was insightful, but I don't think I should let my Mom watch it; she might worry. I also watched Morning Light, a documentary made by Disney about their crew of young rookie sailors and their first TransPac Race. I'd love to do something like that, but those high powered race machines make the trip from California to Hawaii in 10 days. A 70 foot boat making 20 knots is a little bit more intense than my 24 foot boat making 5.....probably 4 knots average.
I know I really need to get some pictures up, but I just ran over here from my apartment and forgot to bring my camera along with me. Keep your fingers crossed for next time.
Thanks for reading!
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