Maintenance Log January 2011


January 31, 2011, Monday.

        Went to Nutria Marina to pick up Fedencio. He was going to paint the letters on the bow so we would have the name back on the bow of Dream Away. Fedencio made an evaluation, then he and I went into town to purchase paint and brushes. We came back from town with a quart of single part polyurethane paint and two brushes. I put the dinghy in the water, and Fedencio worked on how the lettering was to be done. He did the job, and it was not quite what we wanted, but the name is now back on the bow. Fedencio charged us about $2.50 to do the job!

Fedencio Getting Ready To Paint On Letters

        Moved more items from storage to Dream Away. Except for the old name boards from the bow and a couple of pieces of wood from the old cap rail, everything from the storage area in the shop is now on Dream Away.

        Moved the repaired man overboard pole to Dream Away and installed the pole, light and the horseshoe ring on Dream Away. Installed Jerry Jugs and new covers Looks good! Also went and did some shopping and picked up laundry for us and for friend Paul.

Jerry Jugs And New Covers Partially Installed



January 30, 2011, sunday.

        Day off, flea market, social engagements

January 29, 2011, Saturday.

        Unpacked storage area in shop and started to move stuff to Dream Away. This included all of the Jerry Jugs for diesel and water, also moved two suitcases of clothes to the rancho to be separated out and gone through, the rescue Ring and the man overboard retrieval system, and various boxes of stuff!

        When I moved the man overboard pole, I realized the fiberglass pole had started to delaminate. This needed repair. I mixed a pot oof resin, and mixed some of the yellow gelcoat with it. I added the catalyst, and applied the mixture to the fiberglass man overboard pole. The resin kicked off and the repair worked great. The pole is good for another few years until the UV takes it toll.

        Went to Backpackers for a Cajun food. Had a great meal, wonderful entertainment, and a very good time.

        Checked Dream Away Fuel Tanks. Port tank contains 48 gallons, and the starboard tank contains 60 gallons of diesel.

January 28, 2011, Friday.

        Yesterday I got the physical pumps moved and installed. I did run the hose from the valve to the water maker system, but it had not been attached. Today I wanted to get the hose installed. I started by removing everything off of the first shelf of the store room. This was necessary to get the hose installed to the input of the water maker system. I also wanted to thoroughly check the water maker system and the refrigeration system.  Once the shelf was cleared, I removed the shelf, and I was able to gain complete access to the water maker system and the refrigeration system

        I removed the hose that was attached to the input of the water maker system, and installed the hose that I ran yesterday. I also put in a third filter housing for the pre-filters to the high pressure pump on the water maker system. I used to have three pre-filters, but when I changed the system over from 1/2" hoses to 3/4" hoses, I could not find a 3/4" filter housing in Honduras or Guatemala. When I was in the states last year, I brought back with me a new 3/4" filter housing. I installed this 3/4" filter housing in the system. So now the pre-filters are back to design. First pre-filter is 30 micron, second pre-filter is 5 micron, and the third pre-filter is for petroleum products.

        I then checked the oil in the high pressure pump, and checked the drive belts for wear. I also checked and tightened all the hose connections in the system. Now it was time to actually check water flow. When I turned on the pump, the water flow was not good. I then switched the system to run on the main cabin air conditioner. The water flow was not good either. the new March AC-5C-MD pump has a much larger capacity in gallons per minute than the previous pump, but I had used the March AC-5C-MD pump as the water maker lift pump last year, so it seemed. there was a blockage in the system.

        First thing I did was to clean the strainers for the water line into the March AC-5C-MD pump. While I was in the area, I also cleaned the strainer for the refrigeration system. Some trash in the strainers, which I cleaned out, but not enough to cause a problem. I next went to the main raw water input strainer. This is feed by a 1 1/2" input water line. When I took the top off of the strainer, I discovered a plastic bag in the strainer! I removed the plastic bag, put the strainer back together. I stared up the pump, and then I had a lot of water going through the cooling line for the main cabin air conditioner. I then switched the water system to the water maker and started the pump again. Now we had water going through the system. I got the filter housings bleed, and the system was working great. Now I was able to make water!

        I then checked the refrigeration system. I checked all of the connections for the refrigerant, checked the oil in the compressor, and checked the drive belt for abnormal wear. All looked good. I put the storeroom shelf back together, and the boxes abck on the shelf. Last item for the day was to cut out a plastic cover for the March AC-5C-MD pump. The pump is not waterproof, so I wanted to have a cover for the pump whenever I had to bleed either the input or output water hose.

Water Maker System Under Storage Room Shelf

Captain Working On Water Maker System


Water flowing Through New Filter Housing


January 27, 2011, Thursday.

        A really wet and rainy day, but I had an inside project scheduled.

        One thing that really bothers me about living on a boat is having enough spares to cover most problems. One way to keep up with the amount of spares is to make one piece of equipment work for several different uses. One place this is handy is with water pumps. I have tried several times to find water one pump for several uses, but you can not imagine how hard it is to find one. Just in 12 VDC pumps, I have three different and separate pumps. For my 115 VAC pumps, I have three different types. So, spares for six different pumps!!

        Today I started out to at least solve the 115 VAC pump problem. Last year I put in a new lift pump for the water maker. It is actually a cooling pump for large marine air conditioners. When I got the new lift pump working with the water maker, I decided to use this model pump, the March AC-5C-MD, as my air conditioner cooling pump also. I came up with a plan to use the  March AC-5C-MD as my water maker lift pump, and my main cabin air conditioner cooling pump. This plan eliminated the original main cabin air conditioner cooling pump, a March LC-3CP-MD. This pump is now a spare pump.

        Today I rewired and re-plumbed for the March AC-5C-MD pump. I have a relay in the electrical system that provides power to the March AC-5C-MD pump. The normally closed contacts allow the pump to be used as the main cabin air conditioner cooling pump. With the main cabin air conditioner powered off, I can turn on the water maker lift pump from the circuit breaker panel. This opens the contacts on the relay to the main cabin air conditioner, and switches electricity to the pump so it can run as the water maker lift pump.

        The second part of getting the system to work properly was to re-plumb the water to the pump. I ran the input hose to the March AC-5C-MD pump through a strainer. The output of the pump then goes to a valve that switches the water to the main cabin air conditioner or to the water maker. The actual hose to the water maker is not connected as yet, but I did check out the system, and all works as planned

Pump Configuration At Beginning Of The Day

Pump Configuration With Just The March AC-5C-MD Installed


        So the situation with the 115 VAC pumps is this. I am using the March AC-5C-MD as the main cabin air conditioner pump and the water maker lift pump. If this pump goes bad, I have a spare pump, and a rebuild kit for it. I have a second air conditioner for the aft cabin, and it uses a  March LC-2CP-MD as the cooling pump. If the LC-2CP-MD pump goes bad it will be replaced with the March LC-3CP-MD. If that pump goes bad, it will be replaced with another March AC-5C-MD,  the one that is now the spare pump. At some point in time, way in the future, all the 115 VAC pumps will be the same type and brand.

        The following three drawings show the electrical and water connections for the new system. The first drawing shows connections for the relay that enables the March AC-5C-MD pump to be turned on with either the main cabin air conditioner, or the water maker lift pump. The second drawing shows the electrical system as it was and now. The third drawing shows the water system as it was and now.

Diaram Of The Connections For The Enabling Relay


Diagram Of The Electrical System (Before And After)

Diagram Of The Water System (Before And After)


January 26, 2011, Wednesday.

        First on the agenda today was to put tender into the water. Had help from friend Paul on that, and he also helped me carry the Yamaha outboard form the shop to the front porch to re-install on the tender. Also put the newly painted oars onto the tender, the fuel tank, cushions, and small storage box. I also re-installed the Bimini top on the tender.  I started the outboard and moved the dinghy from the porch over to the area reserved for tenders and dinghies.

Yamaha Outboard With Newly Painted Cover

        Today was the day of bilge pumps. I checked out the Rule 2000 gallons per hour bilge pump. Verified operation in automatic and manual mode.  I checked out the Rule 3700 gallons per hour bilge pump. Verified operation in automatic and manual mode. I then checked the Edson 30 gallon per minute manual pump. This pump worked great with the long extension handle I made for it.

        The last pump to check out was the PAR Jabsco electric bilge pump. I planned to move this pump as in its present location, something could fall onto it, and prevent it from working. When I check the pump before moving it , the pump would not work!  I started troubleshooting the problem by cleaning the input strainer, but it was not in bad shape and was not the problem. I took the pump apart, but could find no problem. I replaced the pump with my spare, but the same problem. OK, I concluded the problem was the pickup that was in the bilge. Getting to it, checking it out and putting it back was no small task. Just that consumed about two hours, but the pickup was clean, and it was not the problem. I finall took the strainer off of the input hose and looked at it. The input to the strainer was clogged with junk from the bilge! I cleaned it out and the pump worked fine. I then moved the pump to its new location. All four of the manual and automatic bilge pumps work along with the visual and audio alarms.

PAR Jabsco Electric Bilge Pump In Its Original Location (The Shelf AboveIs A New Location)

PAR Jabsco Electric Bilge Pump In Its New Location


January 25, 2011, Tuesday.

        Started off the day with a shopping trip into town. Stopped at severl stores, and got several items.

        When I returned from the shopping trip, I mixed up the anti-fouling paint and applied it to the bottom of the tender. I did one coat of the anti-fouling paint and removed the masking tape.  I cleaned up the tender from any paint spills with acetone and a rag. The directions on the paint said to wait for 16 hours before splashing the tender, so it will go into the water tomorrow. I did not get any photos of the tender with the anti-fouling paint on.

        I got the small Mercury outboard off of the stern of Dream Away, and serviced it. I removed and cleaned the spark plug and put it back into the engine. I greased and lubricated all if the parts that appeared to possibly be prone to corrosion. If needed the Mercury outboard is ready to go.

        I re-installed the pad eyes for the boarding ladder on the starboard side. Finishing this completes the forward cap rail project. There is now a lot less teak to maintain on Dream Away, and probably four to five leaks that have been fixed.

January 24, 2011, Monday.

        Installed PVC side bumpers on the tender. This was a time consuming project, but now we will be able come up beside other boats, and not mark them. We should also be able bump into docks, and the tender will win!

Captain Installing PVC Bumper/Rub Rail On Tender

Captain Installing PVC Bumper/Rub Rail On Tender

Captain Installing PVC Bumper/Rub Rail On Tender

       I masked the waterline on the bottom of tender to apply the anti-fouling paint.

Captain Applying masking Tape To Bottom Of Tender


January 23, 2011, Sunday.

        A rainy day on the Rio. Spent the whole day doing work on the computers. Did updates on the Apple with the Windows XP virtual machine, and also did all the updates on the Gateway backup navigation computer. I tried to download the Weather FAX on the XP virtual machine on the Apple, but had a problem. I have seen the problem before, so will have to find the solution in the help file. Would it be nice if the software worked as advertised, out of the box!!

January 22, 2011, Saturday.

        Went to the shop and mixed up two 5-ounce pots of gelcoat. I got everything that I needed ready for the application, including getting the dingy in the water and tied beside the boat. I was applying gelcoat on the step at the life rail gate, so needed to be in the dinghy to apply the gelcoat on the outside of the cap rail. Brought the gelcoat to Dream Away and applied the two pots of gelcoat to the deck around the cockpit and the starboard eyebrow.

        I then mixed a third pot of gelcoat and instead of using the Styrene substitute I purchased in the Rio Dulce, I used some Styrene that I had left over from purchases in Texas. This pot of gelcoat rolled on just fine, and it kicked off and hardened really well without an application of standard floor wax. I have to apply the standard floor wax over the gelcoat that did not have the real Styrene in it.

        I then removed the masking tape for the areas where the gelcoat was applied. Because the first two pots of gelcoat did not kick off completely because of the lack of Styrene in the mix, I had to put standard floor wax over the gelcoat so it would kick off.

Captain Rolling Non-skid Gelcoat On Starboard Step Through Life Rail

Rolled On Non-skid Gelcoat On The Starboard Side Near The Cockpit Deck

Bow Non-skid Gelcoat With Masking Tape Removed


        Last year we had a problem where sometimes when we rolled up the Genoa with the roller furling system, it wrapped to tight, and we could not roll the sail completely in. Today, I added seven extra revolutions of the line on the furling drum. This should fix that problem.

        Could not find any green quarts of anti-fouling paint, so purchased a quart of blue anti-fouling paint from a boater on the Rio. This is for the bottom of the tender. I also purchased a 20 foot piece of 2 1/2" PVC pipe for bumpers on tender.

January 21, 2011, Friday.

        Installed genoa "T" track and the fair leads on the starboard forward cap rail.

Drilling And Tapping Bolt Holes For The Genoa "T" Track On Starboard Side Forward Cap Rail

Captain Working On The Starboard Cap Rail Genoa "T" Track

        Masked off starboard deck just outside the cockpit, starboard cockpit eyebrow and a portion of the bow deck area getting ready to apply the non-skid gelcoat.

Starboard Deck And Eyebrow Masked-off In Preparation For Application Of Non-skid Gelcoat

Captain Applying Masking Tape On Bow Of Dream Away

Bow Of Dream Away Masked-off

January 20, 2011, Thursday.

        Early this morning we turned Dream Away around. I had to finish installing some of the hardware on the cap rail on the Starboard side, plus we get better breezes into the boat because of the prevailing wind.

        I had to go into town to do some shopping. While I was gone, Efrain cleaned the starboard side hull, which is now away from the dock. The whole hull from the waterline to the shear stripe has been washed and cleaned. It looks really good to start on this years cruise.

        I sanded the deck on the starboard side deck just outside the cockpit, and the starboard side eyebrow in preparation for gelcoat and non-skid gelcoat application. I then painted on white gelcoat to cover most of the blemishes on the eyebrow and the deck just outside the cockpit.

        I went back to the shop and scraped all opf the Yamaha insignia off of my outboard cover. I then sanded the cover and painted the cover with white two part paint. I do this to hide the fact that I have a Yamaha engine. Pretty much outside the US, Yamaha is the outboard of choice. I have made threats that when I get back to the US, I am going to purchase Honda Outboard stickers and put them on my outboard cover. Down here no one steals a Honda outboard, because they have such a bad reputation.

        Last item for the day was to cut all the 5/16" flat head bolts I am going to use to attach the genoa "T" track to the starboard forward cap rail. I had 4" and 4 1/2" bolts and only needed 2 1/2"  bolts. I had to cut 15 bolts.

January 19, 2011, Wednesday.

        Since I had the outboard off of the tender and hanging up in the shop, I decided to give it a servicing. Took the fuel filter apart and cleaned the filter and housing, and re-installed the fuel filter. Drained the carburetor, and did not see any water or foreign material in the fuel that was drained. Removed the spark plugs, cleaned them and reinstalled them. Pumped grease into the one zerc fitting on the motor, and then wiped grease on all of the stainless steel parts that are attached or screwed into the aluminum housing.

        I then bent the tender bow rails back to as close as they were before our anchor dragging incident in Roatan. I then drilled the necessary holes in the newly applied fiberglass backing plates on the tender for the tender bow rails. I installed the tender rails, adjusted their shape a bit and they went right on.

Rails Laying Beside Tender Before Intsallation

Newly Bent Bow Rails Re-Installed on Tender

        Designed and fitted a bumper for the bow of the tender from 3 1/2 inch PVC pipe.  The old system of a fender just did not protect the bow of the tender. As you can see from the photo above there is already a chunk out of the port side bow. This new system should protect the bow. Time will tell. I also plan to purchase a piece of 2 1/2 inch PVC pipe and use it to protect the sides of the tender. I also installed a new security wire to lock the tender up when we leave it at a dock. The new wire is 1/4 inch 7 X19 wire.

Front View Of Newly Installed Tender Bumper

New Tender Forward Bumper Viewed From Starboard Side


        Luis helper, from Progresso Upholstery, finished the installation of the snaps on navigation station chair. This completes all of the work done on new fabric covers for the main salon.

        I did some repairs on the tender bimini. I had to drill out some rivets, and then use a tap to put threads in the holes, and then install 1/4 X 20 X 1/2 pan head bolts to hold the pieces together. While I had all of the tools out, I also drilled and tapped a hole on the starboard life rail on Dream Away. When I was doing all of the work on the cap rail, I noticed a joint in the life rail that did not have a proper bolt in it. This problem was fixed!

        Efrain cleaned hull on port side and stern.

January 18, 2011, Tuesday.

         While waiting for the dew to dry, Kitty and I installed the plastic enclosures on the starboard side that Luis had modified to fit better. Luis had installed the female side of the snaps at the bottom of the enclosures. Kitty and I installed the male end of the snaps on the side of the cockpit. We are now ready for rainy or heavy weather on the starboard and the port side. We then removed the starboard side enclosures, rolled them up and put then in the forward cabin storage area. I then removed each of the male snaps on the port and starboard side of the cockpit, applied a coat of Life Seal on each snap, and re-installed the snaps.

Starboard Side Of Cockpit With No Snaps Installed

Starboard Side Of Cockpit With Male Snaps Installed

Starboard Cockpit Enclosures Installed


        Next I went to the shop and mixed up a 5 ounce pot of non-skid gelcoat. I applied the non-skid gelcoat to the front of the tender, and used the remainder of the pot and applied it to the bow area of Dream Away.  Got the non-skid gelcoat all applied, then went back and removed all of the masking tape. I then turned over the tender

Non-Skid Gelcoat On front Of Tender

Captain Rolling On Non Skid Gelcoat On Bow Of Dream Away

Bow Of Dream Away Mostly Done

        Yesterday I had installed masking tape dams around the areas on the tender where the hand rails are installed on the tender. It was very difficult to cut and install backing plates under where the hand rails come through the side of the tender, so I decided to apply  fiberglass and resin, and basically install a permanent backing plate. The masking tape dams allowed this to happen. I cut seven pieces of fiberglass for each backing plate. I then mixed a pot of resin, added catalyst, and went to work. I got all of the backing plates made, and the tender turned right side up.

January 17, 2011, Monday.

        Removed Yamaha outboard from tender, removed tender bimini, and removed all loose items from tender. Friend Paul and I pulled the tender out of water and up onto the front porch of the owners house to do some repairs and maintenance. Brought the hoses from Dream Away over to the porch and washed off the bottom of tender. After seven months of being in the Rio Dulce, the bottom and sides were pretty filthy with slime and sludge. It was also obvious I need to raise the waterline at the back of the tender, as the slime and sludge was about two inches above the present waterline.

        One of the maintenance projects on the tender was to roll on the non-skid gelcoat. Last year I had applied some non-skid tape on the front of the tender so we would not slip while getting into and out of the tender. This tape worked for a while, but the sun did it's thing, and the tape started coming off of the front of the tender. I pulled off all of the remaining tape and cleaned off the remaining adhesive. I then sanded down the area, and wiped it all down with acetone. I then masked off the areas on the front of the tender for the gelcoat non-skid. I also masked off the bow of Dream Away in case I had too much gelcoat mixed up and needed a place to roll it on. The plan is to completely roll on the yellow non-skid gelcoat on the deck of Dream Away.

Dream Away  Bow Masked Off To Roll On Non-Skid Gelcoat

Tender With Masked Off Area For Non Skid Gelcoat



January 16, 2011, Sunday.

       Kitty and I installed the plastic enclosures on the port side that Luis had modified to fit better. Luis had installed the female side of the snaps at the bottom of the enclosures. Kitty and I installed the male end of the snaps on the side of the cockpit. We are now ready for rainy or heavy weather on the port side.

Newly Installed Port Side Weather Cockpit Enclosures Looking Aft


Newly Installed Port Side Weather Cockpit Enclosures Looking Forward

        The last project for the day was sewing the forward awning. I resewed the the seam down the middle and then sewed on a black piece of webbing on the the underside of the long awning seam. I used a zig zag stitch on each side of the webbing and one down the middle. That should hold it all together until I can afford to replace the awnings.

Underside Of Forward Awning Installed


January 15, 2011, Saturday.

        Today we went to the swap meet at Mario's Marina, then went into town to do some shopping and have lunch.

        I applied the third coat of paint to the dinghy oar.

        Next was coming up with a way to keep the privacy handset for the Iridium satellite phone plugged into the base. It has been a problem pretty much since it was installed, but since Kitty and I usually talk with the speaker on, we do not use the privacy hand set. I came up with a jury rig that will work until I can get a more permanent fix made.

Iridium Phone Privacy Handset Fix

        I put compressor box back into place over the SCUBA compressor.

Captain With Compressor Box In Place, Also Showing Boarding Ladder Cover, Life Raft Cover, And Mizzen Sail Cover Skirts


January 14, 2011, Friday.

        Day Off

January 13, 2011, Thursday.

        Last night we had high winds and the forward awning split the long seam. It is still a rainy day so decided to break out my new Sailrite sewing machine that I purchased from Paul. I started sewing and when I went around a grommet, I got to close and broke a needle. I have many new needles, but they are a different length, so I have to adjust the needle stroke. I had so many interruptions during the day I did not get the adjustment done. Still have to get the awning sewn!      

        The yellow non-skid gelcoat I applied yesterday on the compressor box top and the port side eyebrow was still a bit sticky, so applied a coat of wax to both.

January 12, 2011, Wednesday.

        Finished up engine room. I replaced all of the oil soak pads under the main engine and the gen set. I also replaced the zinc in the main engine heat exchanger, and checked the oil in the main engine transmission. Ran the gen set for two hours to verify operation and make sure nothing happed when I changed the oil and fuel filters.

        I applied the second coat of paint on dinghy oar.

        I masked the compressor box and the port side eyebrow. I mixed up one five ounce pot of yellow gelcoat and rolled it on the top of the compressor box and the port side eyebrow. In this pot of gelcoat I added another 1/2 ounce of wax.

Forward Port Side Eyebrow Non-Skid Gelcoat

Port Side Eyebrow Non-Skid Gelcoat

Compressor Box With Yellow Non-Skid On Top


January 11, 2011, Tuesday.

        Today is going to be nasty day. Started out by draining all of the yuk out of the diesel standpipe. Next was to change out the Racor filters for the main engine and the gen set. I also drained out the yuk in the bottom of the Racor filter housings. This was pretty much the "clean" part of the operation.

        While I was doing the fuel filters, I was filling the main engine and gen set oil filters with oil.  I had decided to change both of the Amsoil oil filters. One of the filters is the full flow filter, and the second is the by pass filter. The full flow filter is to be changed at 300 hours of engine run time, and the bypass filter is to be changed at 600 hours of engine run time. Since the full flow filter  was due to be changed, and I had enough spares to change both filters, I decided to do both.  I was able to successfully change all four of the oil filters without making a major mess. I cleaned up the area and got everything looking good. I ran the main engine and the gen set for about 10 minutes each. I then checked the oil in each engine, and topped off the oil.

        Paul and I removed the Sharp Microwave to get turntable motor part number. The turntable is not turning reliably, so I wanted to see if I could find the motor and replace it, and hopefully it will fix the problem. We were able to get the part number, and I turned the research of the motor over to my friend Jim who is coming down to Dream Away the first of February. Jim found the part number and we ordered the part. Paul and I put the Sharp Microwave  back into it's hole without any problems. It is so much easier with two people putting the  Sharp Microwave back.

        Next Paul and I removed the Seaward Princess gas stove from its place in the galley. It had been several years since we had cleaned the ourtside of the stove and the area in which it rests, so it was in need. Kitty worked on cleaning the outside of the stove, and I cleaned the area in which the stove is placed so it can gimble. I did not take any photos of the stove and area after it was cleaned, but did take before photos.

Kitty Cleaning The outside of the Stove.

Area In Galley Where The Seaward Princess Gas Stove Normally Resides


         Last item fo rthe day was to apply two coats of white gelcoat on top of the compressor box in preparation of the non-skid gelcoat application.

January 10, 2011, Monday.

        Helped friend Paul get up his mast twice to try and repair his tri-color light. This time it looks like we finally got the problem fixed on the second try!

        I went up the mizzen mast and checked all of the rigging connections. Everything look good, no problems found. I also took the VHF antenna connections apart, checked them for corrosion, and sprayed corrosion block into them, and re-connected them. No problems found there either. When I got down from that project, we checked out all of the navigation light, and they checked out, with no Problems found.

        Kevin was on Dream Away all day and finished up cleaning and polishing the stainless steel on Dream Away. The will keep the stainless steel from showing rust stains for a couple of months of the salt water environment once we leave the Rio.

Kevin Polishing The Stainless Steel
 

        I sanded down the second dinghy oar, and applied the first coat of yellow paint on the oar.

        I applied a couple of coats of the new polyurethane paint on compressor box. I only wanted to apply one coat, but I mixed up too much paint. By the time I got the paint, the catalyst and the reducer mixed up, I had enough for three coats!! I decided if the paint did not kick off I would apply it until it started to kick, or I ran out of paint. Fortunately I ran out of paint, and got three good coats on the compressor box. It looks prett doon, and only time will tell how well the paint lasts. I still have to apply white gelcoat on the top of the box so I can roll on the yellow gelcoat non-skid.

Compressor Box, Masked Off, Waiting For Paint

Compressor Box After Three Coats Of Paint

Compressor Box, Another View With Paint Applied

January 9, 2011, Sunday.

        Helped friend Paul get up his mast twice to try and repair his tri-color light. Not successful, but should be able to finish the job tomorrow.

        Paul helped me to go up my main mast. I always do a rigging and light check before going off on any long passage. I knew I had one spreader light out and needed to repair that. I also had to get the halyards out of the mast. When we came into Monkey Bay, I knew we would be here several months, so I pulled down all of the halyards and the topping lift in the main mast and tied messengers to the ends. This was done to keep the halyards out of the sun. I also took down the two spinnaker halyards. Before I could go up the mast I had to pull down the halyards and the topping lift.

        When I went up the main mast to do my checks, I pulled the two spinnaker halyards up with me and ran them in their proper blocks. I checked electrical connections and radio connections at the top of the mast. I also sprayed all of the connections down with corrosion block. As I came down the mast, I checked all of the rigging and tangs. All looked really good. I replaced the bulb in the starboard main spreader light, and came back to the ground. I fell the main mast is ready for a long passage.

January 8, 2011, Saturday.

        I reinstalled the netting on the forward port side, and got the fair leads back onto the genoa "T" track. I can finally say the forward port side cap rail is officially finished. I just have to put some gelcoat non-skid down on the port side eyebrow, and we can turn Dream Away around, and I can finish the starboard side.

        I applied one coat of thinned epoxy on the second dinghy oar.

        Kevin worked on the stainless steel and was able to get it all cleaned. He will be back on Monday to wax the stainless steel.

        I put five gallons of diesel fuel into the starboard fuel tank.

January 7, 2011, Friday.

        Finished installation of the hardware on the port side cap rail. This included two lifeline stanchion support, one chock and the genoa "T" track. The genoa "T" track consisted of 15 bolts that had to be drilled and tapped.

        While I was working on the cap rail parts, our friend Kevin was working on cleaning and waxing all of the stainless steel on Dream Away. He needed soame work, and I needed to get ahead on projects.

January 6, 2011, Thursday.

        Started the Nyalic protectorant application on the repaired areas of the port cap rail. It started to crinkle up again, just like the last time. I am not a happy camper. I have been six days waiting for the Easypoxy Kelly Green paint to dry. The recommended drying for the Easypoxy Kelly Green paint is 24 hours. Will have to contact the Nyalic folks to see what they say.

        I masked the area for gelcoat application where I have to install a cleat, chock and the "T" track on the port side. Since I already had the cleat off it is much easier to apply the gelcoat. I then applied the gelcoat, two coats, on the port side cap rail area, the port side of the forward deck box, and the area behind the anchor windlass. It set up very quickly, so removed the masking tape.

Gelcoat Application, First Coat, Side Of Cap Rail.

Gelcoat Application, First Coat, Port Side Forward Deck Box

Gelcoat Application, Second Coat, Anchor Windlass Repair Area

Gelcoat Application, First Coat, Port Cap Rail, Near Cleat And Chock Area


        I removed the masking tape from the shear stripe. I will attempt to repair the crinkled at a later date. 

        I removed the paint sanded down second oar. It is now ready for an epoxy application

January 5, 2011, Wednesday.

       Sanded down the repaired area just behind the anchor windlass, and the repaired area on the port side of the forward deck box. Areas are now ready for gelcoat application.

Area Behind Anchor Windlass Sanded And Ready For Gelcoat

Area Beside Forward Deck Box Sanded And Ready For Gelcoat

        Started installing the port side cap rail hardware back onto the port side cap rail. This include three rope chocks and four lifeline stanchion supports. I also installed the sacrificial pieces for anchor and rode on the very front of the cap rail. These pieces are used to prevent the anchor chain from damaging the cap rail when the anchor is lowered or raised. I was now able to get the anchors and the chain all back where it belonged. I did not have time to complete the installation of the port side "T" track for the jib fair leads.

Port Side Chock Installation
 
Port Side Lifeline Stanchion Support Installation.

sacrificial Strips Back Into Place

Anchors, Rode, And Windlass Cover Back In Place


January 4, 2011, Tuesday.

        When we were in The Bay Islands of Honduras last year and had our anchor dragging problem, and almost lost our dinghy, one of the stainless steel bows, Bimini fitting, on the dinghy was lost. I had asked Luis if he could bend one for me and install it on our dinghy. Luis brought back bow for dinghy and installed it. It looked really good, and it was nice to have the dinghy Bimini back to normal. Luis also brought back the repaired cockpit enclosures. They fit very well also. Now when I get the eyebrow finished with the gelcoat non-skid, I will be able to complete the installation of the cockpit enclosures.

        I finally finished painting the first oar for the dinghy, and put it back on the dinghy. I brought the second oar to shop and started sanding and stripping the paint on it.

Dinghy Oar With Last Coat Of Paint Hanging In The Shop


        I applied another another coat of putty on compressor box and the port side of the forward deck box, and the area I filled with fiberglass just behind the anchor windlass on Dream Away. I then sanded down the compressor box again.

Compressor Box, Just After Putty Application

Compressor Box After Sanding


Compressor Box After Sanding


January 3, 2011, Monday.

        Went back to the shop and sanded the compressor cover. Got the cover as smooth as possible, and then applied more putty.

        Went to Dream Away and sanded down the area that I repaired on the port side of the forward deck box, and the area I filled with fiberglass just behind the anchor windlass. I then washed down the front deck of Dream Away. I also scrubbed off the wax I put on the yellow gelcoat. It seems like the yellow non-skid gelcoat I applied has set up very well, and should not have any problems.

        We waited for Luis, the canvas man we have been working with, to come over to the boat. He arrived and we got a very good price for curtains in the main cabin. We also arrived at a good price to have him repair the bad weather enclosures we have for the cockpit. We have had them since we first left in 2004, but they were barely serviceable. When Luis gets finished, we should be able to be in the cockpit with the rain or waves splashing on the boat during a passage, and remain very dry and comfortable.

January 2, 2011, Sunday.

        Worked on the computer doing updates to get some information on Christmas and other stuff on the web page.

        Went back to the shop and sanded the compressor cover. Got the cover as smooth as possible, and then applied more putty. hopefully the last application, but since I have done this before, there will be at least another application.

January 1, 2011, Saturday.

        First this today was to put wax on the yellow gelcoat I rolled on yesterday. This was done to make sure the gelcoat sets up and hardens.

        I then put the second coat of Easypoxy Kelly Green paint on the shear stripe. I had just enough paint to cover the repaired areas of the shear stripe. I will let the paint dry for a couple of days before applying the Nyalic protectorant.

        I then went back to the shop to work on the compressor cover. I sanded and cleaned up the cover from the fiberglass application of yesterday. I mixed up a five ounce pot of putty and applied it to the compressor cover.