Finally a nice day to work!

Well most days we have had lots of rain. Plus I have been busy doing the usual stuff to take care of grown up life. When we finally had the sun come out for a day here and there I wanted to go out and do something. So I have not been spending much time at all on the boat. A little thing here and there. But not really getting any real work done.

Today the sun peaked out from around the clouds. The rain stopped falling. It was a good day to get a little work done. So I went to work on a project that I have been trying to figure out how to do and tackle it!

I saw a picture posted on a sailboat Facebook page with basically a frame was built on the sailboat to give the tarp a higher angle. This boat is in an area that they get a lot of snow in the winter time. So with building a frame to hold a 2X4 higher above the boat, it created a steeper slope for the tarp. This was important to keep the snow from piling up.

I have these 2 places where the rain water ends up collecting. It puts a lot of pressure on the tarp and ends up destroying it. So I thought it was a great idea to use. My only problem is I wanted to build something that it would not be to hard to take down when I didn't need it.

That was the part that I was having a hard time with. How to hold up a 2X4, and be able to take it down quickly and easily. I wanted it to be pretty simple and of coarse I wanted to be able to build it on the cheap.

So I came up with a simple 2X4 post the had a 12 inch foot nailed to the bottom of the post. This was to help spread out the weight on the boat. Then I nailed 2 5 inch pieces of 2X4 to the top on the sides of the 2X4 post. This was to hold the 2X4 on top of the post in place. Then I used some rope to lash the post to the mast. The post at the aft part of the boat also got lashed to the safety line.

So a pretty simple design. A post to hold up a 2X4 at each end. One is 12 feet long and the other is 10 feet long. So basically I will be able to take the tarp off. Take off the two top 2X4's. Untie 4 posts and I am all done! Easy peasy!

Here is one of the tarps on. It looks like a pretty good angle to allow the water to just run down the tarp. There should not be any places where the water can gather. That will prevent it from getting to heavy and trashing the tarps.

With this set up it is pretty easy to untie the tarp from the aft starboard and then I can climb the ladder and get in the boat. There is enough headroom that I can have the tarp in place and work under the tarp! So that is a nice bonus!

Hopefully this will help me keep motivated and able to keep working on her. There is quiet a bit for me to do. I think I have got enough information and knowledge to actually tackle doing the interior. I am sure hoping I will have a post about that in the near future.

By the way I am looking to get as much information and knowledge about these Reinell sailboats that I can. So if you have one or know somebody that does. Would love to get in contact with you. Send me an email and let me know. 

Thanks!

Don't waste a day!

It has been so beautiful and wonderful around here that I was just itching to get out on the water! I just needed some time to relax and be out on the water. It is so interesting to me, being this new to boating and already it feels like I have caught the bug!

Plus last Saturday I met up with Zach to take her out on the Sound. I was really excited about doing that. Seeing how it felt to be out in the big water around here. When I got to the Redondo Boat launch, I found that they take the docks down! So no fun on the water for us that day. So today I was really feeling the need to get out there.

The feeling of peace bobbing along on the water. The feeling of the wind on my face. The warm sun touching my skin. The quiet. The sound of the water off of the hull and rudder as we move through the water.

For the first time really I am being driven by my feelings. The feeling of relaxing as I sit in the cockpit. Just feeling warm and enjoying this magnificent October day. The sun is shinning, there is a slight wind. It just feels so good in many different ways to be out on the water.

What a perfect and wonderful way to spend my day off! Plus we are supposed to be getting a big weather system starting tonight. Bringing lots of rain and not so pretty days.

Ready to launch!

Getting better at getting the boat all set up and ready to launch. Found a trick to use my little bungie cords to tie the rigging in its proper place. Have always had a hard time making sure all the turnbuckles and lines are right. We usually get one or two lines twisted and stuck as we are raising the mast. Then we have to lower the mast a bit. Straighten out the lines, then raise back up.

It is hard to see in this picture. I guess I will need to get a proper picture and write more about that latter! The previous owner added a wench to the front of the trailer. That was a very smart move. It makes such a huge difference getting the mast up and down each time.

Hitching a ride.

After a while being on the lake this honey bee came along. I guess it was a bit tired and needed a rest. I thought it was odd that this little bee decided to cross the lake. Nothing to pollinate here.

Beautiful day.

I didn't want to let this beautiful day go to waste. So I was able to get my co-worker and buddy to come out today. Here Zack is demonstrating the most relax way to steer a boat!

 One thing that I keep seeing is issues with the motor. Each time I have been out on the water there has been at least one person with motor troubles. Today a boat had to be towed back in. So far we haven't had any issues or troubles with our sails, that are our motor! I like the simplicity and reliability of the sailboat. Luckily we have not had any issues or troubles with our iron sail! I am hoping that old Johnson will last us a good long time.

Getting towed.

Little steam ship.

Little red steam ship.

After a beautiful day being out on the water. Getting a chance to relax and take it easy. It had to come to an end. When we got to the dock, there was this cool homemade steam powered boat at the dock. Unfortunately he was having issues with his steam engine. So he could not launch it. He ended up putting it back on the trailer.  It would have been cool seeing that steam away!

Got to sail today!

Got to take the little boat out on Lake Washington today. Everything worked out perfectly. The new hardware worked great. Did not find any leaks. So that is a really good thing!

It felt so great to get out on the water. To hear the wind. Feel it on my skin. To hear the sound of the water as the boat was sailing along.

The feeling of being able to move around with a sheet of fabric and the wind. How it feels when the boat is moving pretty fast and heeling over to its max. Then just a little bit after that to be trying to get the boat moving forward in a slight little breeze!

Sailing under gray skies

Today Tina and I where just spending time together out on the water. So we didn't have any destination in mind. We just sailed where the wind would take us. It is so much easier to sail that way. Sometimes the wind is blowing in the absolute worse direction for where you want to go. It takes some skill and work to get the boat to go the way you want it to.

There is nothing like the quiet sounds of the sailboat moving through the water. It is just so peaceful and calming. It is just so easy to relax and enjoy.

I love the gray clouds.

Being that we where crazy enough to take the boat out on a day that it was threatening to rain. Being Tuesday might also have had a little something to do with it as well. We only saw 2 other boats out today. It was so nice and peaceful having the place to our selves.

I just love how amazing and beautiful this area is. I love all the water and green. I just love that there is just so much to do and see around here.

What a typical Washington day.

This little boat has been amazing to us. We still have the original Reinell sails that came with the boat originally. The boat is said to have been built up in Marysville. The sails where made right here in Seattle. Unfortunately both the boat manufacture and the sail loft have gone out of business.

I really like that I own a little peace of something that was built and made right here in my backyard. The boat was built in the early 70's. It is still going strong and working really well. A good amount of work and effort and this boat will be really great.

The original sails.

It was nice to experience something different. The wind changed quit a bit. We got to reef our main sail for the very first time. Still need some more practice doing that. I didn't think it would be so hard to work with a little bit of the sail with the wind. Man it is very hard to deal with the sail and the sheet. Then to tie up the sail with the boat moving and the sail moving around. I luckily seriously learned why they say reef early!

The other thing we worked on today was to heave to. I expected it to be pretty easy to point to bow into the wind. Adjust the tiller, and be able to basically come to a stop. Well this little boat was having none of that. So we will need to keep working on doing that.

Our mainsail is reefed.

After our day out on the water it was time to put her on the trailer to take her home.

All tucked onto the trailer ready to go home.

Every time I am out there on the water, I just get so much more into this. I thought it would just be a little something we would do. Like going rollerblading, or going to the gym. It would just be something we would go out and do, then be done with it. It is so much more then that. It is just so wonderful to be out there on the water. To be able to get ourselves around with just the wind. It is fun and interesting learning about this boat. Learning about and working on all the stuff involved with a sailboat.

I am looking forward to learning new things. Learning and working on new skills. On being able to make this boat something special and unique to us.

Until next time.

Got to sail today!

Got to take the little boat out on Lake Washington today. Everything worked out perfectly. The new hardware worked great. Did not find any leaks. So that is a really good thing!

It felt so great to get out on the water. To hear the wind. Feel it on my skin. To hear the sound of the water as the boat was sailing along.

The feeling of being able to move around with a sheet of fabric and the wind. How it feels when the boat is moving pretty fast and heeling over to its max. Then just a little bit after that to be trying to get the boat moving forward in a slight little breeze!

Sailing under gray skies

Today Tina and I where just spending time together out on the water. So we didn't have any destination in mind. We just sailed where the wind would take us. It is so much easier to sail that way. Sometimes the wind is blowing in the absolute worse direction for where you want to go. It takes some skill and work to get the boat to go the way you want it to.

There is nothing like the quiet sounds of the sailboat moving through the water. It is just so peaceful and calming. It is just so easy to relax and enjoy.

I love the gray clouds.

Being that we where crazy enough to take the boat out on a day that it was threatening to rain. Being Tuesday might also have had a little something to do with it as well. We only saw 2 other boats out today. It was so nice and peaceful having the place to our selves.

I just love how amazing and beautiful this area is. I love all the water and green. I just love that there is just so much to do and see around here.

What a typical Washington day.

This little boat has been amazing to us. We still have the original Reinell sails that came with the boat originally. The boat is said to have been built up in Marysville. The sails where made right here in Seattle. Unfortunately both the boat manufacture and the sail loft have gone out of business.

I really like that I own a little peace of something that was built and made right here in my backyard. The boat was built in the early 70's. It is still going strong and working really well. A good amount of work and effort and this boat will be really great.

The original sails.

It was nice to experience something different. The wind changed quit a bit. We got to reef our main sail for the very first time. Still need some more practice doing that. I didn't think it would be so hard to work with a little bit of the sail with the wind. Man it is very hard to deal with the sail and the sheet. Then to tie up the sail with the boat moving and the sail moving around. I luckily seriously learned why they say reef early!

The other thing we worked on today was to heave to. I expected it to be pretty easy to point to bow into the wind. Adjust the tiller, and be able to basically come to a stop. Well this little boat was having none of that. So we will need to keep working on doing that.

Our mainsail is reefed.

After our day out on the water it was time to put her on the trailer to take her home.

All tucked onto the trailer ready to go home.

Every time I am out there on the water, I just get so much more into this. I thought it would just be a little something we would do. Like going rollerblading, or going to the gym. It would just be something we would go out and do, then be done with it. It is so much more then that. It is just so wonderful to be out there on the water. To be able to get ourselves around with just the wind. It is fun and interesting learning about this boat. Learning about and working on all the stuff involved with a sailboat.

I am looking forward to learning new things. Learning and working on new skills. On being able to make this boat something special and unique to us.

Until next time.

Onto the trailer!

One of the things that I did not think about was the trailer. I was so focused on this little sailboat that could be all ours. I didn't give the trailer any thought at all. I did not think about the fact that just like the sailboat and our cars, it will need maintenance and repair. Well it needed some repair before I could get the boat back into the water. The lights stopped working! So time to dig into the wiring and figure out what the problem was.

How not to do wiring!

When I started trouble shooting to figure out the problem I found that the trailer wiring was a mess! The wires where just twisted together and given a little touch of solder! Then a little bit of electrical tape to cover them. No wonder the connections went bad.

Only partly soldered!

 So when I saw that I figured it was simply an issue of bad connections. There was enough wire that I saw I could cut the bad connection and make a new good connection. I was thinking this should be an easy fix for once. I should have known that there was no way it was going to be that easy. I guess I was hoping for a brake.

What a mess.

So I cut out one of the connections and tried to strip the insulation off of the wire. When I pulled the insulation off of some of the metal wire came with it! The metal was just falling apart inside the insulation! I have never seen anything like that.

I noticed that there was a white powder around the wire. I just figured some water and corrosion must have messed up the wire. So I went about 6 inches farther down the wire. If I had to go any farther then that I would need to get some new wire. Unfortunately the metal wire came out that time too.

So at this point I cant use this wire any more. I cut the wire about 12 inches farther down the line. Again the metal came out and the white powder was there. So I was going to have to replace all the wiring. Time to go shopping.

Bad wire!

I was able to go to my local family run hardware store. I found a trailer lighting kit with the lights and the wire harness that was made in America! I was very happy about that find. So the next step was pretty simple.

I had to unbolt the old lights. Luckily only 1 of the 4 gave me any real trouble. When I went to loosen the nut, it and the bolt would just spin. So I got a big screw driver and broke the plastic light housing to peaces. Was able to get a large pair of channel locks on the back of the bolt. Then I was able to loosen the nut. 

The wiring was just held on by plastic zip ties. So those where easy to cut off. Was able to pull all the old wires off.

The holes for mounting the lights onto the wheel well of the trailer where a bit to close together. The new lights would not just slip right into the old holes. Luckily there where so close that I was able to drill the holes a bit bigger. Bingo the bolts slid through and things where looking up.

Was able to run the new wires along the trailer chassis. Then tested the lights. The right ones worked fine and the left ones did not. So I figured it must be a ground issue. I took the light housing off. I went and sanded around the holes again. Then put it all back together. The lights where working fine now.  Then I just used zip ties to hold the wires where I wanted them. 

New light.

Well one more project done. Just have to keep working on them, one by one.

New bow hardware!

I finally got to the bow part of the hardware that needed to be replaced and worked on. The stanchion bases where cracked and corroded. I knew that they needed to be replaced. Turns out that the bolts that held the cleats on where so very corroded! When trying to loosen them the bolts snapped! They would not have held the boat with any kind of forceful wind or waves. Also the last time they where replaced they did not put any backing plates on them! That needed to be taken care of.

Broken nav light.

Crack in the stanchion base.

Odd cleat.

I was amazed at how the last person just tried to fill up under the base with silicone. There was a lot of rust and dirt that got under the stanchion base. I made sure to clean everything up really well with degreaser then acetone. Then I filled the holes up with epoxy. Then drilled new holes bigger then I needed. Then filled them with epoxy and let them cure for about a day or two. Then I drilled holes just the size of the bolts. This way if there is any leaks then the wood will be sealed by the epoxy. Letting only the epoxy get wet. That will prevent any water from messing up the wood between the fiberglass on this boat.

So much crap!

I made sure that there was good size .25" stainless steel backing plates for all the cleats and bases. It would take such a massive amount of force to pull those things through the fiberglass and the wood. They are on there nice and safe now!

Backing plates.

It looks nice having it all back together! Knowing that everything is very strong and solid is wonderful. I am learning so much more then I expected with this new adventure.

All put together!

I am so very glad that I learned about butyl tape! I have to say that it is the easiest and best bedding material. It is easy to work with. Easy to clean up after. Don't have to wait for it to cure before it is water tight. Just can't say enough about this stuff. I only learned about this because of people willing to blog and share on YouTube. It is awesome that people are sharing this information with the world!

Bedding butyl tape applied.

Re-bedding and trying to fix a leak!

The last couple of days has been spent removing hardware from around the cockpit. I knew one of the mounts for a stanchion was cracked. I am also hunting down and trying to fix a leak where the rain is leaking into the starboard quarter berth. I figured I would find some more problems after getting into this project.

Dirt and silicone.

Turns out that the last person decided to use silicon to bed the hardware.  For some reason used silicone around the inside, and not around the holes where the bolts went through! Also lots of dirt under the hardware. Also found that there was some old unused wholes that where filled with silicon. So I have lots of work to get this done correctly.

First step of course is to clean up this mess. So used a plastic putty knife to brush of the chunks of dirt and scrape off the silicone. Then used a degreaser and a scrub brush. After getting it as clean as I could. Dried it off then used the old acetone.

Getting out the drill I drilled out the silicone from the holes. Then scraped all the silicone I could with the drill bit. Then cleaned it up again with acetone.

I put duck tape on the underside of the holes. Mixed up some 5 minute epoxy. With a toothpick carefully filled up the hole with epoxy. Making sure that their was a little rounded bit raised from the fiberglass deck.

4 epoxy filled holes

Getting to some of the nuts on the underside was pretty hard. Luckily I was able to get the youngest to help out. Me using a ratchet underneath and him using the drill or a screwdriver with a bit was able to get everything taken off. A lot of the nuts and lock washers where rusted. So they where pretty hard to get off.

I found out that none of this stuff had any backing or support underneath! There was no backing plates! They didn't even put on fender washers! So I will have to drilling holes in some 1/4 inch stainless steel plate to strengthen everything.

I have used butyl tape in the past to re-bed the other hardware I have worked on. I have also used a 3M calk out of a tube. I really like the butyl tape so much better! That is what I am going to use to re-bed all of this stuff.

Luckily I have a farm supply right down the road from me. I was able to get all brand new stainless steel locking nuts and washers. Unfortunately they only have Phillips head bolts. Hopefully I will be able to get the longer ones I need tomorrow!