Boatyard Blues

With the last blog entry, I brought you up-to-date on the trip North from Daytona. We were under something of a time constraint on that trip, because we had only a limited period to get the boat out of Florida, and then we had to send proof of that fact to their boat registration unit.

One of the first things we did when we finally tied up to our home dock was to hire a rigger to inspect the standing rigging. If you will recall, our mast and rigging got into an altercation with a bridge.

The rigger climbed the mast steps and spent a bit of time closely inspecting the condition of the mast, as well as the stays and shrouds. He reported to us that the mast, as well as the fore and back stays were fine, but that the fittings on the shrouds were showing signs of fatigue - small cracks and corrosion. He recommended that the shrouds be replaced, as they were likely OEM - meaning that they were new when the boat was new in 1974!

At least for racing boats, convention has it that standing rigging should be replaced every 10 years. I can't find any reference concerning the life of standing rigging on cruising boats, but our shrouds were over 35 years old, and prudence dictated that we replace them.

In communication with Dunbar Yachts of St. Simons Island, I began negotiating to have the work done. That worthy company was unwilling to give me a binding estimate of the cost of the work, and although at one point I thought we had a verbal agreement, they eventually decided that they didn't need the work. They recommended that I take my project to a rigger in Savannah instead.

Not wishing to move the boat another 70 statute miles or so before having repairs done, I began to cast about for other possible sources. Nearly a year after having purchased the boat, I found help right next door to my slip, at Two-Way Boat Yard. They handled the entire process from haulout through unstepping the mast and detaching the rigging; ordering the replacement rigging from a custom shop, and re-installation of rigging and mast.

While the boat was on the hard, I had an opportunity to inspect the bottom. I found that the anit-fouling paint was nearly gone, and that the zinc protecting the prop shaft had eroded to a point that any great stress would have thrown it completely off. Those findings resulted in additional work: i.e. an bottom job and zinc replacement.

At the same time, I noticed other boats in the yard which had obviously received new hull paint, and I was impressed with the workmanship. Consulting with Charlie, who operates the boat yard, I decided to go ahead with a full hull paint job. He offered to do all of the work, including that which I had already authorized, for a single price, and based on my comparisons with other sources, I felt his offer was reasonable.

We visited the Event Horizon again this past week, hopefully for the last time before she splashes. The mast has been stepped and the rigging installed, the bottom and hull painting is complete, a new zinc has been installed on the prop shaft, and the only thing remaining to be done is minor touch-ups with wet sanding and buffing. Vanessa promised that the boat would be back in her slip early this week.

With the boat back in the water, we'll be able to make some the interior modifications we want to complete before casting off for our initial cruise. Summer here has been intolerably hot, though, so much of that will likely be done in fits and starts - at least until the weather cools off.

This pretty much brings the blog up to the present. Thanks for reading.