An afternoon with the kabuta...

After spending the morning creating and posting photo albums.  I did tick one important item off the to do list...
A couple weeks ago when we moved C'est la Vie from Sunset Island the mainland I noticed the engine  temperature elevated quickly. So today I went through the cooling system...
1) Raw water strainer - flushed - I did find the usual sea weed, leaves, etc.
2) Impeller - replaced
3) Heat exchanger - it has been years since I last removed a massive amount of gunk, impeller bits, zinc, etc from these tiny tubes.  This time around it was much cleaner, but I did remove some sizeable chunks of  zinc bits.
4)Coolant - added  approx. 1/2 pint of water to the coolant.

No smoking guns, but I'm willing to bet that the combination of stuff in the raw water strainer, zinc bits in the heat exchanger, and the need to add some water to the coolant will bring the engine temps back to normal.  We plan to  take C'est la Vie out to the Gulf tomorrow to test the coolant system, test the boom gallows cross piece, and clean the hull. 

The evening was pleasant and I utilized the waning light to install our new grill on the stern rail.  Here is an image of C'est la Vie bathed in this evening's setting sun.

Addition of Photo Albums to our blog

Spent too much time this morning creating photo albums.  It all started when I went back to look for images of what types of fuel containers we carried on deck when we traveled to the Bahamas in 2008.  Well I found the image and was inspired to add some of these pictures to our new blog.  Four hours, many albums, and numerous links later there is now access to some of our C'est la Vie photos via the links on the right side of this page.

This process definitely took away from my project time this morning, but it has inspired me to push on through the remaining projects so that we can start our summer travels.

I wonder if owning a boat is as much about the projects as the travels...

Enjoy the images.

progress on many fronts (a.k.a our first day back to FL)

With many miles now in the mirror and our rental car returned to the Hertz stable, we spent our first full day back in FL making progress on many fronts.

 The day started with a third coat of primer on the generator box and concluded with the application of the first coat of topcoat.  I am using Interlux Brightside Matterhorn White for the box.  C'est la Vie's hull is Matterhorn White by Awlgrip.  Using the Brighside for this project provides the opportunity to test the paint's application & qualities as the clock ticks toward the day when we need to repaint C'est la Vie's topsides.

While the morning coat of primer dried Anne and I drove to Marco, yes more driving, to meet with Bronwen, a local sailmaker.  We picked up or jib on which she had replaced the clew - see image below...

 We were pleased with the quality of the work so we dropped off our genny so that she can replace the aging clew on that sail as well.  While at the sail loft, we discussed options for creating a bimini now that the boom gallows project is nearing completion.  One of the purposes for adding the boom gallows was to provide a stable structure to which we can attach a bimini (A bimini is simply a structure, ususally made from canvas, that provides sun and rain protection for people in the boats cockpit area.)

Returning to Sunset Island in the afternoon, Anne went to work mowing the yard while I began shaping the wooded cross piece for the boom gallows.  I completed the rough cutting and began sanding prior to the onset of bug hour - see image below...

The next step will be to mount the gallows on C'est la Vie to ensure the fit and aesthetics of this piece.  We also need to locate the position for the port and starboard notches for the boom.

MV Sunshine - road trip

Anne and I are on the road visiting family.  During our trip, Anne drove north to visit her family in Cleveland while I assisted Bud with hull repairs on MV Sunshine. 

Bud is nearing the conclusion of a 6+ month project to remedy a bad case of omsmotic blistering below the waterline.  All the brown spots in the image above were blisters that were ground out, filled with new resin, and faired in.   During my time at the boat we planned to apply barrier coat to the hull.

We did make some progress, but as expected boat repairs never go according to plan.  On day one we made good progress on the barrier coat, but then weather forced us to turn our attention to other projects. By our final day at the boat we returned our efforts to filling & fairing the hull.  Hopefully with a few more days of work Sunshine will be ready for a new coat of bottom paint.