fortunate discoveries of undesirable repairs

While polishing C'est la Vie's stainless steel bowsprit I discovered a hairline crack along the lower fork of the rod bobstay.  Perhaps a picture is worth more than a thousand words

The bobstay is the strut that spans between the leading edge of the bowsprit and the hull of the boat.  In the image above I have replaced the bobstay with a hank of yellow rope.  The bowsprit is not designed to bear the loads exerted by the forestay.  The bobstay transfers the majority of the rigs loads into the hull of C'est la vie.  If the bobstay were to fail while sailing there is a good chance of the entire rig failing and falling to the deck.  So we are pleased to have found the crack while on the hard.  We are dismayed at the addition to the project list, and even less pleased about the added expense of repairing the stay.

Here is a closeup of the crack... in the image included I am pointing at the tiny crack.

After collecting a couple assessments of the damage and corresponding repair, I dropped the stay off at a local machine shop.  the plan is to remove the forked end of the stay and replace it with a new section of stainless rod.  The machinist will likely use a section of a stainless drive shaft to make the repair.

Now we wait two weeks until the stay repair is completed.  Until the bobstay is replaced we will need to keep the mast in place so that the forestay can support the weight of the bowsprit.

In the mean time, I have stripped off the mainsail and boom.  We plan to replace the slides on the mainsail/mast with a Strong Track system .  Due to damage along the luff of the main sail we knew we would need to replace the upper two slides.  We have heard great reviews of the Strong Track so with the mast down and other work being done on the sails and rig it seemed like the right time to upgrade.   

We did not realize the internal outhaul on the boom is seized.  I've relocated the boom to the backyard where daily doses of vinegar can be applied to the various boom orifices in hopes of freeing the outhaul.  If over time this does not prove effective the next step will be to attempt to remove the forward end of the boom in hopes of accessing the out haul system.  Personally, I'm skeptical but hopeful the vinegar works.    

Diversions from boat projects

Despite my best intentions of launching directly into boat projects plenty of diversions have kept me away from C'est la Vie.

The first full weekend in June, Anne and I drove to Western North Carolina to attend the North Carolina Outward Bound School's All Staff Training.  The annual event is the one time of year when the school attempts to gather its entire staff at one location.  The three day "training" does include some professional development, but it more resembles a giant pep rally for the start of the busy summer season for NCOBS  We enjoy the time to celebrate our successes, honor our peers, and  catch up with distant friends.

Returning to the OBX on Wednesday night and a full day of office work on Thursday did not allow for any boat time before my parents came down for a visit on Friday.

Saturday June 11, the nearby community of Pine Knoll Shores hosted its fourth Annual Kayak for the Warriors Race.  The fundraising event benefits programs for wounded service men and women and their families.  

This is the first time I have participated in an official kayak race and must have benefited from beginners luck. In the image above I'm out to an early lead.  Over the 5K course I was able to hang on to the lead and finish 1st overall.

My intentions for participating in the race were not entirely philanthropic.  NCOBS is now offering courses specifically desgined for veterans returning from recent conflicts.  Theses "Veterans Courses" are free for any US Military Vets.  NCOBS greatest hurtle with the courses thus far is connecting with participants.  I  made a couple contacts at the event that hopefully will lead to future enrollments.

The next day the Lovett's were eager to hit the water. We launched their dinghy, a Chesapeake Light Craft Passage Maker, at Marshallberg Harbor.  They motored the dinghy and I paddled a kayak across Core Sound to Codds Creek along the South Core Banks.

 The skinny water and low tide made the Codds Creek egress a bit tricky, but the day long journey went smoothly.

So here I am at the ides of June.  The Lovett's have continued on to their boat in Wilmington, NC and Anne is back to work in Beaufort.  Time to refocus on C'est la Vie projects.

Summer projects - where to start?

I've come to realize that boat yards are dirty places.  With inevitable steel cutter on your port side griding out some rust and the fiberglass cruiser to your starboard sanding on bottom paint, your dear vessel is destine to be covered in foul dust.  So my practice is to throughly wax all painted surfaces and polish all metal as soon as the keel settles onto the blocks.  With a fresh coat of wax most of the dust will disappear after a simple fresh water rinse.

Painting the deck and topsides is one of our summer projects so the last thing I want on those surfaces is a fresh coat of wax.  This cut down surface area needing attention.  I have knocked out waxing the hull and polishing the steel in the last couple days.

Now I'm turning my attention projects that will require outside contractors / labor.  Starting from the bottom up, I removed the rudder shoe this afternoon so that the bushing that keeps the rudder fitting snugly in the shoe can be replaced.  In the image included I am pointing to the bushing.

 The "play" created by wear on this high density plastic bushing can be felt in the tiller. As the bushing continues to wear the play can be heard in the hull in rough seas.  We last replaced this bushing in summer 2006.  So it looks like a 5 year life span.  Last time I only had the shop make one bushing.  This time around I'm going to have the shop make a few of the bushings.

Fortunately, I've never had difficulty removing the shoe which on C'est la Vie is held in place by four 1/4 inch bronze machine screws.  The screws pass through a solid fiberglass section of the keel and into threads on the opposite side of the shoe.  The screws are set in opposition with two heads on each side.  It is important to snugly block out the rudder so that when the shoe is removed the full weight of the rudder assembly is not hanging from the fittings above.   The image to the right is of the hull with the shoe removed. Moving left to right (forward to aft) are the four pilot holes for the bronze screws, the rudder stock, and the wood used to block up the rudder.

My plan is to take the shoe into the machine shop along with a measurement of the diameter of the rudder stock (1" on C'est la Vie) and have them machine the new bushing plus a couple spares.

Back at Bock - a pleasant homecoming.

After a 3 year absence from Bock Marine we returned for a summer haul out.  Kenny, Dale, and Randy all remember us from our previous summers.  Is it a good thing or a bad thing that the staff remember a particular boat/crew?  The re-acquaintances made us feel very welcome.  We have always had great service at Bock and recommend it to others.  Our only complaint in the past was the dingy bathrooms and lounge area. No more, well maybe a week more.  The yard has a brand new lounge / bathroom building that will hopefully receive it's final inspection this week.

Everything went smoothly with the hauling and blocking.  Here is an image of C'est la Vie's waterfront property for the summer.

She is looking out over the ICW along Core Creek.  The highway 101 bridge is visible in the distance on the right.

Once the dust settled around the blocks and jack stands, I cleaned the boat.  Paul from Omar Sailmakers came by to measure the rigging for our new genny and furling system.  We also discussed adding a Strong Track to the mainsail.  Projects, Projects.

What happens when you leave the hook down for 30 days in Taylors Creek?

Barnacles happen. 

Anne and I knew it would take awhile to clean the the two, 80' sections of rode that hold C'est la Vie to the two anchors dutifully clinging to the bottom of Taylor's Creek.  We underestimated the task at hand.

Step one - Jeff jumps overboard with a scrub brush and scrubs off the furry and slimy stuff while Anne uses the windlass to haul up the rode.

Step two - Jeff uses a flat bladed screw driver to pick the barnacles off each link one by one as the rode is feed back into the water.

Step three  - Repeat steps one and two on second rode.

Well after 5 hours of scrubbing, hauling, scrapping, releasing,  and re-hauling rodes we finally get underway to Bock Marine.

We had planned to haul out in the afternoon. Our 16:15 arrival is too late in the day to start a haulout so we tie up to the dock and will return in the morning.

Day paddle over to Codd's Creek

C'est la Vie remains on the hook in Taylor's Creek.  Our plan is to haul her next week and begin to attack our list of summer projects.

Anne is working in Beaufort at both Tierra Fina and Handscapes Gallery.  Handscapes is also displaying and selling Anne's jewelry - Ag Lovett Designs. Anne has hit the ground with her feet running.  

Since arriving in Beaufort, on April 30, yesterday was the first day we both had and entire day off together.  After a leisurely morning of breakfast and Scrabble, yes Anne won.  We loaded up a tandem kayak and paddled over to Codds Creek on South Core Banks.

We launched from Marshallberg, NC and fought a strong headwind for the 2.5NM crossing to South Core Banks.  This is our first visit to Codds Creek in three years.  The dock along the sound side is missing some lower steps, but the landing and approach to the beach remains unchanged. 

Arriving on the ocean side, I was pleased to find the picnic shelter still standing.  I believe this is the last remaining shelter.  I enjoyed a swim in the ocean while Anne soaked up sun on the beach.
  

A week on the water Cape Lookout Seashore to Ocracoke

May 12 - 17, I instructed the Outward Bound Sea Kayak Staff Training along the Cape Lookout National Seashore.  Nine instructors participated in the training designed to reintroduce our staff to the course area after a three year hiatus.  The courses  offered by NCOBS are 7 to 14 days long and typically start south at Shackleford Banks and travel northward alone the Core Banks.  The 14 day courses have the option of crossing to Ocracoke and take the ferry back to Cedar Island.  On the training, we only had 6 days to review the area so we launched from Sea Level, NC; crossed Core Sound to South Core Banks; paddled northward to Ocracoke; and caught the ferry back to the mainland.

These islands are strips of sand exposed to the open ocean.  Inlets and shorelines are constantly changing with hurricanes and northeasters capable of causing dramatic, nearly instant geographic alteration. 

Since my last visit to the area the two Drum Inlets have closed. Opheila Inlet is now the only inlet between Cape Lookout and Portsmouth.  Here is a link to a website that tracks the changes to the inlets of the Core Banks since 2005.


Thanks to all the staff that participated in the training.  I enjoyed our week exploring the 'Banks.

Yum

Probably the best pizza I have ever made. This was a great meal. We had to postpone the salad, to much champagne !


Anne