Pirate Blogger catches up!!

Timeframe: September 6, 2012

As I mentioned at the beginning of all of this, this is my first shot at writing a blog, and I had about a year of our story to tell before you were caught up.

 

Well, here we are! September 2012. We should be able to keep things more current from here. Kathy and I have had many people asking about our progress and this should make it a lot easier to stay up to date.

 

Thanx for your patience!

 

 

 

 

Kathy has insisted all along that this be a "team" project which I think is great. To this point however, there haven't been many opportunities where we were both needed at the same time.

 

That all changed with the next phase of our build. Time to fiberglass!!! 

 

 

We applied the first coats of resin and sanded some more. We are finally back to a phase that shows progress. (no, instant gratification isn't part of OUR lives! :)

 

Just add a little cloth and yer done, right?

 

 

The reality is, it took Kathy and I almost a week to apply the glass cloth and the multiple layers of resin to top it off. We found out we work very well together even when the operation is tedious, sticky and of long duration. And the results of all this hard work....

 

 

WOW!!!

 

Nicely done, baby!

 

Pirate

 

 

 



Sanding, anyone?

Timeframe: Early September 2012

 

Adding big chunks of plywood to the boat really shows progress, and then the final shaping and filling begins. What a contrast! Hours turn into days of filling and sanding with no noticeable progress.

 

What a slap back to reality!!!

 

 

Gawd my arms and shoulders hurt!!!!

 

Pirate

 

Lets's Cover This Thing Up!

Timeframe: Late Aug/Early Sep 2012

 

Another expensive trip to the lumber yard and we return with a truckload of marine grade plywood. Looks better on the boat than in the truck!!

 

 

Who knew that plywood could bend like that! If I said there was a bit of frustration at this point, I would be severely understating things! But it worked....

 

Pirate



Wheels for the Boat!

Timeframe: August 2012

A sailboat can only go into the wind at 60 Miles-per-hour if it has a Trailer!!

 

We read about a "garage sale" in Austin, TX that advertised lots of parts, trailers and boat stuff. Kathy's daughter and grand babies live north of Austin, so it sounded like a family based "road trip" that we could add a "parts search" for the boat, too.

 

Glad we drove the truck.....!

 

The story doesn't end with the successful purchase of a trailer for the boat. As I'm hooking the trailer to the truck, Kathy is asking about that "rolled up thing" over there....

 

 

The guy says, "it's a new kevlar mainsail for a Coronado 15". Hummm! That might work. He wants $600 (sells new for over a grand) I tell him our budget is $350 (kit price to sew it ourselves. I didn't tell him that!) He says since we also bought his trailer, he would do it. Best we could scrape together was $343 cash and he took it! SOLD! It's way too "high tech" for me, but I certainly couldn't argue with the price. Looks good in the tree with the mast we bought in Austin the last trip, too!

 

 

Kewl stuff IF you have a boat to put it on! Better get back to the Boat Barn.

 

da Pirate

 





Delayed again...then Full Speed Ahead!

Timeframe: June 2012

Most of June wound up dealing with personal medical issues so progress ground to a halt again. That being said, on my return to Texas, I now have full time to devote to our boat so progress is much more noticeable and our goal of attending next years Spring Fling on May 17, 2013 looks reachable.

 

Off to the garage/boat barn we go....

 

 

By the time the longer longitudinal members are added, it really starts to look like a BOAT! What a concept. The pictures tend to speed up the progress. The reality is that it took over a month of steady work to do the work for these 5 pictures. But progress it is.....!

 

 

 

da Pirate



Spring Fling brings a deadline!

Timeframe: May 2012

 

Spring turns to summer very fast in Southeast Texas.

 

Kathy and I tend to spend a few weekend days heading for the coast to keep the spirit alive! (Can't spend every non-working hour in the boat building garage or the fun leaks out of the project very fast!) We found an event called the TMCA Spring Fling held in Freeport, Texas hosted by the Texas Mariners Cruising Association. Sounds like another road trip to me. And lots of sailboats for ideas and inspiration!

 

Boats AND Music!!

Da Navigators soundin good!



 

We rode to the event on the motorcycle and had a great time. That's when we decided that "next year.... (oh boy) we would show up sailing our new project to Freeport. The dates have now been set, so we know that our deadline is now May 17, 2013.

 

Game On....!

 

da Pirate 

An Ebay score!

Timeframe: April 2012

Kathy and I aren't big ebay shoppers. Ok, almost never!  But I was starting to think of other things we might need for the boat, so there I was online. After picking through the usual "garage sale" garbage, I found something of use, a sailboat mast! And it was only 150 miles away!! And it was only $75 bucks! Huh!? Really??!!! Better go take a look. Of course that means "Road Trip!"

 

Glad I didn't throw that tree branch out

Safely stored at home

It turns out that the mast is from a sailboat of the "Thistle" class. It's about 5 feet too long for our boat, but I DO have a hack saw. After I got home from this trip and now knowing what I had, I found similar masts up for grabs on various sites for about $750.00 used! What a deal we got even if you add in the cost of gas to pick it up.

 

da Pirate