Hello again fellow Motorheads!
The 2018 cruising season began with a full slate of urgent projects. Compared to past winters in the water and when we weren’t 784 miles from the boat, all of this either had to be done soon or along the way as we began cruising. Lot’s of bike rides into town at the hardware store for more stuff (and stuff that slipped into the water!).
Rear Cockpit Roof Frame Repair
I am absolutely positive the boatyard caused this damage when they disconnected and hoisted the top to make more room to store our Happy Happy closer to the boat behind us. They, surprisingly, absolutely denied it! Our seasonal slipmates in Northport were not surprised when I shared my experience with them. “Stuff breaks”, was the quote I heard others were told. It cost us a few hundred dollars worth of materials ($70 worth of overnight next day air shipments) and tools to fix this. We’ve had great and this kind of experience at boatyards……. Buyer beware, nuff said…………..
Sure looks the top frame is already in a "jacked up" condition to allow room for the other boats bowpit here in the warehouse.
$50 worth of tube cutter and pop rivet gun from the Charlevoix Home Depot and a next day air shipment of aircraft grade tubing does the trick!
Teak Refresh
Usually only a 4 beer job when regularly hand oiled, the teak in the rear cockpit has gone a couple years without attention and got to a “rustic” weathered patina after a couple years of hard labor in saltwater and strong sunlight. After some research I packed a miracle 3 step cleaner, brightener-restorer and oil process sold by Starbrite a reputable marine industry supplier. “Brush on and wash off and be amazed at the results”, they said! Three days later and more like a 12 pack job, but still a nice refresh!
Lookin pretty tired at this point after a couple years of no maintenance.
Dinghy Lift II
The “original” dinghy lift was a temporary fix that lasted some 4 years and 3 different dinghies (Mudbug(s) II, III and IV a/b). It consisted of a set of double pulleys attached to the radar arch with a repurposed dog leash/strap (for hard pulling huskies that is). We never could get a good, universal solution to raising/lifting the various dinghies as they got bigger/heavier and with the two different storage mounts (Weaver davits (motor off) – horizontal and vertical and Hurley(motor on) systems. And to add insult to injury, commercially produced hoists can cost $2000 and up!
Dinghy lift v1.0 - dog leash and pulleys connected to the radar arch (Mudbug IV/Weaver davits/motor off - horizontal storage)
(Mudbug IV/Weaver davits/motor off - vertical storage (for big following sea conditions)
(Mudbug III/Hurley davits/motor on
Further to that, this system was a strain for two of us to be able to hoist the dinghy easily back on to the boat and towards the end of last season some stress cracking at the connection of the radar arch to the upper helm was beginning to appear.
Ta daaaa RYMO Engineering to the rescue!
After much winter pondering a revolutionary, one of a kind, simplified hoist was devised from the same industrial grade aluminum handrail tube and fittings that were used to build the rear cockpit roof system. With cable connections to the upper helm handrail the new system easily allows one person operation!