Those Little Boat Projects

Dave usually takes care of polishing our prop each spring. I have a new respect for this job which I took on this year. I spent three hours rubbing WD-40 and elbow grease onto a very oxidized prop until the beautiful brass color was revealed. Other than a few small dings, it's in pretty good shape, especially considering how hard cruising is on boats. It does have several "scars" from barnacles that we picked up in the south during our Great Loop adventure. Polishing out the prop is just one of the spring tasks on our list each year.

Patina Before Polishing

Polished Prop

Our boot stripe or water line was looking pretty rough with chips from barnacles and several deep scratches. We'd talked about repainting last fall, but only went as far as buying the blue topside paint. In between other projects, we prepared the area by sanding out the old paint and filling the low spots before taping and rolling on a new coat. It took two of us to complete the applications. I rolled the paint on while Dave followed closely behind tipping or smoothing the orange peel texture that a roller leaves behind. Essentially, Dave dragged a foam brush through the paint that I applied. After three coats with sanding and retaping in between, it looked great, one more item off our list.

Taping the chipped water line

Epoxy filler over chipped paint

First coat of fresh paint

Three coats on the boot stripe

Mystic gets a new coat of ablative or self polishing bottom paint each spring. It wears away slowly over the summer which exposes the hull to anti-foaling elements that help keep Mystic's hull from gathering moss, so to speak. Without it, Mystic would be covered in algae, weeds, and scum by fall. A new coat always looks so good and is especially attractive this year with the new boot stripe paint up against it.

Dave applying bottom paint

Mystic looking ready for summer

In addition to the little projects, we spend time doing regular maintenance. Each task is required to get the new season rolling. Our list included:

clean (wire brush) sacrificial anodes

replace sacrificial winter halyards

move anchors from locker to anchor roller

clean and inspect the bilge

put our sails on

reinstall fire extinguishers

reinstall CO2 and smoke detectors

reinstall water pump impellor

wash and wax hull

install horseshoe buoy hardware

reinstall propane tank

clean and fill water tanks

Dave went up in the bosun chair to check on the following:

install the tri-sail halyard

install lazy jack halyard

install the flag halyard

check spreaders for wear

check spreader lights (new bulbs)

check anchor light (new bulb)

inspect rigging

Owning and maintaining any kind of boat is a lot of work. Some days are easier than others just as some projects are easier and quicker to complete. It all has to get done! In the end, if you aren't diligent, you'll end up with a project boat that no one wants. 

The Mahogany Rudder Repair

We are knee deep in boat projects while waiting on Mother Nature to flip the switch from winter to spring. Our latest work is a doozy of a rudder repair on our Alberg 35, Mystic. Each spring, we look closely at the original 60 year old mahogany rudder that steers our boat. It has a crack in the outer edge that has split dramatically in the last few years. Luckily, it is thru bolted to the rest of the rudder, but it needs our attention before we launch.

After a bit of research on Alberg owners websites and googling "how to repair a wooden rudder", we came up with a plan. First, we had to scrape and sand off all of the old bottom paint, exposing the mahogany. That job was one of those that you hate from the very beginning to the very end. The weather didn't help the situation. We had a beautiful 82 degree day but it was so windy, (20-30 mph), that we had to put up tarps to keep all the dust from settling on nearby boats. We created a little tent, held down by cinder blocks and chunks of wood that we found around the marina. In spite of being held down well, the tarps flapped loudly all day. We began by using scrapers and chisels to get the flaking paint off. Next, Dave hooked our palm sander up to the vacuum and sanded out what couldn't be elbow greased away. It took the two of us six, (or 12) hours to get the majority of the paint off. By the time we finished, we both looked like we'd been wrestling with a smurf. We were covered in blue bottom paint from head to toe. A hot shower helped get rid of the blue but we were sore from our contorted efforts under the tented hull.

Rudder before repair

Wind tent around Mystic's hull

Almost ready for epoxy

Crack goes all the way through

We'd hoped to complete the last of the sanding in the morning but woke to clouds and temps in the 40's. Rain arrived early morning and dropped several inches on us. Dave had covered the rudder with plastic so it didn't get wet. Our project timeline was heavily effected on day two but we were making progress.

Monday brought more rain but it cleared after lunch. Dave filled the big crack and slathered the rudder with epoxy. Then he palm sanded the first epoxy coat and added a second. Once that too had been sanded, Dave rolled on a white barrier coat, eventually adding a total of four coats. When he was done, it was flat and smooth. We are certain that our rudder is in far better shape than before the repair. It should last for years to come.

Orange spots are the original barrier coat

Dark Mahogany Peaking Through

First barrier coat

Final coat applied

Mystic's New Sail Cover

When you've owned a boat for several years, things begin to break and/or wear out. We've owned our 1966 Alberg 35, Mystic, since 2012. We took her on a 6000+ mile, five year adventure, called America's Great Loop, traversing the Eastern United States. We've sailed every year we've owned Mystic. She's seen a lot. Each year we take on boat projects. This year we have quite the list! First in line for me is to make a new sail cover. I've repaired the old Dorsail cover several times, but it's time for us to tackle sewing a new one. 

Rochford Supply fabric store is a place we've gone in the past for marine fabric. We bought 6 yards of Surlast in a light brown color called Sand. Rochford had a huge sale to offload fabric that isn't their own brand so we only paid $4/yd. We chose Surlast because it is water repellent but also breathes. We used Surlast to make our winter cover and have been very happy with how it has held up over the last five years.

We have a Sailrite heavy duty sewing machine and use it for all our canvas boat projects. We also have a Sailrite hot knife that cuts through fabric like a warm knife through butter. Using the old sail cover as our pattern, we measured out the two side panels that join on the top of the boom. We decided to adjust the length of the cover by a increasing a couple inches where it wraps around the mast. The old cover was very tight going around all the lines and winches. It wore through eventually and required a repair.

I added a strip of vinyl on the underside of the seam that lays on top of the sail to seal the seam from leaking and protect the sail from friction. There is also a section of vinyl at the base of the cover where it wraps around the front of the mast as well as a strip covering the edges of the zipper. I happened to have a stash of Lenzip #10 zippers that came from an abandoned 90 foot round cloth banner which had at least 100 yards of fabric and 30+ zippers. I have reused the supplies from this banner in several of our boat projects. We purchased Common Sense twist fasteners from Sailmakers Supply to hold the bottom of the cover together under the boom. We had a heck of a time installing them. The side that passes through the fabric and folds over to hold the fasteners in place we're too long. They folded into the space where the twist fastener passed into, blocking the opening. In addition, the twist side backing showed on the outside. We didn't like the unfinished look, so we decided to use the button style fasteners instead. Dave went through our stash of grommets and found that we had exactly nine Sailrite button backed fasteners that we forgot we'd purchased. The end result was clean and more professional looking like our old Dorsail cover. We'll save the common sense set for our dodger project. 

Twist Side

Button side

First Fitting of New Sail Cover

Vinyl strip around mast

Mid seem attaching the sides

Covered Zippered Front

Overall, the project was easier than we expected. The Sailrite hot knife and sewing machine are great tools to have for marine projects. The cover came out very nice and the new color looks great surrounded by all the teak on deck. That's one more project we can cross off our list. We are excited to get things done and get out on the water this season.

Hiking The Mountains of North Carolina

After almost two weeks in the Outer Banks, it was time for us to leave the coast and head for the mountains. Our friends Kay and Michelle live in Edneyville, North Carolina. We have a lot in common with them, including our love of hiking, travel and good microbrew! It was a long drive so we looked for a spot to take a short break. The Pisgah Covered Bridge crosses over the west fork of the Little River in Randolph County, North Carolina. Like most covered bridges, it was nestled into a quiet country road. There are a lot of covered bridges in North Carolina. This would be the second one we'd visited on this trip.

Pisgah Covered Bridge

View of the new road through the bridge

Bridge over Little River

Dave getting a stepping stone view

Dave at the entrance

Beth on the boardwalk

We arrived in Edneyville around 5:00, jumped into our friend's car and drove to Hendersonville for tacos and beer at Tipsy Taco. The food was delicious! After dinner, we walked to the Celtic Creamery ice cream shop for dessert. They sold cups and cones but also masterpiece combinations of baked goods smothered in ice cream and toppings. 

There is a lot to see and do in the mountains of North Carolina. Our plan was to pack as much as we could into two days. On Friday, we drove to Dupont State Park and hiked Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, and High Falls. We hiked far enough to see the High Falls covered bridge crossing the water above us, but turned back before the summit so we had time to take a drive to Pisgah National Forest. A small garter snake slithered across the trail in front of us on the way down the trail. We pointed out that that it is common for us to see snakes when we are hiking! This little guy was harmless but we've crossed paths with rattlers several times. 

Hiking down to Hooker Falls
Michelle and Kay

Hooker Falls

A side fall along Hooker Falls

With Michelle and Kay
At Hooker Falls

Road over Little River 

Little River Dupont State Park

Triple Falls

Snake on the Trail

Triple Falls

High Falls view from the trail

High Falls

The drive to Pisgah National Forest was lovely. This 500,000 acre hard wood forest is popular with outdoor enthusiasts and known for its great hiking, biking, waterfalls, and scenic drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are three ranger regions, Pisgah, Grandfather and Appalachian. We headed for Looking Glass Falls, a beautiful landmark in the Pisgah region. Visitors were in the water and sunning on the rocks. A gentle mist floated on the warm air. We could have stayed all day.

Looking Glass Falls

Kay relaxing at the falls

We drove up to the Pounding Point Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Appalachian Region. There were spectacular views in every direction! We took photos of Looking Glass Rock which is also called Mirror Rock. The sun reflects off the exposed sheer front of the massive granite mound when it's wet or frozen. A 6.5 mile trail takes you to the top and rewards your efforts with panoramic views. We'd love to hike that trail one day. On our way home, we stopped at Eucusta brewery to wrap up our amazing day in the mountains with a cold microbrew! 

Saturday we drove over the border to South Carolina to hike Pleasant Ridge County Park, a beautiful hiking and mountain biking trail. Both bikers and hikers share the same trail but move in opposite directions. We were approached and passed by several bikers but never felt endangered. Everyone we passed was careful and friendly. Signs of damage from the floods that hit last year were everywhere. The trail took us past a kiln ruin from very long ago. We hiked up a short trail to the Pleasant Ridge Waterfall. Swallowtails covered the blooming bushes and trees along the trail. The forest was alive with spring!

Hiking through storm damaged trail

Kiln ruin

Michelle, Kay and Beth at Kiln

Swallowtail

Bench beside the falls

Pleasant Ridge Waterfall

Pleasant Ridge Waterfall

Campbell's Covered Bridge, the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina, was nearby in the town of Landrum. It crosses over Beaver Dam Creek just above the old grist mill. The 38 foot long and 12 foot wide structure was built between 1909 - 1911. It is named after Alexander Campbell who ran the Grist Mill. The setting is perfect for a picnic, serene with flowers blooming and the sound of water trickling by. We hiked a mile loop around the 18+ acre park, working up our thirst for a cold beer.

Bridge view from the creek bed

Michelle and Kay crossing

Dave, Michelle and Kay

Dave on the other side

Improvements happening at Campbell's Bridge

There are a lot of great microbreweries in the mountains. Stubborn Mule Brewery has a wood fired oven and a full menu. We ordered what Michelle and Kay call "Linner", not lunch but not dinner. The food was good, the beer was great.

Custom made wood fired oven

Sign in the Ladies Room

Stubborn Mule Brewery

We also stopped at Iron Key Brewery in Columbus, North Carolina. We took a table on the patio in the back of the former prison building. It was windy with a chill in the air but we decided to stick it out and continue our day filled with fresh air. 

Iron Key Brewery in an old prison

Michelle and Kay wanted to take us to Mast General Store in Hendersonville but it was closed. It's an experience to visit this old fashioned store with wooden floors, 500 types of candy, and everything you didn't know you needed. There is so much to see in the area.  We've only just begun to explore and will have to visit again! Mast General will be on our list.

We sat on Michelle and Kay's stoop in the afternoon sun, relaxing after two busy days of exploring. The neighbors stopped by to chat. We moved inside when the air got a little too chilly. In the morning, we were packed and on the road by 8:30. It was time to head north to Minnesota. We spent almost three weeks on the road, visiting new places. Michelle and Kay shared some of their favorite attractions that drew them to this area. We visited several microbreweries and enjoyed a few weeks of spring in the south. We can see how easy it would be to spend the entire winter traveling in warmer climates. Maybe next year we'll do just that!