We drove to High Seas Marina in Oconto and uncovered Mystic the third week of April. As soon as we arrived, we could see that water was pooling in a section of the cover, causing it to sag and stretch. It turned out to be about 30 gallons that distorted the shape of the fabric but never made it through the water proofing. It was a good thing that we arrived when we did and were able to relieve the pressure under controlled conditions. This has happened before. Next winter we will build supports, like ribs, under the pooling sections to create a slide for snow to melt and slide off. The cover was exceptionally dirty and took hours to clean but the care we take has kept it in good condition. There were a few new tears that had to be repaired but overall the cover has done its job for the last five years!
Dave found a bird's nest up under the bowsprit. It shouldn't have been a surprise since it's been that way every year that we've wintered on Green Bay. It was pretty big but, thankfully, empty. There was a lot of bird poop to clean up so we are certain it was once home to some kind of feathered friend. It is possible that it was used by a fall brood.
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| Large nest found under our bowsprit |
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| Mystic uncovered for spring |
The bird sanctuary across the street was already buzzing with red wing blackbirds, robins, cranes, geese and mallards. Each day, the abundant population of doves visited us looking for a place to build their home. We stuffed rags in the end of the boom and in all small openings to discourage unwanted boarders. They are tenacious little buggers.
The Marina was pretty quiet. We ran into the owner, Brett who let us know that the water was not turned on in the yard. It was chilly and windy in Oconto. We couldn't clean the boat so we locked her up and headed home.
It was a bit warmer on our next visit to the marina. We scrubbed Mystic's topsides, teak and hull and prepared to wax her next. I was in the galley making lunch when I found that our main cabin was leaking from the screws of the ornate teak main hatch cover. We'd planned to refinish it last fall but decided to wait until spring. Luckily we noticed and were able to begin addressing the issue. We slowly released the hatch cover from the deck and were surprised to find it in good condition. Dave noticed that some of the teak had not been sealed with varnish. In addition, it really needed weep holes so water could run out from under it instead of being trapped. We took the hatch cover home with us to make the repairs.
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| Mystic with cover removed |
Boats require maintenance and upkeep and this may be the year of bigger boat projects for us. In addition to our main hatch issue, both our water pump and our hand pump mechanism for the head needed replacement. Whatever else we find, we are up for the challenge!
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| Taking a break |
