Poor Diana waits for the season - Shrinkwrapped beautifully by Jer Masey of JDoc Marine. I had the mast put up as a ridgepole in case the opportunity presented itself to move her out of the most expensive marina on the Delaware River. The fastest and easiest thing seems to be to get the heck out of here ASAP.
All offered assistance and donations are deeply appreciated!
For those still interested - boat DID NOT get painted, due to lack of help. Now earliest launch date is late May. That’s how it goes - you miss a three-week window, you wait 9 months.
Yes; basically this means I had $350 to have the boat covered but could find no-one to help paint. I shall hire the lads at the yard to help as soon as I can take off the wrapping. They'll take my money.
Pics do not show it but progress is being made. What you do not see here:
I have been buying and trading sailboat hardware on eBay for years but lately it has become most productive. Most recently I acquired outhaul blocks and blocks for running backstays.
I designed the in-boom outhaul-rigging system and figured out where and how to cut off the back of the boom (it was designed to reach the aft end of the cockpit, where the mainsheet would go; but having installed a bridge deck for the traveler I no longer need so long a boom and will cut it off more in keeping with the E measurement which is 8 ft.). You'd better believe I won't cut it off till I have the boat actually rigged with sails on though!
I designed the tang for jiffy-reefing line and for topping lift. Machinist extraordinaire John Steinmacher promises to help with this.
I have enough winches. This is important because they all have had to be 1970s-1980s chrome-plated Lewmars, in keeping with the boat as a ‘period piece’; and most people do not replace these - as they are too small to come in self-tailing models, so what would be the point? Two of the ones I have need to be replated. Anyone know any decent plating shops?
I cleaned out the whole boat. This is incredible progress. The poor boat has been a toolbox/woodshop for so long it’s actually kept work from being done. Of course everything now is scattered all over the steps of my house; but the truth is I have very little major woodwork left to do and am no concentrating on finishing the plumbing and electrical system, ripping out and replacing a rotten bulkhead to fit in a refrigerator box, and finishing a few things on the deck as well as can be done under the Shrinkwrap.
The daunting storage bill is the worst problem. Anyone know better places for crowdfunding than GoFundMe?
- JC2
