Ways and Means Saga, Part ll:
Like Yogi said, “It ain’t over til it’s over.” And we ain’t done yet. But we are 90% there.
The lower legs are in place in this picture. And the tide will rise another three feet easily enough (you can see the upper tideline marked in a dark line long the rock in the background). They are at the right elevation. It seems like a go.
In this picture, we have applied the HDPE plastic to the top of the 6×6 rails, the kind of plastic used in ice rinks at the join where the side walls meet the ice. It is slippery stuff and should make the ‘dragging-up’ easier. It looks good.
As it turns out, my seat of the pants design was NOT quite right. We hauled the boat yesterday and it revealed a design error. I have the deck 1/2 inch too close. Stupid me measured the boat’s beam from gunnel to gunnel but, actually, the boat ‘flares’ a couple of inches wider below the gunnel! Especially at the windshield beam. It is maybe 3″ wider. Consequently, the deck began to push at the side of the boat as the boat came up. NOT GOOD. Kinda defeats the purpose of fixing the boat if I break or stress it as it gets into the ‘fix’ position. Temporary remedy was to take off few deck planks (see ’em?). Long term remedy is simple enough, too. I simply ‘raise’ the level of one side (deck-side) by a few inches and that will do it because the hull quickly narrows. So, I will fix it that way after I do the engine work I have planned for now. It will be fine after that.
Changed the engine oil, flushed out the engine with varsol/diesel/oil (to ensure all moisture from the sinking last month has been removed). New oil filter. Sal changed the zincs. I also changed the spark plugs (thus ensuring it never runs again) and we are ready to slip ‘er back into the sea at high tide tonight.
“ALL that work just to change plugs?!” No. As I said before, we have to rebuild another boat. New floor. Transom work. Engine swap. Windshield raising. This and that. All that work is still to come. These pictures are using the current working-but-leaking boat to ‘test’ out the means. This ‘Ways’ project was undertaken for the ‘next boat’.
The good news is the winch was great. Slow. But great. And the boat was – basically – at the right level for working on relative to the deck and was elevated just enough so as NOT to touch rocks and steps under as it came up. I think we can give ourselves a C+ on this project. That’s high praise indeed given that we have failing grades most of the time.
“OH, DAVE! Don’t be so humble.” I am not humble. Not in the least. Anyone who knows me, knows that. In fact, it is impossible for me to be as humble as I should be so I opted for the inflated ego path a long time ago. I have even been called bombastic just because of this blog! Even ‘obnoxious’ behind my back (but loud enough that I could hear).
But real work on real rocks and real barnacles using salvaged parts on old equipment with inadequate skills when you are old and stupid is the ultimate definer of one’s limitations. What might sound humble is truly fact. That, of course, and the non-existent financial resources to ‘hire out’ the work is simply the truth of it…..so we are lucky to be as successful and functional as we are. Hell, it is amazing we even did it!
I think much of the credit goes to Sal. I make her do most of the hard stuff.
Others think so, too.
Our Off the Grid Home 
looks good!
As for todays 1pm low tide….What was down with THAT? I was in north Van at a shipyard and the gangway was like a friken ladder!
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The west coast summertime curse: low, low, low tides in the day-time. So that means ‘getting’ here is made difficult by exposed beach and barnacles. The ‘funiculars’ help but NOT enough when it is at the lowest point. When that happens, ya just wait. We used to scramble and schlep and carry and bleed. NOW we just wait.
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The down side of the dropping tide at 7am.
I was humping 4 … 5 gallon (50lb) pails and 10…60lb sacks of concrete down the gangway, up 4 flights of scaffold onto a tug and then mixing it in the heat….
The deeper down side….We esitmated too much material and had to hump about 50 % back up to the dock at low low low tide.
The crane was broken….my lard was melting profusely. Jenny Craig is for wimps and gyms are for Arnold….Let them work with me for a week…they eat anything and not feel guilty
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Been there. Too many times. Can’t go back again. Well, I can go back but only if you carry me. I once carried sides of beef off the hook, across the loading dock and into the truck for Canada Packers. I once poured concrete with the Greeks when it was done by wheelbarrow. And I used to carry appliances for a furniture store. Now? Carrying a loaf of bread for a sandwich is my limit. I hate low tide.
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I do like the photographs. Interesting project.
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And I figure to use the damn thing maybe only 25 times in my remaining lifetime – if I live a long time.
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Cuppala things: “The lower legs are in place in this picture.” I know you’re not a fashion plate but it does look like you’re riding a chicken. Nice shorts though.
And instead of ripping the deck apart might it not be easier to get a 3″ narrower boat, especially since that one is almost toast? Or a strap-on trolley to raise the boat instead of the way? And while you test the ways with the “working but leaking” boat did you check to see if the “next boat” is narrower? Or of similar configuration/beam?
Easy to be critical from here, and after the fact. My Sal does like those legs!
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Boat #2 is an exact replica of boat #1. The featured Wasabi (green) is a 16 foot 70’s era Campion worth nothing. The boat-in-waiting is Aubergine (purple) is too, and worth even less. But Aubergine’s hull is perfect. Floor rotten. Transom suspect but hull is nice. I am not taking the deck apart. Too much work. Instead I am lifting a track. The higher track will lift the boat and that means that a narrower part of the hull will be the ‘close-to-the-deck-edge’ and at least one inch away.
It just so happens that I have beautiful legs ending in an almost perfect butt. Admittedly, there is a bit too much mass perched on top but we cannot blame the chicken.
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The “legs” are merely the props for the “work of art” to be displayed……and I’m not even talking about your supposed “buns of steel” because supper is less than an hour away and I dont want to ruin my appetite.
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The guy we bought our barge from had it up on a homebuilt ways at his cabin. Unfortunately, he coudln’t get it off until the highest spring tide so we had to wait an extra month to take delivery. But we are so happy with it that was a small price to pay. – Margy
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