Update at Last!

September 30, 2008. We launched today. After some adjustments we were off down river towards Scappose, Oregon, which is on the Multanomah Channel which runs between the Willamette River and the Columbia River. We are operating as a motor boat because

Walt will paint and re-rig the mast this winter in Salem . Sorry that I was unable to update the blog, but I forgot how to upload pictures. Hopefully this time I will be more successful.

So to backtrack......

4th of July 2008 A MILESTONE today! We put the bottom back on the boat! After all those months of grinding and sanding last fall and all the winter months undercover drying out, we have spent the last month adding epoxy fairing compound and fairing smooth the bottom. On July 4, a couple of great friends came and helped us with a marathon day of applying the two-part epoxy barrier coat (to help keep the water out of the fiberglass). A total of 5 coats, applied almost continuously. The weather was perfect, a mild 74 degrees, with only an occasional raindrop, the coats of epoxy barrier coat would just have time to get to the tacky stage so that we could apply the next coat before it set up. With two teams, one partner mixing the epoxy barrier coat and the other rolling it on; a team on each side of the boat, we managed to apply 5 coats in about 8 hours. Accompanying photos show the different colors of each coat: the pink on the bottom is the fairing compound, then alternating coats of grey then white.

Early August.....we painted the green stripe below the decks, and hurried towards finishing up the multitude of projects we had started this winter while under cover. August 24, Walt's college buddy Mike came up from California and helped us put the rudder back on, install the new shaft, propeller and cutlass bearing. Then he painted the bottom with the Bottomkote to keep off the marine growth. The boat was becoming to look like it was ready to be done!

Mid-September we found that finishing up all those projects would take more time than we expected (who would have guessed!) and launch date was slipped back to the end of September.

We scheduled launch for September 30 and had to scurry to meet that date, and of course there are still things that need to be completed, but we can do those in the water over the next month and winter. It's great just to be back on the water.

Needless to say, the last 15 months in the boat yard have been productive, we have a new-0ld boat. We're exhausted and looking forward to some months at home, but will continue projects (including new sails) . God willing we will be sailing in the San Juans next summer.

Will continue to post occasionally, thanks for your patience in following our Chronicles!