Busy, Busy, Busy

Sorry for being absent. My life is always filled with things that need to be done and things I want to get done. One of them, my boat, I have wanted to get done. But I needed to get my garden done first because I like eating more than boating. Now that my garden is done and growing fine I turned my attention to the rusty frame on the truck that I hope to weld so it will pass inspection. However, it needs to be cleaned up first which requires me to fire up the compressor and my hand grinder. Both make ample quantities of noise. So because my wife worked all night I, being the considerate husband that I am, did not work on the truck much. I instead decided to work on the boat. I put the padded trim pieces with the new vinyl covering onto the front of the boat to weigh it done. That way I can work on the back to install the starter. Things were going along just dreamy until I finished the front work and stepped to the port side of the bilge in the stern (in the back of the boat you know) and felt the deck sag.

After taking off some side and back trim pieces and pulling up the carpet my boat has become a need to do project. I have to rip up the deck from the back of my boat, which I've started to do, then treat some of the support beams with Git Rot. Then I have to get a sheet of marine plywood to replace the bad wood. Then I'll build a proper A-frame to support tarps, (water proof cloths not the swindle perpetrated on the duped American public by Congress) so my boat will stay high and dry when not in use. Thereafter my boat returns to a want to do status. I still will need to install the starter and fire up the engine to see if it runs fine after sitting for 3 years or needs to be rebuilt. If it runs okay then the rest of the trim pieces can get installed, the outboard trim pump can be bled and adjusted, the new carpeting installed as well as a good wash and waxing. My neighbor Steve, who has worked on boat restorations in the past, is going to help me with everything so that's great too.

So if all goes well I'll be fishing and crabbing soon...provided any unforeseen needs don't interfere with this top of my want list responsibility.