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S2 Journal - 2009

August 4, 2009
I bought her
August 10, 2009
I brought her home
August 14, 2009
I started trying to figure out how to set the boat up - single handed in this case.
August 23, 2009
I started working on the wood reinforcement strips under the cockpit seats. Used some white ash that I'd lumbered from my yard.
August 26, 2009
I refinished and remounted the wood rail that holds the fuel tank in place.
August 28, 2009
I finished the seat reinforcement strips.
September 8, 2009
Made a prop for the mast and a gin pole for stepping the mast and tried it out.
October 3, 2009
Tim Schill came and helped me step the mast and put on the boom
October 24, 2009
I started creating web pages based on various projects, and that's OK, but I decided I need a journal that describes what I'm doing on the boat. A blog I guess. This journal is the result. The items above, I added after the fact.
October 11, 2009
I spent the afternoon constructing a cover for the front of the garage. I used wood I had laying around, and a big sheet of plastic I had. It needs a little more work, but its holding up OK so far (this item is PS on Oct. 24, 2009)
October 24, 2009
Today, I got the sails out of the boat and brought them inside. I also got the cushions out of the cabin so I'm ready to start cleaning in their. I need to get something to organize the jib sheet and other tackle that's been laying about in the boat.

I took the cabin hatch moldings off. They are in pretty bad shape. I think I'll just replace them with StarBoard. No sense in going to all the trouble of removing them and refinishing only to have to do it again in a year or two, and they aren't in very good shape anyway. The hatch boards, I'll refinish even thought they aren't in great shape, they are easy enough to replace down the road.

The caulking on hatch trim was not the same on both sides. The caulk on the starboard side was tough to get loose and then to scrap off. I wish I had taken photos of the whole process. I'll get some photos of the boards before long.
October 26, 2009
I was on my way to Pittsburgh on Monday evening, so I took the engine mount with me to consult with my dad. As I half expected, he offered to take on the rebuild project. I got on-line and ordered bushings for the pivot points and had them shipped to house.
October 31, 2009
Dad called and said he had the rebuild well underway and asked if I wanted to come up and participate in the finishing up. I said yeah, but Connie couldn't be ready to leave until 4:34 so we just got there in time to meet him for dinner. After dinner we went to his house and he showed me what he had done. There wasn't really time to work on it, so we just talked about
The engine mount on Dad's table saw. You can see the latch link laying on the engine mount plate. Its kind of mangled, but we agreed that we'd be better to just leave it because it would likely break if we tried to straighten it. You can see the new bushings installed and the wood reinforcement members.

We also talk about reversing the swing arms so that the worn faces of the arms are on the inside and the fresh new faces are on the outside against the angle brackets. He'll do the same with the brackets so we have all new bearing faces. Dad also cut some washers out of mylar material that he had. Those will go between the aluminum arms and the aluminum angles. With waterproof grease (there was no sign that the thing had ever been lubricated) it will be much better than new.
November 21, 2009
I was working on the new cabin hatch rails. I'm making them out of StarBoard to replace the old teak. I have them rough cut and am working on the screw holes. The holes in the new StarBoard pieces have to match the holes drilled in the boat. So I used a paper template to get the holes just right. Seems to have worked out OK.
Here is the old cabin hatch rail with a piece of newspaper behind it that I used to make a pattern for drilling the holes in the new piece. The screws go through the newspaper and the newspaper is taped in place. Then you remove the old rail and put the new rail in place and tape the paper to the rail. Then drill holes where they show up on the paper. Here's the new rail held in place by just three screws to see that it fits. Next I have to sand off the corners and edges, clean up the boat gelcoat all around, and then caulk behind it and put all the screw in.
November 25, 2009
I took the Porta-Potti out and cleaned all around it with warm soapy water. I also cleaned the forward most bilge area. Then I started cleaning up the area at the bottom of the hatch rails. You can see in the photos above how there is old varnish slopped on the boat.
November 25, 2009
I took the compass out to see if I could clean it up.
November 27, 2009
Started working on the compass
November 28, 2009
I finished the companionway rails, and I removed the knot meter. I don't know if it works or not, but I think a GPS is an altogether better way to go, so I'm going to just remove it. You can see the finished companionway and the open holes from the compass and knotmeter in the photo below.

November 30, 2009
I bought a battery last Saturday and put it in tonight and started looking at the wiring.
December 1, 2009
I took some more photos of the electrical components in the boat, and I checked the navigation lights. Stern light and starboard lights are working. The port side light is out. Maybe I'll just get LED bulbs for all three.

I'm in Milwaukee this evening. All of this beautiful water. I'd love to sail on Lake Michigan.
December 5, 2009
I removed the bow running lights and brought them inside for reconditioning (its 25F outside - winter finally arrived in Ohio). I checked the bulb that was not lighting (port side) and it checks OK. It was pretty tarnished so I think cleaning things up will take care of the problem. I also took a photo of the radio (it lights up at least) to do some research on it.

I started working on my carry on equipment bag list.

And late in the evening, I took the masthead light off and started digging into that.
December 24, 2009
I finished the compass. I just needed to put oil in it.
December 26, 2009
Its December in Ohio, so I'm looking for things to do inside. I drug the Porta-Potti into the basement and started disassembling and cleaning it.
December 30, 2009
Finished the Porta-Potti (mostly) and drug some cushions inside to start cleaning them. Gotta keep at this inside work while its cold and snowy outside. I also bought a quart of Interlux 17m bottom paint to paint the rudder - at least the portion that will be in the water. It will be shipped to the house so I should be able to get after that in a week or so.