We're Back

After getting the boatyard work done, I returned home to take care of some things while Rover got used to her new digs at the marina. I returned to the boat about a week ago...this time with my wife (who is giving this boat thing another try) and our dog. 

 There were several goals for this trip. One was to wrap up a few (hopefully) minor boat projects. We also wanted meet up with some friends in both Oriental and Southport. And most importantly, to refamiliarize ourselves with life aboard a boat and do a few short trips with the boat to see the local area and test out systems for our big trip in the fall. Yes, the trip to the Bahamas that was planned before the pandemic. 

When I was last at the marina, there was a Leopard 43 behind me that was for sale. I met the owner and found out he was actually familiar with this blog. It always amazes me how large and yet small the cruising community is. Unfortunately, he was not around much before the boat was sold and I was busy on the phone getting some insurance issues resolved when he last stopped by. Andy, wherever you are, I hope you are well.

Recently Sold Leopard 43

The boat was sold and the new owner departed with the boat for new adventures...or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when the Leopard returned a few days after we arrived back at the marina. The new owner, Tom, has owned other sailboats in the past, but I believe this was his first catamaran. He was preparing the boat for a trip south to its new home in Florida. I spent a couple days helping him get things ready for his trip, getting the sails put up and providing what little knowledge and tips I have about Leopards that were not specific to my model. My wife and I spent a couple evenings talking over sundowners and meals, and quite enjoyed his company. I do love how cruising allows one to make friends from all walks of life so quick and easy. 

Since Tom had prior boats, he also had duplicates of a few items that are often handy on boats. He already owned folding bikes, so the older ones that came with his boat were extra and unneeded. Given the limited storage space on a boat, duplicates or spares of such large items only serve to take up too much of that coveted storage space. As a result, we were gifted and now have two folding bikes again. Having been stored on a boat, they are in need of a little TLC (mostly cleaning, adjustment, and treating some rust with Ospho), but are functional and we look forward to using them. 

Another big item that he had was a spare watermaker. Most cruisers that don't have one, wish they did (particularly in places like the Bahamas), and I am no exception. Since he had two virtually identical Rainman portable watermakers, we were able to make a deal and I purchased his spare. Ironically, now I have to figure out where to store it...lol. But being able to make fresh water from the ocean when needd instead of having to pay for and haul water at Bahamas prices I know will come in handy and make the trip even more pleasant. 

Rainman portable watermaker
(Picture from Rainman)

Tom, I hope your trip south is going well and I hope our paths cross again in the future.

We were also able to catch up with some, now long-time..at least by cruising standards, friends in Oriental. My friends at The Retirement Project have moved from a blue water cruising sailboat to a trawler and will soon be starting a trip along the American Great Loop. It was great getting a chance to catch up with them and swap stories over a meal. Safe journeys on your new adventure my friends!

Having spent a number of years in Southport, we had some friends there that we wanted to see. A convergece of several factors, had us make the long drive there a couple days ago. We met up with some of those friends at the marina and then went to one of our favorite seafood restaurats in Southport. If you are ever in Southport and want some good seafood at reasonable prices, check out "Provisions" (officially, I think the name is The Provision Company). 

West Marine recently had a rasonable sale on line (yes, you read that right... reasonable... at West Marine), so I've now replaced much of the running rigging. It also gave me a chance to practice adding eye splices to double braid line using a fid set I was gifted a number of years ago. I still have to follow the written insructions (pdf), but I seem to be proficient at it, albeit very slow. 

As I write this, we are waiting for the weather to calm down so we can finally get the sails back up (the last window was when I was helping Tom). A couple day sails after that and we should be ready to do some exploring of the area. Mabe we will go check out the Albemarle ...again... and hopefully not chased away by a hurricane this time. Then there is Cape Lookout and the outer banks. Much to explore.  Can't wait to get back to using Rover for what she is meant to do.

Where's Rover?

So, when I came back to the boat in November, the goal was to again make her ready for a trip to the Bahamas. There were two big-ticket items I wanted to get done in a boatyard: new bottom paint and finally getting the new standing rigging I had purchased just before the pandemic installed. There were also a few other items that needed to be ticked off the repair list. 

 I tried, and failed, to get boatyards near Southport to haul out the boat and get the work done. Eventually I was able to schedule an appointment with Wilmington Marine Center on Jan 9th. So I went back home for the holidays, expecting I would return to take the boat to the yard at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, that boatyard went radio silent and I was unable to confirm the appointment after the holidays. So, figuring that Wilmington Marine apparently didn't want my business, I then scheduled with another yard in New Bern NC. 

It was a 3 day trip to relocate the boat there with the help of some friends in Southport. Unfortunately, the trip was during some of the coldest weather of the season, but the new 3/4 enclosure made the trip far better than our trip down from Virginia in January a few years back after building the hardtop. 

A calm but cool evening...

The boat was hauled two weeks ago last Tuesday after a one day delay due to high winds. It was on the hard for 2 weeks. The bottom fortunately didn't look as bad as I had feared, thanks to a trustworthy diver I found in Southport that took a great deal of time to remove the marine sanctuary that grew there during my absence caused by the pandemic. The bottom was cleaned and new bottom paint was applied. 

Rover out of the water

 I was also able to find a good rigger in New Bern that was willing to install the standing rigging I had purchased just prior to the beginning of the pandemic. On the hard, and using a man-lift, it took about a day and a half to replace the rigging without un-stepping the mast. Other than one set of fittings that were supplied required modification, the rigging kit from Sparcraft contained everything we needed.  The rigger reported during the rigging replacement that the threads in one of the old turnbuckles all but crumbled during disassembly...so it was definitely good that I didn't try to squeeze in one more sail. Finally, after almost 3 years, Rover now has brand new standing rigging. 

New rigging and bottom paint

During the trip up to New Bern, I found that one of the shaft seals was leaking a bit. I also found some wear of the cutlass bearings during my out-of-water inspection. So, I pulled both props, bearings, seals, and prop shafts. The shafts were cleaned, inspected, polished, and reinstalled with new shaft seals and bearings. Both props were cleaned and painted with cold galvanizing compound (the same stuff Petit sells as prop coat...only at 1/3 the price) and reinstalled with new zincs. The motors were then re-aligned with the prop shafts.

While at the yard, I also had the chance to replace the last of the fluorescent fixtures in the cabin with new dimmable LED fixtures. Unfortunately the puck lights I ordered to replace the main cabin lights were a little too large so I donated them to my friends at The Retirement Project. At least the bulbs in the existing fixtures are already LED. The raw water strainers for the air conditioning units that were failing (the baskets were breaking apart and replacements were impossible to find in the US) were also replaced with brand new strainers. 

The boat was splashed last Monday, and after spinning up the motors and checking for leaks, the boat left the yard in much better mechanical condition than when it arrived.  

With all the problems getting reliable marine services and parts in Southport, and the fact that my slip rental was doubling in price with an expected 50% additional increase in a year, I have decided to change the home base for Rover. I was able to find a marina near the boatyard where we were hauled out at the same rate we were initially paying at the old marina before the price increase. The marina doesn't have a pool, but it also doesn't have a ferry blowing its horn at 5:30am or rocking the boat every half hour. Being a bigger town, it is also much easier to find any needed parts and supplies.  The facility is simple but nice with several showers, a boaters lounge, and laundry. The docks are floating with large steel pilings and a wave attenuator that seems to do a really good job of keeping the water inside the marina calm.  The harbormaster and his assistant are really nice folks, are happy to help with anything you need, and they seem to keep up with maintenance.  I'm looking forward to having my boat here. 

And a new home.