Bye Bye Boat Yard.

by Riley

Over the past several months of having Winbrandt in the yard at the marina, I have felt like I was constantly tap dancing around gimmicks. It became clear that they had set up to prey on people that bite off more than they can handle, and then try to use intimidation when one doesn't fall for their own overpriced, poor workmanship. Because that's how pirates do it these days. 

While this issue was troubling, I've also met some awesome people there. It's been a lot easier recently, swimming past all the baited hooks, after making some friends in the same "boat." Because I live almost 5 hours from where we keep Winbrandt, I feel a lot better now, knowing that someone is watching my back and boat. My friend James and his wife were redoing an Oday 34 next to us when we met and became friends. His plan is to start chartering the boat, and he has done a exceptional job, as he is a very capable, meticulous craftsman. His work inspired me to step it up a notch on my own refit, and I am very glad I did. 

Boatyard friendships, I feel, have been critical in getting Winbrandt back in the water. I knew little about some of the repairs I needed to make when I started, but that was ok, because my friend did. He didn't have a woodworking shop for some trim he needed made, but I did and could make it. It's also good to have another set of eyes giving ideas and opinions on your projects. While Winbrandt is far from done, I know that she wouldn't be as nice, and I wouldn't have tackled some of the repairs, if I hadn't had help. 

Now, both of our boats are free from the bonds of dry land, ready to go wherever the wind blows.

Back in the Water.

by Allison

 

After a few months of hard work, we were finally able to put Winbrandt back in the water.  Riley made an appointment to have her put back in on Friday, and we were really excited to spend a long weekend on the water, actually enjoying the boat.  Unfortunately, Riley was really sick, so that plus the high winds and gloomy weather put a damper on the weekend.  But, she made it safely back in the water and the diesel started right up.  Poor Riley was so hopped up on Nyquil that he didn't even stress as much as he would have about getting her into the slip in such high winds.  We left for home shortly after she was docked, and are looking forward to getting back down there to finally take her for a sail.

A Good Day.

by Riley

I'm lying here in the cabin of my boat after a very satisfying day of care giving. Sailboats are a lot of upkeep, and even more work to bring back after neglect. It can also be a really rewarding experience. Today is what would register as a good day for me and Winbrandt. The old electronics are gone and the new installed. The hull is polished and waxed. We wanted to change the bootstripe at the waterline from a dark blue to largo blue, which matches the canvas on the boat; this task was accomplished also. My friend James was a lot of help. He also showed me how to move the stands that support the boat in order to paint the rest of the bottom. To top it all off, I had some fine Carolina BBQ for dinner. 

Winbrandt is now ready to put back in the water.

The Galley.

by Riley

Updating the galley was not necessary, but it was something Allison and I wanted. The old countertops were pretty worn and stained. So I pulled all the trim off and bought a sheet of laminate and some glue from Lowes for around 60 bucks. Well worth it for the improvement. The pieces of counter that could be easily removed from the boat, I did, and used my cutoff bit in my router to trim the excess laminate around the edges after gluing. The large pieces of counter I had to leave in the boat and precut the new laminate to fit. After spraying the glue I got ready to place the new laminate top on. I was a little nervous because the glue was so sticky I knew I only had one chance to get it lined up precisely. About the time I started to go for it, Allison ask how I learned to do this. I told her, "that's what we're doing." I think it turned out pretty well.