Long weekend of work but we’re ready for launch!

My brother and I took Friday off from work.  We really wanted to finish all the prep work this weekend and get this baby in the water.

On Friday we finished up all the thru hull fitting work.  We had to reconnect the cockpit drain tubes to the new thru hull fittings.  We also finished the cooling water intake for the engine and all its connections.  There is a water filter in the cooling water system for the engine.  We needed a new 0-ring for it and luckily, after some digging in their stockroom, the guy at the boat yard’s parts dept found what we needed.

Port side cockpit drain all done

My brother touched up the paint that had gotten under the tape when I painted the rub rail last weekend.

Rub rail looking sharp

I did the terminations and wiring of the anchor light and antenna at the top of the mast and the steaming light that is half way up the mast.

Anchor light and antenna wiring

Steaming light wiring

I also reinstalled the tabernacle that I had sandblasted several weeks ago.

Tabernacle installed

We installed new gate sections for the lower lifelines. 

Lower lifeline gates

I installed and painted new “plugs” on the cabin wall just outside the starboard side of the companionway. There are two 4” diameter holes there where long gone instruments had been mounted. Maybe at some point in the future we will put new instruments there.

I also put the newly modified, sanded and varnished companionway hatch boards on.  Looks pretty nice.

Companionway hatch boards installed
and cabin wall "plugs" installed and painted

Looking sharp!

Saturday was a short boat day.  I rewired and tested the bilge pump and cleaned the bilge area while I there.

Sunday was the long day.  Left the house at 9:00 am and got home at 10:00 pm.

My brother cleaned the area under the cockpit sole where the 2 boat batteries are located and installed new straps for them.

He also did some work on the deck drains that necessitated him climbing into the port side cockpit locker.  It is a pretty tight space.  Especially for an old guy.

Old guy in port locker.
Battery straps installed.

I installed the antenna and windex (aka wind vane) at the top of the mast and then tested the antenna and the lights.  Everything worked.

Antenna & Windex installed and anchor light working

Steaming light works too

We also installed new “spreader boots” on the mast.  These protect the forward sail to help prevent tearing or chaffing.

Spreader boots installed

We installed a new shore power system.  It charges the boat batteries and provides power to the boat’s 12volt system when docked and plugged into 115VAC.

My brother greased the ”stuffing box”.  The stuffing box is the box like device where the propeller shaft passes through the hull from the inboard engine to the propeller.  The grease helps to minimize water from leaking around this area.

I rewired and tested the navigations lights.

The last thing we did (as  the sun was setting in the west) was to put the name on the boat.  My oldest daughter got a thing call a “Silhouette”. It is like a computer printer, but instead of printing it cuts things.  Paper, fabric or in our case adhesive backed vinyl.  We picked a font, size and design and she cut a template out from the vinyl.   We put the template in place and painted the name on the back of the boat.

My brother pealing the last of the name template away.

So “Thanks Dad” is ready to be launched. I submitted the paperwork to the boat yard to schedule the launch.  They will also “step the mast” (meaning they will put the mast up) and “tune the mast” (meaning they will make the adjustments to insure the mast is straight and has all the proper tensions on the stays.)

Ready for launch!

 If all goes well we should be able to move the boat from  the boat yard to the marina on Saturday.