Coopers Quest

[David Fox]

Good bye to land living.

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The very last thing that had to be done before we hit the water was the painting of the underside of the keel which had been resting on the blocks so Gerry wielded his paintbrush with as much speed and gusto as he could manage before the travel lift was off and moving towards the water, the anti-fouling was officially finished.

The yard guys needed us to move out of the slip as quickly as we possibly could as they had other boats that they had to splash after us so we started up the engine, caught the lines, moved the fenders back inboard and motored out to the anchorage. We couldn't anchor in the same place as before the haul out as someone had snuck into our spot so we did a quick motor around the harbour and picked another spot. I was more than a little alarmed to notice how badly everyone was rolling and pitching- this was not going to be comfortable. Anyhow we dropped our anchor which set straight away and I sat making sure that we weren't dragging at all for a while whilst Gerry opened up the hatches and turned the fridge / freezer on so that we could put stuff back into them. Then it was time to put the wind generator blades back on to the mount. Out came the Allen keys and the blades and Gerry climbed up onto the arch over the transom, risking life and limb as we were rolling badly from one side to the other then pitching backwards and forwards. I assisted by standing on the seat and holding on to his legs and passing up the blades and then receiving the Allen keys and screwdriver from him before helping him get his footing back down onto the deck. We had a winner - the blades began turning and we were generating amps! It didn't take long before the sailor speak began though with Gerry announcing that the fridge and freezer weren't cooling down - here we go again!

[David Fox]

Oops

[David Fox]

After emptying the 1 1/2 cans of refrigerant into the fridge it still wasn't working. So an executive decision was made transfer everything into cool bags and use the small fridge to make ice for the bags, then call in the local Refrigeration specialists for some opinions and prices.
After a rough night with the rolling, the day dawned and they had a cooked breakfast to use up stuff from the cool bag.
Next lower the dinghy into the water, add outboard and fuel. Disaster, the dinghy was leaking. Nicky hauled the heavy gear back on board and they hoisted the dinghy
inboard for an inspection.
Row back to the quay which was not so bad with the reduced displacement.
Gerry ended up buying a new dinghy and seeing about repair of the old.
After a run ashore for dinner followed by an early night as 11/11 was going to be a busy day.

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The Fridge man cometh, 'Oh, Mohn'.
Well Gerry had decided, new split system with two small independant compressors, much like domestic units, new piping and new cooling plates( evaporators) in both the fridge and freezer. Air cooled condensers on the compressors and at least some redundancy. The two previous 'new compressors' to go ashore, the rationale being if one failed, how good is the other?
See the dollar wheel$$$ $pinning. Its a B.O.A.T - Break Out Another Thou$and.
With thousands of miles to go you cannot take a chance, no room on deck for a Manger.
So once decided, Gerry turned to again the saloon was turned into a workshop,with tools everywhere.

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Nicky acting as Cadet and Gofor, a role she has got used to.

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The awkward parts to remove were the Eutectic plates in the Fridge and Freezer particularly the latter being much larger and heavier and not a lot of headroom. When the boat was being built, these perhaps when in installed in the galley units before any deck went on. Just as well Gerry had his Weetabix as well that morning.

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[David Fox]

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The life saver thats been struggling to make ice for the cool bag.

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Gerry has everything prepared, new base for new compressors, new wiring and breakers installed, but now we are waiting for the Compressors to arrive and clear customs, but on Island Time Mohn. It would appear that previous owners had bodged the electrics ' Magyvered' as Nicky would put it.

[David Fox]

Another day dawns and they hear that the two compressors have arrived on Granada and are awaiting Customs Clearance this being around the 22nd November. But remember Island Time.
Other highlights have been a saloon clock suffering from Covid, must be as Gerry took it apart checked everything , gave it a good squirt and shake but it did not stir, tried new batteries, dead a a Dodo. As everything is blamed on Covid, then why not the clock, at least out there it cannot be Brexit which is the other excuse given.
They decided to set it to 5 o'clock so its sundowner time.

The next one was the RO unit that makes them fresh water which seems to have fallen off in performance. Contacted mfrs and the were qoting parts that cost half of a new one, after 2 years. Gerry ordered a few bits after discussions with the technical people. We await the outcome of that.

As you know Gerry cannot sit still for too long, so as the wind speed and direction indicator was not registering much and it was blowing a hoully that was the next job.

A 65 foot mast , 72 feet above the waterline to the top.

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Nicky would keep tension on the halyard with the winch and the gizmo below

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I will now hand you over to Nicky to describe her role on the roll.
When you consider that the boat is rolling from side to side enough to unbalance you at deck level it doesn't take much imagination to realize that the top of the mast is going to be a nauseatingly wild ride. I'm not sure why we couldn't leave it until it was a wind free and calmer day but as I wasn't the one who was going to go to the top of the mast I couldn't really argue the point. As is always the case this was a 2 person job, whilst Gerry went aloft I was the one who handled the winching up, took the photos (just in case he fell - what a photo that would make!) and was on hand to send anything skywards if he needed it before letting him back down to the deck.
Out came a bit of equipment that no one likes to use - the bosun's chair - it's a glorified butt hammock really with a securing point for a halyard to attach to, then came the headsets so that we didn't have to shout at each other forcing the entire harbor to listen to us, a screw driver (it's a must have in any situation) and finally one of our favourite purchases, the battery operated Winchrite. This is a must have purchase, it takes the harder work out of having to winch - especially when it's a baby elephant that you are trying to haul to the top of a 65 foot mast! There is no easy way of doing this job so Gerry climbed into the bosun's chair, I was tempted to take a photo but that would just have been cruel - but funny, he attached the main halyard to the securing point and started the journey up the mast by climbing on to the safety rails at the base of the mast then instructing me to begin winching him up as far as the top of the boom. Once he was standing on the boom things got easier for me as there are retractable steps all the way up our mast which he just has to flip out and climb, it doesn't make me redundant though as I have to keep assisting and maintaining tension on the halyard as he climbs (just in case he slips or falls). I have to add at this point that I have no visual of him climbing as the covers over our dodger prevent me from being able to see him so the headsets are the only means we have to know how much winching to do and when to stop etc. we try to limit the instructions to Go and Stop as anything else can get confusing but the occasional "whoa" and "up" creep in there to try and confuse me which isn't helped by the wind whistling into Gerry's microphone and the odd swear word which escapes as he gets higher up the swinging mast. Neither of us are particularly fond of heights so I'm really glad that he's always the one that goes up the mast even if it does mean that I have to develop arm muscles like a prize fighter. Gerry clings to the mast for grim death as he ascends, pausing at the 2 sets of spreaders to get his breathing under control and it isn't too long before he's telling me that he's at the top followed by a whole load of sailor speak as he inspects the offending instrument, unscrews it and then asks me to let him back down slowly - this is always my big chance to hold him up there for ransom but as the boat is still rolling badly and swinging him from side to side I resist the urge today. The Winchrite is redundant for the downward process so gets removed and I try to keep constant tension on the halyard as I slowly let it out to allow Gerry to descend back to the deck. I had taken a quick couple of photos of the journey up the mast in the hope they would come out, I wasn't sure as I had a very brief visual and a quick click to get the photos whilst trying to man the winch - with Gerry back on deck it was time to check them out and see if I had captured him or not - yay, I had a couple of shots worth keeping. Gerry rid himself of the bosun's chair and we went below to examine the wind indicator - more screwdrivers, a bit of prodding and poking showed that the small drain hole had blocked and probably caused water to pool inside the indicator and corrode / rust or cause a buildup of scale around the bearings which was preventing the free movement of the parts the result of which was the need for an overhaul kit - which we didn't have. I laughingly said to just get a new indicator - we are bound to need it in the long run. Off Gerry went in the dinghy to Budget Marine where he found complete new indicators but no overhaul kits so he went to the sail makers next door who are agents for the brand of indicator we have - maybe they would have a kit. It turned out that they wanted our first born child in exchange for the kit along with some 30 meters of cable which doesn't come as an optional extra even though we didn't need the cable. Gerry refused to give up our first born and returned to Budget Marine where the price of a new indicator was a little less, with his loyalty discount, than they wanted for the kit at the agents. Guess who now has a new wind indicator!
Back out on the boat we prepared to once again get Gerry to the top of the mast, this time with the new indicator following the same procedure as before. Once at the top and with the new indicator in place he instructed me to turn on the sailing instruments and make sure that the wind direction and speed was now showing, which it was, so we just had to get Gerry back down on deck and the job was done. We now have a fully functioning wind indicator once more.

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So the job for the day was done and dusted, it was time to kick back, admire the view and do nothing for the remainder of the day, not that there was too much left of it as this "small job" had taken up most of the day. I prepped dinner and we sat in the cockpit watching the boats around us rolling and bobbing up and down whilst the sun set behind the hills. The sky didn't turn such a good pink colour as yesterday, the rain clouds were too close behind. We commented on the harbor being like a league of nations at present, there are boats flying flags from Germany, UK, Switzerland, France, Canada, Denmark, USA and then there is us with our boxing kangaroo, we wondered where they are all trying to get to - all we know is that we have all made it here and are safe but I'm sure, like us, most people are keen to get on the move again as soon as possible but are being thwarted by the draconian restrictions that various countries are enforcing.

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[David Fox]

Today 26/11/2020 is Reefer install day.
Gerry had everything so should go reasonably smoothly.

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Here is a pleasant sunset.

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No not the one your thinking of.

So, success after a rewire of thermostats and removal of a relay.
But not finnished yet, before we go any further with filling the freezer Gerry added some high density polystyrene board that had a layer of aluminium foil either side to reduce heat gain into into the cooled spaces. Due to the cutting to fit the saloon looked like "Santas Grotto" as Nicky called it. Still short of insulation Gerry remembered there was some above the main bedroom deckhead to keep that cool. So by the time that was retreived they had a 'Grotto Annex'.
With Gerry finished and happy , Nicky turned to vacuuming.

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[David Fox]

After a few days rest and obviously the odd little job for Gerry, a bit of storing they started to notice the bilge pump was working more than usual, this being float controlled.
The level in the Fwd. FW tank was checked and sure enough the following morning the level was down without use.
Tanks changed over to the fwd one in order to pump it out.. Up comes the hatches in the cabin decking and the tools come out again to play.
The tank internally was cleaned up.

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Gerry had thought of getting a welder to have a look, but identifying location of the leak, disturbing the rest of the joints, burning through the stainless, setting fire to the yatch weighed against the idea. Also considered was having a new tank made and fitted, that was not going to work as the yatch was perhaps built round the tank and would have to be removed in small sections, so how do you fit the new tank in if you can actually find how its attached to the yatch. So the job started to become larger the more it was looked at.
What Gerry decided on was Thistlebond or its 2020 derivitive. How many ships have you been on where FW pipes have been thistlebonded and perhaps gone to scrap with it still intact. Also cement boxes round SW pipes and valves.
He is going to 'gob up' likely joints and then add Thistlebond tape and epoxy on top to strengthen the corners.
To do this he needs to cut two more access holes in the top and add flanges and covers.

[David Fox]

Nicky has started her own Nautical Advent Calendar to inform her non nautical children and friends about items on the yatch.
1st Day of Advent consisted off 3 'Breeze Boosters'.

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With options looked at Gerry decided to cut 2 extra 8" Diameter inspection holes in the FW tank top which consisted of 1/8" stainless steel. As the name suggests you wouldn't expect it to rust or a hole to appear, but at 30+ years old these things tend to try them and so far every obstacle has been overcome thanks to Gerry's training in Blue Star and experience gained since in all manner of hazardous and extreme conditions.

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One of the problems Gerry faced with the Stainless it was particularly hard and using a battery operated grinder with a wheel for stainless steel it tended to run his batteries down. When he went to charge the first, nothing happened as it was too hot, so into the fridge to cool it down before charging. He had 3 batteries and two chargers but they wouldn't keep up with his use. This delayed the job, much to his dismay.

2nd Day of Advent.
A Dorade ??

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A dorade box is a type of vent that permits the passage of air in and out of the cabin or engine room of a boat while keeping rain, spray, and sea wash out. Wikipedia. More a small vessel or sailing ship term/equipment. https://www.google.com/search?q=dorade+ ... orade+vent
See diagram on next post.

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Thats the vacuum cleaner hose, not the monster from black lagoon. I am sure they are going to be finding grit and grindings for some time yet, despite the vacuuming.

[David Fox]

Dorade Box.

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3rd Day of Advent

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After 3 days the final inspection holes were finished, the area cleaned up and edges gaffer taped to prevent scratching of the arms.

This is the offending area causing the leak, Gerry made the hole larger to find any corroded steel.

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Some of the welding that's blown through from the outside looks like bird droppings, which is not always a good sign.

The next job for the day was using a rotary wire brush to clean off the seams, sand down the new hole edges and roughen the stainless steel up inside the tank followed by cleaning off of the surfaces to clean off any contamination which would prevent epoxy sticking to it. Next came the mixing up of epoxy with silica filler to thicken it - making it the consistency of peanut butter (Gerry's description, not mine). This was scooped into a zip lock bag with one corner cut off - just like an icing bag and squeezed along the seam lines with plenty around and over the offending hole, this was then smoothed down and left to cure, creating a watertight (we hope) seal and barrier to prevent any further leaks.

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Whilst waiting for the epoxy to cure it was time to was to fit the new plates over the holes he had just made. More epoxy was mixed up and spread around the edges of the newly made observation holes, leveled out and the rims for the cover plates were sat on top of the epoxy to make sure that they would be level once the epoxy was cured. Gerry had applied silicone to the rims and had covered the screw holes to try and prevent them from sticking to the epoxy at this point so that he could reposition them if necessary, it was a good effort but once the epoxy had cured the rims wouldn't budge even a fraction so they were declared to be in their permanent home and they were screwed into place just to make certain they wouldn't migrate anywhere. It was then time to leave it all for double checking tomorrow before considering the job finished. All of today's efforts didn't go without a couple of casualties , Gerry managed to cut his finger on a rough edge - it only required a band aid, no suturing and then when he was running his finger along the epoxy to smooth it out he managed to find the one bit of stainless steel that was sticking out and jammed his finger on it - again nothing serious but he certainly felt it if the yell was anything to go by! He also had scrapes on his hands and elbow from reaching through the holes to get to the inside of the tank to apply the epoxy but I'm not going to mention them to him as I'll then have to supply some sympathy and we all know that nurses don't have any of that!

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It looks like from the close up, that the lids screw on a course thread into the bases, so a bit of vaseline on the threads will make for easy removal should they require it.
I was thinking of a piece of thick perspex screwed over the access holes and Gerry came back straight away with pictures of these he picked up at no doubt Budget Marine, his 2nd home almost.

Then there was a couple of minor incidences with the epoxy - the first batch was just fine when he mixed up the second batch he made a larger batch and unfortunately it hardened very quickly, before he even got it all into the "icing bag" rendering it totally useless so the third batch was made smaller and this time he managed to use it in the way it was meant to be used. When he mixed up the final batch for securing the rims he did it on the kitchen countertop and somehow managed to knock the stirring stick clean out of the jug, bouncing as only a sticky mess can, on both the benchtop and the floor boards - the sailor speak could be heard in the next neighbourhood as he hurried to get the epoxy in place before it cured and at the same time to clean the unintended mess up off the bench and floorboards. Twas ever thus.

It was time to put the floor boards back in place for the night, retire to the cockpit and watch the harbor for entertainment which was supplied tonight by our very good sailing buddies, Dale and Lorie, who had at long last splashed their boat this afternoon (not without a couple of minor incidences that we are yet to hear about).



Well as the sun sets on a job well done, Gerry and Nicky are waiting for a few good showers that they can use to top the after tank up so they can gravitate some water fwd (Sounds familiar doesn't, gravitating liquids backwards and fowards).

[David Fox]

4th day of Advent

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Here's Nicky.
So for the advent photo today I present you with the EPIRB, or in our case 2 of them. I'm sure that most of you will know what these are - Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons. These are set off in dire emergencies when our lives are at risk and hopefully the signals they give off will be picked up by various emergency search and rescue centers and they will come out and save us! Most boats carry just one of these which is registered to the country in which the boat is also registered. As our boat was a US documented boat originally we had a US EPIRB - that's the white one, which we had registered with the US authorities. Then when we changed our boat to become an Australian documented boat we bought and registered an Australian EPIRB - the orange one, so that we were well and truly covered for the entire trip home, not that we ever want to have to set either of them off but if the $h!t hits the fan we will be setting them both off and seeing who responds the fastest.
5th Day of Advent, not too exciting, guardrails and here is also a turning block through which runs the furler line for the staysail.

6th Day of Adven

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Better looking than our 3/4" BSW nut on the end of a piece of sailing twine.

7th Day of Advent

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it's the thing we stare at endlessly when we are under way as it provides information to ensure we make informed decisions about our movements (mostly!). The big screen at the bottom being the chart plotter and the 2 smaller screens at the top supplying wind speed and direction, speed over the ground, radar and AIS(automatic identification system) information and an assortment of other useful aids to navigation.

8th Day of Advent

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9th Day of Advent

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Advent photo for the day is one for the cooks - the things on the left of the photo are called fiddles, the photos on the right show them in position and action on the stove top. The purpose of them is to prevent the saucepans from sliding around when the boat is rolling and pitching and causing untold accidents with hot contents spilling everywhere by gripping the pan on either side to hold it in one position. The other important aid to preventing spills is the gimbled stove - it is on a swiveling bracket which can either be free moving and the stove will maintain a level position when the boat is in motion or it can be locked into the normal level position when the boat is in flat, calm waters. If you look carefully at the photos you might be able to see that the edge of the stove top is at an angle to the edge of the counter top as I had the locks in the undone position when I took the photos and we were rolling enough to put the gimble into action. The term "fiddle" is also applied to the raised edges that surround things like the edge of the dining table and shelves to prevent things sliding off of them. I have no idea where the original term came from, having googled it there appears to be several possibilities, all I can say is that it's a good job they exist as without them cooking could become an even more dangerous sport than it already is!

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They apparently can have 2 parts - a drum and a gypsy. The drum is used for handling rope and the gypsy below designed to allow chain of a specific size to be moved in or out around it as the chain is hauled up from the water and dropped into the spurling pipe (an angled chain guide pipe leading into the chain locker). Not all windlass have both parts but ours does and the 2 parts can be used independently of each other or in unison. There are up and down switches on the deck next to the windlass to operate it, these raise or lower the anchor chain as needed, we also have a switch in the cockpit so that we can operate it from there if the need arises or if the boat is being single handed. Some time ago Gerry bought a wireless car winch remote which he uses when he is dropping or hauling the anchor - this was so that he can peer over the side of the boat and easily see how much chain is being let out or hauled in (the chain is marked off with paint at certain points to show how much chain has been deployed).