Repairing Hunter 40 damage from Hurricane Matthew

May 8, 2013
629
Hunter 40 Dataw Island, SC
:beer:
Sam Adams White Christmas is available now.
:beer:
I can't keep up with all the different flavors these days. I swear there are at least a couple thousand different brands/flavors of sake here in Japan :confused:. And I can't tell a bit of difference between any of them! I'll stick to Capt Morgan, thanks :)
 
May 8, 2013
629
Hunter 40 Dataw Island, SC
Nice fit on those pieces!!!!!!
Keep your stories coming its been a while
Dont worry about the completion date just keep having fun
Well, except for that ONE piece!

I'm trying a new thing. Been watching some refit/rebuilding videos on youtube (a few really good, some others - IMHO - not as good) and what has struck me is that the better ones publish videos on a consistent basis or schedule.

So I thought that rather than try to blast a flurry of updates in semi-real time during my 2 week break every 2 months I would try to spread things out, filling in some of the (boat) down time while I'm in Japan. I'm still working on consistency - and failing so far! - due to weird schedules here, but by posting an update every week to 10 days you guys won't forget about me! :D

this also is a plus for me - it gives me more time while home to concentrate on projects. Believe me, between the wife, boat, cars, cats, friends and everything else that comes up, my time at home sometimes seems like living inside a tornado!

Cheers,

Mark san
 
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May 8, 2013
629
Hunter 40 Dataw Island, SC
Waiting until the last minute:

So as the time neared for my return to Japan, how did my list of things go:

Starboard side pantry and hanging locker: well underway, a few more shelves to fit for the pantry then it's ready for paint and clearcoat. I did also get some formica on the top:



I was worried that any water drips (this area still has a few) might stain the wood so a little added protection is a good thing.

Port side hanging locker and closet: haha, not a chance! This is near the top of the list for January.

Cabin top hand rails: All the parts arrived but my canvas/stainless guy was in the middle of his semi-annual rush (ICW folks stopping in for work) and he couldn't get the rails cut and bent in time. They are done, waiting for me. I did get the old rails off, holes epoxied, sanded and painted, ready for the new gear. Top of the list for January, if for no other reason than to keep parts & pieces from accumulating and gathering dust.

Windlass and forward deck area: Success! This is where the last minute thing came in - after removing the windlass I had to fill the hole and finish the other patches on the foredeck. Got that done but then the weather conspired against me! The last few days home it turned cold and rainy. Luckily the forecast said clear, sunny and warm for my last day home, so:



Kiwi-gripped! Still a few areas of the deck to go for new non-skid but getting closer.

Not on the list: I got the aft cabin engine cover leveled and almost ready for installation. And finally, I built and mounted the platform for the fridge so I can start on the aft galley area.

That's it for my time home in November. I'm stuck here for Christmas & New Years, but home again early January. Fingers crossed for good weather!

Cheers,

Mark
 
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Rabe

.
May 15, 2019
78
Hunter 33 - Cherubini Port Clinton, OH
I sure hope everything is going well. Have you been able to get much work done since Christmas?
 
May 8, 2013
629
Hunter 40 Dataw Island, SC
I sure hope everything is going well. Have you been able to get much work done since Christmas?
I was working on a big update for yesterday or today when the wife came home and said her car is making a moaning sound and it's hard to steer. So update got put off and now I'm covered in power steering fluid!

I have gotten some work done but had a few things get in the way the last few months. All to be explained soon!

Thanks,

Mark
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The work Mark is doing on this boat leaves me speechless. Its way beyond what I would ever be capable of, and it clear its going to be a better boat.

But I can't stop thinking that this is going on three years, with no end in sight. And what three years of not sailing would mean to me. Maybe because I'm in my mid-50s..... still in good shape but that can't last forever. I cherish EVERY DAY on the water. So it's a cautionary tale. With enough skill and determination you can fix anything. But you can't buy time.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
The work Mark is doing on this boat leaves me speechless. Its way beyond what I would ever be capable of, and it clear its going to be a better boat.
I agree with Jackdaw, your work is incredible and I look forward to your updates and photos. I have a project boat in my driveway that once in a while I get a head full of fixes and upgrades for. But, I also have a boat at the dock ready to sail and that's the boat that gets my time. While I've been out of commission for a couple months with a broken ankle, I have really missed sailing and the project boat didn't get a second thought. I am a couple months from the 401k penalty free withdrawal age and the injury has made me realize and dread that age or health will one day keep me from sailing. So, I'm really looking forward to regularly sailing and racing again on the bay in the coming weeks
Mark, here's to you finishing your boat and having many years to sail her. And here's to sailing year round on the third coast. I would go absolutely nuts not sailing six or more months of every year.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
...With enough skill and determination you can fix anything. But you can't buy time.
A friend of mine who is older said it another way: You can always make more money but you can't make more time. Sage advice!
 
May 29, 2018
457
Canel 25 foot Shiogama, japan
I guess you are based in Chiba.
I am in Sendai. If you have a weekend off and want to come up for a festival and a sail, drop me a line

Gary
 
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Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
I’m proud of Mark-san. Seems to me he’s doing exactly what he wants to do with his boat. And his time. (With the exception of fixing a power steering system.)
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
This project always reminds me of a Mega 30 I almost bought. It needed the deck recored. The main reason I didn't take the project on was because I really didn't have the space to work on it. Kind of glad, because I know to this day, it wouldn't be done. The would have been several years lost with no sailing.
 

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Y’all just don’t seem to get it. Maybe this is not the same as what Mark is thinking but I have interests other than sailing that take years to pay off. The pictures attached are daylilies that I hybridized. Meaning I started them from pollen. It takes a minimum of four years to see what you get from rubbing the pollen from one bloom on the stigma of another bloom.
And besides that, he already explained why he was taking on this project. I have every bit of respect in the world for him and what he is doing. And why the heck is anyone even coming close to criticizing him?
 

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Y’all just don’t seem to get it. Maybe this is not the same as what Mark is thinking but I have interests other than sailing that take years to pay off. The pictures attached are daylilies that I hybridized. Meaning I started them from pollen. It takes a minimum of four years to see what you get from rubbing the pollen from one bloom on the stigma of another bloom.
And besides that, he already explained why he was taking on this project. I have every bit of respect in the world for him and what he is doing. And why the heck is anyone even coming close to criticizing him?
Kermit,

You’re completely misunderstanding this. I’m not criticizing anything that he’s doing. I admire it, and it’s very clear to me that he’s enjoying what he’s doing. But make no mistake, it’s not Sailing. Those other interests you speak of, like your flowers, have that time built into them. My definition of sailing does not require years of on-the-hard work. That’s my point. This is an open internet forum, and an open respectful dialogue. Sometimes I think this place tries way too hard to police what gets said.
 
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Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Jackdaw, your definition of sailing is far different than mine. For me, sailing is everything associated with the boat and I enjoy all of it greatly. This week I replaced my old Hood 810 with a Harken Mk IV. Made two trips up the mast to change furler and add a bunch of new toys. The last two days I have been detailing the topsides and deck so that Papillon is all beautiful. Tomorrow I deliver her to the start for the 65 NM Round Whidbey race with we will compete in on Saturday and Sunday. For me all of that is sailing and each highly enjoyable.
I dive my own boat. I detail, wash and wax my own boat. My wife makes all of our sails and canvas. I install all of my sailing and electronic gear. I do not hire anyone to do work on my boat because to me, that is all part of the joy of sailing.
 

Kermit

.
Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Kermit,

You’re completely misunderstanding this. I’m not criticizing anything that he’s doing. I admire it, and it’s very clear to me that he’s enjoying what he’s doing. But make no mistake, it’s not Sailing. Those other interests you speak of, like your flowers, have that time built into them. My definition of sailing does not require years of on-the-hard work. That’s my point. This is an open internet forum, and an open respectful dialogue. Sometimes I think this place tries way too hard to police what gets said.
Whatever.
 
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Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Jackdaw, your definition of sailing is far different than mine. For me, sailing is everything associated with the boat and I enjoy all of it greatly. This week I replaced my old Hood 810 with a Harken Mk IV. Made two trips up the mast to change furler and add a bunch of new toys. The last two days I have been detailing the topsides and deck so that Papillon is all beautiful. Tomorrow I deliver her to the start for the 65 NM Round Whidbey race with we will compete in on Saturday and Sunday. For me all of that is sailing and each highly enjoyable.
I dive my own boat. I detail, wash and wax my own boat. My wife makes all of our sails and canvas. I install all of my sailing and electronic gear. I do not hire anyone to do work on my boat because to me, that is all part of the joy of sailing.
As hesitant as I am to wade into this subject, your post Hayden rang a bell with me. In my way of thinking there is sailing, which we do when we unfurl the sails and head for Cuttyhunk or the Vineyard. All the other stuff, some of which you touched on, I aggregate under the term "yachting". Maintenance of Maxine, cocktail parties at the slip, paging through the Defender's catalog, commissioning, storage, upgrading, shopping for new sails, going to the boat shows, diving on the keel, and so forth falls under yachting. And this ties into another active thread where the question was asked concerning what other "hobbies" we all have. Sure, I have hobbies like flight simulation, but yachting isn't a "hobby" to me. It is a life. It is the life I've lived (thank God) for over 50 years.
 
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May 8, 2013
629
Hunter 40 Dataw Island, SC
I guess it's time I jumped into this conversation :):

The way I see it, every one of you is right. Each of us has our own definition of sailing as a sport, a hobby, a lifestyle and/or a passion. And each of us enjoys sailing the way we have defined it.

As I have explained in the past, I started Escape Velocity's rebuild maybe partly out of necessity but mostly because I thought the investment of time (moreso than money) would net a boat that would greatly exceed the sum of her parts. It would be uniquely and quintessentially mine from stem to stern, from keel to masthead. That's my goal.

Do I miss time on the water? Sure. But when I had a fully functional boat (pre-Matthew) I never was able to get out as often as I liked. Life interfered. I also have a rather unique career where time off allocation is much different than most people and I currently live a lifestyle that on one hand restricts my time at home but on the other hand gives me blocks of time to make real progress on projects that can't be completed in a day or two. There's a real sense of accomplishment, for example, when I was able start and finish painting the hull in one go, rather than having to do a small piece one or two days at a time.

Another consideration is my somewhat unique status re: the marina. Although the marina has now changed hands and will be rebuilt, we are over two years into not having a functioning marina. It has been a real hardship here for the people who want access to the water. Available slips have been hard to come by, and the remaining local marinas all have their ups & downs. For us on this island it has always been about close access. For me the marina is a 3 minute trip in the golf cart! That was nice before (and will be again soon!) but after Matthew there was a severe shortage of available slips locally. Some guys had to move their boats as far as Charleston. A 4 or 5 hour roundtrip just to get to your boat really takes the wind out of a day sail! For me, however, it has worked out well. I have even declined a slip in the first rebuild phase - we'll get around 20 wet slips to start - because a. even though I could put the boat back in the water now if I wanted to it really doesn't do me any good, and b. I would rather see the first set of wet slips go to the people who can use them now. Our local boating community has taken a hard hit and I want to see my fellow boaters come back so we can start rebuilding our sailing community.

Finally the time vs. money issue: I get it. I really do, but: My goal has always been long-term, to have a boat ready and capable of cruising (remember, I'm planning central and south Pacific). I have always planned an early retirement so I can go and enjoy my cruising time while I am still (relatively ;)) young and healthy. I'm trading time on the water now for a (yes) lengthy rebuild, but the alternative, to me, doesn't work. If I had just gone out and bought a replacement boat I would have to work at least 3 or 4 years longer to pay for it. As it is now (barring any world-wide crisis) my timing is working out that the rebuild will be complete just about the same time I hit my financial goals and can sail over the horizon sipping a rum & coke. And when I go I'm not planning to come back! A replacement boat blows that plan out of the water (so to speak!).

I conclusion, thanks for all the support, advise, tips and encouragement. I deeply appreciate everything you guys say. Now it's time for bed! Hopefully tomorrow I can finish up the first of several updates to my activities the last few months.

Cheers,

Mark
 

JRacer

.
Aug 9, 2011
1,331
Beneteau 310 Cheney KS (Wichita)
Always good when a plan comes together, Mark. Keep after it.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Jackdaw, your definition of sailing is far different than mine. For me, sailing is everything associated with the boat and I enjoy all of it greatly. This week I replaced my old Hood 810 with a Harken Mk IV. Made two trips up the mast to change furler and add a bunch of new toys. The last two days I have been detailing the topsides and deck so that Papillon is all beautiful. Tomorrow I deliver her to the start for the 65 NM Round Whidbey race with we will compete in on Saturday and Sunday. For me all of that is sailing and each highly enjoyable.
I dive my own boat. I detail, wash and wax my own boat. My wife makes all of our sails and canvas. I install all of my sailing and electronic gear. I do not hire anyone to do work on my boat because to me, that is all part of the joy of sailing.
I figure I spend a 50:50 ratio of sailing to dockside maintenance, upgrades, cleaning, etc. My boat is 20 years old, is sailed and race hard, and is in better than new condition. I enjoy all of that. Sailing. But 3 years without stepping a foot on deck under sail while working on a rebuild of a totaled 40 foot boat, NOT sailing to me. Not to you either I suspect.
 
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