Is it ok to admit defeat?

Weasel · Mar 30, 2011

Hey Beans;

I think eveyone will agree with me that thre is never enough time to do the stuff you have to do. Also the list only gets longer. My secret, always double the amount of time yoy plan for a project. It has been cold and rainey this week, but it is supposed to be beautiful on Sat & Sunday. I am planning on two, (2), jobs. Put in a water fitting and replace the transom shower covers. Should take 2-2.5 hours max. I have planned at least 5 hours. Small steps, small victories.
Good luck and don't let it get you down. Just think of an 8kt reach on a sunny day. All the bad stuff will fade away.
Best,

Weasel

gpd955 · Mar 30, 2011

Cool Beans said:
Can I use stainless hardware ( I can get mine from Taylors Do-It Center) to bolt down the bronze sea-cocks if push comes to shove? I'm running out of time

Just kinda venting my frustrations lol. . .thanks for listening!!!

It may or may not be a problem but I would err on the safe side and go with the bronze.

As far as the "does it ever end" question....of course not! But since you have so much to do, I would fix the priority items (hull integrity and safety type things), get her in the water and worry about the cosmetics and cleanup later. Getting her wet will make it a lot more tolerable!

gpd955 · Mar 30, 2011

Weasel said:
Should take 2-2.5 hours max.

If I had a dime for every time I said THAT!!!!

Whenever I tell the Admiral I'm going to do something and it should only take an hour or so, she laughs at me and then makes plans to spend the entire day somewhere else!!

FourPoints · Mar 30, 2011

When I bought my boat, It was already on the hard. I figured I'd clean up the 19 years of bottom paint in a weekend, do a dozen other projects I wanted to do over the next 2 weekends and launch.

In the end I spent 3 weekends removing the old bottom paint, got 2 of the dozen projects done, painted the bottom and launched. 2 years later I am still working on some of that first to-do list, even though I've knocked off many other projects that have came since that first launch.

Do I regret it? Not at all... I'm enjoying the time spent planning and executing on the projects, and seeing them come out exactly how I wanted. My boat is better outfitted than when I bought it, and more comfortable to use for weekend trips now too.

I look at my boat and think to myself that she's only getting better with age, and that sense of accomplishment makes it all worth it.

Address the things that prevent you from using the boat safely now (even if it takes a little longer than you planned), everything else can get done in time.

Steve Dion · Mar 30, 2011

CB:

I do not know exactly what you need, but McMaster carries a lot of stuff that may work for your application.

Check this out and see if it helps.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#silicon-bronze-bolts/=bny8ut

Best of luck!

Ted · Mar 30, 2011

gpd955 said:
If I had a dime for every time I said THAT!!!!

Whenever I tell the Admiral I'm going to do something and it should only take an hour or so, she laughs at me and then makes plans to spend the entire day somewhere else!!

That's how my boat got its name. I would say to my Admiral that I'm going to the boat for a short while to do some repairs. Ten hours later I would return home with my tail between my legs completely unaware of how much time I've spent at the boat. Now I just tell the Admiral I'm going to be in "H2OT" (hot water) She knows exactly what I mean.

The projects never end. Get use to it and enjoy!

Rick D · Mar 30, 2011

Don't try to do it all at once. Most people run lists. I always have a 3/5 card listing things to do. It is always full since I always add things. Some have been on the list for a long time, but they stay since they are not the top priority. But, be careful, very careful, to not be dominated by the boat. You must be able to enjoy her, and she'll do fine until you can scratch some things off the list. I'd do as you suggest and get her in the water, IMHO

higgs · Mar 30, 2011

Those jobs ain't going anywhere. You can do them later. Making yourself feel like things have to get done now only leads to frustration. She floats, she sails, so do what you can when you can.

tommays · Mar 30, 2011

I have been working in the driveway for 1-1/2 years so your looking pretty good to me

There is light at the end of the tunnel now but there were some periods of despise like doing? Glass work in a 100 degree heat wave

capejt · Mar 30, 2011

Never Surrender!!

Maybe you need to take a new approach to it. I've had an ever growing list of to-do's. The trick is to take it one task at a time, do it and do it well, then move on to the next one. Don't think of it as work, think of it as "physical therapy" to relieve the stresses of the outside world. Much the same way sailing does in the Summer, the work involved in the off months can can be therapeutic too.
Of course, I realize there are times you want to just take a match to the whole thing, learn to appreciate the small advances and victories, and press on!!
Remember, we've ALL been there!!

inarathree · Mar 31, 2011

It doesnt matter if you have a big boat or a small one, there are always projects that need to be done. With that in mind, do the ones on the list right first that prevent you from putting it back in the water. Then enjoy your boat for a couple of weeks or a month, before moving on to more projects. While you are out I am sure you will add more things to your list. In the winter when I have a crummy day at work I stop by WestMarine, pick up some supplies, and work on one thing on my list. Helps me decompress from work. In the summer I go sailing on my way home.

About every other weekend, I head down to the boat early, and tackle a larger project, and then wait for the admiral to come down around 11 or so.

My dad use to say this about projects "inch by inch, everything is a cinch. Yard by yard, everything is hard."

RECESS · Mar 31, 2011

My wife always asks how long will I be doing a project. I always say it should take two hours and cost about twenty dollars. she always walks away muttering what a smart person I am...

Roger Long · Mar 31, 2011

This reminds me of the story about dog training I read about the time we got our puppy.

The headline blurb said that dog training was much easier than people think and they shouldn't be intimidated by it. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The article started with the author saying that she had been fortunate in being able to spend 24 hours a day with her puppy and went on to describe what she did in that time. My heart sank. (Thank God we got a Collie and were able to just skip whole chapters in the puppie books.)

I've been fortunate in being able to work on my boat up to 6 hours a day every day for the past four years. I don't know how people with normal lives do it.

PatrickStingley · Mar 31, 2011

The first year on the hard is the worst because that's when I examined things I couldn't see under the water line and fixed them. Now that I have, I'm much more comfortable and subsequent years are much easier.

I always have a list. It's called fantasizing. This winter I fantasized about doing something about the cabin sole. So last week I got some remnant carpet and cut it to fit. Would I prefer to have a vynil, holly and oak sole? Sure! That'll keep my mind happily in fantasy land until the carpet wears out or gets destroyed.
The beauty of boats is that it takes my mind over, into some place else where I'm wondering about the electrolytic issues of bronze against stainless steel as opposed to traffic jams, dishes, and work.
Enjoy!
Obsession is the best part of owning a boat.

Pat Stingley
s/v Good Decision
Baltimore MD

jfmid · Mar 31, 2011

The hardest part for me was getting the courage to tackle the hard projects that I had little experience with. My list just keeps getting bigger too. There is so much good advice on this site that it makes it easier to "launch" into a job knowing that someone here can help guide me to a successful outcome. It sounds to me like you are making great progress on your list and I consider what you have posted a roaring success. Congrats on doing so much of it yourself and further knowing what is right and wrong. Sometimes a good "ATTABOY" is all we need to rekindle the fire that keeps us going. Cant wait to see your post at the end of the season about how much fun you had out on the water.

Snotter · Mar 31, 2011

There is no easy way to learn this stuff. I bet even Maine Sail started out the same way. Over time you will get better and faster--that's when you start saving goobs of money and your boat stands out from the rest in terms of reliability, safety, performance, and looks. In time this stuff even gets to be fun--at least so I tell myself.

FourPoints · Mar 31, 2011

PatrickStingley said:
Obsession is the best part of owning a boat.

So true.... This time of year is the worst for me. I think about all the things i want to get done, divide by how much time and money i can invest, then focus (almost to the point of getting little else done for a month) on getting those projects done that made the cut.

It helps to focus on one class of project at a time. As you can see below, this year i am doing allot of electrical work, last year was lots of running rigging and wood / finish work. I started planning this years work last year (actually bought some of the parts even). it is always there as something fun to occupy your mind when you need to destress.

This year is spreader light wireing and installation,solar windex light, new battery wireing 1/2/both switch and terminal blocks, New electrical panel, bilge pump installation, New sails (ordered last fall), solar trickle charger.

Last year was Maine sail type polish and wax of the hull, rigid vang, bimini, New halyards, spinnaker pole and associated rigging, refinish cabin sole, companion way slat holders, touch up all interior brightwork, flush mount of gps into cockpit bulkhead, replacement of almost all lights with led bulbs.

gpd955 · Mar 31, 2011

PatrickStingley said:
Obsession is the best part of owning a boat.

I agree 100%!!

I bet even Maine Sail started out the same way.

I actually believe he was born with the knowledge!!

But Cool Beans, everyone here is right. Just take one thing at a time and no matter how frustrating it gets, think about the end result.....getting out there. Once you get on the water, nothing else matters!

Stu Jackson · Mar 31, 2011

We used to use our boat for at least, if not more, than once a week, 365/24/7. Then I broke my leg skiing in early 2009, another emergency surgery in mid 2009 and the boat sat. It's taken me a looong time to get her back to "normal." The reason was what my buddy, David, said: "The only reason we use the boat so much is to figure out what to fix next!"

The more you use it, the easier things get to fix. All of us have lists, and some of us even have a list of the lists!

Like many, I enjoy simply doing the "work" on the boat, since it's no longer work, but fun 'cuz I learn something new all the time.

Now all I have to do is find the time to research and get those new batteries 'cuz when I was out of it, my old batteries died because they self discharged and pretty much killed themselves. But, the way I looked at it was this: every time we've told y'all how important it is to keep your batteries fully charged was correct.

What a learning curve...