I was up on the boat this past weekend. Riding a Friday high from concluding negotiations for the sale of my business activities. Retirement and the freedom for some extended sailing is less than 60 days away.
Celebrated Saturday, with my sailing buddy
@LeslieTroyer . He was almost as excited as I was. Oh the adventures on the horizon.
Chilly nights meant firing up the diesel heater. It made the evening and night time toasty. 32F mornings walking the docks means a step with care experience. But then the fog clears and the sun warms the boat and my spirits as I looked around at the possible tasks and decided on the ones I wanted to do.
I decided to fit my first of 9 gaskets around the the window frames. For over 2 years I have searched for the vinyl/rubber gasket that is between the aluminum frame and glass on my salon ports.
View attachment 158436 View attachment 158435
Then I found a Canadian window manufacturer that had the exact gasket on a boat window at the Seattle boat show. Made some calls and discussed the purchase of 70 ft of gasket material. It arrived, I removed and then worked the new gasket around the window and wow... That's the way the windows were intended to look.
View attachment 158437 in black.. Will need to clean the window now.
Neat. Next step is to remove the windows that need refitting and then install the rest of the gaskets. It is not a real difficult job, but it leaves my hands sore from pressing the gaskets in between the window and frame.
Cleaned up the boat, and after a scrumptious breakfast at a new restaurant for me in Mukilteo, then Sunday went out for a 2.5 hour sail. Glorious, cruising past the US Navy Frigates at NS Everett on Veterans Day.
View attachment 158438 Boy that new sail looks good.
Unfortunately the wind died and so my return leg was under power. A bit miffed I had to dodge a couple dozen crab pots strewn across the narrow navigational channel into the Snohomish River. There ought to be a law that is enforceable.
Got back to the dock before the sun had set and the evening chill was not yet cold. Removed my Mainsail and got it stowed. Went up to the local Italian restaurant and feasted on a grilled salmon Caesar salad, fresh bread with roasted garlic olive oil and a glass of Chianti, finished off with a dollop of limon gelato. What a great day.
Final say I am joined by sailing buddy
@Ken Cross for breakfast. We share the story of his boat repair and talk radios and AIS transponders. Fortunately, he had nothing immediate to do and willingly joined me on the boat to remove and fold my 155 Genoa. We made short work together that would have been a problematic task alone.
The primary task complete, I loaded the bedding and boat stuff in the car and headed home. Happy but sad. It will be 2 months before I can again feel the gentle rolling of S/V Hadley under my feet.
