Just When You Think You're Done...

Finally, a sunny weekend. We even made sure we brought a cooler to keep our favorite frosty beverages cool.

After 3 Barrier Coats on Saturday and 1 Barrier Coat, 1 Bottom Coat and a fully waxed hull on Sunday, we were, still only, almost ready to wet the boat. A final bottom coat on Monday morning put the finishing touches on our drydock season.

Wednesday morning was the day the boat would be dropped into it's summer home. After leaving work in Newton, Mass, I raced east on the pike and over the Tobin Bridge eager to see Miller Time in the water. I jumped aboard, checked the hatches and was greeted with a bilge filled with water. For those of you not familiar with boating, the water is supposed to outside the vessel.

After pumping out as much water that the one working bilge pump would allow, it appears that we have a small leak where the new transducer was installed. Nobody likes drilling holes beneath the waterline, but the new depth finder required it. My fearless, road warrior, father is on his way down as we speak, armed with a sleeping bag and a pipe wrench. We are both hoping for a quick fix.

Boating doesn't always mean using the boat for what you want. Sometimes, it takes a dirty job or two to get you where you want. Better safe than sorry. Just when you think you are done, there is some more work to do.

Weatherman says......

Wow, the weatherman didn't make any friends in the boatyard with his forecast for the weekend. Predictions were calling for temps in th 40's and heavy wind and rain all day. Boats would sit in the rain while other indoor projects were tended to. So when the sun came out and the clouds cleared, plans changed.

The blacktop in the Admirals Hill Boatyard was warming up when I parked the truck. My not-so trusty, not-so seaworthy dog, paulie, was in tow. I carried my toolbox, stepladder, and other supplies while Paulie eventually dragged me to the Miller Time's winter home. She was still wearing her winter coat. With the sun making an unexpected appearance, it was time for Spring Break.

After climbing the ladder and hopping aboard with the grace and presicion of burglar, I looked for the nearest knife to "unzip" the shrink-wrap. Edward Scissorhands would have been proud as the plastic came off piece by piece.

As I was unpeeling the protective sheath like an onion, I realized Paulie was running off in the distance and was no longer on his leash. I jumped off the boat and went after him. He has the uncanny ability to find any hole or opening in the fence that he can fit through. I think he is part squirrel. The land loving sea dog loves to be chased and a good chase it was. Through puddles and under ladders, staying just out of reach. With no dog biscuits handy, I enticed him with an open car door and he jumped in.

My father arrived soon after with some choice words for the weatherman and a couple of subs from the appropriately named Sunnyside Deli. No one was complaining about the sun, just the innaccurate forecast. Nothing gets people talking like the weather.

With lunch in one hand and some wax in the other, I was starting to hit my stride. My dad worked on getting the new transducer cable pulled through to the electronics box. I was about halfway done with the starboard side when the skies turned grey and some thunder rumbled in the distance. Maybe there was some truth in the forecast after all.

It wasn't long before the rain started falling and we closed up shop. With a new and favorable forecast encouraging more work for next weekend, we left feeling productive.