The Boys in the Boats

I took the day off from sailing preparation and took the boys to Timothy Lake.  Perfect weather and on a Friday not very populated. 

Andy, Logan, Josh and Big Red at The Cove.  Then, shazam, the three boats in the water. Actually there was some huffing and puffing getting the kayaks and all the picnicking gear to the water.  The boats are two 10 foot Pelicans and Josh's new 8 footer.

The water was crystal clear and the breeze was from the South.  All three toured the cove and the Josh decided to go swimming.  You can see him in the blue next to Logan's orange kayak.  Andy used my yellow boat and was paddling like a pro in just minutes.

Josh swam and kayaked.  I sat in my chair and fished.  Andy fished from the kayak.  Logan did a tour and then relaxed with a Heinlein sci fi novel in the sun.  We at chips and sandwiches and doughnuts and water melon and more chips.  A perfect day in the Oregon Cascades.

 Whoopee!  The Dolphin has her bottom work started.  She is in the yard for sanding, barrier coat, and bottom paint.  The yard will clean out the barnacles from the center board trunk while they are at it.  The boot strip was half destroyed, so I decided to have the bottom paint up to the top of where the boot strip was. 

The second photo has a blur because I had to take it through the wire fence.  I stripped the cabin and took a load of old cushions and covers to the land fill.  I cleaned out the old stuff I had in the shed from my other boat, as well.

 The anchor light was full of water.  It came down and I made a bracket to fit on top of the mast that would hold a new anchor light and a wind indicator. 

 It looks okay on the mast head and I was able to keep the wire lead from the old one. 

 I installed a new winch on the trailer that has a dual role.  It pulls the bow eye up to the trailer roller and it is used to raise the mast on an A frame.  The winch is a Dutton-Lainson Brake Winch.  I got it on Amazon.  To let out the winch you have to turn the handle in reverse.  It will not free wheel.  Perfect of mast raising.

 My rigger and sail vendor, Kerry Poe, from North Sails delivered and assembled the Harken jib furler for me.  I kibitzed, handed him tools, and was glad I had decided to pay him for the job.  He delivered and installed the new lifelines.  I put a gate on each side and we used stainless without the plastic covers.  I have all the new standing rigging ready to go on launch day. 

I installed new rope halyards for the main and jib.  I rigged a topping lift for the spinnaker pole I haven't found yet.  (Looking for a used one $$$)  I figured out how to rig a main boom topping lift and found a piece of hardware for the masthead. 

The new Toyhatsu SailPro outboard is on order from Texas.  I downloaded the manual and found the Mercury 4hp I bought two years ago is the same basic motor.  The new one is a 6hp ultra long shaft with a 10 amp generator.  It costs quite a bit less than the Mercury long shaft.  The SailPro has a propeller sized for pushing sailboats and the shaft is longer than the Mercury.  On the rivers here in Oregon we get lots of power boat and commercial boat wakes.  The Mercury would cavitate, so the longer shaft will be a blessing.