Work on the boat has slowed a bit along with my pace of life.  Hard to believe considering how much work is still left to be done, but now I am forced to wait while my new fuel tank is being laid up in fiberglass and my engine is undergoing finishing touches prior to being reinstalled.  The number one connecting rod, the thing that attaches to the crank shaft and pushes the piston up and down, was warped due to the failed bearing.  We thought we could reuse it with a new bearing, but once assembled it simply didn’t spin freely.  For $100 USD Elvis found me a used one that should fit the bill. 

Tutti, my carpenter, is here with me every day making a few changes that will open up much needed and easily accessible storage space.  I had a microwave on board that had been used less than a dozen times in two years.  I pulled the little oven and had Tutti convert the dead space under my stand up navigation station into a small cabinet that will be perfect for food and larger cooking utensils.  Additionally, I had a huge hanging closet that was nearly worthless.  I just don’t need space for hanging clothes so Tutti converted that into five large shelves for everything from folded clothes to my large tool kit.  All that is left of the small projects is a new door for the companionway.  I need something that I can lock securely, but that will also allow plenty of ventilation for the dog while I am off the boat.  I think we will make it with a teak frame and either stainless or bonze cross bars.  It should be pretty when it is done.

The real dilemma now comes in the form of not knowing where to stop.  The labor and materials are so cheap I am considering having new cushion covers made, covering the fake wood grain Formica with teak veneer, and potentially even painting the hull!  They are all cosmetic repairs, but would go a long way to make this old ship look new again.  The question boils down to what I want, what I need, and what can I afford.  I’ll pull a few more quotes and maybe just do one of the three.

I’ve been itching to break out the Nikon and go for a walk about Cartagena.  It is a beautiful city, but I don’t’ know if a photo can come close to capturing the feel of the place.  Hopefully I’ll have some more visuals for you soon.  Cheers,

Lee

PS.  Mostly a repost of last blogs pics.  They started to work, but didn’t all load properly.  Hopefully it’ll work this time.

Lee Winters
Skype: lee_winters

www.SailingForSOS.com