My First Marine Plywood Project

Original damaged area

Last summer, after several seasons of watching as a panel on the side of a locker at the foot of the Key of Sea's flybridge ladder slowly and relentlessly peeled and rotted from the exposure to water, I finally decided to take on the project of replacing it. How big a deal could it be?

Well, like every project I undertake that requires some talent as an electrician or a plumber or a carpenter or mechanic, it IS a big deal.

However, in the past I have found that in many instances, patience, a lot of careful study and going at it slowly, usually results in success. Thus, I began the process of learning what I needed to do to make this little project work and along the way I learned a lot.

The small 10 by 15 inch panel was rotting and as it was very visable, it got to look really bad. At least it looked bad to me. I noticed it everytime I boarded the boat. I'd cuss the thing a bit under my breath, shake my head and tell my wife I have got to figure out how to fix that.

Tearing into the project, I found more rot. 

Part of my concern was that it was part of a locker that also acted as the first step up the ladder to the flybridge, I really didn't want it to get so rotten that it might collapse on someone sending them sprawling across the cockpit deck.

So, I started by doing a lot of research on line. I posted a question on the Bayliner Owner's Club's question forum, and asked questions of boating friends. Slowly the planning portion of the project came together. I found I needed to purchase some specific tools I didn't have. I needed specific materials to do the job, marine plywood, epoxy, brushes, gloves, sandpaper, etc.

2 X 4 foot piece of marine plywood

I began collecting all the stuff needed and also made several visits to the boat to take measurements. As the panel was in bad shape, taking an accurate measurement was problematic. You don't want to be off in your dimensions and, as very few edges on a boat are straight, you have to measure more that twice. The panel turned out to be roughly a parallelogram but the height of the shape changed, becoming shorter as it got closer to the back wall. If I didn't want to go through a lot of very expensive plywood, I'd need to be very careful with my measurements.

Measure five times, cut once!

At $50 for a half sheet of marine plywood, I really wanted to get this right the first time. I purchased a square and a finishing blade for my skill saw and began measuring, checking, rechecking, double checking, thinking through every move I made to get just the right shape drawn onto the plywood. Then I carefully started making each cut, stopped, looked over what I'd done, remeasuring again. Then on to the next rip.

When I'd finally got the final cut done, I took the raw piece of wood down to the boat to see how it fit. Close, but not quite perfect. Back home, I shaved a bit more off one end to account for the height difference from front to back. Another trip to the boat and it looked nearly perfect. Pretty darn close for an amateur trying this for the first time.

I pulled the teak wood trim pieces off the locker, sanded and revarnished them over several days.

After carefully sanding the new panel with finer and finer grits, finally ending with double 00 steel wool, I cleaned it carefully with tack cloth, a product I had never used before. It basically picks up every bit of the dust and wool left behind from the sanding process making it more likely you'll get a smooth finish when applying epoxy and your final finish.

Finished panel!

The panel I was replacing and much of the plywood portions of our boat are all unfinished plywood, destined to rot out over time. It is one of the features of a Bayliner that makes it a more affordable boat when new, but a construction failing when the boat reaches a certain age. The plywood should have been covered with an epoxy in the beginning but this process would have added more to the cost, so it was left out. Now I am suffering for this oversight.

All edges of the new panel have been painted with the gooey epoxy and left to dry before the second coat was applied. Careful sanding of the epoxy prepared it for painting. I found a deck paint made by Rustoleum that went on beautifully. Not a brush stroke is visable.  A couple of coats of this and the panel was ready for installation.

The biggest problem was getting all the trim pieces back in place and the entire locker put back together. The finished product turned out so nice I almost suprised myself. I point it out to everyone who comes aboard and they politely compliment me but I know they are probably thinking that such a piddly little repair is kind of silly. But I am proud and so is my wife. And the boat looks so much better when I climb aboard.

I know there are more places aboard that will need this same treatment sooner than later but at least I know I can do it when the time comes.

My plan and measurements on top of the rotten panel

Some New Camera Gear

Battery grip

I've wanted one of these battery grips for quite a while as well as the WU-1b wi-fi accessory and a dual battery charger, all  pictured here. The battery grip adds a bit more heft to the camera which I actually like. The camera body is a bit small for my hands so this helps a lot. It also houses two batteries expanding the battery capability significantly. 

The dual battery charger is pretty much self explanatory. It replaces my original single battery charger since with the twin battery grip device, I need to be able to get both batteries charged at the same time.

WU-1b wi-fi device

The WU-1b is a little wi-fi device that allows me to send photos from the camera directly to my ipad for processing, Its pretty slick. I had decided not to buy one at first because I'd read some reviews that didn't think it functioned very well. I found it at a good sale price so I decided to give it a shot. I've been very impressed. It does exactly what it is supposed to do and does it consistently. 

dual battery charger

All on Amazon, I got free shipping and have been very pleased with the purchases. My next camera purchase will be a lens that allows me to take macro photos.They are kind of expensive so I may opt for some macro rings instead to see if they are any good. And one day, I'd like a nice long lens for taking good photos of distant objects. If we make any plans for a safari to Africa, I will most definately insist we take one of these along with us. 

Boat Maintanance Time

Get out the boat bucks (1 boat buck = $1,000)! Take a deep breath and steady yourself. As we head towards the boating season and before you really dare take your boat out of the marina, it is time to either hire someone to do some basic annual maintenance or do it yourself.

The DIY approach will save you hundreds of dollars, possibly even a boat buck or two. BUT! This approach is also a bit dangerous since you are relying on your own abilities in the engine room to do the work properly, not to mention getting into the often cramped space inside the hatch.

Boats are generally designed for passenger comfort and too often the engine space is somewhat of an after thought. As long as the engine can fit in the allowed space, the boat builder is happy. I've even seen boats built in such a way that there is literally no way to pull the engine out of the boat in the event that it becomes necessary, and inevitably it will. These boats were literally built around the engine. To remove it you have to cut open the top of the boat adding thousands to the project cost, not to mention the lost time in the water.

This spring my boat, the Key of Sea, has the typical need to replace the engine oil and filters, fuel filters, transmission oil, raw water impellers and the possible added project of replacing the raw water pumps. Current approximate estimate to have all this work done by a professional mechanic--$2,700. I'm getting a second opinion on the work by a mechanic of another boat buddy of mine. I'm also thinking about options such as replacing one of the pumps this spring and the other one next spring. The pumps are $700 each not including the labor.

I am also looking at what work I might want to take on myself. I think I can handle the raw water impellers and the fuel filter replacement. Engine oil is a bit bigger deal. Some parts are a little too far out of the way for me to reach. Hmmmmm

All of this AND other projects I want to get on such as repairing the leaky dinghy, replacing some rotting wood on a seat bench on the fly bridge and then there is the cleaning of the boat; pressure washing it, washing, waxing all needs to be done.

We want to take her out on a shake down cruise at the end of March to Anacortes with our Power Squadron buddies. But, no way unless we can get some of this done ahead of the event.

Meanwhile, the weather isn't really cooperating as it is still very cold (it even snowed today and is scheduled to again a couple more times over the next several days. I can't handle the cold weather when having to be a contortionist for hours at a time. Come on spring!

Introducing the Newest Member of the Family!

Breakfast out with Gammy and I

My god, I can't believe I've barely mentioned this up to now but, sure enough, as I scrolled down the list of my posts, I noticed only one post on my now two year old grand daughter. I suppose that is because I have done all my bragging about her on Facebook AND because for quite sometime, I haven't posted on my blog at all.

Any way, excuses aside, on Febraury 11th 2015, our daughter and son-in-law delivered a beautiful little girl they named Evelyn Elise Abbott. We call her Evie as in Eve with an extra e on the end--Eve-ee!

We knew she was on the way of course though we had no idea whether she would be a girl or boy. We are certainly thrilled.

When Nick, my son-in-law, called minutes after Evie was born, I told him I would be right there. Right there was the hospital in Ballard and it was an hour and a half from our house. Still, as soon as the call ended I was in the car to drive down and about an hour and half later, Evie was in my arms. Where was grandma? At a music conference on the other side of the state. She wasn't able to meet our girl until a day later when I could pick her up and bring her to the house.

Aboard the boat last summer

It has been an amazing experience this past two years. I never knew what being a grand parent would be like. In short, it is an indescribable experience. I can try to describe it (I won't) but anyone who is not a grand parent can't possibly understand the experience or the overwhelming love.

A very recent photo

We have watched as Evie has learned to crawl, to make her first steps, her first words, really most of her milestones to date. What is coolest recentlly has been the incredible increase in her vocabulary, specifically calling Leslie and I Gampy and Gammy. She recognizes us and has attached a name to us. Again, words can not describe the feelings when you hear that the first time. Or, when she come in the door to our house, spots us and runs to our arms.

We just celebrated her second birthday and her second Christmas both of which she was thrilled with. The Christmas story this year is worthy of a posting all by itself.

In short, she is the star of the show, our heart beat, our love and adored by all who meet her. She is adorable (of course we think so, but she really is) and really smart. Oh, yeah, she's coming to visit next week for a couple of days. Can't wait!

Crossing the Canadian Border

This summer Leslie and I will spend time on the Key of Sea cruising through the Canadian Gulf Islands just north of the U.S. border. We've done this tice before but always with a group of other boaters in what is known as buddy boating. It's a great way to get more comfortabe with the ins and outs of boating in general and boating further a field, building confidence along the way.

Last summer we left the Key of Sea home and drove up to Port Mc Neill on Vancouver Island and boarded some friend's boat for a cruise through the Broughton Islands. We didn't gain much in personal confidence but were witness to our friend's confident ways aboard their boat.

Though we have no plans to venture as far as the Broughtons this summer, going it alone for the first time so far from home will surely be a mixed experience. We have a better idea of how o prepare to go, where we might want to go, how to plan and what to do when entering some of the more popular anchorages.

Speaking of anchorages, we have yet to anchor anywhere in Canada. Despite cruising there twice now, our cruising buddies have always invited us to 'raft up' to their much larger boat and hang out with them, often sharing dinner and using their dinghy when exploring an anchorage or going ashore. So, to a great degree, we've been the victims of parents who spoiled us and now we don't know how to confidently anchor on our own.

Typical stern tie to shore

So, we plan to take the Key of Sea out on several shake down cruises closer to home and give ourselves some anchoring opportunites, It'll also give us the opportunity to lower our dinghy and gain some confidence using it to get ourselves where we need to go, whether just going ashore, exploring an anchorage or even stern tying.

Our stern tie reel. Practical & cheap

That final option of stern tying is a practice commonly used in Canada when anchorages become crowded and your boat's swing at anchor needs to be controlled. After dropping your anchor, you back down the boat towards the shoreline and tie off the stern of the boat to a spot on shore. This technique keeps your boat from swinging on the single anchor point usually used effectively providing much more room in the bay or cove for other boats to anchor. Often times you can identify these stern tie spots on shore in the form of a metal ring attached to a large rock or some other marking ashore indicating an appropriate spot to tie up. While tying to a tree on shore is tempting, unless it is dead, it is not acceptable as the line rubbing againat the bark can cause permanent damage over time. Another concern is making sure you have enough line to rech the shore and back. It is generally recommended to have 300 to 600 feet of yellow polypropylene line stored in a reel of some type. Yellow and polypropylene because it floats and makes it more visable of other boaters. We keep our line in a garden hose reel like the one above. It keeps the line out of the way when not in use and the top of the reel makes a nice table for drinks. We keep it between the two chairs in our cockpit so we can gaze out at the world, read and enjoy our coffee in the morning or a more powerful beverage at the end of the day.

As we are most comfortable tying up for the night in a marina, I am sure our plans will include a lot of these stops.heading north we have had great experiences such harbors as Sidney, Gorge Harbor, Montague Bay, Nanaimo, Ganges, Maple Bay, Chemainus, Telegraph Harbor, and Pirates Cove, just to name a few. Many of these spots have marinas with power and water, shopping and restaurants which, for the small cost of the moorage, gives you most of the comforts of home. It's also a place where you can do laundry, dispose of trash and recycling and get some wi-fi time.

Typical sewage layout

In case you missed it, I didn't mention emptying the waste tank, that holding tank for the toilet. In U.S. marinas you pull up to a dock with a special vacuum device that empties this tank. However, in our experience, most Canadian marinas either have no pumps at all or they are out of order. So the rule of thumb is that you are allowed to pump this waste overboard. I know, awful thought, There are rules for where this can be done. The marina or a bay or cove are NOT places where this is allowable. Open water locations such as a strait or open passage is acceptable. Most boats up this way have what is called a macerator pump

Typical Y-valve

and a "Y" valve plumbed into the waste tank. Once you cross the border into Canada, this Y-valve and macerator pump can be used. In the U.S. however, if boarded by the Coast Guard or other law enforcement, you must have the Y-valve in the off position and tied close. In Canada, with the valve open, a simple flip of a switch will turn the pump on and empty that tank in a matter of a couple of minutes out the side of the boat.

    There are a few other legal concerns before heading north and crossing the border. We've taken care of these things already including having a NEXUS card which allows you to simply call in your intentions to cross the border either way. This "trusted traveler" document is better than a passport in our case. We needn't make an out of the way stop to clear customs.We simply call a ohone number as we cross the border and let them know out intentions. They give us a number that we will use whenever it is asked for (we've never been asked for it except when crossing back to the U.S.)

DTOPS sticker minus the asigned number

Another odd butnecessay document is the DTOPS sticker. This Customs and Border Protection sticker must be in possession of any boat or aircraft crossing the border. I guess you'd call it a sort of tax that helps pay for inspections of vehicles entering or leaving Canada or the U.S. On a boat the sticker must be attached to a spot nearest to the entrance of the boat. We post ours on a window on the starboard side of the boat right around the corner from the entrance to the main salon. At any rate, it is easily visable to any law enforcement officer who may want to see it abd it needs to be visible. At only $27.50 this year (2017) it is far from a burden when the costs of owning a boat are usually given in terms of 'boat bucks' )one boat buck is tanslated as $1,000).

So, we are in the talking phase of our planning right now, while my mechanic is looking over the boat to see what needs to be done before we head anywhere. That will certainly include replacing the fuel filters, the oil and filters and the engine coolant. Now, times that by two! This has to be done on both engines in the engine room. The penalty for not doing it wil be a much bigger bill when something goes haywire on one or both of the engines while in the middle of who knows where. Not really worth it to ignore basic maintenance.

As our plans move along, I'll post more about our destination plans. However, one of the really cool things about cruising, like road trips, plans can change when you hear about some not to be missed anchorage during a conversation with another boater. So, who knows. The best laid plans!

The Key of Sea on the dock on Sucia Island

Happy Birthday Evie!

Two years ago today I got a phone call from my son-in-law, Nick announcing that Kate had delivered a little girl, Evelyn Elise Abbott. I was in the car within 10 minutes and headed for the hospital in Ballard where she was born. In an hour and a half's time I was sitting in the hospital room holding my grand daughter. Where was grandma?

Evie and her mom and dad on her birthday,  February 11, 2015.

Well, she was at a music conference in Yakima, WA, an annual affair she always attended though she was certain the delivery would happen while she was stuck over there. After a couple of hours of cooing and cuddling with little "Evie" I headed home. But the next day I headed for the meet up point Leslie and I had agreed to east of Seattle and drove her straight to Nick and Kate's house and Leslie met her grand daughter.

I still recall Kate looked like she had just awakened from a great night's sleep instead of delivering a bowling ball. What an adorable family. 

Today, we celebrate Evie's 2nd birthday. Two years of unbelievable, indescribable joy for us. We have thoroughly enjoyed the role of grandparents and all the perks that go along with it. Showering her with our love and. of course, gifts. Being able to share in some of her milestones--crawling, walking, talking. the first time she called us by Gammie and Gammpy, having her recognize our house when they pulled up. When she ran into our arms as soon as the front door opened and she spotted us. Watching her wave to us as we stood on the front porch waving goodbye when they left.

Each shared "first" just fills our hearts to bursting. Her first ice cream on a visit out to Orcas Isand. I bought a cup of ice cream and her momma let me give her a taste. I walked in the back of our little group but Evie kept peeking around at me while riding warmly in her Ergo on her mama's front. I'd see her head peek around with an anxious, expectant look waiting for me to bring her another taste. The look on her face was one of discovering the mother lode! We were best buds after that, especially if I had ice cream in my hands.

She also knew that if any one was going to let her get away with watching too much Peppa Pig or Wallace and Grommit episodes, it would be Grammpy. 

Evie shortly before her 2nd birthday, 2017.

I was on call from time to time when she was too sick to go to school or mama and daddy had to go to work. Being retired I was always able and very ready to drive down and take care of her. This made Grammie very jealous but gave me opportunities to have Evie all to myself. We'd walk up to Greenwood for breakfast or over to the pocket park for a little fresh air or visit the zoo, but mostly we stayed in and played and played and played.

Two years has now gone by and Evie has traveled to 6 continents and I can't remember how many countries. Places she'll never remember when she grows up but places that wlll nevertheless enrich her on levels we won't know for some time. She knows her cousins in England, her Grandma and Grandpa in London. She has friends, children and adults scattered across the globe, many of which she met only momentarily but nevertheless left a sweet, joyous memory with.

She is a talented musician, soccer player, artist. She is a charasmatic leader, a pied piper among her peers at school. She has a great sense of humor and loves to read. She is always absolutely filled with joy and wonder!

In short, Evie is amazing in every way. Two years and all this has unfolded as a part of who she is. I can't wait to see what the next two bring. Happy birthday, Evie. Grammy and Grammpy love you!!

P.S. This is all highlighted in yellow, Evie's favorite color!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Quiet day here at home. I'm sitting in my upstairs office at the desk which looks out at the pine trees across the street and out across the Lake Whatcom valley towards the Cascade Mountains. It is cold, in the 40s, with a light breeze that makes it feel a bit cooler. But the sun is out and there is not a cloud in the bright blue sky.

In a minute I will get dressed and head out with my camera to take advantage of the weather. I'll probably stop by and shot the Key of Sea sitting in the yacht harbor and who know what else. We'll see.

I cranked up the Honda generator over the weekend. It started right up despite having sat in the garage since September with last summer's fuel still in it and not having been started since god knows when. I didn't have the same luck with the Honda outboard which has had a similar fate since being removed from the stern of the boat and brought home. I may need to take it down for a check up.

I am getting more serious about replacing our dinghy which is an inflatable, including the floor, which is the real problem. I also want to upgrade to an outboard with higher horse power. My 2 hp just doesn't do the job with our 10 foot dinghy.

I want to purchase a similar-in-length dinghy but with a fiberglass hull. They're more expensive but will last much longer than those with a plastic bottom. Add to that an outboard with 4-5 hp and an add on fuel tank and I think we'd be much better off.

With the big boat show season just coming to an end, I am hoping to find some used options on Craigslist or a yacht club's for sale listing. Folks who buy new dinghies or upgrade to larger or smaller ones may be looking to unload one that is just what I am looking for.We'll see.