I know that this time of year (haul out) is typically not a time for celebration, but this year for me is. Maruska is home for the winter. Yup... home, inside and protected. Better than that, she is sitting less than 200 ft from our front door and from bed I can see the building where she rests.
Having a barn to put a boat in has been a dream of mine since we started owing bigger boats, and this was the summer it happened. It seemed a better investment than a 401K.
Through out life, I have done everything myself from car repairs to house repairs and of course boat repairs. I even built the house we live in including pouring the foundation. The only things I did not do was dig the hole, the septic system, driveway and water well. If you follow my posts it is half the challenge and half me being cheap, something I thankfully inherited from my father along with the attitude that it is already broken, how bad could it get?
This summer I added one other thing, a 30 x 48 x 14 pole barn. I was going to build it myself and even found a great company to supply the materials in a kit form, however I received a convincing phone call from an Amish installer out of Lancaster, PA. Three and one half days after they arrived the barn was up. I couldn't let something this big go untouched so I did the roof shingles, gutters and installed the overhead door. I didn't get the concrete floor installed before the boat arrived, but that will be next years little project.
I am not posting this to blow my own horn rather to plant a seed. The barn did not cost all that much. A standard 30 x 40 x 10 pole barn installed runs around $10k. If you have the room think it over. Two other sailors down at the marina are considering it for next season. In Buffalo at least, to drop the sticks, haul the boat, clean the bottom, load it on the truck and haul it home only cost $40 more round trip than if I stored it in the boatyard for the winter.
The obvious reason for my excitement is that to work on the boat is only a stroll away. She is dry, close and accessible in any weather. When I need to cut, alter or modify something it is not an hour and a half round trip, or worse yet the next time at the yard. I no longer have to make the choice, cut the lawn or varnish the toe rail I can do both, mowing the lawn in between coats.
Good Sailing... Dale Tanski
Congratulations Dale:
From where I sit, your logic is impeccable.
As with most of your previous posts, I come away with admiration, and yes a bit of envy.
Living a number of miles south and east of you (Connecticut shore) My postage stamp size lot would require me to get my neighbors to move, or convince Bev we'd be better off moving into a tent and using the house's foundation to build a 25X60 foot barn.
Waxing philosophically, don't you wish you'd had the barn before you did all the amazing things you did to Maruska?
Good luck with it my friend, and enjoy many, many years of puttering about in it.
Henri Hali
Windrider
Henri,
Thanks for the reply. I'm with you on leveling the house for the barn project, when do we start?
It would have been nice having the boat home for the bulk of the work that I did on her down in Maryland. It was difficult having everything I needed at both ends. I ended up with duplicate tools (now know as barn tools). But the truth be told, since she has been home I have done very little. The desire to use her wins out especially when she is in the water. I love working on boats, especially this boat.
When I went to work on her at Havre de Grace every other weekend, that is what I did. Work on her. When I got tired, need some clean air, straighten my back or get the feeling back in my legs I went for a walk around the boat yard looking for ideas and inspiration. That, food and the numerous runs for supplies was the extent of my distractions. When it became summer in the Chesapeake, I even worked at night when it was cooler. The longer I stayed however, the more boat friends I made down there. The more friends, the more visitors. The more knocks on the hull, the more questions of "how would you do this?" The more questions, the more little walks and involvement with other boats. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it and I still keep in touch with many of those people and I visit when I get down there, but the writing was on the wall.
With the boat in Buffalo it is the house, job, kids, sailing and so on. All of these things are important but it is not the same as two weeks of preparation followed by 1 ½ days of intense dedicated work. No distractions. Hopefully, the 15 minutes here and there that I can work on the boat in her barn will add up and things will progress.
Another thought... I don't hold a lot of hope for this country with the way that it is going. Something is going to give. If you get your boat home it could become a survival pod if it hits the fan. You would be self sufficient if you had provisions aboard. On second though, keep it ready to go at sea level with the key in the ignition...
Dale
Hi Dale,
Now that my transmission is back in Connecticut and my life savings at American Transmission in Maryland, I figured I'd dump some more money in the bilge and use your
posting on the restoration (Better described as Grand Opus!) of Maruska to get some more inspiration and insight from the photos of your work on the V drive, prop shaft and painting of the bilge.
When I opened the posting I could not open the photos. Being the computer halfwit that I am I figured I'd turn to you.
Do you know if the posting deletes photos after a certain time. or am I flaunting my computer skill?
I'd like to duplicate (How's that for ego mania?) some of the work you did on those parts.
I may one up you though, based on what the tranny cost I'm thinking of installing carpeting in the bilge. What color would you recommend?
Happy New Year my friend!
Henri Hali
SV Windrider
Henri,
I will gather up some pictures and e-mail them or repost them for you.
Color? Now there is a touchy subject. I used a 2 part epoxy everywhere behind the scenes by Dupont and fortunately they had a limited color selection. I went with a basic grey of which they had two, a light and dark.
Dale
Thanks Dale,
I look forward to seeing them.
Henri
Great News Dale and I'm happy for your Great Set-up! Having the boat at home, will make the winter pass quickly with all the projects I'm sure you have in store!
I know I've learned quite a bit from your posts and on behalf of all the Pearson 365 Yacht Club members....THANKS for all of your Great Contributions.
Rich
Floating in the San Blas Nayarit Estuary on our P365....Life can't get any better!