Hope for everyone

[Dale Tanski]

This is just a post for others out there that just might be in my deck shoes.  It is now June 16th and I am far from launch this season.  
The "get-er ready for launch" season started out with a bang for me.  I ride a road bicycle for fun, relaxation and exercise.  My fourth ride of the year ended in a high velocity (6 X hull speed) world spinning, off road excursion and sprained shoulder for me.  

Most painful, but the real problem was I couldn't do what I had to, or wanted to do with the boat, two boats to be more accurate.  I race our families J-22 with my oldest two kids and that season starts the 2nd week of May.  What should have taken only a few evenings took weeks as I crawled around the boat with one arm dragging behind me.  We launched on time, but in 46 degree temperatures.  So far, with the exception of the first week, I have been able to do what I have had to do (I drive) and pull often painfully, what needs to be pulled (mainsheet, traveler, backstay) on race nights.  My shoulder progresses every day praise God.

Maruska was another story.  I got the word from the wife that this year the boat had to be "pretty", easier said than done with only one and one half wing.  Have you ever tried to weasel up into the forepeak to remove all of the nuts from the deck fittings with one working arm?  Yeks... And who installs a windlass with life caulk?  It took me 8 hrs and 5 minutes to get that baby off of the deck.  An honest 8 hours over 4 separate trips of everything I could think of to pry it off, and 5 additional minutes after a made a tool with a 6ft steel lever arm, to bolt to the windlass, to run a line back to my primaries to "unscrew" the windlass from its perch.

The weather in Buffalo is always something special.  This spring has been no exception.  Global warming my butt, coldest spring on record.  To give you an idea, I just put the 3rd coat of varnish on my teak.  Much of the teak I "wet sanded" in the rain.  My deck fittings... because it took me more than a month to get them removed, they will not be back from the platter until after the 4th of July.  That's OK, because I will be thrilled just to get far enough along to be ready for them.  

Did I mention the bottom?  I count 4, that's tight 4 dead layers of hard paint that we are slowly removing.  Does anyone know of a paint stripper that will remove epoxy paint without taking the gel coat with it?  My toweled on waterline stripe is apparently epoxy, several coats of epoxy that the sun has turned into layers of dead chalky crud that even a carbide scrapper will not remove.  That stripe may become next seasons only major project.

So... If you are getting discouraged with your to do list, you are not alone. In Buffalo at least, September and October are excellent months for sailing!
Dale Tanski...  Good Sailing

[SV THIRD DAY]

Hang in there Dale....I'll send you a post card from Mexico around the time snow is falling in your area.....what else would a friend do to help?

[Dale Tanski]

Richard,
It use to hurt when I laughed, good thing it doesn't any more.  I hope the water gets you down in Mexico!
Good Sailing... Dale