A String of Successful Undertakings
Much to their surprise, from April 2014 to November 2015, The Wandering Duo transitioned to life at home quite well, if we do say so ourselves. The simple joys of hearth and home are compelling when one allows oneself the time to fully embrace them. Having missed several fall seasons due to boat scheduling, it was a joy to experience the golden aspens again in our mountain home and savor the crisp cool air before the winter snows flew.
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Another pleasure was the added time to visit with family and friends. We made 2 trips back east in the autumns of 2014 and 2015 to visit Eric in Manhattan, and while there, we took the opportunity to reconnect with friends we had not seen in years. Two trips were also made to Minnesota to visit David and his family where we officially welcomed Henry Vincent Grun (natal date: 9/29/15) into the clan.
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Granddaughter Berlin figured well in our home-based plans with both winter and summer stays on the ranch as well as dinners with us in our desert home. Catching us somewhat by surprise (how have the years gone by so fast?), she turned 13 on Nov. 11th.
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Well, enough with family and friends and hearth and home! Let’s look to Avante. She may not have been put through her paces for all those months, but she was not left unattended. We did employ someone to regularly check up on her and get back to us with any concerns, and The Captain did make 2 trips back on his own while The First Mate was dealing with her unexpected hip replacement surgery. Before we left in April 2014, we designed and commissioned a new metal frame for the dodger and ordered new canvas. In doing so, we raised the height of the dodger, changed the angle of the front window, added a side bar to grab onto when moving down the side of the boat, increased the strength of the structure and used clear-view polycarbonate windows.
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The Captain returned in December last year to check on that work. Pictures were sent to The First Mate for her perusal. She could not have been happier. The angle of the front section and the added height are perfect.
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Look at that view through the new windows of the dodger. One of The First Mate’s pet peeves has been addressed. She now has an unobstructed view down the side of the boat and over the bow. No more distortion or wavy lines looking through the plastic. She is delighted.
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Working with the canvas man, we designed a storm shelter off the rear of the dodger, the lack thereof being another grievance of The First Mate’s. On a cold, rainy down wind sail, there was no place to get out of the elements when standing one’s watch, and no matter how much one tried to button up below decks, rain and salt dribble down making it a slippery mess down below decks. Now look! We can zip on the enclosure and nestle inside; yet a quick velcro release allows us to dash through to the helm in an emergency. The First Mate can’t wait to get back to her boat to try out this new creation!
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Each trip of The Captain’s back to the boat brought back more parts for projects and additional spare parts to store. On his second trip last April, he had two big projects in mind to complete.
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The first was to sew a new elk hide cover on the 65” steering wheel. In December, he had stripped the old rotting hide off and sent the wheel out for a new paint job. Sewing on a new cover was a pain-staking job and one The First Mate had been assigned to do, but obviously she could not from where she was back home recuperating her hip. Taking needle and leather thread, he set to work. Someone had advised him to break the task into segments and not try to do this for more than 3 hours each day. Several days later, the job is done. Cramped hands are shaken out. It looks beautiful! The First Mate feels guilty for not having been able to do her part, but what a joy it is to see, to hold and to stand behind the now elegantly-encased wheel while gazing through the beautiful clear-view window!
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The second big project was to replace the worn, slippery and cracked tread on the companionway stairs. It was time-consuming to rip up the old tread. Then the steps had to be sanded and varnished before the new treads could be carefully cut to shape and glued in place. This was a great project to do while the First Mate was not in residence, as it blocked normal access to the boat via the companionway stairs. Like all things done by The Captain, it looks great — better than new even!
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Tuesday, November 3rd – With both of us back on Avante, a boatload of work still awaits. No pun intended, for we fully understand the origins of that phrase. A boat is a load of work, and when a boat is left unused, it usually shows its displeasure. To our relief, we find Avante herself to be in very good shape and merely awaiting our work efforts.
Even with the Captain’s previous trips, we still show up at the airport with 3 of our 4 checked bags full of boat parts. A new hot water heater is one of them, for the old one was discovered leaking in April. Although boat parts are readily available in New Zealand, finding a 110 volt water heater in a 220 volt country is impossible unless one is willing to pay the unbelievably high cost of shipping. We bring it with us as baggage.
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The new heater slides into its slot under our bed with a bit of jockeying and maneuvering. The Captain is stymied at first with plumbing connections that will not work, but half a day spent running around Auckland yields fittings that fit. Plug in that baby, and, Voilá, we have hot water!
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Next, the control switch on
the forward vacuflush unit is replaced and a leak in the vacuum system
itself is found and fixed. Done!
The old hydraulic backstay
had gone back to the manufacturer in the United States for overhaul.
They discovered enough wear and corrosion that a new one was advisable.
This new hydraulic backstay goes on like a charm. We’re on a roll!
A way is found to work
around the failing 3-way dimmer switch for the lights in the galley.
It’s not perfect, but it’s better than expected. Best of all — it
works! The First Mate feels that one need not ask for more than that,
especially since the switch itself is no longer manufactured.
A few years ago, we installed an AIS System, a relatively new technology that works with GPS to display the position of nearby ships. The First Mate loves it, especially on watch at night when it can be difficult to determine the course and speed of other ship traffic. For several reasons, we need to install another antenna that is dedicated solely for the AIS. Attaching the new antenna on the radar mast will not be hard, but The Captain was not looking forward to tearing apart the inside walls of the boat to run the connecting cable between the new antenna and the navigation station. To The Captain’s surprise, an abandoned cable is found that runs all the way from the Nav Station down behind the starboard aft cabin walls and into the aft lazarette. No tearing apart of anything needed! He also discovers an abandoned electric cord that he figures once powered outside speakers inside the radar mast. What a great find that is and oh, the hours saved! AIS antenna is mounted and connected. It pinpoints boats 20 miles away. That’s plenty of warning to avoid a mid-sea collision.
And thus a week of intense work passes with the successful completion of all tasks set upon. It is almost too good to be true. This is a boat. Things don’t normally fix so readily. We’re delighted and hopefully not too smug with our successes. Time will tell. “It’s a boat,” The First Mate silently reminds herself.