R.E.D.’s NEW WINTER HOME

R.E.D.’s NEW WINTER HOME

Finally a post about boats and boat-related stuff for you.

After six years of putting together the winter igloo, we felt it was time for a change.  For practical reasons it was time.  The old tarp that we’ve carried from the time R.E.D. came home with us in 2013, the PVC electrical conduit tubing that was labelled and colour coded port and starboard, numbered from bow to stern and all the plastic tie wraps that went into securing everything each year…it was time for an upgrade.

The discussion centred around what was practical.  It centred around costs.  Should we replace the tarps?  It was time, after yearly patching.  Should we re-design the igloo so there would be less stress on the rub rails and stanchions?

When we thought of what we would need do and the costs involved to make those improvements we decided it was long overdo to upgrade.  Shrink wrapping was considered.  A lot of boaters around here – mostly power boats – winterize in this manner.  For me it was an instant ‘no way’.  All that plastic wasted each year.  Not to mention the costs….each year!

If we were going to invest in something more long term then why not a portable garage shelter or what in Montreal was referred to as a tempo?  When I mentioned the term here a neighbour said: ‘oh you mean a Quebec garage?’

Decision made.  Order placed.

We were a bit late in the season winterizing R.E.D.  As usual we were one of the last to haul out and she spent a couple of weeks at a local marina waiting her turn for the engine’s three-year servicing.  Plus there was more focus on getting the Crow’s Nest roof tight for the winter.  It’s not been super cold but our worry about installing the garage anchors in frozen ground was becoming a real concern.

The order finally arrived…part of it that is…four out of six boxes, and you can be sure Francois counted every single nut and bolt, carefully checking it against the packing slip and assembly manual, highlighting discrepancies.  Lots of apologies from the company.  Lots of apologies from the shipper.  This was not looking good.  End of November.  Frozen ground.  No winter cover yet for our lady.

Until we decided how to proceed, Francois installed the full enclosure in case of snow and covered the anchor well to protect against water infiltration.  Because of the size we ordered  – 30‘ x 12’ – we needed to remove the mast, so carefully rolled it, ancient Egyptian style, under R.E.D.’s belly..

And  the solar structure was too high, but thankfully Francois had had the foresight to create a junction for easy removal.

Then we waited.  Company issued a new order with many more apologies but within two days the shipping company had located the two missing boxes…many more apologies issued…and boxes delivered…all bits and pieces accounted for…

…just in time for a wicked wind/rain/snow storm.  Luckily the snow missed us but wow, was it ever cold and windy! And yes, I still check the wind and wave charts daily…on or off the water.

This project is every kid’s dream…or kid at heart…to have a life-sized mecano set to assemble.

Once we got into a rhythm, assembly went well.  Between the two of us the skeleton was assembled the first day…

The next day I had commitments so Francois called friends to come help mount the tarp….

Now we have a place during our off-season months to work on the boat unimpeded by weather with lots of extra room for storage.

A beast of a structure it is, weighing in excess of 700 lbs, so bring it on Mother Nature.  We’ve got it covered!

With some of the leftover PVC conduit piping from R.E.D.’s old igloo I made a wreath to place on an empty space on RED by the SEA. To all who follow this blog, may this coming holiday season bring joy, health and happiness, however and where ever you celebrate.

Thanks for stopping by.  Just because there will soon be snow on the ground here on the south shore of Nova Scotia, doesn’t mean there won’t still be stories for us to share with you.  So drop by any time.  You know us by now…always another adventure on the horizon

 

For those reading this in a language other than English (see language choice upper right side bar of each post), please forgive the automatic translation.

THAT TIME OF YEAR

THAT TIME OF YEAR

Haul-out 2018.  

It’s usually a very sad time of year, putting our dear R.E.D. to bed for the long winter months but this year we are at least a month later than usual to pull her from the water and it felt right…and kind of fun..with an energy we haven’t found in past years.

Hooking Up HIS Trailer

Maybe it’s because we had a much longer season, or maybe it could be that we now have a special place right in our own yard and the process is so much easier.  There was no going back and forth through all of that depressing congested Montreal traffic.

Fall Colours

She spent her summer here, just six kilometres from our home, at a small co-op-type club.  It meant just one trip too.  Trailer hooked up to the tow beast and within a few minutes we were ready for our annual ritual.

Ballast Empty

First, a chilly outing on the bay to empty her belly of salt water.

Winterizing MY Engine

Next, Francois put the motor through it’s winterizing paces.

Installing Mast Extension

The mast extension makes for a much better shape when tarping.

Waiting

R.E.D. waited patiently at the service dock while the trailer was brought to the loading ramp

Haul-out

Then came the offical haul-out.  So easy for two of us to handle, all completed with no incident.

Power Wash

Power wash came next before all the accumulated ‘yuck’ from a summer in the water had dried.  Demasting with all of the lines secured and we were ready to head for home.

The Skeleton

This year’s tarp skeleton is Francois’ best creation to date.  It makes the job so much easier too when there is a small hardware store down at the corner to buy extra tie wraps and PVC piping.

Winter Tarp

Even covering and threading the lines under R.E.D.’s belly seemed less of a chore this year.  

The Igloo

All liquids and other essentials removed from the cabin and lines flushed through with anti-freeze, she will rest all cozy and ready for whatever winter storms will throw our way.  

For those who prefer to read our story in a language other than English, please forgive the automatic translation.

WINTERIZING 2016

WINTERIZING 2016

Well, here we are again, at the end of another boating season…our fourth in fact.  Each year though, it gets less and less depressing putting R.E.D. to rest for the winter.  We’ve developed a good system that works well for us and the routine has become a familiar part of the changing seasons.

We’ve been asked many general and some specific questions about how we prepare our lady for the ‘off’ months so I’ll try to detail the steps.

By the time we are hauled out, the mast is down, sails have been removed and checked and packed away in their sail bags.  We remove all rigging…all.  It may seem a bit extreme to some but it doesn’t take that much more time and it gives us a chance to check all the bits and pieces for wear. Each year we’ve found at least one bolt needing replacing and this year the genoa furling line and topping lift will need to be replaced. (Story from last year here)

Our sailing base is in fresh water so issues with rusting is not usually a huge problem but for the past two years R.E.D. has had her belly dipped in salt water for several weeks at a time so this year there was some extra polishing of the stainless rails to be done.

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Rigging

Once all the lines have been removed, they are taken home to be washed (past story here)

Giving the boat a thorough going over also means we can identify any needed repairs. We, or rather I, found a couple of uncharted rocks this summer and although there was minimal damage the dagger board has been removed and the dings will have to be fixed.  I see it as an opportunity to learn how to fibre glass.  How’s that for a positive attitude? (the year we had a minor repair done here and no, I wasn’t at the helm that time but in Captain’s defence it was during a bloody big storm)

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Motor Maintenance

This year ‘my’ motor was due for its 300 hour maintenance servicing so we took a short trip to the Evinrude dealer for an eTec spa appointment.  That amazing little internal computer told the detailed story of the past four years.

Once back at the club, we focused on the rest.  The anchor and engine wells are cleaned out, dried and run through with antifreeze as is the galley sink and head (make sure to use an alcohol-free solution. Past story here).  Just in case of water infiltration we plug the holes  in both the engine and anchor wells with a small cork.  This year we also put a piece of screen mesh over the ballast opening to keep out any curious critters.  The gas tanks are winterized with a fuel stabilizer. Inside and out we treat all electrical and other metal fittings with a silicone-based spray.

All non essentials are removed from inside : galley gear, bedding, personal items, tools (except those needed for a few final chores).  We have found the Ikea rails have been a great help to hang and store post season (story here)

The two batteries are removed each year, brought home and placed on an intelligent charger.

I’ve used to use Kanberra gel pots in the bilges each year to offset any chance of mold and related odours developing but I find it pricey so this year I’m trying something different: two terra cotta diffusers and tea tree oil.  The clean fresh aroma is pleasant and as we frequently visit R.E.D.during the winter months I can refil from time to time.  Will see how it goes.

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Interior

We are still using our PVC ‘igloo’.  With the mast support extensions still installed it gives a great angle to keep snow from accumulating on the tarp, still the original from four years ago.  There are a few rubbed areas which we have reinforced  with red tuck tape (that’s tuck not duck – made in Canada, eh?).  We tried using tarp patches last year but possibly because of the cold and damp they came off but this red sheathing housewrap tape will not budge. Past story here.

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Exterior

I guess to some this may seem like a lot of work. It takes us a good two days to complete but as I mentioned above it’s now a routine. We care about making sure our little chalet-on-the-water is well maintained. Our club seems to have that same mentality.  Each boat is hauled out with great care and now that they are all placed for the winter months, the process of removing docks is underway.

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This one last sunset image will have to keep us going for a while.  We come back to visit R.E.D. from time to time to tighten the tarp lines and dust off the snow and to talk to her so she doesn’t feel too lonely.  She’s in good company though surrounded by all her boat friends.

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We really enjoyed having you along for another spectacular season.  Our posts may not be as frequent as we hunker down for the upcoming Canadian winter but from time to time check back for updates on the ‘home’ front…