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: Deck & Hull Prep

WINTERIZING: Deck & Hull Prep

Hull repairs are complete and R.E.D. is back home…
Since we were one of the last of the smaller boats hauled out
(many larger boats still to come but they will be placed in another area of the boat yard),
we will be one of the first to go back in the water next spring…
(this is my happy thought)
…This is where R.E.D. will reside for the winter, the view from our cabin window…
…it somewhat eases the sadness we feel…
We were really pleased with the repair results though.
Needless to say, when you can’t tell where the crack was, it was a job very well done
…before…
…after…
(at least we think this is the general vacinity)
We put our Evinrude E-TEC engine through it’s winterization paces before haul out
and added extra fuel stabilizer to the tanks..
… but there remains a lot to do,
at the very least cleaning the outside
after two weeks’ accumulation of leaves and such…
…but before the final wash Francois has been preparing the mast and furler,
securing them for the advent of winter snow…
…raising the mast at the bow to form a good 45 ° angle with the tarp…
…sometimes I inject a good idea or two…
…found this in the hardware department .. a something-or-other for hanging something-or-other…
…the mast fits perfectly into it…
…our tarp skeleton…
PVC for electrical wiring
200 feet with a mere 2 feet left over
…next came the power wash…
very thankful for the two coats of wax before initial launch in the spring…
…she’s still very shiny…
…inside our tarp igloo…
…R.E.D. is now all trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey…
…this weekend was the busiest day we’ve seen at the club all summer…
…but by the end of the day all boats had been removed…
…we took one last sad look before sunset…
…so cold…so windy…but still a very beautiful sight…
…my happy thought:
‘last out – first in’
the six-month-count-down begins…