New Year, New Boat Lists

*Boat equivalent to rolling up the sleeves . . .*

We’re back to lists. Lists of boat projects, lists of parts to order. Lists of projects to outsource. We keep reminding ourselves that Mischief isn’t going to be a gold-plated boat, that we need just to get things done to “good enough” status. That we don’t want a winter in the States, not yet at least.

*Insert Mischief here . . . Winter 2023-2024 goals!*

The last few weeks have been a total blur. 5 weeks ago we were in Beaufort, NC. 4 weeks ago in Maryland. 3 weeks ago in Averill, graduation still to come. 2 weeks ago, in Averill, graduation behind us. And now? Back in the boatyard.

*Putting Calypso right next to Mischief!*

If the last few weeks have been a blur, it’s nothing compared to the first 5 days back in the yard. Thursday we drove from Averill to Oak Harbor, a stop to see Bee (housesitting for the week) in the middle. Friday we took sails off and prepped Calypso for haul. By 4 pm, Calypso and Mischief were once again neighbors, close enough to hand a beer across from one boat to the other. Mischief was opened up (and cushion covers removed). Calypso was tidied and readied for crash pad status. And by 8:30 pm, Mischief’s bowsprit was off, a key aspect to the necessary restoration of this critical piece of the rig.

Saturday’s progress was no less impressive, even though we stopped work at a bit before 3 pm to go hang out and spend the night on the Eastern Shore with good friends. Jeremy got the entire bowsprit cleaned up, with all hardware off AND the whole thing stripped of varnish and sloppily-applied epoxy. This involved a heat gun and patient scraping. Meanwhile I wrestled the old head out of the boat (new project alert: the plywood base the head sits on in the forepeak is rotten. New floor needed.) and started cleaning it.

Sunday we got back to the boat about 10 am and got straight to work. We’re still putting Calypso to bed in many ways; part of that involved cleaning the dinghy thoroughly and letting her dry out completely. We’ll take Marauder (the Fatty Knees) to the Bahamas with Mischief, so Roti will be safely stowed out of the elements. While Jeremy bleached the bowsprit with oxalic acid, I cleaned and reorganized the storage locker behind the sink on Calypso before tackling inventory. Before dinner, we pulled the rudder off of Mischief and laid it on sawhorses. Doing work on that will be far easier with it horizontal; that it’s off the boat also means that the required work on the propeller and prop shaft is possible.

*Unfortunately the rudder cheeks are rotten. Project creep has begun!*

We keep reminding ourselves that this needs to be a “get it done” summer. This doesn’t mean we’re skimping on quality, but instead that we need to keep time in mind. Jeremy will fully coat the bowsprit with penetrating epoxy, which he used on Calypso’s bulwarks in the winter of 2021. Could he spend time researching the “best” product to use? Could he opt for thinning a different kind of epoxy, one that’s stronger but not developed for this application? Yes, yes he could. But the time he’d spend researching, though it might be a good thing, would at best be a matter of moving the needle from 95% good to 98% good. 95% is good enough. Back to the same product he used on Calypso. Done.

*Wood trim for hatches, ready for penetrating epoxy*

We’ve invoked this a couple of other times too, most notably when we started researching where to buy the new batteries we need for Mischief. A set of house batteries big enough to offer us 150 usable Ah (300 Ah of battery capacity) initially looked like it would run almost $1000. For $1100 we could do the lithium thing (200 Ah of lithiums offers 180 usable Ah . . .). Ah but wait. There are many other parts to the system, much of which is already in place. Back down, Jeremy, back down. When we found the AGM batteries we want are available for $600 total, it feels better anyway.

One of the things we talked about on the way down from Vermont was what we need to order for Mischief. Things like electrical wire for the mast, the penetrating epoxy for bowsprit and hatches, a new foot pump for the galley. A new head. That’s just the start. Is an Amazon Prime membership worth it? Normally this would be an exhaustive decision, with sample carts and comparison shopping. But now? At $15 a “cancel at any time” month, it’s an easy call. No worries about shipping. And so after dinner on Sunday, after the trigger was pulled on the Prime decision? “Just ordered the head. The foot pump.”

*We’ve pulled these bitts out. They’ll be cleaned, beefed up, and epoxied before being painted and put back.*

The work list is long, with major systems to touch on. Despite all of this, it feels doable. Talk to me in October, but as of now? This doesn’t feel impossible at all.

Let’s get it done!