Just fore the fun of it:)

[P.L.Lenihan]

Peter, don't listen to this scamster! You do NOT have to pay him ANYTHING to get rid of that floating deathtrap.
No friend should try to take advantage of you when you find yourself in such a quandry.
I'll help you to dispose of it in a proper maner and won't charge a cent for it. That's what friends are for, right?.
Just put enough stamps on it and squeeze it down the nearest letterbox

Thank you Dear Ryden for saving me from myself! Unfortunately, I will be stuck with this "death trap" for some time as I just figured out how many stamps it would take to put on it....yikes!..... and as if that wasn't enough, have you seen the size of our letterboxes? Have you seen the price of Vaseline lately? I'm tellin' ya, she canna fit an' wonna fit no matter how much I push, shove and squeeze.

And that is just the half of it. The worstest partus of it allis is how Nat actually loves the boat! I'm doomed to serving two 3 masters now(Nat, the boat and Simon!). Count your blessings Sir and count them slowly!


Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Happy birthday, Mr. Lemonhands.

"Bout those rulers you were using...down here we have these things called tape measures which are actually great big long rulers that tuck up inside a small box you can carry in a pocket. With one of them you could get those freeboard measurements in one fell swoop...no need for tick marks, no sliding them along the hull. I can send you one if you'd like.

Thank you Sir and sorry about getting back late on this!

Yes, I've heard tell that such things,tape measures, are now finally available down your way and have, in fact, been for some time now.However, the task required precision and accuracy and what with me and my poor eye-sight, short arms and only ten thumbs, I thought it best to go with the ruler as this would allow me to lay down and get close enough to see the ruler just kissing the calm surface of the water and then, at my leisure, "walk" my way up the hull. The tape measure would have had me going nuts, with outstretched arms,bending over to see if it is just kissing the water all the while doing my best to keep the tape perfectly still as there is nothing to hook the end onto.Yessirree, this would have completely ruined my best anal attempt at precision.

But I appreciate your thoughts and kind offer nevertheless. I'm just weird like that sometimes!


Cheers!


Peter

[Cogeniac]

Yup it is appropriate in so many ways and would be a real zinger if spelt "vassal". But let's not be too picky


Cheers!


Peter

Yeah, I was going to suggest Vassal, but then I realized that peter IS the Vassal.. per a recent post serving THREE masters!! And sometimes I am not so sure about his stability!

[P.L.Lenihan]

I think I caught somewhere, a few pages back perhaps, that she's down by the bow a few inches?
That stem looks like it's kissing the water perfectly to me. Why would Bolger have wanted it higher?

Hi Figment,

Yes, according to Mr.Roberts the boat appears to be trimmed by the bow and I agree. Part of this may be due to some of the ballast sitting in the forward cockpit lazarette,just forward of the cabin bulkhead.I placed it there just after the launching of her and did not pay particular attention to properly shifting to where it should be according to the plans It will be easy enough for me to shift it back into the cabin and further aft.

Interestingly enough, the plans do show the boat riding higher in the water.This may be the "light" summer version of the design, as there is the option to build this boat as a 4 season capable cruiser, insulated and all.My boat was built as the 4 season"heavy" version which may account for why she sits a bit deeper,overall, in the water.

Speaking to your last question, I seem to recall throughout Bolgers' writings, when talking about sharpie hulls, how he prefers stems to be well clear of the water to prevent rooting when driven hard and perhaps to a lesser extent, to balance the water pressure from the hull side and bottom. With the "fillet" piece or fairing structure as built around the box-keel forward, I'm not all that clear on the pressure differences in this design.


It will be interesting to see what Mr.Roberts thinks about this too and his considered analysis of this boat, as built.




Cheers!


Peter

[TR]

I'll get at this sometime this week Peter, could you confirm the condition of the tanks? Water "almost empty" and fuel?

[P.L.Lenihan]

Hi Tad,
Considering the near crippling cost this analysis is burdening me with, do not hesitate to enjoy the joyous Autumn colours, dramatic light and eye-scraping scenery all around you.However,should you ,God forbid,experience a moment of ennui during a daily ambling and you are feeling flush, I and we will be more than indebted and most grateful to read and explore your findings as you reveal them. In short, at your leisure Mr.Roberts.

In the meantime, I shall upon leaving work this morning, hustle over to the boat to retreive the information you request. Once back at work, I shall post this and toss in a few pictures of Turtle Bay's exciting trip back to the yard for winter haul out. Picture viewing aficionados may even sigh a breath of relief......especially that good fellow from EnZee,John"WHERE THE BLEEDIN' 'ELL IS ME CANON" B. and his West Coast partner in crime, gvcrew!


Cheers!


Peter

[TR]

Peter,

Living in Lotus Land after 14 years in Maine we still miss the distinct change of seasons.....here it just gets slightly cooler and more rain comes down, that's fall and winter.......though actually this fall has been noticeably more colourfull than recent years, but the change is very subtle. There are other compensations though, living aboard at anchor means our life revolves around the wind/weather. Cruising friends from Australia, used to a winter storm front every few days said, "Three fronts a day! This is ridiculous!" The storms are intense but very short lived, and then it's time for another........keeps it interesting.......

What I need is the amount of liquid (best guess is fine) in the tanks at the time of inclining and last floatation measurement.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Hi Tad,

Back from the boat with my notes. Fresh water value= 9 litres. Gas value= 47 litres. I'm not certain whether or not I've mentioned it already but the 52 gal fresh water bladder sits athwartship immediately forward of the stateroom bulkhead(the dashed lines, about 2/3 the way between station 9 and 12 on the profile view) and the gas tank immediately aft of the same bulkhead and about 13" inboard from the hull side,on the starboard side of the boat.

I hope this helps.


Cheers!

Peter

[Peerie Maa]

Tad,
How are you going to figure the free surface deduction for a plastic bladder then?

[P.L.Lenihan]

So,where was we? Oh yes, haul out time. So let's begin with the night before haul out, and all through the club, not a creature was stirring not even a turtle.............





My lousy attempts at night time picture taking.One of the last of 6 boats left at the club and the overnight temps going down to -4 C.





It was a breezy night too, with a cold wind right out of the Northwest.







But inside the boat there was a light or two shining....................






and candles to boot!

I was getting chilled, out on the quay from the wind and cold. After an post supper cigar and glass of port, it was time to return to the comfort the cabin promised.






A peek inside held more promise still and inviting as all get out!










A happy camper,all watered and fed just waiting to be snug as a bug in a rug! It doesn't get much better than this for a lazy boatbum like myself and makes me feel really happy I bothered to build this boat!

Oh, don't pay too much attention to the background.Lots of little winter projects and loose ends to occupy my free time with.I'll be ready for them once the calluses have left my hands!

Next up: the following day





Cheers!


Peter

[flyinwall]

not fair you have these nice cool night and we are stuck with stinkin hot nights that need a fan and air con to get comfortable and days in the mid to high 30's

[m2c1Iw]

Well well well Mr Lemonhands it's easy to tell who did the interier decor eh.

Please congratulate Nat on the window treatment, beautiful.

While you are organising winter hybernation the troops and I are starting to organise the fishing outings at the mouth of the mighty Murray river, balmy nights, beer and fresh cooked salmon can't wait.

I'm off next week on a 4wd trip with the blokes into the mountain country chasing trout hopefully the LPBC will protect us all against over indulgence......doubt it.

[ben2go]

Great pics Peter.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Carrying on with the pre haul-out cruise.............






Just in case some of you may be thinking there was only one "happy camper" aboard for the night, based on the last photo, here is the other happy camper savouring the warmth only a nice insulated cabin can provide.

So there we were, well fed and only the dishes to do.Once this task was completed and ablutions done,we settled in for the night.Being put to sleep by the gentle tuggings on the dock lines and comforted by the sound of the cold winds outdoors was a special treat for both of us as we knew it would be several months before we would get to experience the magic of onboard sleeping again.




The following day broke bright and cold with that same Northwest wind of the night building in again. It took just a short stroll outdoors to drive home the chill while breakfast was prepared onboard.





To some, this may appear as an excellent bit of anti-skid work on the cabin roof but do not be fooled. I did not do that good a job of it! What we are viewing here is a nice crisp layer of hoar frost compliments of nights cold. Was I ever glad to not have spent the night outdoors!






With breakfast done and dishes too, it was time to say good-bye to the club and the ducks,which Nat loves feeding.....crazy girl....we coulda had duck à l'orange last night!





The best crew/skipper/admiral I could ever have getting back inside as we prepare to untie the lines for the last time this year. I am lucky beyond belief!! She was nice and warm too outdoors, happy to be wearing one of her favorite sweaters.She is a ferocious knitter!l




A view from just behind the helm, as I aim the boat out onto the "lake" and begin our ride upstream toward Turtle Bay's winter home. I say "lake" but it is nothing more than a slight broadening of the St.Lawrence river as it passes along the southern side of the island of Montreal as it, the river, wends its' way to the ocean.




To be continued..........



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

not fair you have these nice cool night and we are stuck with stinkin hot nights that need a fan and air con to get comfortable and days in the mid to high 30's

I agree totally! It should be warm and comfy everywhere at the same time. However, as that is not about to happen within our lifetimes Sir,try to not rub it in too hard as some of us have to be deprived for several months of any boating at all.

Besides, sounds like your temps are just ripe for enjoying multiples of cold beverage,no? I sure wouldn't be screaming foul too loudly, I tells ya!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Well well well Mr Lemonhands it's easy to tell who did the interier decor eh.

Please congratulate Nat on the window treatment, beautiful.

While you are organising winter hybernation the troops and I are starting to organise the fishing outings at the mouth of the mighty Murray river, balmy nights, beer and fresh cooked salmon can't wait.

I'm off next week on a 4wd trip with the blokes into the mountain country chasing trout hopefully the LPBC will protect us all against over indulgence......doubt it.

Not only do you have the gift of a most discerning eye, you also happen to be correct! I had sweet little to do with the choice and application of the interior finish details. Nat is crazy for stuff like this and I am all too eager to step back and let her have a go at it.In other words,more time for me to swill beer, gaze off into the distance and pontificate on the advantages of buying beer in bulk.Is that the life or what?!


Please give my condolences to the families of both Mr and Mrs Salmon, ya lucky bugger!!



Cheers!


Peter




P.S. Is it true the fishies all swim upside down when going upstream in Oz?

[flyinwall]

I agree totally! It should be warm and comfy everywhere at the same time. However, as that is not about to happen within our lifetimes Sir,try to not rub it in too hard as some of us have to be deprived for several months of any boating at all.

Besides, sounds like your temps are just ripe for enjoying multiples of cold beverage,no? I sure wouldn't be screaming foul too loudly, I tells ya!



Cheers!


Peter

Those multiple cold beverages dont stop when the weather gets cooler they will be flowing all year round just like the boating down here where the fish swim upside down while going upstream

[A.Greever]

Love the pics Lenihan! You and your better 80% must have been in heaven.

My Wife LOVES to feed the duckies too. (so do I, but don't tell anyone)

Looking forward to pictures of the haulout! Speaking of haulouts, mine didn't do so good. There was a storm a few weeks ago, and apparently several boats broke free from their moorings. A Red and White one was nice enough to give SevenSundays a kiss on the Starboard topsides. Took out a stanchion, the starboard lifelines, bent the aluminum toerail, gouged the hull at the hull to deck joint, AND left a good 8-12 foot scrape on her topsides! (the scrape is Red and White, her hull is Tan)

The boatyard is working up an estimate now, and I got a claim number from the insurance company today.

I think from now on, I will leave my LPBC ON the boat, instead of in my hobbyroom!

Take care, and tell GreenEyes she looks lovely! (TurtleBay ain't lookin' too bad either)

PS: Why is your butterfly hatch covered in plastic in EVERY picture?

[P.L.Lenihan]

The ride upstream was an interesting one for us, for it was the first time we have had the boat out in such conditions. Despite the bright cold sunny sky, the winds had steadily increased to 25 knots with gusts of 35 to 40 knots out of the Northwest.Adding to this was the set of the current which runs up to 2 knots in a generally Easterly direction. With relatively little fetch, thanks to the presence of the island of montreal off to starboard, and a large shoaling spoil ground also off our starboard bow, the waves never amounted to more than 18 to 20 inches in height and were kept down by the current sucking them down.

As we followed the Lachine channel upstream, we soon found ourselves broad side to the wind as we pointed ourselves to the Southwest,along a feeder channel to join up with the St.Lawrence Seaway.It was with some trepidation too, that we did not ease up on the throttle and maintained our cruising speed of 6 knots. Afterall, Mr.Roberts was still plotting out this boats' range of stability and I am still very much wet behind the ears regarding powerboating in general and this boats particular characteristics specifically.


The full forward helm position is what makes the whole affair peculiar. Everything happens right smack in your face.There is no great length of boat in front of you to shield you from spray or to provide a better perspective of the boats' action.





As usual,pictures rarely allow the viewer to fully gage or appreciate wave sizes, but the boat was pitching and plunging along in the foot and a half wave hallows. Every once in a while, the forward bottom end of the boat would hit a wave just right and send up a flury of spray which the wind drove right back on us. It felt odd standing up so close to the action all the while warm and shelter from the wind outside.







Despite the confused wave patterns and the strong winds on our beam, the boat handled herself remarkably well. The best part of it all, of course, was that it held together! And that is no joke either, for I suspect it is the sort of thing which goes through every amateur boat builders head each time he or she encounters new conditions with their new boat. Wild thoughts go racing by like" Did I put enough epoxy on that joint?" Or "Are those chine logs really strong enough?" etc etc right to madness! The only remedy, of course, is time and using the boat as often as possible to finally and secretly convince yourself that the boat is indeed strong enough and will not all of a sudden collapse like a house of cards.








One of those "you had to be there" pictures, showing the mount of Montreal in the distance, which looked impressive from within the boat and the atmosphere within the boat but is probably boring as hell on your monitor screen.





Finally, after the excitement of the open lake/river, we found ourselves heading downstream inside the canal section of the St.Lawrence Seaway. Here we see one of the beer bandits, whom we bribed to come along for the ride with the offer of a 4 star breakfast on board the boat earlier, expounding on some odd bit of nautical trivia for Nat's ongoing edumacation in all things boaty. After the up stream run too, she could no longer contain herself and demanded equal time at the helm.She is a tiger in sheeps wool!






She also demanded fresh coffee, tout suite, which I happily prepared for her while enjoying medication of another sort. Yes folks, that is a good old run of the mill Coleman propane camp stove standing in until we get the galley appliances worked out.


As we motored gracefully along the seaway, we soon came along the native reservation. The following picture is of the St.Francis Xavier church, built in 1819 right atop of the earlier Jesuit church from 1720.Lots of heart wrenching history there!

[P.L.Lenihan]

Those multiple cold beverages dont stop when the weather gets cooler they will be flowing all year round just like the boating down here where the fish swim upside down while going upstream

You're a cruel one ,ya is, rubbin' it in like that...no mercy have ya? Keep it up and I'll be lighting candles at the oratory that will see snow falling from the very skies over the "Sunshine" coast......either that or I'll just have ta take ta drinking beer,in the cold.....again......damn!


Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Love the pics Lenihan! You and your better 80% must have been in heaven.

My Wife LOVES to feed the duckies too. (so do I, but don't tell anyone)

Looking forward to pictures of the haulout! Speaking of haulouts, mine didn't do so good. There was a storm a few weeks ago, and apparently several boats broke free from their moorings. A Red and White one was nice enough to give SevenSundays a kiss on the Starboard topsides. Took out a stanchion, the starboard lifelines, bent the aluminum toerail, gouged the hull at the hull to deck joint, AND left a good 8-12 foot scrape on her topsides! (the scrape is Red and White, her hull is Tan)

The boatyard is working up an estimate now, and I got a claim number from the insurance company today.

I think from now on, I will leave my LPBC ON the boat, instead of in my hobbyroom!

Take care, and tell GreenEyes she looks lovely! (TurtleBay ain't lookin' too bad either)

PS: Why is your butterfly hatch covered in plastic in EVERY picture?

Only 80 % eh? Hmmmm Mr Greever..... wait till Nat finds out I've gained a few more points!

Reading about the hit on SevenSundays made me sick.I know this may sound trite but at least she wasn't sunk! Nevertheless,, irritants of that nature and scope are never welcomed. I hope you get full satisfaction with the repairs and a fair remedy overall. Have they indoor facilities for the repair work or will you have to wait until next Spring/Summer before the works gets done?

Ah the butterfly hatch.....there is a tale of hope and betrayal, dreams and disasters,shelf beer and bran muffins....I'll eventually get to it, over the course of this winter, when I attempt to make things right. As a tease, I will just say it was a lesson I was taught and shall never forget.


I'll pass your compliments on to GreenEyes....just writing that makes me think of old Saltiguy and how he is missing all the craziness now...he had a thing for her too.


Careful with your LPBC too, some male members of late and later have begun reporting increased sensations of virility,durability, handsomeness and just plain old animal magnetism when it comes to the women folk. Not all that certain leaving a LPBC on a boat over winter will be good for it or your boat. Boats are female, right? The last thing you need is to have the magnetism drawing other boats or even riff raff too close to SevenSundays' sides. Just thought you might want to know this.

Cheers!



Peter

[WX]

Love the curtains, very fine.

[ChrisBen]

Love the curtains, very fine.

Agreed, they look perfect, especially with the candles (or even oil lamps) in the background. Nice job.

[A.Greever]

Only 80 % eh? Hmmmm Mr Greever..... wait till Nat finds out I've gained a few more points!

Reading about the hit on SevenSundays made me sick.I know this may sound trite but at least she wasn't sunk! Nevertheless,, irritants of that nature and scope are never welcomed. I hope you get full satisfaction with the repairs and a fair remedy overall. Have they indoor facilities for the repair work or will you have to wait until next Spring/Summer before the works gets done?

Ah the butterfly hatch.....there is a tale of hope and betrayal, dreams and disasters,shelf beer and bran muffins....I'll eventually get to it, over the course of this winter, when I attempt to make things right. As a tease, I will just say it was a lesson I was taught and shall never forget.


I'll pass your compliments on to GreenEyes....just writing that makes me think of old Saltiguy and how he is missing all the craziness now...he had a thing for her too.


Careful with your LPBC too, some male members of late and later have begun reporting increased sensations of virility,durability, handsomeness and just plain old animal magnetism when it comes to the women folk. Not all that certain leaving a LPBC on a boat over winter will be good for it or your boat. Boats are female, right? The last thing you need is to have the magnetism drawing other boats or even riff raff too close to SevenSundays' sides. Just thought you might want to know this.

Cheers!



Peter

Yes, I miss Saltiguy too. We both obviously have good taste in the finer gender! On a serious note it is a good thing that Nat wants her helm time. I believe it is a huge confidence booster. My wife Amy has been helming our boat from the getgo. She was one of the few women on our dock in San Diego that regularly docked the boat, while I handled the docklines. More than once we heard other women on the docks say "Look! She is docking the boat!"

My boat is being repaired by Torresen Marine, in Muskegon, Michigan. They are known as the "Sailboat Specialists". Lots of the higher end Chi-Mac raceboats store there and have work done. They tell me they will bring her into the heated storage for the Winter, to get the repairs done. Right now they are saying they are having a hard time finding a matching toerail, and they might have to replace All of the toerails. We have never had a claim with Boat US and they are supposed to be a good outfit, so we will see what happens.

Interesting take on the LPBC. I was hoping the Mojo of the LBPC would protect her, but you may be right, it might attract other boats to her like flies on horsepuckey! Probably big burly Trawlers that want to have their way with her. Can't have that! In case I never mentioned it, she is a 1979 S2 9.2/C. Center cockpit, inboard diesel Sloop. Lotsa interior room for a 30 footer, and great visibility from the cockpit. She is our baby, and I am fortunate that Mrs.Greever loves her as much as I do.

I will keep you posted on the repairs. Are you storing inside or out this season?

[P.L.Lenihan]

Love the curtains, very fine.

Agreed, they look perfect, especially with the candles (or even oil lamps) in the background. Nice job.

Thank you gents, but the lace you see is just the half of what Nat has planned for the windows.She plowed through a G in selecting metres of some rather fancy-dancy highfalutin drapery material,sissy gold fringes and other drapery appurtenances.She has plans to finish the window treatments this winter. I certainly hope so too because it damned near broke my heart to see my beer money being blown like that for girly stuff.The worst part too was being dragged through every flee bitten shop in Montreal while experiencing the double insult of having to view and render an opinion on dozens...did I just write dozens? What a fibber I am! It was hundreds of textures,colours, styles and motifs. I almost went blind I did! Imagine further,if you will, me having to cart around a few samples of varnished mahogany and a painted scraps of plywood to hold up and allow the Queen to better evaluate and match her colours under both store lighting and outdoor lighting conditions.At last count, I believe there are still 3 store clerks off on sick leave after experiencing nervous break downs.........

Fortunately, that hectic week of shopping is all behind me now and I can write about it without feeling that nervous loosening of the exhaust muscle(anal sphincter, for the nitpickers) nor any flighty tremors from my eyelids and a wicked quick case of ole dry mouth. I guess I'm just lucky like that.Next time however, I'll send Simon and never mind the store clerks!





Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Yes, I miss Saltiguy too. We both obviously have good taste in the finer gender! On a serious note it is a good thing that Nat wants her helm time. I believe it is a huge confidence booster. My wife Amy has been helming our boat from the getgo. She was one of the few women on our dock in San Diego that regularly docked the boat, while I handled the docklines. More than once we heard other women on the docks say "Look! She is docking the boat!"

My boat is being repaired by Torresen Marine, in Muskegon, Michigan. They are known as the "Sailboat Specialists". Lots of the higher end Chi-Mac raceboats store there and have work done. They tell me they will bring her into the heated storage for the Winter, to get the repairs done. Right now they are saying they are having a hard time finding a matching toerail, and they might have to replace All of the toerails. We have never had a claim with Boat US and they are supposed to be a good outfit, so we will see what happens.

Interesting take on the LPBC. I was hoping the Mojo of the LBPC would protect her, but you may be right, it might attract other boats to her like flies on horsepuckey! Probably big burly Trawlers that want to have their way with her. Can't have that! In case I never mentioned it, she is a 1979 S2 9.2/C. Center cockpit, inboard diesel Sloop. Lotsa interior room for a 30 footer, and great visibility from the cockpit. She is our baby, and I am fortunate that Mrs.Greever loves her as much as I do.

I will keep you posted on the repairs. Are you storing inside or out this season?

Yup,Nat is a hands-on sort of gal and she enjoys feeling competent.I do my best too in helping her along by giving her the helm as often as possible.This way I can relax either at the comfy dinette close to the beer cooler,wink,wink, or allow myself to strike dashing poses on the aft deck, with a big tumbler of port in one hand and a cigar in the other.I even allow myself to close my eyes while imagining myself as some late 1950's Hollywood movie star. I have already asked Santa for a crushed velvet smoking jacket to complete my fantasy.The colour hardly matters too as my fantasy is all in black and white........

Good to hear work will proceed over the course of winter thus sparing you any lost time next summer! Sounds like you have the right crew too for handling the job well.

Yup, you did once mention it was a S2 although I didn't know it was the centercokpit version. Sweet!

Finally, yes we will be going full hog with heated interior storage for this winter. I hope I can handle the luxury after so many years in my bow shed



Cheers!


Peter



P.S. It is easier now to understand how your boat, with a LPBC, may become too much to resist for other boats,especially trawlers.Those boats are just too darned suave and stately for their own good,much less to be trusted alone with a curvaceous lass. You will need a chaperone!

[WX]

exhaust muscle(anal sphincter, for the nitpickers)

I call it the Sphincter valve.

[knottyBuoyz]

Congratulations Peter, Nat & Simon on a successful launch and first 1/4 season with M/V Turtle Bay. I'm glad to see she can take it on the beam, the boat silly not Nat, and still stand up straight! A lil' water over the bow is a great refresher, almost as good as an ice cold brewski. :-) Really looking forward to seeing you all back on the water next year for a full season of cruising adventures.

Yours aye!

Rick & Lori

[flyinwall]

sorry about rubbin' it in like that and as for the beer i think i will leave that concoction to you as i am a Rum drinker (that beer stuff made me feel quite ill the couple of times i have had it) and it is the good ol Aussie Bundaberg Rum for me (or the occasional bottle of Captain Morgan Rum).

And its good to know Turtle Bay survived her first of many marine adventures.

Well done Peter and Nat.

[Spin_Drift]

So beautiful, -lovely, warm and inviting. First class, all the way.

I love Nat's feminine touch of lace curtains and candle light. They create such a romantic mood.

I wish I could send you a bottle of one of my finest home made wines. (this year's Blue Ribbon winner at Alaska Stare Fair). It's smooth, -yet dangerous.... We know a child that was conceived during it's consumption....LOL ...and have heard of others too....eek....at least they had fun trying...blush...

Anyway, you said Nat is an avid knitter, -so am I... The sweater she wore in the picture is very beautiful. Would she have a pattern for it? If so, I'd love to have a copy of it.

Here is a link for Nat so she can download (at no cost) a beautiful Aren wool sweater pattern for a MAN's sweater. It looks great on a woman as well...

I'll be knitting it for my husband this winter. It's very labour intensive and advanced work, but nothing is too much for a labour of love....huh...

http://a.allaboutyou.com/pattern/48130.pdf

And furthermore, this post is a milestone of a sort. This is my 10,000th post, and I wanted it not to be "just any post" in the bilge.....

.....so, -what better a post, than to give Nat a knitting pattern for a sweater and to tell you how very, very much I've enjoyed this thread.....

Looking forward to reading more posts and seeing more pictures....
.

[A.Greever]

Yup,Nat is a hands-on sort of gal and she enjoys feeling competent.I do my best too in helping her along by giving her the helm as often as possible.This way I can relax either at the comfy dinette close to the beer cooler,wink,wink, or allow myself to strike dashing poses on the aft deck, with a big tumbler of port in one hand and a cigar in the other.I even allow myself to close my eyes while imagining myself as some late 1950's Hollywood movie star. I have already asked Santa for a crushed velvet smoking jacket to complete my fantasy.The colour hardly matters too as my fantasy is all in black and white........

Good to hear work will proceed over the course of winter thus sparing you any lost time next summer! Sounds like you have the right crew too for handling the job well.

Yup, you did once mention it was a S2 although I didn't know it was the centercokpit version. Sweet!

Finally, yes we will be going full hog with heated interior storage for this winter. I hope I can handle the luxury after so many years in my bow shed



Cheers!


Peter



P.S. It is easier now to understand how your boat, with a LPBC, may become too much to resist for other boats,especially trawlers.Those boats are just too darned suave and stately for their own good,much less to be trusted alone with a curvaceous lass. You will need a chaperone!

I too prefer to let either Amy or a nonsailing guest to take a crack at the helm. I sit in the companionway acting as the "Tacticion", and official "cold beverage passer upper"!
It is so much fun to see someone helm a keelboat for the first time.

SevenSundays was in unheated indoor storage last Winter, but it looks like we will be upgraded to indoor heated this year. I was planning on storing outdoor mast up this year, since I didn't like being stuck inside during the Spring. Too dark in the buildings for me. I would prefer to work on her outdoors where there is plenty of natural light.

I feel your pain regarding the shopping for fabrics, it must have been torture! Not to mention the massive dent in the beer budget. I remember the first time Amy wanted to buy a vacume cleaner, all I could think of at the time was all of the cool motorcycle parts I could have bought instead! (this was before we became Sailors)

Funny, you mention the LPBC mojo, and it's affects on the fairer sex. It's been happening to me too, but I am married and can't use it's powers to their full potential! If only I had the LPBC cap when I was in my roaring twenties!

Take care, and keep us posted with pics on the Winter work.
I will have some photos of SevenSundays, and my LPBC, resized for posting. Maybe even some pics of the repairs as Winter sets in and they start working on her.

[riversailor92]

Hey Peter,
If it isn't prying too much, I was wondering, just how much is this little flagship going to cost the citizens of the great and esteemed nation of Lemonhandsia? She's looking just FANTASTIC by the way, I continue to be jealous every time I open this thread.

All the best,
- Cam

[MoMan]

With breakfast done and dishes too, it was time to say good-bye to the club and the ducks,which Nat loves feeding.....crazy girl....we coulda had duck à l'orange last night!

So have you selected the picture to submit for the WoodenBoat magazine "Launchings" section? I'll be very disappointed if you don't submit anything!

[Durnik]

Launchings, Hell!

this

or even this

is a Cover Photo!

IMHO.. ;-)

enjoy
bobby

[Sailor]

+1 on the cover photo.

[P.L.Lenihan]

Picking up where we last left off, we were moving along the St.Lawrence Seaway on our way back to the boat yard for winter haul-out. It was a gloriously sunny day. Cold perhaps but sunny and this is always good for moral and picture taking.




The Mercier Bridge, the bridge I crossed almost daily over the past 9 years while building my boat. In the begining it wasn't so bad, as it took all of 15 minutes to go from home to the boat. The last year of the build however was pure hell! The bridge was shut down for a brief spell at the begining of summer and then only partially opened right up until yesterday,Nov.14,2011! What was once a 15 minute commute become sometimes a hour and a half test of ones patience and ability to keep homicidal urges in check. The political circus which surrounded this bridges' emergency repairs was the best example yet of all that is wrong with my provincial government.


But let's not get into the merry-go-round of todays politics.Instead, let's get right back into the haul out trip.

As we were coming up to and about to pass under the Mercier Bridge,We heard a siren go off and lots of big clunking metal sounds from astern.





Looking back, we saw the train bridge begin to rise. This could only mean one thing; a ship was soon to appear! It is always exciting, for me at least, to encounter ships in the Seaway. One never knows what wonderful treat the eyes will be exposed to.

Standing on the aft deck, I kept my eyes peeled for the sight of a ships' bow coming around the bend just beyond the train bridge. With a fresh dose of medicine in hand,I idled away the time waiting for the ship to appear...........





As I was waiting, we passed beneath the Mercier Bridge, rusty decrepit structure.It is a wonder it is still standing! Leaning backward, I snapped this picture.

Another quick glance back toward the train bridge and still no boat. Another swig, some more idling and another picture......





Pulling away from the Mercier Bridge, it occurred to me that this section was actually the same age as myself, having been completed in 1958 for the opening of the St.Lawrence Seaway.The original bridge was considerably older but had to be raised to clear the Seaway. I felt relieved to have not yet attained the same level as decrepitude as the bridge despite my many other failings!







Waiting still for a ship to appear, I glanced over to my left(I was facing aft) to observe the twin access and exit ramps for this bridge as it enters the indian reservation.As an aside, the natives who worked on this end of the bridge won two awards this past summer : one for the greatest number of bridge deck sections installed in a single day and another for the quickest completion of an entire ramp according to some official bridge building and repair journal.Who knew?!

While the natives were getting the job done, the white folk on the other side of the river were squabbling over union articles, collective agrements,whether or not to let the indians work on their side of the bridge and the weather.....bunch of idjits!

But, let's not go there...................

So there I was, just about finished my medicine and wondering what the blazes was taking this ship so long to come around the bend. Was it stalled? Had it run aground? Was it a submarine? Just as I was trying to find an answer, Nat called me and asked me to come into the cabin tout suite!There a nervous tone to her voice.

Thinking she perhaps needed another coffee or to be relieved for a bit while mother nature called, I jumped back inside and made my way forward. It wasn't at all what I expected.






For there it was, straight out the forward helm window, the cause of the bridge raising! Busy as I was re-living the blasted bridge tribulations from the comforts of the aft deck, it simply never crossed my diminished mind to consider that a ship could be coming from the other direction!

Nat straight away asked me,"What should I do?" I asked her if she wanted me to take over or not.She replied," Aller au diable mon salaud,je suis en charge ice!" (For les English readers, she said," Why thank you sweet heart, but no.I think I'll give it a go on my own but do stay close by my side, you big hunk of manliness.") I blushed. I coughed, I grabbed another beer. I looked at my beer bandit friend and winked."We" knew how this approaching ship was going to quickly grow in size and how very narrow the channel will soon appear.

So I sat down and had me a beer as we all watched the ship approach nearer and nearer. The sudden silence inside the cabin was palpable .Nats' nervous looks back at me priceless.I feigned ennui.



To be continued........



Cheers!

Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Anyway, you said Nat is an avid knitter, -so am I... The sweater she wore in the picture is very beautiful. Would she have a pattern for it? If so, I'd love to have a copy of it.

And furthermore, this post is a milestone of a sort. This is my 10,000th post, and I wanted it not to be "just any post" in the bilge.....

.

Hi Spin_Drift,

As usual, thanks for your very kind comments. I am pleased you continue to enjoy this crazy thread. Click on the following link for the pattern of the sweater Nat knitted and is wearing in the photos:


http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pa...id=105&lang=us


If you knit it, you must post a picture of you wearing too! How's that for a deal?

Thanks for your pattern too. I'll print it out and show it to Nat.She loves challenges!


I'm honoured that you chose to make your 10000th post on this thread! God knows there are other more deserving threads....it must have been my lucky day!

All the best to you and yours!


Cheers!

Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Congratulations Peter, Nat & Simon on a successful launch and first 1/4 season with M/V Turtle Bay. I'm glad to see she can take it on the beam, the boat silly not Nat, and still stand up straight! A lil' water over the bow is a great refresher, almost as good as an ice cold brewski. :-) Really looking forward to seeing you all back on the water next year for a full season of cruising adventures.

Yours aye!

Rick & Lori

Thanks Rick! It is a wonder she took it so well considering how tall and narrow she appeared in the bowshed and continues to be so even on the water.

Nat and I have been thinking about cruises for next summer and one of them is just a bit upstream from us.Some little village or town you may have heard of called Iroquois, where I am told there is a madman building a boat inside a blue bowshed. Have ya ever heard of anything so daft in all yer life!? At any rate, we plan on making that one of our cruises. You wouldn't happen to have any advice for wayward boaters daring to anchor or dock close to that town,would you?

But speaking of madmen, you used to have a link to your building blog in you signature line here and now it is gone. How are things moving on your build? Have you fallen utterly in love with sanding yet or would you like me to come up and make it a manage à trois?



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

sorry about rubbin' it in like that and as for the beer i think i will leave that concoction to you as i am a Rum drinker (that beer stuff made me feel quite ill the couple of times i have had it) and it is the good ol Aussie Bundaberg Rum for me (or the occasional bottle of Captain Morgan Rum).

And its good to know Turtle Bay survived her first of many marine adventures.

Well done Peter and Nat.

So it is true what I've heard of beer from Australia.....pity really! Nevertheless,good to read you have found a suitable medication to cover for that shameful beer.At least it is no placebo!

To your good health Sir!


Cheers!

Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Hey Peter,
If it isn't prying too much, I was wondering, just how much is this little flagship going to cost the citizens of the great and esteemed nation of Lemonhandsia? She's looking just FANTASTIC by the way, I continue to be jealous every time I open this thread.

All the best,
- Cam

"How much is this pile of plywood and glue going to cost the citizens of the loony bin Lemonhandsia?" Glad you asked Cam and the answer is,zero! She is already paid for.

On the other hand, if you want to know what it has cost me to date....well partner....y'all gonna have ta wait a bit on that one as I've not yet finished counting the receipts up yet. Never fear though, for once I've finished crying my eyes out over the final figure, I'll share it here as a lesson to all who dream of building their own boat. Working titles for that post will probably be something along the lines of,"You Can't Buy This Sorta Fun" or " If A Fella Can Afford Ta Buys Beers, He Can Afford Ta Builds A Boat." It sounds hopefull,yes?

Very pleased you have enjoyed it so far Cam but don't feel jealous 'till you've walked a mile in my shoes...or is it, 'till you've drunk all my beer? Nope, that can't be right either.....how about, "'till you've drunk all your beer? Yes, that's itr...since you'll feel much better once all the beer is gone and forget all about even how to spell galous..I mean jellus.


Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

So have you selected the picture to submit for the WoodenBoat magazine "Launchings" section? I'll be very disappointed if you don't submit anything!

You Sir are quick becoming my one true source of clarity and much needed grounding in my daily life. Thank you for suggesting this and I will get on it toute suite, much the way Sailor might have gotten his boat done toute suite if he woulda just followed your lead......I think!


Thanks Mike!



Cheers!


Peter

[P.L.Lenihan]

Launchings, Hell!

a Cover Photo!

IMHO.. ;-)

enjoy
bobby

+1 on the cover photo.

You guys are too kind and crazy! Only Benji et.al. get cover rights. I'm going to stick to the sound suggestion of MoMan and see if LAUNCHINGS will have one of my pictures. If that succeeds, I can at least say I've lived a good life, by some standard


Cheers!



Peter

[knottyBuoyz]

Thanks Rick! It is a wonder she took it so well considering how tall and narrow she appeared in the bowshed and continues to be so even on the water.

Aye she's a fine looking vessel. Strong, sturdy and proud to be sure. She was impressive in the bow shed and she's many times more impressive in the water! :-)

Nat and I have been thinking about cruises for next summer and one of them is just a bit upstream from us.Some little village or town you may have heard of called Iroquois, where I am told there is a madman building a boat inside a blue bowshed. Have ya ever heard of anything so daft in all yer life!? At any rate, we plan on making that one of our cruises. You wouldn't happen to have any advice for wayward boaters daring to anchor or dock close to that town,would you?

Aye, there's an ijjit in Iroquois building a boat. Apparently he saw some nut-bar building one downstream and decided if that wijjit could do it then he could too! *sigh*

The first part of the journey upstream from Montreal is pretty boring. It's all industrial canal til you hit Lake St. Francis. She's a big lake. You have to be on your game to get through it without getting lost. We did the first time! *blush*

Power boaters who can cruise at 20+ kts will normally make it to Iroquois from Montreal in a day, easy. At 6 kts you'll be two days. I don't know much about anchoring out along that stretch of the river but you have to be careful, plenty of strange currents. There's a pretty little marina in Iroquois on the old Galop Canal. We keep our boat there in the summer. There's always space for one more tramp boater beating his/her way upstream like spawning salmon! ;-)

If you make it this far you might want to carry on upstream to Brockville or into the 1000 Islands. I've got a chartbook you can borrow if you like.

But speaking of madmen, you used to have a link to your building blog in you signature line here and now it is gone. How are things moving on your build? Have you fallen utterly in love with sanding yet or would you like me to come up and make it a manage à trois?

Kinda the opposite actually. I tucked the epoxy & stuff away a few weeks ago. Just needed a break from it all for awhile. Think I was pushing it a little too hard and I wasn't enjoying it as much. I've been out a few times, taping some seams etc. but mostly just puttering to put in time. I don't plan to get back to it in earnest till it warms up in the spring.

http://she-kon.blogspot.com/

What have you got planned to do on Turtle Bay this winter?

[Spin_Drift]

Hi Spin_Drift,

As usual, thanks for your very kind comments. I am pleased you continue to enjoy this crazy thread. Click on the following link for the pattern of the sweater Nat knitted and is wearing in the photos:


http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pa...id=105&lang=us


If you knit it, you must post a picture of you wearing too! How's that for a deal?

Thanks for your pattern too. I'll print it out and show it to Nat.She loves challenges!


I'm honoured that you chose to make your 10000th post on this thread! God knows there are other more deserving threads....it must have been my lucky day!

All the best to you and yours!


Cheers!

Peter

Hi Peter, Please thank Nat for the link. I'm so pleased to have it. I'll probably knit the scarf and the hat too....

...as long as this thread is going, you can count on me being here enjoying it. You might not see me, but I'm here.

[BBSebens]

...as long as this thread is going, you can count on me being here enjoying it. You might not see me, but I'm here.

Pretty sure you can say that about everyone.

Keep it coming Peter!

[Leatherneck]

Well, Peter, I'm just going to have to weigh in with a little-value-added post to congratulate you for a successful endeavor. She's a beauty--both boat and woman-in-sweater--in the latter case, it's the pearl earrings--and I look forward to further posts on this ginormous thread. You've done a great job and deserve all the beer and kudos you get. Well done, Mate!

Tom

[John B]

The Naval architecture stuff is really interesting Peter, but we want cruising shots.

and we want them neow.

Thanks Peter, I'm always extremely interested to see what peoples cruising grounds are like, and especially from the little round pool in a backyard capital of the world.
Haulout shots soon I expect ( rubs hands together).
Presuming of course , that the two ships passing in the , er , daylight was successful.

PS, regarding the rum comment above from our Austrailian friend... Yes its always good to keep some bunderburg rum in ones cupboard . That way when you need to thin some paint or perhaps clean some brushes and the mineral turpentine is missing, you have a fallback position . Coincidentally,fallback position is also what will happen should one actually drink the stuff. Not from the alchohol content as one might reasonably expect, just from the sheer horror and recoil from the flavour.

[Larks]

Is there somewhere that we can submit a vote for a cover shot??

[P.L.Lenihan]

The silence, which had found refuge within the cabin, did not last very long. As Nat continued steering the boat bravely onward,my beer bandit friend asked me innocently,"Do ya remember the story of that boat which got spun around and sent into the rocks here along the seaway several years ago when a freighter passed it?"

Taking a big swallow, I replied,"Oh yeah, I remember that one.But before it was sent hurtling into the rocks, didn't part of the boat actually get chopped up when it got sucked through the ship's propeller?"

Nat gave us a nervous backward stare..........




And the ship got closer still.

Then the beer bandit lit up and added,"Oh that's right! A couple of people were drowned too during that incident!.Did ya know that big ship never even stopped to help them?"

"Yeah", I sighed," and the lucky survivors never got a cent either from the insurance companies!"

"It was a wooden boat too, if I recall correctly", guessed the beer bandit.

Nat stared dead ahead.........





And still the ship kept coming on closer by the minute, its' anchor wells looking like a pair of sinister, near heartless, eyes.


"They said the owner was an experienced boater too but that he had somehow forgotten how powerful these ships were and how strong the Venturi effect was inside narrow canals like this one." opined the beer bandit.

"That's right" I confirmed,"It is amazing yet terrifying too how suddenly you can lose control of your boat and get sucked right into these monsters,especially when they pass you going in the opposite direction.

Nat turned and asked,"C'est quoi que je devrais faire calisse.Merde! L'autre bateau arrive vite! En plus, c'est qui ca, Venturi?"( In English," Your voice stills my racing heart, your hands can do no wrong.Take me now and make me sin,we'll make some hot Venturi sauce after our tryst.)






The mighty throbbing of her engines were begining to be heard as she steamed ever closer.

Without so much as a glance up away from my medicine bottle, I said solemnly,"I 'm not sure my boat has enough power to break away from the Venturi effect created by that ship.Perhaps it would help if we asked Nat to give the throttle a wee push forward?"

Taking a long slow pull on his medicine bottle, like it was the last he'll ever have, the beer bandit replied," It may be worth a try since we are too close to turn around or even to anchor now."

Before I could take another swallow, Nat had pushed the throttle lever forward and we felt the boat accelerate ever so slightly.






With a determination difficult to fathom, the ship continued to push its' way upstream.

The beer bandit couldn't help but notice the way the ship actually caused the water to lift before its' stem and figured it was a good time to announce," We should begin feeling the Venturi effect the minute the stem is abeam of us."

I countered with," Naw, I think we'll only begin to feel it about half way down the length of the ship."

Nat was transfixed, knuckles slowly going white on the wheel and her breathing all but stopped.





The thobbing of her mighty engines were now begining to be felt through the bottom of my boat. Voices had to be raised just to be heard.

"Ah..Peter...maybe Nat should turn the boat away from the ship instead of turning toward its' side like that!", offered the beer bandit.

"Hmmm....", I pondered, "Perhaps it really is too late and the boat is now no longer contollable by Nat or anyone else.Let's hope he passes us before we get too close!"

Nat had not yet begun to breath again as she started to turn the wheel away from the boat.She refused to look at either of us.

Suddenly the beer bandit hollered,"Look Out! The ship is making whirl pools!!







Sure enough, as I glanced toward where he was pointing, I could just make out the beginings of two smallish white whirl pools about to form. "Oh No", I exclaimed, "quick get the life jackets and bring one for Nat too!" The boat began to drive toward the ships stern and certain death.

Turning to face Nat, I grabbed her by the shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes and said," I'm sorry baby.I know how much this boat means to both of us and the thought of seeing it crushed to splinters is a terrifying one BUT whatever you do, don't look back and just hold onto me as tightly as possible. The life jackets will save us."

Then came the most horrible sound we had hoped to never hear; the sudden thrashing,thumping and pounding of the ships' propellers.


To be continued...



Cheers!


Peter

[ChrisBen]

Then came the most horrible sound we had hoped to never hear; the sudden thrashing,thumping and pounding of the ships propellers.


To be continued...



Cheers!


Peter

As Bobbys would say " yer jest no damn good Peterr".