COOLERS

As we have now traveled roughly halfway around the world it's amazing to look in some of the cabinets at what has been collected. These beer coolers fit sizes from Aussie stubbies to Mexican ballena's [sp] and most any can or bottle in between.

A collection from our travels

PAINT and FUN





DANGA BAY MARINA  01° 23 N  103°43 E

Yes we're still here in Danga Bay, Malaysia and I'm trying some new format on the blog so with luck you will also see a google map, you may have to click the location  at the bottom of the posting,along with the above latitude and longitude. Trying to learn this computer stuff at an advanced age is tough. This new format also has a different method of inserting photos along with captions.  Here we go!!!!




Port side

 So I now have been trying to insert and move photos per the site help file but it's not going as planned. Here is what the paint is looking like. You'll notice that further forward only the stanchion bases are in place. We removed most all of the deck hardware to paint. It was also time to re-bed things as we were beginning to have some leaking spots. 

 

Starboard side which was finished today



  



As we had been docked port side to we turned the boat around in it's slip so after painting we would not have to walk on that part. Once the paint cured the boat was again turned around and today we put the finish coat of non-skid on the starboard side.



Kathy cleaning one one of the anchor rollers

Continuing along I seem to be making progress in figuring this format out but not sure how. It's actually now taken two days.

Our last outside paint for now will be the cockpit which we hope to get started on in the next day or so. With the deck hardware removed it was a good time for lots of cleaning and polishing. This was Kathy's job using bronze wool, brasso and lots of elbow grease. Tomorrow we will set the stanchions back in the bases on port and get the lifelines back on. The starboard will be done after another few days of paint curing.

Here on the other side of the world we see limited U.S. sports and without the internet I would know nothing of what is going on there in the land of gridiron. The normal here is "football" or as we know it soccer. Not my favorite. The big event lately has been the world cup rugby tournament with 20 nations involved. The U.S. was represented but won only one game in the group play and didn't advance. So over a three week period we watched lots of rugby at what passes for a sports bar here in the marina and we now almost understand it.



 The final match was played last Sunday between New Zealand

and France.There was a crowd of about 30 gathered for the match

which was won by the All Blacks of New Zealand. A good time was had by all.



that's a mug of beer



Kathy along with Rick and Robin
of "Enadangered Species"

 



Rick "Endangered Speciesand Dick
"Wind Pony" enjoying a beer



That wraps up this edition.

 

 









 



LEAKS

DANGA BAY MARINA 01° 23' N 103° 43' E


Here just north of the equator we get some rain most every day and sometimes it's quite heavy.
So just like a house we at times develop leaks. The other afternoon during a period of cats and dogs falling from the sky we noticed some drips in two different areas. At the time we did a bit of searching and located one that would be an easy fix but were unsure of the source of the other which was causing water to come thru the cabinet which houses all of our radios. Not good!!

The next day using a water hose I directed the stream to potential areas as Kathy watched for the leak to reappear. "Eureka"! It was a portlight, one of the fourteen that we have. It has been since 2001 since we last pulled the frames off and fixed leaks, so I guess it's time again.
This was the quick temporary fix for the day.

After ten years some of the screws broke off to be dealt with later.

Next removal of the frame.

Here's the portlight with the frame removed. Not only did I drill out the broken screws but also the holes for the others. My next step was to use epoxy and dowels to fill the holes and void areas.

The dowels were then cut off flush with the cabin top and the face frame installed again. We use a very sticky, goey material between the frame and cabin top as a barrier to keep the water out.

This isn't truely the finished product but the start of removal of the frame. Hey I just didn't manage a finish photo as I needed to move onto what I should have been spending the last few days working on. Removal of deck hardware so painting can continue. You'll see more on that in our next edition.

One other thought since this portlight had just begun to leak what do you think has been added to the TO DO list. Thirteen more to portlights to re-do!!!

PROJECTS

DANGA BAY MARINA 01° 23N 103° 43E

Hey it's a FREE marina so we continue to stay here and do projects. We have one cabinet designated as the project locker and it's full of parts already bought for the future installations. Several years ago we purchased new deck fill fittings for fuel, water and waste. The original ones were very nice and heavy brass but alas the caps were bad and we were unable to find the correct ones so we bought new ones to be installed at a later date. Now prior to finishing painting the decks this was the time.

Now things in a boat are not always the easiest to get to. To access the hoses for these deck fills first I had to empty the cookie cabinet.

Once empty the shelf and back paneling was also removed.

On inspection we found a dead unwelcomed guest.

This shows the hidden part of the locker with hoses, electrical wires and the "knee" brace with one of the chainplates bolted to it, that is part of what holds the mast up. Back in 2003 we replaced all the chainplates and had done extensive repair as the old wood which was encapsillated in the firberglass had gotten wet and rotten. All looks good now, except for some cleaning. You can see that one of the fills is no longer used and now we'll remove it and fill in the hole.

I don't think these had been removed since the boat was built in 1979 and most of the screws broke off and had to then be drilled out.

What a mess!

The unused hole has been filled with a wood plug and then fiberglassed over.

Here is the end result. These are both water fills. The outer side got the same treatment for a fuel and water fill and our other two fuel fills got changed out to. Now we can move along with the deck painting.