The never-ending project to fill my hole in the ocean while bailing it out

Uncovering Chip Ahoy for the 2009 Season!
Thursday, April 9, 2009

After having moved Chip Ahoy to the front of the house on Monday where it called to me, on Thursday morning it was time to uncover Chip Ahoy.  I walked around the boat untying most of the lines that hold down the tarp.

Around noon it was warm enough (low-50s) to get it done. Barbara came out to capture the photos and I got started.

Though still moving slow, a bit sore from the spleenectomy surgery, it was time to uncover Chip Ahoy. Once uncovered, I can begin some of the projects that need to get completed before I can launch. It's time to get started.

My neighbors' cat, Ozzie (well before I met them I nicknamed their cat "Slick" for the way he struts), came by to oversee my work. Barbara's cat, Gilly," also a regular visitor, and "Slick" tolerate each other at my house each morning when they come by for their visits and a snack.

Since he adopted me years ago, "Slick" has often been company while I've worked on Chip Ahoy, climbing up the ladder and wandering around in the cabin lockers and often watching me work from on deck.

He didn't miss a trick as he followed me around. Maybe next spring I'll let him uncover the boat while I watch! I hope he teaches young Gilly how to become a mate too.

"Slick, it's time to untie the last of the tie-down lines -- you paying attention buddy?"

Good thing it's a sailboat and I'm a sailor, playing these gusts!

Slick just hunkered down beneath the trailer, letting me do all the work whele he and taking notes, enjoying the show.

Yep, sure is getting gusty.

It didn't take much to get that tarp off, from the leeward side of course.

The aft tarp off and dragged away, to be folded later and stored until next fall.

The forward tarp comes off.

My parking lot windvane, alongside Chip Mate, the dinghy.

Chip Ahoy, uncovered.

The tarps are off, but removal of the PVC skeleton frame is ahead.

A view of the frame.

In the gusts, the tarps needed to be taken care of before the blew away.

This spring I got smart; I left the lines attached and labeled both ends of each tarp with the direction it'll be used when I cover the boat next fall.

Usually each fall I have to reinvent the wheel, start from scratch. I don't think I've ever covered the boat the same way twice -- even when using the same tarp(s).

The final step before wrapping them with the lines and storing them in the shed was to make a note which was the forward and which was the aft.

After loosing the tie-down lines, the one-piece skeleton frame designed and built by my buddy Wally Riddle came off easily.

It's lightweight enough that even wounded me can handle it.

Next came my original frame pieces, also made from flexible PVC tubing, which I secure from the bow back to the skeleton frame that covers the cockpit.

Once piece at a time, they're removed. Last spring I was smart enough to number them, so I knew what order to place them last fall.

Finally, before calling it a day as I was getting sore, I removed the new and old booms.

The boom in the foreground is the newer one, 4 inches longer than the boom that came with Chip Ahoy that last year I realized was too short.

The newer boom is on the left in this shot.

Enough for today, mission accomplished!

A shot from my bedroom window -- before taking a much needed nap.