Progress!

Another scorching-hot day yesterday as we wallowed in dust and crap. Such fun. Thanks Alice!

But we have progress to show for it. The capping rails are primed and ready to be varnished, the forecast looks good, so with some luck Sharon will be able to get it all finished this week while I lounge in my air-conditioned office.

Alice Doolittle

Alice made a new friend in the marina yesterday.

Sanding and Beer

Just to prove there are people out there who will sand and scrape in exchange for beer, here's some photos. Thanks Simon and Alice!

Focus has been on the aft bulwarks and transom. I decided to whip the lettering off the stern and put on a couple more coats of varnish while we are at it. That little add-on took four hours...

Damn it was hot.

Note where the liferaft has been sitting...

One of the liferafts that came with Kamalii. 39 years old. It's going to the kids school shortly so they can deploy it as part of an outdoor ed thing they are doing. The other one we inflated in California and it was just fine. Nothing but the best for Kamalii.

Stern capping primed, ready for first coat of gloss tomorrow.

Party Time

The current forecast for this weekend is sunny with no wind. Not sailing weather. But good sanding weather... so we're throwing a Sanding-and-Beer party! Woohoo!  You provide the sanding, we provide the beer. Let's get those bulwarks finished!

Anyone who actually thinks this would be fun please contact us immediately; we need you to commit before you sober up.

Sailing

Went out sailing today with some friends who were "first timers". A lovely day, sailed to Motutapu Island, had lunch and drinks, sailed back. As you do.

Yet more covers

Kamalii came with a complete set of covers for the capping rail, but they were in pretty sad shape, and since we had left the capping rail bare we left them in storage. Now that we are varnishing the capping rail (next section to be commenced soon, bet you can't wait) we have hauled out the covers, removed about 20kg of dirt from them, pulled them apart, patched and restitched them. Don't they look fetching?

Only done the starboard side so far - lots and lot and lots of stitching...

Waste not want not

The old spreader was a bit rotten, but most of the wood is still fine. While doing the main mast I decided to plug some holes from redundant old fittings. Now, where can I get some spar grade spruce...?

Under Way

Care of Stephanie Hazard. Way cool.

Some Kamalii History

Here's some links to contemporary news reports of the hijacking of Kamalii in 1971. The crew were tossed overboard in a life-raft, but no one was hurt and they were picked up by a passing freighter. Makes for a really cool story.

Chicago Tribune & with a photo

The triumphant return

Marine heads, joy of my life.

Remember this post? Well, the other toilet pump bellows failed as well last week, with similar results. I do like these vacuflush toilets, they are simple and the maintenance is also straight-forward, except for these bellows which when they go make a god-awful mess and are a real shit (pun intended) to remove and service, though that is more installation rather than design. All fixed now. 25%...

The locker doors and cabinetry comes apart to get to the pumps and plumbing.

Rebuilding the pump/retching. I need a haircut.