Restoring a Columbia 8.7 Sloop

The “Drakkar” a Columbia 8.7 Meter Sloop

 

e

The “Drakkar” returning from Flat Hammock in Fishers Island Sound (Mike  Bourgoin Photo)

 

 

 

My first real exposure the Drakkar happened as I drove to the yacht club one afternoon in the spring of 2009 to help my friend Mike prepare his boat for launching. The sailboat was sitting on poppets in one of the grass covered storage areas of the yacht club. Along side the boat was a rickety old wooden ladder that I used to climb level with the cockpit. I was a bit disappointed as I peered at the companionway hatch that was weathered grey and partially rotted. The teak handrails were also in poor shape. The boat was dirty having been uncovered and sitting in this spot all the past winter.

 

 

I’m on the heavy side and I didn’t trust the ladder so I never actually climbed into the cockpit but did a quick visual survey of the craft from the ladder. I decide to wait another day or two when the owner would come down with me and we would inspect the insides.

 

The Drakkar had been owned for the past 30 years by a fellow name Ed Koski, a member of my church. Over the years, we had come to know one another and were both boaters; he, a sail boater and me, a power boater. I had known for some time that Ed had his boat up for sale and listed it with a local yacht broker. So far it had not sold. Earlier, I had looked up the listing in the Internet. It had pictures and show a neat sailboat with teak insides and appeared to be in good condition. Pictures do tend to lie a bit and as they say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. I was about to discover just how true those words were.

 

The 25’ Stingray Bow Rider

 

To back up a bit, I had upgraded our first powerboat from a 19-foot Stingray to a 25 footer that could actually sleep a couple people (if you like tent camping). We bought it and discovered we enjoyed boating and enjoyed spending time on the boat. The new boat, like it’s predecessor was a bowrider. We bought it for several reasons and decided on the bow rider to accommodate more people cruising, as we never thought we would be spending much time occupying the boat. Later, that turned out to be problematic. After two years with the new Stingray, I was disenchanted. Not only did it not serve our needs, it had issues, mainly a series of persistent leaks that were not corrected until we decided to sell it. I the meantime, I kept in touch with Ed and often discussed his sailboat. My wife Maria was never much interested as sailing was not her cup of tea.

 

It was early in the spring of 2009. Ed had the boat listed and had dropped the asking price twice. Ed had a couple of lookers but no firm offers. Finally, I decided to take the plunge. I had invested almost $45,000 in the powerboat and I thought if could get the sailboat for around $10,000 I could pay cash for it and pay off the note on the powerboat and essentially have a boat we could cruise on with for no more money. I thought about it and vacillated over the decision. Finally I decided to make Ed a unique offer, sight unseen; $10,000 payable over one year in two installments. And,… he would retain rights to sail it. Ed said we could make a deal so we proceeded ahead.

 

Finally, on a Saturday in May we drove to the yacht club together. I almost went into tears as we opened the companionway hatch and enter the bowels of Drakkar for the first time. Ed wanted me to look it over carefully to be sure I wanted it and insisted that I see it inside. In all fairness, Ed was completely honest and upfront about the boat. He reminded me the boat had been closed up for the winter and would be a bit “dirty” inside. Was that ever and understatement. The first thing that hit me was the smell; in a word, it stunk and that was something I knew right away would be a big issue for my wife.

 

A combination of mildew, mold, diesel fuel and salt water and age. While the inside was teak, much of it was water stained and rotted. The port lights had been leaking and much of that wood was damaged. Every surface was covered with mildew. The cabin top or “headliner”, originally while was now a dingy grey-brown and was filthy, coming apart in many places. But, the boat was complete and if one had a bit of “vision” it had distinct possibilities.

 

What had interested me the most was the knowledge of the extras Ed had invested in over the years. First, it was a diesel. In 1985 Ed replaced the 4- cylinder gas motor with an 18 horsepower Universal diesel. He did the work himself and that was a significant upgrade, even today. The boat was also equipped with a furling jib a feature that I knew was expensive but made sailing it much easier. Drakkar also had a galley, a head and would sleep 5 people. These were features that attracted me to this boat.

 

We started by opening the hatches and Ed began using a spray bottle of water with some chlorine bleach spraying and wiping with paper towels. With me assisting, we cleaned as best we could, the entire inside of the boat. By the time we finished a few hours later, it looked 1000 percent better but that wasn’t saying much. I also think my eyes were covered with rose color glasses! Ed opened the engine hatch by removing the stairs. That was my biggest disappointment as the engine looked terrible. It appeared not to have much maintenance in a number of years although later, that turned out to be both true and false. I was soon to learn what 30 years in salt water would do to a boat. Ed was a former engineer so I assumed he would have kept this craft “Bristol”. I was to learn that while Ed did maintain it mechanically, cosmetics were not as much of a concern. The boat was also 35 years old!

 

To be perfectly honest, Ed probably expected me to back out and that would have been OK. I guess I’m both a visionary as well as stubborn. I must have decided that I was going to make something of this boat, no matter what. I began by making a mental list of what needed to be done first. I figured that if I cleaned up the wood and at least replaced the headliner, it would make enough of an improvement, my wife and son would “buy” into the plan. So, I spent a solid week working on this boat, cleaning and repairing. My first hurdle was the smell and after taking out the headliner, and washing the insides, I detected some improvement. I also used “Fabreeze” and odor eliminator which helped. Within a week, I had the inside at least clean. Finally, on a Saturday evening, as we all went out to dinner at the shoreline, I decided to drive over to the yacht club with Maria and Robert. As we came upon the boat, all I could hear Maria say “why such an old boat?” Robert was enthused and excited as he roamed about exploring. Maria reluctantly climbed up on what was now my father’s extension ladder and went inside. She didn’t say much but I could tell, she was not impressed. The smell, the smell I knew would be a deal breaker. It was getting dark so after about an hour of poking around, we closed it up and headed home. As we entered Interstate 95, I asked Maria what she thought…and soon she began to cry.  I decided not to push it but I knew that from that point forward, whatever happened with this boat was going to be a struggle.

 

About a week earlier, Ed has brought over to our home in Manchester, the inside cushions and mattresses and dropped them off in our garage. Maria took one look at the design and color and was disgusted. Her comment to me was you would “burn your ass” if you sat on them! So, in reality, Maria’s opinion of the boat was a bit tainted right from the start. Furthermore, Maria didn’t feel the boat was worth the $10k I offered. Maybe in the end, she was more right that I gave her credit for. I now know that whoever bought this boat would have to be someone who loved boats, loved that brand and design and was willing to work on it. It had some good features and structurally, was sound. It had a good foundation but not much else. The price was to become an ongoing issue with my wife but I stuck to the deal. I doubt Ed would have ever gotten anywhere near his asking price of $15,000 and 10 grand was probably the right price although $5,000 would have been better. In the end, $5-7K was probably what it was worth in terms of market value in the condition it was in especially after I discovered all the other repairs were needed. It would not be the first or last boast that was purchased that the new owners were required to invest additional money to make it seaworthy.

 

All week long I agonized over the decision. Then, Maria made a statement that would turn things around and allowed this project to move ahead. She simply said, if I would let her take charge of refurbishing the inside cushions, she would give it a try. There was just no way she was going to sit or sleep on those original cushions. When I smelt them, I knew the reason why so I agreed and she began searching for people to make the cushions. That was the turning point and from that day on, I became immersed in what was to turn into a three-year complete refit. It was nice to have my wife, even as a reluctant partner and towards the end, she really did a mountain of difficult and dirty work that made the boat as good as it is today. I could not have done it without her!

 

I made up a list of near term improvements that needed to be done before the boat could be launched. That included new port lights to fix the leaks, headliner, new teak panels along the windows, the installation of a freshwater head and waste holding tank and the cushions. I also knew it was going to need some cleaning and painting inside. I also began searching the Internet for Columbia’s and discovered an owners association. These fellows provided me with a lot of tips and advice and I began the refit. Soon, it was coming together. Ed came down one weekend and we got the engine started.  Ed had a system he used each year. After changing the oil and filters, he would attach a long hose to the sea water pump and insert a funnel to the end. Fresh water was poured into the hose and a large bucket of fresh water was along side the engine.  The diesel pre-heater switch was held on for about 20 seconds and the engine cranked. After a few revolutions, the engine started with a belch of black smoke. Ed place the hose in the bucket of water and the engine continued to run. At least that was a good sign. It was dingy and dirty but it ran! After working on the inside, I decided to see what a buffer and some 3M Gloss Gelcoat Restorer would do to the hull. I was pleasantly surprised. You see, back around 1987 there was a hurricane and the boat was damaged. The insurance company paid for repairs and the hull was re-gel coated and they did a good job. So, when I hit the gel coat with the buffing wheel, the gloss leaped back into focus. By the time I finished polishing and waxing the hull, the sides looked like a new boat. Yes, there were a lot of scratches and some gel coat damage towards the stern but it was repairable and those were added to the ongoing list of repairs and improvements.

 

It was now April and boating season usually starts around the end of May close to Memorial Day. I knew with the list of work to be accomplished, I would not be in the water by the holiday but probably closer to mid-June. That became my target date. I stated my refit list and recorded everything I discovered that needed attention. Some items I knew would be deferred while others were mandatory and would have to be done in order to launch. I divided the list into distinct areas; engine, outside hull, deck, salon, etc. figuring I would break up the tasks so I was not spend all my time in one area and become bored or disenchanted. I knew this was going to be a long process and the fear of becoming discouraged was in my mind. Since the inside of the boat was in need of considerable work, both upgrading as well as cosmetic, this is where I devoted considerable time. While the idea was to get in the water as quickly as possible, I knew that some of the cosmetic work would be temporary and re-done over the following winter. Most of the interior damage was caused by water leans around deck fittings and the port lights. Columbia’s used a unique process to install port lights that over time, were susceptible to leaking as they were glued to the hull and were non-functional. These water leaks damaged the inside trim, teak work and most important, the headliner. Since the headliner is what you see the most, I began by ripping that out completely.

 

It was a dreadfully dirty job and in short order I was filthy. The industrial grade vacuum I had was placed in service to keep the insides as clean as possible from all the debris. Once the old material was removed, I used the vacuum to clean off the exposed fiberglass following up with rags soaked in alcohol. Eventually I was able to prepare the surface to accept the new headliner material using spray adhesive. Defender in Waterford supplied all the materials and I elected to replace the headliner in sections beginning with the v-berth. The new headliner was vinyl on a foam backing making it about 3/16 inch thick. That also required removing much of the wood trim which I labeled after removing each piece. Starting in the bow, I replaced each section moving aft. It took about two days but when it was finished, it looked a site better that before. The main center section in the salon was actually cut wrong so I knew I would be replacing that section again after it was hauled for the season.

 

Another big job was replacing the port lights. I did quite a bit of research and It was recommended by a Doctor in Georgia to use 3/8’ thick smoked Lexan. I had intended to use that but when it came down to availability, I ended up with clear plexiglass.

 

 My first attempt was not very successful. Once I removed the old windows, I could now see the extent of water damage to the supporting structure. Basically, much of it was rotten requiring me to scrape out the old, wet pulpy wood. What I should have done is ripped out ALL the wood and started from scratch but as they say, you always have the time to do the job correctly, the second time around! In the end, I replaced sections with new scrap wood and hoped that an abundant application of silicone caulk would give me the seal I needed. As it would turn out, it did not seal that well and I was plagued with continued leaks all season until I hauled it for the winter. During the second refit, I ended up replacing all the wood with new and was able to get a perfect seal (along with 3/8 Lexan windows!

 

With the replacement windows in, I could now seal up the boat against the weather. By now I was spending every weekend on the boat, sleeping on an air mattress amongst a littered field of paint cans, tools, rags and boat parts. I had taken some time off from work; a day here and there and then finally a full week where I devoted seven full days to nothing but the boat.I decided since I was installing an electric fresh water head, I would remove all the old toilet stuff and prepare the forward area to accept a sanitary holding tank. This was easier said than done. Just getting the old sanitary hoses out was a backbreaking task. The tank was special ordered but I knew exactly where it would be placed. Soon, the new head was in place and the electronic control switch mount was fabricated and installed. To support the head, I needed to add a pressurized water system. That required a pump and assorted hoses running the length of the boat. It also required to run a 25 amp power cable and breaker from the main power buss all the way to the head up forward. Installing that cable was another chore and the only good news was the use of an old shorepower cable as the proper sized cabling to power the head which saved me money!. Since I was adding pressure water, I needed to buy both a galley and head sink faucets. They were very tight spaces in which to work but over a few days, they were finally installed. By this time, the new sanitary holding tank arrived and that was installed without too much trouble. Since the head and tank were on the port side, I needed to install a clean out deck fitting requiring me to drill a 2.5 inch hole through the deck near the splash rail. While I was doing that, I cleaned the wet locker in the head area and repainted the inside hull with new white paint. By the time the holding tank and lines were installed, the head compartment was looking much better. The electric head and holding tank represented a sizable investment so now that they were installed, there was no going back on the project! I was getting tired.

 

Removing the wood trim from the insides gave me some insight as to what might be  lurking behind covered sections. First, it exposed the bottom side of deck finning revealing a lot of corrosion related to their backing plates for the deck stanchions supporting the lifelines. The other discovery was the poor condition of the inside vinyl hull coverings. They did clean up OK but the back sides were in poor condition, primarily mold that was probably causing most of my odor issues. Sections of the coverings had become separated from the hull so I cleaned and re-glued as best I could and made a note to replace all the hull covering and re-bed the stanchions during the next refit. That refit, which was done in 2012 required me to have the boat transported over land to our home in Manchester where it sat on poppits alongside our garage until spring. More on that re-fit later.

 

The inside cushions and beds was another big job, not so much in terms of labor but expense. Maria did some research and found a marine seamstress in Coventry Connecticut. By taking the old coverings off , they were able to make patterns and construct new coverings out of Sunbrella fabric. We picked royal blue and red as our color scheme and by early summer, the cushions were finished, long after the boat was launched. The cockpit cushions were another challenge and it took almost a year for them to be finished.

 

 

Once installed, they were susceptible to dampness and as we have just discovered, they were made with the incorrect foam. New foam will be cut in 2014.

 

 

Buy now we have much of the inside work complete. My very close friend Mike, helped me cut two new teak panels that would cover the insides of the port lights. Just before installing  the wood, we ran cable and installed a number of new LED interior lamps replace the 35 year old fixtures. The costs of the refit are climbing because nothing for a boat is cheap.

 

We’re now just a few weeks away and nothing has been done outside. The hull need to be sanded and the bottom paint applied. I tested the hull gelcoat and found it restorable so the next project was to install staging and begin buffing the topsides. This work was rewarding because as we applied the gloss restorer, I was rewarded with a pristine finish, almost like new. The is was more like it! It took me two days but both sides of the hull were polished and waxed. It looked good. I also discovered that there were a few digs and deep scratches in the gel coat so I researched how to do gelcoat repair. Being an old fiberglass and epoxy guy, it was not too difficult. In the end, I was able to repair many of the scratches and damages done by the hull rubbing up on a piling at some point. I strapped on a mask and hooked up the vacuum cleaner to a new Milwaukee orbital sander and went to work on the bottom. Within a few hours, I had sanded off a good portion of some 30 years of bottom paint! The next day, I masked the water line and applied the antifouling finish. We are now just a week away from launch!

 

Launch Day. It’s now the end of June but we are ready, finally. The lift takes the boat off the poppets and I’m allowed time to bottom paint where I could not reach. The crew breaks for lunch and Ed and I are busy. We haul the mast off the storage rack and install the antenna and apparent wind indicator. We flemish down all the shrouds and halyards and are now ready to step the mast once the boat is placed in the launch bay. New Applied Glass Matt batteries are installed and the diesel is  tested one final time. The crew returns and things happen fast; the boat is lifted and begins it’s journey to the launch bay. One in position, the crane is fired up and the mast lifted in position. Ed and I are scurrying around the deck hooking up clevis and adjusting the shrouds. A final adjustment is made to the backstay and we are lowered to the water. I go below and fire up the diesel. It started and begins to warm up. It stalls. I restart it and it seems to run fine. We check for leaks and finding none, are lowered into the water and we slip the marine lift. We back the boat astern to the wash down dock where we tie up. After looking things over, we install the mainsail followed by the Jenny. Robert is a big help with these chores and he is an excited and interested party. More gear is hauled aboard. Its exciting for me!  My first sailboat and it’s in the water! All the months of hard work and long hours are paying off. The boat looks good; still needs more work but overall, acceptable. We take it out for a short shakedown but the visibility is less than ¼ mile. We are in fog and decided to head back in. Using my GPS previously installed, I’m able to track back and get safely to the slip. We back the boat in and secure the lines. Although I’m normally on a mooring, we are allowed three days in a slip to be sure we have no problems.

 

The following weekend, we are back on the boat but out on the mooring. Ed is with me and we decide to bring the boat over to the washdown dock at tie up there. As we are warming up the engine, it stalls again just like the day we launched. Curious, because diesels don’t usually act that way and it’s the second time it has stalled. We move it over to the washdown dock and and add a few more items from the car. We prepare to take it out for a sail so in a few minutes, we are motoring down the fairwater, a narrow channel separating UConn Avery Point facility from Shennecossett. Suddenly, the motor stalls again. This time, it won’t start. We are drifting towards rocks and I yell to Ed to drop the anchor. Ed is looking to unfurl the jib and sail!. In the meantime, I hit the preheater switch and try to start the diesel. It starts and slowly come up to speed. Saved! The motor gives us no further trouble but it bothers me. The following day I came down and pull the fuel filters. They are full of water! How that engine ever ran under those conditions was beyond me!  I replaced the filters, bled the system and it seemed back to normal. I added some diesel water displacement chemical to the fuel tank hoping that would dissipate the accumulated water that might be in the tank.

 

I have to mention the next few trips to the boat because both were events that required additional resources from me and served as an introduction to the perils of sailing. Ed and I were out for another combination shakedown cruise and training session. Ed was insistent he would teach me what I needed to know to safely handle Drakkar. We spent a nice afternoon sailing and were heading back to Pine Island channel. I had noticed a number of lobster pots in the area and upon returning, I must have gotten too close to one because all of a sudden, the motor stops. I put in in neutral and restart the engine. Place it in gear and it slows almost to a stall. I decide to use reverse and add power. Soon, we are free and I figured we must have hit a lobster pot. We put the boat back on the mooring and went on home. The following weekend, my sister in law and her husband Jack came down for a visit and we went for a sail. The boat performed well but seemed sluggish when under power. I discussed it with Ed and we figured maybe the prop was still fouled. The next weekend, we took the dinghy to the boat but this time, I hand my mask and snorkel. I put of a life preserver and Ed tied a rope around my waist. Over the side I go and swim down the the shaft. Sure enough, even in the gloom of the harbor water, I could see lines wrapped around the prop and shaft resembling the symbol for Atomic Power! It a tough job but aided with a sharp fishing knife, I’m able to cut away the fouled lines and free the prop. I would learn to do that trick a few more times over the next couple seasons, Lobster pots were fast becoming my nemesis.

 

Throughout the remaining summer days, I learn how to handle Drakkar; sailing it around Fishers Island Sound. One of our favorite places is Watch Hill, Rhode Island and it's only about a 3 hour sail from our yacht club. Eventually we make a couple trips to Block Island, “Mecca” for local sailboats (as well as powerboats!) All this time I’m learning about the boat and making notes of improvements that will be made after the fall haul-out. Soon September arrives and I’m looking forward to some fall sailing. Right after Labor Day I’m down on the boat doing some odds and ends and I happened to check the bilge and normally you can see the bottom. This time there is water in the bilge and it’s black. Touching it with my finger reveal a coating of motor oil on the surface. I pull the engine dipstick and no oil shows! What has happened is a leaking sea water pump has dripped corrosive salt water that has run down alongside the oil dipstick. That corroded the pipe and now crankcase oil is leaking in the bilge, Placing my hand on the lower dipstick tube confirms my worst fears. So much for the fall sailing because in order to repair this, I really need to pull the engine. We make a temporary patch and place it over the leak which provides us enough engine running time to come off the mooring and into a slip. A few days later the boat is hauled.

 

Prior to hauling, I was debating how I was going to accomplish the second refit. Traveling from Manchester to Groton takes up a lot of valuable time. I researched marine haulers and eventually found a company willing to transport the Drakkar from Groton to Manchester for a reasonable fee. Early in October, we hauled the boat and placed in on this incredible hydraulic trailer. A few hours later, the sailboat was alongside my garage at home ready to be taken apart. Having the boat at home gave me access to my compressed air, heated garage and all my tools. Plus, it gave me the time to work on the growing list of refit items without adding 3 hours of travel time each day we drove to Groton. I would need that time because the refit list was longer than I expected. Strange how that always seems to happen.

 

 

 

This second refit is actually more of a complete overhaul. We literally stripped out the insides, cleaning the inside of the hull and replacing all the vinyl hull coverings (think vinyl wallpaper in your house). We also replaced much of the headliner again, not because of dirt or wear but because I was able to do a better job fitting and cutting the second time around. I also had a couple of extra pairs of hands with my son and my wife to help position the material before setting the contact adhesive. One task that was very time consuming was the replacement of the corroded dip stick tube. A relatively simple chore took hours to complete! The tube is made from stainless  steel and was bent to a shape that was not the same as the original. It required countless trips up and down the ladder to heat and bend ever so slightly, curves in the tube allowing it to fit. This is typical of an overhaul of an older boat; everything takes longer than originally planned. Another Improvement was the fabrication of beadboard painted with Bright Sides marine white to serve as headliner above the two settee/beds. This idea is much more attractive that using the foam headliner material and allows a mounting surface for strips of LED’s to span the length of the seats. I further invested in all new cabin light fixtures for a couple reasons; first, because they we old and dated. Second, they were replaced with the newer LED technology that draws much less current from the batterience that the original incandescent bulbs. The bilges were cleaned and repainted, bilge pumps replaced and a new automatic water level switch was installed. The boat is equipped with an aluminum 33 gallon water tank which leaked. I removed the tank and discovered a crack in the seam running lengthwise. A trip to a local Marine fabricator in Manchester resulted in the construction of an entirely new tank that was more effective than trying to repair the old, corroded tank. Besides, we will need to drink this water!


Because the boat is resting on poppits alongside my garage, I can reach it with compressed air. That allowed me to use my DA sander to finish the gelcoat repairs where the hull was scratched. I also sanded off the bottom finish to the layer just above the gel coat. New bottom paint was applied and the hull waxed. Topsides required complete sanding and masking of the antiskid sections. We chose a light gray color over the original tan. Prior to refinishing the deck, we removed all the deck stanchions for cleaning and re-bedding. The deck was sanded and refinished with Interlux “Perfection” gloss epoxy paint. Except for a couple of “holidays” I was pleased with the finish and it appears as smooth and shiny as the original gelcoat. Writing about all of this work is simple and the words move right along but the actual labor of doing the job took much longer.  I was thinking that having the boat at home would allow me plenty of time to get everything done because I could grab an hour here and there to get small tasks completed. It was not long before April was upon us and I had 30 days to wrap things up. In the process of doing the insides, I had removed all the teak trim. In previous years we had cleaned the teak and treated it with lemon oil. For the refit, we stripped and cleaned each piece of teak and applied two coats of Sikkens Cetol, a teak varnish. This allows for much easier maintenance especially below decks were dampness collects and causes the wood to mildew. A trip to the local speciality wood shop allows me to fabricate a new teak transom trim section. They cut it out of a 2 inch thick solid teak board.The large piece of leftover wood was sufficient to produce 5 new boarding ladder steps.

 

One of the major leaks we had discovered last year came from the forward hatch. This is an important accessory as it provides the necessary ventilation through the boat, especially while at anchor. The hatch is old and the glass was leaking. You could easily see it had been caulked many times in its life. During the refit I removed the hatch for inspection. My son wanted me to just buy a new one but they were expensive and it would be impossible to find one that matched the screw holes. I ended up sending it out to be sand blasted and powder coated. I also replaced the glass with smoked Lexan to match the port lights. Today it looks better than new!

 

 

Again, the biggest woodworking task was the second replacement of the portlights. This time I removed all the old wood substructure and traced out a pattern to cut section of ¼ inch marine plywood that was glued to the hull, On top of this we applied a slurry of polyester resin and filler to make a paste to fill the gaps between the portlight frames and the wood backer board. Using an auto body flat air sander, I was able to create a super smooth surface in which to glue and screw down  the six ⅜ inch thick smoked Lexan port lights.

 

This came out perfect and after two full seasons now, not a leak in sight! I have to thank James Baldwin, author of “Across Islands and Oceans” for the tips on doing the port lights. James is an incredible craftsman and restored an almost identical Columbia 8.7 for Dr. Daniel Grant of Georgia. Dr. Grant gave me a lot of tips for restoring the 8.7 and James did the actual work. For an interesting read about cruising and circumnavigation, read James’s book! It inspiring!

 

Pieces of cleaned teak

During this refit we did experience an event that I would call a tragedy because someone (my son, Robert)was hurt. It was an accident but I should have known better and had taken the necessary precautions in advance. Robert and I were working on the deck still under the blue plastic tarps covering the boat Robert was scraping old caulking from beneath the forward hatch. At first he was using a paint scraper but was having difficulty. He asked for something a little better and I handed him a scraper handle that had a razor blade on the opposite end. In hindsight, I should have reminded Robert to always scrape away from himself but I failed to do that. In a few minutes I heard a scream and I went to Robert. There was blood all over the deck and he was hold his knee. I knew immediately what had happened. I got him off the boat and took him to the emergency room after applying a compress bandage to his knee. About 10 stitches later, Robert was back in one piece but I will never forgive myself. He was a real sport about it but the image of him getting cut haunts me to this day.

 

 

It’s May and the project is nearing completion. I call Noank Marine Transport and arrange to have the hauler transport the boat back to the Shennecossett Yacht Club. when the boat was hauled last fall, the dockmaster Chris had grabbed the prop shaft and advised I ought to replace the cutless bearing. I said “sure” and made a mental note to do just that. As the entire project was nearing completion and the season was upon us, I examined the rudder and tried to figure out how to replace the “cutless” bearing. It was clear, the rudder needed to be dropped and that would entail considerable effort. I grabbed the prop and moved it thinking “it’s not too bad” and decided to forgo the cutless bearing replacement. You see, I was tired and had already accomplish more that two guys could have done in a year! The thought of dismantling the rudder and pulling the shaft was just more than I could take after all the work that we had accomplished. That would be a decision I would regret later as the season progressed.

 

 

The pictures above are Noank Marine Transport with their hydraulic trailer preparing to load the now completed “Drakkar” for it’s trip back to the Yacht Club fifty miles south of us. My neighbors were probably very happy to see this boat and its bright blue tarps disappear from our yard!

 

Noank Maribe arrives and a few hours later, Drakkar “ is sailing down Route 2 on the way to Groton!

 

The season is off to a good start. The boat looks good and with all the new components and hard work, what can go wrong? One day I come down to the boat and happen to check the bilge. Uh oh, it has oil in it again! Did the dipstick start leaking again?  I pump the bilges and clean the area. Using a flashlight, I find the oil pan leaking right where that salt water was dripping from the leaking raw water pump. I clean it as best I can and use the JB Weld epoxy patch as a temporary fix. In the meantime, I’m back at Old Lyme Boat Yard , the local Universal Diesel dealer ordering a new oil pan. I do a close examination of the motor mount and it appears that if I can get the screws out, The pan can come off without needing to pull the engine. I tie up the boat in a slip and on the 4th of July, I’m upside down on my back in the bilge removing the pan and drinking beer (it’s hot!). Luck was with me and all the screws save for the one corroded that was also exposed to the dripping salt water, come out easy. I get the last screw out and the pan falls off! A quick clean and a new gasket and the new pan is attached with a few bolts. An hour after starting the job and four beers, I’m finishing up! Simple! Oh, the oil pan was only $300!

 

 

One fine sunny weekend, we decide to head to Block Island and the beach. It was one of those cloudless warm summer days without any wind to speak of. I ended up motoring most of the way over. About a half mile from the entrance to New Harbor, A funny “ping” sound happens and the diesel speeds up. A broken prop shaft. Fortunately, the broken shaft occurs at the transmission flange so we are not taking on water. The rudder keeps the shaft from coming all the way out. Boat US to the rescue and we are towed from Block to the entrance of Mystic where we  are transferred to another Boat US tower who brings us all the rest of the way to Shennecossett. We’re placed in a slip and a few days later, hauled and placed on poppits.

 

I remove the broken shaft and the local prop company in Groton makes me up a new one as well as a new prop and flange. The cause; old age and a worn out cutless bearing! A thousand dollars later (cost of parts) and testimony to the old boating adage; the definition of BOAT - “Break out Another Thousand”. I’m back in the water. We spend the week sailing locally and staying overnight at Watch Hill. Life is good again.

 

 

 

 

“Drakkar” hauled and minus prop and shaft

 

The remainder of the summer is uneventful and before long, fall is upon us again. I have my winter refit list but this time it’s much shorter. I do however, want to pull the engine to inspect and possibly replace the motor mounts. Again, the dripping salt water corroded one mount and made it difficult to get a good engine alignment. Ed brings me the chain fall and within an hour, the little two cylinder diesel is out and on the deck in the salon.

 

 

Over the winter, I clean the hull in and around the engine bay and repaint everything.

 

The mounts are replaced and the engine set back down and aligned with feeler gauges. There is a 2 1/1000 inch specification on the alignment and we seem to have it. If I’m wrong, the engine is going to vibrate and possibly break the shaft again. I also install what is called a “dripless” shaft seal replacing the old “stuffing” box. There are pro’s and con’s regarding dripless seals but I figure installing one will insure my bilge stays dry and on a sailboat, a wet bilget is a contributing factor to mold and mildew. I change all the hoses on the engine as well as the raw water hoses from the seacocks. The engine is repainted and is soon back on its mounts, snug in its compartment.

 

 

 

The next project is the installation of radar. This requires some wiring and the installation of a special pole mount on the transom. I also fabricate a new radio mount arm that allows me to have both the marine radio and the radar screen in the cockpit while underway. At anchor, the equipment swings back inside the salon. The radar is a simple install and within a day I’m finished. As spring approaches, I sand and paint the bottom, wax the hull and apply a second coat of anti skid paint on the deck. I also clean the teak decking inside the salon. I do a good job on the teak cleaning followed by a full sanding. Three coats of Sikkens Cetol are applied and the salon deck looks great. As spring arrives i’m ready for launch and looking forward to a trouble free boating season. Hooray, we get that as nothing major goes wrong! We do end up getting a slip and are no longer on the mooring. That alone saves time and we get much more use out of the boat. It also improves our social standing within the club as we meet and socialize with a lot more friends. The mooring, while quiet and peaceful is isolated and lonely.

 

Sailing the”Drakkar” is enjoyable, relaxing and fairly simple. I don’t want to diminish the complexity of sailing because when you get into racing and off shore cruising things can get complicated and very fast. However, for the average person who wants to enjoy boating and sees the attraction to sail as something they would like to try, don’t be afraid by all the lines, tackle, gear and terms. Once the sails are raised and you are underway, sailing is pretty straightforward. Yes, there are lots of lines and each has a specific purpose but again, once underway you really are not fooling with them very often. Drakkar is a simple boat to sail. It has a tiller rather than a wheel and has lots of space in the cockpit to manage the lines and still allow the passengers to enjoy the scenery. The deck is roomy and while under sail, there is ample space to lie down for a suntan. Up at the bow, there is an ideal spot to sit and rest your back against the cabin top while enjoying the sail.

 

 

On Long Island Sound, we sometimes find ourselves with minimal wind and when that happens, the auxiliary diesel is pressed into service and takes over the propulsion chores. The hull speed of this design is 6.6 knots which means that is as fast as it’s going to travel regardless of wind or engine power. The Drakkar can reach close to hull speed under power which means even without wind, we can usually arrive at our destination close to the estimated time of arrival. Of course that means running the auxiliary close to or at full power, something a diesel can readily handle but I like to back it off a bit to around 80% power which will deliver about 5 knots. Fuel consumption, even  at that power setting is nominal probably in the range of ¼ per gallon, per hour.

 

Total displacement of the Drakkar is 8,500 lbs so it handles the wind with ease. Having this weight allows the boat to point pretty close to the wind and handle rougher seas with much difficulty. For me, one of the attractions to a sailboat is safety. As long as the hull is not holed, it can take a lot of punishment and with the hatches and companionway boards in position, will remain relatively dry even in rough seas. Drakkar is equipped with a mainsail and a 150% Genoa attached to a Harken furler. This means the headsail (Genoa) can be easily furled from the cockpit and if necessary, can be partially unfurled to act like a stay sail or storm jib. The Mainsail has two reefing points which means in strong winds, the main can be partially collapsed and by reducing sail, it reduces the amount of heel and allow the boat to sail easier while maintaining speed. I’ve added straps called “jack lines” that run from bow to stern on both sides. When wearing a safety harness, we clip that onto the jack lines to prevent us from falling overboard.

 

Recently, we added a new feature to Drakkar that makes raising and lowering the mainsail easier. The item is called a”Lazy Jacks”  which are really nothing more that a cradle of light nylon lines on pulleys stretching from mid mast to the end of the boom. When the mainsail is lowered, the “lazy Jacks” corrall the sail and allow it to rest in folds, on top of the boom rather than falling off the side onto the deck. For those of us that “single hand” the addition of “Lazy Jacks” makes sailing by yourself a little easier.

 

Below decks is roomy and comfortable even for four people. The bow contains a v-berth that will permit two adults sleeping accommodations. Below the bunks are storage areas as well as providing space for the sanitary holding tank. Just aft of the v-berth on the port side is the head. The compartment is equipped with a sink and toilet. It also had storage built into the hull side and additional storage under the sink. The floor of the head is fiberglass and serves as a shower. Warm water for showering is supplied by a solar bag hung from the mast and the shower head and plastic hose is routed to the head via the forward hatch. Opposite the head on the starboard side is a hanging locker and a set of storage drawers. Next is the main salon. The portside is equipped with a settee which opens up into a bed. There is also shelving against the hull for food, clothing, books, etc. Mounted on the saloon bulkhead is a table that has a drop leave which will open up into a large table suitable for 4-5 people. With the drop leave open, that table can remained in place while underway or, if desired, stored away into the bulkhead. The starboard side has storage along the hull and is also equipped with a settee that opens up into a bed. Just aft of the port bunk is a combination navigation station and quarter berth with space for a 5th person to sleep. This spaced is usually used to store bags and clothing. Opposite the quarter berth on the starboard side is the galley complete with ice box, sink, trash bin and alcohol stove. There are also cabinets and drawers to store food and small items. Beneath each bed is more storage. Removing the stairs heading into the salon from the cockpit exposes the auxilliary engine, bilge pump, batteries and electrical panels. There is ample headroom even for a six footer like myself.

 

My favorite spot is the cockpit. In the early morning as the sun begins to rise I make myself a cup of coffee and proceed to the cockpit to enjoy the brew while taking in the local scenery. There is nothing like it; peaceful, quiet and serene. It’s like watching the new day being born. It’s a spot you can stretch out in  and just relax. While anchored at New Harbor in Block Island, boaters are awakened in the morning by the call of the “Bakery Boat. This third generation private enterprise is a fixture among local boaters calling out their presence and offering up their delicious products. They offer hot coffee, assorted pastries and even hot breakfast sandwiches. When the wife isn’t looking, I generally will order a couple of sweet, sticky cheese danish pastries  to have with my morning coffee. When the weather is a bit iffy, we have what is called an inflatable “Boom” tent That stretches from the companion way all the way aft covering the entire cockpit. This is deployed while anchored and provides protection from the sun as well as any rain. It’s a bit of a project to erect but once up, adds significant utility to the boat. Besides, most people prefer to be topside especially in the daytime and being in New England, you are always keeping a watchful eye out for any changes in the  weather.

 

Transportation to the shore while at anchor is handled by our trusty inflatable dinghy. It’s roughly 10 feet long powered by a 6 HP Evinrude outboard. We generally tow the dinghy behind us until we reach our spot for anchoring where it’s just pulled alongside the hull. One of our ever present passengers is “Rex the Dog” and he is well schooled in the art of jumping into the dinging for his evening trip to the beach to do his “business”. We’d be lost without the dingy!

 

 

Early Sailing Destinations

 

If you hang around boaters long enough, you pick up the lingo and understand what boaters do to enjoy their hobby. You also learn which people actually use their boats for what they were intended and those who use them more like a cottage at the shore and hardly ever leave the dock. In all fairness to my powerboat friends, boating is expensive. In addition to maintenance and slip fees, there are the ever increasing and sometimes prohibitive fuel costs. That is where the sailboat stands apart because the cost of operating a sailboat is minimal once the fixed costs are absorbed. Such is not the case for a powerboat unless their trips are of a short distance which frequently, they are. On a good day, marine diesel is around $4.75 per gallon. A 40 foot powerboat at cruise will burn in the vicinity of 30 gallons per hour or more. Doing the math, an hours running time is close to $150. A typical round trip to Block is roughly 3 hours or $450 plus mooring fees and the additional fuel for running the diesel generator. A trip to Montauk is roughly the same, maybe a bit less. With these kinds of expenses, many of the power boats when they do leave the dock, usually head to one location and sit for the weekend. On a sailboat all we need is time. Fuel is almost a non-issue for us so when we accompanied a few boats from the yacht club on a trip to Montauk, the idea was to hang out and enjoy the location. The trip out was uneventful until passing Race Rock light. Unlike a powerboat, sailing requires the skipper to watch the currents and the tides. Bucking a 4 knot tidal current with a boat that makes 6 knots is going to take some time (and patience!) The power boats had all gone ahead and things were OK on the Drakkar until I observed another sailboat passing us on the port side. Hmmm, I know I don’t have the fastest sailboat but this fellow is moving right along compared to us. I wonder? Yep, sure enough, I must have caught another lobster pot as a line was dragging astern. Climbing down the ladder with knife in hand remedies that problem and Drakkar leaps ahead, now free of some 100 lbs of drag. We pass Race Rock and set our course for Montauk. A couple hours later we see the southern tip of Long Island appear and it looks like we are a bit north of where we needed to be. Changing course to the west present a problem. The wind is out of the west as it had just shifted and the currents were now on a westerly course because we left close to the tide change. Now Drakkar is not only beating windward, but bucking the currents as well. It tooks us nearly two hours to close the distance and position ourselves at the Montauk Harbor entrance. We have now been sailing some 6 hours, the last few a bit stressful. Once inside the breakwater, we drop the sails and rely solely upon the diesel. A call on the radio locates our friends and about an hour later, we are approaching their anchorage, intending to raft up along side my friend’s 44 foot Express Cruiser. However, the wind is causing some difficulties and Mike has needed to reset his anchor a couple times. He asks that I anchor for the time being until they were certain their raft was secure and not dragging. We drop anchor and relax while Robert heads off on the dinghy to socialize. Eventually we raft up and spend the afternoon and the next day at Montauk. The rest of the boats were planning on staying 3 days but Robert and I were getting bored. We elect to bid our goodbyes and head off towards Watch Hill. The sail is delightful and the weather is cooperating.  Five hours later finds us motoring up the Watch Hill channel where we find  a good spot to anchor. Robert heads off to the beach on the dinghy while I relax with a glass of wine in the cockpit. A few hours later, Robert returns and we prepare a nice dinner using the outside grille. It's a pleasant evening at Watch Hill and I’m relaxed. Robert hooks up the portable  Yamaha 2000 watt generator and we have power to run the TV and his Playstation PS3. He’s happy!

 

 

The following morning I have my traditional coffee in the cockpit (there is no pastry boat here!) and when Robert finally awakens, we take the dinghy into Watch Hill, tie up at the dinghy dock and head off to a local restaurant for breakfast. It’s a nice day and I’m glad to be off on our own. After a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs we head back to the boat. I clean up the loose gear and prepare to get underway while Robert makes another trip to the beach. A few hours later, we weigh anchor and head out the channel towards our home port. The wind is almost perfect and a couple hours of sailing finds us back at Shennecossett. We actually beat the Montauk boats back!

 

 

A couple of weekends further into the season, Maria and I decide to take about 5 days off and head over to Block Island. Robert is still in Poland on his summer excursion so we have a few days to ourselves. The weather cooperates and we leave Shenny on the tide figuring about a 4 hours sail to Block. we go our past Fishers Island Sound and through the Watch Hill passage. I set the course for Block and sit back to enjoy the sail. The wind is close to our intended course so I’m able to make the trip with the need for tacking. We arrive at the entrance to New Harbor about on schedule and we drop the sails to motor in the channel. we are prepared to anchor but are hopeful we will find space on the Shenny Club mooring. Luck is with us and two boats are tied up to the mooring leaving room for us. We raft up on the port side of a beautiful 40 foot Island Packet. This is a solid yacht with two masts and set up for long distance cruising and living aboard. We meet the owners and after a few adjustments with our lines we are secured. Maria and I spend some time relaxing on the boat and I take Rex ashore to do his business. Being on the club mooring, we are very close to Champlins docks and a local beach is adjacent to their location, an ideal place to bring Rex. We have dinner aboard and planned on heading to the beach the following day. However, as luck would have it, the weather changed the the next day arrived with rain and overcast skies. It remained that way most of the afternoon so we busied ourselves doing on jobs around the boat. Throughout the day, we listed to the weather as the forecast was mixed for the following day. Of particular interest were the winds and wave heights as I didn't want to be caught in high seas and heavy winds. Maria is a big help but should anything go wrong, I could depend on Robert to understand what needed to be done. The next morning around 10 am we decided to slip the mooring and head back to Groton The Island Packet was doing the same so we both left about the same time. Actually the wind and seas were not too bad. The trip actually took a bit longer than usual due to the route we chose, governed by the direction of the wind. Once reaching Watch Hill, we were faced with westerly winds making headway through Fishers Island sound much slower. We arrived back at the club around 5 pm with ample time to clean and secure the boat.

 

 

One of the chief advantages of sailing in New england and in particular, Long Island Sound are the vast number of interesting harbors, attractions and destination one can sail to. There are islands, coves; large and small marinas and quaint villages like Mystic and Stonington than can be main tourist attractions but to boaters, they are like home. Boaters are a friendly lot and it’s easy to meet and make new friends as we all share common interests. One particular location that I was made aware some time ago but never visited  is called Flat Hammock.

 

I had never been there but friend had told me about it as an ideal place to go, anchor and take the dinghy to shore. It is a flat barren little island with a few scrub brush and of all things, tomato plants! One afternoon by sister in law and her family were down for a visit so we decided to have a picnic on Flat Hammock. It’s only about an hour’s sail from the club and before long, Robert and his cousins were ashore building a fire. The kids had fun and Maria and her sister enjoyed sitting on the beach. I decided to remain aboard and perform a little maintenance on Drakkar. A few weeks later, we made the same trip with our friends Mike and Yvonne. On that trip we all brought food and cooked on the beach with a driftwood fire. It was a great day and as it turned out, was the last sail of the season. A truly enjoyable spot; too bad it took me so long to “discover” it!

 

The season is coming to a close and it will not be long before the boat is hauled and shrink wrapped for the winter. I have my re-fit list and most of the work this winter will be cosmetic and inside. I have a new cabinet to build to accommodate the new alcohol stove top we temporarily installed earlier this summer. The boat was equipped with a pressure alcohol stove and oven and while it worked, I was not a fan of pressure alcohol; you can’t always see the flame and sometimes they shot up higher than expected and could under the right conditions, start a fire.  The good news: alcohol fires are extinguished with water but why risk a fire in the first place? All we needed was a stovetop as we never needed the oven. My intent is to build a new cabinet out of marine teak and construct a new counter top for the galley. A little teak refinish work in the galley should just about do it for construction work aside from a few minor items.

 



“Drakkar” all bedded down for the winter.

 

© Joe 2014