click thumbnail for a 1500 pixel wide print image

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

Dawn brought clear skies and light SW wind and a deck temperature of – 0.7C. They are calling for a 30% chance of snow showers due to lake effect. Looking south past Morris on Point the sunlight glints off the rolling cotton clouds that form the leading edge of the front. Rapidly they slide across the horizon drawing a dark veil across the light blue.

I registered to take a course in advanced welding starting now which makes the quiet time worthwhile while finding out where I stand accreditation wise once and for all. If I can do my own pressure welding it makes Defiance work much easier, and with a ticket it is another skill in the cap.

Rufus has been spending a lot more time on board with the wet weather but still finds enough on his patrols of the marina to tire him out. The day arrived with a brilliant sunbathing or port in a warm glow. Rufus is in cat heaven and hanging around home quite a bit and showing every indication he likes this life.

Monday, January 8, 2007 19:40 EST

Defiance is shaking with the gusts and it is turning quite cold and nasty, blowing like snot at Waupoos tonight. Wind whipped whitecaps march out of Smiths Bay leaving a shadow of brown silt from the shore. Weather called for 30K NW sustained and it is no where near that velocity yet although the barometer is still dropping. But Whiff Bang the Espar is on and Defiance is making its own climate. This is truly the difference between living on a production boat and this. Now 6500 BTU of passive oil heat and Defiance are living very cheap.

The aft deck arrangement far better than the over building of last winter. It still feels like you are on a boat and are a part of the waterscape where the cabin of last year was to enclosed however warm.

I have started the interior upgrades and nice finish section of the Defiance project. After several years of searching I found the distributor of a Vetus type industrial rubber non skid flooring. This is HIGH END stuff, just look up Vetus decking and cry. But it is easy to work with and once it sets in a bed of epoxy it will be there for ever. Not only that but it cleans up easy, is relaxing to stand on and is commercial fire retardant rated.

I will do the aft cabin floors with this same material and cut out the hatches.

Wednesday 15:37 EST January 4, 2007

January 6, 2007

The fog has been rolling in for several days now with the rain cloaking both sunrise and sunset with a damp mantle. However temperatures are far above normal and the mists only last for a while and the sun burns it away revealing an amazing January.

My shoulder has blown out twice since August and this last time with no provocation this time I cannot ignore the warning as my body just quits. Too bad it was good money but it is time for me to put the grinder down.

I have my own beautiful strong mooring, and am seriously considering living 100% without a dock next summer. It is not just the dockage costs it is the energy costs that a live aboard is begining to feel. There can be no plugging in numerous electric heaters. I am even thinking of changing the wood stove for a 6,500 BTU diesel heater that would keep things at a maintainence heat level without electric draw, and burning far less than the 45,000 BTU Espar. I already shut pretty much everything down when I leave so the boat is quite cool, but then again Rufus prefers it that way. Once I come home and fire the Espar it is back to 22° within five to ten minutes no matter how cold it is outside. I also found the correct rubber flooring for Defiance’s helm (like Vetus) at a good price and will buy it on my next Kingston visit.