s/v Perry: Yes, I realize there are real problems in the world

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Yes, I realize there are real problems in the world

Big kauri tree

So this month we find ourselves "On the Hard." That's boater speak for having the boat pulled out of the water and placed in a boat yard. No matter how nice a boat yard, being on the hard is always a wee bit soul crushing for us. There is always a long list of work to do: known projects, known unknown projects and worst of all, the dreaded unknown unknown projects. All of these result in the bleeding of copious amounts of money. Couple that with having to get up early (unless you can sleep through grinding and welding just out your window) and having to walk to the bathrooms 200 meters away, and you can start to understand that being on the hard just plain blows.

River Skate Park

We are finishing up the removal of bottom paint and gel coat. We should stop with the internet research on blistering. It's as bad as researching medical symptoms online at making ourselves crazy.

Perry with a naked (almost) bottom

We'll take an abbreviated road trip while we wait for the hull to be fully and completely dry. Mark and Conrad are champing at the bit to try out the tent they got for Christmas, which they think will give them relief from Matt's snoring. I think they underestimate the power of their dad's nasal passages and overestimate the insulating capabilities of a few layers of nylon.

When we get back, we'll work on a couple of fiberglass repairs and have the bottom filled and faired before heading off to the Chicago area for a visit. We're excited to see our family and friends. Not so excited that we'll be back just as the primaries are in full swing and will undoubtedly be inundated with political ads. Much as you can build (and/or lose) a tolerance to alcohol, we have certainly lost our tolerance to the nastiness that is American politics these days. Might need to build up that alcohol tolerance to cope...