Oct 29, 2019
So I’ve been sick for the past two weeks. Here’s a quick run down of the struggles we’ve faced at the boat yard, and the immense gratitude we have for the folks we’ve met here:
After waiting out a pelting rainstorm, we got to work on the boat – scraping barnacles off the hull and sail drives, and dropping a propeller so we could replace a loose bearing.
Then we started removing some plywood the previous owner had glued to the front of the boat. The paint failed to keep it waterproof and since it wasn’t marine-grade the wood soaked through, smelling rotten.
Then we realized what exactly that plywood was hiding, and it was horrifying.
A massive crack in the fiberglass hull, hastily repaired, had cracked yet again. We started digging deeper. That’s rotted wood core (black) and some spray foam (white-ish) on the right.
Our boat’s bridge deck was rotten to the core.
We were going to have to cut it out. We weren’t sure how much of the bridge deck core had rotted, perhaps all of it. Overwhelmed, we stood there mouths agape and heads shaking.
Folks working on boats nearby stopped to offer us encouragement, tools, face masks, and words of wisdom. “It’s only fiberglass – you can fix it.”
A professional surveyor took a break from the boat he was paid to inspect to take a look at our hot mess. He even whipped out his hammer and water meter, and informed us that while the bridge deck was compromised, at least our two hulls remained sound.
And so, after processing the immense task now set before us and consulting with boatyard staff, Eric started hacking away the bottom of our boat.
We were discouraged, overwhelmed, and unsure of the future of SV Wild. I was still out of commission with sickness, but I tried to contribute to the boat work as best I could – by boosting morale with good food. Here are three of my favorites!
So we’ve been adjusting to life at the boat yard and making the best of it. I’m so grateful for the friendly and knowledgeable staff that work here, as well as the boat owners who have been incredibly supportive.
I’ve heard the advice that sometimes you have to tear something apart to put it back together again. I’m not sure they meant it literally – so it goes. Eric’s perseverance will get us back in the water as he continues to make progress every day. Wish us luck!
I’ve posted two blogs today to make up for being sick these past couple of weeks – here’s a link to the back-dated blog Just a Tiny Drip
Ripples and Leaves 