Maggie B in for a refit

The Schooner Maggie B is in for refit. These last few days have had all of us busy in stripping the boat for the yard. Hard, heavy work, and also hard emotionally. Today the masts come out and she will look even more of a hard case. It is strange to be down-rigging as the Bluenose II and the Picton Castle are bending on their sails, getting ready for sea.

Below is the provisional list of what needs checking and fixing after two years at sea and 38,400 NM. Really not too long a list. The plan is to have her ready by 1 August to use the last part of the season for cruising in Maine and Atlantic Canada. There will be some surprises as we take her apart, but hopefully nothing serious.

Hannah and Curtis have a fairly quick turn around to sail on another Covey Island boat, leaving June 7th for the Med. They’ll hardly have time to get dirt in between their toes!

I drive down tomorrow to Rockland, Maine in a small truck to deliver Reepicheep back to the Apprentice Shop for refit. Everybody is getting a make-over — perhaps I need a week at a spa also?

All is well.

A: SCHEDULE :

- In to the yard now for approx. 2 months of work, then launch/re-rig to be sailed for August / September
- Oct. to be hauled / stored for the winter and for any additional work not completed or added to list below
- Launch/commission in May ‘09 and prepared to Sail for Med.

B: LIST :

1. Rudder work — tighten pintle/gudgeon. Bushings for hydraulic connection.
- add cutless if possible to handle thrust load
- remove / refit hydraulic steering and bush as needed
- send Accusteer pump back for refit

2. Fix bottom and prop aperture.

- Cut deadwoods back to dry, good wood and repair as necessary
- Assume existing bottom paint will do for August / September sailing and touch up only as needed due to repairs

3. Make starboard tack shower pumpout.
If possible, re-plumb so manual pump goes directly o’board and also so it will work on both tacks.

4. Yanmar engine cockpit panel. Oil pressure gauge light out and key stuck in slot.
Refit / replace

5. Masthead anchor light (Lopolight) inop. Also rig slow flash anchor light, steaming light and stern light switch.
Can wait for winter if need be.
- Legal anchor light with also a slow flashing system : I spoke to Randy who says he can do this.

6. New deck lights that are better fixed in direction. One works, other inop.
- Lights need to be FIXED !!!

7. Fix worn stainless masthead fittings. General rig overhaul.

8. Better mast protections at places the jaws rub.
Recommended we wrap w/ e-glass epoxy 3 or 4 layers of 10 oz and repaint

9. Refinish of silver bali. Sand deck.
Note : Failed deck seams are marked w/ red marker

10. General cosmetic - hull, topsides and interior repaint.

11. Solve siphoning of mid and engine room bilge pumps when on starboard tack.
General note: relocate all float switches to c/l position and be certain all bilge pump outlet hoses a) have as high as possible loop and b) an anti-siphon loop at high point ….. which wherever possible should be located on c/l

12. Centerboard. Mechanical lock when full down. Seal leak.
Shaft seal is leaking.

13. Replace BEP Marine SENSI shore power fault sensor?). Burned.
This is located behind telephone panel.

14. Better swim ladder. Fusion??

15. Overhaul head. Fix blackwater tank.
Pressure test black water tank, it appears to have a blockage.

16. Replace Acu-gage Ultra-8 tanks systems monitor. (Have new LED, but is there a better system out there?
We sent a replacement panel, it is aboard but was not installed. Check w/ Rodney as to how he and Darcy came up with this system … swap out for Whema ?

17. Replace Profurl.
New system that Nigel was told about that solves the issue with the grub screws backing out.

18. New sails?
Frank will take sails and covers to North Sails.

19. Switch Yanmar alternator belt to “Premium Product”
Ask Liftow to change pulleys and add idler when they do the overhaul.

20. Fully go over Yanmar & Onan. Not sure it needs an overhaul, but want to go over everything.
Both main engine and Gen set are to be removed and shipped to dealer for complete Servicing.

21. Overhaul all electric motors: alternator, accu-steer.

22. Complete go over for Onan. New minor parts.

23. Capstan paul broken, switch inop in down, rusted housing.
Replace the ‘cover’

24. Horn only gives out a small toot. FIXED !!! (will go over it one day on run north to see if it can be simple fixed).

25. Replace cork flooring where worn out (forepeak)
Note: Also a general sand / refinish of soles throughout

26. Possible overhaul of Reepicheep. I asked if the Apprentice Shop could do it, but they may not be able to in a timely fashion.
Jeff will truck to Maine.

27. Fix split fore gaff end piece.
Remove end plug, wrap/glass as needed and replace end plug after turning down to allow expansion.

28. Night lights in two Furuno analog cockpit readouts inop. Overhaul?
Send to Furuno

29. Possible new interior cushion material (see what a good dry cleaning can do?). Fall/winter maybe
Frank will dry clean for now.

- Test fuel racks - there seems to be a problem

- Dickenson elec. fuel pump is wrong capacity, replace with lower pressure pump and leave current one aboard as a spare.

- Refit refer systems ?? Call Sea Frost and ask what if any refit should be done.

- Force 10 piezo is not working - battery or switch

- Replace key pad in on-deck Furuno display

- Refit wheel

- CQR for sale ( Manson Supreme …. get one smallish 35 lb. or so as a stern anchor, get list & discuss )

- Shower tap is a nasty trick, upside dn & bkwds.

- J-prop : send in ASAP

- Anchor sprit saddle : replace

- Replace life lines

- Swing compass when back afloat

- Re-plentish all spares kits

- Use ship’s stores first as a general rule

- Port tank vent line is holding fuel or plugged … should foam filters be replaced / serviced?

- extend main pin rails aft 1 stantion and increase no. of pins by 2 in fore pin rails

- replace lanyards on all four shrouds

- storm cover for air box out of ply w/ gasket

Bringing Cape Horn weather with us to Lunenburg

The Schooner Maggie B docked in Lunenburg at 11h00 on May 10th. We are back after 38,400 NM. We beat the gale in. It is supposed to blow 45 knots tonight. We brought Cape Horn weather with us, though they say that this is typical “spring” weather here.

We were met by all the horns on all the ships in the harbor blowing. There was also cannon fire, which was a little scary, but supposedly they were firing blanks.

We are waiting for the Federales to drive down from Halifax. Then we’ll rest up for the welcome party tonight. Fortunately the party site is only 100 feet from the boat. They have, unfortunately, canceled the fireworks due to the prospect of high winds, dense fog and heavy rain.

We wish all our shipmates and family we here to celebrate with us.

All is well.

Caught up in Neptune’s Wave

Dawn the color of gunshot on the last day of Maggie B’s circumnavigation. Having carried her crew safely around the world for 38,400+ miles, she’s sailing beautifully this morning, moving at nine knots close hauled into a frigid 20 knot nor’easter, about 30 miles south of Lunenburg. A very powerful low off of Cape Cod is hoovering up all the air in the North Atlantic, and this wind propelling us forward is in a hurry to join it’s buddies for the party. By tonight she’ll be a gale with winds near 40 and seas reflecting the turbulence above, but for now we knife our way northward on long low swells that pass under the boat with the soft whisper of a farewell kiss. It should be a regular ole hootenanny in Lunenburg upon our arrival. One of the locals, I’m told, is a blackpowder enthusiast who needs little prodding to lug out his wares and shoot off a few fireworks, or even a celebratory cannon or two if the fancy strikes him. A party at some drinking establishment of questionable repute has been arranged, and all I have to do is wrangle this cold i’ve been battling for the past 3 days into submission.

It’s been an interesting leg up from Bermuda, in the sense of the giddiness level of the crew feeling the journey drawing to a close. Mixed emotions are par for the course, and it seems to be the sailor’s unique dilemma of anticipating the return home, and all the comforts that word carries with it, with the notion in the back of his mind that soon he’ll be setting out again for whatever is just beyond the horizon. I often wonder what propelled the old time sailors and whalers to return again and again to such a capricious (and in general poorly paid) occupation, where the food was bad, living conditions sometimes even worse, and all under the absolute rule of a captain on whose whims or dictatorial pronouncements the boat proceeded (not that i’ve had any personal experiences like that). All I can offer is that the sea is it’s own reward, no less true for being trite and wishy-washy. Nothing else can hypnotize and raise the adrenaline at the same time, or allow thoughts to float freely for hours on end, like dust particles in a slant of sunlight.

And I have been caught up in Neptune’s web (or wave, as it were). A scant 3 weeks after landing in Lunenburg, and most likely a whirlwind tour of family and friends back in the states, I will be dipping my toes once again into the icy waters of the North Atlantic for my first ocean crossing on board a 57′ ketch named Elemiah, bound for a summer season in the Mediterranean. Also built by Covey Island (as is the Maggie B) and recently bought by Rosemary and Ian Bointon from England, she will be hopping along the coasts of Spain France and Italy, with the ultimate destination being Croatia. It’s been my dream to sail through the maritime heart of western civilization, and to find a boat departing my very own continent to do exactly that is simply a delicious bonus to this waking dream.

But first, eyes out for Nova Scotia!

We had snow last night mixed with our rain… Oh, Canada…

Cheers!

Oh, and happy Mother’s day to all you mamas, new and old, and a special congratulations to Miranda. Flaming red-headed twins! Can’t wait to see them.

Location: 35° 26N, 64° 24W
Wednesday, 05.07.2008

The Schooner Maggie B was at 35° 26N, 64° 24W at noon on May 7th. We are close hauled, making for our Gulf Stream entry point at about 7 1/2 knots. We are headed NNE and the wind has backed a bit to WNW, and diminished from 25 knots to 17-20. It is rather a rough ride. The waves aren’t big — the biggest perhaps only 10 feet, but the period is rather short and we get occasional unpleasant vertical drops.

We have come 172 NM from Bermuda and have 551 to go to Lunenburg. We still anticipate arrival in Lunenburg at about noon on Saturday 10 May.

It feels a bit as if the Maggie B is remembering the wave period of the North Atlantic and relearning how to best handle it. Like a skilled dancer going from the Argentinean Tango to Brazilian Samba to Nord Americano Foxtrot. We hope that we won’t be Charlestoning when we hit the Gulf Stream! We should enter the Gulf Stream about noon tomorrow. The wind should have backed to the West and the current flow is from the Southwest, so hopefully there won’t be too much excitement.

We are surprised that we haven’t seen a single bird in the last day. This kind of weather usually brings out the Stormy Petrels, but none are about. Perhaps the Gulf Stream is just too interesting, or they haven’t completed their pilgrimage back from the South as yet. We did have a lovely pod of about 15-20 Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) playing around our bow yesterday. It was interesting that there was one Spotted Dolphin (Stenella plagiodon) with them. At first we thought he was “Dad,” with a bunch of teenagers. He didn’t mix things up around the bow like the rest and stayed rather on the outskirts, like a distant cousin at a rowdy family swim party.

All is well.

720 NM to Lunenburg

After a lovely stay in Bermuda, the Maggie B got underway this morning and was leaving St. Georges Harbour through the narrow Town Cut at noon today. We have about 720 NM to go to Lunenburg. We hope to arrive there at about noon on Saturday, May 10th.

We have an interesting weather pattern ahead of us. Hopefully not TOO interesting. The weather has a pretty good gale passing north of us right now, with a front coming through this evening. As of this writing (1500) we are doing nine knots, headed a bit west of rhumb line, in a 20-25 knots SSW’erly. After the front we expect a more NW’erly and will be able to slide back towards rhumb line. The Commanders Weather (soon to be up on the web site), calls for it to get lighter for a day and then begin to crank up in anticipation of a deep low, due on our track about when we arrive in Lunenburg. Bermuda Weather anticipates this second low to be all the way down to 987 mb, so we are very eager to beat it into safe harbor.

We are all very focused that it is the last few miles when an inordinate proportion of accidents happen. It would be pretty silly to come 38,000 NM and then stub your toe crossing the finish line. We are going to do our best not to be silly.

All is well.