top of page
Search

Cast Off!

  • Writer: True North
    True North
  • Jun 1
  • 2 min read

As Captain Ron says, "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen out there!".

Enough with the many boat projects, today we left the dock and are heading north. Many projects left to do, but we've tackled the major ones that we needed to get done before we left. I'm sure there will be many more that we don't even know of yet.


We ended the day in a small river off the main ICW channel. It's supposed to get windy and stormy tonight and tomorrow, so we may just hang out here on anchor until this blows through. There is nobody in sight and it is quiet after weeks at the marina, so we are pretty happy to have a day or two to settle in.


Last we posted an update, we were in Belhaven with the boat 'on the hard', still doing projects. The crew at TJ's Marina worked hard to get the bottom paint finished while I finished up getting some of the AC units installed.


We splashed at the end of April - just in time for moving the boat south to Marine Craft in Merritt, NC. We had a few cracked salon windows that needed to be replaced. Since Dave at Marine Craft has done this replacement to a few Antares boats, it was the best choice. It is quite a project - something we did not want to tackle ourselves. They do not make these windows easy to replace!


While the boat was being worked on, we headed home for a week or two to visit family and relatives. We rushed off so quickly after retirement, that we hadn't left time to visit anyone. We got to see Andrew's college graduation, Stay with John & Liz and meet the new puppy Cleo, Visit Maggie & Isaiah - and see some cool sights on the west cost of Washington and Oregon... And we got to deal with the huge tree in the back yard that had came down over the neighbors fence.


Back at the boat, a few more projects while at the marina..

Getting ready to climb the mast to replace the wind indicator.
Getting ready to climb the mast to replace the wind indicator.
Dan at the top of the mast - 62' up there.
Dan at the top of the mast - 62' up there.
Jill working on the flooring that will go in the cockpit. Helps to have a big marina clubhouse to lay this out.
Jill working on the flooring that will go in the cockpit. Helps to have a big marina clubhouse to lay this out.
Sewing the binding on all the flooring pieces.
Sewing the binding on all the flooring pieces.
Also pulled out all the chain so we could replace the windlass and remove the chain locker center divider. We were planning on using the old windlass as a spare, but it was so rusted and corroded, it didn't come out in one piece.
Also pulled out all the chain so we could replace the windlass and remove the chain locker center divider. We were planning on using the old windlass as a spare, but it was so rusted and corroded, it didn't come out in one piece.
The fancy new table was built without exact measurements of the support posts, so it required some field modifications.
The fancy new table was built without exact measurements of the support posts, so it required some field modifications.
Doh! only off by 4 inches or so.
Doh! only off by 4 inches or so.
Dan learning to splice rope for the new lazy jacks (lines that keep the sail on the boom when lowering it)
Dan learning to splice rope for the new lazy jacks (lines that keep the sail on the boom when lowering it)
I'm not sure I ever got better at it, but all 6 are done.
I'm not sure I ever got better at it, but all 6 are done.

We had a great trip trip today and are very excited to see what the next weeks, months, years may bring!


Comments

bottom of page