Scenes from Ventura Harbor

 

Ventura Harbor is a really lovely place - great restaurants and shops all around, neat commercial fishing vessels, a beach with good surf. We'd walk around in the mornings and evenings when we weren't working like crazy bees!

Fiberglassing: the skin of the boat

After we finished the wood repairs, it was time for the "exoskeleton" of the boat - its fiberglass skin.  Fiberglass comes as a cloth that can be cut with scissors, full of fibers that are bonded together when resin is added. We bought 30 yards of cloth (3 feet wide) for the job! 

Why so much? Above the waterline, we used two layers of fiberglass, whereas below the water, we used between three and five layers. Each layer needs to be cut at increasing sizes so there is overlap and no "edge".

Doing flat sections like the port ama (side of the hull) was hard enough. The transoms took a lot of brain damage, until we figured out that we simply could not figure it out. Then we just decided to cut the cloth as we laid it on. Ed and Pat show off our attempts to "cut to fit" using tape to hold it in place.

Feeding the crew lunch. Delicious burritos courtesy of executive chef Alyssum.

After applying epoxy resin and multiple layers of cloth, the wood is sealed off and the skin is really tough. Many trimarans were built in this way (fiberglass over plywood) because it avoids the complications of a wood plank boat (by sealing the wood from the water), and is a lot cheaper (and lighter) than an all fiberglass boat.

The big downside is that resin used for fiberglassing is fairly toxic - certainly not eco friendly. However, it will last a really long time, if taken care of properly, which can justify the process.  It is like drinking water out of stainless steel bottles instead of plastic disposable bottles - although the stainless steel takes a lot of energy to produce, if it is kept long enough, it far offsets the problems of disposable plastic. The trick is to keep the boat healthy (no delaminations or rot) so that the fiberglass can stay on for decades.

The crew at the end of the day... Ed, Trout, Jonathan, Sequoia, Dee, Alyssum, and Kristian.

The Fish Factory

Everything is quiet until around 11pm... when a crazy din starts just outside, fish being unloaded from 80 foot commercial fishing vessels. Sucked out of their holds with big pipes, deposited in big blue bins, carted away by trucks: sardines, squid, etc. It's the fish factory right next to the boatyard, which we became intimately familiar with, sounds and smells.

I met one of the guys working there: Jose from Oaxaca. He was stoked we are headed to his home state. "Too many things to see in Oaxaca. You will like it very much." We had a good conversation at 2:30am one night, after I fell asleep too early exhausted from a day of sanding/fiberglassing. My hard work pales in comparison to Jose - he works 8 hours at the fish factory and another 6-8 hours at the boatyard.

After a few nights of the fish factory I didn't need earplugs anymore - I must have gotten used to it. I almost grew fond of it.

Wood work on the transoms

I had no clue!  Fixing the three transoms - the back part of the three hulls of a trimaran - was a huge job.
All three had delaminated fiberglass. On top of that, the port transom had deck rot and some funky wood on the sides, which we replaced. Garrett, our friend from Los Osos and aspiring world cruiser, drove down and spent 3 days with us tackling that repair. He maintained good cheer despite the nightly din from the local fish factory (more on that later!)

The main transom had considerable rot, which we removed and replaced with a brand new panel. Sequoia, our friend and director of OceansWatch, took it upon himself to fix the main transom. It took 1 week in all to prepare the hole, cut new 6 laminates of 1/4 inch marine plywood, along with doublers and knee joints; epoxy, screw, and bolt into the frame; and reinforce the area weakened by the old chainplates.

Why had all this damage occurred?  Water had leaked in and transoms are notoriously bad at ventilating air.  The leaking was due to poor deck fittings (cleats, rails) that were not well bedded with sealant.  Also the chainplates for the mast rigging were inserted through the deck, creating opportunity for water intrusion. Now we're reconfiguring the chainplates to the outside of the hull, to keep water out (and keep them from corroding and weakening).

From destruction to construction: rebuilding the boat

The first 3 days were about destruction. It's a bit stressful but also rejuvenating. Begone, compromised fiberglass and rotten wood!  The piles of debris just kept getting taller, the holes bigger. The funny pessimists would walk by and say, "wow, you've got a lot of work cut out for you - haha!" Somber pragmatists would note, "stop making holes in your boat, if you want to get out of here..."

Everyone had an opinion on what we shouldn't be doing - which is less helpful that what we should be doing. The last trimaran at the yard ended up spending  6 weeks with a $60K bill - they found delaminating fiberglass, the boatyard recommended they remove it all, and they basically rebuilt the shell of the boat. Gulp! Can't go down that path.

The marine surveyor, Mike Pyzel, visited and said he was really impressed with our progress. "Things are shaping up nicely." Everyone seems to agree we are lucky, the problems are really minor.

Then came the Turning Point: we shifted from destruction to construction yesterday. The new pieces of wood were cut and glued with epoxy and fastened with new screws. It is exciting to see light at the end of the tunnel. We're spending more time than we hoped, but we're doing a really good job... and that is what matters for our floating seafaring home.

Haul out day 1 - ripping fiberglass off

The first day hauled out, we got a ton of things done! The crew was awesome. We ripped off all the bad fiberglass that the surveyor identified.  Delaminating sections were cut and eliminated without remorse..!

With the guidance of Sequoia, the OceansWatch executive director, we carved away by chisel, knife, grinder, and bare hand. Our friends Tim, Scotty, Jack, Luke, and Alyssum made the trek to Ventura to help.  Many thanks!!

The result? The job is huge but appears manageable (thus far!). Some rotten wood was found in the back of the boat, but otherwise it is in great shape. 

Our plan is to finish prepping the repair areas tomorrow, fiberglass on Monday, and see how things go...

Haul Out - boat in the air!

Pictures from the haul out, 12pm Friday.

There was some debate over where to position the slings, whether the keel would be strong enough to support the boat, etc.  but the boat proved even more sturdy than expected. The boatyard manager even gave us a compliment on the boat's stoutness.  Miracle.

Now the boat is being pressure washed, and we are waiting around. The surveyor, Mike Pyzel, is coming soon and we will see what he thinks!

Calling all Hands!

photos from sailing from Santa Barbara to Ventura yesterday, 10 knots west wind. The day before was blowing Santa Ana winds, gusty from the opposite direction. Glad the weather changed.

Finally we are hauling the boat out of the water today in Ventura.  This is our first time and will be a huge factor in getting ready for the trip.

What we'll be doing-->  finishing the marine survey... painting the bottom and sides... sanding... more sanding...

How you can help-->   if you're in the area, come join us from Saturday through Wednesday (at least..!). Just call me at 805-259-8627. The boat will be hauled out at the Ventura Boatyard.

Why we need help-->
1) the trimaran is great, but it's like having 3 boats, so it's 3 times the work.
2) It's expensive to keep the boat out of the water, each day costs $126.
3) We'd like to finish by Thanksgiving to enjoy turkey dinner.

Keeping our fingers crossed all will work out, and stay within budget!

The big survey

Finally we are carrying out the official marine survey on the Kiri...  I pulled everything out of the boat so that our surveyor, Mike Pyzel, could climb in and see the nooks and crannies.

Good news to report: he was impressed with the quality of construction of the boat. It's in good shape, though it may be a bit rough cosmetically, was his assessment.

This week on Friday we are hauling out in Ventura - that is the real moment of truth! We'll complete the below-waterline survey, and do a number of tasks like re-painting the bottom, changing some fittings, etc. 

Amigos Cruise

On a last minute we decided to have a sunset cruise, and no less than 24 friends joined us! It was really an 'amigos cruise'.  The boat handled the big crowd well, even had 4 people on the transom.  The smooth conditions helped - another gorgeous November sailing day in Santa Barbara. And, we had enough life jackets for everyone, not to worry... :) We were having so much fun, we returned after dark.

Presidio wine tasting cruise

Perfect breeze and sunset for the wine tasting with our friends from Sustainable Vine Wine Tours. They kindly donated wine from Presidio Winery in Santa Ynez, with delicious organic Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio, etc..  and led us through a good tasting (we minimized tacking the boat to avoid disrupting the experience!)

Check out their tours of the organic/biodynamic wineries of Santa Barbara on a biodiesel van: www.sustainablevine.com.