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.