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04/16/2006: "Another project weekend"
It was a busy weekend. I needed to get at the winches since I have let it slide for too long. The main halyard winch actually stopped working last time we were out. That was the first one to be torn apart. It turns out that a mud dauber made a nest inside. A mud dauber is a wasp-like bug that makes a nest using mud. Of course winch grease and sand do not work very well together. We need to make a cover to keep them out in the future. Next were the genoa winches. We still have the original Lewmar 48 three-speed winches. The previous owner added two Harken 48 self-tailing winches further back in the cockpit but we still use the Lewmars. I found a good deal online for two additional Lewmar 48’s to use for parts. Both of our winches would only work in first and second gear and we found that to be a problem. I started with the starboard winch, carefully taking it apart and working on one component at a time. I got it cleaned, regreased and put together without any extra parts. It only took two tries to get it put together properly. It still has a problem that it will not shift properly but now it is in second and third gear. I am still working on it. The port winch was much easier after doing the other winch. The mainsheet winch was the easiest of all of them.
Cori kept busy with cleaning and polishing the hull. The hull is the same Awl-Grip paint that we had on our Ericson. The manufacturer advises not to use regular wax on their product. They of course make their own brand of cleaner and polish. It is very easy to use, just wash and polish. The polish is formulated so that you can apply it to an entire side before going back to wipe it off and buff it out. The marina has a small raft we can use to work on the boat. Back with the Ericson we did it from a ladder before we launched in the spring. Cori used a product by Davis called FSR (fiberglass stain remover) to clean the bootstripe. The results on the white bootstripe were amazing. She has before and after pictures.