Haul-Out Day

Boats aren't meant to be out of the water. That's probably the reason why hauling the boat once every year or so is always met with a bit of trepidation. Like anything else, once you've done it a few times, you at least know what to expect, but still we're hauling a 21 ton boat out of the water supported only by two huge heavy-duty slings. Each marina does things a little differently. Everything usually goes just fine; we've never had a problem. Sometimes things do go wrong, however, and we've seen the results. Not pretty. Fingers are always crossed. The main reason for hauling a boat is to handle under waterline repairs, repaint the bottom with anti-fouling and generally inspect all the parts that usually sit under water. We have our standard list of what needs to be done plus new chores always pop up. We've given ourselves a pretty tight schedule for getting everything accomplished. Being “on the hard” here in Australia is an expensive proposition.

We “kissed a bommie” (read that nudged up against a coral head) in Fiji last season. It wasn't extensive or serious, but the keel will need some repair. David wants to repaint the bootstripe. My job is usually painting the bottom while David is doing the other chores on the list. The boat bottom is never so big as when I'm painting it...three times. Antifouling paint ostensibly keeps things from growing on the bottom of the boat, like barnacles, worms, reef plants, etc. In order to be effective it has a high anti-sea critter growth content and is pretty toxic to humans. I wear my Pillsbury Doughgirl disposable Tyvec coveralls and a respirator. Fashion doesn't count here, thank goodness, plus no one would ever recognize me.

The weather has been seasonably pleasant and sunny the last few days. And then today, when we wanted to haul out, it turned stinky. The wind howled through the night and it rained buckets. It seemed to lighten up a bit around 0800, but a quick trip to the toilet block and we were soaked. I looked at the weather and thought “Nah”. David looked at the weather and said “No worries...ready to go?” There's definitely a major difference in our wiring.

We backed out of the berth around 0930. David finally got the hydraulic fittings he needed and was able to replace the hoses, so we even had steerage as we headed into the TravelLift bay. The rain alternated between drizzle and downpour and the temperature dropped. We were wet, cold and shivering.

The haul-out was a long process. David thought the forestay would need moving. He usually has to do this, depending on the size of the lift hauling us out. But the TravelLift operator thought not. That's a bonus. But then of course, after getting the boat in the slings and hauling her up, it was determined that yes, he would have to detach the forestay in order to raise her high enough to lift her onto land. Another 30 minute delay as he coaxed cotter pins out of place, snipped seizing wire, loosened backstays and finally bound the forestay to the port lifelines to give us enough clearance in the lift. Back up in the lift and still not quite enough clearance. This time, they readjusted the slings and up she came.

Remarkably, after sitting for several months, unmoved in her berth here, her bottom was quite clean. Slime prevailed, but very few barnacles or other growth. We had expected a mini-reef, but were pleasantly surprised. David used the marina's power washer and got most of the slime off. What looked like a black-bottomed boat was indeed still blue without the slime overcoat. What few barnacles there were, we attacked with a putty knife and they popped right off.

Next, wet sanding. Preparation here is important as with most painting jobs. We wet sanded the bottom, roughing it up and removing any other surface debris to insure good anti-fouling adherence. We probably won't haul her again for another 18 months to two years, this has got to be a good job to last us. We were both blue with old bottom paint by the time we were finished, but a good job done. David finished out the day by masking the bootstripe. Painting will begin tomorrow. We're hoping it will warm up so the epoxy work can begin. It's a small area to be repaired and I'll paint around it while David is working or just paint right over David. Depends on my mood!

Lemay Special

It's amazing what constitutes “comfort foods” for different people. For some it's chocolate or something sweet; for others, warm bread or cookies. Sometimes just the delicious smell alone provides comfort when you're cold, wet, tired, lonesome or all of the above. For me, it's a big kettle of Lemay Special. I grew up in New England where the winter nights began at 3:30pm and cold and snow were a requisite part of living in central Massachusetts in February. A Saturday winter tradition in the Lemay household was for Mom to prepare this hearty soup early in the day and it would simmer and sit on the stove till dinner time. Some call it Hobo Stew and it's probably got lots of different names and variations on the theme. It's been cold and raw here the last week, so I put the soup pot on and brewed up some Lemay Special and it warmed us up from the inside out. Just in case there's none left when you stop by, here's the recipe so you can make some for yourself.

Lemay Special

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Ingredients

• 1 lb minced (ground) beef or turkey
• 4 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp each salt
• 1 – 15oz (400g) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 – 8oz (225g) can tomato sauce
• ½ tsp black ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Tobasco sauce to your taste
• Water

Instructions

1. Brown the meat, onion and garlic; drain any fat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetables and rest of ingredients. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Stir well. Add more salt, pepper, Tobasco to suit your taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers and cheese.

Notes

I use this recipe as a Passage Soup, prepared before we leave the dock, knowing I'm not usually up for much for cooking or galley work the first couple of days on a passage. You can use your imagination and substitute chicken chunks for ground meat; add peas or green beans in addition to or in place of carrots. Out of tomato sauce...substitute catsup. It always tastes good.

3.2.1275

Bloomin' Tasmania

It's a great time of year to be in Tasmania. Everything is blooming. There's even a free guide I picked up that provides a list and location of all of Tasmania's gardens (60 or more) … from formal, heritage gardens to native, wild bush landscapes … and the peak blooming times for each flower. Tasmania's cool, moist climate offers an ideal growing environment and gardens thrive. We certainly won't have the opportunity to visit them all, but the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens (RTBG) were on my list of places to see. David can be very crafty. So this morning when he said “How about going to the Botanical Gardens today? I've already reserved the courtesy van”, I was immediately suspicious.

“Sure”, I said.

“It's right on the way to Bunnings (a la Home Depot) and ENZED for more hydraulic fittings” he responded without so much as a sneaky grin.

Ah, well, a good compromise and off we went.

It was cold, raw and windy as we trudged from the parking lot to the gardens entrance. The sweet smells of blossoming flowers were everywhere. Rainbow lorikeets flitted from tree to tree on the beautifully landscaped grounds. Despite the gray skies and cold temperatures, the gardens were absolutely lovely. Located high on the Queens Domain, a grassy, woodland area, the RTBG venue was used centuries ago by Aboriginal tribes, their oyster shell middens still observable. Convicts worked here in the early 19th century, their handiwork evident in historic sandstone walls and buildings still standing within the garden grounds.

As Australia's second oldest botanical gardens (Sydney's first), the RTBG were established along the Derwent River in 1818 and encompass over 35 acres. In addition to the more typical botanical garden offerings, the gardens maintain a large Tasmanian flora collection including native orchids and warantah, a type of protea, and the world's only Subantarctic Plant House.

We wandered past what is thought to be the world's second oldest steam-driven carousel in existence. The Gallopers Carousel, originally built in England in 1882, has been lovingly restored and after a stint on the Hobart waterfront, it sits regally in the gardens near the Conservatory. Some people enjoy the thrill of roller coasters. Me, I'll take an elaborately painted horse on a carousel every time. Alas, it wasn't running.

The tulips are in bloom and I don't think we've ever seen such huge ones. They were magnificent. We wandered through a hall of orchids. I always thought they required a hot, steamy environment, but they most assuredly do not as the unheated Conservatory housed thousands of gorgeous, exotic flowers. We passed a lily pond, but no lilies bloomed yet. The ducks and one solitary cormorant didn't seem to mind. The rhododendron flowers along the path were so profuse, the plants could not have accommodated even one more blossom. Hot pinks, nail polish reds, vibrant oranges, even submarine yellow...huge blossoms, some the size of your fist. We could have wandered for hours if the cold didn't finally get to us.

It's early in the season and not everything we wanted to see was in bloom AND the carousel was not operating. So I've obtained a raincheck from the captain for a return visit which I'm sure he'll honor ... the next time he needs to go to Bunnings.