Wednesday 14 Oct, HHN, boat winterizing day 14:
After the hoses-removing marathon yesterday, this morning I head into Annapolis with 3 objectives: get replacement hoses made up, deposit sails into a re-sell center, and visit Annapolis Rigging Company. There are 2 main sailing service centers on the East coast of USA. In New England there is Rhode Island and here in the Chesapeake it’s Annapolis. So, while convenient for services, storing Cloudy Bay there was almost double the price of Herrington Harbour, just 30 minutes drive away. Annapolis is like the Hamble of UK.
As Ray and I load the 3 sails into his pick-up, I note this must be the best we have ever folded them. It makes them look very presentable. It’s a beautiful day and I’m soon cruising through the picturesque autumn scenes of Maryland at its best.
In Annapolis, my first stop is Colliflower, an interesting name for a hydraulics hose shop. Inside I find 4 people queuing and only one shop assistant, Josh. And given their positions, leaning on counters, sitting on boxes and one even sitting on the ground, I sense it’s going to be a loooong wait. So, I abort and head off around the corner, to Bacon Sails.
This is an outlet that will take your yacht gear (most notably sails) on consignment. They assess what you bring, price it and if they sell it, you get ½. As I walk in, I’m amazed. It is the yacht equivalent of a car breakers yard or antique salvage yard for building supplies. If you had an old boat you wanted secondhand parts for, this is the Aladdin’s Cave for you! It’s very interesting to walk around, but I do note that things are not priced cheaply. In fact, I would say they are expensive.
Anyway, this is the only place I see we have any chance to sell the sails rather than putting them in a dumpster, which I can’t bear to do. An enthusiastic guy helps me carry them in from the car and they are stacked by a long thin work bench (like a catwalk) ready to be laid out, inspected and measured. But apparently there is a 3 week backlog of sails to do, so I shouldn’t hold my breath for the outcome. I pat the sails goodbye and wish them well. They have done us well these last 4 years …. 12 years if you include the previous owner. But out with the old and in with the new; the new sails arrive into New Jersey docks tomorrow.
Back to the hydraulics shop, there is now just one person being attended to. But I still wait 30 minutes for my turn. They really need an extra pair of hands in here. 3 sets of hoses he will have to order-in the parts for. But luckily, the hoses for the swim platform he can make up right now. Which I’m surprised at considering there are now 4 more people waiting behind me. But it doesn’t seem to concern Josh, he just methodically makes up the hoses and comes back to the counter 15 minutes later. The rest will be ready for pick up next week.
Next stop is Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard. One of the busiest in Annapolis. Definitely an up-market yard, teaming with shiny expensive racing yachts and large cruising yachts. Walking around, you get the sense it’s a real happening place. I also get the sense it’s damned expensive!
Annapolis Rigging is based here and I meet the head guy, Brian. Their workshop is impressive and has at least 20 people all on various rigging tasks. I discuss with him about their experience servicing Selden’s hydraulic systems. He says they can do it, but it’s certainly not their everyday job. And I gather each furling unit will take 10-15 hours man time. @ $110 per hour that’s gonna be expensive! I’ll have to think about this one.
I had thought, if they give me a good vibe, that it would save costly transport to Florida, where the best hydraulic service center is, and they handle these systems each and every day. I think it may be worth sending them there rather than these guys in Annapolis. If it’s going to be expensive I at least want to know the service has been done by someone who knows their stuff. There is no calling up to complain if problems arise in mid-Ocean.
I’m back to the boat mid-afternoon and determined to make the most of the lovely weather and what is left of the day. With new blanking plugs in the boom hydraulic cylinder (that Josh supplied me with), I flip the boom and pull the assembly all the way out. Damn, that’s a heavy hydraulic cylinder. And indeed, it does look just like one you would see on a John Deer or a CAT digger. But thankfully, where the cylinder had been deep inside the boom the corrosion is minimal. Now I have to think about how to tackle the rust and repaint. It will need to be done very well if it’s not to break out again in the next few years.
As dusk falls, I get my usual neighbor pass by for a “chat” …. which is, again, annoyingly endless ☹. I finally manage to make yet another excuse to cut it off and get back to work.
Back inside the boat and happily alone again (!), I set to the task of reinstalling the swim platform hoses. But damn! I didn’t label which hose goes on which fitting – what a Numpty ☹. Well there is a 50/50 chance to get it right. With the pump ends connected under the aft berth, I go into the deck locker and with both hose ends in a yogurt-pot I operate the remote control for the swim platform and pray the fluid will come out of the correct hose. But it doesn’t …. I got it wrong.
So back inside again, I switch the hoses without too much oil spillage and then proceed into the locker again. This time connecting them to the ram and bleeding them before final tightening. With the hoses reinstalled, I check the swim platform and it works perfectly. Up actually goes up and down, down. And the movement is smooth and not spongy – which implies no air in the system. Thank goodness.
After dinner, it is simply tidying up and re-securing all the hoses and electrical lines back in place with ty-wraps. At this point Oana will laugh. She thinks I should buy myself a ty-wrap manufacturing company, because I use so many. She might be right. And this time is no exception. But in a yacht, you really don’t want any hoses or electrical lines able to move. Movement means chaffing and chaffing means eventual failure and drama. I can do without any more technical drama than we already have! So lots of ty-wraps it is.
By late in the evening the job is complete, and I get to reinstall my full double aft berth again. One night sleeping with fishing rods was enough, thank you.