Summer in Baltimore

—Blogpost written by Bob

Friday, July 31

The anticipated rain showers started during the night and are predicted to continue throughout the day.  Today’s main project, insulating under the v-berth, could be completely accomplished indoors.  After a light breakfast onboard, I got started and removed the mattress and the underlying platform.

Insulating Under the V-berth

There is a relatively small inaccessible area under the v-berth in the “pointy end” where our feet usually reside while sleeping.  Since I couldn’t get enough access to this area to install styrofoam sheets, I decided to use spray foam insulation in this area.

I started this project by (at least partially) filling the area in the forepeak with Great Stuff Big Gap Filler (purchased at Home Depot)--it's a spray foam that expands as it leaves the can.  I drilled a 1/2" diameter hole to insert the spray nozzle and I had a suitable vent at the oversized holes for the windlass cables that came through the platform.  (The insertion hole appears like a little white dot to the right of the spray can in the image below.)

I have no idea how much of the cavity
was filled by two cans of spray
foam but if it only partially
fills the cavity, it's OK.

The next thing I did was start to assemble layers of styrofoam, beginning just aft of the forepeak cavity at the hull on each side.  I bridged between the two hull-side areas with 2 layers of one-inch thick styrofoam.  Then, I proceeded to build up the areas next to the hull in the next cavity, working aft.

There are two one-inch thick layers of
styrofoam that cover the center
area in the forward
compartment.

I glued the layers together using Great Stuff
Small Gap Filler.  I left the aft center area
open for access to the tank's
clean out port.

The project was completed in about 2-1/2 hours.  It took me another 1-1/2 hours to clean up the mess.  Because I cut the styrofoam with a hand saw, the boat was littered with little styrofoam particles that seemed to cling to everything, even Lola's fluffy tail.

It took me almost as long to clean up than
 to complete the entire project.

This entire project was done so that we have nice warm feet while sleeping onboard this winter.  The reason for using styrofoam is that other more conventional insulation materials break down in humid environments and the styrofoam was available in convenient 14-1/2" wide x 48" long x 1" thick panels.

Saturday, August 1

I was still cleaning up styrofoam particles a day later.  It seemed like Lola was unintentionally carrying the particles throughout the boat.  The sky was overcast most of the day and rain was a constant threat, although there was no measurable precipitation.  The threat of rain caused a postponement of my toe rail refinishing.

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Maggie arrived home from the beach on Saturday afternoon.  It was good to have her home again!

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A man in his 70's who lived alone on his house boat in our marina died today.  The coroner and paramedics carried his body out on a stretcher.  Apparently he was dead for several days before a visiting nurse discovered him.  Being a man in his seventies, this was another reminder of my mortality.

Sunday, August 2

The sky was overcast in the morning but by 10 AM the sun appeared overhead.  The temperature was quite hot outside the boat after the sun came out--inside, the A/C kept it a nice cool 73 degrees.  

The projected path of Hurricane Isaias
as of 8 AM this morning. We are
expecting a lot of rain
on Tuesday.

Being Sunday and I have pledged not to work on boat projects on Sundays, The continuation of the toe rail refinishing was postponed until tomorrow morning and then it will be postponed again until the hurricane passes through and the rain stops.

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For the last four years I’ve been living my dream, cruising the Bahamas during the winter and traveling the ICW in the Spring and Fall.  Lately, I’ve spent much more time motoring than sailing mostly because sailing on the ICW is so limited and so much of our year’s time is spent there.  I’m 73 years old and I know my “dream life” can’t last forever but how much longer could it last?

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