Springtime on Kent Island: 5/10 - 5/13

—Blogpost written by Bob 

Monday, May 10

Partly sunny and partly cloudy would best describe the day's weather and temperatures between the low to mid-50's (in the morning) and low to mid-60's (in the afternoon).  The morning was windy (10 to 15 knots) and it felt like winter had returned.  It felt great getting a little extra sleep in the cozy v-berth this morning--our reverse cycle heater kept the cabin nice and warm (75 degrees).  (I am beginning to wonder if it is always windy on Kent Island.)

Lola sitting right beside me as I write
this blogpost. (Little does she
know that she is a
cover girl.)

Apart from meeting Maggie for lunch in Annapolis (on her way back from Johnstown PA), I have no idea what I will be doing today unless the weather makes a turn for the better. 

As I walked to the car to drive to
Annapolis to meet Maggie,
the sky was already
clearing.

When we returned to the boat after lunch, the temperature was already in the mid-60's.  I made a couple serious adjustments to our spring lines in the afternoon, moving some chafe protection so that it prevented chafe on our stern spring line at the dock connection.  The forward spring line was tangled up in our fenders which we fixed as well.

Our day ended with (low carb) margaritas for Happy Hour.

Tuesday, May 11

Tuesday was a beautiful spring day from the start.  We got half of the first full coat of bottom paint on the dinghy in the morning.  We had to paint the bottom in halves because we didn’t have enough width of the dock to be able paint both halves.  (It is noteworthy that we diluted the bottom paint with 5% water before starting to apply paint today.  We did this to make sure that we applied a 4-mil thick coat and to extend the paint a little since I had trouble finding a second can anywhere.  We used Flexdel-brand Aquaguard bottom paint for inflatables.)

We then applied a new mold killer (Concrobium-brand Mold Control) on the underside of our mattress and the mattress pad between the mattress and the floor of the v-berth.  The mattress pad had mold only on the outermost edges—the insulation I added under the v-berth last summer eliminated the growth of mold in the center area.

The mold control fluid we used on
the areas under our mattress.

One of my medications was erroneously sent to our old marina address in Annapolis.  Having been notified of its delivery, we had to drive there and pick them up.  We took full advantage of being in Annapolis around lunchtime, going out for lunch at Lemongrass II, our favorite Thai restaurant.

When we got back to the boat, we immediately painted the other half of the dinghy bottom to complete the entire first coat.  (The second, and last, coat will be applied on Thursday.)

The first coat of bottom paint was
completely applied this afternoon.
(The second and last coat will
be applied on Thursday.)

Wednesday, May 12

We have dedicated our efforts today to removing our leaking auxiliary diesel tank.  It is located beneath the navigation station seat where the holding tank was originally located.  (We have decided to get it weld repaired but keep it empty as long as we are cruising the Chesapeake.)

We got started on the task of removing the leaking auxiliary diesel tank early (maybe 8:30 AM).  Removing the rubber hoses were difficult enough, particularly the 1-1/2-inch inlet hose.  I had to remove the shelves on the starboard side of the navigation station, including the lower platform just to get access to the inlet hose.  I finally got everything disconnected by about 11 AM (2-1/2 hours later) but I couldn’t budge the tank at all.  

Tank with turnbuckles disconnected
and hoses and wiring removed.

Apparently, the tank was still held in place by a black caulk that was intended to fill voids between the bottom of the tank and the fiberglass support I had designed—it did much more than simply fill the voids!  (Next time I would not use ANY caulk!)

After several unsuccessful attempts at prying the tank loose with a large screw driver, I tried to budge it using a 4-foot long 2x4, using it as a lever against the outboard bulkhead—it still wouldn’t budge even one little bit.  Next, I tried pouring turpentine onto the black caulk and allowing 30 to 45 minutes for it to work—still nothing.  (If the caulk was silicone, the turpentine probably would have broken the bond.)

I tried to find out exactly what kind of black caulk I used by looking through the description on my installation on my blog but I couldn’t find any mention of it.  (Meanwhile the turpentine was still soaking into the cured caulk on the most accessible side and I added another few fluid ounces to the situation.  If I could determine what kind of caulk I used, I could probably find a chemical that could break it down.)

Getting nowhere on the tank removal, we decided to leave it for the day, and get the second coat of bottom paint on the dinghy.  However, we didn’t have enough bottom paint left in the can to complete the second coat.  We applied all the paint that was left, making sure to apply it on the “high wear” areas, particularly around the waterline.

I thought about the auxiliary diesel tank removal a lot as I was trying to get to sleep.  The situation boiled down to us having four options:

(1) destroy the tank as a means of removal, cutting it up into pieces with a grinder and replace it with a new one. (It would probably take 8 weeks to get a new one at a cost of $500.)

(2) close the area back up, essentially “punting” on its removal.

(3) continue efforts toward getting a chemical breakdown of the bond, even without knowing what caulk was used.  (This option might never work.)

(4) cut the surrounding cabinetry apart, pry the tank out, and replace the cabinetry later.

Thursday, May 13

The sun peeked into the v-berth and woke us up at 7 AM.  Of course, Lola was prancing around with an expectation of her breakfast.  Our little world was getting ready to come alive...

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In the morning, I tried using the 4-foot long 2x4 to get the tank to budge—it didn’t.  Then I put a second coat of varnish on some trim pieces (after lightly sanding) that I removed from the shelf area to get access to the hoses that connect to the tank.

Maggie and I discussed our options with respect to the auxiliary tank and decided on Option #2 (close the area back up without further work) until at some point in the future we think we would need it and then pursue Option #1 (removal by destruction and then replace it with a new one).  

Manufacturers label on our auxiliary
fuel tank--we may need this
for a future replacement.

This option (“punting” for now) ran against my nature but its practicality was obvious.  (I will re-assemble the area tomorrow after the recently applied coat of varnish to the trim pieces dries.)

Varnished teak trim pieces
drying in the cockpit.

Until next blogpost, thanks for following our blog!