On the Hard

This has been an interesting (and costly) week so far.  On Sunday David and I motored Ge'Mara from Coal Harbour to Granville Island in preparation for having her pulled out of the water for service and repair.  It was a rainy ride over but we were rewarded in the end by sighting a school of dolphins at the entrance to False Creek - a fairly rare event.  Naturally we were too busy gawking to get any pictures.

On Monday the boat was pulled and we were able to satisfy our curiosity about how much funk had accumulated on her underparts.  Also we were curious to see whether our encounter with a rock near Thetis Island had done any significant damage to the keel.

Hauling her out of the water

The guys at the Granville Island boatyard are really efficient and within minutes of being lifted out of the water, Ge'Mara was on jacks and her underside was being pressure washed.  To our surprise there was relatively little accumulation of sea life on the hull, thanks to the regular application of anti-fouling paint by the previous owner.  The keel seemed unharmed by rock we clipped but there were patches of rust on one side, perhaps where the rock had scraped the protective paint off.

Rust spots on the keel.  These will be ground
down and epoxy applied to exposed areas.

Our marine mechanic, Laurence Abro of Triton Pacific Marine Services, is supervising all of the work on the boat and performing important inspections.  After the keel, one of the key items we had for him to inspect was the rudder.  When we had the boat surveyed a year ago it was noted that one of the bushings was worn and may need to be replaced.  After removing the rudder Laurence confirmed this and wasted no time in having a new one fabricated by a local machine shop.

After the first day the hull had been polished to gleaming.  We were so pleased with how it looks that we engaged Trish, a local boat detailer, to detail and polish the topside, including oiling the long neglected teak rails.

Meanwhile the old decals on the transom have been removed, much to David's relief.  Due to some old and painful memories, the reference to Nanaimo on our boat irked him to no end.  Very shortly Erl the sign guy will be by to reapply the name and home port of Vancouver.  Contrary to what I've written in the intro to this blog, we will not be changing Ge'Mara's name.  After agonizing over the issue we mutually decided that while Ge'Mara wasn't our name, it has come to be the name by which we know her best.  She has treated us kindly this last year and so we have no wish to start fresh now.

Artist's mock-up of the new boat name and home port.

In addition to cleaning and repairs we have a couple of upgrades we've decided to make.  First, we are replacing the ancient VHF radio in her cabin.  A new radio is actually very inexpensive and will utilize DSC (Digital Selective Calling) technology, as referenced in an earlier post.  DSC utilizes the Global Positioning System to maintain a fix on the boat at all times.  In case of emergency we can push a button on the radio that will automatically send a distress signal to the Coast Guard with our exact position and identification of the boat.

Lastly and after much debate, we have decided to add an autopilot.  This is an expensive decision, adding several thousand dollars to the bill but well worth it in the end.  For my part it will enable me to safely begin single-handing the boat this summer while I am off work and have time on my hands.  For David it is an extra measure of safety while introducing his wife and family to sailing.

Exciting times as we prepare Ge'Mara for another year of fun on the water.