Maintenance Log, 2008

Maintained by Deborah Stern, third owner.

Biweekly: Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, sailing or not.

Monthly: Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal as necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.


March-February -

While in the Caribbean, we got a phone call from Any, who was varnishing Spindrift’s sole. Water was leaking water profusely down the mast and had already soaked a portion of the sole just forward of the mast. Any put a skirt around the mast on deck to stop the leaking, but the damage was done. We called our rigger at Svendsen’s Boat Works to go out and see what the problem was. He later claimed he water tested the mast collar and there was no leaking.

On our return, it took us three weeks and three visits to the boat by the boat yard rigger and manager to finally accept that it leaked profusely. It took another two weeks for them to agree that they had to fix it at their cost – pulling the mast, putting more drain-holes in the mast collar (which was of their own design), and replacing the damaged part of the sole.

When they pulled the mast and cleaned the step, we discovered that the mast step was corroding away. Like most boats built during the 1970s-1980s, the aluminum mast step was bolted down to the fiberglass strut atop the steel beam with stainless steel screws – an invitation for corrosion.

Re-stepping the mast on to the old mast step was not a good idea, so we agreed to put in a custom G10 Epoxy step.

Meanwhile, while the damaged sole and subfloor was up, Deborah cleaned out an enormous amount of degraded aluminum and other material that had collected in the forward bilge area. So much material was in there that water coming from the shower, which we never use, would have barely been able to seep through the 1 ½ inch pipe into the main bilge to be pumped out. As it was, water seeping from the mast during inclement weather soaked up the subfloor before ever seeping into this forward part of the bilge.

Cleaning out this forward bilge area uncovered pipe through which for water is to flow into the main bilge, and also revealed that the shower drain simply was a hole in the floor. We elected not to run a hose from the drain into the main bilge, but if the boat goes cruising, that’s what will have to be done.

Finally, after two weeks in the yard, Deborah went to pick the boat up and on inspection discovered that they rigger had tweaked the housetop badly: both doors to and from the head and shower did not closed and the latches were misaligned. We theorized that the new mast step was an eighth of an inch or so higher than the old degraded one. In order to save time, the riggers had marked the shrouds, forestay, and backstay when they pulled the mast, so they could just tighten them to the marks when they re-stepped it. But now the shrouds and stays were too tight and the boat tweaked.

Of course the yard denied they did anything wrong. We had old man Sven look at it, and he claimed he could see nothing wrong and that when he loosened the rigging nothing moved – in other words, it didn’t tweak back. We got our surveyor to come out and spend two hours going over the boat, and he theorized exactly what we had concluded. While he was there the boat yard manager actually accused Deborah of lying about the doors, implying they’d always been unable to close properly, and without our permission – in fact against our instructions – they shaved the doors to make them close.

The boat is due to come out of the yard in five days, but the boatyard is just not going to own the fact that they fucked up by trying to take the easy course with the rigging.

January - Any Neuvecelles Buckles refinished the sole aft of the mast step.

Maintenance Log, 2007

Maintained by James Williams and Deborah Stern, third owners.

Biweekly: Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, sailing or not.

Monthly: Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal as necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.


9/27 - Installed new raw water pump. Old one threw a bearing and damaged the shaft on the way back from Half Moon Bay on Labor Day. New pump installed by Michael Lord, Alameda.

8/15 - Chris Tibbe from Svendsen's fine-tuned rig while sailing on bay with us in 20-25 knots.

8/10-8/14 - Took boat in to have tri-color and anchor light and fuel gauge malfunctions fixed. Svendsen's did the work without charge. Also added weep hole at step of mast, which Svendsen's had neglected to do during the refit.

7/23-9/6 - Varnished, making repairs on caprail base at bow where moisture had lifted the varnish, recaulking caprail joinery on starboard side, and putting on two new coats on caprail and all other exterior wood. Any Neuvecelles-Buckles did most of the work for us while we were traveling.

7/16 - Replaced starting battery.

7/5 - Annual engine service - new oil filter, fuel filter, Racor R26T, heat exchanger zinc, impellor, and 5.5 quarts oil. Fuel clean with no sign that tank is dirty. Service performed by Michael Lord, Alameda.

6/15 - Deborah polished all the stainless in preparation for the All Women's Cruise to the Corinthian Yacht Club.

5/17-6/14 - Had new canvas made (wheel/binnacle cover, barbecue cover, winch covers, and six handrail covers), re-stitched mainsail cover, and split both cap rail covers in two. Work performed by Laurie Elliot, Canvasmithe.

5/18 - Took the boat out to calibrate the autopilot, instruments, and chartplotter with Ron Jones of Star Marine. Will have to got out again next week to make some corrections.

5/12-16 - Cleaned boat inside and out. Washed and waxed deck and hull. Installed spring opener in navigation table. Reorganized some of the cabinets and the ice box.

Major Refit, 2006-2007

5/11 - Synopsis of Refit Work (29 October 2006-11 May 2007)

Bastress Custom Boats:

Raymarine ST 6002 autopilot drive, tiller arm, and feedback control.
Newmar PT-25 three-stage “smart” battery charger, auto charge relay, DC energy monitor, and Balmar ARS-5 voltage regulator.
Rewire battery distribution system and navigation station, and relocate and rewire windlass and winch breakers.
Custom navigation station panel.
Recommended survey work (installed GFI on major AC outlet, fit plastic shield over AC breaker terminals behind electrical panel, replaced bilge pump switch, install dedicated CNG safety blowout line).

Star Marine Electronics:

Raymarine E80 navigation display in navigation panel and in cockpit and run wires.
Raymarine 24” 4kw Radar dome and run cables.
ST60 instrument pack (speed, depth, analog wind) in place of KVH display.
Raymarine ST6002 autopilot electronics.
Ocean Equipment AG215 rail guard with single bend and custom top and bottom rail guard plates.

Svendsen’s Boat Works:

Unstep mast, remove standing rigging, and remove wire-to-rope halyards.
Remove mast hardware, clean and paint mast, install two new electrical conduits and wiring, install radome with custom bracket, move deck light below radar, install new steaming light above radar, install LED tri-color anchor light, replace track cover on lower portion of mast, and install mast hardware.
Install new stainless deck collar.
Step mast, Spartite the mast, re-bed chain plate covers, and install new standing rigging.
Install new Ballenger boom with double line reefing system.
Install lazy jack system.
Install Samson warpspeed and XLS yacht braid halyards.
Install custom lazy jack system.
Remove some deck hardware; repair gelcoat; install new deck organizer, clutches for main sheet, main halyard, reef lines, and outhaul; install blocks; install Spinlock cleats for preventer and traveller.
Install and wire Andersen 40 STE winch.
Tune rig and make sail ready.
Haul, hang and launch for survey.

11/2-3 - Svendsen’s unstepped the mast without any problems on Thursday, and Deb and I went up to the boat Friday afternoon to meet with all the folks involved in the refit work. Our friend Rob Bastress met us there. We went over the mast work with John Hanson, Svendsen’s rigging foreman, clarified what we’d be doing with it, and chose the new steaming light and combined mast-top tri-color and anchor light. We also met with Ron Jones of Star Marine Electronics and his installer, Kevin, and went over the installation of the chart plotter, instruments, and autopilot. Rob is doing the mechanical installation work on the autopilot, building a custom platform for the navigation station chart plotter repeater, and installing the new battery charger, so we worked all that out with him as well.





Since the mast was out and Svendsen’s wouldn’t be doing the deck work for a couple of weeks at least, Rob and I took the boat back to our slip.



More photos



11/14 - Rob moved the boat from Marina Village to his work dock adjacent to Mariner Boat Yard to install the mechanical components for the autopilot. Meantime, Svendsen's continues to work on the mast.

11/18-21 - Dropped by the boat on Saturday to discover that the autopilot tiller arm was bored 2/10,000 to big and wobbled on the rudder post. Rob was pretty frustrated with the whole thing, and we agreed to move the boat back to our slip the next day for the Thanksgiving holiday period. By Tuesday I finally reached Star Marine and they agreed to go re-measure the post and take care of the problem. Meanwhile, Star's installer, Kevin, removed the old KVH Quattro instruments from the bulkhead.

10/29 - Started getting ready for our next refit, which will include removing the mast, installing a custom stainless deck collar, replacing the standing rigging and boom (our current boom has a bad crack at the outhaul adjustment), painting the mast, installing Raymarine radome, moving steaming and deck lights on the mast, replacing the VHF antenna and upgrading the cable and conduit, switching out wire halyards with rope and reversing the jib and main halyards, installing a line collector and Spinlock clutches and running the main halyard along with lines for a new double-line reefing system back to the cockpit on the port side, replacing preventer and traveler cam cleats with Spinlock PX cleats, replacing the KVH Quattro instrument system with a Raymarine ST60 Plus system, installing a Raymarine E-Series chart plotter with a repeater at the navigation table, installing an ST6002 below-deck autopilot, and installing a Newmar three-stage “smart” battery charger with a new monitor.

Today we removed the sails and stowed them in the V-berth, opened the cotter pins on the standing rigging, and generally got things ready to unstep the mast.

10/31 - I took the boat over to Svendsen’s Boatworks in the afternoon. Tony Oliver, who just moved his Cal 39-2 Chance into a slip directly behind us on our fairway, gave me a hand with the lines.

11/27-12/1 - Star Marine’s installer, Kevin, returned the tiller arm after Star had it machined down a bit (not enough, but enough to work). Kevin worked on the electronics all week at our slip, and when we arrived Friday afternoon we discovered that he had not followed our instructions at all. They ordered a Lewmar guard rail guide for the steering pedestal (our’s is an Edson pedestal), so when installed, it forced the new guard rail and chart plotter mount to be moved three inches closer to the pedestal. Rather than call us about it, he simply drilled eight new holes on the cockpit sole to install the mounts for the guard rail and put it in. He simply left the old mounts for the old rail guard in place. Moreover, he did not cut down the rail to the height we’d agreed on.

Then we discovered he’d not installed the autopilot controller under the quarter berth, as we’d agreed, but saw a spot we’d cleared old wiring from to mount something else and simply mounted the controller there. Of course, on Friday afternoon we couldn’t reach them.

A big part of the problem, we think, is that the Star’s Ron Jones, who’s in charge of our project, went on a two-week vacation the end of November, so Kevin was left on his own. Anyhow, after a weekend of stewing and also realizing Ron had not sent us all the warranty cards for the electronics so we could file for a sizeable rebate (to have been postmarked November 30th), Deborah called Ron Jones at Star on Monday. He got an extension on the rebate for us, filled out the cards, and I got them out overnight mail today (December 5th). He’s also meeting us on December 8th to been correcting Kevin’s mistakes.

12/1 - John Hansen, the rigging foreman at Svendsen's, has taken a new job (at Hansen Rigging in Alameda), and we met with him and his successor, Chris Tibbe, a very personable and seemingly knowledgeable fellow. We saw the mast ready for painting, the new boom, discussed what to do about winches, and then picked out the rope we will be using for halyards and reef lines.






12/2 - Rob came over to our slip, and he and Deb took Spindrift back to his work dock to complete installation of the autopilot mechanical parts. We also discussed mounting of the nav table chart plotter/radar unit.





12/8 - This week we connected with Star Marine’s Ron Jones and, after he visited the boat and saw the installation problems, he agreed without hesitation to make everything right. We met him at midday on the boat and went over all the issues. After he left, we agreed with Rob on how mounting the nav table chart plotter/radar unit. After a late lunch, we checked in with Chris Tibbe at Svendsen's, got a glimpse of our newly painted mast, and arranged for delivering the boat to their docks next week.

12/15 - Spindrift is still at Rob's work dock at Mariner Boat Yard. We are off on our Caribbean cruising vacation today, and won't be back until the new year. Rob assured us the boat would go over to Svendsen's in a week or so.

12/22 - Got a telephone call from Chris Tibbe, the new rigging foreman at Svendsen's. Spindrift is not yet at his docks, but I told him that Rob promised it by the end of the week. Since it's almost Christmas, the work force will be down, but we agreed a week isn't going to matter here. We also told him, based on our experiences using lazy jacks in the Caribbean (over four trips now) that we wanted to install the Dutchman system rather than lazy jacks.

1/10-19 - Remember, it's just a boat!! Soon after we returned from our Caribbean cruising holiday, we got a call the 10th from Rob who wanted to update us on the boat. He said it was still at his docks, Star Marine hadn't done much but relocated the autopilot control box, which they'd installed in the wrong place, and he was waiting to hear from Svendsen's as to a date to deliver it to their work dock.

Since we fully expected Rob to be done with his part, Star Marine to be much further along with the electronics installation, and the boat to be delivered to Svendsen's at least right after Christmas, saying I was irritated is perhaps too mild. Nevertheless, I swallowed my anger.

"Why didn't it go over to Svendsen's after Christmas?" I stammered. Chris Tibbe had told him they couldn't work on it - space problems, stormy weather had put them behind, and such - and they'd let him know when they could have it.

"Well," I said to myself, "it's a boat," and then I called Tibbe.

"Oh no, we've been ready for the boat all along," said Tibbe. He didn't know why Rob hadn't brought the boat over. Beginning to boil, I held my breath. "Okay, I'll let Rob know you're ready and get it to you right away."

Now, Rob's a true craftsman who's work we deeply admire. We joke that Spindrift is as much his boat as ours for all the work he's done on her, and over time Deb and I have become truly good friends with Rob, sailing together, going to the Caribbean together, and engaging in some deeply personal conversations. Still, it's hard to mix business and friendship sometimes and this was one of those moments. Nonetheless, I held my rage when I called.

"He's calling me a liar," Rob blustered. "I'm going to go have words with him!"

"Look, I don't know what happened, but obviously it's a misunderstanding," I said, trying to be smooth over my own anger.

After a few more back and forths and assuring each other our friendship was first in this, Rob said he'd get the boat over on the 15th. Since we were jetting off to Panama for five days, there was much more we could do. I called back Tibbe and told him to expect the boat.

On the 16th, the morning after we returned from our trip, Rob called. The boat was at Svendsen's. I was knocked down by a cold which I most likely ingested on our flight back from the Caribbean on AA's elongated-tubular-recirculating-petri dish, and which further flights on similar vehicles between California and Panama had not helped, so I thanked him and said I'd call him later in the week.

On the 17th, Star Marine called to get approval for a part being fabricated (hell, we told them "yes" before we left in December), and I was to drugged up to do more than say "yes" again.

Next day, Tibbe called from Svendsen's. Problem. Scanvik in Florida, the importers for Andersen winches, can't get the cabin top winch for four weeks. Did we want to wait (it was already five weeks behind on the delivery schedule) or get another brand? And also, what sort of mast collar do you want? "I'll fax you some sketches."

The next morning, I called him back. Stick with the Andersen winch. We'll wait. Meantime, since there's a delay, our insurance wants a survey this year. Please arrange for a noon-time hang and an insurance survey in the next three or four weeks. Also, get the mainsail over to Doyle to get it fixed for the Dutchman system. We'll take the middle range collar.

1/20-2/13 - Work on Spindrift moves along...slowly. The autopilot is installed (except for hooking up the wires). Rob did a lovely job creating a level mount for the linear drive unit, which was not straightforward since the rudder post has a 10 degree angle toward the bow and the aft cockpit seat onto which the mount had to be attached had a 5 degree angle aft The photo to the right, looks up at the short stroke drive unit. The mount Rob created is made of two pieces of marine grade ply and is painted white.

The photo on the left shows the linear drive attached to the tiller arm which in turn is attached to the rudder post.

Other work completed includes the installation of a new Newmar PT-25 three-stage smart battery charger and Blue Sea battery link ACR (automatic charging relay). A Newmar DC energy monitor replaces the old charger amp monitor on the instrument panel inside the boat. Rob also got the interior radar panel put together nicely, which involved relocating the VHF and the stereo and relocated the fuses so they are accessible.

Ron Jones of Star Marine also completed installation of the new pedestal guard and radar unit, which had been installed incorrectly a month before. The new guard required fabrication of guard rail guide, which we had done out of polished stainless steel, and a stainless mounting plate. Give credit to Ron, who really listened to us when he discovered that his installer Kevin had screwed up the first installation. He did a lovely job, and the height is good for both Deborah and me.




Meantime, Svendsens completed the mast work - it should be stepped in a week or so, as soon as the mast collar is completed. They've also stripped off the deck hardware that is being replaced, and pulled down the cabin headliner. A bit of a problem there, unfortunately, because it may not be possible to reinstall the headliner properly because there is not enough to stretch it back. They'll do their best, but in the end, we may need to have a new headliner made. If we do, we'll make a new one in such a way that it can easily be removed in the future.













2/28 - Another two weeks and things continue to creep along. The Andersen winch we've been waiting on should arrive at the importers shop in Florida on March 9th, and they say they'll ship it right along. Once it arrives, Svendsen's can proceed with the deck work.

The mast is still not stepped. The yard is waiting on the metal shop to polish the new stainless collar, which they've been promising for two weeks. To fill the time, I arranged to have Spindrift surveyed, fulfilling a request sent along by our insurance carrier a month ago. I retained Peter Minkwitz (right in photo with Rob Bastress). Several years ago he turned to surveying after being yard foreman at Svendsen's for 15 years. Turns out that when he was at Svend's he trained Rick Krep, who was a top notch surveyor himself and who I hired to survey my Islander Dog Days when I bought it in 2000.

I arranged for a noon hang and drove up to be there when Peter did his work. Rob Bastress wanted to come by as well, and so he lent a hand moving Spindrift from her slip at Svend's to the lift. Her bottom was dirty, but the year-and-a-half year old bottom paint was in really nice shape (good thing, because Svend's had no room to put her up for painting if she needed it), and a power wash was all that she needed. While she was hanging, Kevin from Star Marine installed the transducers for the new instruments, and I had the yard put new zincs on the shaft and strut.

Svend's rigging foreman Chris Tibbe said he didn't think the mast would be ready to go up until the next week, so we arranged to take the boat over to Rob's docks beside Mariner Boatyard so he could finish up a couple things he'd been doing in the refit. And Rob and I agreed on his completing a couple of things Peter found needing attention in the survey.

I let Rob drive her over to his docks, while I went by car and met him to side tie her to another project boat Rob's working on. Later I dropped Rob off at his truck at Svend's.

3/4-3/20 - Survey Report dated March 2, 2007 showed Spindrift to be in very good condition for her age. Rob Bastress completed the survey recommendations requiring work at his docks, which included replumbing the CNG vent, installing a GFI outlet to cover the galley and head and port side, installing a safety cover over the AC breaker terminals, and replacing the bilge pump switch and rewiring the bilge pump.

On Monday, March 12th, Rob returned Spindrift to Svendsen’s, where the mast was stepped on Tuesday. Rob completed all the refit work for which he was responsible, and we made final payment to him on Friday.

Saturday Deborah and I agreed on installing a new ICOM 402 VHF with a command mic in the cockpit, for which Star Marine was already running the wire. Star Marine completed all the wiring from the mast to the instruments by Tuesday, March 20th, and we made final payment to them.







3/20-5/11 - We left for a two week sailing vacation in the BVIs on March 23. I talked with the rigging foremen Chris Tibbe about finishing up the standing rigging and the deck work while we were gone. When we returned we found that nothing had been done, and the yard was using the delayed shipment of the Andersen winch as their excuse.

We should have known – “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” – and I made it my business to go up to the yard virtually every day after April 11th. That plus my speaking directly to the yard owner Sven Svendsen lit a fire under things. The Andersen winch arrived, and Tibbe and his assistant Noah worked on the boat almost every day for the next three weeks.

And, my time going up wasn’t wasted, since after my daily visit to the yard I spent the day re-doing the varnish on my Islander Bahama 28, Dog Days.

We brought Spindrift back to her berth on May 11th. The next week I went in and negotiated a rebate on the yard bill, which made us feel a lot better about the overall cost of the refit work.





Additional refit photos

Maintenance Log, 2006

Maintained by James Williams and Deborah Stern, third owners.

Biweekly: Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, sailing or not.

Monthly: Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal as necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.


12/12/05 - 2/24/06 – Removed old varnish on handrails and cockpit hatchway and hatches. Sanded and primed with Penetrol and applied six coats of Epifanes Varnish. Work performed by Any Neuvecelle-Buckles (see invoice #0621 dated 1/24/06).

3/13 - Engine maintenance. Checked belts, coolant, fuel filters, and changed oil.

5/29 - Polished all the stainless and winches, using Bright Boy.

6/5 - Pumped out head and gave the whole system a thorough cleaning.

6/24 - General interior cleaning. Polished hull with Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish.

9/7 - Polished hull with Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish.

10/5 - Repaired steering system, replacing cable, straightening bent sheaves a mounts. Work performed by Rob Bastress, Bastress Custom Boats (see invoice dated 10/5/06).

10/22 - Maintenance on teak cap rails, two coats Epifane High Gloss Varnish on handrails and hatch entry way, and one coat varnish on hatches. Work performed by Any Neuvecelles-Buckles (see invoice #10103, dated 10/22/06).

Maintenance Log, 2005

Maintained by James Williams and Deborah Stern, third owners.

Monthly - Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, when not sailing.

Monthly - Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal if necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.


2/5-3/31 – Toe-rail cover measured and fabricated by Laurie Elliot, Custom Marine Canvas. (See invoice dated 4/8/05)

3/14-4/7 – Taped, sanded with #320 paper and applied two more coats Epifanes High Gloss Varnish to cap rails. Work performed by Any Neuvecelle-Buckles. (See invoice dated 4/7/05.)


5/11 – Removed old, unused GPS antenna, which was damaged on 5/8. Removed rigging tape from and inspected lifeline turnbuckles and connections and shroud turnbuckles. Re-taped.

6/5 & 6/12 – Pumped out head and took on twenty-two gallons of diesel fuel, adding ValvTect BioGuard Diesel Micro-Biocide and ValvTect Diesel Guard Heavy Duty Marine Diesel Additive.

7/2 – Polished the stern and most of the starboard side with Marine Teflon Polish.

7/10 – Full wash down with Roll-Away deck cleaner.

7/14 – Cleaned and waxed topsides.

8/14 – Polished the winches, stanchions, pulpits, and the galley sinks.

9/6-10/20 - Tuesday, hauled out at Svendsen's Boatyard to check out prop, change thru-hulls, and do a bottom job. Our Martec prop is finished, and we're quite sure the drive shaft is slightly bent. We had the prop disassembled and cleaned when we bought the boat in Monterey and then had it rebuilt in 2003 by Alameda Prop. After quite a bit of discussion with Scott Fossum at Alameda Prop, we ordered a Variprop 3-blade feathering prop to replace the old Martec.

Meanwhile, we arranged for Rob Bastress (Marine Outfitters) to pulling the shaft - which requires removing the rudder. Scott Fossum (Alameda Prop) thinks that if the shaft is bent (which we’re pretty sure it is), it will have to be replaced. On the other hand, Rob is convinced the shaft can be straightened if the bend is very slight (which we're pretty sure it is), and we'll go with him on this. Rob is going to pull the six thru-hulls, which we’re having replaced with brass seacocks, and the yard is going to do a bottom job - two coats of Pettit Trinidad, last done in February 2003. We're turning this into a sort of mini-upgrade to ensure off-shore safety.

Friday (9/9), we met Rob at the yard to look at the progress being made on the boat. The rudder was pulled in preparation to pull the prop, the batteries had been removed to provide access to the transmission and shaft, and the thru-hulls were removed. We had decisions to make and one big surprise.

The one-and-a-half inch head overboard thru-hull had literally been hanging on by a fingernail size bit of plastic – section between the outside and inside of the hull was cracked almost completely, so much so that water had already started seeping into the hull and had begun to rot the bottom shelf under the head sink compartment. Had we tried to open the seacock to dump overboard (or test our macerator), the thru-hull would probably have broken off – a hair’s breadth from disaster.

We also discovered that one of our two 8-D batteries had boiled over, and realize that we’re going to have to upgrade our charger to a smart system. So we spent some time talking with a battery and charger representative on Saturday, and once we decide what charger we want we’ll replace it.

Finally, we discussed whether or not to remove the Y-valve in our head discharge system, and simply run a single line into the holding tank and then a single line back out through the macerator and to the thru-hull. This would eliminate some turns and potential blockage points in the lines. But, ultimately, we decided to leave the Y-valve in, so that if the holding tank failed, we could quickly bypass it in an emergency.

Monday (9/19), we inspected the new seacocks, which were installed but not yet plumbed inside. Rob reported that he had taken the shaft to a prop shop in Richmond to be straightened, and it had a very slight bend. Meanwhile, our new Variprop feathering propeller arrived at Alameda Prop. Specifications are:
DF-107 (107 mm) hub
3 blades
18” diameter x 14” pitch fwd x 12” pitch reverse
B/L is 109%
Calc speed is 7.3 knots
Sized for Perkins 4-108M, 45 HP @ 3600 RPM (40 @ 3000), 2;57:1 reduction, 1-
1/4” diameter SAE shaft for LH rotation

Tuesday (9/20), we replaced Lifesling casing, which had been damaged on our San Leandro cruise-out. We also retired our old 1983 vintage EPIRB and ordered a new GlobalFix 406 w/GPS from Sal's Inflatable Services in Alameda, along with new batteries for our equally old but still functioning Firefly strobes.

Saturday (9/24), we cleaned and polished 80 percent of Spindrift’s hull using a West Marine brand cleaner/wax and Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish.

Tuesday (9/27), met with Rob and decided that instead of moving the engine over a ½ inch to achieve engine alignment, we would remove and remount the prop shaft strut, which was incorrectly mounted by Monterey Boat Works in 2003. This means the boat will be out of the water another week, but either option would have meant the same amount of time.

Sunday (10/2), completed cleaning and polishing hull.

Tuesday (10/4), exchanged CNG tank at Svendsen’s chandlery.

Friday (10/7), checked on progress. The prop shaft strut was been re-bedded, and Rob seemed hopeful we could splash the boat in four or five days. Discovered, when in re-bedding the strut that the original gelcoat was a royal blue, so it appears Spindrift’s second owners worked to match it when they painted the hull in 1994/1995.

Wednesday (10/12), installed new raw water strainer. Got word that problems getting the new engine mounts installed will delay splashing the boat for a couple of more days. Put pressure on Rob to get it in the water Friday.

Friday (10/14), Spindrift went back in the water, although still has mechanical hookups before she can be moved to Rob’s pier for final work. Paid our bill at Svendsen’s Boat Works (see invoice dated 10/14/05). Took Rob up to the Encinal Yacht Club for drinks and dinner.

Saturday-Sunday (10/15-16), scrubbed and polished deck, began cleaning interior, rigged tie-downs for dinghy, and put up radar reflector. Meantime, Rob got the engine running and steering hooked up, and he and Jim motored Spindrift over to his slip at Mariner Boatyard.

Thursday (10/20), picked up Spindrift at Rob’s dock in Grand Marina. Plumbing all hooked up, shaft aligned to within two-thousandths, and boat cleaned up and ready. Hooking up the bonding system of the head thru-hulls with the rest remains to be done, and Rob wants to do a couple of other minor things, which he’ll complete in the next two weeks. Paid Bastress Custom Boats (see invoice dated 10/20/05).




10/23 - Organized galley drawers and cabinets and nav table with drawer dividers, finally putting piles of stuff in proper order.

10/27 - Michael Lord performed annual engine service on Perkins 4-108. Zinc in heat exchanger was completely gone; must remember to replace it every six months. (See invoice dated 11/1/05).

10/29 - Completed organizing drawers, cleaned bilge, repaired wood handle on cabinet door, and reglued nonskid to dock steps.

10/26-31 - Taped, sanded with #320 paper and applied two more coats Epifanes High Gloss Varnish to cap rails. Work performed by Any Neuvecelle-Buckles and John Buckles. (See invoice dated 11/1/05.)

11/18 - Rob finished the bonding system (see 10/20), and rewired compass light.

Maintenance Log, 2004

Maintained by James Williams and Deborah Stern, third owners.

Biweekly - Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, sailing or not.

Monthly - Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal if necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.

1/4 – Lightly sanded teak cap-rail and applied one coat of Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss thinned to about a 40% consistency as a protective coating until we can completely sand and apply fresh varnish when warm weather returns.

1/10-1/11 – Maintenance weekend:

Engine. 1) Changed oil and filter twice, running engine about 40 minutes between changes. Cleaned oil up considerably, but will do a third change soon. 2) Traced minor fuel leak to sleeve nut connection from fuel line to high-pressure pump, tightened sleeve nut and leak seems to have stopped. Will keep an eye on it over the next few weeks. 3) Checked and cleaned raw water intake strainer. Replaced raw water intake impeller – appear to have done this just in time, as almost all the blades were cracked, a couple quite badly.

Batteries. Topped off – only a couple of cells seemed to have lost water.

Rigging. At the pulpit, added a new guide block to roller furling system so that furling line enters furling drum at a ninety-degree angle – hope this will stop overlapping of the furling line. Cleaned up and whipped line ends on three halyards and roller furling line. Checked and adjusted cotter pins on shrouds.

Plumbing. Pumped and rinsed out head holding tank. Most of the head smells built up during use by previous owners is gone. Still have to clean macerator.


1/18 – One of four bolts supporting a mid-ship stanchion on the starboard side broke loose, rusted through. Removed and re-bedded the stanchion, replacing the two outside bolts. Removed docking marks from hull, thoroughly scrubbed non-skid, and removed some debris from deep in the bilge.

2/15 – Waxed hull with Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish (1st coat – second to be applied within 60 days).

3/2 – New UK Silver Tape Mainsail and UK 95% Silver Tape Jib installed (see UK Sailmaker invoice #1923, dated 2/25/04).

3/6 – Replaced insulation and added weather stripping on icebox doors. Fit icebox with a blanket made of bubble-wrap insulation, which covers the ice in the bottom half of box. Discovered that drain hose leaks, probably at fitting. We’ll have to either remove the galley counters to lift out the icebox for repair or cut a door into the counter wall to gain access.

3/7 – Pumped 10 gallons of clean water with Raritan K.O. through macerator and overboard to clean the macerator. Seems to have worked, as lingering smells disappeared.

3/13 – Replaced tensioning bolt and nut on alternator; old one was stripped and the nut had worked its way off the bolt. Tightened bolts on forward starboard motor mount bracket to block – only one of three was tight.

3/14 – Discovered what appears to be leaking of “rusty” water from raw water intake impeller unit after sail on Saturday; leaking was only from the one day. Tightened bolts on plate bolting unit to block – three of four were up to a turn loose. After sailing and motoring approximately two hours today, the leak continued but not as badly as the day before. Will check out with a couple of sources before proceeding to fix. Topped off fuel, which was down to about a half a tank; added bio-guard and diesel additive and filled with 25+ gallons of diesel.

3/19 – Removed raw water intake pump and took into Brian Lowe at British Marine to have the seals replaced. Raw water strainer: disassembled, cleaned, and installed new gaskets.

3/20-21 – Miscellaneous maintenance weekend:

Determined that leakage from icebox was probably coming through old caulking at drain plug in bottom of the box, then running down the outside of the drain hose. Removed drain plug on icebox, and cleaned away old caulking using acetone for final cleaning. Lost hose temporarily, but finally used a coat hanger as a guide (from the icebox drain hole to the hose entry hole at the bottom of the icebox insulation box) to push drain hose back up through the drain hole. Then reinserted plug end and caulked in place using Life Caulk.

Installed hook and eye to hold open head door.

Applied second wax coat to hull using Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish. Applied initial coat to topside and cockpit fiberglass (second coat to be applied within 60 days).

3/24 – Picked up rebuilt Sherwood G65 raw water pump (new bearings, cam, seal, and gasket) from British Marine and installed on engine. Noticed tiny amount of water coming through weep holes in pump shaft. Called British Marine, and Brian Lowe recommended running it for two hours or so, which should cause the seal to seat properly thereby ending the leaking. If it still has water coming through the weep holes after this, we’ll have to remove the pump again and take it in to determine why the leak is occurring.

3/28 – Changed oil and filter after observing oil pressure was a bit elevated (about 70 psi).

3/29 – After running engine for two hours over the weekend and still having water leaking through the weep holes on the raw water pump, we removed the pump and took it into British Marine. Brian Lowe decided we should put in a new shaft – scoring on the old one may be contributing to the leaking – and we discovered a small nick in the pump wall where the seal sits. Lowe is going to put in the new shaft, another new seal (inserted past the nick in the wall), and then test it. Will have it back in a week.

4/9 – Picked up water pump and installed. Second time, it went very easily – Deb managed to line up the spline and shaft in two tries! In checking slight dripping from the water strainer, we discovered the drain plug bolt was badly corroded. Removed the strainer and discovered the 5/16” screw threads had worn away. Tapped new 3/8” screw threads and installed a new stainless bolt with o-ring. Reinstalled strainer and tested water system for leaks – problem solved.

4/16 – Test sail with UK sail maker Sylvain Barrielle. Went over sail tuning and agreed that a protective patch had to be added to genoa to protect it from the bow pulpit.

4/30-5/2 and 5/4 – Scraped, sanded, and spot varnished worn sections of teak handrails, companion way trim, and starboard cap-rail. Put on first and second coats of varnish to handrails and companion way teak.

5/7-5/9, 5/11, and 5/14-5/16 – Scraped, sanded, and spot varnished worn sections of port cap-rail. Applied third, fourth, fifth, and sixth coats of varnish to handrails and companion way teak, and put on second and third coats on starboard cap-rail and first and second coats on port cap-rail.

5/29 – Spot scraped, sanded and varnished portions of the aft port and stern cap-railss.

6/1 – After mishap with the reefing system on 5/31, in which the reefing cringle came loose from the reefing hook and the main sail tore at a reefing tie off point, we decided to take the sail to Rooster Sails for repair. Since the sail was off the boom, we disconnected the boom from the mast and took the gooseneck swivel (toggle) to Svendsen’s Metal Shop for repair or replacement. We realized one of the problems was that the reefing hooks welded to the swivel were not positioned correctly, which made the cringle slipping off a real continuing threat. After discussion with Chris at the metal shop and doing some careful measuring of the swivel piece, we decided to just rebuild the piece with new hooks, but we also decided that we could try reefing with our existing Cunningham (a bit of tackle in storage that we had been ignoring). We also got a general price on a new boom: about $2,200 from the mast back, including a slab reefing system. We’ll be considering this in the future, but for now it’s just getting the basic repairs done.

Also, discovered that we had pumped just a bit too much into the head, and messy and very smelly ooze seeped out through the holding tank inspection hole and into the holding tank compartment. We spent a couple of hours cleaning up the mess, pumping out the tank and running clean water through it, spraying out the holding tank compartment, putting Lysol almost everywhere, and then cleaning the bilge. A terrible mess, indeed, but we now know for sure how much our holding tank will take: 10 gallons of water for flushing and the equivalent amount of waste. Anymore and it would probably overflow.

6/4 – Picked up gooseneck toggle from Svendsen’s Metal Shop. They did a super job with it, taking off the old hooks and welding on new ones in the proper position, and polishing out the entire piece – like a mirror, you could comb your hair in it. Although our sail wasn’t ready, we returned to the boat and remounted the boom with the new gooseneck toggle. .... No telltale signs of the head problems of a week before. She cleaned up beautifully.

6/6 – Deb measured out some curtains for the V-berth side compartments. Mock-ups looked nice, so we’re going ahead with the final curtains.

6/11-12 – Picked up repaired sail from Rooster Sails, washed off some dirt smudges on it, and installed on boat. Tested reefing in the slip and decided that we’d use the Cunningham for the second reef so we won’t have to remove the sail track stopper. Installed curtains in V-berth side compartments.

7/12 – Replaced rubber tips on swim ladder.

7/17 – Got fuel (a little over a half-tank) and added biograde and diesel fuel jet cleaner, and pumped head.

7/23-25 – Met with Rob Bastress, Marine Outfitters, and planned installation of windlass. In preparation this month we’ve purchased 35 lb. Delta anchor, Lofrans Project 1000 windlass, and 150 ft. 5/16” HT anchor chain (see entries for 8/27, 9/22, and 12/1/04).

Also worked on where we want to install hardware for portable Forespar engine hoist and Edson outboard motor holder. Changed oil and filter and added Engine Protector from Art. Polished stainless steel and interior brass, and did some other miscellaneous clean-up maintenance.

7/31 – Pumped head – it looks as though we’ve finally gotten it really clean. Perhaps need to pump some cleaner through the macerator one more time to eliminate any lingering odors, but it’s as good as it’s ever been. Removed the Danforth anchor, chain, and rode from locker in preparation for remodeling the anchor locker and installing the windlass.

8/27 – We had hoped to return from travels to find the windlass project completed. Alas, this is a boat, and it has its own schedule. The anchor locker was deepened by twelve inches. In doing so the empty void beneath the old locker was opened, only to discover that water had been leaking down in to it along the waste pump hose and head holding tank vent line. Because the waste pump hose and vent line both reached the tank under the V-berth through a hole drilled in the bulkhead that was four or five inches above the bottom of the bulkhead itself, a rancid build up of water had been sloshing about there for perhaps fifteen years – since the holding tank had been installed. Since the boat was built in 1980, before holding tanks were required, the whole holding tank set-up was a retrofit. And, it was a poor one. So, with this unearthed, we cleaned up the rotting bulkhead wood as good as possible, applied resin over it, and decided to replace the holding tank as well as the vent line and discharge hose. We also discovered that the macerator was at the end of its life, which we also decided to replace along with related hoses. Estimate three more weeks before the job is done.

9/22 – Revised estimate to complete work on windlass/holding tank project to early October. We don’t expect it to be completed before the end of November!

10/12-11/17 – Removed old varnish finish on cap-rails with heat gun and removed and cleaned hardware (28 hours). Drilled out six plugs, reset screws, and fitted new plugs. Filled gap on both sides at the top of the cap-rails. Removed broken screw and plugged. Taped and sanded with #80, #120, and #180 paper. Applied two coats of sealer – first coat 100% Penetrol; sanded and applied second coat 50% Penetrol and 50% Epifanes High Gloss Varnish – and untapped (18 hours). Retaped, sanded, and applied 1st coat of Epifanes High Gloss Varnish (2 ½ hours). Sanded with #320 paper and applied 2nd coat of varnish (3 ½ hours); applied four more coats of varnish, sanding between each coat. Removed tape and reinstalled hardware; sealed gap between hull and cap rail at starboard stern corner. Materials purchased: 20 pieces #80, 15 pieces #120, 15 pieces #180, and 65 pieces #320 sandpaper; 1½ quarts varnish, 1 quart Penetrol, 1 small can paint thinner, 7 tack clothes, and brush cleaner. Work performed by Any Neuvecelle-Buckles (invoices dated 10/30/04 and 11/30/04).

11/8-12 – Removed old leather wheel covering and stitched on new one.

12/1 – Installation of the new holding tank, macerator, and windlass completed. The quality of Rob’s work is superb; in the end, the wait, though frustrating, was worth it. Windlass required cutting out and lowering anchor locker floor, building and glassing in shelf to hold windlass, running cables, installing and wiring control box and deck switches, designing and constructing stainless steel chain guide with roller, modifying and glassing anchor locker lid, and installing Lofrans Project 1000 windlass. New holding tank and macerator project required removing old waste hoses, and, while anchor locker was under construction, repairing and cutting away bulkhead for drainage and re-cutting passages for head vent hose and waste pump out hose and building standpipe to guide waste hose up through anchor locker; building frame to hold new 20 gallon holding tank, attaching hoses to new holding tank, replacing old macerator with new, wiring up macerator and install BP switch. (See invoice dated 12/4/04.)

Also removed forward spinnaker pole bracket from deck, and arranged to store spinnaker pole indefinitely at Encinal Yacht Club. Pole is now hung on hooks in the EYC boat storage facility.

Maintenance Log, 2003

Maintained by James Williams and Deborah Stern, third owners.

Biweekly - Perkins 4-108 engine, run in gear at 2200 RPM, 15-30 minutes, sailing or not.

Monthly - Bottom cleaning and zinc inspection (and renewal if necessary), by Fastbottoms, Alameda, CA.

1/9 - Est. 1600 hours on rebuilt engine.

1/1/-2/19 - Boat hauled on December 24, 2002, for hull and engine surveys (completed by 1/6). Engine oil test by Woodward Marine (Moss Landing, CA) for Lubewatch revealed some abnormalities in the spectrochemical analysis: copper = 74 ppm, sodium = 40 ppm, and potassium = 35 ppm. Additionally, it revealed physical properties of >.1% water and a trace level of glycol (coolant). The report recommended a cooling system pressure check, which we are deferring until we get the boat to its Alameda berth.

Took possession at Monterey Bay Boat Works on 1/11 and ordered work to be performed by the yard. Replacement of cutting bearing revealed electrolysis had almost destroyed the strut; new strut ordered (had to be cast) and installed. Removed, cleaned and reinstalled Martec propeller; installed new zincs. Touched up hull paint; cleaned, polished, and waxed hull. Removed and serviced through hull valves, prepped bottom for pain, and rolled on two coats blue Petit Trinidad. Basic survey performed by Stephen Wedlock (Wedlock & Stone, Sausalito CA). Engine survey performed by Monterey Mariner (Monterey, CA). All other work performed by Monterey Bay Boatworks and boat launched on 2/17. The yard charged 14 lay days out of 55, which considering inclement weather and delay in getting strut cast seemed reasonable.

1/11-1/12 - Removed settee, quarter-berth, and V-berth cushions and took to upholstery cleaners for thorough cleaning, removal of mildew, and zipper repair. Removed damp and mildewed personal items left by previous owners. Cleaned interior from bow to companion way hatch with Tilex Mildew Remover and Simple Green, removing damp teak pieces from head/shower floor and cabinets to clean and dry.

1/18-1/20 - Carefully inspected chain plates, stanchions, and cap-rail for signs of water seepage. Re-caulked two starboard and one port chain plates, which showed evidence of seepage; pulled out old caulk, cleaned with Acetone, and sealed with life-caulk (tried both liquid and regular life-caulk (prefer liquid for filling in small areas but must watch it seeping on to deck and nonskid). Removed teak paneling and backing ply board on starboard side of V-berth where dampness had set in from a stanchion leak; sun-dried for a day and replaced the next day. Found no dampness on port side. Found several gallons of standing water in bilge; removed, which seems to alleviate condensation problems. Continue cleaning cabinets with Tilex to remove mildew; Simple Green for grime (under sink in head, water lines, cabinets and draws in V-berth and main cabin). Removed CF Numbers, "Santa Cruz" hailing port letters, and Spindrift name from hull with oven cleaner and peeled off registration stickers. Removed, sanded, re-varnished cockpit table, cup holder, and flagpole with Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss – completed work at home.

1/25-1/26 - Recaulked bedding bolts in forward starboard stanchion; polished stainless bow and stern pulpits, stanchions, and deck fittings; cleaned, renewed, and polished brass fittings in head and main cabin; cleaned plumbing fittings in head; finished new design for name and hailing port (Spindrift San Francisco, CA).

2/1 - Cleaned, renewed, and polished brass fitting at Nav Station. Inspected aft below decks fittings, fuel and water lines, electrical connections, and CNG tank.

2/8 - Inspected paint touch up on freeboard and final application of new letter of name and hailing port. Made notes to pass on to boatyard foreman.

2/17 - Launched boat and moved to transient slip. Installed new "hold-up" spring for engine hatch.

2/20 - Changed oil, oil filter, and fuel filter; check heat exchanger zincs; check water pump impeller. Work performed by Monterey Mariner (see last notation in entry for 3/17-5/2).

2/22 - Hauled twice at Monterey Bay Boat Works to correct installation of Martec propeller. Prior to launch on 2/17, after removing, cleaning, and inspecting the propeller, it appears that the propeller was installed backwards (forward and reverse controls were reversed and the engine would not rev over 1200 RPM in forward gear). This mistake was made, even though the yard supervisor had been told when the boat was hauled to be extremely careful to reinstall correctly, as Martec warned about accidental backwards installation. The yard agreed to haul the boat to correct the problem. They agreed that the propeller was out of pitch, but never agreed that it had been installed backwards. In any case, it was launched and tried again. This time, although power was correct and the forward and reverse controls were correct, it was clear the pitch was off, as it chattered terribly in forward gear. It was hauled a second time, and the pitch was corrected. A final sea trial proved the repairs were made correctly.

3/5 - Removed and replaced fuel-sensing device on diesel tank; filtered and polished diesel fuel, effectively cleaning tank and removing approximately two cups of sediment (dead algae, etc.). No water in fuel. Work performed by Bob Sherman, Diesel Fuel Filtering (Alameda, CA).

3/7 - Professional cleaning job on bilge. Discovered the next day a significant amount of diesel (or water mixed with diesel) in the stern compartment of the bilge and arranged for it to be cleaned again. Work performed by Uzi Broshi, Seashine (Alameda, CA).

3/8-3/9 - Replaced primary Raycor fuel filter and secondary engine fuel filter. Worked to bleed fuel system on 3/8 with Michael Araneda. Had a difficult time locating the bleed points shown in the Perkins's manual; unable to start the engine. On 3/9 David Howie stopped by and, while we finally think we deciphered the manual, we broke off a bleed screw on the high-pressure fuel pump. It will need a professional mechanic to repair.

Performed other minor maintenance: replaced 12 v. lamp in main cabin and wired the switch so it would operate properly; cleaned marks off hull; washed down deck and removed stubborn stains from cockpit sole; polished brass on head seat; replaced broken cabinet latch in head; replaced fender whips. Removed, sanded, and re-varnished small cap-rail in cockpit with Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss - completed work at home.

3/10 - Second bilge cleaning. Contacted Marty Chin, Bay Marine Diesel (Alameda, CA), concerning engine problems and passed along the engine oil test results from January (see 1/1-2/19 entry). He advised that the sodium and potassium revealed in the oil analysis suggested a bad oil cooler. The source of anti-freeze in the oil is mostly likely from a leaking head gasket, cracked head or block. He recommended replacing the oil cooler, re-torque the head and adjusting the valves, replacing the bleed screw, and doing another oil analysis after 50 hours.

3/17-5/2 - Major work on Perkins 4-108 engine (performed by Marty Chin, Bay Marine Diesel)

3/17 - Removed broken bleed screw and the anti-stall device on which the screw is mounted; ordered new device. Torqued head and adjusted valves. Pulled oil cooler and removed head exchanger with saddle brackets - both appeared quite old - and sent out for remanufacturing.

Noted that the oil cooling circuit on Spindrift uses anti-freeze rather than seawater. It also has been modified on the output end to send anti-freeze to the water heater, no longer a stock part. To have gotten seawater in the oil, there would have to have been a small pinhole in the heat exchanger and a similar hole in the oil cooler. It appears that both the oil cooler and heat exchanger have been pulled by the previous owners and serviced. Now they seem possibly at the end of their service life and in the initial stage of failure. The heat exchanger outer shell particularly seems a little thin, and the cooling tubes are also probably thin.

4/8 - Installed and adjusted anti-stall device and injection pump bleed screw and installed rebuilt coolers. Bled engine, but it would not fire.

4/14-4/17 - Troubleshot fuel system: forced fuel backwards from the fuel filter inlet hose to the fuel tank and knocked a clog loose; reversed the flow and got good flow to the secondary filter assembly; checked flow before the lift pump an it was good, but after the lift pump it was low. Needs new lift pump.

Replaced the lift pump and fuel hose inlet fitting, which was jammed up against the intake manifold; the fuel hose just crumbled. Replaced all fuel hose, discovering both hoses had been wire tied in concealed areas under the stove and ice box. In pulling the hoses through one separated under the stove and the other separated just under the icebox, causing minor fuel spill.

Installed new fuel lines, having to move the 8D batteries to do it. The new lift pump has good suction, but fuel flow still restricted. Bled system three times, all the way to the injectors. No air left in system, but only fired once. Pulled injectors and tested them; they were good. Went back to tank pickup tube, pulled and checked for clogs - none found. Checked back through the filters, checking for algae & debris in filter head assembly check valves. Determined that high-pressure injection pump is bad.

4/22 - Removed injection pump and delivered to Diamond Diesel for testing and repair; it was totally worn out, requiring a complete rebuild. All the bolts on the exhaust manifold, injection pump, etc. were loose. Discovered two oil pressure senders installed but not wired to the engine harness; one attached to the remote oil filter adapter block, located where the hoses attach to the engine, port side forward; other directly aft of the injection pump and had to be removed to remove the pump. The aft sender was attached to a 45 deg steel pipefitting that broke in two on removal; had to extract the stub from the block.

4/30 - Discovered that the exhaust pipe that exits the exhaust manifold was loose midway up the pipe under the fiberglass wrap. Removed the fiberglass wrap from exhaust pipe. A 1-1/2" galvanized street-L is screwed into the exhaust manifold and the piping is screwed into this. The piping was never tightened sufficiently onto the street-L when originally assembled, so movement of the engine subsequently caused movement between the street-L and piping, which caused the threads in the street-L to wear out. Threads on the exhaust piping are marginal, but turns out the new pipefitting had deep enough threads to allow running the pipe deeper and into an area of good thread engagement. Reapplied fiberglass heat tape.

5/1-2 - Installed rebuilt high-pressure injection pump, did final fuel system bleed, test ran, adjusted idle speed and anti-stall device. At very end, discovered that an O-ring on the secondary fuel filter had been installed incorrectly and was blocking fuel flow - this was the result of work performed by Monterey Mariner in February. Job finished. Should not have problems with this engine for a very long time. (See entries for 5/28-29.)

3/22 - Removed old and installed new Raritan PH-II manual head - Chip Bem, O’Neill Yachts (Santa Cruz, CA) purchased the new head.

3/23 - Touched up hull paint and touched up varnish on worn spots along cap-rail - worst spots caused by rubbing of spring lines.

3/29 - Replaced automatic pump switch in bilge. Replaced broken snaps on hatch cover canvas.

4/6 - Cut to fit and relined shelves in galley and head with non-slip material.

4/19 - Adjusted tension on shrouds.

5/14 - Met with Hansen Rigging to discuss rigging options for short-handed sailing.

5/17 - Topped off batteries. Both batteries need to be replaced; ordered through Bay Marine Diesel. See general log entry for 5/16/03.

5/28-5/29 - Installed new batteries. Discovered that starter is draining down batteries; it needs new bearings and probably other repairs. Removed starter and replaced with rebuild. After a couple of cranks, engine started right up without bleeding. Ran under load for over an hour without problems. Probably an air bubble that had not bled off caused the engine stoppage on 5/16; had the batteries and starter been up to snuff, we should have been able to restart the engine when it quit. Work performed by Bay Marine Diesel.

6/12 - Fastbottoms notes that prop zinc and mounting tube are missing. Arrange for new zinc to be mounted on next service.

6/29-6/30 - Pumped head and filled diesel. Added ValvTect BioGuard Diesel Micro-Biocide and ValvTect Diesel Guard Heavy Duty Marine Diesel Additive to tank. Lengthened bilge pick up line to reach lowest point in bilge (near shower) and added a brass bilge strainer to hold in place. Works extremely well, and remaining water can be vacuumed out easily.

Took companionway hatch covers home to re-varnish. Sanded almost all the old varnish off and applied three coats Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss. Returned to boat on 7/11. Will add additional coats after winch installation in yard completed.

7/5-7/6 - Lowered jib and made temporary repairs to jib with nylon sail repair tape. Sealed and re-clamped mast boot with boot tape and clear silicon sealant. Thoroughly washed decks, removed a variety of tough stains - tried soap, FSR, and finally used On-and-Off (very strong and toxic). Cleaned and polished plexiglass hatch covers and ports, cleaned and waxed fiberglass in cockpit, polished stainless bow pulpit and mast hardware and winches, and vacuumed interior. Installed a bumper fender on the starboard slip finger, and replaced a fender that mysteriously disappeared overnight on 7/4.

Getting ready to pump the bilge, discovered a substantial amount of oil floating in the bilge. Put in four soakers to absorb the oil and checked engine oil level (okay) and for leaks. Didn't find any obvious leaks. Leaks had to have occurred on during the three hours motoring on 7/4, because the bilge was clean and dry when we arrived at the boat that day. Decided to call mechanic Michael Lord on 7/7 and arrange for him to inspect the engine and seal any leaks.

7/8-7/9 - Pulled oil soakers from bilge - really not a lot of oil - put in bilge cleaner, pumped, and vacuumed. Put an oil soaker in forward compartment of bilge to catch future leaks. Met with mechanic and looked for obvious oil leaks on engine. Found a couple of suspicious fittings, and observed that some oil is leaking (every so little) from the rear seal. Found a diesel fuel drip at the high-pressure pump, but not clear from exactly which fitting it's coming. Cleaned engine compartment with Simple Green, and replaced oily soaker pad under engine. Ran engine and looked for leaks; found none. Will have to keep watching when we run under normal load.

Finished cleaning and waxing topside gel coat, and removed rust stains around mast fittings with a couple of applications of FSR.

Installed Weems & Plath Ships Bells Clock from Islander Bahama 28 Dog Days. Need to patch holes from previous instrument, which had a slightly larger base (see 11/23/03).

Arranged to deliver genoa for repairs to Rooster Sails in Alameda on 7/15 and move boat to Mariner Boat Yard on or about 7/16 to install Andersen 52 EST winches and starting battery.

7/11 - Polished hull with Starbrite Marine Teflon Polish. Did a magnificent job! Should do again in 30 days, per product instructions, to give it a more long lasting finish.

7/12 - Checked for oil and diesel leaks at end of daylong sail with about two hours under motor. Found a small amount of oil leaking from fitting near high-pressure pump, tach plug looked damp, and rear engine seal showed some leakage. None really serious. But a worrisome amount of diesel (perhaps as much as an ounce) had leaked from some fitting on the high-pressure pump. Cleaned up leakage and replaced diesel wetted soaker pad under engine.

7/16-8/8 - Refitting work performed by Mariner Boat Yard (Rob Bastress) (receipt, invoice #10858):

Winches: Removed Barient 32 winches and supporting cleats from cockpit and replaced with Andersen 52STE (self-tailing, two-speed manual, one-speed electric) winches, including four gauge electrical runs, power posts, fuses, control boxes and switch installation. Repaired gelcoat where hardware was removed.

Starting battery: Moved Raycor filter from bottom of lazerette to starboard side of the engine compartment, and installed 12-volt Group 24 starting battery and battery box beneath the electrical panels in the lazerette where Raycor filter was. Paralleled existing 8D batteries for house bank.

Mast work: Replaced main boom topping lift, cleaned VHF antenna connector and sealed, lubricated windpoint/windspeed transducer, and ran flag halyard.

Miscellaneous: Replaced hose clamps on bilge line and cockpit drain lines in stern, replaced stern water tank fill line, cleaned up engine control wiring starboard behind lazarette, and bled fuel system and checked for leaks.

8/10-11/14 - After consultation with yard staff, determined to undertake additional significant refitting work at Mariner Boat Yard (Rob Bastress) (receipt, invoice #10858a):

Steering gear: Original pedestal and system was corroded, with teeth on gears broken and badly worn wire rope and sheaves. It could not be aligned properly as a result of the rudder post being raised an inch when previous owners had rebuilt it. Replaced steering pedestal with new Edson pedestal, controls, clutch, throttle, chain and wire rope assembly, and bronze sheaves.

Battery boxes, shelf, water system: On replacing 8D battery bank discovered that acid leaks had almost destroyed the battery and rear water tank aft cockpit locker sole. Removed water heater (which sat on top of the tank) and 35 gallon water tank. Removed old and rotted aft cockpit locker sole and constructed new sole from clear pine, sealed and painted. Built new cabinet for water tank with removable shelf on top. Painted lazarette interior and new cockpit locker sole. Installed inspection port in top of water tank. Installed sound insulation to cockpit sole and quarter berth wall. Reinstalled and installed water heater aft of the tank on the shelf. Installed all new water hoses from starboard tank to aft tank and installed Shurf water filter by starboard tank (access through starboard settee). Constructed new battery boxes for 8D bank, including removable step/shelf to cover them.

Rigging: Tuned rig, repositioned mast (forward, by adding eye jaw toggle to backstay, and from starboard to port about one inch), sealed mast partners using plumber’s foam. Tuning required loosening shroud to turnbuckles by teasing each one slowly over several days - all were frozen - and lubricating with lanoline. Repositioning of mast and tuning rig caused cabin to shift, resulting in headliner shifting dramatically in cabin and causing head portside light to leak. Rebedded portside light in head and above galley (which had leaked for some time).

Miscellaneous: Fabricated and installed new exhaust riser to replace worn out riser with broken welds, and installed new exhaust hoses. Hauled and replaced head sink valve and removed propeller; discovered shaft badly aligned, so raised engine mounts to realign shaft, lifting up (was bottomed out). Rebuilt Martec propeller (new bearings); hauled and reinstalled prop, renewed shaft zinc and prop button zinc. Installed deck tie-down to mast on aft side of mast to stabilize further separation from problem created by and incorrectly repaired by previous owners. Replaced radiator pressure cap.

Other items noted: replace old alternator/regulator with variable on/off alternator; replace water pump with variable speed pump; install strum box (strainer) on manual bilge pump line; seal wood drawers with Z-Spar 27 acrylic sealer.

11/15 - Renewed washers in galley fresh water faucet. General cleaning of interior, hull, and bilge.

11/22 - Motored over to Alameda Prop & Machine at Mariner Boat Yard. Scott Fossum dived the boat to check the cutlass bearing and prop pitch. He could find nothing wrong to explain the odd noise she makes when in gear - a noise that begins at about 1200 RPM and eventually disappears at about 2500 RPM in forward, a bit sooner in reverse. Greg Smith (Mariner Boat Yard Foreman), Rob Bastress, and Michael (mechanic at the yard) all listened - Michael thought it was the cutlass bearing; Greg decided it probably was a cavitations sound of water against the hull. We determined to listen over the next few months. If it gets worse, we'll come in and haul her to see if we can find the problem; if it stays the same or lessens, we'll simply check the cutlass bearing and prop carefully on our next scheduled bottom job haul-out (end of 2004).

11/23 - Purchased and installed Weems and Plath Ships Bells Clock for main cabin (see 7/8-9/03), and returned slightly smaller clock to Islander Bahama 28 Dog Days; new clock fit with original screw holes in bulkhead, so no patching necessary.

12/6-7 - Replaced jib sheets with 7/16" Samson Warpspeed (blue), replaced main sheet with 7/16" Samson Warpspeed (red), replaced preventer control lines with 7/16" Sta-Set (blue fleck), and replaced traveler control lines with 7/16" Sta-Set (blue). Replaced mainsheet block system with Lewmar 80mm Racing Blocks - fiddle block with becket attached to center of traveler; 5 single blocks for four bales on mast and at base of mast.

12/19-26 - Brought home small cockpit cap-rail, cup holder, and two gadget holders from bulkhead to re-varnish. Applied three coats of Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss.

12/27 - Cleaned and polished lifelines and polished stainless steel fittings. Brought home interior brass fixtures for polishing.