An agitated neuron and other stuff

The Red Admiral has emerged and -oh joy – it’s not raining in Portland which, of course, means that it will be soon. Portland is in wonderful springtime display. Huge cherry trees dropping petals like pink snowflakes, rhododendrons gorgeously spectacular and an interesting and blossom lathered tree with delicate almost magenta rosettes. Coool! Bobbles seems to have survived her chrysalis stage. We unwrapped her and she’s waking up – sadly, minus her outboard which must have been stolen under the cover of rain and darkness since we were last here. As a charitable soul, I hope it karks on the new owners when they are way downstream on the Columbia and they have to row home… The to-do list is shrinking. Yesterday we sorted one of the bigger jobs which I’ve been dreading. Bobbles is about 2/3rds open cockpit with the cockpit floor about a foot above the outer hull and she had two half inch drains awkwardly placed to take water through the interior and out through the transom. If this gig turns out the way we plan, there will be a lot of open water, much of it potentially quite rough and my catastrophising neuron advised, rather loudly, that half inch drains were a tad puny for the amount of water that might be sloshing around. After a bit of careful thought and planning, lots of Sikaflex, turpentine, boiling water and some severe contortions she now has two inch-and-a-half drains which might work a bit better. Today’s job will be fitting the rowlocks and hiking strap anchors. More contortions. The big unknown is the centreboard hinge. It has been reinforced at some time in the past and we don’t know why. The reinforcement may be structural or to prevent leakage. We haven’t launched her yet and lowered the board so this may be the next biggie. There will be a launching real soon now. Watch this space. If that all works, we must raise the mast and try my redesigned rig. Because of other demands, we have a month to get it all sorted and Bobbles to Port Townsend… photos to follow later today.