Is it Spring yet?
I’m confident that the next six months are going to feel much longer than they are in reality. It seems like a long wait for Azura to be transported to our marina spot at Port Dalhousie. Until then, there are many little projects that we can do throughout the long winter.
Carpentry will be Bryan’s focus. He needs to rebuild the floating wood section that serves as the cockpit floor—it’s showing some signs of rot. Then another important bit of work will be to replace or restore one or more of the hatches. The dorade boxes are a little worse for the wear too. There is some trim work on the deck that needs replacing although I think that will have to wait until she is in the water. The trim in question has been painted white but originally was stained. We’d like to go back to unpainted wood because it looks very striking. I’m not sure what else Bryan has in mind except there has been a brief mention of making a folding cockpit table.
My projects surround the galley and berths. The biggest task for me is to find a suitable alcohol stove so I’ll be visiting Ontario Boat Wreckers. Hopefully I can find a two-burner model in good condition. I’ll need to start gathering the basics for a sailboat kitchen such as pots, pans, a kettle, and utensils. We will also need cutlery and dishes. I think that something unbreakable or break-resistant is in order.
I’ll be breaking out the sewing machine to make new curtains, recover or replace the cushions for the two berths in the common area, and make some custom sheets for the v-berth. There will be some room for creativity as I will be creating some throw pillows to add a splash of colour. I’ve been thinking of sewing up a few coordinating bolsters to house the sheets and blankets when we aren’t sleeping.
All in all there isn’t a ton of work to do before we start sailing. There will be a little bit of work on a few spots where there is some minor crazing but considering the age of this sailboat, it is in great shape. There a few other creative projects swimming around in my head, but I’m keeping those under my hat so that I might surprise Bryan for Christmas and his birthday.
By the way, I’ve been collecting information about sailing and items that inspire me on Pinterest. If you are curious please click the Pinterest icon at the top of the page to check it out.