All good things come to those who wait.
I have a small charter the 10th threw the 14th ($150/day), and another March 30 threw April 4th. My job on the ship looks like its a go as the drug test can take place on the ship.
When I get back from the job in the Bahamas I’m hiring two guys to make it happen. $800.00 gets me two good fiberglass workers for a month, plenty of time. Splendid will be fair and painted, I will shoot the hull myself in the water.
I’ve always wanted a black hull. I know…, I know, it’s hot. Well not any hotter than a blue or red hull, and truthfully I want it a few degrees warmer. If the ambient temperature in Splendid is slightly warmer than ambient outside she will be dry as the moisture will whisk out. That’s the theory at least. I have asthma and if I can stop the mold from growing as much, its all worth it. If I don’t like it I’ll paint it white and be better for it. They say the coolest boats have a layer of black paint under the white as the UV rays don’t pass through the black paint. I also love the looks of a black hull and like the fact it isn’t as easy to spot at night. Eventually I’ll have tanbark sails which will really kick off the classic look of the old sailing boat that she is. Black will also be nice to have in cooler climates.
After the paint I will juice up the kitty with some backpacker runs & charters and I’m planning to transit the canal by next December with a few bucks tucked away for the Pacific. I have a lot of carpentry projects but will save them for Asia where teak is abundant and good carpenters affordable. I want to sail to Hong Kong where Splendid was built back in 1973 (I was only 8). I’m sure I’ll get caught in the area for years :)
Man I’ve been busting my butt on the boat, so much my entire body is soar, cramped in the engine room and lazerettes. All three of my bilge pumps decided to take a dump at once so I had two nasty days of plumbing in the bilge and rebuilding pumps. I need a rebuild kit for my manual pump but fixed it up with some silicone for now. The switch in my rule pump died and I think it is what has been causing me copious amounts of electrolysis. The internal switch has had a short. A few months ago I tracked down a small amp draw to that pump and decided it might be normal for the pump, obviously not.
Okay, here is some B I G news. After screwing around with the Kubota for so long I’m finally using it to charge the batteries. I need to get a larger belt to fit the newly fitted impellor pump and re-plumb the raw water but its good for the moment using the electric pump :)
Splendid is an absolute disaster and littered with tools, today is the starting of the clean up process, I hate cleaning!
Has anyone gone through the operation for surfers ear (exostosis)? I have it really bad from the cold waters of California and when I get back I’m going to look into having it taken care of. Surgery is quite affordable here and I’m thinking it would only cost a few grand at the most. My ears hurt on a daily basis and its keeping me out of the water.
I’m excited to lift the anchor after being caught in La Guma Breeza for so long! San Blas is such an amazing place especially during the dry season.
There are still plenty of Charter Raffle tickets available in the store :) A week in the San Blas for $50.00 might be a good time ;)
Cheers from a sunny Panama.
Sail far and live Slowly!
Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
Alex:
Sorry about the ear thing. That sucks. So are you doing the cruise ship thing in May? If so give me some dates and we’ll see if we can connect.
Black hull. Nice. She’ll like that color. I like a darker hull too and Panacea will be looking for a paint job in the next year or two and I’m hoping 3, but I can see it coming. I’ll see what you think of your color during that time. It’s good to have a Guinea Pig out there testing things out. Thanks.
SW Florida continues to bounce around with the cool weather. I’d like to see a good stretch of low 80’s but I also know that it’s snowing elsewhere, so I have no complaints. Sailing is good and Panacea is being gentle with the kitty lately.
Just put in a new muffler, it had a pretty good drip under load and now changing old hoses and clamps everywhere. The muffler was fiberglass and really old. After taking it off it was cracked on the intake side and that was the cause of the leak.
New furling coming within the next couple of weeks. Starting with the Ginny and then the main is next. If I have any dough left I’m going to do the stay sail too. I’d use it more if it was furled.
Anyway, I’m rambling on your site so I’ll get out of here.
Best of luck and go clean your boat. ;o)
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
hey alex, the biggest reason why plan c will not be black is that it shows every little brush with a panga or hard dingy, and it is very hard to repair and not have it show. also imperfections will jump out when you paint a dark shiney color……………..g
The Vibe on the blog is so good Alex. I tell you I haven’t read any blogs since Dec 27th because it was getting dark and that is not why I follow you. It wasn’t your fault in the least! But the way you have dealt with it has been nothing short of fantastic. You are really starting to sound like the Alex of old. Call it mojo or whatever I for one am glad you are back brother! Now about the black hull. I for one agree with the comments that it is going to show everything, but man there is nothing that looks better when it is all shined up. I have fought with black cars my whole life and I have a love hate thing going on but I would change a thing. Keep living free Alex! Take care Mike
If times are dark, whether its loneliness and a broken heart, no money, or health problems, I want to read about it. Those of us who might follow in your footsteps need to know what life is like out there good and bad, not just cheery dreams, sunshine, and dolphins playing on the bow.
Michael,
Thanks for the words, yeah I had a bad run of $hit and happy to finally be through it, life is quite spectacular again!
My Philosophy with Splendid is I want a shrimp boat/low maintenance finish on the outside. Under the Bimini (out of the sun) I want my cockpit a museum of bright teak as the interior. I don’t mind imperfections in the hull, I don’t want her to have a “yacht” finish and never did. I don’t mind brush strokes in the paint, but I want her to be proud, one color, and not look neglected. If I get a scratch from a ponga I’ll have extra paint on board. Many of my cleats (new ones) are galvanized as will be the rigging once I deem is necessary to change. This is some of what I’m going to talk about in my book and next video. World cruising sailboats do not have to be expensive, at least not any more than a car. We…, (Americans) have a overly-complicated view of what a yacht should be, at least in my humble opinion.
I’m also eventually going to hand paint the mast and booms a mid to dark brown, that coupled with tanbark sails and a black hull will keep her well hidden (from the eye) at sea. If I want to be seen I have lights. When I sleep at night I keep a proxcimity alarm on the radar so I know where things and small boats are. I like to travel “low-key”, and the big ships all depend on radar, so I know I’ll be seen.
I also want Splendid to look like a shrimp/work boat so she blends into the local cultures better. I don’t like it when people approach me with a hand out for money or work. When your on a rough (not money/shiny) boat the hand is usually extended for friendship as the locals can relate better to you and are not as intimidated. Not to mention the fact you are a LOT less likely to be the one robbed in the anchorage. Most American cruisers are walking ATM machines and it really makes the experience of traveling not so much fun. Again…, in my humble opinion.
Splendid will sail the world as a strong and proud looking work ship, not fancy and shiny. The fancy/shiny will be in the interior. She was named after the original owners great grand-fathers whaling ship. I have a picture of the original “Splendid” hanging in my main saloon. The original Splendid was a beautiful, rough looking, working ship, and my kind of boat.
I guess I want her to have the same exterior/interior as I do :)
Cheers.
I like the way you think about having the boat be hansom and well maintained but not Yachty. I have been playing with the ideal of doing my standing rigging with Galvanized wire and spliced eyes. They say that it will actually hold up better than stainless with mechanical fittings. And it’s a hell of a lot cheaper….The hard part is learning how to splice wire. But I will be better off for the effort.
Keep up the tech stuff, I’m always looking for cheap ways to refit my boat and the sooner she’s refit the sooner I can hang-out in the islands!
Cheers
Wally
Hi Alex,
I taught SCUBA for the local junior college for thirty-three years and bout twenty years in my left ear started to close.
The ear specialist said it was caused by the constant exposure to cold water and was a bad case of the same problem
that surfers deveop.
After the surgery my hearing was greatly improved and I haven’t had any reducton in ear canal size. This ear surgery is done by moving the ear forward after cutting the tissue and then removing the extra growth with a grinder and chisel (no kidding!).
After several weeks of healing the stitches in the back of the ear were removed leaving a small
scar. The doctor then removed what seemed like ten miles of packing string which was used to keep the canal from
colapsing while the tissues healed. Since this surgery is done in an area where complications can leave you deaf or
destroy your sense of balance be sure you have a good surgeon
Best of luck on solving your ear problem, but I would try another way to resolve the problem (medication) unless the
doctor says that this is the only way to solve the problem.
Gary G. Peterson (WB6MAA)
Alex, No matter what you do to her if she is well loved like I know she is she will always be SPLENDID! But you cant let us Canadians off the hook we can over complicate things with the best of them! Take care.
Just curious, but why dont you want to be seen? Thieves, pirates, anoying friends and relatives? I am not trying to be stupid here, I really am interested in the reasoning behind this line of thought.
JP,
Thieves can be an issue everywhere and an anchor light/running lights in a bay is a lot less inviting than a big white yacht. An anchor light/running lights can be anything from a local fishing boat to the Coast Guard. Just want Splendid on the “down lo”
I just read something cool about Panama. If you fly into Tucoman airport (The main international airport), you have free health care for thirty days. Obviously not for preexisting conditions. Also if you buy property here you don’t pay tax on it for twenty years. So many gringos are retiring here. If you get “pencando” status (show you have a pension (800 +/month)you can live here full time. You also get a 15% discount on everything from restaurants to health care (cheap already). Panama is a pretty cool country :)
Good Information:
I wana live there. I love the beach here, but sometimes, I would like to pull the plug and head south, put my feet up and work on my boat in a different port.
Best to you Alex. Enjoy your time.
Capt. Paul
s/v Panacea
Howdy Alex, long time no hear from me….maybe it’s karma that brought me back to your web site…..remember me….the “old man” from the Ft Myers anchorage……on s/v Morning Star ? Sounds like things are going well for you and I hope they stay that way….still here and working on the boat but my plans have changed a bit….in the future it won’t be the Virgin Islands…..it’s going to be Panama…..I’ve been reading lately about living there and it sounds like the place for me….and Trish..of course….I want to get that cruising book by your friend Eric and you need to tell him I found 2 used ones on amazon.com for the price of $178.70. That’s a bit much when Landfall sells it for $69.95. I’ll find one I’m sure for a cheaper price. I now have to backtrack on your blogs to catch up with all that’s happening with you and sometimes the old signal from the yacht basin doesn’t do to well…at least my smart phone gets your web site anywhere I go….actually I use it more that the laptop….anyhow enough said….I don’t want to take up much of your time…just a word or two to let you know I’ll be checking up on you from time to time….wish you the best and may God bless….Dave and Trish on S/V Morning Star.