Wow, I’ve really been busting my ass and I wonder if the the ass busting blogs will be replaced with sailing blogs one day? I sometimes question my ability to finish Splendid? Have I opened a can of worms, or am I restoring Splendid the way she should be restored…, the right way? I just don’t know sometimes.
Every morning I wake up and go to work from 5-10 hours. It’s not easy in the 95 degree heat, especially with a heat gun in hand. Splendid and I are at a point we can’t charter and I need to keep plowing forward no matter how badly I want to go fishing or procrastinate. I must finish this.
Every stanchion and piece of deck hardware from the cockpit aft has been 
removed. It has taken me a few weeks with a heat gun and loads of sanding disks but the aft cabin house is stripped. I’ve taken 5 layers of paint off along with a terrible sticky material (paint or primer) that never should have been applied as a yacht finish. The sticky layer was dug in like a tic and didn’t want to come up, IT WAS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE!
Sometimes I kick myself and wish for Namaste back. But if I can only finish…, if I can only strip the rest of Splendid and get her primed and painted I’ll have the boat I want, I know she’s in here somewhere I just need to find her. When I’m at my wits-end I go to look at the nicely painted and fair stern. I find myself running my hand along its clean white surface a few times a day for motivation. I’m happy it’s not black, but like a new shirt, I had to try it on.
The rest of Splendid looks really, really bad now. My bed is covered in fiberglass dust as I’ve had to remove the headliner in my room to drill, grind, and scrape. Everything in and out of Splendid is a mess, It will take me weeks just to clean up.
I took the aft hatch off yesterday and found it rotten on the back side, I’ll put on my carpenter hat and fix it too. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and trying to convince myself this will make my reward so much sweeter.
As far as the termite thing I have a number of calls out and I’m hoping for an option this week. If I don’t get one I will make a tent from plastic and plumb my exhaust into splendid and do it myself (I wont be in her). If I have found one thing about cruising its the fact that in order for things to be done successfully, one needs to take the responsibility, be creative, and do it yourself. I wish I had access to Vikane gas instead of exhaust. They have a gas here that would work but it is very corrosive to copper and I don’t want to expose my wiring to it.
I have a free app for my iphone, It’s called quotezilla, I suggest you download it, its cool.
You can search and read quotes by author or topic. Today I looked up “determination” because I am in desperate need of some. I found a few good quotes and want to share them:
“If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away I’d still swim, and I’d despise the one who gave up”.
– Abraham Maslow
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not, the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
– Calvin Coolidge
“The determination to win is the better part of winning”
-Diasaku Ikeda
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
– Gail Devers
I believe I can grow old on this beautiful yacht sailing the world as an autonomous minimalist. I believe one day I wont be covered in fiberglass dust and able to dawn a white linen shirt and not get it covered with gunk at every turn in my home. I also believe I can make enough from my films and website to support myself. These are my goals, and I want to make them real.
My cousin has decided to unplug and I’ve been helping him look for a boat on yachtworld. There are sooooo many solid boats in the 10-20k (27 –35’) range that one can buy and take off with that don’t need much work. Splendid had some big issues for sure (mostly cosmetic) but when this old girl is done, wow, what a great little ship to travel upon.
I’ve just noticed the day count on the blog page. I’ve been at this “BlueSphere” thing for just under 3000 days now, its a lot of days eah? I’m so happy I started this whole thing nearly a decade ago. Project BlueSphere, Namaste, and now Splendid have brought me where I need to go. Whenever I feel stuck or behind the eight-ball I “try” and remember that the “journey is the destination” and enjoy every moment of it.
I have a question for someone who knows more about electricity than I do. As you know I have a 110 water maker, it’s an old sea recovery SR400. I was going to run the cat pump directly off of the engine but I’m trying to figure out if a 4kw (4000watt) generator will power it. The water maker has an industrial Baldor 110v motor, the placket on it reads:
1.5 HP
115/208-230 volts
20/10.5-10 Amps
1725 RPM’s
My thinking is if the Generator puts out a minimum of the required 20 amps (max ?) it should cover it. What I’m fuzzy on is the placket on the electric motor (water maker) reads 20/10.5-10 Amps? I’m assuming that means it requires 10 – 10.5 amps on average, and 20 under a full load? If you know about this please make a comment otherwise I’ll try to contact Ballmar.
I had an epiphany the other day. Since I cut out wheat I’ve cut out wheat bread. Then I realized corn tortillas don’t have Gluten, at least I don’t think they do. I’ve been making some really great corn tortillas (super/stupid easy) in the morning, yummy!
Anyway, time to make breakfast and get to sanding an endless sea of glass!
Peace, Love, and death, death, DEATH to the termites!!!!!!!!!!!
– alex