Get up, make coffee, write a blog or comment, listen to music, make breakfast, mix fairing compound, apply it, sand it off, get frustrated, go fishing, eat fish (hopefully), clean up, sand some more, look at charts and dream of sailing, wonder if I can finish restoring my boat?
The last few days have been frustrating. I broke/fractured my toe on the rocks the other day, ouch! then I drove to the city to upload a video at an internet cafe and they didn’t have USB ports or allow plugging in a hard drive or memory stick, ARRRRRG!. I must say I enjoyed the day on the motorcycle :)
Today I found a hollow spot in the fiberglass on my toe rail. Remember I encapsulated the toe rail in fiberglass, mistake. By the time I finished chiseling off fiberglass I was about 14 feet from where I started. I’m taking off all the glass off the toe rail. I’m going to varnish or paint the wood, caulk it up, and be done with it. Some water got under the glass and it just didn’t stick. It’s hard to get fiberglass/epoxy to stick to teak because teak is so oily.
I got the parts (machines) in the mail to finish restoring my guitar, I’m psyched! It will be nice to see one project to fruition. 
I’ve decided not to use vinyl lettering for Splendid’s graphics. I’m going to make a stencil and paint the name on the boat. I’m also incorporating the Chinese symbol for wind on Splendid’s stern. It’s good to keep wind at our back and it fits in with Splendid’s Chinese heritage, she was build in Hong Kong you know. “Splendid” will be on the port side of the stern, Chinese symbol on the starboard side, separated by the windvane.
I’m thinking pretty hard about sailing to the San Blas for a while. The only thing holding me back is that one damn screw, sheet of sand paper, or whatever I’m going to need. Nothing is available in the San Blas and that’s just the way it is. Truthfully being away from everything for a while is a welcome concept. I’m also thinking of sailing to Cartagena. I’m not getting much feedback on my termite/tenting issue and I know it would be much easier to deal with there. They do have some sort of Aluminum phosphate pills that turn into a deadly toxic gas I could buy for .95 cents each. Its good to live in a country where you can buy deadly gas pills for under a buck :) I have to research this more.
Well Captain Paul, I am going to “eat the frog”. I’m putting sailing across the pacific in March farther back in my head, if I don’t make it, it’s all good. Don’t miss the journey for the destination right? If I don’t I’ll drive myself bonkers. I need get my “ship” together, do it right, and it will take as long as it takes. Life is pretty grand swinging on the hook and putting my boat together :)
Hope everyone had a great weekend. I’m hoping to post a picture of a painted aft deck soon :)
Peace, Love, and coconuts.
– alex
Dude…
I love reading your stuff… but have you ever heard the phrase, “The WORST day fishing is better than the BEST at WORK.”????
Love what you got man, a lot of folks would kill to be there ‘suffering’ like you. I’m one of them.
sail far, LIVE SLOWLY!
I do love it here we just had an awsome squall. The howler monkeys are making a racket in the hills after the rain. Parrots and Tucans fly around, and there was a big sloth hanging on a friends boat, funny one would not think they swim around and climb on boats:)
Hi Alex
The termite infestation of houses in australia are treated by dusting the affected area with an arsenic powder. The termites then carry this powder back to the nest where they preen each other and poison the whole colony. Dont know if this will work with the species you have but may be worth some research.
Regards
Sharne
Hi Alex,
when I was a kid growing in Portugal, I remember I was at my uncle’s house and outside in his front yard just appeared this huge ant colony, he showed me a bottle with a liquid and he explained that it was poison- arsenic, he had purchased it at the pharmacy. he put just a drop by the nest entrance the next morning the whole colony was gone. maybe they have that stuff in the local pharmacy and they will sell it by asking just a few questions. anyways I’m sure you’ll find something.
Best of luck and hope your toe will get better soon
Luis in Toronto
Sharne,
I’ll look into it for sure. I like the idea of tenting and killing everything on-board via o2 (gas) supply. I’d like to be rid of them once and for all. I dont want to be in some remote location in the Pacific, find termites again, and have no options for fumigation.
Luis, I don’t know if arsenic or boric acid will work on termites. Termites are pretty dug in. I’m contacting an American pest control company (ISO Tech) that have experience killing termites on boats. I’m hoping to get some real information.
Man is it raining, think we have a tropical wave overhead, lots of thunder, very close lightning, and rain throughout the night, WAHOOOO!.
alex
Alex,
You just lost another follower of your site. Ben, the guy that let you use his dock at the end of the road in Stuart died Fri. They found a brain tummer, 3 weeks later he died. It would be nice if u sent joeann (his wife) email.
Chuck,
Really sorry to hear that, i’ll send you an email for his wife’s email address.
It’s a good day.
I just caught a nice mackerel tuna off the back if Splendid :) having it as sushi with some friends, yummy!
HI Alex,
I’ve dealt with termites on a home in the Exumas and on an old fishing boat we have there. I would forget about the tenting idea for now and just bait –bait well! The boat has (very) limited access, re-population points – the termites WILL find the bait (small area) and kill the workers and the queen(s) will die -end of story. Wood and termites will find each other (unless its Pressure Treated -which I have still seem them eat but not as appetizing) -the best way is treat occasionally -especially if on the hard for any length (you know better than most!). I have cut down termite mounds 6-8 feet high on our property -using a chainsaw -burn them and poison – they borrow underground from kilometers away looking for wood/dead trees, etc -the mound pops up when they find a big snack.
Just take some of the suggestions here -apply them and forget it –they will die -do a repair and as long as you don’t sit up on the hard for years again –you’ll be fine in my opinion. Bugs will be a fact of life -treat it as a bug —–rather than eating your “blood”, your “crumbs”, or other “bugs” –its feasting on wood -big deal – damage done -treat/kill them and stop the progression. Remember every time you bring a boat on land – termites will likely make there way on board to some degree (hope they don’t colonize which they visit) –you can’t completely avoid them down south –just keep them at bay and dead on arrival on your boat.
Just my two cents.
Steve
Steve,
I had a really long conversation about various gases with a guy at western fumigation (in the USA) yesterday. The Aluminum phosphate would be a bad call for Splendid as it is very corrosive to metals especially copper (wiring). He suggested if I cant find vikine gas that I look for methyl bromide as an alternative.
After our long conversation he wasn’t convinced that I have termites at all.
When I put two and two together after a saw the rotten wood and small (tiny tiny) white bugs under the shower in the wet area I may have come up with 5 as opposed to four, wont be the first time. I have not found holes in the wood with the tell-tale sawdust mound in front of them. I also haven’t found wings all over the boat as termites drop their wings. At the end of the day there are many species of termites and other bugs and I might just have a few different types of bugs around. I’m going to have an exterminator come and give Splendid a good spray.
I have a guy trying to get me some vikine gas and if he comes through I will tape splendid up tight and fumigate without building a tent. At this point I wouldn’t say I have any wood damage with the exception of some rotten wood under the forward shower that is most likely due to water seeping into the plywood, and small white bugs (possibly mites) that enjoy the wet environment. I have seen tiny, tiny bugs scatter into tiny, tiny holes around Splendid but the holes could be seems in the wood, old screw holes, or whatever. The bugs I’m talking about are the size of a pinpoint, does that sound like termites? I grew up in New Your city so I don’t know much about bugs.
My main objective at this point is to get the aft deck back together and install my new main sheet system. Having Splendid in a state where we cant just pull anchor and go is a bit frustrating to me. I like my boat in a constant state of readiness. On too many occasions I’ve had to pick up the anchor at three in the morning and scat out of an anchorage due to weather conditions. The truth is here in Linton there are no hurricanes and the anchorage is protected 360 degrees around us.
I really don’t like bugs in any form why we have mosquitoes and noseeums is beyond my comprehension.
I did put a few geckos on-board that are helping me out ;)
Off to work.
Cheers.
Alex,
I rebuilt a 1965 Islander 32 wayfayer.Real similar stuff like you are doing but next to my shop and in my back yard.It was a real pain in the ass but nowhere near as hard as what you are doing.It took me seven years mainly because of cost.The boat turned out great .I am looking to move into something else (more factory finished)my boat is for sale now.It is REAL HARD to turn loose of something that you work so hard on and there is only a handful of people that will appreciate your hard work.Keep that in mind because you will want to get something different someday.I did all of this when I was your age.I am 55 now and still tired.Don’t work so hard.
Sail on Brother
Marty