Deck leaks

Unlike “normal” boaters who have fiberglass boats with decks that (for the most part) don’t leak I have a deck make out of wood, teak to be precise and if you don’t take care of it it will leak. The deck was 1 ¼  inch thick when it was new. It was installed by screwing each piece of teak decking in place from the bottom up( instead of the more conventional way of screwing it from the top down). Well, over the years, the deck is slowly wearing away and in a few places the tips of the screws are starting to poke thru the deck or the surface of the deck is cracking where these screw tips are just under the surface allowing water to soak thru.

The cure is to take a dremal tool with a carbide grinding tip and slowly grind the tip of the screw away. Then drill out the hole and installing a wood plug. First though, I had to make some teak plugs. Doing this on a boat without a drill press was a real challenge.

in the cockpit drilling plugs

ready to install

Then it was time to grind the tips away, drill the holes and glue the plugs into the deck.

cutting around the screw tip

screw tip before I cut it off

after the tip is gone I drill out the hole for the plug

glue the hole and the plug

here's a couple of plugs glued and drying

 I also had a few areas that were too large for a plug (splitting wood or areas of rot) so I made up “Dutchman’s” which are pieces of wood that tightly fit into holes that I had chiseled into the deck. Every year I seem to have a few of these breakthroughs that need attention. At this rate, my deck will be nothing but plugs and patches!

dutchman installed and planed down

Back home

Anna’s posted a bit on the main page of the website but I will also update everyone here. She went in for a rapid heart beat (140+) and to slow it down they hit her with the paddles, 10,000 volts and Bam, it reset her heart to 60 beats/min. We are back home and doing fine enough to pose for a silly picture.

Not sure that I'd want this boat name

 

 

Back in the hospital again, rapid heart beat... More later

Seagull wars

The local seagulls have taken up residency on the top of my main mast. Yes, those beautiful, laughing gulls… those forever defecating, worthless, mess making gulls. I have retaliated by “snapping” the rigging wires which scares the gulls off the top of the mast for a few minutes. The war increased when, as I was climbing the mast, one of the buggers unloaded a bomb on top of me! How RUDE! I have taken the war to their home base by installing spikes on top of the mast! Now their in for a sore foot if they try to land. The winner….. Rich!

Anna update

As you know, they took Anna to Mount Sinai hospital in Miami yesterday and today they did some tests and decided that they had to send a catheter in to the heart to dye check for blockages. Long and short, they found 2 blockages (90+ %) and put in two stints. She is doing well and should be out and hitchhiking back to the boat by tomorrow...

Off to Miami

Real quick, The hospital here in Marathon decided that Anna needed more expertise than they had on staff and sent her up to Miami to Mt. Sinai Hospital where they have a top notch heart hospital. It’s suddenly turned cold and windy and lonely on the boat.

Be back soon!

 

Trouble in Marathon

on drugs but feeling better

Sorry for not putting anything on the blog for a few weeks but it’s been a busy time down here. Socializing and maintenance take up the days. Yesterday Anna didn’t feel too well and by the afternoon she decided that a trip to the hospital might be a good idea. It’s a short 2 block walk and when she got there they found her heart in atrial fibrillation (a bad thing). Through the use of drugs the top half of her heart went from a 160+ heart beat back down to the 90’s and started to beat in sync with the bottom half of her heart. No wonder she felt like “dog dodo” warmed over. Good news is no apparent damage and drugs can take care of keeping her heart in sync.