Kayak, Carts and Roof Rack Ramblings

23 Jun 24:

Here's a few Learning Lessons on how we get one of our kayals to and from the water with minimal cartopping effort. First off, it's important to have a secure strap to hold the kayak in place. The roof rack straps must be tied in a way that prevents side to side "hunting" caused by the air stream at transport speeds. We have been very happy with the size, durability and secure cam buckle on the straps from Malone Auto Racks, plus the buckle is padded. For this kayak we tied the handle to the side of the rack to prevent hunting, after we had looped the strap under the rails on both sides. 

This 42 pound kayak is easy to slide on and off of our low profile Subaru Outback, and then we use the Railblaza C-Tug to roll the kayak around. The tug breaks down into 5 parts and we just take it with us on most of our outings.

The video has more notes on the cool roof rack system on the 2020 Outback and close up images of the C-Tug. We also show our Sherpa Quik Straps that are used to provide tiedown points fore and aft on the car.

Video: https://youtu.be/vI72R4jSEgY?si=aFv96AhQisKIw1_O

Alcort Catfish SMEDLEY One More Blind Patch Repair

21 Jun 24:

We built up another backer patch for a blind hole repair on our Alcort Catfish SMEDLEY from apiece of plastic to hold shape, a piece of cardboard to hold the TotalBoat THIXO thickened epoxy in place and woven roving fiberglass to provide a structural component to rebuild the hull on top of. The strings are so that we can pull the patch snug against the inside of the hull until the epoxy tacks up. 

Part of the repair gets messy, we could wipe some areas to reduce the excess, but we will be sanding and adding more epoxy and fiberglass cloth to this area anyway. We use paint stir sticks and strings to hold the patch in place, part of the stick will be glued to the hull but that sands away easily.

Video: https://youtu.be/lM5A7pg-Ie8?si=vSzpBrmzQI43MYDH

Log of SMEDLEY.

Summer Sailstice 2024

20 Jun 24:

Skipper decreed that we take a boat out for the "Summer Sailstice." We also needed a boat for a background for a photo shoot with a paddle. So we loaded up the Alcort Sunfish WAVE and Grumman 17 SCOUT and headed to Warraskoyack Bay (now known as Burwell Bay). 

Not much wind but Skipper knows how to coax just enough from the wind spirits to get moving. It was forecast to be in the mid 90s, so we headed out early to get some boating in and beat the heat.

Skipper was sailing sideways at one point. But the light breeze made for easy paddling.

SCOUT posing with a Shaw & Tenney spruce paddle and the new spare Paddle Pump, which is a combination paddle and pump. Check out our review in the July issue of Small Boats Nation.

Wet boat shoes drying in the sun after a fun day on the water make us happy.

We got to update the Marine Traffic Control Board, this was SCOUT's first outing since we moved to Virginia, and also a homecoming. We bought SCOUT in Florida, and she came with Virginia registration numbers, so she's back in her old waters. 

Video: https://youtu.be/o1ZMQ-KdyZY?si=eLAOkR5snZ3BhDhz

Whirligig Sailboats

18 Jun 24:

This sailboat whirligig has been entertaining us and the squirrels, surprisingly it works very well in a light breeze...tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- tacking-jibing- ....

We'd share a video but are afraid it would make people dizzy :)

Gel Coat Chips and Loose Foam Blocks

17 Jun 24:

The protective coating on fiberglass is usually gelcoat, a resin-based material that is used to create a smooth, durable, and high-quality finish on the surface of fiberglass-reinforced composites. When we see a bit of it popped loose, we take a close look, as there could be damage to the fiberglass underneath, which is the case for several spots on our 60 year old Alcort Catfish hull.

This little chip here...

...is over a fractured piece of fiberglass...therefore a spot for leaks.

Video: https://youtu.be/0_qIrNB2AOw?si=k5swqSgtpIo5gYC9

Next we used some Great Stuff expanding foam to secure two loose foam blocks in the portside hull. The blocks are used both as structural members and for added flotation, they are made of closed cell foam sheet and 2 part marine grade expanding foam. 

We made sure to not completely fill a space with the expanding foam, and left channels for water to drain so that the foam does not absorb standing water. While all of the foam is closed cell, if it is left sitting in water it will eventually absorb the water and gain 8 pouns per gallon of weight. 

A combo that you will see a few more times, THIXO PRO epoxy adhesive and different types of fiberglass cloth used to repair the hull. The thick weave woven roving is the type of weight and weave used to build the Alcort hulls back in the 1960s.

We could mix up resin, hardener and filler to make this mix, but that takes time , measuring and mixing... a lot of mixing. We made up this batch of thickened adhesive in seconds. 

The cardboard backer, epoxy, fiberglass and strings go into the hole...

...and then the patch is unfolded and the strings used to pull the patch flush to the inside of the hull. For a large patch like this I could have added some stir sticks under the cardboard to help pull everything flush, because 2 strings were barely enough to hold th patch as the cardboard softened and the strings move in a bit. But it worked for the intended purpose.

Video: https://youtu.be/saxLZF_2Yd0

Log of SMEDLEY.

Drascombe Lugger ONKAHYE on Burwell Bay, James River, VA

17 Jun 24:

We launched the Lugger Monday at Tyler Beach, Rushmere, which is about 20 minutes up the road from us. There is a decent County owned ramp that goes into a basin, a few docks and once around the corner there is a short jetty to clear. After that there are only a few noisy ospreys on their channel marker nests to contend with. 

Air temp and water temp was in the high 70s, with a low dewpoint and scattered clouds. Winds were 7-10 and there was a bit of chop on shallow Burwell Bay. We saw 2 boats pulling crab pots, and the only other boats we saw were the few ships up the bay that are part of the James River Reserve "Ghost Fleet". As for shakedown cruises everything went well and no crew were made to walk the plank. Skipper fed the crew potato, egg and sausage taquitos and coffee mugs were spotted. 

Burwell Bay reminded us quite a bit of East Bay down in Florida, lots of pine trees along the coastline and a bit of chop due to the rising bottom in our curve of the river that forms the bay. The natural river channel used to flow along the curve of the western shore and there are remnants of Point of Shoals screw pile lighthouse nearby, but at one point a straight channel was dredged that is closer to the eastern shore of the river.  So the good news is that we have all of the shoal area to ourselves, just the way we like it :)

There is also a decent beach to launch from at Tyler Beach, a mix of sand and river gravel. There are electrical lines overhead for light poles closer to the beach side of the parking lot, so take note if raising small boat masts in that area.

Marine Traffic Control Board updated.

Log of ONKAHYE.

Medicine Wheel Deck and SMEDLEY Update

16 Jun 24:

We finished the step stone project around the Medicine Wheel Deck and Operation Beetle B Gone, then notices that everything looked so grimy that we should powerwash. SMEDLEY got a bath too.

Video: https://youtu.be/BZrRkFIKZ-k?si=SGd22NV-qBKznrqG

Alcort Catfish SMEDLEY Hull Repair

14 Jun 24:

Worked on repairing our Catfish hull...but first we needed to get rid of some grape plants that were infested with Japanese Beetles...

The end goal is to put in a backer patch, so that we can rebuild the hull where the hole was punched.

We are using THIXO PRO thickened epoxy adhesive to wet out a piece of woven roving. The roving is on a stiff piece of cardboard, so that we can insert the patch inside the hull then pull it snug against the inside of the hull with strings tied through the cardboard. 

We also removed the flower bed border stones and replaced it with step stones, fewer things to negotiate when gettin on and off of the deck. 

Beetles B Gone and new border taking shape.

Graphic Catfish Guts Warning: View at your own risk: 

https://youtu.be/p1uazzixBUI?si=Pg2BFN7OCH9Cn-AP

Log of SMEDLEY.

1963 Alcort Sunfish LEAF (Formerly CHIP)

11 Jun 24: 

Our friend Emiliano out in Pt. Townsend reports that LEAF is having a great time exploring the Pacific Northwest. LEAF has been spoiled with new paint and a new sail, and an eager Skipper. 

Image Credit: Emiliano's Friend

Signage for the Boat Back Yard

08 Jun 24:

The new boat yard signs are finished and installed for the HEUER GARAGE, LEWIS BOAT WORKS and we have a new sign, OUTLAW TRAILER COURT INC. More on that later, but first, a look back at where we were back in 2021...

...before the two carriage houses arrived...

...and Phase One of the Sunfish Shack...

While doing research on her Virginia ancestors, Skipper found that they had neighbors named Outlaw. And sure enough, in nearby Driver, VA there is a mobile home park that had a sign out front that read OUTLAW TRAILER COURT INC. We recreated that sign as a tribute to neighbors past, and will hang it by our trailer park aka Sunfish Shack.

Skipper doing her arm workout and photobombing...