Dauntless – Page 7 – Dauntless at Sea

Phase I is Done

Dauntless after her second coat of primer

Phase I was doing he stuff that had to be done before Dauntless got her feet wet. All done except for salt water pump. For a competent person, this is a few days work; for me about three weeks.

Forward Bilge
1. Complete hookup of New Vetus holding tank, with new fittings and electrical
2. Install new bilge pump (old one becomes spare) with new check valve
3. Make additional fresh water hookup and run hose to forward compartment for Raritan Purisan
4. Check connections for salt water pump (new, hasn’t worked since installed)
5. We found a bare wall bulkhead in front of old holding tank. Gary sealed it and put Gelcoat on it.
6. Check all clamps for the multitude of thru hulls in this area
Anchor Locker
1. Pull all the chain and rode out for both anchors
2. Vacuum the bottom of chain locker
3. Replace two deck fittings for fresh & salt water connections
4. Re-mark and reverse anchor chain
5. Add 90 feet polypropylene to end of chain rode (this is because it floats, making it easier to find should I have to abandon anchor with no time for anything else)
6. Paint anchors
7. Find third anchor for stern
8. Make up a new, longer chain snubber

The Electrical list is untouched, but the first four items a-d, will be done in the next days. The rest in the next two months.

Run new VHF cable to the two radios
Replace plugs for Navigation lights
Add Name Board lights
Install new Driving lights
Add USB ports in salon and second cabin
Add new switch and breaker panel for fridge/freezer in pilot house
Add switch panel for solar panels

Once D is out of the shed we will be able to re-rig the Paravanes and the mast. Gary’s carpenter has made another bird that got broken in the North Sea and has repaired the doors. The Rocker Stoppers are a work in progress.

Restring birds to new line, 3/16” Amsteel, so that I can modify the depth of the birds.
Boat Yard is making rocker stoppers for me to use while at anchor

For the Wood Trim, I can’t oil anything until all the sanding is done. I will do this next week, before we head out of the shed into the hard, cruel world.

Teak “eyebrow” around pilot house has been scrapped and sanded thanks to Leonie & Martin. I will put Tung Oil on it and see how that works.
Oil all the benches that have been sanded

Fuel tank is in the final stages of being done. Sealant has been applied and new inspection ports are ready to be installed. Anti-Foul will be applied the last day, next Friday.

Most of the heavy lifting by Gary and the New Ross Boat Yard are done or will be in the next week:

Port fuel tank sealant and new inspection ports
New bottom job, with two coats of epoxy and one of a tie-coat
New anti-foul by International, a semi-hard coating that is made for slow boats like Dauntless and should last at least a few years.
Painting of the hull from the cap rails down, including the bow pulpit
Fixing on of the side doors that while latched open this past winter the winds ripped if off the hook and broke the entire frame. (winds this winter were higher than 100 knots or 110 mph.
New Bow thruster blades

Getting the forward cabin and compartments fixed, cleaned and put away was the big monkey on my back. It was critical to get done and as long as it was unfinished the boat was unlivable.

I’ll start sleeping on board Friday. It’s feeling like my home again.

My first glass of wine on Dauntless since October. And looking forward to forward cabin.

Gary is just finishing applying the second primer coat. That will get sanded tomorrow, then washed again with an Awlgrip wash (a solvent, like paint thinner) before the first finish coat goes on. At that point we will actually see the final color. I hope I like it!

I literally had my first glass of wine on board, the first since October (I’ve had wine, not just in a glass!). I do have rituals you know.

P.S. Here is a bonus video of Gary applying the second primer coat today. ( I don’t post many videos because it takes hours to upload one video sucessfullly.)

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A Quick Note About My Sidebar

On my home page, under the Follow Me banner, there should be the titles of some of pages that are also in my Dauntless At Sea Blog, but it’s how WordPress organizes things and I have not yet figured out a better way to do it.

So far on these pages, I have included:

Interesting News Paper Articles From the Economist on the Arab World
Tidbits from the Wall Street Journal Eagles and Wind Turbines
Weather Sites I Use Everyday two sites here, more than that is just confusing

Until I come up with a better system or someone tells me how to make it better organized, I will put my most recent post on the very top. That way if you look at the pages often, you will know right away if something is new. If you do not, the order really doesn’t matter.

Also, while I can make a link to articles in the Economist, the Wall Street Journal is another story. I must copy text and then email that copy. So, I do this less than once a week.

I include things I am the most passionate about as a way to lead to more thoughts and better questions. I am not trying to advocate for certain ideas, as much as I want to bring to light some things that may not get said or questioned enough.

One of my primary themes is “there is no free lunch”. The more people tell me how great something is, the more skeptical I become.

I’m also skeptical of fake environmentalists. Those who profess a certain lifestyle, but only insofar as it is convenient to do so.

Today’s article from the Wall Street Journal is about that, the massive bird kill by wind turbines that everyone ignores. But when you read the accounts of those who service those turbines, the number of dead birds on the ground is horrific. https://dauntlessatsea.com/tidbits-from-todays-wall-street-journal/

Lastly, if you read the above and think I against wind turbines, you need to read better. Power from wind is not free. There is no free lunch. I at least want people to think about the consequences before implementing the “free lunch solution”.

Richard on Dauntless in Ireland

Ireland Part 1

A Tunnel of Green, (one of the more meager ones)

It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to Ireland, the land is gorgeous, the people wonderful and the sun shines at least once a month to remind you what it looks like.

Today, I took a day off. Every day I’ve been working on Dauntless, getting my little projects done. The new holding tank is in and connected, the bilge pump also, so forward bilge work is almost done.

So, with the sun out and the buds on the trees getting bigger by the day, I thought it would be a good day to drive to the town of Roundwood, about 70 miles NE of New Ross, about 30 south of Dublin.

Well the drive turned out to be even prettier than expected. The roads were even more picturesque and the traffic was actually minimal.

The restaurant, Byrne & Woods, lived up to expectations. Here is a link to my review:

Bryne &

Woods

Out the side window, while I waited for the cows to go home.

I Love Brilliant Women

And even just really competent ones or highly functional ones. What brings this to mind?

Another episode of Wallander of course. The Cellist. Watching the beginning, seeing her play, yes I know it’s drama, not real, but I realized how attractive I thought she was and realized it was far more than just her European nose, but was really based on nothing, other than her play.

Yet, knowing her play is fake, makes no difference. We are programmed to like what we like and I like smart, competent women.

Writing and sometimes even publishing in this blog, is my way to express my thinking. Not having that mind-mate for the first time in a long time is what’s hard.

Did you see this? You should read that! Long distance is no problem.

Oh, by the way, if you like Prosecco, as I do, you should only drink the DOCG. The DOC is a new appellation that the Italians cooked up to take advantage of the popularity of Prosecco worldwide. The problem is the DOC prosecco is made in places that are not dei colli Conegliano – Valdobbiadene, the little hills to the northwest of Treviso that make Prosecco, Prosecco. Another beautiful creation or is it brilliant?

And another story revolving around a brilliant woman.

But can we really separate beauty and brilliance?

OK, let’s get back to our Lady Dauntless.

So Dauntless is beginning her transformation to the new “Dauntless” look. In the next days’ I will be posting the details and pictures. For now, you see her in her undercoat.

A true functional beauty.

Dauntless Cruise Plan 2016-17 Europe to Asia

Make the Plan, Do the Plan.

So here is the plan. The first four months show little change, but after I get back from the USA in mid-October it will be a lot of cruising.

Previously I had decided to stay in Europe this coming year, but life happens and circumstances change. Therefore, In November Dauntless and I will start to head west not to return for many years.

The good news is that while it is a lot of miles, over 17,000, those miles are spread over 17 months. Since almost 10,000 miles are passage miles, in which we do about 150 miles per day, it means that over 300 days of the 500 we only have to average about 35 miles per day. Much less than last summer.

So, while nothing is in stone, this is the tentative plan and you know me: Make the Plan, Do the Plan.

The dates are somewhat firm in that to get to Korea in the fall of 2017, I must be able to get to Japan in early August, as I want to cross the Bering and North Pacific in July and early August.

This is a plan that is based on the weather, meaning it’s doable with “normal” weather. But there are a number of things that must happen:

Leaving the Canaries for the Caribbean needs to happen by early December.
Arriving in Kodiak, Alaska needs to happen by early July 2017.

Now of course, this depends on a few factors besides just the weather. I could be kidnapped by some Greek and decide to spend a year in Lesbos with the rest of the refugees. Some other mechanical or personal issue could overtake plans. But most likely, the weather does not cooperate. For this plan to work, I must have favorable weather during the winter and spring along the west coast of Central and North America.

If the winds do not cooperate, then we’ll spend the winter and spring in Central America and Mexico, then come up the west coast to B.C. and S.E. Alaska for the summer and winter over in S.E. Alaska, a fantastically beautiful destination all in itself.

This Plan B is not a terrible outcome and I’m sure many will think it should be Plan A, but I’ll let Fate and the wx gods decide. At best it’s a 50-50 proposition, or maybe better yet, 49-49-02, the 02% being something unforeseen like the Greeks or something.

Want to join me at any part? I can always use help, extra hands and advice, and most of all, the company. We will be doing a lot of miles, over 17,000 but who’s counting! There will be many opportunities in the next 17 months, but the better times (summer vacation) and destinations, (Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, Alaska) will fill before the more tedious parts.

Oh, wait, there are no longer any tedious parts.

In any case, drop me a line and let me know your thoughts, no matter how tenuous.

Richard on Dauntless

I expect to be in the place or nearby by the date in the column to the left.

.E.g. I expect to arrive in the Lesser Antilles on 22 December.

25-May-16	Ireland, Feet Wet
02-Jun-16	Scotland
18-Jun-16	Ireland, Waterford
02-Jul-16	Ireland, Waterford
07-Jul-16	France, Brest
05-Aug-16	Spain, San Sabastian
25-Aug-16	Spain, A Coruna
15-Oct-16	Spain, A Coruna
20-Oct-16	Portugal, North
10-Nov-16	Portugal, Algarve
16-Nov-16	Gibralter
22-Nov-16	Morocco (maybe)
28-Nov-16	Canaries
05-Dec-16	Canaries
22-Dec-16	Lesser Antilles
12-Jan-17	Panama Canal
01-Apr-17	Baja Calif
02-May-17	Southern Cal
20-May-17	Pac NW, Seattle
15-Jun-17	SE Alaska
01-Jul-17	Kodiak
08-Jul-17	Dutch Harbor
16-Jul-17	Attu
25-Jul-17	Japan, Hokkaido
21-Sep-17	Japan, South
12-Oct-17	Japan, South
14-Oct-17	Busan, South Korea
01-Nov-17	Yeosu, S. Korea

Boats, Books & Lab Girl

“My lab is a place where my guilt over what I haven’t done is supplanted by all of the things that I am getting done”

This is as good a place to start as any.

After yesterday’s post, I felt I had done something if only to document what still needed to be done. It didn’t have the effect I had expected, instead of accomplishment, I felt intimidated.

Yesterday’s post was also different in that usually I write a draft, upload the photos I want, then edit the next day, add pictures and post. But yesterday, I was in a hurry and wrote and posted within an hour, with minimal editing, thus you can see how my mood changed even in the course of the writing as evident in the last line.

After a number of bright (only spotty rain), warm (temps in the 60’s) days here in the south and east of Ireland, yesterday dawned like a winter day, dark, cloudy, steady drizzle. Actually, typical pre-warm frontal weather, the result of an inverted trough, the low pressure system being to the south and the warm front moving in from the ESE.

Dauntless is not my lab, but it is an instrument in that lab. It facilitates me being in nature, good or bad, hot or cold.

The worse the weather, the more I have this need to put my face into it. Certainly having to go to the bathroom, to pee, every few hours drives the need to go out there and check the elements, though the phrase to hold on for dear life, has no exaggeration at that point.

I’ve been trying to determine the best way to talk, to write about books that have a profound influence over me. I know many of my readers like the boating adventures and may not care about my soliloquys about life. So if you have any suggestions that I can get to work with WordPress, email me. I have made some additional pages, but don’t like the look so far.

Though it seems I have a wide interest in things, that interest really revolves around two main cores, science and history. Thus my interest in Paleoclimatology, a field that a number of times in my life I considered going back to school to earn a PhD. The last time about 15 years ago when I had just started teaching, I had attended a symposium at the National Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAR) on climate change. I was offered a very appealing opportunity, but having moved back to NYC for my mother, and having already given up a good job to do so, life prevailed.

But that Fate is what put me here now, writing this. Dauntless and I exploring the world at 7 miles per hour.

During the last month, I have been reading three books, all non-fiction, all three different, but amazing. All three are fascinating in their own right and I have not finished any of them completely, I think in large part because I don’t want them to end:

Terrible Swift Sword: The Life of General Philip H. Sheridan by Joseph Wheelan

Having grown up near Sheridan Square I had a familiarity with Sheridan, yet realized I knew nothing about him other than him being a Calvary man doing the Civil War. Then, just before leaving NYC this past March, I realized that the gold statue across from the Plaza Hotel at the SE corner of Central Park was also Sheridan.

So when I came across this book and in the opening pages was captivated by how much I did not know I knew I had to keep reading! As obvious as it sounds now, Sheridan as Corps Commander, was the first to use infantry and cavalry as a combined weapon.

Also, the insights one learned about other personalities of the war, e.g. How effective Custer was, or how Meade although in total disagreement, when told by Grant to support Sheridan, actually did so, unlike so many other generals of the war who let their jealousies get in the way.

Half Moon by Douglas Hunter about Henry Hudson who explored New York when he was supposed to be searching for the Northeast Yes, Northeast, as in above Russia, with a crew that spoke Dutch and he didn’t, in a boat only 20 feet larger than Dauntless.

And last, but not least, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. A beautifully written book by, and about, a woman who lives for science. Wonderfully written because of the language she uses and her ability to relate the mysteries and explorations of science in a profound and moving way for a layman. Thus my opening quote.

Science is about making connections that most don’t or can’t see. Like science, my lists are more than lists of things I must do. They are maps of things to learn and things to practice. It’s what keeps me awake at night. The puzzle in the sky that is multiple realities, that makes it rain on your side of the hill, but not mine. Or the three prong plug that can run two different lights. They seem different, but are the same.

Thanks for listening.

Amazon links to the above three books:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0080K3F86/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o04_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Half-Moon-Hudson-Voyage-Redrew-ebook/dp/B002WOD8WY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1462706074&sr=1-2&keywords=half+moon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z3FYQS4/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Two Inside Projects on Dauntless, Part 1

This winter has been the first real refit since we bought Dauntless three years ago. When we bought this Krogen 42, she was in great shape, in fact the best shape of the 8 KK 42’s I looked at. She had the lowest engine hours, only 1650, and some features we wanted: dual heads, four windows in the rear salon and no built-in furniture in the salon. The Flexsteel leather furniture that the previous owner had gotten for the boat was like new. The nicest leather we had ever felt. We talked about that leather for two years before we actually were in a position to get D.

Middle top is fuel intake. behind it with the rust pattern underneath is the fuel vent.

But with this little use, comes issues that are a result of that little use.

The port side fuel tank started leaking this past summer. It was coming from the forward inboard seam. On opening up the inspection port, it had a lot of rust. More rust than I had seen in the starboard tank.

Now since I had had the boat, I’d had problems with water getting into the tank. During the last days of my Atlantic Passage, this became a critical problem that had me changing or emptying fuel filters every few hours. You can read those details here: Dauntless-crosses-the-north-atlantic-the-post-mortem

Last summer in Holland, with the help of Marinus, another Krogen owner, I finally figured out the source of the water was the stink’in fuel vent. In one of the few poor decisions Kadey Krogen made in the design of this boat, the fuel vent was under the rub rail. As the Krogen rolls its way across the Atlantic this became an issue when I was in very big seas and the stabilizers were not working as well as they should for reasons related to operator (ME) error.

To fix the tank issues, we decided to add three more larger inspection ports. This will allow the two-part epoxy sealant to be applied.

the rust pattern underneath is the fuel vent.

Looking at the pictures of the opened tank, one can see the rust pattern from the water getting into the vent.

Also, when I had purposely overfilled this tank by about 10 gallons, in part to see what would happen, I had the unpleasant surprise to see fuel leaking out of the tank into the bilge. It was not apparent where this fuel was coming from. This picture shows the fitting itself was poorly installed and the screws used rusted and basically left small holes for fuel to get out or even rain water that was on top of the tank to get in.

From the amount of rust, this tank was not sued for quite some time, years, but left with some water. Once I got the boat, this tank had been the problem child, therefore I had a tendency not to use it as much, which ended up exacerbating the problem.

Here are some before pictures. The after pictures will come when done.

Dauntless Gets a New Bottom Job

In October when we pulled her from the water, we found both old and new damage.

That long repair is the result of the second rock.

The new was from my second rock encounter in Finland. In the first Finnish rock meeting, Dauntless rode up the rock on her keel.

But the second one was more egregious in that I hit the side of the rock with the side of the hull that left a four-foot scrape in the hull which was deep enough to cause a hairline crack all the way through the hull. Me Bad.

So in looking to repair that damage, we also

found some old damage that had been repaired, but not well or not completely. How do I know? Because in the three years I have owned her, whenever it rained, I had water entering the forward bilge. In addition, the paint on the bulkhead that separates the forward bilge from the amidships, had peeled, since water was coming in behind it.

Both those issues have been repaired and even though Dauntless sat on the hard in the wind and rain all winter, only in the last days was she put into the shed for painting, the forward bilge has remained bone dry.

Dauntless in the Shed. The Shed looked much bigger before she went it.

Now, the engine room bilge still has rain water getting in there, but I actually think that is as normal as one can expect in a 25-year-old boat.

I am also very pleased that everyone who has worked on the Krogen for the last 6 months has commented on the quality of: the workmanship, the design and the build.

I decided to paint the entire hull, since three years of docking was starting to show. And the incentive of a new, different for a Kadey Krogen, paint job will make me both more careful and thoughtful.

In the next weeks, I will enumerate the other jobs we, I have done for this coming season. That we have many, many miles to go, makes me feel even better about the preparation we are doing now.

The pictures show Dauntless outside when they had finished the bottom rehab, which meant repairing all the nicks and gouges, new fiberglass along the keel, gel-coat along the keel, then preparing the hull for two coats of epoxy and one of the tie-coat, which allows the anti-foul to adhere to the epoxy.

After two layers of epoxy, the beginning of the tiecoat (that allows the anti-foul coat to bond to the epoxy) is going on.

New Ross Boat Yard

See some of the boats that kept Dauntless company for the windy, Ireland winter.

All boats were blocked AND STRAPPED DOWN for the winter winds, that were greater than 100 knots!!!

Just across the boat lift bay from Dauntless. I don’t think she is going anyplace this year either.

It’s not called the “North Atlant

One of the Fastnet boats in the yard. They are based in Waterford.

ic” for nothing.

One of the Cats of the New Ross Boat Yard. The Travel lift was moving as he nonchalantly walked past. — One of the Cats of the New Ross Boat Yard.
The Travel lift was moving as he nonchalantly walked past.

This boat was a winner in the around Ireland race back in the '70's — The Sea Hunter was a winner in the around Ireland race back in the ’70’s

Dauntless was just put in the shed for painting.

I’m Excited; Very Excited

Yes, that kind of excitement.

I’ve been playing with the numbers.

I like numbers:

25 May 2016 to 01 November 2017, 525 days
207 days underway; 17,000+ miles
$0.80 per nautical mile & $26 per day for fuel.
4576 gallons of fuel; 17,321 liters
10 oil changes, 145 quarts, 140 liters or 36 gallons of oil,

I like making a plan, executing the plan; sometimes even changing the plan.

Dauntless will have a look befitting her name in just a few weeks.

Then, in the water, fueled up and ready to go.

Friends for the US of A join us for a little jaunt to Scotland mid-May returning to Waterford Ireland in mid-June.

Then around the 4^th of July, I’ll say goodbye to all my wonderful Irish friends in Waterford and New Ross.

Dauntless will turn south, putting Ireland behind us heading to France, then northwest Spain and Galicia. I hope to be in San Sebastian in August, then heading west to A Coruna for September and October.

November will find us heading south, enjoying the fortified wines of Portugal and southern Spain.

Then it will be tackling the Straits of Gibraltar, yes, I have seen the film Das Boot, so I will be prepared.

After checking out the monkeys, we’ll fuel up and really begin an Odyssey.

Turning the Page

Tonight I turn the page; ending one long chapter and starting a new one.

Spring in Ireland, getting Dauntless ready and her first significant haul out in the last 3 years and 15,000 miles. In May, she’ll be back in the water, looking like she’s ready for business.

That business will start in Scotland, doing our last exploration in the “north”, before heading south for the rest of the summer. We’ll have a few weeks in France in time for Bastille Day.

The rest of the summer and they year will be in Spain, Galicia. Sometime in the new year, 2017, I’ll head further south along Portugal and the south coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. This will put D and me in the Mediterranean for the first time ever.

I’ll clearly have a lot of time on my hands. I will be doing far less cruising then in the past, but it will allow me to enjoy the life in Spain, sometime in Portugal and maybe even a few weeks in Morocco.

Spain is one of the most affordable countries in the E.U. and certainly in the Eurozone. If I am anyplace, it’s probably the ideal place to be for an extended time.

I hope to be in San Sebastian in August, then heading west during the fall to A Coruna for a couple months and Vigo for a few more.

I’m still planning on leaving Europe in October 2017, which will begin a busy extended cruise westward, not finishing until we cross the North Pacific to Japan and Korea.

Want to join me at any part? I can always use help, extra hands and advice, and most of all, the company. This year, summer 2016 through fall 2017, it’s less cruising and more just joining Dauntless and I while we stay in some wonderful town, eat some of the best food in Europe and wash it down with some wonderful wine; all at a cost that will make me never want to leaveJ

The best way to contact me is the email link under “contact”.

Real Mothers and Real Soju

Today, Sunday, finds me watching parts of a Korean Drama that I first watched a few years ago, Go Bong Shil, 고봉실 여사 구하기, watching this drama makes me realize how strong a connection I have to the culture of Korea.

One of the themes that runs through virtually every Korean drama is family and the hard work of mothers in particular.

It’s always a great reminder to keep us humble and appreciative of what we have and not cry over what we don’t have.

Yeosu, along the southern coast of South Korea and a Dauntless goal three years from now.

And then, just minutes ago, I realized that the story of this drama starts in Yeosu, a beautiful city in the middle of the south coast of South Korea and the town that Julie suggested would be a good destination for Dauntless.

I do believe in Fate; how can I not. One way or another, my Fate draws me to Korea.

This touching scene in 60 seconds says so much about life:

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