Charting a course

Two and a half years have passed by since I have posted an update on this blog. I apologize to anyone who has laid patiently in wait for the completion of our restoration. The funny thing about boats is that most of the time you spend thinking about them, or working on them means actually progress on the project is that work is getting done. We have gotten a lot of work done.

Margaret sat in our yard in the upper 9th ward for just under two years. The boat needed an incredible amount of work. The bulkhead was rotted out, as was the core. A single non stainless bolt bedded through the deck was the culprit of much of the damage, as was Katrina. The aft port side corner was ripped from the boat, and the rudder was no where to be seen when we went to collect Margaret from Mobile bay. The interior was full of water, and all of the lower bulk heads were in various stages of rot.



Fortunately for us, we didn't get in over our heads. Bill Lapworths approach for the Cal 20 was as a very simple design, and accessible boat. This translated to very straight forward repairs. Unfortunately as anyone knows, a core repair of any boat is fraught with problems. We eventually got the core in, nice new bulkheads crafted, new electronics, a re-bedded keel, anti-fouling paint, and deck paint on the boat. we rigged her, and set sail on Friday, May 13th of 2011.

Margaret didn't spend much time last summer at her berth in South Shore Harbor. We sailed that boat 3 or 4 days out of the week, and took several multi day sails around the lake and out into the gulf. We have been thrilled at how she handles.

Right now she is back in the yard for some final touch-ups and key additions. We have recently added a set of solar panels and controller to keep her battery topped off. New hull paint, windows, a second rudder and tiller, plus a slew of up-to-date electronics have found their way into her tiny 7 feet of beam.

So we plan on setting sail for the next couple of months. A bit of time in the gulf, and hopefully a good amount of time around the Bahamas.