Having fun in San Diego

We are back on board Jungle - time to get back to work.

First up, the back lazarettes (storage compartment) need a little painting.

Much better.

Even the BBQ grill could use a little help.

Much better.

Final coat of white paint on the anchor windlass.

The center area and white trim paint around the mast looks better. We do the white trim first, then the larger non skid (grey areas) after.

We used a "tip and roll" painting process to get a glass like finish. We use a roller to apply the paint and finish off with a light brushing to get this finish with little or no brush marks. After a couple of false starts, it's good to get the white trim out of the way. It was 8 hours of painting over two days versus 150 hours of preparation over 20 days - sanding, filling, priming, resanding. It's work required to be done on your hands and knees.

With the trim painting out of the way, time enjoy the sunset.

We take a break from our boat work to catch up with Jenée's sister Sheri and husband Brian Horn for dinner in old town San Diego at Cafe Coyote.

It's time for a Mariachi band!

We go from dinner to a play featuring Kendall Horn at the University of San Diego. There were theater props outside the theater to try out. This is so me.

Here is the acting troupe going through a Q&A session with the audience. Kendall is speaking.

Here is Kendall with a fellow actor.

Back to deck painting.

The key to the non skid part is proper taping. You can see the old grey compared with the new beige color. We are using a 2 part Linear Polyeurothane (LP) paint which is used in marine and aviation finishes.

A silicon grit is added to the second coating of the beige LP paint to ensure an effective non skid surface. It provides a sandpaper like finish. Otherwise it becomes a ice skating surface when hit with salt water.

It's Wednesday night dinner at the a boathouse Restaurant with G-man. Garrett and I love the lobster special on Wednesdays.

Make that 2 lobsters each - Yassas! (Hello!)

Days later, the family comes together for Garrett's graduation from the San Diego Sheriffs Department. He's looking the part getting his uniform together.

Here's Garrett with proud Mom and Dad (Marlin).

Dad's getting ready to take his photo.

Smile.

The April 2013 graduating class.

At 6'6", Garrett is the tallest deputy.

The ceremony is being held at the San Diego Marine Corps. Depot. Quite an event.

Official induction.

Mom and Grandma (Jenée's Mom)

Family shots with Cousins Kayleigh and Kendall Horn and girfriend Dani.

Mamas and Papas and Jenée with sister Sheri and brother Mike.

Pretty cool cake - check out badge and glasses.

Getting closer to the finished product.

Ready to reinstall the deck hardware.

The deck hardware is cleaned up and good to go.

The teak blocks have also been prepped and varnished.

Bow cleat and teak block installed.

The foredeck is now finished.

Can't get enough of these sunsets on the water.

While Jenée's Mom is in town, it's a good time to celebrate Mothers Day together. We get together for brunch at Toms Lighthouse Restaurant next to our marina.

Champagne Mimosas and 3 Moms at the table - what could be better!

We are looking from the restaurant to San Diego Bay's Point Loma and the marine layer rolling over the point and dissapating. Nice effect.

The Cortez Marina is like glass.

An early morning look at the finished product. I'm a happy sailor.

It's quite an improvement over this.

I'm heading back to Orange County and Yorba Linda for a few days. I'm taking the Amtrak train from San Diego. A great way to travel as I look out the window at the surfers at San Onofre beach.

Back home, Jenée has the home and yard looking lovely as always.

Katie does her part to keep things beautiful. Cheers everyone.

 

Working in the Jungle

Hi everyone. When we last checked in, we made it back to San Diego. We are still at the Cortez Marina, next to the Harbor Island Hilton. Time to update you on all the jobs we are doing on Jungle. First all engine and generator maintenance was completed.

Then it was time to go after the tired bright work (teak trim). The starboard toe rail needs some love.

Nothing like a little varnish. Check out the bronze rub rail - looking sharp.

Feeling so good I treat Garrett and I to a lobster dinner at the Boathouse restaurant. They have a special running on Weds nights - I'll take 2 thank you.

Now for the fun stuff. The forward head stopped working. And This is the culprit. A failed water solenoid switch. While I'm at it the whole head could use a sprucing after 3+ years of heavy sailing.

Prepping is the key to a good job - cleaning, fairing (filling cracks), sanding and taping.

Looking better.

The finished product. Check out the Admirals accoutrements. Love a nice head!

Now we attack the port side toe rail.

Sanding with environmental guards in place - can't just dump the stuff in the water, wouldn't be nice. Besides the bid fines from the Coast Guard. Hey, who's size 15 that.

That's better.

Back to the heads! Now we are working on the main cabin head (our head).

The good news is we can paint these things. Beats replacing. Man, this is probably more than you ever looked at heads. Welcome to my world.

While I'm in this bathroom time to repair a serious leak in our sink. It took me days to fix as we have a fancy Italian made sink with custom faucet and hoses. Only solution was a custom repair job to the hot water line. More fun. Might as well paint while we are at it.

Voila! Or Bravo! Sink repaired and back in.

Great view of San Diego from Harbor Island.

We biked down here as its close to our marina. Jenée has a new (used) folding bike that we bought at a swap meet. Stylin'

We decided to check out the Southwestern Yacht Club which is offering membership specials and good slip rates. The SWYC is next door to the San Diego Yacht club. This is season opening weekend and new member weekend. There is a pirate theme running on this dock.

All the boats are dressed up with their flags flying.

Jenée is enjoying herself.

And is now being kidnapped by one of the pirates - Garrr! This is more of a hug and the pirate is Alec Oberschmidt, one of the clubs top racers.

Alec invited Jenée and I to go on his boat Staghound, for the club boat parade.

The people on board include club members in full Yacht Club regalia. All very nice folks.

We wave at the boats on the YC docks and they wave back.

Everyone is having fun.

Back at the dock we pose next to Staghound (18th Century hunting dog - a few left). This boat has one purpose - go fast! Definitely the other end of the spectrum from Jungle.

Another week rolls around and it's back to work. Working on the cockpit teak. Lots of prep work again.

But it's worth it when it's done.

The doors to the pilothouse before.

And after.

This time I'm attempting to make it a once a year effort vs. four times per year. We'll see how it goes.

Oh no! A life threatening boo-boo.

I survived that scare, thanks. Looking back on the starboard side, we see the anchor windlass could use some help.

It needs to be cleaned, sanded and primed - special green primer since it is cast aluminum.

This is the white prime on top - looking better. We've already started to prime the white portions of the deck. Next we lay down the final white coat, then we repaint the nonskid panels (now ugly gray).

When I say we, I mean me and my new buddy - George Martinez. I definitely couldn't do this job as well without George. He knows what he is doing. Me, I'm learning.

Here is the foredeck being prepped, sanded and taped. You see some different colors we are trying out to paint over the gray nonskid portions. We like none of these colors. We'll keep looking for something in tan. That is the last part of the deck painting.

Quite an improvement with a little white primer. A lot more prepping, sanding and painting to go. We've got about 4 weeks into it, 2 more remaining. It's a big job.

Speaking of big jobs, I'm wondering how my mate Simon is fairing. He is in the Galapagos Islands, preparing for along sail to the South Pacific. He looks to be getting along well.

We are doing wonderfully, thank you. Cheers.