Good morning Irene

Occasional heavy showers overnight. 

Currently: 

Wind: East 12mph 

Barometer: 29.74"

We took Ballantine for a walk between showers - now everyone is ready for a quiet day of reading and warm beverages aboard Kairos! 

Light Southerlies ahead of Irene

Tropical storm warning currently in effect for the tidal Potomac to Eastport, Maine.

Our proposed location during Irene

Test for Irene mobile coverage

Hurricane Irene is rapidly descending upon us wary souls in Midcoast Maine. We are beginning preparation and preparedness actions. To this end I am setting up a mobile link so I can send frequent updates from aboard Kairos during the storm. This is a test run.
We postponed stepping the mast... again... And after much research (into depth and bottom type) will be riding out Irene tied to a floating dock in the St. George River, Thomaston, Maine. Stay tuned!

Bottom Paint

Here's the thing about being "involved" in boatyard life - you acquire many items. For example when a boat is bottom painted it takes more than one can. But the number of cans it requires is never an even amount, perhaps 2 and 3/4 cans or 3 1/2 ... see what I'm getting at? Who wants to carry around 1/4 of a can of bottom paint? This isn't a little varnish can but a whole gallon can with drippy thick paint on the sides. So when you spend a lot of time around boatyards one is able to save these sad cans with their remaining treasure from the inevitable trip to the dumpster. If you rescue enough cans you are able to then bottom paint your own boat for free! (Best choice is to only salvage or liberate one color.. otherwise the bottom of your boat will look like a happy rainbow.) So today I bottom painted in preparation for tomorrow's launch. 5 cans of black bottom paint. Do to my crafty application I have also created a test worthy of Practical Sailor's labs. On the starboard side I predominately used Pettit's Vivid Color in the not so vivid black. On the port side I used Pettit's Trinidad SR. So I'm sure those of you who know their bottom paint, are placing bets on the Trinidad (as I am), but time will tell and I will report back! (For full disclosure the forward starboard side has a combo of AwlGrip bottom paint, and a quart can of undisclosed origin.)

Sand...Varnish...Repeat

The proposed launch date is 13 days away. What must be done before she hits the water. What else must be ordered?

The bootstripe has been painted. The lifelines are almost complete. The new chainplate installation will be finished once SS shapes the toe rail around them. In the foreground of the photo you can see the new laminated and shaped mizzen boom.

The plan this week - sand, varnish, repeat.

Refrigeration

The "salvaged" NovaKool compressor: 12 Volts DC drawing 2.5 amps with 134A refrigerant. Originally designed to be used with their own aluminum evaporator plates, SS wanted a custom and sturdier option.

He rebuilt the existing ice box with 3-4.5 inches of insulation on the top (as you can see in the photo) as well as the sides and bottom. The icebox mirrors the hull and turns a 90 degree corner around the sink. It has two top opening doors to allow complete access.

Then SS created a mock up of the largest vertical side, considering placement of the tubing and valves and how they would extend through the bulkhead, into the port settee, where the compressor would be mounted.

He sent the mockup to SeaFrost who created a custom, stainless, evaporator plate. Tah dah! All installed it is cooling lunch and beverages while he works on other systems! The plan is to add shelves and dividers to keep items separated and upright once we get a feeling for how we will pack the fridge. Additionally we will be able to hang a vertical ice cube tray off of the evaporator plate to ensure our gin-n-tonics are always icy cold.