Winterizing

I used antifreeze in my holding tank from my head and I used it in the bilge. I ran the engine and used the antifreeze in the raw water intake to suck the antifreeze throughout the engine. After that I undid the nuts on the water pump cover to drain the antifreeze out from around the impeller. One gallon went in my rear water tank and one in my front water tank. Altogether I used 8 gallons of antifreeze which cost $2.48 per gallon at Menards, a big hardware store up here in Wisconsin. Finally I disconnected the wires on the batteries and topped them up with distilled water.

All set for another winter.

I'll be going down under again for the winter like I did last year but first there are some grandchildren to catch up with again and also the boat show in Annapolis along with a talk by Jerome Rand who just completed a circumnavigation in a Westsail 32 just like mine. You can find out more at 5thcape.com on the internet.

Hauling out

Yesterday I motored the couple of miles over to Harbor Town Marina to put the boat on the hard and winterize it for the coming season. Hauling Onapua has become old hat for me and for the first time, I didn't record the event on video and wouldn't you know it, the boat slipped off her sling. I have always thought it strange that they required me to remove my forestay which I had never done before at any other haul out yard. Turns out that they had me going in the wrong way. The boat needs to be stern first into the hoist. Anyway we turned the boat around and it worked much better. I did have some damage to the Port bow caprail when the boat fell into the water but otherwise I go off lightly.

So she is back to the same place as last year but turned around the other way.

I mixed up a batch of fibreglass to fix the cap rail and then I ran 4 gallons of potable antifreeze through the engine.

This year I am trying a different method for my boat cover. Instead of buying just one tarp for the whole boat, I have bought four. One for the bow, 2 for port and starboard and one for the stern. Also I bought 12oz canvas tarps from tractor supply that look like they have a lot of strength to them. Mother nature is probably laughing at my attempt but it is worth a shot. I am halfway through.

Menomonie

Sailed here Monday for about 2 hours, motoring for about 4 hours. My neighbor in Detroit Harbor caught me as I was getting ready to leave.

Thanks Dan!
It's nice being able to run up to the store and and get whatever you want. This place has everything with a Walmart, lots of hardware stores and especially my favorite Tractor supply. Weather has been off and on. Take a look at this cloud we had tonight before the rain came down in buckets.

Will haul out sometime this week.

Detroit Harbor, day 3

Weather has kept me here inside the harbor, but I have been productive fixing my whale gusher bilge pump, reading and watching DVDS. I did visit with my neighbors, Dan and Leslie on a beautiful 1962 Pearson Triton that has been in their family since new.

Dan has a 20 year old crew member who will swear like a pirate if you feed him.

Tomorrow I will be taking advantage of favourable winds to take me the 30 miles to Menomonie, Michigan and storage at Harbor Town Marina for the upcoming winter.