Commodore's View
So, here it is August already and I’ve been reminded of the vagaries of weather in a personal manner. Lightning recently struck near enough our house to take out my old faithful PC that has worked so well without updates in the past ten years. While the purchase of a new PC (hopefully covered under the homeowners policy) wasn’t in my plans, it occurred to me that LAUREL ANN isn’t a grounded boat.
A week after the somewhat premature demise of my PC, I spent the afternoon below deck during a storm of somewhat the same ferocity. While sitting as far away as I could from everything, it gave me time to contemplate my list of projects. Remember the list? It has finally stopped growing (as fast) and I’m starting to mark tasks off. The ceilings are installed in the pilot berth, the electronics seem stable. A grounding scheme is already on the list. Most of the projects left (including stabilizing the rig, re-plumbing and rewiring) pretty much depend on having most of the interior removed, and since that might be considered a major thing, I’ve decided to wait until I’ve ripped it apart to start on the rest of those.
I also had the opportunity to analyze the origin of several of the leaks in the main cabin. Four of them are going to require new gaskets (the ports all leak), and the other will be fixed with a rasp (the top drop board angles into the cabin instead of the cockpit). The leak from the anchor well/locker is another matter. The point to all this drivel is that I recently received two comments about too many articles in the WINDSCOOP about who’s rebuilding what on which boat. Since the Cruise Captain and Race Captain do such a good job of discussing the Major events of our club, I feel a little freedom to wax literary from time to time.
Now, I do have something to say about upcoming events within the Club. One of the most important events we get involved in is coming up at the August meeting. It’s time for a decision that will plot the course we follow in the coming years. The Nominating Committee will be elected. Pursuant to the Bylaws, Ken Berdhal has agreed to chair the Committee this year. If you want a direct voice into the selection process, you need to be on the Committee. Nominations will be taken from the floor, ballots will be distributed, cast, and counted with the results announced at the end of the Second Half. If you just wish to be heard by the Committee, I know personally that Ken has the honor of having both an open ear and mind. It’s your club, you need to make these decisions.
Now, to dissect the cabin, all I’ll need is my crowbar and sledge hammer.