Afloat again; rolling enclosure curtains

My brother Boris emailed from his home in New Mexico this morning, wanting to know if the boat was launched on schedule or if some other disaster had occurred. This caused me to conclude that if there is such sincere interest in the matter in the American desert Southwest, the rest of the world probably needs to know what happened as well. Thanks Boris. Here's the report:

Ms Bettencourt came off her trailer almost too easily at the North Augusta ramp yesterday morning. The ramp is so steep and the river so low that the boat's anchor nearly caught on the trailer winch stand. Though my policy is that "a millimeter is as good as a kilometer," I'll watch this clearance closer in future launches.

Transit from the ramp to my dock was uneventful. The long-silent old 3-cylinder Kubota engine started easily and ran flawlessly. We clocked 6.6 knots by GPS at 1900 RPM downstream.

A cleaning frenzy has begun. Except for two road trips to Charleston and back, the boat has been parked 100 yards downwind from a steel fabricating plant since July 24. There is a gritty film all over, inside and out.

After the cleanup, I will recommission the pressure water system, the water heater and the fresh water head. I also need to make sure that my GPS is still talking with my DSC-enabled VHF radio transceiver.

And a few minor changes will be made to the newly installed cabin enclosure. The way the side curtains roll up will be improved. I shortened and reinforced the belaying straps on the port side curtain today and the changes were definitely an improvement.

If you  click to enlarge this picture you will get a perspective on the opening size with the side curtain rolled up to the outside. Ideally, one would want the curtain bundle rolled as tightly as possible up under the roof overhang.

But, I am told that can damage the clear vinyl window material. so we are rolling loosely, but lifting the roll higher than it was when it came out of the canvas shop.

Here's what it looks like from the outside. I like the opening size.

And here's the inside view. Incidentally, it is also possible to roll the curtains up with the roll on the inside of the cabin instead of outside under the roof overhang. I tried it both ways. I like the roll to the outside better.



I will probably do the starboard side curtain the same way. The back curtain will stay the way it is, because I think I will be rolling the back curtain up only infrequently.

Next week, I'm planning a day cruise down river to Gum Swamp and back. My friends Major and Wendell will be coming over for that trip. Everything should be shipshape before then.