"Daisy Cutter" to "Vee Jay 2" August 1 to Oct 1, 2009
Daisy Cutter amid the weeds.	At the end of July Cap'n Vic stumbled across "Daisy Cutter" in Scituate, Mass, just south of Boston. The owner just didn't have time to sail and the boat had been sitting, unhappy and unsailing, in this weed patch for just over four years. It was what is called a "Project Boat" designed for a retired guy to keep him really busy.         Daisy Cutter went into rehab Aug. 1, 2009 for launch in May 2010 Newport as Vee Jay 2.         Vee Jay 2 is basically the same boat as Vee Jay, but instead of rigged for cruising and PHRF racing ... it is pretty much a J30 as they were intended for One Design racing with no roller furling and no self tailing winches.         The First Week in August saw the hull ripped open in three spots, and problems with damaged balsa wood core under the waterline were resolved.         Many boats from the 1980/90s used balsa wood as a light weight way to add strength to a hull, but if the outer fiberglass shell cracks just a tiny bit -- water creeps into the balsa. Years later the wood rots away leaving weak spots that can spread feet in every direction.         Eventually the balsa turns into a dark brown MUD, stops supporting the fiberglassed inner and outer skins, and leads to the abrupt break of those skins under pressure. That's why it is so important to have the J30 transom in decent shape as that area completely supports the rudder. Spiderweb -- indicator of balsa failure -- most likely caused by wet core freezing during winter.
Outer skin of old transom ripped off and new core of CoreCell foam and G10 fiberglass board patches were glassed in by Horatio, one of the builders of the boat at TPI in 1985. Twenty-five years later, he now knows how to do it right. Cap'n Vic will get another 25 years out of this transom!
Repaired areas are then sprayed with gel coat.
Last step is buffing to a mirror finish. That's the ceiling light fixture on the right and the transom on the left.
	The Second Week in August was time for the second major project: get rid of all the old instruments, which were too old to repair; and the compass, which was showing signs of heavy exposure to the sun.         Cap'n Vic spent about six hours tracing wires and pulling electronics from all over the boat. Now has a varied collection of power cords and coax for equipment that was on the boat ... and for equipment that had been installed years ago and un-installed years ago --- but the wiring was never un-installed leaving a complete wiring maze. AND a cockpit bulkhead with a lot of holes on both sides.         Horatio said no problem for the fiberglass work, and four days later Vee Jay 2 had like new cockpit bulkheads.
Also eliminated were the last pieces of electrical gear: the original water heater and water pump.	The Third Week in August was time to start working on "other things." Cap'n Vic vacuumed ground-up glass off most of the boat and was able to get "on board."         First to go were fittings and snap buttons for a dodger, then fittings for things not to be used in the Vee Jay program. The result was nearly 75 holes from bolts and screws removed from the deck.         25 or so other little spots needed help as well. Most were handled by epoxy putty, a dab of gel coat and sanded smooth.
Top Ten Tasks: 1. Replaced manual bilge pump 2. Repaired manual bilge pump hose 3. Installed electric bilge pump and switch 4. Two new batteries, tie downs, one cable and a soft rubber cover 5. Serviced 6 winches and replaced spings in the two main 6. Checked out Nav lights 7. Installed digital volt meter 8. Sent folding prop off for rehab 9. Faulted protected the AC plugs 10. Two sail bag zippers repaired.	The Last Week in August was Punch List #1 time with a lot of cleaning up and prep work for the launch in May. DC voltage meter in action.
Second Top Ten Tasks: 1. Started the motor up and ran it for a half hour with no running problems 2. Trouble checked the wiring for the autohelm and connector, and that now operational 3. Completed bypass of where the water heater would be if replaced, but it is not needed for the Vee Jay 2 program 4. Replaced electric water pump and strainer, checked out system to galley and head sinks 5. Installed new head 6. Unfroze through hull for head discharge, replaced Y valve as that has to be inspected for operation in Narraganset Bay. 7. Took out the Stove/Oven as it was only used a half dozen times on Vee Jay during 25 years and it is not needed in the Vee Jay 2 program. 8. Took out propane tank and related fittings that would have supplied the stove 9. Painted area where rusted out water heater had stained the storage compartment 10. Repaired gel coat near engine cover.	The First Week in September continued rehab on the inside of the boat. Stove lifted out of the boat.
Third Top Ten Tasks: 1. Matched Benjamin Moore's Iron Clad oil based exterior paint to formica counter tops to paint inside bulheads to match 2. Reinstalled instrument swing arm that had to be taken off for new bulkhead work 3. Pulled out 25-yr-old depth sounder from hull 4. Installed new AirMar depth sounder thru-hull in its place, ran cable from vee berth to arm 5. Installed Garmin 440S GPS on arm and modified bracket to be able to mount DSC radio underneath and microphone on arm 6. Ran 12 v power cords for radio and GPS to separate fuses on power panel, did interface wiring for GPS/radio, connected transducer to GPS 7. Ran new coax for radio to base of mast 8. Installed [thru bolted] stainless steel hand grips inside of hatchway as the old wood ones were destroyed when removed for bulkhead work 9. Reinstalled canvas pockets on port inside of bulkhead 10. Winterized head and pressure water system	The Second Week in September continued rehab on the inside of the boat. The swing arm combines radio, GPS and depth gauge
So OK Enough ... too many things to list. So just some highlights. Acquired stainless steel antique tiller extension to mount on new tiller. Bent shaft to conform to tiller shape. Used StarBoard to cover hole from original motor control not compatible with replacement. Replaced wooden deck hand rails with stainless steel. Had hull sanded and epoxy primed for same red "Vee Jay" Naples stripes [left photo] And that completes the 2009 Revamp of Daisy Cutter into Vee Jay 2. April set for a new blue bottom paint and into the water in May.

Newport to Westport, CT for J30 North American Championship -- Sept. 25/26

Rhapsody needed to be delivered to Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT, "no-matter-what" Sept. 25. Just 100+ miles. It was a cold windy morning with temps in the low 50s and wind at 22 kts from the north. Reefed main only and full speed right from the start. Blade went up as the wind settled, to be exchanged for #1, and the main reef in and out to keep us busy with wind beam to broad reach for 16 hours. Arrived at Cedar Point Yacht Club just after 1 am. to find ourselves locked ON the dock. Gates work both ways when padlocked with a chain. Cindy, Skipper Bill's wife, picked us up in daylight for the return drive to Newport.

Into the sunset, but no green flash.

Ted, Skipper Bill, and Vic

Lighthouses passing by:

Newport ... Cap'n Vic called out of Foredeck Retirement ... June/July/August/September
	I expected Newport this summer to be uneventful until Skipper Bill on J30 Rhapsody mentioned that he had a foredeck crew problem with his main guy out for knee surgery.          Normally I start a year's blog in October with a 90-mile overnight with the Naples/BocaGrande/Naples run.         But June, July, August, and September we have worked mostly foredeck on Rhapsody for weekly club races and three regattas and the annual Round the Island Race.         Skipper Bill driving; Jane trimming spin; Vic sweating a genny halyard with Warren at the halyard winch.
Foredeck crew Ron and Vic Note that foredeckers don't get to look at the sails. Ron's other foredeck life at the Newport Jazz Festival.	Last Regatta of the summer...    Two hours under motor to get there,    Four hours of Drifting,    Two hours under motor to get back to Newport. J30 Nemesis with full crew weight. Lisa, Vic, Ron and Bruce on J30 Rhapsody
	Although they have been on Rhapsody most of the summer Skipper Bill has kept me too busy to photograph Kev and Joe in action.          On the Around the Island Race Labor Day weekend Kev managed to grind in nearly 40 fast tacks as we struggled hard on the last short leg against a heavy tide. And Joe, another Raytheon guy, has filled in whenever and whereever he was needed.          The Vee Jay 2 program next summer is going to need a half dozen of these guys.

© 2009 by Captain Vic, Naples, FL 34102