The crews received recurrent training. Below is a session from the 10 day intensive Wilderness First-Aid course that the crew takes every three years. New for 2007 was a certification course for Assistant Bear Viewing Guide certificates.
Spring is always a busy time for us. The touring season is fast approaching, the Columbia III requires a fair amount of TLC to keep her looking “appropriate”, and the pictures that follow will give you a window behind the scenes.
Luke welding up the new mast for our satellite internet connection
The center portside salon window lost its seal and exhibited an irritating tendency to fog internally. So first we had to smash out the old glass and then replace the custom cut, tempered and thermo-paned window.
We took both wheelhouse doors off for replacement of the glass and refinishing.
And when the weather finally improved the exterior sanding and painting got underway:
We have only had the boat 3 years, but we have run a piece of sand paper, BY HAND, over every square inch of the boat above the waterline . . . Sometimes I wish we had a larger family!
We turn the boat by hand many, many times, putting the preferred side into the sun, or into the shade, sanding this side, and then that side.
Ok. Ok. I am still tied to the dock, but I can hardly wait to get back out on tour! “Let’s get going!!!”
And after many nerve wracking delays we squeezed into the shipyard’s over-busy schedule and got our bottom cleaned and painted.
