So the winter proceeds as does the work on the Columbia III. We work constantly during the winter and much of the work is unphotogenic and not all that exciting to write about! Filters are changed, small innovations added, and components are dissembled, overhauled and returned to service. I am a “systems guy” so I always have a wish list of changes for the boat, from the tiny to the major. One pet peeve was the lack of good storage in our engine room so I have chipped away at the “problem” over the winter.

The aft bulk head in the engine room was relatively under-utilized, so I stripped it bare to take the opportunity to give it a coat of paint.

And then after rerouting a “few” wires and “things” I made a new set of shelves for the bulkhead (wall).

Then there was the “pressing matter” of my supply of filter spares. . . one can never have too many spare . . . well, spare EVERYTHING would be nice . .. so, on top a needlessly blank area of the engine room , , ,

I made a mahogony box for holding spare filters:

Then I tried my hand at “louvers” for a small vent. It turned out acceptably for a “louver novice”.

And once again, just when I SHOULD be working, on one of my several thousand trips between the shop and the boat, I spy some transient orcas . . . . and off we go for a few more ID shots! The picture isn’t great and I had to crop it in Photoshop, but it was just a “point and shoot” camera at dusk . . . I think you will get the gist of the situation though!

Oh yes, where was I . . . . ahhh, on storage for the engine room.
I was able to squeeze one more shelf in the engine room above the new gensets (of the winter of 07/08). This shelf now holds spare pumps for us.

Heady stuff, really. Well, maybe I SHOULD get out more. But after the design, building, painting, varnishing and installation of these small projects I have to tell someone who cares!

Again, we work almost every day of the year on the Columbia III, in one manner or another. Having the boat tied in front of our house means it is easy (maybe too easy!) to keep the various projects underway.

This year we had some woodworking that needed attention. As a 50+ year old boat, it takes constant vigilance to keep her in tip-top shape. And at times, one can’t be shy. If it needs to be fixed, it has GOT to get fixed. So we dove in, so to speak, with saws and drills and removed some tired wood and rebuilt and returned the boat to perfection.

But the real pay off is in knowing the job is well done and the Columbia III is one more step on her way to her 100th birthday celebration in 2056!

The first major project of the fall was to replace two planks in the foredeck. One had a longitudinal crack that looked like it would cause trouble in the future and one had been the source of our only drip below decks and it needed attention. There must be some glamour in taking things apart, because the whole crew seemed to appear from nowhere to help drill, chisel, pry and saw.

But the old planks came out cleanly and the the surrounding wood was wonderfully sound.

We are blessed with an uncle/neighbour who has built and repaired wooden vessels his whole life on the BC coast, and he provides us with our expertise. Dennis oversaw the decking repairs and gave a “clinic” when it came time to caulk the seams with cotton and then oakum.

Project No: 253,335.02

One corner of the aft deck roof was “tired”, and needed “a little help”. There was the preliminary surgery and then the reconstructive work began. We had been preparing for this for well over a year, so we we had the clear fir and yellow cedar dry and ready for the job.

One can never have enough tools and we make thousands of trips between the shop at the head of the dock and the boat fetching just one more thing we need. The pile just seems to get bigger and bigger!

Then the rewarding work begins. The old is replaced with the new clear wood, and there is something profoundly satisfying about doing the job well, especially for an honoured gal like the Columbia III.

It feels really good when the paint starts to go back on, though it is a shame to cover all that clear yellow cedar!

We spend ALOT of time trying to keep the Coumbia III looking her best. This often includes maintenance in places the average guest will never need to know about but which will help to keep her hale and hearty for the next fifty years. Nevertheless, our spring is always busy working on the “cosmetic” aspects of the boat and this year we have been dodging rain and storms. Here are a few pictures of the annual refit:

Sanding:

We work pretty hard most days, but when someone noticed a pod of transient orcas passing by our dock the sanding blocks, electric sanders and dust masks were dropped like hot potatoes and off the crew went for a few ID shots for Graham and Jared.

After a nerve-wracking delay due to wet weather and the rescheduling of our Transport Canada safety inspection, the sun finally shone and the painting began in earnest!