A New Journey Begins for OverEasy - 2023/2024

[OverEasy]

Thanks Russ!

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

The end of year holidays are fast approaching!
Sheeze! Where did the time go?

Looking at the To-Do-List and there’s a bit more than half that are gonna hafta roll-over into 2025.
It is what it is… won’t be bored in the coming new year.

As far as boat projects:
- we’re gonna shelve the drum winch we were planning on for Over Easy given the threatened import tariffs and the lack of an equivalent affordable reliable domestic version ( existing user reviews indicate multiple points of dissatisfaction… leave it at that).
- for the time being we’ll go with a manual “from the cockpit” anchoring deploy/retrieval approach… not ideal but it will work.
- Also revisiting our plans for building a raised companionway and enclosure as SST material tubing costs are already climbing since early November… may need to go back and look at doing it in foam core and fiberglass… not sure yet.
- we will go ahead on our shore power interface mod as we already have that hardware in hand.. just need to get on with it once we are back down in warmer weather.
- ditto for the on-board generator set up as we already have the Honda generator… a compliant/suspended foam padded install under the center seat seems our best option.
- we’d like to make up ne window covers if we can get the sewing machine sorted out
- then there are the crazed cabin windows to be replaced and also to Re-caulk them all.
- I’d also like to finish installation of the ballast air purge system …controllable from the cockpit pedestal ideally.
- while our remote spotlight is nice we’d like to add some small fixed spotlights low on the bow rail supports controlled from the pedestal.
- along the same vein we’d like some dimmable cockpit lighting and stern area lighting.
- a cruiser stub mast with deck lighting is long over due.
- most importantly is figuring out our upcoming 2025 ICW cruise route/duration/timing/logistics/marina stuff… ideally we’d like to go out for a whole month!

The challenge (as always ) is timing and weather as well as other priority southern house projects….

2025 won’t be a boring year anyway

Best Regards,
Over Easy
-

[Russ]

Sounds like you are a real planner.
That's a good way to do it. Measure twice, cut once.

Are you ever planning on installing the mast?

[pitchpolehobie]

Ambitious list! Id like to put another bottom coat on. Need to redo my motor well drain plumbing too...otherwise my goal in 2025 is to SAIL MORE!!!!

[OverEasy]

Hi Russ & pitchpolehobie,

How are you both?
It’s gotten cold and snowy here in NH!!! Brrrrrrrr………
So yeah, I’ve gotta take advantage of the ‘out of project season’ weather to get the logistics for the nicer weather projects worked out.
I’ve tried the planning ‘in-season’ and I found that I was spending too much of the nice weather on planning, logistics & searching/selecting/gathering/waiting for supplies… …. Then when ready half the time had gone by and then it would rain..
Life has enough Murphy’s Law caveats as it is for me to set myself up for them

We did the bottom abradable anti foul last Spring so we figure we’re good for another season before we have to do it again … hopefully.
But if/when we do we now have the stern support frame and practice in lifting the boat up off of its trailer insitu. First time is always a learning curve. I’m glad I read up on what others had done on the forum. Some I liked, some I was afraid of and some were just about right for our situation. That the advantage of this forum’s openness, idea & experience sharing!

That reminded me that once we get Over Easy launched this coming spring it’s definitely time to replace the bunks and associated attachment hardware! One of the bunks tried to float free when we were retrieving her when we pulled out to prepare for going North back in July. CANNOT FORGET THAT ONE BEFORE WE ROAD TRAVEL ANY REAL DISTANCES WITH OVER EASY!!!
It’s also time to take a hard look at any of the other bolts & hardware to pre-emptively replace. Yeah hardware costs but FUBARS are expensive out on the road while traveling. Wheel bearing inspection and regrease is also part of all that too!

Regarding the mast…. That’s a bit of an Idunno at the moment as our area in SC has a lot of really nice estuaries, rivers and creeks we love exploring that aren’t conducive to a mast for one reason or another. There are some nice open areas like Port Royal Sound, the Broad River and others that are looking like great sailing locales as well.

Current plan is to get a week or more of motor cruising on the ICW this Spring.
In preparation for that we’d like to fabricate a glazed & raised companionway cover that would be easily removable when desired.
We’d like it to also support the mast horizontally at a clearance height from the cockpit floor of 6-1/2 to 7 feet. We’d be making a pintle at the mast base location to pivot/support that portion of the mast. An open Bimini frame over the cockpit would also have supporting duties for the lowered mast. We’d been looking to make it from SST tubing but the bandied about tariffs have already jumped up material costs (even from domestic producers who are profiteering from the higher import prices). It’s my wallet that’s actually taking the hit so I’m looking at alternatives like foam core fiberglass frames again…time vs. money….

BTW… I’ve also part of the measure twice cut two or three times club! (a little bit of Bondo and paint are good backstops!)
Fortunately I’m not a perfectionist, nice & functional but definitely not perfect, helps getting things accomplished so one can have the time to enjoy them.

This is the Spring where we’re planning on pulling the trigger on remodeling of kitchen/dining room/office ourselves. So I’ve got to hit the ground running once we get back down to SC in January. No time to gather any moss! It’s a long overdue project that has the priority now.

While we didn’t get everything done on our Northern Project List this year we did nail the high priority ones like:
- emptying out and sort the last overpacked storage locker,
- the new house heating & DHW system for the house up here,
- getting the tractor/FEL, the towable backhoe, compactor and multiprocess welder,
- removing/reducing the big tree stump
- helped fixing up our daughter’s friend’s short school bus conversion and repairs
- got to spend a month with our younger daughter
- got the Sunfish out with same daughter
- organized basement and garage storage
- harvested our apple tree
Not to mention several backyard campfires, stargazing, swims and lots of really nice meals prepared & enjoyed!

And then even somewhat constructively dealt with the unanticipated required surgical procedure, hospitalization and now recovery time requirements. (I make a lousy patient as my Admiral will readily attest to )

I think my Dad told me when I was a kid ‘that I can rest later, daylights a wasting!’

Right now we’re preparing for the year end holidays and also getting prepared for the trip south in mid January.
The recent snowfalls take their portion of time to clear but it gives me an opportunity to play with the little JD318 with its FEL (front end loader). (The finalization of the snowplow adaptation will have to wait until we get back in the warmer weather of 2025….)

Best Regards,
Over Easy