Water Music Maintenance

It hasn’t all been a bed of roses on WM of late!! As with most houses, boats require maintenance and refurbishment. Unfortunately this cannot usually wait on a boat and is our constant companion.


We decided to have the teak floorboards refinished while we were off the boat visiting family and friends in Calif. for the Christmas holidays. We arrived back onboard WM at midnight on Jan. 1 to find the boat still masked and the spray varnishing not complete. Most of the floorboards were removed and refinished in the workshop but other bits had to be done in situ.


This job drug on and on with finishing problems due to unusually cold and wet weather, that we were experiencing in Georgia. We finally received all boards back by 1 February but in the mean time, we lived for a month watching where we stepped to avoid stepping into the bilge as only some areas had planks.


We hurried down to St. Augustine, Florida to meet our scheduled lift out for more maintenance and routine bottom cleaning and anti-fouling. Here you see the power wash while WM is suspended in the hoist.


Once again the boat is torn apart, this time to get behind the aft cabin bed to the rudder stock. A replacements bearing was slow in coming so this area was torn up for almost 2 weeks.


Another piece of routine maintenance on the windless (this controls movement of our heavy anchor and chain) turned into a major project as water had gone behind seals and caused extensive corrosion. Unfortunately it had to be replaced and the new one then got held up by the terrible snow storms in the NE of the US. To create space to work, the whole chain locker had to be emptied and here you see David by some of the removed chain.


We changed our color selection for the anti-foul from blue to black. (some say the darker the color the longer it resists marine growth!!!) Note the blue patches on the side of the hull. as the supports are moved one by one to allow complete coverage.


During this period, we used our bicycles to ride a couple of miles to a near-by hotel. The boatyard showers and toilets were being renovated and using the ones for the workers was not deemed acceptable to Deborah. We had many 40F degree days with colder nights during this time. Hot water could not be guaranteed!


Here is our folding propeller now having been thoroughly cleaned and recoated with a special antifouling.


Finally we were able to leave the yard and travel South to Palm Beach, Florida, our launching spot to the Bahamas. Unfortunately while refueling in Palm Beach, we realized there was a serious problem when the bilge pump activated and we saw diesel in the water. This was quickly caught but we were required to be towed out of the marina to a yard where we could tie up and clean the diesel from the bilges. We were surprised to see how one large inflatable boat, tied on to the side of WM could move her 20 tonnes in 25knot winds so easily.


Here is what happened. The old filler hose had slid off the below deck fitting as over time the diesel had degraded the hose. The old hose had been too short when originally installed and was under too much tension and only held in place by one hose clamp. To get to the fitting, we not only had to dissemble the wood facing but also had to remove a ceiling panel. David changed out the hose, double clamped both at the deck fitting and the tank and made it a bit longer.


The fumes from the diesel were so strong in the boat Deb wore a mask to work. Cupboards were saturated with diesel and much was thrown away. We still are trying to save a number of technical books and charts, but so far have not found the perfect answer to removing the diesel and smell.


We pumped out 15 US gallons of diesel from the bilges. David then used special cleaner and cloths which you see in the black bag, to clean the residue. We are still cleaning and sorting, although we did make the crossing of the Gulf Stream and are now in the Bahama Islands where we hope to do what you all have in your minds we do all the time …Relax and enjoy the beauty of the blue waters and warmer weather.