Fun with a fishboat--new update!!!!!

[yugogypsy]

Hi Everyone,

As part of my research for my book I asked and got permission to "boat-sit" an out of work gillnetter called "Duby C" So for the past few days I have been sweeping and cleaning and learning about the day to day maintenance-all by myself. The owner said "I really don't care and I don't have the time"

Well, I care and I have time, so every afternoon its off to the Govt. wharf for a little dockside learning.

I can swim if I fall in , but I have to remember to put some towels and a change of clothes in the car.

I sweep, throw clam,mussel and crab shells overboard and curse the otter who's decide to live on her, I am going to scrub the deck with some vinegar and water and see if that deters the otter as well as the algae.

So I'm having fun, and learning, and getting Peeved with the owner as I discover work and MORE work he'll have to do before he sells her.

Because in June, the rest of the fleet leaves, but I have a feeling Duby will be there all summer because her owner leaves with them, he's going on another boat.

So, by fall when he gets back he won't recognize her she'll be so clean and shiny.

Theres a boat show coming up in May and I don't want her looking like a disgrace to the fleet even if she's not working.

So for a laugh, imagine me atop a 41 ft gillnetter, polishing the roof!

Take Care All
Lois

[Millymollymandy]

Sounds like a fun and interesting experience. What is a gilnetter? (I've gathered it's a boat.... )

[yugogypsy]

Yes MMM,

its a fishboat, salmon and herring, and her owner is a #!&*()_%$&^( fool for leaving her sitting there.

He's just too lazy to give up a few of his luxuries at home (like a brand new VW Beetle) to look after his boat, just wants to fish with his brothers and make more money.

No I don't like him, he's promised TWICE to fix something I said needed fixing on Duby this week and never showed up at the boat at all.

So I'll do what I can and if the anchor falls off or the forward hatchcover blows away, I'm NOT fixing those!

Lois

[yugogypsy]

Today I have a mini rant. I found out Duby C's owner walks right past her every day to help work on his brothers big UGLY BLACK boat called Haste.

Now THAT was a bit much for my temper But I never said boo, just went and told him when I was done for the day and what I'd done (more sweeping and a little scrubbing) and asked when he was leaving -next month Hurray. and what to do if something goes amiss with Duby while he's gone.

And he's gone until September So I definitely have all summer to put into Duby and you can bet I make the most of it and I may have a job looking after "Tarra" as well. Tarra is a crab boat, small and newly restored, nothing to looking after her, dump out buckets of rain water and sop up any water on the deck.

She's for sale through an out of town broker and I emailed them to say she needed a tidy up and IF they can't get anyone else I'll do it, because I watched the beginning of her restoration and I know the guy who had her REALLY cared about her.

The two boats are moored with Duby ahead and Tarra behind her, so I just have to walk 5 steps to the next job if I get it.

So wish me luck, maybe I can actually get paid for the next boat I look after!!

Lois

[yugogypsy]

Today, atop the mast sat two crows, both of whom dropped a shell when I banged on the mast!

I wasn't impressed-neither were the crows, they flew off cawing about their lost dinner and I had to go up to the roof and get the shells off.

The high point of the day is we now have "Scout" a 30 year old sailboat tied alongside until the pile driver leaves

Which means someone new to talk to, and I've been seeing old friends and making new ones, so its great fun.

Duby C has been a She seems to enjoy the attention. I'm getting fresh air, sunshine and light exercise.

And I'm looking forward to the boat show May 2-4, I have permission to put a simple sign on Duby stating her origins and that she is only 1 of 10 built in the province of B.C.

Had a little trouble with a nut in a black zodiac the other day , now the harbourmaster knows and there won't be any more of that, because I know the guy in the zodiac.

So Take Care All and I'll become a regular again when I get finished boat sitting

Lois

[ina]

Now that's a new one to me.... I've done baby sitting (once or twice), dog sitting (more often), even farm sitting - but boat sitting is new! Sounds like you are having fun, and that's the most important bit of it.

[Milims]

I'm loving reading your "boat diary"! Keep it up!

[yugogypsy]

Thanks Milims,

I am having fun, right now its sort of snowing and raining at the same time, and theres no need to go every day.

A pass over with the broom every other day keeps the deck tidy and when Haste leaves I'll do more. But I can do the windows on the next nice day and that will take a while, but as long as its sunny and not too cold I don't mind.

I have to use a toothbrush around the windows as theres a bit of moss growing, then wash the windows with vinegar and water.

I'm learning great patience, I just concentrate on the boat-not my urge to give her owner roaring heck and then pushing him in the bay!

But she's going to be beautiful for the show and thats that.

Before Nootka Lady goes out I have to reserve the smallest tuna they can get me. I haven't had it before and home canning books cover tuna now, so it'll be tuna steaks and canning tuna when I thaw and cut it.

Good thing Dad taught me how to cut up darn near anything-and I'm sure I can find something on cutting tuna on the 'Net.

Maybe I can get a halibut too-I love halibut, I could eat it every day! Nootka has a licence for both, so I shall see.

Duby was primarily a salmon and herring boat, but I found her crab traps in the gear hold and I knew she'd been out crabbing.

We get Dungeness crab here.

The sad thing about this boat-sitting is that Duby is going to be sold for a price I couldn't afford.

If I knew more about fishing AND didn't get seasick
I'd ask what it would cost to lease her for a year.

But then she'd be out of water a year for preparation , I'd have to get oh heck ,3 licences (crab, salmon and herring.) But even if I only fished her part time, what a lot I could freeze, can, smoke,pickle and use for barter

I am just too ambitious-I did tell you I'm getting a 1958 Farmall Cub tractor by June didn't I??

I like Duby better right now, she's a peaceful place to be, and is helping a lot with the doldrums I get sometimes.

Take Care
Lois

[yugogypsy]

Hello All,

Today was seriously sweep the deck day and get in all the corners with a whisk broom, tomorrow is take the garden hose and wash some of the loose muck off and do a little scrubbing.

Haste is not hastening off, so I shall have to go ahead with Duby's bath and hope for the best.

I sure hope that I don't loosen off any paint. I found the rest of my brushes and polishes two nights ago so I'll be able to do an A-1 cleaning job. I did find out where to get replacement paint, and I'm going to look around for a set of 2nd hand running lights that match and I'll put them on after Haste leaves.

The owner still thinks I'm kidding when I say he won't recognize his own boat when he comes back.

Well , he won't, she'll be too clean and shiny and have her paint all touched up and theres a couple of small on deck repairs Rick and I can handle.

One of the gear boxes needs fixing and the screws have broken out of the hold cover hinge. and the forward hatch cover needs 2 screws and a tiny piece of 3/4 inch plywood.

Little things, easily put right and then painted. I can't wait to see the look on the owners face when he comes back!

Hee hee, I could even ask the harbourmaster if she can be moved, then the owner would be really confused!

But at least my enthusiasm for cleaning and looking after Duby finally has got him talking about hauling her out for repairs over winter. I volunteered to help with the scraping etc then too.

I have about 3 and a half weeks to get her fit for the boat show, I hope the weather improves, every day I went to do something last week it rained!

Take Care Everyone
Lois

[yugogypsy]

Hi All,

One day to boat show day and the weather hasn't been cooperating, so Duby is still a bit of a mess and I had the piling crew boat and then "Wild Thing" tied up on the otherside, so I had people and dog tracks to clean up for a couple of days.

Tomorrow I am going to have to go flat out ,all day, scraping more moss and polishing the paint and scrubbing the deck.

The work boats arrive Friday, starting about 8AM so its another early day-then the same until Sunday when the show is done around 5 PM

She's not an official entry, but at least Duby will be at least 3/4 clean and look presentable.

I'll post on Monday to tell you how it went.

Lois

[PeterNZ]

Hi Lois,

this sounds wonderful what you are doing! I am onto boats as well and restore an old trailer sailer at the moment. Is there a chance to see some pictures?

Keep it up!

Cheers

Peter

[yugogypsy]

Oh Woe I hadn't been able to get down to my chores for a while and Poor Duby was covered in shavings from the wharf repairs.

Plus there were a few shells and a dried up small fish head to be cleaned up.

I didn't get to cleaning up the shavings as I forgot the broom, but I'll get to it tomorrow.

Either that or the repair crew-who are making all the shavings in the first place are going to see me coming with my broom and in my eyes to get one of them to clean up the mess they made of my project!

I checked the hold today, just lifted the lid, normal amount of water on the floor so I don't have to worry about her flood alarm going off.

Some one of the repair crew left me another rubber fender for her, Rick and I just have to attach it to a rope and put her name and DFO number on it.

I'm still snickering at the thought of her owners face when he comes back.

I regret to say ladies that he seems to be a bit of a chauvinist, no faith in women.

Well he picked the wrong lady to try that tactic on and he'll find out when he gets back that I wasn't lying and I should have improved Duby by at least 50% by the time he gets back.

The 50% thats above water that is! So half the boat.

And I actually taught a housepainter something-he knows nothing of marine paint, so I passed on what little I learned from the book and I'll take him down to Duby and show him examples of what I was talking about with flaws in her paint job.

I definitely picked a good boat to learn from, she seems to have or have had, every flaw in the book. I hate to say that, but after watching her for 21 years, I know what has happened to her.

Well, I'll see what I can do to un-do 8 years neglect, and maybe that pig-headed owner of hers will wake up and smell the coffee!

Lois

[yugogypsy]

I haven't been doing my boat chores but did manage to catch this picture of Rick with the broom last time I went

[yugogypsy]

Well, I had a successful summer with The Duby C and have been kept on for winter.

She's now got 3 new fenders and had a rotten rope replaced. Her drum cover is tied down tight for winter and if the owner would just put some $$$ into her this winter, she could fish next Season.

Oh well, I shall have to see what I can do about convincing her owner to get her totally shipshape, because I know someone who will deckhand for him and is an experienced boat handler himself.

So cross your fingers everyone, I'm going to try to send "my baby" back to work.

HUGS
Lois

[Thomzo]

It's great that you are having fun and learning so much. Shame that the horrid owner is going to benefit from your work when he sells it. Still, if you are enjoying it, that is the main thing.

Zoe