Long day of tiring work that felt like a workout...

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Transem dry rot...it'll be replaced.

I’d been planning to go to Fairport Harbor to do some work on the boat Saturday morning, but only after doing my home chores.  The yard was a mess and I wanted to get some of it together before things began blooming and my task would become more difficult.  My nephew, Nathan, had called the day before to say he’d be going to the boat on Sunday with the goal of turning over the engines, shoring up the hull and covering the boat against the weather.  As I ate breakfast though, I received a text from him saying he could get away from work and head for the boat that morning and did I want him to pick me up.  Of course I agreed.

I hurried out and packed up grasses I’d cut down the night before that were now blown across the yard.  So much for getting ahead.  I worked for an hour before he arrived; loaded my tools into his truck and drove to the marina.  Though dressed warmly, six hours in the outdoors working in temperatures in the thirties took its toll. 

I arrived home around five chilled to the bone and pretty beat up.  I’d climbed up and down an 8’ step ladder to get on and off the boat and to work my way around it trying to remove wooden trim that I would be refinishing and replacing after we replaced the deck.  There was a good deal of time spent on hands and knees crawling into tight places to loosen bolts and remove salvageable pieces parts.  We’d loaded everything we’d be reusing and had removed to a storage site, which meant more hauling and carrying from truck to basement. 

I could have ridden the trainer or gone for a run, but elected instead to take a hot shower, download pictures on facebook of the boat progress, and eat a warm dinner while watching an episode of ’30 Rock’.  I struggled to keep my eyes open; exercise was a vague apparition.  Besides, I figured I needed my rest for tomorrow when we’d again attack the boat with the hopes of firing up the engines, something that had not happened in over four years.