Pilgrim's Log

With Pilgrim's launch imminent, it is a good time to review, project and begin to chronicle our (Pilgrim's, Gabe's and mine) adventures.  You are invited to follow along and participate with comments.

It has been two years since purchasing Pilgrim.   With a long list of obvious needs and hidden other needed repairs before Pilgrim would be cruise ready finances would only allow what seemed incremental progress.  But now, at long last, those myriad unrelated loose ends are neatly tied and bundled into a whole; a beautiful Tartan 37.

One question I've pondered since taking ownership of Pilgrim was the bottom.  As ablative paint (according to some) needs 10 mph to actually ablate, on sailboats it isn't as effective as powerboats.   I prefer hard paint you can scrub and clean without being in a cloud of toxic haze.   But Pilgrim had ablative paint on her hull, and hard cannot be painted over ablative.  So I scraped and sanded all the existing bottom paint off.  In doing so I discovered the tiny blisters that caused my two year mind freeze.   Some said they were insignificant, that blisters are not life threatening.  But bottom problems are the first thing a buyer asks about.  If I'd ever want to sell she'd have to be sound, so as a matter of protecting my investment I searched for the best answer for Pilgrims bottom.

The Tartan 37.com web site has been a great place to learn about the boat.  Owners are active and post their repairs, questions and experiences working on their boats.   On the site it is noted that if a T37 has a bolt in the bottom of the rudder it indicates the rudder is saturated and the owner had attempted to drain the rudder while on the hard.  Pilgrim had the rudder bolt, so there was an obvious problem.  Another problem to dwell and research for the best answer.  In the spring I attacked the rudder, dropping it and cutting it open (as others on the T37 site had done and chronicled).  This was a great decision, the inside foam was saturated.  So I gutted the rudder and cleaned it up, and went back to dwelling to best repair.  The poor gutted rudder has sat forlornly beside Pilgrim since spring, and people were wondering if I'd ever fix it.  

Jeff Hickman of Bayside Boatworks has done several bottoms here at Gateway Marina as an outside contractor and his girlfriend works here so I've gotten to know both.  Jeff is as hard a worker and as diligent as anyone I've met, a rare quality today.  He's also extremely busy and in demand.  With his expertise obvious I sought his opinion on Pilgrim's bottom.   Jeff had been around for a month, we'd talked a good deal.   When I asked for his serious recommendation Jeff was apologetic in his explanation in that he hated to tell me what I needed.  A complete bottom job is really expensive.  A 38' sailboat bottom job he did here this summer had cost $14,000.  Jeff knew I couldn't afford that.  In the conversation we walked over to the rudder which was hollow and cut open.   For him, that was nothing, easy, but a pain.  He usually wouldn't rebuild rudders because they are time consuming and not profitable.   But seeing my trepidation in proceeding with the rudder repair he offered to do mine free, to bail me out.  

The common solution for blisters is to "barrier coat" the bottom with epoxy paint.   All paint must be removed to do so.   But under the paint were the blisters which could release and flake off the expensive epoxy defeating the purpose of the project.  So were I to proceed, I'd be wasting my time.  Jeff said at minimum I should peel all the gelcoat (the white coating over the raw fiberglass).  That would thin my bottom but eliminate the blisters.  He said it wouldn't be ideal but better than I was.  I agreed and he offered to peel the bottom on a Sunday and do it for as little as he could.   So I went ahead with that step.  

As he peeled Jeff became convinced I should mat the bottom with fabric, the expensive proposition mentioned above.   As his conscience dictates his actions he offered to do my bottom at a price I could afford.  I bought the materials and saved.  Did what I could to save.  He worked it in around other jobs so I saved.  End result; Jeff is my hero and Pilgrim has a better than new bottom.  

That problem had been daunting, and with it's resolution everything else is falling into place.  With help from other friends who are working free or cheap Pilgrim will launch this week.   As Gateway doesn't have a diesel mechanic and outside contractors must be approved and pay to work there Pilgrim will launch and be towed to Knapps Narrows Marina where my friend Oscar works.  There we'll get the engine all squared away and finish the other projects on the list.

The tow from here at Gateway to Knapps is covered because I spent the extra $30 for unlimited gold BOATUS towing.  With it you get free marina to marina towing for 25 miles.  Wednesday or thursday (if we decide to let the bottom dry another day) Pilgrim will head out of Gateway finally.

So after the work is completed at Knapps, I have to decide where to go.  My friend Allen has said he wants to sail her to Florida and/or the Islands (maybe from Beaufort to the islands offshore).  That may happen.  Hank Hinckley has invited me to Maine to learn the boatbuilding business.  That may happen.  I love the Chesapeake area and with the Espar furnace we are installing in Pilgrim wintering aboard would be feasible.   So that could happen.  As of now I don't know.  I'm open to anything...a feather in the breeze...or more aptly a leaf on the water....

So follow along, add comments, ask questions, see where Pilgrim ends up!