Jo Beth
Much time has passed since my last post here. And in that time, a lot of work aboard Jo Beth has been completed, or brought closer to its finish.
The biggest
news to report is that we’re renters now and homeowners no more. Our house of
nearly 11 years (we originally intended to own it for 4-5 years), in the last
‘old’ neighborhood when heading south out of Savannah, has sold. And it sold
quickly. The house was listed for just two and a half weeks, and in those few
days it was shown no less than five times. Amazingly, we also had three offers
within that same time frame. We closed the deal on May 4 and Jo Beth was
launched on a breezy Thursday, May 7.
Clearly, we
can’t move all of our furniture and general crap which has accumulated over the
years with us to the boat. A couple of weeks ago, we had a ‘come get our stuff’
party which turned out to be a surprisingly successful event. The things which
are left; mostly glassware, plates, linens, and the like, and a few odd pieces
of furniture are either going to Goodwill or a local auction company, as are
several pieces of my photography. Of course, we’re keeping some things and
delivered those items to our shore side storage locker yesterday. We plan to
start transitioning to being aboard Jo Beth this coming week and will be aboard
full time before the end of the month – that’s when the lease on the house runs
out!
With few
exceptions, Jo Beth doesn’t look so
different. The overhead in the cabin is completed, but much of the cabin is
still in disarray. The rigging on the outside looks no different than before.
However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving. Under her skin, Jo Beth has
had lots of work done.
The finished cabin overhead
Much of the
work involved plumbing and piping; ways and means to move water from the
storage tanks to sinks and showers, or in the case of waste water, overboard or
into a holding tank for discharge and disposal at a shore-side facility. The
pumps for the fresh water, both electric pressure and foot pump, were replaced
with new. The pressure water runs through the new, pull-out faucet (matches the
new sink) and the foot pump dispenses via a new bronze spigot (replaces the old
stainless one). Hot water is available via the pressure water outlets. We also
installed a hand-pump to pump in seawater into one side of the sink for
dish washing. At sea, or on the anchor, the fresh water on board is limited to what
we can carry in our two water tanks, a total of 75 gallons. The sea water can
be used for dish washing, and even showering or bathing, provided enough
freshwater is available for a rinse. Lemon-Fresh Joy and Dawn lather
beautifully in saltwater!
Filtration
systems are also fitted on the freshwater pressure and foot pumps. We also use
a filter on the filling hose. Our fresh water supply is filtered as it goes
into the on board water tanks, then again as it’s drawn out via the pump
system. We also plan to create a system by which we can fill our water tanks
during rain storms. Every pump that draws seawater into the boat is fitted with
a strainer system as well. A tank monitoring system was installed so that we
can know at a glance how much water is in either of the two water tanks. The
system also monitors the diesel fuel level in the fuel tank and the state of
our batteries, showing charge and consumption levels at any given time.
Hinckley riggers Greg and Mark positioning the rudder after the replacing the worn rudder bushings with new ones
In other
areas, carpentry was finished and the partition for the freezer/refrigerator
was fitted. (Lisa has concerns the freezer area is too large and doesn’t leave
enough space for fresh food storage.) The rudder was dropped and stabilizing
bushings, long worn away, were replaced. The old tiller, a wooden ‘pole’
constructed from mahogany and ash trips laminated together, and which attaches
to the rudder shaft and is used to steer Jo Beth, was replaced with a new one
from Ruddercraft (what a beauty!) and varnished. And while the rudder was out,
the propeller shaft was removed for cleaning and inspection, and the propeller
shaft bearing and seal were replaced. Hundreds of wooden bungs, small and
tapered plugs of teak covering the many screws which fasten railings to the
decks and hull, were fitted to replace those which have fallen away over the
years.
Hinckley mechanic Dave secures Jo Beth's propeller shaft after replacing the propeller shaft seal
Work is also
being done outside of the Hinckley boatyard. Thunderbolt Marine, another
boatyard in Savannah, has an excellent in-house canvas and upholstery shop
where Jo Beth’s exterior canvas and interior cushions are being made. The new air-conditioning
and heating system and refrigeration systems, installed by Donnelly Yacht
Services, have been brought online and tested. We’re still trying to figure out
our new refrigerator/freezer controls. They also replaced the shower/waste
water sump pump with a new one when the one installed early in the refit proved
to be faulty. Jo Beth is sporting her new coats of beautiful, rich red
anti-fouling paint on her bottom and fresh new zinc anodes. (This post explains
why metal fittings made of zinc are affixed to the underwater portions of the
hull.)
Painter Marion Daughtry applies finishing touches to Jo Beth's bottom anti-fouling paint
After a year and a half, she's floating again
Jo Beth will
stay on the Hinckley service docks for a few weeks longer while things are
wrapped up. We expect to be aboard full time by the first of June, to begin this
new phase of our lives. It’s been a long time coming.
