Upgrade Work to the Weasel

SEA WEASEL with all new lifelines.  mmm-shiny.

To save money I reused my old pelican gates.  This saved approx. $150.

The Port Side attachments had to be replaced.

These stoppers should stop the life lines slackening too much when the gate is opened.  They are better designed for coated cable so I used some rigging tape.  We will see...

To have more control over tension I used Amsteel lashing to attach the lifelines to the pulpit.  This stuff is stronger than the steal but breaks down in UV so it will have to be replaced in 3 years.

For the sake of the meat I added pipe insulation to the toe rail so it will dig in less when hiking out.  This stuff will suffer abrasion and UV damage but at $0.74 for 6'  I can afford to replace it each year compared with stronger sunbrella alternatives.  Zap Straps held it down.

I attached Harken sail chafe rollers to the top life lines.  I am going to add another pair 4 feet back from these ones.  In this shot you can also see my one new stanchion that replaces the one I lost.

Additional Recent Upgrades:

• Bungee system added to winter tarp
• CO2 Detector installed near furnace
• 2x Stanchion bases
• Lowered rear lower life line to accommodate the winches

"It's only Curtis." - SEA WEASEL Gets A Safety Upgrade

When asked about my rusty chafing life lines and the broken stanchions I always used to reply: "It's only Curtis up there."   And this was true it was only Curtis (our foredeck), I mean it was not like someone important was going to fall off the boat and freeze to death; but it got me thinking.  What if someone did go over the side?  Someone important like Fatty?  This was too much to bare so I began to look into getting them replaced; after all who can put a price on human life?

-I can-

Do you know how much new life lines cost.  You have to have the rigger come down to the boat measure it all up and make them.  Well crew be damned I thought; I was at least safe back in the cockpit.  Later while monkeying around with the lifelines I discovered that they could be taken off without cutting them up.  This would save me having to have a rigger come down to the boat and do all the work.  I would also be able to reuse some of the fittings.  But this was still to expensive for Curtis.  Then I realized it would make the boat look a lot better and how can you put a price on that?  

I took them down to the rigger's shop (Protech) and had them done up in 2 days.  After going on a never ending journey to Ontario I found the only shop that carries old CS 27 stuff and ordered a new stanchion and two new bases to fix up everything.  D-Hog even joined me one messy afternoon to rebed the bases.  So after 2 broken drill bits and about $10 worth of hard ware falling into the ocean I can now say I have safe new life lines and boy do they look great! 

Southern Straits Crew Gear Required

With more than 5 months from the start of the Southern Straits Race I wanted to give any prospective crew a heads up on the required safety gear for the race.

• Foul Weather Gear
  
• Non-Slip Waterproof Boots
  
• Life Jacket*
  
• Safety Whistle
• Safety Light
  
• Harness
  
• Tether
  
• Sailing Gloves
  
• Warm Hat
  
• Base Layers
  
• Socks and Undergarments

*Provided if required.

Southern Straits Dates Announced

This year the West Vancouver Yacht Club (WVYC) will be holding their 41st annual Southern Straights Classic April 10th-12th.  This is the most gruelling and difficult race in the Vancouver Area.  This year will be the first year Team SEA WEASEL will be competing.  

Their are three courses, Short, Medium, and Long, of course SEA WEASEL will be doing the short course but at 65 Nautical Miles it could hardly be called short.  The plan is to build up our skills over the winter by competing in the VRC Polar Bear Race.  The boat will be hauled and painted in March prior to the race.  

2009 Short Course

We will be looking for crew that will be up for a potentially 24 hour race.  I would like to have 6 people on board to do the race so we can break into two shifts.  This is a serious race that will involve being on the water for a long time so make sure that you are mentally and physically up for the challenge.  If you are interested please register your interest by emailing me.

For additional details on this race please follow this link: www.southerstraits.ca