Aleria's Adventures

  Moytura , our work boat, needed a facelift. She was next in the queue after the Black Demon . She's quite an old lady, too, so she needs all the help she can get. Alex added some strength to her keel, sanded her bottom, and painted with undercoat and then antifouling. The sides got yacht paint and now the interior needs some work. Benches are rotting and need reinforcement, chips caused by lobster and shrimp pots need filling, and she needs a coat of paint.  The rig Alex built to work on boats in the shed is pretty cool. Makes turning her over something one person can do on their own. That shed has been quite a good addition. I wish we'd had it 15 years ago.  Thursday I was told by my periodontist that we can save the tooth around which was an infection but it will require some surgery and grafting of material so the bone could regrow. When we will get to Aleria to prep her for seaworthiness remains questionable. But since the travel hoist remains out of commission unt...

It was a beautiful calm, sunny evening after a chilly and windy day. Alex said, "How would you like to go for a spin?" I wasn't feeling good but he was looking so hopeful that I had to go along.  We drove down to the slip towing the shiny Century Black Demon with the RTV. We launched her into the calm Bay waters and waited to see what would happen. "She floats," we both exclaimed in unison.  Alex took her out and got her up planing, then returned to pick me up at the dock. She's not the easiest to crawl into or out of. But we managed.  He opened her up and out of our inlet. The choppy waters outside were a bit uncomfortable so we came back in. Half an hour and we were lifting her back out of the water.  The grin on his face from ear to ear was worth every ounce of effort. A winter's work paid off.  The Black Demon is back!  

The steering system has arrived and the steering wheel is beautiful. Varnished wood with indentations in the underside for good grip. The two flagpoles are in, one for the ensign and the other for the burgee. Alex has built side pockets to hold drinks, glasses, etc. And she's already sitting on the trailer. Ghostie has inspected and approved. 

  She's a beauty! The Black Demon will sail again. I must say, it came out geat. Alex and Dmytro did a fabulous job. What a winter project. Now that it's done, all we need are seat cushions and some warm calm weather to launch her into. It's been cold, wet and miserable. 

  Alex's Black Demon project is nearing completion. I must say, I think it's stunning. The red which looked garish at first has now mellowed, the hull is a rich black, and the fittings, which Alex thought were brass are actually steel but polished up lovely. There's a combination of brass and steel fittings as he bought brass to match what he thought was there, but it doesn't detract.  The seats and trim need to be installed and have been fitted and varnished. That's the last bit and may actually be completed tomorrow. It's very shiny. I do believe it will float.  Last bits are to source seat cushions and an engine. Looking forward to a test drive. 

The seats are going in, the trim is being varnished, one more coat of paint to go, the Black Demon is getting close. Alex thinks one more week and she'll be done. Now to get the engine and order the cushions. He has sourced a 30hp for a reasonable price. We'll be doing a bit of touring around the islands this summer. If she floats! Which I have no doubt that she will.