S/V Koinonia Weekly Sailing Log - Survey, Projects, & Storm Watch (Wed Jun 14 - Tue Jun 20, 2023)
Wed Jun 14 - took a taxi back to the marina at 7:30am to haul our boat out. Thankfully, everything went smoothly and Ben was able to back the boat into the haul out slip perfectly; even against the wind. Of course, no one was around to see it! This was a relief because we have no bow thruster and no one to help except for the lift operator. After we hauled out, Amber took a taxi back to the apartment so she and the kids could finish school. After school, Amber and the kids got to explore downtown and toured Parque de Bombas, built in 1882, it became the first fire station established in the Caribbean and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in PR. Pressure washed the bottom of the boat, cleaned waterline, installed the new cutless bearing with a special hydraulic tool, and installed all new zincs. Applied Petit Barnacle Barrier to the running gear and rudder sole. Ready to splash tomorrow! Manager of the apartment building upgraded us to a larger interior apartment, which was much quieter. Delicious dinner from a well known food truck named, Enlaspapas. Huge portions, reasonably priced, and delicious. Highly recommend!
Thu Jun 15 - got a taxi at 7:30am back to the yacht club. Amber and kids went to the marina pavilion while Ben met with the surveyor at the yard. After a lot of banging around on the hull and using a moisture meter, the surveyor declared “todo bien,” meaning all is good. Splashed the boat and Amber came to assist; took the boat for a short sail so the surveyor could check the boat out while underway. Vibration is gone with new Duramax Marine Johnson Cutless Bearing and a freshly torqued prop. Survey continued at the dock and went very well. Full survey report is expected no later than Sunday. Surveyor paid a lot of complements about the maintenance of “Koinonia” and said she is the nicest sailboat of this vintage he has ever surveyed! Broiled Mahi with steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes for dinner.
Fri Jun 16 - Amber and kids do school; Ben did some consulting work. Amber made chorizo tacos with black beans for lunch. Ben installed our two new Lewmar 40ST EVO winches for the main halyard and starboard staysail sheet; we can no longer get parts for the original winches and after attempting to 3D print the parts with PETG, those parts failed, so we didnt have much choice but to buy new. We plan to keep the old winches and see if we can have the parts fabricated from CNC once we get back to the States. Since Ben works in the marine industry as a broker, he has a West Marine Pro discount, which helps a lot. Kids are on a Harry Potter kick for movie nights. Friday nights have become the sacred "stay-up night" in the Ward home.
Sat Jun 17 - cleaned all the cockpit teak to prep for a fresh coat of Semco Teak Sealant in "Natural" tone, which we apply a few times a year to keep all of the bare teak on "Koinonia" looking it’s best (pics below). Amber spent a lot of time working on our provisioning spreadsheet as we begin preparing to get back underway for the SE Caribbean in a week or so. We are keeping an eye on a developing tropical system that may impact the eastern Caribbean by late next week; way too early to call. Took an Uber to Walmart to get some provisions. It was getting late, so we ordered dinner from Panda Express, which made our girls ecstatic; it was surprisingly palatable. Continuing to work our way through the Harry Potter movies.
Sun Jun 18 - Father’s Day. Amber baked an overnight French Toast with thick cut bacon; the girls gave Ben a few gifts they picked up while exploring downtown Ponce. Tropical Storm "Bret" appears to be strengthening, so we continue to keep close tabs on the forecast and communicate with the marina. Decided to fill and fair some huge teeth marks and gouges in our bowling pin teaser, then repainted, and epoxy coated it. We use this as part of our arsenal to attract big fish to the surface while trolling offshore. Received the SAMS Survey report; thankfully, no surprises and no major findings. Estimated market value of “Koinonia” in her present condition is $220K US. Ben decided to take down the big jib for cleaning (Oxiclean soak and then rinsing with a light duty pressure washer works wonders!). Made a yummy dinner of hamburger steak, onions, potatoes, carrots, and gravy. The Harry Potter saga continues...
Mon Jun 19 - kids made breakfast and did school. Hauled the anchor chain onto the dock and repainted the depth markers. Our new-to-us antique brass ships clock arrived today; mounted it to the main bulkhead. It is manual and has to be cranked once a week; as a ships clock, it chimes following the maritime watch schedule on the hour and half hour, adding a bell every half hour until eight bells at the completion of a 4-hour watch. TS Bret now appears to be a possible threat to Puerto Rico and Lesser Antilles. The marina plans to make a call tomorrow about whether we have to evacuate the dock; started making contingency plans. Amber made butter chicken for dinner; a family favorite.
Tue Jun 20 - kids do school. Continued
monitoring TS Bret; doubled all of the dock lines and put out extra fenders, as a precaution. Sadly, our windlass (big electric winch that allows us to lower and retrieve our anchor) stopped working while Ben was remarking the anchor chain. Checked and cleaned all visible electrical connections to no avail, then removed the housing and discovered two of the primary connections to the sealed control solenoid had corroded through and simply fell out of the unit. We decided, very painfully, to replace the entire unit instead of losing time, and possibly throwing good money after bad. The new windlass set us back $3K US, including shipping. Ben removed the old unit and covered the holes in the foredeck until the new unit arrives next week. Fraito from the Quantum sail loft in Ponce delivered our repaired mainsail; looks better than new! Can't wait to go sailing again. Super nice folks, professional, fast service, and high quality work. Broiled Mahi with lemon butter caper sauce and whole wheat pasta for dinner.
God Bless,
S/V Koinonia