Starting to warm up in Myrtle Beach. I have started bike riding in t-shirt and shorts. Ok...It was 60 degrees and sunny but a bit windy. I debated on going back for warmer clothes. I decided it would get warmer as the day went and I was headed to the boat anyways.

 Mary Lee is just a mile and a half from Vivian's and on the hard again. If you follow the blog you know that after I had Mary Lee out last year the marina told me I could not stay on it. I put on a prop and left. Now I get to do the things I wanted to last year.

But.....Before I get ahead of myself. It is only 5 or 6 miles from Osprey marina where I had Mary Lee this winter to Hague marina where she would be pulled out for work. Vivian had never been on a sailboat and certainly never steered a boat either. So I took it out of Osprey.

Vivian not only "captained" Mary Lee to Hague Marina, She even used the radio to ask the socastee swing bridge master to open the gate.

Last year she took a picture of me going through the same bridge on my way south.

 She did great and we both had a good time. She is as anxious as I am for Mary Lee to be launched and taken down to the summer's sailing grounds. Everything will finally be caught up this summer. Can you believe it? This is my 4th summer of trying to get Mary Lee and myself fixed up. We will spend the summer sailing and then I head to Florida this fall. We are"tentatively" planning a trip to the Islands for Christmas. This really is my year.

But like I said. Much work to be done.

So out she comes.

Tucked back in the trees. I will have afternoon shade. The bottom paint will get done correctly. I got lucky. Previous owners took off old paint before repainting. The power washer actually took it down to gel coat in quite a few large patches.
I have a prop shaft to get shortened. Good time to make sure all is well with cutlass bearing and seals.
Of course I have this to replace.

Electrolysis strikes. I could not have done a nicer job with a hacksaw. 

Pretty important piece. I have a cure.

I have been looking Florida over for fun. I have a friend (Paul) with a Block Island 40. He and his wife Cindy live in St. Augustine. He will be helping me look for a larger boat in the next year or so. Vivian's mom is moving to Florida soon and will be living further south on the gulf side. Steve and Linda on Yesterday's Dream spend winters in Marathon. It is looking like the place to be.

Well before I get that far. I am also finishing the non-skid on Mary Lee. The grey was bad advice followed once again. It gets scorching hot in the sun. It will be white. While doing this, I will be wet sanding the gel coat and buffing. Everything else will be white also. I have to re-bed the deck hardware and stanchions. String the new running rigging I have been splicing ends on. I will also repaint the boot stripe. Will pick whatever color goes with the canvas picked.

Vivian will be helping with new canvas. The canvas will happen throughout the summer. The Bimini and Dodger are to low for me to stand up under. I am going to remedy that.  I am going to spend some time in a boatswain's chair. If everything else is going to be bright white....so are the masts.

Lets not forget the cabinets I will be building for Vivian this summer and the Dinghy build.

This is the next dinghy.
I have until October. I want to build this Day sailor and make it a nester dinghy. We will see if I have time.

It can be built in a 12,14 or 16 foot lengths if I remember right. Maybe 10? It might be hard to fit two 6 footers on Mary Lee but not on a 45 footer. I want something bigger than a small dinghy. I want a boat big enough to do the things I have planned....and it cannot pop.

So by now you know the drill. I plan all I can. Then I dive in and do all I can. It was much easier to get things done before I got hurt, but I will happily take what life has left me to work with. The old brain is back up to speed. I still have a little trouble remembering things sometimes but the fog from all those years of pain pills is gone.  I hurt all the time, it is always hard, sometimes bad enough  that I would take a pill if I had it. Exactly why I won't go get any. The trade off is more than worth it.

Last summer was so very hard for me. I feel better starting out this year and summer is not even here yet.