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Our 1996 Hunter Marine 280

2011 Layup - First winter projects

2011 Archives -Our first year with Obsession.

Bending on the Sails

Chris came home for Easter weekend, and I was off work on Good Friday, so we went out to the boat to bend on the sails. Pretty windy in the morning, but we got the headsail on ok....but decided we needed to turn the boat around to face into the wind to try and get the mainsail on....It all worked and Obsession is ready for her first sail tomorrow....

We also worked on the stuffing box, to try and tighten it enough to stop it from leaking when the prop was not moving.  I will monitor it to make sure it is not too tight (should drip a little when the shaft is rotating).

Left to do soon: Replace the oil filer and drain the water from the fuel/water separator.

Launch !  April 4, 2012

I put Obsession in the water at the East Chicago Marina on the afternoon of April 4th. First time for me, so was not sure what to expect, and really hoped the engine would start after sitting out of the water for a few months.  But everything went without a hitch and took her for a little spin around the harbor after the put in.

Bottom Paint
To get ready for the 2012 sailing season, I had to paint the bottom of Obsession with a special paint that retards algae and other growth below the water line, and that also protects the fiberglass hull.  I use VC-17, which is popular on the Great Lakes (fresh water).

Here is a brief movie...

Spring is HERE!

It has been unseasonably mild in Chicago for the past few weeks (85 degrees in March - hard to believe)! All of the warm weather has really given me the itch to get Obsession in the water!  Most of our winter projects have been completed and I just need to add a coat of VC17 to the bottom and I am ready to go.  We are scheduled to put the boat in on April 4.  That gives me this coming weekend to get the bottom painted, batteries installed, ropes and fenders ready to go and in the water. 

I bought the VC17 at Crowley's Boat Yard's "Yachtpalooza" this past weekend when my friend Tom and I attended. They have some training seminars put on by Crowley's staff ...I found the one on bleeding fuel lines on a diesel to be very informative - It helped that they had a Yanmar 2GM20F for the demonstration - that is the same engine I have in Obsession. I also was able to get a demonstration on how to change out the impeller.

So, I hope we can get in an Easter Weekend sail, since Chris and Brian with both be home from school. Sort of "relive" our experience last year over Easter when we brought Obsession  home from Milwaukee!  Let's just hope for calmer seas!

We will be bending on the sails on Good Friday, and I will soon be looking for opportunities to get Cathy and friends out on the water!