Home to Marina del Rey

It has always been my intention that once the restoration was completed to bring Destiny back to Marina del Rey, about a 30 nautical mile trek around Palos Verdes peninsula, north past the Beach Cities.  Before she was sold to the individual that abandoned her at the Wilmington yard, she was part of a sailing program for underprivileged children, and sailing out of Marina del Rey.

            When I returned from my latest Hawaii delivery, I was disappointed to learn that the mechanic had made no further progress with the old Gray Marine.  It was now the first of December and I really wanted to have her close to home before the winter rains. I asked around and was told of another mechanic, closer to my generation, who could fix anything and knew these old engines.  I’d heard this before, but at this point I figured I had nothing to loose.  His name was Silver, when he arrived at the boat I explained all that had been done so far; rebuilt carbureator, new wires, new points, rebuilt distributor, new plugs, etc.  He, like the others, tore into the engine with abandon.  He too wanted to blame the carbureator at first and replaced it with one he had at his shop,  when that didn’t solve the problem he was convinced it was the fuel pump, but luckily when he tested it, the fuel flow was strong.  Next he removed the distributor and tested spark, even I could see the tiny light jumping in sequence.  Then, unlike the others, he removed the plate at the rear of the engine into which the distributor attached.  Here was a fiber gear.  Holding the distributor armature and turning the gear he found that the gear was slipping.  I saw the nod of his head as he lifted it to show me the problem.  The engine could not stay in time.  “I doubt if we can find these gears anymore, but I think I can fix it.”  He said. 

            “How long?”  I asked expecting another week at the least.  “I’ll have it back together in the morning.” He said, it was already 4:45 pm.  Sure enough the next day when I arrived at the boat he was there and the engine was purring like a lion.  “You know, your starter needs to be lubricated, I’ll take it to my shop and have it back tomorrow.” The starter, though reliable, was making a terrible noise when it kicked in, so I consented. Again good to his word in the morning a new starter was bolted on the block. “Oh, I had a rebuilt one at the shop, so I just swapped them out.”  He said as he packed his tools.  “Give me a call if anything goes wrong.”           

            Thinking a great re-launch voyage would be to go to historical Catalina Island,  Valerie, myself and some friends made New Years Eve reservations at Two Harbors, about a four hour sail from our work docks in Wilmington.  Bright and early the morning of New Years Eve, we packed the boat for two nights at the island and fired up the engine.  We eased the boat out of the slip and retraced our route of the previous month, but this time the engine hummed along without a glitch. It was a sunny December day in Southern California, but when we turned under the Vincent Thomas bridge we couldn’t see past “Ports O' Call,” and the closer we got to the ocean the denser it got…the dreaded California FOG.  We ventured out hoping we would see some clearing, there were even signs of blue if you looked straight up, but as soon as we passed Terminal Island we were engulfed in a cotton like fog so thick I could not see ten feet past the bow.  We didn’t have radar, or even a horn, I hate to say, so I turned around.  Three more attempts were tried that afternoon before calling it a day heading back to the slip.

            New Years day was like another time entirely, and one would not have guessed we were in the same harbor when we again slipped out of Colonial marina.  My volunteer crew was up for another attempt, and this time we had a delightful and uneventful motor-sail to Marina del Rey.  The winds were light, but we were able to sail a little after passing Palos Verdes and falling off to a heading of 350º  All four sails were flying and we saw 7 knots on the hand held GPS. 

            I had arranged for a temporary slip on the sea wall in front of the “Ship’s Store,” on Panay Way, and by 3 p.m. we were pulling in.  No sooner than the lines were tied, we already had an audience of on-lookers.  Shouts of “She sure is beautiful”, and “Now, that’s a real boat” were coming from the walk way along the shore. I was beaming inside.

            Since then we have taken the boat out for one afternoon sail on Santa Monica Bay to get some photos under sail, but the winds were light.  Getting out of the tight slip was quite a challenge.  Luckily, there was an empty slip behind to back into, but still needed to have the bow pulled a round manually to make the turn.  These boats were not designed for the compressed boat slips of the modern marinas.  We watched the start of the “Malibu and Return” race, the first of the 2012 season, and paced the cruising class start for a while.  I felt good that we were keeping up with the new fancy fiberglass cruisers until we had to fall off and head back to the marina.

Long Beach Boat Show 2011

     After Valerie and I returned from Italy, the organizers of the up coming Long Beach Boat Show, called to ask if the Atkin Yawl could be ready to display at the boat show this year. They wanted to have a public draw and knew that a classic, historic yawl would help bring in patrons. Working fast and furious, we managed to get the last of the finishing touches ready for show. I found an antique brass compass and binnacle on eBay to replace the scratched and dented chrome one. The new brass water pump replaced the old, rusted stainless steel at the galley sink, but the copper tubing to the water tanks was not connected...plumbing has yet to be addressed. Also, Lendsey Philpott, author of the definitive decorative knot book, The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots, came aboard and tied Turks heads on the "King pin" of the wheel, the wheel shaft, made a decorative mat for the cockpit, and made eight new sail ties for the main, mizzen and staysail.

            The show was only a few miles from the boat yard where the restoration was being done, but because of a rail road lift bridge, I had to take the boat the long way around Terminal Island, past San Pedro, and the LA Gate to get around to Rainbow Harbor, where the show was being held. The engine hadn't been run for several months, but it started easily and seemed to run fine. My friend Bill came with me and we eased out to the main channel and pointed her toward the Vincent Thomas bridge. After a couple hundred yards the engine started to slow down. I nudged the throttle, and it picked up but shortly it slowed again. By now we were half way to the fuel dock, where I was headed to top off the tanks. We made it, but when I tried to restart the engine after fueling, the 30's vintage flat-head Gray Marine, refused to start.



















            The guys at the fuel dock suggested I call a local mechanic who arrived within the hour and then for the next two hours tinkered with the engine. He finally got it going again, and we were off, but within two hundred more yards the same thing happened. It started to slow and finally died entirely. The wind was whispering at less than five knots, and the tidal currents were pushing us toward the rocks. Bill and I got the mizzen and staysail up, giving us just enough way on to ease away from the rocks and head toward the Queens Gate side of the harbor. I then called the electrician, Ian, who had been replacing the electrical wiring on the boat, and who had a Boston Whaler moored at long Beach's Shore Line Marina; he volunteered to come to our rescue. The wind had picked up a little by the time Ian arrived with the Whaler and we were sailing comfortably down wind. He came along side, secured the lines, and we proceeded toward the show. This was the first sail since the sea trail, more than nine months before. I was even more impressed with Destiny's sailing ability this time. The old sails had been cleaned and still held the shape well.  With the help of the Whaler we maneuvered into the space assigned for the show and tied the lines. I then called the mechanic, who promised to be there in the morning before the show opened.

            The show began on Thursday morning and ran though Sunday.  From the first day, there was a constant stream of admirers coming aboard expounding “ooohs and aaaahs.”   I was told we had more visitors than any other boat in the show; it certainly was the oldest boat in the show.

            The mechanic, actually was at the boat on several mornings before the show opened for the day, showing frustration but espousing confidence he would find the problem and get the engine running.  Finally on Sunday, the last day of the show I came down the docks in my yacht club blazer (boat show attire) the engine was running as smooth as a top.  The mechanic was all smiles, proud that he prevailed and assuring me he would not be charging for all the hours he and his partner had put in to get in running. 

           Monday morning after the close of the show, Bill and I once again cranked the engine, released lines and motored out of the harbor.  It was like déjà vu.  A couple hundred yard past the harbor break water, as we approached the Queen Mary, the engine started slowing.  We were lucky we made it to some open water before it died for good.  Again we scrambled with sails, putting up the main, mizzen and staysail.  I had a Yankee hanked on to the forestay, but had yet to have sheets attached, so we had to settle for what we had.  The morning wind was virtually non existent as usual for this time of year, but give credit to Mr. Atkin, we started to make a little headway.  As morning turned into afternoon the wind picked up and we tacked into the wind for the rest of the afternoon until about 3:30 pm was able to fall off toward the north down the river past Port’s of Call, and under the Vincent Thomas bridge.  At this point my thoughts turned to how would be get Destiny back into her slip since the entry was mostly blocked by a big power cruiser allowing barely a few inches between the dock and the boat to squeeze by.  Bill was going to have to step off the foredeck when I stuck the bow in, with little or no way on, and fend off the dock while I fended off the power boat.  Without and engine in reverse and the river tide current to deal with, this was going to be tricky.  We dropped the main and mizzen up channel and sailed on staysail alone with the wind behind us.  With several hundred feet to go, I tried the engine again, and it fired up like there had been no problem.  We dropped the staysail, and using reverse, I was able to slow down, Bill stepped off and as luck would have it, the owner of the power boat saw us coming and helped guide us safely passed his boat and into the slip.   I tied the lines and called the mechanic.

            I had a few days before I was supposed to leave on a delivery of another boat to Hawaii, so I managed to retrieve the full boat cover that had only recently been delivered from the canvas maker, and cover the boat.  I knew it would be over a month before I returned. 

Coming down to the wire

Restoration of an Atkin Yawl

We are coming down to the wire with the restoration.  When Valerie and I left town early September, for a long planned island-hopping sail off the Amalfi Coast of Italy, Destiny had been hauled again, this time for the final water-line stripe to be painted and the name and hailing port applied to the stern. The yard agreed they would re-launch in my absence. 

  

When we returned from Italy, the boat was back in the slip, the white stripe gleaming, the name painted on the stern in bold white and gold, all the sails bent on. The final details were, and are being completed, and so many final details there are.  There is two drawers of leftover screws and parts, when I ask Luis where does this go holding up a brass bracket of some kind, he shrugs his shoulders and says “ I don’t know, I didn’t take it off.”  How did it get in the drawer if you didn’t take it off, I wanted to say; for that matter how did we end up with two extra drawers?  But, she is looking beautiful. 

The decks have been the final outside challenge, more bungs being replaced, and half the caulking had to be dug out and replaced.  The good news is that the teak decks are just that, the whole deck is teak through and through, more than a half an inch thick. I love natural untreated teak decks, but for a practical purpose I decided to have the deck treated with a “natural” sealant protectorate from Seamco. I’ve used it before on previous boats with teak veneer decks, but it makes the color a little darker that I would prefer. It fades after a while so I’ll live with it. 

I can’t believe it is now Fall, and the restoration is still going on, and the electrical is still not completed.  I had high hopes for sailing in the McNish Classic regatta in August, or the wooden boat festival in Newport Beach, or the “One More Time Regatta” at Marina del Rey, in September…but for these I’ll have to wait for next year. 

Did I mention that I heard from Pat Atkin? She still maintains the website with many of the plans William and his son John, Pat’s husband, designed.  She told me William originally drew the plans of the Meridian for an article in Motor Boating magazine, April issue 1934.  She said she would send me a copy with photos…I can’t wait to receive it.

Also, I got an email from a gentleman from Rhode Island, who saw this blog, and sent me photos of a model he owns of the Meridian, built from William Atkin’s original plans for the boat.  What a wonderful tool this internet!!

Around the final turn...and heading for the barn

We have slipped into August, behind schedule of my original time estimate.  I’ve missed the 2011 McNish Classic in Oxnard, but hope to make the Wooden boat festival in Newport Beach in September...we will see. 

            The hull painting is the focus at the moment.  The haul out accomplished the termite treatment, the survey needed for insurance, and a new coat of bottom paint and zincs.  Now, back at the work slip, the hull prep was completed and the first coat of primer has been applied.  We had to replace both corners of the stern transom where fresh water had found its way into the wood and rotting.  Also, one plank about 2 feet long on the starboard side needed replaced.  Hopefully the new hull paint will be applied this week.

            At the same time I’ve ordered some of the specialty parts I’ve been putting off.  You know the saying that 20% of the restoration, cost 80% of the total out lay.  I finally ordered the ‘melon deck prism’ that I decided to install, from a company in London.  After an exhaustive search of the internet and several direct call to various manufacturers I decided on the one from the Davy and Company. It’s beautifully sculptured solid glass in the shape of an old fashion orange juicer. It is flat on top to collect the light and the juicer part disperses the light below deck.  I believe I said in a previous blog, that I decided to get rid of an out of place dorade box and vent on the cabin top, but doing this left a 6” hole.  I got the ideal of filling the hole with a deck prism, and went web surfing.  This is a beautiful piece of nautical nostalgia, with the brass retainer ring, but there may have been a better way to spend $250. 

            Then the new brass galley hand pump arrived from Defender. I mentioned before that I want to replace the counter tops with copper, and install a hammered copper sink.   This is not done yet…but at least I have the galley pump!! 

            Finally, I also had to order a new globe for the Harnisch marine lamp that I got from the Ship’s store.  I bought these replicas of old marine lamps  ‘on sale’ early on and put them on the boat. Unfortunately the beautiful globe, with the etched in silhouette of a square rigger, had gotten broken.  I thought there was no way it could ever be replaced.  Thanks god for the internet.  I researched Harnisch lamps and boy, did I get an education.  The company, started in 1841 in Denmark is still be run by the same family, now in Toronto.  I talked to the great, great, great grandson of the founder, also a trained tinsmith, Peter Harnisch.  “No problem” he said just send us $80usd…what could I do? I learned that the lamps were not replicas; the company has been making these authentic marine oil lamps since the late 1800s. I’m happy that another bit of nautical history will be incorporated into the finished project.

Haul out for Termites and other necessities

…And so the work continues.  While preparing the hull for painting we detected a few small signs of termites, so I decided that treatment was in order before painting the hull.  I researched and learned that it was going to be more effective to have the boat tented and filled with gas, than try to treat the boat with spot application.  Having made this decision I learned that it was significantly cheaper to have the boat on the hard for this process, so I decided to bite the bullet and have the boat hauled.  Having made this decision, I needed to get the most for the hauling buck, so I arranged for an out-of-the-water survey at the same time.  I needed this anyway for Insurance pruposes.  All underwriters I contacted wanted fasteners pulled and photos of the bottom by a certified surveyor.  Additionally, it was time to replace zincs as well. 

            Up to this time the boat yard and marina where the restoration was being conducted hasn’t done much work on the boat.  I was going to need a new boot strip painted, and since the boat yard won’t let non-employees work on the boats while in their facility,  I asked them to touch up the bottom paint and paint my new boot stripe while the boat was out of the water. 

            I met the surveyor at the boat mid morning.  He had done the previous survey, and had actually owned this very boat himself some years before.  He said he was blow away by how good the boat looked and how tight the hull was.  He found nothing to be critical about, but did suggest we put another couple stuffing rings in the prop shaft log while the boat was out. 

            The termite company was a day late, claiming a misunderstanding but got the boat wrapped up and gassed by the end of the following day.  Being Thursday, and needing 48 hours, and the yard being closed on weekends meant the tent was now not coming off until Monday.
            I met with the Yard owner and he suggested that they prepare the old boot stripe for painting, but hold off until the hull was painted, saying he would give me a "Free" haul out to paint the strip when the rest of the hull is finished.
      

 

    The boat was back in the water by Thursday and the hull preparation continues.  West system was applied to the hull in prperation for the first coat of primer, but when I saw it for the first time over the weekend, it looked as though the hull was varnished....Wow was that pretty!  I was tempted, for a very fleating moment, to varnish the hull but quickly came to my senses.

ATKIN’S YAWL, THE WORK CONTINUES:

            I had to slip away for a delivery of a 46’ Morgan Ketch from Los Angeles to Hawaii, shortly after the masts were pulled, but the refurbishing of the spars and the new rigging were in good hands during my absents.  We had decided to replace any standing rigging that warranted attention, meaning I had to replace all the standing rigging.  Seeing the process of hand weaving splices in the stainless shrouds and stays to create big loops used to go around rather than connect directly to the wood masts was a wonderful image of the art of yesteryear marine rigging.  After the loops were spliced the entire loop was then wrapped in heavy sail twine to prevent the wire from chaffing the wood. They were then held in place by wood “cleats” which were blocks with a groove at the top to keep the loops in place. At every place on the masts where a stay, shroud, or running rigging block needed to be secured to the mast, this was the process.  Additionally, the boat had empty loops at the top of each mast were previously there were spinnaker and Mizzen staysail halyard blocks attached.  My rigger had to order new wooden blocks before rigging the new halyards…if you thought buying a Harkin spinnaker block for a new racing sloop was expensive, go shopping for period wood block!!

            When I returned, both masts, looking like new with ten coasts of high gloss varnish, were again standing majestically in place.  Several new (scavenged from used boat yards, old bronze) turnbuckles were in place, and all new off-white three-strand running rigging was in place.  I realized right away that these old salts really had to know their stuff, all the lines, the sheets, halyards, out-haul, down-haul, topping lifts, preventers, etc. all looked the same; no color coded braid here.

            Also, while I was gone, the preparation of the hull for painting had started. All the existing multi-layers of old paint had to come off.  This was the part I wasn’t looking forward to.  Paint masks a lot of problems.  I already knew I had a few problem areas in the hull.  A soft spot on the starboard side amidships, and both stern quarters under the cap rail were suspect.  I’m glad to say however, that what I found when seeing the hull naked for the first time was better than I could hope for. Yes, those suspected areas were confirmed, and a section of those planks will have to be removed and replaced, but the rest of the hull proved to be both tight and solid.  The rot in the transom had made it’s way into a 2” thick mahogany board that we were able to dig a hole completely through to the stern lazarette. 

            I’ve been assured that the hull will be completely fixed, sealed with West System epoxy, primed and painted by the end of July…stay turned.

Atkin’s Yawl…The Restoration Continues

Atkin’s Yawl…The Restoration Continues

May 2011

By Capt. Jim Cash

The calendar has rolled into May, the sixth month of the project.  I guess I’m lucky that the majority of the restoration expense was quoted by the job rather than by the hour, for which there are countless numbers.  The work on the deck and topsides has been temporarily interrupted this week so the masts could be pulled.  I initially expected that the boatyard in which we are berthed, would pull the masts and allow temporary storage to have them reconditioned.  In fact, I had discussed this with one of the yard’s owners, but when the time came, the older brother, and I assume senior partner, said no.  No space for the masts, concerns about liability, and size of their crane all played a role in the decision to suggest we have the job done next door at another yard.  I investigated several other boatyards, and even considered bringing the boat up to Marina del Rey temporarily to have the work done.  When I learned that the biggest expense was going to be storage lay-days, my rigger suggested I invest in several Home Depot sawhorses, lay the masts on the deck, and bring the boat back to its slip for the de-rigging and restoration process.  I agreed and made the decision to use the crane next door.

In any case, I was going to have to get the engine started to motor over and back from the yard, down the river.  The last time I ran the engine was for the sea trial in December. It was Saturday, the yard was closed, and I was the only one at the boat.  What are the chances, I thought?  With the battery switch to BOTH, the gas valve in line, the choke engaged, I hit the starter button.  It cranked slowly several times and quit without even a cough.  I called the engine mechanic who, after changing the oil, filters and gave the engine a good cleaning, assured me that all I had to do was “push the button.”  I met him at the boat on Monday.  His first comment was I needed a new battery, but it was new in December, so I suggested he try again.  After tightening loose connections, we charged the battery, and the starter was spinning appropriately.  We were finally able to get a few coughs but no more.  The next thing I see is the carburetor being brought up…it looked like a surgeon ascending from an operating room with a human heart in his hand.  I was asked to go get carb cleaner and fresh gasoline.  At end of day, we were taking the antique carburetor to the shop to be rebuilt.

Wednesday, I picked up the rebuilt carb, met the mechanic and the riggers. Soon the engine was running and we backed out into the river.  The entrance to the other yard was literally a hundred yards away.  We tied up to the holding dock and waited for the crane to free up.  Within two hours we had maneuvered the boat under the crane, lifted and positioned both masts on deck and was back, tied up at our work dock.  When the main mast was secured on the deck, my first question to the rigger who was below to loosen the wedges was: “Did you find the 1938 $20 gold piece under that mast?”  Disappointedly he replied “No.”  I’ve later learned that they discontinued minting the series in 1933, otherwise I’m sure Mr. Johnson would have put one there.  Actually, we did not find any coin under the mast…so much for that superstition; though I have a very nice 1938 Standing Liberty half dollar waiting for when the masts go back in.  Better safe than sorry!