Winter Damage

The snow and ice have melted down enough to access our winter damage.

My boats were not properly covered for the winter. Before I could get the covers on, I got a really nasty cold. While sick the storms moved in and buried the boats in snow and ice. That bothered me all winter and into the spring. How bad was the damage?

The homemade 12 foot scow suffered the worse damage. The cockpit filled with ice and it cracked one of the side panels. Fortunately, because I built the boat, I know how to fix it. The damaged material has to be cut out and new materials glassed in. Since the boat is going to need work anyway, it will be a good time to strengthen other parts. I'm also going to install another deck plate to make it easier to reach things in the cabin. There might even be enough materials kicking around the house so the fixes should be inexpensive.

My lovely wife cleared water and ice out of the Oday 19. So far I've found two problems. Something banged into the mast light, cracking the cover. Next week we are going to be at the coast of Maine so I'll be able to shop at a marine supply. The light was a cheap one and I've been wanting something of better quality anyway. This is a good excuse to upgrade.

I suspect the charge controller for the solar panel is trashed. It was mounted in a compartment that got flooded. The controller was installed in a splash proof case, but splash proof is not water proof. It wasn't designed to be submerged for a few months. I've a charge controller left over from another solar project that should work out just fine. There may be a way to mount it in a drier area. On the bright side it looks like the bilge is dry, so that's a good thing. All the flooding was restricted to the cockpit and an outside compartment.

Then there was the van. It was frozen in place most of the winter. Occasional I'd start it up and let it run for a while. During those test runs it's been making a lot of squeaking noise from the belt area. The Ford 7.3 turbo runs just about everything from one massive belt. Any of the components powered by the belt could be at fault. If I'm lucky it will just be a tensioner wheel. That would be the cheap fix.

The van also needs to pass inspection. I told my mechanic to fix the squeak and anything it needed to pass inspection. However, if he finds a problem that's going to cost thousands of dollars he should call me first. That's not the sort of deal I'd recommend you make with just anyone. We've done business for years and this guy is trustworthy.

My banged up leg is taking its own sweet time healing. Then again, I'm pushing it a bit, trying to get stuff done. Then my leg starts throbbing and rest is needed. As the weather improves I'm getting anxious to knock out some projects.

Of course, the lake is still frozen. There's only open water around some of the edges and by the inlet. There is still piles of snow here and there around house. Such is life in the North Country.

-Sixbears