May 16, 2023 - Tuesday

Tuesday was a productive day.  I started by checking out my sextant.  Mine is a Davis Mark-15.  It is an older model and came with the boat.  A sextant is used in navigation to find latitude and longitude by the position of the sun, moon or stars at a particular time.  It is a somewhat archaic instrument in today's world of GPS satellite networks, but is a fun skill to master in and of itself as well as being a good backup in case the electronics fail.  I have not done any celestial navigation since I took a class in my college days, so am anxious to give it a go.

Davis Mark-15 Sextant

I picked the sextant up out of its box and began cleaning off the mirrors, filters and lenses.  The main lens seemed cloudy, so I tried a little alcohol on a Q-tip.  Unfortunately, the cloudiness did not go away.  I think I can still use it, but will want to get a new eyepiece when I get home.  I may try a little oil or vaseline to see if that helps...

I have been trying to sell the A/C unit that came with the boat.  It is not the best design for boat use.  I don't plan to use it on this trip and really don't need it at home.  I had a few folks interested, but it has not sold.  It is heavy and bulky, so I decided to give it to the harbor secretary.  She supports a number of good local charities and will find it a good home.

I had more luck selling some plywood to Rita, a neighbor who has been sailing her ferro cement schooner Valkyrie solo for several decades.  It is a 60 foot Herreshoff.  She had done some beautiful woodwork on the interior.  Anyway, she needed some plywood and I happened to have some, so sold her a chunk.  I actually gave it to her, but she insisted on payment.

Valkyrie

The navigation station needed some tidying up, so I did a thorough cleanout and organized everything.  Mine is a tradition design with an angled top that lifts up to provide storage below.  I also have a stand that "floats" above the top to hold my laptop.  The lift top has been a bit of a pain, because you have to hold it with one hand while you rummage around for what you are looking for inside.  To fix this I added a small line and a hook to support the top in hands-free convenience.

Navigation Station

When underway, there can be a fair amount of motion on the boat.  I keep most of my tools and hardware in the locker across from the head.  There are lots of heavy items in there, so I worry about the latch failing and having a huge mess on the cabin floor to clean up.  To prevent this, I installed a cleat under the v-berth and tied a short rope to it that reaches to a convenient handrail.  I can now tie this rope in front of the locker as a backup in case the latch breaks.  This is a pretty common issue on boats in general and on sailboats in particular.  There are lots of tricks and techniques to keep things (and people) in their places.  Not very exciting, but important to keep the boat safe and orderly.

Safely secured locker door!


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