Cruising ~ The Cat’s Meow Style ~ April & May 2005
TCM Improvements
April and May have seen many
changes and improvements to The Cat’s Meow. Within the next few weeks, more
changes will be made and more tasks will be completed. Martin and Robin feel good
about the improvements and accomplishments that have been made on our home, our
boat. Do keep checking back with us to see the latest and greatest
improvements!
One of our good boating
friends, Dick, of the SV Corazon de Acero, once again put his heart and soul
into helping us with some big projects. Dick spent about a month of his life
working on TCM. He fabricated a new fiberglass muffler for the new wet exhaust
system. Since the right pipes could not
be found in the La Paz area to use for the exhaust system, Dick also fabricated
those. Then, he and Martin worked together building the first of two new,
larger water tanks. All of this was a very messy and time-consuming job. We
thank Dick, and his patient wife Judi, for all of his expertise and help!!
Dick doing fiberglass work for water tank
Right before heading to the
Loreto Fest, Martin removed the dry stack from TCM! The boat had been built
with the dry exhaust system, which included a stack coming from the engine
room, through the main salon, and up onto the top deck. Robin really enjoyed
the look of the stack, and it was difficult for her to agree to this huge
change in the workings of, and the looks of, the boat. Now that it is done,
however, she agrees that the salon is roomier and lighter. Did you ever wonder
what was inside one of those stacks???
Well, we found out:
Cutting the stack
open So that’s what’s in there!
No more
stack!
After the Loreto Fest, we
hit the remodel hard once more. Things are finally starting to move along much
faster now. We now have a working microwave, plus a working convection oven,
and a nice new stove top! Once again, Robin can bake and do a lot more
cooking! (Is that a good thing….??)
Where the stack once came through the main salon, Martin extended the galley
countertop and that can serve as a small breakfast bar, and he made a handy
cabinet underneath.
New galley
without the stack and with the new cabinet & stove top
As long as he was making changes, he also removed one of the sides
on our U-shaped dinette, making it an L-shaped area. This again has opened-up
the entire salon area, giving us more room and ease of moving around, while
also actually making it possible to seat more people comfortably around our
table ~ which will get some leaf-additions ~ with stools and/or chairs. Lots of
good stuff is happening to this ole boat!
Dinette
area opened up (view looking from bow-to-stern)
There had been a lot of
damage to the exterior of the boat, too, from all of the pangas, dinghies, and
barrels banging into the hull, and the nails pounded into the hull for the
patches during the rescue. Besides all of that interior work, Robin has
repaired the starboard side of the hull, and has the first couple coats of
paint on it, making TCM look sharp once again!
Martin’s daughter Deb and
her son Jake will be visiting us in June
~ we hope that TCM will be ready
for some cruising to the nearby islands during their visit.
Celebrate with us on May 24,2005 ~ the one-year anniversary of The Cat’s Meow coming
up out of the water to stay up, and READY TO BEGIN AGAIN!!
Stay in touch, watch for
more about our ongoing refit and improvements
And, come back and join us
for more Cruising ~ The Cat’s Meow Style!
The
Cat’s Meow on May 24th, 2004….. Ready to Begin Again!