Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Upgrades & Updates for M/V Lab Partners 2014-2015

We bought an immaculate Monk 36 Trawler, built in 2005, one of the last Monks built. Buying her in 2013, 4 years before we hoped to depart on The Great Loop, was on purpose to have time to use her, get to know her and to upgrade her for our purposes, comfort and safety.


Coming into the home dock for the first time ...
Delivery trip from Beaufort SC to Aurora, NC 2013

Because of Cally's leg issues and recovery (see Sept 2013 post), Lab Partners didn't move much for 9 months. That didn't mean we weren't working on her. We were. And by we, I mean Rip, was working on her. But, I helped, sort of. We moved her from our NC dock to The Marina on the South River, MD (Boyd Tompkins place) near our Annapolis home so she would be near by for cruising and updating.

Rip and crew, Dick Harville, head off at 0'Dark Hundred from
The Marina in Edgewater MD to Delaware Marina in Delaware City MD


Delaware Marina
waiting for haul out
After a couple months of work in the summer, she went to Delaware City Marina, on the hard, for a winter. First in, first out ... so we went in EARLY in the season! Not too much work done; but several trips to check on her and the status of the batteries, etc. Very pleased with the new battery bank discharge (or lack of) while on the hard and not being charged.


Lab Partners with her winter cover on (i.e. the fly bridge enclosure is down)
I actually thinks she looks better without the fly bridge enclosure
As the Captain looks on; across the street she goes back into the
late Spring of 2015 (or was it already summer?)


Hartges Yacht Center on the West River, MD
Then back to the Annapolis area with a short stay at Hartge's Yacht Yard; where many more upgrades were done; AND we met slip mates and now new friends Anthony & Annette aboard Magnolia. Check out her sewing blog at http://a2baker.com/seamlesssailorblog/
They have been to the NC House by boat (they live aboard) twice so far to visit!!  Third visit is coming up soon.

Lab Partners coming into Hartges

Cally enjoyed spending time on the boat at Hartges
Slip mate, Anthony, taking a shot of our girl leaving for Olverson's
Hey, Anthony - did you send me this pic? 

Next move - further south with a stop at spider haven, Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina, on the Yeocomico River in Lottsburg, VA. Fred Olverson & crew are very nice, but LORD, the spiders!! And, where there are spiders there is Spider Poop to clean up.
The view was great; nice protected creek

Access was easy enough; but all those covered docks meant spiders


Then onto Portsmouth with a short stay at Portsmouth Boating Center where her was hauled for work; her rudder was enlarged (typical update for Monks); great hull wax job and the bottom was cleaned and painted. Very happy with Mike & crew at Portsmouth Boating Center. Not a large place, but SO very neat and clean. hardly a blade of grass out of place. Nice communication, and pics of the work they did and how she did during a rare tropical Storm that blew their way.
Lab Partners to the left (another Monk on the right)
Water over the bulk head and in the yard during Joaquin


Beautiful sunrise as we leave spider haven

nearing Portsmouth, VA

Arrival at Portsmouth Boating Center (PBC)

PBC office with updated showers/bath house underneath

thought this was cool; they filter the run off water from wash downs through this attractive set up. 

Quiet, cute place; not big but really clean

Being hauled to go on the hard for work ...
Rudder will be enlarged, haul waxed and bottom cleaned and painted


Finally, the last move back to her dock in NC.

Approaching one of the locks on The Dismal Swamp

Not sure, but maybe this is why they call it
The Dismal Swamp

Getting close to home port

Home, sweet home!


This catches you up to the end of 2015 ... next up ... all the work Rip has done to the boat in these 4 years!