The Ice Is Gone. The Excuses Are Running Out.

It is April. The ice on the bay broke up in the third week of March, and for a brief, optimistic window, we told ourselves we’d be down at the marina by the first weekend. That didn’t happen. It almost never does. But Saturday, with no remaining legitimate reasons to delay, all three of us drove down to the yard.

Persistence has been sitting under her blue winter cover since we buttoned her up in late November. She looked, as she always does after a winter, slightly embarrassed to be seen. The cover had a puddle on it the size of a small lake, and one of the tie-down straps had given up entirely and was just flapping in the breeze. This is fine. This is normal. This is how it goes.

What We Found Under the Cover

Max took the cover off with the methodical efficiency of someone who genuinely enjoys finding things wrong. Within about four minutes he had produced a clipboard and was making notes. This is not reassuring. Here is a summary:

The through-hull fittings we replaced in February are holding fine — no weeping, no staining on the hull below them. That was our biggest concern, and we were quietly relieved. The standing rigging, which we serviced last autumn, looks solid. The forestay is tensioned correctly. The chainplates are dry.

Less great: there is some crazing in the gelcoat around the port bow area that wasn’t there last spring, almost certainly from a rough haul-out. It’s cosmetic for now, but Max has declared it "a job for May" with the tone of someone who has already researched which fairing compound to use. Billy meanwhile stood on the dock with his hands in his pockets, periodically saying things like "she looks alright" and "bit of paint will sort that," which is his established role and we appreciate it.

The Engine: An Update

You may remember that in Log #3, the engine started for the first time in our ownership and I cried a little. I want to report that it started again on Saturday, first attempt, with no drama. The Yanmar turned over, coughed once, and settled into its steady, slightly agricultural idle. Max stood at the companionway with his arms crossed looking quietly smug. He’s earned it.

We ran her at the dock for about twenty minutes, checked impeller flow at the exhaust, checked oil pressure, checked belt tension. Everything within normal range. The impeller itself is due for replacement as a matter of routine before launch — Max already has one on order. Cost: $38. Worth it: absolutely.

What Needs Doing Before Launch

We’re targeting a launch date in the third week of May, which gives us roughly six weeks. The list, as is traditional, is slightly longer than we’d like:

• Bottom paint — the antifouling from last year is patchy in places. Full strip not required, but a good scuff and a fresh coat is on the cards.
• Replace impeller (in hand).
• Inspect and repack the prop shaft seal — it’s been weeping very slightly since October. Max says it’s "fine for now" but has also been saying that about it since October.
• Reinstall the bimini — we took it off over winter to prevent UV damage. Billy has lost one of the mounting brackets. We are dealing with this.
• Safety gear audit: flares, EPIRB registration, life jackets, first aid kit. All needs checking against Transport Canada regs before we leave the dock.
• Restock the boat: charts printed, fender lines inspected, basic spares replenished.

It sounds like a lot written out. But in practice, most of it is an afternoon’s work for the three of us, if we show up and actually work instead of sitting in the cockpit talking about working. We have not yet demonstrated the ability to do this, but we remain optimistic.

One More Thing

Toward the end of the afternoon, with the cover back on and the kettle on in the cabin, Billy said something that I keep thinking about. We were talking about the season ahead — Port Credit Race Week, maybe a weekend up toward Presqu’ile, possibly finally tackling the crossing to Rochester — and he said, "Last year this boat was an idea. Now she’s a fact."

He’s right. She is. Log #4 in the books.

— Captain Sam