Malo, A Boat Named Bad: More Stuff To Do In Alameda

Malo was starting to look and feel pretty good, but there was still more to do. A leaky aft cabin needed to be addressed. This was our first attempt of several, to repair a leak over our bed. Dan tried to explain to me that.... "all boats leak!" Being the persistent person I am, I really did not want to settle into that reasoning so quickly. Especially when the leak was over our sleeping quarters.

Dan trying to fix a leak in aft cabin. (eventually he succeeded)!!!

Dan trying to figure out the inverter and battery charging system.

While Malo is a sail boat, she still needs to use electrical power to run the navigation systems, lights, pumps etc. Apparently this can be tricky on a boat, as it involves both AC and DC systems. An inverter talks between the two systems. I certainly do not understand this and while Dan was trying to figure our system out, all I could do was be quiet so he could think. The inverter was acting funky - i.e. it worked at times, and other times, it did not work. As to be expected, this was troubling. It worked well enough that we were able to sail Malo north to Oregon, although the engine had to run several hours every day to keep the batteries charged. I will look forward to an eventual solar charging system on the boat.

The floor boards were taken up dozen of times, to expose the bilges and to find or replace wires, hoses etc. (We would've just left them out, but that made walking around a challenge and a bit too dangerous as well.)

Norm, our broker from Sail California graciously gave us two tickets to the Richmond Sail Show which he said would be a terrific event for us to attend. We hesitantly went. Why do I say "hesitantly"? Neither of us enjoy driving in traffic, we actually find it very stressful and the Bay Area certainly has a lot of traffic. We decided to go and it was actually delightful and very helpful.

Sail boats on display at the Sail Show 2016, Richmond, California

At the sail show, there were many wonderful booths and venders selling many types of nautical equipment. We gained much knowledge and established some wonderful contacts there. Navigational instruments, anchor, life raft, life jackets, sail step and more were all purchased at this one event.

A real bonus to the day was a visit to the Rosie The Riveter Museum at the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond, California. I found this most fascinating and educational as well.

Rosie The Riveter at the Ford Motor Assembly Plant in Richmond, California

This is a tribute to the Red Cross and all the wonderful people
who have volunteered or worked there - including my sister Carolyn!

Here I am visiting Rosie while she is having lunch!

Malo had a max-prop propeller which is apparently highly rated. Yet, there was terrific vibration when the engine ran. It took a lot of research and help from Bay Propeller in Alameda to determine that the feathering max-prop was over-pitched and over-sized. A new two bladed propeller was ordered and later installed.

Malo gets pulled again at Svendsen's Boat Yard.

Switching the propeller.

One of the last things we felt needed to be done, was another climb up the mast, but this time to the very top. A new anameter (wind instrument) had to be installed and a new wire brought down the inside of the mast. What an undertaking that was! Dan was an avid rock climber in years past and he brought his equipment with him to the boat. Now there was clearly a time that he could make it up the mast himself, but age and a few pounds added made it such that he needed my assistance. I hosted Dan while he used ascenders to help himself up the mast. (Sort of like walking up a portable ladder). Together we succeeded.

Dan is setting up his climbing gear to tackle the mast.

Here he is climbing away.

Dan made it to the top!

We drove back and forth from Eugene, Oregon to Alameda, California a number of times over the course of the three months that we worked on Malo. Once the primary things, i.e. safety equipment, dodger, auto-helm and navigational aids were operating well, we were ready to think about a one-way plane ticket to San Francisco because we were getting ready to sale Malo north.

Our friend Bonnie, dropped us off at the airport for a one way ticket to San Francisco.

Dan cleverly installed our life raft on top of the deck.

I love to exercise and was starting to feel a bit frustrated because we were by the water, but I couldn't get "on" the water. My solution, was to purchase a stand-up-paddle board, otherwise known as a SUP. It turns out west marine was having a decent sale, so I went for it - carrying case and all.