We returned from PT on November 16.  It was good to be back in our slip, but we had one more big project this year, so we headed over to Lake Union Boat Repair, the Seattle shop that has done most of our non-wood work. New mufflers/fiddley cover:  We have had an exhaust leak for…

We had an unfortunate encounter with a rock in Canada in August of 2018.  Like many unfortunate occurrences, a number of mistakes, mishaps, and miscalculations occurred (mostly related to dependence on electronics, distractions, lack of local knowledge, and miscalculations).  As a result, we (1) fixed some navigation problems, (2) became much more adamant about people…

During the summer of 2018, we started working on some delayed maintenance for paint and varnish.  The exterior surfaces had been painted as part of the original work we did on the boat 6 years ago.  There were areas of varnish and paint that needed attention.  Our excuse is the two years spent in exile…

The second project was the removal of the sonar structure attached to the hull. Note:  We’ve revised this part of the blog, as we’ve gotten more information about the sonar from a previous owner.  It has not been functional as long as we have had the boat, and likely for several years prior to that…

We did not haul the Gyrfalcon last year. We felt like we needed a break from big wood projects. In the meantime, we had the anchor winch rebuilt, so it wasn’t like we were ignoring the boat’s needs. There are a couple of large wood projects left on the boat, and we decided to begin…

Note:  we found some more photos after we had posted this–so if you read this when we first posted, skim through and see the additional photos of the winch project. The anchor winch on the Gyrfalcon is a major piece of work. Built in 1941, it has been lifting the anchors ever since. The anchors…

After the launch on Friday, the Gyrfalcon stayed at the dock in Port Townsend through the weekend. This was for several reasons: first to make sure that the planks were tight, and there was no significant leakage (there is always a small amount of leakage when a wooden boat is returned to the water until…

After the Gyrfalcon was hauled, and the team from Haven Boatworks had a chance to inspect her, we came up with a list of needed repairs. Many of the repairs were anticipated, some were unexpected, and since we had a hard budget, some had to be postponed to next year. On the anticipated list were…

The big moment had finally come. We were going to take the Gyr across Puget Sound for her haul out in Port Townsend. A bit of background, for those who may not know the history. When we bought the Gyrfalcon, we pulled her out of the water for a couple of days in Seattle for…

The last few posts have been very wordy. Out of respect for our digital readers, this post will be almost entirely images. In the middle of November, we removed the tent from the Gyrfalcon.  Our friend Paul Snyder was in town, and together we cut all the plastic away from the wooden ribs. Nancy captured…