New hard top at
last! We booked this for April 2009, then delayed it to July, then November
due to engine and lightning issues. Our arrival at Nanny Cay concludes an
exciting 1,370 nautical mile journey and Stage One of this season's
cruising.Chris Spencer and JJ at BVI Painters moved
onboard within minutes of us arriving at the slip. An hour later the old
bimini and its frame were gone and we were waiting for a slot at the
haul-out dock.
Moved to the haul-out dock. Very slick operation. Dreaming
On was moored very securely and very close to the bulkhead so she would not
move. Next the boatlift carried the hardtop into exactly the right position.
The boatlift can adjust the height of each corner strap so small adjustments
could be made for fixing holes to be drilled and bolted.
Within an hour we were moving again back to the slip with
temporary bolts in the rear of the hardtop to the arch and the front sitting
on cushioned buckets. Very glamorous.
The install was completed the following day, plus we had
the chance to get a few more jobs out of the way while at the slip.
We should have purchased hard hats for ourselves. The new
hardtop is just a few inches lower at the sides as it curves down and
extends slightly further out than the old canvas job and really is MUCH
harder. Just enough to catch the unwary head! We declared it a hard hat area
for the first three days!
But what a difference it makes. So much nicer to live
with. It also allows us easy access to the boom and mainsail and we can
install solar panels up there when the budget recovers. And it's waterproof!
No more cockpit showers.
While making our way here, one mainsail batten kept
slipping out of its pocket, requiring a precarious balancing act on the
arch, sometimes in heavy seas to re-fix. We also noticed one batten broken,
so bought replacements while at Nanny Cay.
Iza has some work to do now. The new hardtop needs side
curtains for sun shade, so she has been practicing with her sewing machine.
Stayed in Nanny Cay for 2 nights, then motored 4 miles
over to Great Harbour, Peter Island for a night, carrying our 20' battens
and old stainless steel bimini frame with us on deck.
