New Bolster cushions

[RicM]

Okey dokey, be sure to include the routing number for your checking account as well as I am a deposed Nigerian prince with $39.2 million that must be transfered to the US by midnight, January 10th, and I am counting on you my friend......

[Denis]

Geez Veebyes2 - Thanks for rubbing our noses it it. Those of us in the colder climates try not to look at or think about water that beautiful. My thoughts for today, since we are expecting an ice storm tonight are, will the generator start ok, do I have enough fuel for a few day's without power, do I have enough sand for the driveway etc.. So you can see, we try not to think about such things as a boat in such a beautiful place as shown in your pic.

[RobS]

Come on Denis, think positive: Kids playing in the snow making snow angels, plowing the driveway with the antique tractor, a glowing fire in the wood stove, home made soup on the table and a sheppard's pie in the oven......

[Denis]

You make it sound so great, but.....

I just got done scraping the ice off the driveway, in anticipation of the snow and freezing weather coming in the next few days. On the positive side, there is a boat show in Hartford two weeks from now and I will be buying a new RADAR/chartplotter/ fish finder for the spring. Now that is what I call a good time.

[Veebyes2]

Even though it got into the low 70s today, all is not fun. Spent my day on a ladder painting rafter feet again Not fun.

Should be a day off from painting tomorrow. Forecast gusting 50kt wind & rain.

Maybe I'll go down to the boat, sit in the cabin, open a hatch to get those lovely bilge & engine smells & go "Vroom Vroom".

[Pitou]

Even though it got into the low 70s today, all is not fun. Spent my day on a ladder painting rafter feet again Not fun.

Should be a day off from painting tomorrow. Forecast gusting 50kt wind & rain.

Maybe I'll go down to the boat, sit in the cabin, open a hatch to get those lovely bilge & engine smells & go "Vroom Vroom".

Let's see .... just finished scraping ice off the hot tub cover and boosted her to 103 ..... off to work .... grrrr ..... need to earn boat time for spring ..... then down to the boat at days end and unzip her winter condom to plug in to charge and maintain the bats .... while on board, maybe I'll even spin up the microwave for a cup of hot chocolate w/ Rumple Minze (kids stuff) and look at my bolsters which I will do nothing about, again this season!

[RicM]

Kevin,

I hear you buddy. I still keep a bottle of LPR onboard all winter for those mid winter visits.

[Mariner]

I guess I'm somewhere in between you guys this time of year. We've had weeks of bad weather that made boating sound pretty unenjoyable, but this week is supposed to be around 50 degrees, dry, and relatively calm, so I'm debating going somewhere overnight this weekend. But I have two problems; first, the record flooding is dumping an incredible volume of debris (logs and snags) into the sound, which create thousands of potential hazards to navigation. Second, the water tanks are empty, and there's no running water on the dock due to freezing temperatures earlier in the season, so I've got no way to fill the tank.

The first I can deal with; just travel in daylight only. The second, well, that's more of a challenge. I can charge the plumbing in the marina and fill the tanks, but purging it afterward in case it drops below freezing again is a real pain in the ass. My best bet may be to stop at a fuel dock somewhere that will let me top off.

[RobS]

but purging it afterward in case it drops below freezing again is a real pain in the ass..

It sounds like any below freezing spells you would encounter would be short-lived. As long as you were not topped off and there was room for expansion wouldn't you be okay? I believe the freezing of water results in a 12% increase in volume....

[RicM]

OK, finally got down to Bristol Cushions today (http://www.bristolcushion.com/csh_main.html) and dropped off the bolsters from my 03 28 TE. I probably could have squeezed another year out of them, but they were faded and stained such that they just didn't clean up nice anymore. Had an interesting chat with the owner. We kvetched about Fred Peters and how he really ruined Albin. He has done some work for the new owners, but I guess there are some "issues", etc.

Anyway, all new vinyl and foam is $565 plus sales tax. They use a new reticulated foam which does not absorb water, and the backside of the cushion is an open porous material so the cushions don't retain water and get soggy. A bit pricey, but I feel my baby's worth it.

[RicM]

Got my new bolsters last week from Bristol Cushions. $600 even (ouch), but they are beautiful. The new ones have a meash backpanel so they won't collect water and a new closed cell foam so they won't act like huge sponges (my old ones were a lovely shade of slime green inside). Can't wait to get them installed.

[RobS]

I guess they would not be easy enough to swap btwn the old & the new for a "fishing set" and a "cruising set" ?

[RicM]

Old ones are gone. They had to use the battens from the old ones so the screw holes would line up perfectly. When I saw what was inside the old ones, I really didn't want them back anyway. Now Rob, I hate to bring up old wounds, but your concern for these clapped out bolsters of mine is starting to resemble parsimony. I wouldn't expect that from a big tipping guy like you!

BTW I have a shoot this afternoon (Monday) so I might miss Mr UPS. He will redeliver tomorrow if I do, and I should be in all day Tuesday.

[RobS]

Old ones are gone. They had to use the battens from the old ones so the screw holes would line up perfectly.

Oh yes, I forgot.