Projects, Projects, and more Projects!

Don't get me wrong, I love owning a boat, but holy crap is this a lot of work at the beginning of the season! However, all of the hard work will be paying huge dividends on an 85 degree day in 5-10 knots while I'm sucking down ice cold PBR and sailing the Wisconsin Lake Shore. Here's a quick breakdown of what has been completed thus far:
-Installed cockpit speakers
-Applied name decals
-Installed lifeline cushions
-Fabricated and installed windex mount
-Rewired steaming and deck lights
-Sealed windows and hatch with marine silicone
-Installed refinished cockpit and deck teak
-Refinished and installed outboard motor mount
-Installed cockpit cup holders
-Installed handheld GPS mount
-Installed toilet paper holder (This did not exist before. Kinda gross if you think about it.)
-Applied 1 coat of wax
-Repaired scratches in the gel coat on the keel
-Stripped old caulk on aftermarket deck additions and recaulked with marine silicone
-Repaired 2 interior cushions (Yes, I revisited my 6th grade home economics sewing skills)

I still have a few more projects to complete before we step the mast, but this should give some indication how labor intensive boat ownership can be! I'll be sure to post some pictures after we step the mast and take Jep for the first voyage of 2009!

Also, thank you to Drew, Chad, and Casey for your help so far this season!

Jep Has a Name!

Spring is upon us (finally)! On the weekend of April 10th, 2009, Yep, It's Jep was pulled from hibernation. The first thing that was done was to finally put the name on the boat. I purchased the letters from Overtons. Take a look! More to come regarding upgrades...

...Small Craft Advisory in Effect Through This Evening...

These advisories are issued when winds are expected to reach 25 to 38 miles per hour (22 to 33 knots). Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is calling for North winds of 15 to 25 knots along with 3 to 5 footers and freezing spray. Not exactly ideal conditions for a relaxing day out on the water!

While this picture wasn't taken today, it gives you an impression of the depressing scene those of us in the Midwest must deal with for 5 months a year! Is this Milwaukee Harbor or Dutch Harbor, Alaska?! For those of you who haven't checked your calender recently, the first day of spring is a mere 19 days away! But who's counting?

Luckily for me, I only need to endure 2 weeks of March!

Tentatively, I have April 11th penciled in on my calendar to pull Yep, It's Jep out of winter hibernation. Through a connection at work, I was able to finagle a deal for covered storage in a barn in East Troy, WI. The gentlemen who owns the property has been outstanding thus far and I'm hoping we can continue our arrangement for many seasons to come.

My buddy Chad "Dr. Tearney" lives relatively close to the storage site and graciously offered to help with spring cleaning on the 11th. Chad has about every possible toy you could imagine for cleaning a boat, so it works out nicely. I'll be supplying the PBR!

The next item on my agenda is to secure a dry sail location for the 2009 season. I keep the boat on the trailer during the summer. A slip would be ideal, but since my savings has evaporated with the current economic downturn, continuing to fund my retirement accounts takes precedence! Last year I stored Jep at EZ-Storage. EZ-Storage is conveniently located only 3 miles from my condo. While EZ-Storage is not dedicated to mariners, it does offer a launch site into the South Menomonee River and is never busy. The big downside was the lack of electricity and running water. I had to pull my batteries after each voyage so I could attached them to the charger at home. Cleaning was also difficult. I would need to spend the first hour of any voyage in a transit slip and swab the poop deck!

This year I am hoping to line up a spot at McKinley Marina's dry sail area. McKinley is only ~.75 miles from home, has water and electricity, and a huge plus - no bridges to pass through on my way to the open water! After launching from EZ, I had radio the bridge operators on channel 16 to pass under 5 bridges; South 6th St, Plankington Ave, Sioux Rail Bridge, Water St., and Broadway. Normally it was never a big deal, but from 4:30 to 5:30 PM on weekdays, the bridges won't open due to rush hour traffic. I did manage to become friends with the Sioux Rail Bridge operator, Scott. Unlike the Milwaukee DPW automotive bridges who rotated the bridge operators, Scott was consistently at the helm of the Sioux Rail Bridge.

In the coming weeks I'll detail the list of spring projects to complete before Jep gets wet!

Background info on my 1986 Captiva 240

Now with a little history under your belt behind the name, I'll provide some detailed information on the vessel itself. First and foremost, I purchased the boat on July 8, 2008. Shortly thereafter, I began my quest to find information, reviews, forum sites, etc regarding Captiva Yachts, Inc. From what I have gathered, Captiva Yachts was based in Oldsmar, Florida. They managed to stay in business from 1984 to 1987 before going belly up. The boats were designed by O.H. Rogers (I have absolutely no idea what "O.H." stands for, so we'll say uhh...Orval Hubert?) who was a retired Naval architect. The Captiva 240 is a modified version of the RODGERS 24 with slightly different rig and keel. The ROGERS 24 hull is unique as it is a planing hull design. Additionally, she is a shoal draft, meaning she can sail in shallow water, with a swing keel for greater pointing control and tacking in heavier wind. Jep is a tiller steered boat with a retractable rudder (again, for shallow water). Jep currently has a little Johnson 4hp outboard for navigating out of the harbor or up the Milwaukee River.

In the main cabin, there is a dinette to port along with a majority of the electronics mounted to a small dinette console. The main electronics below deck include a 25 watt VHF ship-to-shore and a 208 watt Sony CD Stereo (w/Aux input) with two 5.25 inch Boston Acoustic speakers. As a side note, the stereo sounds outstanding (and it's not even finished - I have Pioneer Nautica 6.5 inch 2-ways for the cockpit)! To starboard is a single berth that is actually quite comfortable! Also to starboard, there is a small pullout galley with a sink and single burner alcohol stove. Up in the bow is a v-berth that can sleep two, along with a porta-pottie on the port side.

The cockpit of Jep is quite simple. There is a large storage compartment under the port side seating. The 3 gallon fuel tank rests under the starboard seating. This spring, the cockpit will be transformed after the laundry list of projects I have are complete. Currently, aside from the tiller reaching in from the stern, there is a main traveler roughly 18 inches from the companionway. She has two Lewmar non self-tailing winches, one to port and one to starboard, with the el-cheapo Wincher self-tailers. The main and jib halyards route back into the cockpit.

Currently, the head sails (I have 2; a 100% working jib and a 150% Genoa for lighter wind conditions) hank onto the forestay. Eventually I'll pop for a roller furling system. All in good time...

The main sail has a single reef point and 4 battens. I dropped my main off with Tom Peace of North Sails in January to have the slugs replaced, sail numbers applied (52997), and attach tell tales to the leech. Tell tales allow you to monitor how efficiently your sail is channeling the wind.

With a PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) rating of 222, she can race with 26 to 29 footers competitively. Because of the limited production of these vessels, finding additional information has proven to be difficult. However, I can detail some technical specs:

L.O.A. ........................... 24' 0"
L.W.L. ........................... 20' 0"
Beam ............................. 8' 2"
Draft (board up) ................. 2' 0"
Draft (board down) ............... 4' 8"
Displacement ..................... 2,400 lbs.
Ballast .......................... 1,000 lbs.
I (deck to top of mast) .......... 31' 0"
J (forestay to mast) ............. 8' 6"
E (main foot or boom) ............ 11' 0"
P (boom to top of mast) .......... 27' 0"

This picture was taken moments before I put Yep, It's Jep into hibernation for the winter. What a depressing day!

What's in a name?

Inevitably when someone finds out I own a sailboat, the first question I am asked is, "What's her name?"

Yep, It's Jep!

The name rolls off your tongue quite quickly, so often times I encounter a confused, blank stare. I like to give everyone a moment to process before I recite my elevator speech.

"Cool. What is Yep, It's Jep?"

It's funny how people ask or phrase the question, like they missed some obvious observation and assume I think they are a total dolt (chances are, I do think you're a dolt, but for different reasons). But I digress...

The name for my 1986 Captiva 240 originates from the painting posted. "Yep Its Jep", without proper punctuation, is the original campaign poster for my Great Grandfather Dale K. Jepson when he ran for probate judge in Ionia, Michigan back in the 1930s. The poster was actually painted by an inmate at the Ionia County Jail, 'Rumley.' You can see his signature at the bottom right. I'm guessing 'ol Rumley skipped one or two English classes. This was the inspiration for the name since my middle name is Jepson. My folks had the original poster fully restored and digitized in 2007 as a Christmas gift (seriously one of the best presents I've ever received). The painting is now the focal point in my condo!

Just as a note, no, I do not look like my Great Grandfather. If there is a resemblance, it is a total coincidence, as my Grandpa Jepson (Willy) was adopted.