The Hetairos




Two-Masted Hetairos - Woodwork being Refinished

 

Our latest haulout is behind us and we now look back on the unique and fun experience of living in a boat yard and the opportunity to see some very special vessels including the sailing ship, Hetairos.  While we were at the yard, this 215 foot sailing vessel was moored at the docks, attracting lots of attention.  The owner had flown a work crew of eight from the island of Antigua in the West Indies just to refinish all of the woodwork – cap rails, side panels, and two cabins above decks, no doubt requiring several months of work.  The Hetairos is known for her participation in the Transatlantic Superyacht Regatta & Maxi Yacht Cup in 2011, a 3,000 mile crossing ending in the British Virgin Islands at Virgin Gorda.  Her passage time of less than 9 days pushed the boundary of design and innovation.  She had averaged 15.12 knots with a recorded top speed of 25.7 knots, an impressive first-place showing. 




Hetairos Under Sail

The ship made of carbon fiber was designed by naval architect Erik Wassen; he is responsible for her lines, styling, sail plan, deck plan, sail handling systems and deck gear development, as well as weight calculations - construction began in 2006 at Baltic Yachts in Finland.  

A Beautiful Interior despite the challenges of a Carbon Fiber Build

There are three unique under-deck furlers for the yacht, and even the glass for the deck-houses was specially made for the project.  Rhoades Young Design created the interior; the company had also worked on the previous Hetairos (now for sale) and was familiar with the owner’s attention to detail.  With a carbon build, the interior is so integrated that care had to be taken to match the strict weight requirements with a technical approach as well as creating an artistic beauty unique to her alone.  Everyone at the KKMI Boat Yard seemed to enjoy her company and stopped by each day to see the spit and polish in progress on this two-masted beauty.  

Boom Strapped and Ready to be Hoisted

Then one day a most unfortunate incident took place – someone accidentally activated a hydraulic system that crunched the forward carbon fiber boom, which rested on a chock.  Fiberglass covering the carbon fiber sustained a large crack and now needed to be repaired!  News of the incident spread around the yard like wild fire, I grabbed my camera to get some shots of this huge boom that’s larger than most sailboats and that was soon to be hoisted off the Hetairos.  

The Huge Boom Passing Over the Docks

Lots of Helping Hands

A crane from the KKMI boat yard reached over the docks and hooked onto the massive boom secured by straps then swung it over the docks and boardwalk into the boat yard, a technical feat in itself.  

It's Hard to Grasp the Size of that Boom!

The boom was carefully lowered onto movable padded chocks and rolled into a large work shop for repairs.  The ordeal was accomplished with great care and forethought and was an amazing process to witness.  

Cracked Fiberglass seen on the Boom

On its way to the Repair Shop

No, we never discovered who owns Hetairos, but can’t imagine they’re too happy about the unfortunate incident.  The good news is that the polished finish work looks fantastic!

Daily Life in a Boat Yard




Access Ladder while in the Boat Yard

 

As mentioned in the previous blog posting, we were allowed to live aboard our boat at KKMI boat yard while we had some routine maintenance completed.  Living in a boat yard has its advantages as well as some inconveniences.  Climbing up and down a ladder to access your boat takes some care, especially when you’re holding a bucket full of dishes to be washed in the yard’s bathroom sink.  Sink drains on boats are open to the outside so I didn’t want the workers below to receive an unwanted shower while applying bottom paint!  Of course using the boat’s toilet wasn’t an issue since there’s a holding tank, but Java needed regular trips to the flower bed to do her business.  



New Rudder Zincs

The advantages, however, outweighed the inconveniences.  We could work on the boat and take care of projects that are best done when the boat is out of the water such as scraping off barnacles, changing the zincs, cleaning and waxing along the waterline, and cleaning under the swim step and changing out rusting screws. 

New Bow Thruster Zinc(s)

New Prop Zinc(s)

We also sprayed the propellers with "Barnacle Block" which helps prevent barnacle growth.  Another project involved laying out the anchor chain so we could clean out the anchor locker.  While the chain was laid out on the ground, we sprayed the links with WD40 and added new markers for every 30 feet of chain.  

"Barnacle Block" sprayed on Propellers

Laying out the Anchor Chain

We worked really hard each day from 7am to 7pm and much appreciated the on-site shower rooms which we used on a regular basis.  The yard even has an on-site marine supply store; if we purchased an item that didn’t fit, it was a quick visit to the shop for the correct part.  

Cleaning the Air Filters - Washing Station

Another convenience was the ability to clean out the air filters for the engines, a messy job that releases dirt and oil into the environment if not contained.  Our assigned project manager, Jock, was kind enough to offer the use of their "washing station" which includes an environmentally friendly system to capture dirt and oil.  

Washing Station - oil containment system

Each customer of the yard is assigned a project manager to coordinate all the various jobs for each particular boat; our assigned manager, Jock, did a wonderful job keeping our projects moving along in a timely manner.  

Bottom Painting

In addition to sanding and applying new bottom paint, yard workers also installed a divider in the anchor locker in order to stow our second back-up anchor chain and rode.  We also had additional sound-proofing installed in the engine room and shrouds installed around the shaft seals.  

Anchor Locker with New Divider

The final project completed was the addition of a barrel-bolt latch for the sliding hatch door which leads to the boat deck above – no more releasing or rattling in heavy seas!  We were very pleased with all the work completed by KKMI and enjoyed working with the knowledgeable and talented staff.  Living in the boat yard also proved to be very entertaining with so many different types of boats and jobs in progress – a 215 foot sailboat from Europe was the center of attention, but that’s another story yet to be told.  After seven days in the boat yard, we “splashed” on August 28^th and spent the day cleaning the boat inside and out from all of the dust that had collected from the boat yard.  As a parting gift, Jock had given us a bottle of wine with a KKMI label; he said it would help relieve the sticker shock when we saw the invoice, ha.  We motored back to our slip at Brisbane Marina the following day and caught up on some much needed sleep!  The next day we finally worked up our nerve to look at the invoice and were pleased to discover it was what we had expected - a reasonable cost for the work done, thanks KKMI.

Time to Celebrate

Hold Your Breath Haulout!

Walking the boat forward for Haulout








A Careful Helping Hand

No matter how many times we haul out the boat, it’s always a nerve-racking experience.  We can’t help but wonder if the straps are secured and in the right position, if the sides of the boat will be protected, and will the boat be properly supported when “on the hard?”  On the morning of August 22^nd, we motored to the lift at KKMI Boat Yard, located in Richmond Yacht Harbor.  We were third in line for our haulout.  The lift attendants asked us about the boat’s weight and bottom configuration; we showed them markings on the side of our boat which indicated the position for straps.  The attendants walked the boat forward into a narrow space, positioning the boat over the straps draped low in the water. 





And Up She Goes

Once the slings were in position, Got d’ Fever was hoisted slowly out of the water - 60,000 pounds suspended by only two straps!  With the boat secure in her sling, the enormous lift drove to the yard where her underside was power washed and cleaned.  

And UP

Ready for an Underbelly Wash

Next she was driven to a more permanent spot for bottom painting and other maintenance work.  

Backing Into Our Work Space

Placing Wood Supports under the Keel

Now comes the really scary part - large wood blocks are positioned under the boat on which she will sit; the boat is lowered onto these supports while iron boat-stands are added to each side of the boat for lateral support.  When all the supports are in place, the straps are released and we hold our breath!  Talented yard employees know exactly what they are doing and make it look so easy but we are always impressed.  

Adding Iron Boat-Stands

Our project manager was on site within the hour and shortly thereafter the assigned workers were prepping and sanding Got d’ Fever for a new coat of bottom paint.  In addition to work being done by the yard, we had planned to take care of some maintenance items on our own.  Most yards don’t allow boaters to live on their boat while it’s in the yard, KKMI is a rare exception.  Stay tuned to hear about our day-to-day living in a boat yard!

Releasing the Straps - Hold Your Breath!

Crossing the Bay, a challenge on race day




Sunset at Brisbane Marina




Team New Zealand - other boats watching the race

While moored at Brisbane Marina, we worked on several boat projects, including polishing all the stainless, caulking around the hawse openings (boat cleats), and caulking the “splash rail” along the hull of the boat.  Additional projects will have to wait until haulout scheduled for August 22^nd at KKMI Boat Yard in Richmond; more about that in subsequent blogs.  We departed Brisbane on August 21^st and headed for Richmond located across the Bay, keeping clear of the Louis Vuitton Cup racecourse - an opportunity to see some of the 72 foot-catamarans in action.  We spotted the large orange cones marking the start line and turning points along the course.  It had been published that pleasure boats should not linger near the racecourse while traversing the Bay, but we saw boats who were clearly taking their time.  Yachts, sailboats, and tour boats were crossing in all directions, all hoping for a close up view of the races.  Our traverse proved to be rather challenging, keeping one eye on the race while constantly watching out for boat traffic. 





Team New Zealand with Team Italy in Hot Pursuit

We lucked out and could see off our portside Team New Zealand and Team Italy within a boat length of each other; it appeared to be an exciting, close race.  The Louis Vuitton Cup, part of the America’s Cup Challenger Series, is the regatta that determines which challenger races the defender in the America’s Cup Finals.  Past history has shown that the Louis Vuitton Cup series enhances the chances of the challenger due to the number of intense races, which improves tactics and crew experience.  It will be interesting to see if the challenger can beat Oracle USA, the America’s Cup defender.  

Oracle USA Checking the Competition

Indeed, Team Oracle was circling the race course checking out the competition.  The Emirates Team of New Zealand won the race that day and leads Luna Rossa of Italy in the series, 5-1.  The Kiwis need just two more wins to close out the Louis Vuitton Cup and become the challenger in the America’s Cup Finals scheduled for September 7^th – 21^st.  The America’s Cup is often referred to as the oldest trophy in sport, dating back to 1851.  It all began when Commodore John Cox Stevens, member of the fledgling New York Yacht club, formed a six-person syndicate to build a yacht and take her to England for competition in regattas and match races.  Boat designer George Steers built the 101 foot schooner christened America, a state-of-the-art vessel for its day.  It raced against 15 yachts of the British Royal Yacht Squadron around the Isle of Wight.  America won, finishing 8 minutes ahead of the closest rival!  Members of the America syndicate donated the Cup via a “deed of gift,” specifying that it be held in trust as a perpetual challenge trophy to promote friendly competition among nations.  

Attractive Brickyard Cove

We left the race still in progress as we continued northeast to Richmond, passing Brickyard Cove before turning to port and heading down Harbor Channel, an industrial area similar to our Ship Canal in Seattle.  We tied to the docks at Richmond Yacht Harbor and settled in for the evening; our haul-out would be early the next morning.

Heading down Harbor Channel

Here and There




Beach Scene near the Beach Chalet Restaurant




The Beach Chalet

Over the last several weeks we spent time with friends in the Bay Area and made several trips home to visit family in the greater Portland and Seattle areas of Washington State.  While at my mother’s, we hired workers to complete some much needed house projects; after arriving at home in Kirkland, we began yet another list of needed house projects.  Poor Leonard, too many households to maintain and too many women to keep happy! 






Beautiful Murals in the Beach Chalet

We did manage to fit in some outings around the Bay Area between visits back home.  We joined our boating friends Michael and Judy for lunch at the Beach Chalet located at the west end of Golden Gate Park.  Michael and Judy had flown from La Paz to visit their family in San Francisco as had our other boating friends Rick and Pam.  We all had a great time over lunch discussing future rendezvous in Mexico and dreaming of boating excursions to far off places.  The beach and ocean views from the historic restaurant were also a treat.  The Beach Chalet opened for business in 1925 and once included changing rooms for beach goers.  Designed in the Spanish colonial revival style, the first floor has elaborate murals depicting scenes of San Francisco in the 1930’s.  The Mural Room is now a visitor’s center; the brewery and restaurant are located upstairs.  

One of two Dutch-style Windmills - Golden Gate Park

After lunch we drove through Golden Gate Park, stopping at many of the interesting and picturesque sites.  Rectangle in shape, the park consists of 1,017 acres of public ground and is 20 percent larger than Central Park in New York City.  Park plans were developed in 1870 by William Hammond Hall.  The first stage of development involved planting trees to stabilize the dunes which covered three-quarters of the area referred to as the “Outside Lands.”  

Golden Gate Park

By 1875 about 60,000 trees had been planted and by 1879 the figure doubled to 155,000 – a thick forest of Eucalyptus, Monterey Pine, and Monterey Cypress.  Built in 1903, a pair of Dutch-style windmills pumped water throughout the park during the early years.

Golden Gate Park

The Conservatory - Golden Gate Park

Aerial View - Golden Gate Park