#bcc-calypso is heading into a shed for the winter. So today’s project was unstepping the mast. Tomorrow we’ll move her with a hydraulic trailer into the shed 
. Then let the projects begin!
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Little Wing was also put in the barn last month. Although, your setup looks awesome and conducive to working over the winter. I am in the back of a barn that is second from the back with ~6 boats across and 10-11 deep. Not to mention having no heat and inches from your neighbor’s boats. However, it is nice to be out of the elements to do some refitting. 
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It’s going to be nice having the shop to ourselves. Calypso’s never had this kind of spa treatment. There is a big diesel “Mr Heater” in the shop too, so we’ll be able to take the edge off cold days.
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Jeremy,
How’d you guys find that??!! We’re going to need to find a good indoor space for when we complete our big refit in a couple of years before we shove off for good.
We’ve been trying to figure out the best place to do that.
Cheers,
Mike
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Hi Mike - We are at the True North yard in Deltaville, which is a diy-friendly yard. Getting into the shed is a bit of leveraging the friends and local connections network. But I think we will ultimately be building a wood frame shed around Mischief (in another yard) which is another choice - in an amenable yard - as opposed to looking for an existing shed. Current thinking is that we will move Mischief to Oak Harbor in Pasadena where we’ll build a shed around her. Might cost a couple $k but we expect it to be a multi year need. Not a very concrete plan atm…
Cheers,
Jeremy
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You might look around for a yard where people have built structures around the boat. Ben Carey, up in Maine, does that regularly for his Norseman 447. (He used to own BCC Elizabeth - check MorseAlpha Expeditions or the Sailing Simplicity blog) Lots of people do shink-wrap as winter storage; I’d think you would want a bit more space around the sides though.
An excuse to wander boatyards!
I’d look for a DIY yard (because that’s our preference, which I think you and Beth share), then look at the details of building a structure around the boat. How large that structure is depends on what’s on the project list.
Good luck!
Nica
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Thanks guys, that makes sense. I think we’re hoping to find an already built barn (or something similar) so we can have plenty of room for tools and the boat parts as we do the work. Protection from the weather so we can do year-round work will be key to keeping things moving.
Since the plan is only to use it for this big refit, we didn’t think it would make sense for us to build something.
Cheers,
Mike
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I know that MJ Sailing is building a new catamaran in a shed in KentMorr (sp?) Maryland. You might see if that would be an option down the line (the shed, not the cat)
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Hi Mr Waters,
I saw your BCC moored in Spa Creek during the Annapolis Boat Show and made a quick sketch of her. She was swinging in the current and it was a bit chilly so I only spent 5 min on it, but I wanted to share because it’s such a beautiful little ship.
Kirby linck
S/V Minuet
PS Flicka
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Hi Kirby and welcome to the SLM forums. Thanks for the kind words and sharing the sketches. We enjoyed our time in Annapolis moored in front of St Mary”s. Lots of fun watching the antics of the kids, breaks, lunches, crows, seagulls, foxes, and squirrels!
Cheers,
Jeremy
Progress update on Calypso Winter projects…
Portside bulwark and cover board repair (rot). Replaced rotten cover board section with MDO ply. Waiting for 5200 to kick off. Will scarfe in replacement section on lower board. CPESed the upper board. Have new mahogany bulwark stanchions. Will make the beak blocking laminating MDO ply:
Starboard side bulwark repair (cracked boards). Scarfing in replacement sections:
New taffrail. Old one did not have sufficient curvature (tight tiller clearance) and some rot. Will laminate 3 layers of 1/2" MDO ply:
New mahogany salon table:
Finished fabricating, shaping, and fitting the new taffrail:
Sealing new parts with CPES - to be followed by WEST System then paint. Will all be installed with 3M 4000:
Jeremy,
After all of that great work, did you give any thought to sheathing it in fiberglass to help stabilize and seal it permanently (not to mention additional abrasion resistance)? As I think about our big refit, I’ve been thinking about the possibility of doing that to the cover boards and bulwarks.
Cheers!
Mike
Hey Mike - I chose not to go the fiberglass skin route. I have an irrational fear of rot happening more readily with fiberglass encapsulated wood. I think it would have added a lot of time and effort - and we have enough work on our hands already. I know @Mike gave everything a fiberglass skin on August Dame and it looks nice.
If I were replacing a lot of the external wood, I would look hard at completely synthetic alternatives - foam/fiberglass composites.
The port side beam is just about complete on Calypso. Just a couple bungs left to put in - then seal and paint. The taffrail will get primed and perhaps painted before installation. That avoids trying to paint the underside while installed - which sounds like no fun.
How are you guys coming along with Cimba? We will probably be moving both our boats up the bay in a couple months. Maybe we can catch up somewhere.
Cheers,
Jeremy
Hi @MCilenti - The shop bcc-calypso is in will become available in June. I know the new yard manager is looking for $475/mo to rent the space. That’s probably negotiable, particularly if you negotiate a longer term lease - and probably does not include the haul/block/launch, crane time to take the rig down/up, or the hydraulic trailer time to move the boat into the shop (we contracted with the yard next door (Nortons) for the trailer). But it’s a point of reference. It’s a bit of a hike for you guys coming down from DC area.
Thanks Jeremy, that’s definitely a good point of reference for the future.
calypso rolls out of the shed Monday. The big reveal is coming 
.