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The Project Gods hate me.....

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Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/05/2006 : 18:39:41

Anyone else...Frank Hopper, Duane Wolff, Dave Bristle, Frank Gloss, Arlyn, Leon Sisson, Jim Baumgart, Steve Milby, etc., etc., would be able to pull off this simple task with no problem at all. But leave it in my hands and it automatically becomes a freaking disaster.

Reading the recent thread about reefing...someone innocently mentioned marking the main halyard to indicate where the reefing point is. "Wow," thinks I, "what a great idea." Sooooooo...down I go to the boat, put a reef in the mains'l and go to mark the halyard with a red permanent felt-pen type of marker. Did I mention PERMANENT?
In case you aren't reading the accompanying text: THIS IS NOT BLOOD.

For anyone else in the world, the simple task of removing the cap from a Magic Marker pen would be a non-event. For me, however, it becomes a day-long ordeal after the tube-top separates from the tube itself and the liquid inside pours out on the cabin-top and SPLATTERS all over the deck. CSI Miami has never seen blood splash as far and as wide as these splotches of red permanent ink managed to fly. Did I mention it was a PERMANENT marker? The photos don't show all the little red splatters on the deck, toe rail, stanchion base or frame of the starboard head porthole.

My first thought: "Gee, I wish that hadn't happened." In case you are wondering, here is a list of things that ARE NOT effective in removing PERMANENT marker pen residue from the cabintop, non-skid and deck of a C-25: spit (hey, it was all I had at the time), 409 cleaner, BBQ grill cleaner, straight undiluted Clorox, Poli-Prep (the stuff you use before applying Poli-Glow), Collinite #902 hull cleaner, Star-Brite Heavy Duty stain remover, rubbing alcohol, oxcalic acid, water. The results of the above mentioned products is not only the existence of the original red splotches but an overall spreading of red tint throughout the entire field of splotches and splatters.

Of course, the fact that today's heat index in Fort Myers was 104 degrees and there was virtually no breeze made dealing with this situation just a tad bit less enjoyable than the hilarious fun it would have been otherwise.

To make a much longer story short, one of my dock neighbors wanders by about an hour later and suggests that maybe M.E.K (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) might work and he just happens to have some on his boat. Well, why the heck didn't I think of that...it's paint thinner, for crying out loud.

Sure enough, pouring MEK on the splotches that I had not yet tried to clean up made them dissolve and wash away with water. Pouring it on the mess upon which I had already poured every other chemical known to man helped a little, but I used up the little amount my friend had given me. Off to the hardware store, back to the boat, open the new can and IMMEDIATELY drop the cap on the dock and watch it roll off and sink to the bottom of the marina. Naturally, it was a different sized cap than the original can of MEK, so my intention of giving the new can to my friend as a gesture of thanks was scuttled.

Anyhow, several more applications of MEK and I finally got most of the red stuff off. (No picture - by then I just didn't give a sh**.) Then, drive to K-Mart and buy a funnel so I can pour the contents of the new can of MEK into the old can (since the old can still had a cap) so I can give it back to my dock buddy.

All I wanted to do was make reefing a bit easier. Sheesh. I think I'll take up cribbage.

Steve

Steve Madden
'87 WK #5668 "Lorica"
Fort Myers, FL

Edited by - Lightnup on 08/05/2006 21:12:06

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 19:51:38

I tell you what Steve, I have had days like that, but one thing I kept thinking as I started to read was: "How you could have cut yourself that badly only marking the halyard?" I know it sounds crazy, but it I was sure glad it was only red marker...well at least glad you hadn't severed an artery or something else as important. Not that it would help now, but my old standby when I can't think of anything else is acetone. Not sure if it would do better than MEK, but it is cheap and worth a try. Make sure there is some wind though. I use it a lot in my garage when working on R/C Airplanes, but only with the door open..

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 20:02:45

What a drag Steve!!! I thought the same as Mike....is Steve OK, how many stitches did it take to get the finger back on? That stain just look horible. I'd like to see pictures of the finished product. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 20:54:30

Sorry guys, it didn't occur to me that y'all would think it was blood. If I had thought of it, I could have made up a really cool grisly story to go with the pics.

Steve

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 21:05:22

Hi Steve, I was installing the mast slot gates I made out of carpet edging today and one slipped out of my hand, hit the deck, took a bounce and made little ripples in the water when it hit. I installed the one I had left and to my surprise, that is really all I need. The slugs don't get hung up with just one on. But I can relate. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 22:09:24

Steve, now that you have cleaned it up you have missed your chance to rename your boat "Beneficiary".

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 22:44:20

Did you consider painting the cabin decking red ?

Sure glad it was not blood.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2006 : 23:08:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 Did you consider painting the cabin decking red ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Well, actually, yes...for a scond or two.

Dennis- I'm afraid if I tried installing mast gates, those photos probably would be real blood.

Steve

Edited by - Lightnup on 08/05/2006 23:10:01

saribella
Captain

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USA
286 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 00:49:35

Steve, we have all had days like this. Last month, I made a simple task of changing my ob transom mount, which would normally be 20 minutes, into 2 hour project with two half hour searches of the bottom,looking for parts I dropped over the side on two occassions. Lesson learned: ALWAYS KEEP A FIRM HAND ON ANYTHING HAVING A POTENTIAL TO GO OVER THE SIDE, ESPECIALLY WHILE WORKING OVER THE SIDE. I felt like a real jacka** while snorkeling the nasty, nasty marina bottom in plain view of all.

Last week a guy working on a 60 foot sea ray across from me lost his entry carpets into the drink and had to go swimming. Out of sheer empathy I helped him as well as the carpets out of the water at the expense of my freshly cleaned boat. Poor guy.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 07:59:44

Peggy was viewing this post over my shoulder. As a nurse, she said she was in pain at just the thought of it.

Glad it was 'only ink'

Re dropping bits overboard: When I'm working on fiddly stuff on the deck (small screws etc.) I'll put a rag down and the bits go on that, pretty much stops the rolling around.

pa.
Paul

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 08:16:48

Reading about things in the drink, I had to laugh. Just about a month ago, my wife and I spent the morning scrubbing down the boat before spending the weekend. We were using a WM deck brush and boat soap to clean off the decks. Since it was pretty hot, we took a break to get out of the sun and get a drink. I was sitting in the main cabin and was looking out the starboard port. I had leaned the deck brush against the lifelines of the C-27 in the next slip. As I sat there, I saw the brush begin to lean to the side as the 27 moved backwards in the slip on the docklines. Yep, it fell over and into the drink. It is about 20' deep at our slip and the bottom is covered with silt. A fellow dockmate said not to even bother to try to find it. Maybe someday, someone will come up with it.. and next time I will lay it down on the dock itself.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 08:21:23

I would have to respectfully disagree with you.
That looks exactly like something I would do, only with a bigger mess.
What you need is Marg Helgenburger (the good lookin redhead) from CSI on deck to help you out.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 09:14:47

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gloss
 What you need is Marg Helgenburger (the good lookin redhead) from CSI on deck to help you out.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
With my luck, I'd end up with Marge Gunderson (the lady cop from Fargo).

Steve

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 09:21:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 Steve, now that you have cleaned it up you have missed your chance to rename your boat "Beneficiary".
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Good idea Frank. A chalk outline of a body would have been a good touch, too.

Or maybe BeneFishiary?

Steve

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 09:55:47

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 10:36:21

Steve, The haylard can be marked by whipping and sewing the mark. How are you with needle and thread?

Val on Calista # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 10:46:31

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 Steve, The haylard can be marked by whipping and sewing the mark. How are you with needle and thread?

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Oh God... Somebody find the instructions for removing actual blood!

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 12:34:25

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=132693

Paul

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2006 : 13:51:24

ACETONE.....

While it has detrimental effects, that is for people who clean with it regularily. a stiff brush and some acetone would have gotten that out immediately. Also - as funny as it might seem at the time, stopping to take a picture for the gang here on the board isn't exactly the best thing to do while the ink in the pen sets up....

Edited by - on

Don B
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 08/07/2006 : 07:34:57

C'mon Steve...give us the real story,

A group of scurvy, rum swilling, drug running pirates attempted to board but you had the upper hand...all that repel boarders practice finally paid off.

Edited by - on

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