Command Performance Updates
Command Performance Updates
Has My Blog Died?
A lot has transpired since I last updated this blog. In fact, I see from the stats area that my last entry was more than 335 days ago. That's a shame, isn't it? Furthermore, I see my last entry was exclaiming about the new radio I installed. That seems like old news now (probably because it is).
In the time since the last entry, Command Performance has had a few upgrades, and made a 270-mile journey with friends, to Annapolis, MD. She performed flawlessly, never letting her Captain or crew down, and delivered us to the 2009 Chris Craft Rendezvous in style and grace. The journey was adventurous at times, and sublime from start to finish.
More information on the rendezvous (with photos) will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, we are looking to early- to mid-fall to complete (finally) the vberth section, which is the last frontier left to conquer on that boat (aside from the general maintenance that goes into any boat). We have some updating to do in the forward berth, and plan to make it cozy and inviting to guests who stay aboard.
Thanks for checking back in with this outdated blog. I will attempt to keep it more up-to-date as time permits.
Regards,
Rob
My Tunes (New Stereo System Installed)
Well, it has been quite a long time since I last blogged on this site. Partly due to the fact I can only do so from my desktop, as I couldn't remember the URL to my own blog (that's a shame, isn't it). Well, I finally sat down and got things situated, and can finally blog from my laptop, which is where I spend most of my computing time nowadays.
A couple of weeks ago, we finally got around to putting tunes aboard CP. While she had a new, multi-function mini-stereo aboard (a very nice one, I might add), it did not offer us the functionality of having music while underway, unless the generator was running to give it standard household current by which to power up.
We decided it was time for a 12v system with speakers in both the cockpit, and the salon.
With the new HD Radio technology being offered, I decided I wanted to look into a head unit that would not only give AM/FM, but one that would offer up HD radio, too. Off to Amazon.com, and the purchase of this cool unit:
You'll notice a few things about this head unit. It does incorporate an HD tuner, which offers up additional stations not found on a regular FM or AM dial (currently over 20 stations in our local area are broadcasting HD stations, with more to come). Also, there is a USB port which will accept a jumpdrive loaded with MP3's, as well as Bluetooth technology, which will allow you to tie in your cellphone (much like the newer cars on the road today).
The unit does accept CD's encoded with MP3 or WMA files, too, as well as an AUX port into which you can plug your IPOD or other MP3 player.
Quite a feature packed unit for $99. 200w of power going into refurbished KLH "Environmental" speakers (see below):
These speakers can really crank out the tunes. We powered up the head unit, popped in a CD, and began increasing the volume little by little. By the time we were done, you could step off the boat, and head up the dock, and still hear the system clearly.
We intend on adding a small amp and subwoofer out in the cockpit for a bit more bass. But overall, the project went smoothly, and the system looks and sounds great. The head unit, as mentioned before, ran $99 from Amazon, and by getting their "refurbished" speakers, I saved myself some cash (each set of two ran $56). Just a hair over $300 for the whole setup.
Will update when we install the subwoofer.
Giving Proper Credit
I wanted to take a moment and send a photo of a vessel to which we should all be in awe. This is a photo of "Spirit of Independence", which was built by, and is owned by JC Waters, the gentleman who has re-done the mast aboard CP. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I would try and get a photo, and I had the opportunity today when friend, Drew Fitzpatrick invited us for a sunset cruise. 
55'+ "Spirit of Independence" (owned by JC Waters; berthed at Tidewater Yacht, Portsmouth, Virginia
A rare photo of Jamie relaxing (aboard TENACIOUS, owned by Drew Fitzpatrick)
Aboard Drew Fitzpatrick's 1968 Chris Craft Commander "Tenacious", July 21st (hot as hell!!!)
Until next time...
Mast Update
A Quick Update:
JC has been busy while I've been away. So much so, he actually has about 80% of the mast project completed. Here is a photo shot today (7/18/08) of the progress.
New stainless steel cables have been strung through the main supports (port/starboard/stern). The two remaining elements JC will be completing early next week will be 1) the "diamond-shaped" cable that runs from the outer edges of the "wings" down to the side of the mast (currently bolted to the hinged base). Also, JC has some very special ideas for chromed ends to the "wings". At first, he was going to fashion some vintage 60's-styled bullets, but has since re-thought the idea and wants to fashion chromed ends, which he states he has the material and machinery to do.
I have given him the "ok" to do with it what he thinks will look best.
Not only do I offer kudos to JC for his work, but also a hearty compliment on his very helpful nature. Not a finer individual at our dock could be found. He isn't boastful or proud (although, given the enormous and beautiful schooner he has built himself at over 50', he could be boastful). He is simply someone who is always willing to lend a hand, and maintains a calm and peaceful demeanor to himself under any situation.
I will try to get a photo of his vessel (and him) before the project is completed. I have also had several 42' owners ask me for his plans, drawings and measurements, which he says he will gladly supply.
Until next time....
Atop the 42'
It was back in the wee months of 2005 when Lee Dahlen and I (with some assistance from longtime friend Rick Shannon) decided that Command Performance needed her beautiful mast afixed back atop her salon.
When we purchased Command Performance (then "Calliope"), her mast had been removed by the owner to refinish. For as much as he had done to Calliope, there were things he didn't do, which included refinishing the mast. So, she sat in pieces all over the boat (none of the pieces in the same place). Rick Shannon and I spent the better part of a day locating all of the known pieces, and making a list of what we DIDN'T have. Luckily, through the help of Jim Wick and Bob Bothum of Chris Parts, we were able to get the missing globes, and finish the assembly (loose) of the mast.
The mast as loosely assembled by Rick Shannon and myself. We were amazed at how much we were able to put back together, given the fact that all the parts were in various places aboard the boat. (Notice the cork flooring. Bad idea!!!!!!!!!)
We discovered the bottom portion was rotted. We also discovered we needed to remove the rot, which would reduce her 10'+ height by about 1/2". That was fine with me, with the exception of the fact that the cables would now be too longo. Once we looked at the cables, we knew we would be looking at replacing them, too.
I enlisted the help of Mitch Newell (of Newell's Boat Works) to help with the woodworking to bring the mast to a place where it could be remounted. Once done, Lee ran all new wiring through the mast, which enabled us to make good connections with its lighted elements.
With the wooden parts of the mast now refinished, it was time to assemble. Not as easy or as quick as one would think. But, with the abled assistance of Lee and Rick, we managed to get her assembled and back on top. Once the mast was in place, it was time to take advantage of the "Photo Op", as Lee calls it. Here is the owner (myself) photographed atop the salon (a no-no usually, but forgiven for this one occasion).
Once night came, it was really time to check out the lighting. Here's a photo of the mast lit up like a Christmas tree, with an evening moon shining in the backdrop.
Well, as the aesthetic projects begin to come to pass, one of them was to re-cable the mast, which included the forward cable, which has never been re-affixed as it should be.
Enter J.C. Waters. J.C. is a newcomer to our marina. He is quite a remarkable man, in that he once owned a boatyard, where he performed many repairs for boat owners, but also used the opportunity to build his own 50'+ schooner, which is breathtaking, and now sits at the end of our dock.
When posing questions about re-cabling the mast to the Chris Craft Commander Club's message board, many suggested I seek the assistance of someone with a real working knowledge of a sailboat. This is where J.C.stepped in and took over this project.
When I asked him aboard to get his opinions on how to do this, he came equipped with a clipboard, drew out the design of the mast, measured (and re-measured), and made a list of parts which I would need to get the job done.
He then offered to get the parts for me. I happily relinquished this task to him, knowing he would know the sailboat "speak", and would order the right thing first time around. He didn't disappoint.
Today, he boarded Command Performance and announced he had the parts, and had actually already been aboard to once again re-measure things. He asked a few questions, including, "Will you be here tomorrow so we can get started?" I had to inform him that I wasn't available until Friday. He asked if he could go ahead and get started since he would be doing the lion's share of the work. I readily agreed to his boarding without my presence needed. He informed me of what he would be doing, and said he would start working on it tomorrow.
As usual, I plan to take pictures of the whole event, and have already had another 42' Commander ask if I would take inventory of what was needed, and measurements as he will be doing the same project.
Please stay tuned as we actually take this mast from her humble beginnings to one of the boat's focal pieces; all in working order.
Until next time....
July 4th: We've Had Better!
Well, the title of this entry sounds a bit depressing, and I guess I don't mean it to be. The weekend was enjoyable, although, there were no fireworks (cancelled on the 4th, and cancelled on the "raindate" of the 5th, due to weather). Jamie and I have decided to change up the plans for next year (July 4th will be on Saturday). Since we normally celebrate his birthday (7/3) on the Fourth of July and mix the two occasions, we usually have a plethora of people, and a plethora of food to serve them. Next year we're changing up the plans.
Since I had taken an additional day off from work (Thursday), it afforded me a nice 4-day weekend with no work obligations of any kind. It also afforded me the opportunity to continue my search on Craigslist and Ebay for a nice, gently used dinghy. Finally, one came up on Craigslist (located in Virginia Beach). I jumped on it.
We welcome "Encore", our new 9' Avon inflatable dinghy into the fold. It's not much different than any dinghy, other than this one is not brand new out of the box, but only used locally, and not that often.
We will be rowing the boat for the time being, until we locate a reasonably priced outboard engine to push us along.
On Saturday, Jamie kept me company while I spent time in the engine room swapping out my freshwater pump, which seemed to give up the ghost the night of July 4th (when we needed it desperately; trying to keep things clean!). Once installed, we were back in business.
The boat was given a thorough bath (just in time for a nice heavy rainstorm). That's okay, though. Between Mother Nature and myself, we are desperately trying to keep that shine going.
And finally, I did manage to spend a bit of time out in the workshop sanding down a "forgotten" table from the garden center where Jamie works part-time. A beautiful and expensive teak table was headed for the trash heap. Nothing wrong with it, other than an employee had decided it would make a nice plant stand, and the table received a good washing with water, which left water stains. The owners thought the table was "trashed", so they gave it to Jamie. He brought it home, at which time we knew it would make a great table on the aft deck of CP. So, today, I sanded it down, wiped it to get the dust and debris off, then applied the first of 3 coats of CETOL. The first coat looks great! I'm sure once we get the final coats on it, it'll look better than new!
Busy week coming up. Until next time....
A Few More Photos
Here are a few more photos from our great weekend aboard Command Performance.
Here is a photo of CP's Captain (at the helm):
And how about one more photo of CP's beautiful wax job (NOTE: The photo was taken to showcase the Carnival Cruise ship departing, and doing a 360 in a small harbor, but I was more intrigued by the shine on my cabintop!)
As we head into July 4th Weekend, I'm sure we will have other photos to share. Stay tuned.
Until next time...
Cruising Along
Well, this past weekend (June 21/22) was quite a milestone in our ownership of Command Performance. She was looking pretty sharp after a week of buffing and waxing some more (still more to do!), and her systems were running right, so it was time to take her out for a spin.
Here is a very short video of Command Performance riding along in a "No Wake" zone, along the waterfront area of our beautiful city of Portsmouth, Virginia.
Here is a photo of Lee Dahlen's son, Patrick and I heading out for a quick, whirlwind excursion on Sunday afternoon (just before the wildfire smoke descended upon us):
And the follow-up photo of us returning:
And finally, it can be declared that I, the Captain and Owner of Command Performance, was finally given & passed his final "Operator's Exam". After 5 successful attempts at docking this big a$$ boat without incident, and gaining additional knowledge in several other operator areas, Lee declared the boat's owner capable and ready to operate her unassisted.
All and all a great weekend. Not only did the captain seem to do well, but CP and her onboard systems seemed to give the big thumbs up, too.
Until next time...
Sometimes It's The Small Things
Following my "10 Days of Command Performance" posting, it seems that many small improvements have been made, including further deep-cleaning and polishing, as well as a few other long-awaited projects.
On Thursday, June 12th, I decided it was time to adorn CP with her rightful burgee. Having obtained the burgee and ensign poles from a fellow club member, whose 42' unfortunately came to an ugly demise, he had several important pieces saved, and bestowed them upon me after Jamie and I acquired our 42'. I was incredibly grateful, as these items are no longer available for purchase (and rarely make it to eBay).
Here is the CC burgee
Also, a new set of horns were installed (by Glassic Boatworks) the previous weekend, too.
And finally, I couldn't help but photograph CP's beautiful new "Styled" plate, captured on a beautiful June evening, with the sun setting just right.
What's so interesting about the newly added plate is the remarks of at least a 1/2-dozen folks, who have asked, "What does it mean by 'Styled in Fiberglass'?"
I reply, "Think back to when this boat was built. It was 1968, and fiberglass hadn't been used as a mainstream boatbuilding material but for about 6 years. Fiberglass was the 'latest and greatest' thing to hit boatbuilding then. So, 'Styled..." was a way to market fiberglass and its use in recreational boating."
I then get the head-nodding, and the "Oh.... I see. Pretty cool."
I think so.
Until next time....
Ten Days of Command Performance
Well, after nearly 10 full days of working aboard Command Performance, I'd say she is just about ready for the season. Between the hefty buffing routines that took place nearly everyday (including Memorial Day), and the various other projects that were accomplished, she is looking good, running good and ready for prime time. Yes, there is more to do, but I feel good about the work that was performed, and feel it was time well-spent.
Pictures forthcoming.
Until next time...
