Posted on: 11/15/2009 12:25:43 AM under At Fogh » Today
Pete's last day at Fogh Marine was yesterday (Saturday). All of us would like to wish him the best as he moves on to new challenges.
Peter joined Fogh Marine before the move to our current location and spent his first years in the store and working on rigging. Over the years, he has become one of the best rigging specialists in Toronto, working with the I14, J105, and Catalina 36.7 fleets. He will be missed.
Posted on: 10/30/2009 3:23:29 PM under At Fogh » Today
If you've ever driven by the store in the fall. You've seen a quiet little dead end street with some boats sitting on the lawn fighting the inevitable end of sailing season and beginning of hockey season (also known as aaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh to Leaf fans like myself). Many of our faithful customers have learnt to avoid our happy little store during the last two weeks of October. The quiet of Oxford St is shattered by the craziness of the Halloweenies, because the Amazing Party Store, that anchors the other end of the street, transforms into the Amazing Halloween Party and Costume store. A veritable one stop shop for all your Halloween and gory needs.
I like Halloween. I think it is a great evening and the neighbours on our street at home all hang out on the front porches and discuss costume choices and candy levels between houses. We all have a ton of laughs and even the dogs get a treat or two. But my favourite part of the whole event is the last three or four days building up to the big night.
If you come to Fogh Marine with a day left you're going to see this.
It's hard to believe but this is just outside the store. It looks like the guy in the van heard about the incredible deal we have for the Laser World Championship event boats that he threw his vehicle into the ditch and ran over to see them without even turning off his lights.
This shot was taken at 3pm looking down the street. It looks like the Gardiner Expressway at 6pm. While I was taking these shots I watched 3 cars all try for the same spot. Very funny.
And finally. We have no customers in the store but take a look at the parking lot.
On a bright note ... the street will be sleeping again after tomorrow and we'll be open for business all winter. We will have to wait another year for the entertainment to begin again.
Posted on: 9/23/2009 9:30:46 AM under At Fogh » Today
Over the last two weeks we have had 15 guys on the roof pounding away. It started with a 2-story vacuum to suck all the old rock off, moved on to pounding as the old sheathing was removed, gravel and asphault dropped through the holes in the existing ceiling. We watched a tarp hung from the ceiling to catch debris smolder from sparks as a bad section was removed. All in all an interesting time and we're pretty happy that it's over. The store looked like Grandma's living room for a week but we're back in business now.
Well protected clothing ...
The cardboard was our hi-tech defence against the tar rain ...
Our parking lot and storage yard were filled with vehicles and an asphalt pump. Pretty cool but man did it smell ...
But happily, the work is done, the roof won't leak and the store should be warm this winter (I may not wear a toque inside anymore).
Posted on: 9/10/2009 12:40:54 PM under At Fogh » Today
Lasers by the TRUCKload
The Laser World Championship boats have arrived! This morning we were greeted by a 72' long truck with 20 Lasers and dollies.
We opened the doors and this is what we saw ...
We were busy for a bit (3 1/2 hours) so I did not take any pictures but after the truck had left this is what was left.
Here's what 20 Seitech dollies look like ...
and ...
If you've ever wondered how to store 20 Laser sailboat hulls. You need look no further ... you store them on their sterns!
If you have one on order ... the spars and rigging should be here tomorrow. If you want a great deal please visit our classified page for the low down on these boats.
Posted on: 8/27/2009 12:35:26 PM under At Fogh » Today
Ever wonder what we do during the 5 hours you are on the water each day? Do you think we pack up and leave? Do you think we go see a movie, get our hair cut? Walk the dog? Well... no, none of the above. We stay in the measurement hall ALL DAY. Yes, just for you sailors. Just incase you have come off the water with a part that needs replacing, or a tiller that need fixing. We are here for you, but sometimes, we have to be creative with the ways we keep our sanity. So, to settle your curiosity, we decided to take a few pictures, and videos just to show you what we in fact, do ALL DAY.
Sometimes, we feel like playing dress up. Today, Alex decided to go with a big boat cruising theme. Ya, I told her the hat wasn't her style....
Silly Alex.
Sometimes, we play hide and seek ...
There's Alex!! But where's Jackie??
Sometimes, we just laugh historically for no reason. What's so funny?
The smell of the measurement hall must be getting to me ... wet clothes, moldy boots ... better than .... well, anything at the corner drug store at King and Yonge. Yes, i've checked.
Other times we have crazy dance parties!!! Oh yes... this passes the time! Alex and I always fight over who's going to be the boy....but I want to lead!! Just because you're taller...
One time we cranked the music really loud, the cops came. Took Alex away to the Penitentiary. Good thing its close, I bailed her out. Just a 5 min walk away .
..
Sometimes, we make toast.
mmmm...toast.
Then there's times when we do some serious repairs. I'm mean with a rivet gun. Give me a tiller, mast, extension.. whatever it is, i'm dangerously good with the rivet gun.
Alex, she's good with the drill. Whether it be your mast or her teeth, she'll get the job done.
Well, now you have atleast a small taste of what we do all day. We try to focus on keeping our sanity. We always have a great time at Cork and are glad we can serve our sailors....no matter how much time we have to pass during the day!
Posted on: 8/26/2009 3:38:04 PM under At Fogh » Today
Jackie Fox, our roving reporter (and mobile store operator), has put several pictures of the day in Kingston up on our picasa page. The photos include several land shots, some on water action, and a rather interesting shot of her shadow on lake water ... I don't get it ... must be some artistic thing.
Posted on: 8/17/2009 10:14:14 AM under At Fogh » Today
CORK in Kingston starts on Wednesday and we're packing up the trailer. Morten and Cam will be leaving the store sometime tomorrow and (hopefully) will be set up and ready to go by Wednesday morning.
All of this
is going in ...
Good-luck to everyone who will be competing and for those who have never been to the event put it on your calendar for next year.
The trailer will be located, as usual, in the Measurement Hall in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. Drop by and say hi to Morten and Cam.
There are many great paddling locations here in Ontario, such as the Thousand Islands and Algonquin Park. The most beautiful location in my opinion is Pelee Island. Not familiar? Not a lot of people are. It is one of Ontario's best kept secrets.
Pelee Island is located in the western half of Lake Erie. It is accessed by both Canadians and Americans by ferry. You can catch a ferry to Pelee from farm country either Kingsville or Leamington, Ontario. The island is approximately 14.5 km long by 5.5 km wide.
Pelee Island has a lot to offer the paddler. You can take a week long paddling vacation with Pelee.
There are hotels, bed and breakfasts, and cottages that you can rent located on the Island. You can even set up camp at the East Park Camp Ground.
In the morning you can paddle out to Lighthouse Point to see the beautiful shoreline. Take your kayak to shore and explore its beautiful nature reserve.
In the afternoon you can take a break from paddling and go hiking at the Stone Road Conservation Area. This is one of the most significant conservation sites in Ontario. Over 50 rare plant species have been discovered at this conservation site. Oak Hickory woodland, Red Cedar Savannah, Old field thicket and many more.
Do you enjoy a nice glass of wine? How about a couple of bottles? For dinner, go and visit the Island Winery. It happens to be the oldest estate winery in Canada with over 600 acres of grapes. The winery offers tastings, tours, and live weekend entertainment in the wine garden.
The next great paddling location is Fish Point. It is the southernmost part of the Island, Fish Point is also home to rare plant species such as the Prickly Pear Cactus and the Hop Tree. It is also a very popular location for migrating birds, great if you are a bird watcher. You can paddle up to shore and have a picnic on the nice sandy beach area....but be on the lookout for the Eastern Fox Snake and the Lake Erie Watersnake!
There are many other beaches located on the island, all of which you can paddle up and picnic at. They are all different from Stone, Pebble, or Sand.
Pelee Island has much more to offer, such bike tours, many nature walks and trails, historic sites, restaurants and much more. It offers a relaxing break from the busy life, and in some cases it feels like you've traveled back in time. Its a beautiful Island and a great place to paddle.
For more information on Pelee Island if you are interested in taking your paddling vacation there you can visit www.pelee.org.
Posted on: 8/9/2009 10:03:37 AM under Repair » Plastic
We recently had a customer bring a Mirage kayak back to us with some fairly major damage.
It looks like the kayak cart was plugged into the wrong set of holes. The cart did not sit properly and caused the damage seen below.
We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try West System's G/Flex epoxy. This gap filling epoxy will bond to most materials. (For more information on the G/Flex system read the Epoxyworks article here .) As with any repair job the surface preparation is extremely important. Most repairs fail due to contaminants. The following steps prepared the surface for the epoxy.
Preparation: Bevel the edges of the crack - using a chisel both edges of the crack were bevelled to maximize the surface area for the bond. Sand the area - an 80 grit sandpaper was used to smooth the area and to rough up the surface to increse the bond strength Wipe the area with a solvent - the entire area was wiped down with a paper towel and acetone. I prefer paper towel for this over rags to reduce the chance of contaminants from the rag being left on the repair surface.
Flame the area - a torch with a loose flame was played over the repair area. The flame is quickly passed over the area several times to ensure complete coverage and to reduce the chance of damage.
I am not sure exactly what is accomplished when flame treating the surface. I have been told at various times that it oxidizes the surface, it burns off an oily layer that comes from the plastic, or that it excites the electrons in the plastic's molecular structure. All seem possible (although I think the oxidizing seems simplest) but it is definitely a necessary step. It is highlighted in the West System instructions.
Flame treating the area definitely increases the bond strength when working with the polyethylene plastics.
Application:
The G/Flex kit that we were using was the 655-K G/flex Thickened Epoxy Adhesive Repair Kit.
The kit included:
4.5 fl. oz. G/flex 655 resin
4.5 fl. oz. G/flex 655 hardener (9 fl. oz. of mixed epoxy)
2 reusable mixing stick/applicators
4 alcohol cleaning pads
1 pair disposable neoprene gloves
10 mixing palettes
detailed handling and repair instructions
The directions included in the box were very detailed and easy to follow. I used one of the mixing palettes to measure out equal amounts of the resin and hardener, it was as simple as putting toothpaste on a toothbrush. I mixed the two parts thoroughly and continued to mix them for about 5 minutes.
I applied the epoxy to the hull using one of the included applicators. The flat edge was excellent for use on the hull while the rounded end was perfect to work the epoxy into the scupper hole. I did not attempt to smooth the epoxy too much as I wanted a strong bond and was not as concerned with appearance. The epoxy was left to cure overnight. Testing:
After 24 hours we tested the hull by loading the hull around the repair. The epoxy was thoroughly bonded to the plastic and the entire hull deformed as a single piece.
Summary:
The entire repair took between 45 and 75 min, between interruptions. It was simple and required the minimum of tools and knowledge. The torch was the most difficult tool to use and obtain. The epoxy was easy to work with and adhered to the plastic.
I would definitely recommend this system to anyone needing a similar repair.
I've been wearing various incarnations of the Gill grip glove for the last 4 years. I am a weekly training partner on a 49er and these are the best performance gloves I have ever worn. My pairs (yes, I meant to use the plural) all have the fingertips cut off but have not been modified in any other way. The crew constantly sheets the main on each upwind, if I don't cut off the tips I find the glove often catches on the rope.
I love these gloves for two reasons:
1. The grip is incredible. The soft rubber finish really grabs the rope, reducing muscle fatigue, which is really important when on the wire, sheeting for all you are worth during a long upwind. Our spinnaker halyard is a 5mm spectra. When I go to hoist I don't struggle with the halyard, it does not slip through my fingers as I am trying to raise the sail.
2. The price. Each pair costs less than $10.00, so is an economical choice, especially for people who can't hold on to their gloves for more than a week.
The disadvantage to the glove is the durability. If you are sailing hard the glove will last a weekend or so but ... you'll have good grip while they work.
If I was sailing on a keelboat or training on a Laser or similar sailboat I might use these gloves for the regattas but would want to have a pair of normal sailing gloves for around the cans racing and weekends relaxing on the boat but, sailing on a skiff, these gloves are the only ones I want to wear.
On the 49er, I thank Gill everyime I step foot on the boat. These gloves have saved me from carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive stress disorder or at the very least make each evening of sailing about the sail ... not the pain.
weekly training partner on a 49er and these are the best performance gloves I have ever worn. My pairs (yes, I meant to use the plural) all have the fingertips cut off but have not been modified in any other way. The crew constantly sheets the main on each upwind, if I don't cut off the tips I find the glove often catches on the rope.