BACK TO WORK

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, it was back to work. And before you ask, "NO," the fireplace has not been installed. Skip and I just can't seem to get our schedules to jive but they will eventually. By the time they do though, it probably will be time to put it away for the warm weather.

Got the word from Fred at Dockside Electronics that the Radar works just fine . . . for a 20 year old unit. Evidently the problems with the unit ( the lack of contrast and brightness of the image) is the result of a dead battery in the unit. This battery "remembers" the setting on the unit and with it being "dead", once the unit is turned on, I will have to go through all the set-up procedures to set it up as I want. Fred said that taking the unit apart to replace the battery would be a $145 charge so I decided against it. I am perfectly able to manually set the parameters for the unit each time it goes on. This radar unit is referred to as an "entry level" radar unit. Such a things actually existed 20 years ago. Nowadays, you simply buy a radar unit that, as Fred noted, does everything but make toast in the morning. So as long as this unit works, I'll use it and when it breaks for good, I'll buy one of those "toast making" units.

I spent the afternoon looking for leaks in the overhead in the aft cabin. The antenna tuner for the SSB is affixed the to headliner in the aft cabin, as close as possible to the antenna. Such an arrangement supposedly enhances the output and reception of the SSB transceiver. I took the tuner off the headliner and affixed it to the nearby bulk head and in so doing, found the interior of the headliner, it is a type of acoustic tile, covered with mold and mildew. Yuck!!!! Taking the entire headliner down, it became clear that the water was leaking in from the thru-deck fittings for the GPS, SSB and the VHF. Damn those anagrams! I'll have to pop all the thru-deck fittings, re-bed and re-caulk them. The temperature is getting to the level will the "goop" will actually begin to take hold and work as it should. Another week should do it, though there is supposed to be torrential rain today and even some snow possible over the next few days. It will just make it more fun . . .though I am not sure that I can stand any more fun.

I found out that the automatic bilge pump actually does work. A good thing, a very good thing. As I mentioned before, the cockpit drains into the bilge (strange English design) and the rain of the last few days evidently put enough rain into the cockpit and thus into the bilge to activate it. I was getting off yesterday when the pump activated and pump the bilge dry. Outstanding! At least ABISHAG won't sink at the dock!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

Doing the little jobs around the boat are getting frustrating. For the most part it is busy work and I am more than eager to finish-off the last few items and get out of Dodge(Mystic). I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait!!!!!!