GWNTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

When I went down to ABISHAG, I was hoping that the engine would turn over on the STARTING Battery. And it did! So that battery held the charge and so it wasn't the problem. I crawled into the cockpit locker and disconnected one of the "HOUSE" batteries and attached the battery charger and fired up the portable generator. Then I undertook the next project for the day, inflating the dinghy and setting it up on the davits.

The dinghy has been in its storage bag on the back deck since I bought it several months ago. I opened the back and took everything out. The instructions, the inflation gauge, the warranty card and the various connectors, stored in a plastic bag were soaking wet. I spent a good hour trying to separate all the wet pages so I could find out how to set up and inflate the dinghy. While awaiting them to dry a bit, I decided to check on the battery charge and was surprised that it showed nothing. I crawled back into the locker and looked at the connections. Talk about dumb! I had connected the charger to the pole terminals on the battery but had neglected to remove the black plastic guard from the terminal. It was a black plastic guard, on a black battery, in a dark locker and attaching the negative alligator clip to the terminal with it in place was charge the battery as well and as much as never turning on the generator. Once I discovered my mistake, the charger really began to do its job and I got back to work on the dinghy.

The mostly dry instructions didn't make a great deal of sense. I laid the dinghy out on the foredeck which was the largest and flattest spot on the boat. I connected the bellows foot pump and started pumping. It took about 150 "steps" to fill the first chamber. It sounds easy but it was made exciting by the fact that there was a lot of traffic in the river and ABISHAG was rolling a lot. Several times, standing on one foot, I almost got tossed over the side. It is a surprisingly laborious process and I can understand why people with inflatable like to have an electric pump do the job. But I could use the exercise and besides, I don't have the necessary marine units to purchase on. There are five chambers that needed filling and it was a good 2 hour project. Once it was inflated, I had to put the registration numbers on the bows. Of course, as soon as I got the bag with the numbers in and sat down to do the work, the wind piped-up. The 3 inch numbers stick well when affixed but getting them from the bag to the bow in a blow was a tasked. Getting them on, in the right order, in the right spot took a good 30 minutes and then it was time to check the charger. It was doing just fine.

Now I had to get the dinghy from the foredeck to the davits at the rear of the boat. The dinghy is 90lbs, 10.5 ' X 4' and in the breeze was about as manageable as a sack of wet cats. I hooked it up to the spinnaker halyard to the tow ring and hoisted the dinghy off the deck. I got it off the deck enough to move over the rail and then lowered it into the water. I attached a painter and then disconnected the halyard. I let it float to the rear of the boat and tied it off. I released the lines from the davits, climbed down into the dinghy and attached them. I climbed back onto ABISHAG and hauled the dinghy up. I needed to put a fender on the side of the dinghy so that it would rub against the boarding ladder and that was that!

Time to check the charger. Charging very nicely, thank you. And I then took the time to repair the storage bag for the dinghy. Sail repair tape did the trick. Put the oars for the dinghy into the bag and stored it in the forepeak. Now at last, I can actually see and touch and work on the mainsheet traveler and and the mainsheet blocks. It is amazing to have white lines that have green mold on them. I am going to have to clean them off as they look disgusting.

About 5:30pm, I shut down the generator and disconnect the charger. I reconnected the "HOUSE" batteries and called Don the electrician. With Don on the phone, I switch the Battery Switch to "BOTH," and hit the starter and . . . . .. . ABISHAG roared to life. HUZZAH! EVEN Don was impressed. I have batteries again. I ran the engine for awhile and let the second "HOUSE Battery charge and then called it a night. It was a good day!!!!!!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

Things went well and I am peaceful about how things are going now. The projects list continues to wax and wane but I am on the water! I am surprised that i am having trouble getting my sea legs back. Moving around on deck still requires a lot of thought. I would have thought that by now it would once again be automatic, but perhaps this is a good thing too. ABISHAG is new and I am getting to know her and perhaps this is part of that process. It has been great just to sit at times on ABISHAG and just enjoy being. It is so peaceful and relaxing, I don't even need to sail . . . but I will do that, especially now that the electrical problems are done.