NOT QUITE YET . . . DAY #4

     Well, Eric the Shaman has not yet been able to free up enough time to install the new fuel pump and check out the system. I have gotten to the point of accepting that it will happen when it happens and when it happens, that will be fine . . . as long as it is before Columbus Day Weekend when I have to head up the Connecticut River for the winter.

     I was able to work on the bilge pumping system.I found the leak was actually two holes in the same pipe about an inch or so apart. I had to clean the pipe of all grease, oil and dirt, a lot of rubbing and scrubbing with DAWN, the ultimate grease & dirt cutter. Then it was 30 minutes of rubbing 80 grit sand paper on the area around the holes to get it down to the bright and shiny bronze. Once it was sparkling and shiny, I then had to mix up some liquid epoxy and slather it on the spot and let it begin to cure. Once it stiffened, I mixed another small batch and did it again. Hopefully, the two batches will cure completely and adhere to the pipe and so fill and fix the holes. If it is possible to do so easily, I will replace the pipe with plastic hose come the fall haul- out or in the spring before launching. The bronze pipe is old, 40 years or so, and the area around the holes had pink corrosion. Green corrosion on a bronze pipe is OK and natural. It does not affect the strength of the pipe. However, when the corrosion shows a pinkish color, then the corrosion is affect the strength of the pipe, and the the area around the holes in the pipe showed "pink." It will be better to engage in preventative maintenance than to wait for another hole, especially if it is in a less than accessible location.

     I tried to find out when the auto switch on the bilge pump is not function but trying to follow the various wires, which looks like a bowl of spaghetti, gave me a headache. It means that I will have to spend more time doing a "follow the wire" project once ABISHAG is hauled. When I first got ABISHAG, I ripped out yards of wires that served no purpose. Previous owners, when adding new electrical items  or replacing old ones, rather than replacing the old wiring, simply disconnected the old added more new wire. I have hesitated because the boat's electrical system is voodoo for me. Normally, each system on a boat has its own color and size of wire, or is supposed to. However, it is rarely the case. Most people, including yard guys, tend to grab and use whatever is available. This can make following a line of wiring a bit of a mystery. A wire begins as one color, goes through a hole in a bulkhead and changes color at a connection. To make it all the more fun, one is often in a twisted position when trying to do the job.

AH! THE JOY OF BOAT OWNERSHIP!!