SHIP'S LOG:
I must be getting old. After a week and a weekend of work, I am beat and sore. True, not all of it was done on my boat. Saturday was down at TYC ripping out the kitchen floor, putting the two skiffs in the water, fixing the floating dock in place and generally getting the place ready for Spring Clean-up Day. Sunday was work up at the boat, painting the deep sump of the bilge and the parts of the engine area I could reach, cleaning the head and the forepeak, and, later in the afternoon, helping Jackie Fisher uncover her boat in a surprisingly un-forecast stiff breeze. So it is that I am taking today off. Tomorrow, I will truck up again to Portland and begin what are mostly clean up projects. If friend Fred ever gets another day off, we'll tackle the pressure water system again. I must really be tired because I am making all sorts of typing mistakes. Thank goodness of spell-check!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
An Actual Week (Almost!) Of Spring Boat Work! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I blame N.O.A.A. ! If they had been a little more accurate, hell if they had been accurate at all, I would gotten an actual 4 straight days of spring maintenance done on ABISHAG. As it was, I got three and I am actually happy with that.
The biggest project was "painting the bilge." It might seem strange to actually be all that concerned enough with a part of the boat you rarely see to actually go through the process of painting it but it actually is of great benefit. Despite the best efforts of every boater, water (sea or fresh) and various petroleum products( lube oil, diesel & gas) end up in the bilge and slosh around until removed. One never seems to quite get it all out but merely reduces the amount to an acceptable level. Petroleum products will eventually leach into raw fiberglass and, not only stain it, but give it a "fragrance" that cannot be removed. And where the petroleum products go, water is sure to follow making the smell even worse. In addition, the right combo of water and petroleum products can create osmotic blisters which can weaken the hull. So it behooves one to remove both from the bilge. And the best way to do it is with a paint design specifically for the purpose. It seals the fiberglass and makes it look "purrdy!"
Of course, one cannot just "slap on the paint" and be done with it. Nope! First you have to scrape down all the surfaces to be painted to remove old flaking paint. Next there is the obvious need to vacuum out the detritus that you have created. Then, it is necessary wash down the surface and "decrease" them as well. Any place bilge water goes, it take with it the petroleum soup from the sump and deposits it with great care. It all must go away or the paint won't adhere. Sounds a simple procedure but the bilge stretches under every bit of flooring, most of which you can really get under. There are just the hatches in the deck that are placed there to reach "important" devices and things like the water tank fill, and not just for free access to the bilge. While the interiors of boats are often marvels of innovation in the are of cramming amazing amounts of stuff into incredibly small places, easy access it one aspect of the whole concept that seems to have slipped by unnoticed. It is as though once something has been installed, the installer never conceived of the notion that it would ever have to be removed. In some case you can just shift things around, like moving hoses and wires and the like. In other cases, you just have to see how far you can stick a brush loaded with paint and how creative you can be getting in, under, around and down items that are not moving anywhere!
It is also necessary to have a plan regarding where you start and how you will proceed with the painting. Painting oneself into a corner on a boat is a real possibility on a bot, so a pan is an absolute necessity. However, one must always remember that "Custer had a plan!" The actual worst spot is, of course, the bilge sump which is in the center of the boat, so it will be the last part attacked as everything in the bilge eventually ends up there. Thus t is that one has to work one's way from either end to the center. Scraping and vacuuming isn't to bad. Washing and decreasing is a little more difficult. Painting is a total pain. Mixing the paint and pouring it into a smaller, easier to move and use container, leads to the inevitable dripping and little grey spots and rings everywhere one paints and also in a lots of places one has no intention of painting. I was actually able to get the whole project done without once spilling the paint. I suppose that do to the fact that I had to do it in small sections, I was able to keep paint transfer to a minimum.
Every part is done now except the engine bed, the section under the engine itself, and the deep sump. Those took extra time to clean and decrease. Even though I have tried to clean these two spots each year, there were always places I evidently never got to. This time, with the help of a garden sprayer and some industrial strength degreasing solvent, every spot got dosed and washed out several times. I even scrubbed them down using a serious scrub brush on the end of a paint stirrer to reach the hard to get spots. As a result I am confident that I was able to get those places 95% clean. Short of pullout the engine, which I certainly have no intention of doing, you just can't get to them. That being said, the painting of those spots will take place Monday, weather permitting. It would have been done already, but NOAA screwed up again. They called for on and off rain all day Thursday leading to a day-long rain on Friday. Nary a drop fell on Thursday and the day was at worst "partially sunny." Friday will be a wash out. Saturday I am committed to work at TYC. Sunday will be a drying of the boat day. I am sure that water will enter the boat through the mast and the ports I left ajar to air out the boat and it will all end up in the deep sump. That has to be drained and dried before painting.
The ports were left ajar by the way because the fumes from the bilge paint were really something. At first I didn't really notice them. heck, when you work with paints and varnishes and fiberglass resins and solvents and the like, you almost don;'t noticed the smell. Fred came by and got me to open the ports and hatches and give the boat a really good airing. That when I could actually smell how bad it was. It is all but gone now but will reappear when I do the sump. The engine bed, which is mostly unreachable, I will let slide and get by with an engine oil drip pad. One very good thing that the painting of the bilge provides is that I can now see inside the bilge to what is there. Before this, opening a hatch into the bilge. I was faced with the "Clack Hole of Calcutta." I couldn't see a lick. Now at least, I can see things which is of genuine benefit.
In addition to that little project, there was also the greasing of sheaves and cables. There was the trimming of fiberglass hatches and hatches covers. I was able to section the cockpit grating so that it is removable. When the last owner put in the new steering pedestal and pedestal guard, he rendered the grating non-removable. Not a big deal but lots of dirt(where it comes from I don't know), leaves, screws, pieces of grating, and all sorts of other detritus found their ways into the area under the grating. Eventually, they found their way into the scuppers and in on case, clogged one. And there was just no way to really clean the area under the grating, until now. Now, it is a 30 second job at most. Pop the grating, hose it down, hose down the cockpit flooring, scoop out anything that gets trap on the scupper screens, and put the grating back Voila!
I am hoping that next week, I will get to the toe-rail replacement and begin the bottom painting. That would be a very good week indeed.
I blame N.O.A.A. ! If they had been a little more accurate, hell if they had been accurate at all, I would gotten an actual 4 straight days of spring maintenance done on ABISHAG. As it was, I got three and I am actually happy with that.
The biggest project was "painting the bilge." It might seem strange to actually be all that concerned enough with a part of the boat you rarely see to actually go through the process of painting it but it actually is of great benefit. Despite the best efforts of every boater, water (sea or fresh) and various petroleum products( lube oil, diesel & gas) end up in the bilge and slosh around until removed. One never seems to quite get it all out but merely reduces the amount to an acceptable level. Petroleum products will eventually leach into raw fiberglass and, not only stain it, but give it a "fragrance" that cannot be removed. And where the petroleum products go, water is sure to follow making the smell even worse. In addition, the right combo of water and petroleum products can create osmotic blisters which can weaken the hull. So it behooves one to remove both from the bilge. And the best way to do it is with a paint design specifically for the purpose. It seals the fiberglass and makes it look "purrdy!"
Of course, one cannot just "slap on the paint" and be done with it. Nope! First you have to scrape down all the surfaces to be painted to remove old flaking paint. Next there is the obvious need to vacuum out the detritus that you have created. Then, it is necessary wash down the surface and "decrease" them as well. Any place bilge water goes, it take with it the petroleum soup from the sump and deposits it with great care. It all must go away or the paint won't adhere. Sounds a simple procedure but the bilge stretches under every bit of flooring, most of which you can really get under. There are just the hatches in the deck that are placed there to reach "important" devices and things like the water tank fill, and not just for free access to the bilge. While the interiors of boats are often marvels of innovation in the are of cramming amazing amounts of stuff into incredibly small places, easy access it one aspect of the whole concept that seems to have slipped by unnoticed. It is as though once something has been installed, the installer never conceived of the notion that it would ever have to be removed. In some case you can just shift things around, like moving hoses and wires and the like. In other cases, you just have to see how far you can stick a brush loaded with paint and how creative you can be getting in, under, around and down items that are not moving anywhere!
It is also necessary to have a plan regarding where you start and how you will proceed with the painting. Painting oneself into a corner on a boat is a real possibility on a bot, so a pan is an absolute necessity. However, one must always remember that "Custer had a plan!" The actual worst spot is, of course, the bilge sump which is in the center of the boat, so it will be the last part attacked as everything in the bilge eventually ends up there. Thus t is that one has to work one's way from either end to the center. Scraping and vacuuming isn't to bad. Washing and decreasing is a little more difficult. Painting is a total pain. Mixing the paint and pouring it into a smaller, easier to move and use container, leads to the inevitable dripping and little grey spots and rings everywhere one paints and also in a lots of places one has no intention of painting. I was actually able to get the whole project done without once spilling the paint. I suppose that do to the fact that I had to do it in small sections, I was able to keep paint transfer to a minimum.
Every part is done now except the engine bed, the section under the engine itself, and the deep sump. Those took extra time to clean and decrease. Even though I have tried to clean these two spots each year, there were always places I evidently never got to. This time, with the help of a garden sprayer and some industrial strength degreasing solvent, every spot got dosed and washed out several times. I even scrubbed them down using a serious scrub brush on the end of a paint stirrer to reach the hard to get spots. As a result I am confident that I was able to get those places 95% clean. Short of pullout the engine, which I certainly have no intention of doing, you just can't get to them. That being said, the painting of those spots will take place Monday, weather permitting. It would have been done already, but NOAA screwed up again. They called for on and off rain all day Thursday leading to a day-long rain on Friday. Nary a drop fell on Thursday and the day was at worst "partially sunny." Friday will be a wash out. Saturday I am committed to work at TYC. Sunday will be a drying of the boat day. I am sure that water will enter the boat through the mast and the ports I left ajar to air out the boat and it will all end up in the deep sump. That has to be drained and dried before painting.
The ports were left ajar by the way because the fumes from the bilge paint were really something. At first I didn't really notice them. heck, when you work with paints and varnishes and fiberglass resins and solvents and the like, you almost don;'t noticed the smell. Fred came by and got me to open the ports and hatches and give the boat a really good airing. That when I could actually smell how bad it was. It is all but gone now but will reappear when I do the sump. The engine bed, which is mostly unreachable, I will let slide and get by with an engine oil drip pad. One very good thing that the painting of the bilge provides is that I can now see inside the bilge to what is there. Before this, opening a hatch into the bilge. I was faced with the "Clack Hole of Calcutta." I couldn't see a lick. Now at least, I can see things which is of genuine benefit.
In addition to that little project, there was also the greasing of sheaves and cables. There was the trimming of fiberglass hatches and hatches covers. I was able to section the cockpit grating so that it is removable. When the last owner put in the new steering pedestal and pedestal guard, he rendered the grating non-removable. Not a big deal but lots of dirt(where it comes from I don't know), leaves, screws, pieces of grating, and all sorts of other detritus found their ways into the area under the grating. Eventually, they found their way into the scuppers and in on case, clogged one. And there was just no way to really clean the area under the grating, until now. Now, it is a 30 second job at most. Pop the grating, hose it down, hose down the cockpit flooring, scoop out anything that gets trap on the scupper screens, and put the grating back Voila!
I am hoping that next week, I will get to the toe-rail replacement and begin the bottom painting. That would be a very good week indeed.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Busy! Busy! Busy!
SHIP'S LOG:
The weather has cooperated, at least a little bit, and work on ABISHAG has begun in earnest. There is a lot to do and it didn't help when the yard added to the load. Somehow, for reasons not fully understood by them or me, the batteries went flat! They were stored in place on ABISHAG and the yard was maintaining them over the winter. For some reason they let them go flat and I first discovered this when friend Fred and I went to tackle the pressure water system . . . for which having power on-board would have been a real good thing. The yard electrician came down ad hooked up a battery charge and started to re-juice the batteries. Hopefully there was no damage done and they will take and hold a charge but the reason for the discharge is still a mystery. It is a bit disquieting to say the least, but perhaps it was just "one of those things!"
Fred and I spent some time tracing hoses in the pressure water system. It is not as easy as it sound as they run under the deck with limited access but we got it pretty much pegged out. Once we have power and water (that is still not on in the yard yet. Too much a danger of frozen pipes, so they say) we can do a better job of tracing where the possible leaks are. I will, according to Fred, probably have to rebuild the water pump in the system. Fred doesn't feel that it is providing enough suction.
While he was poking around, Fred also found what is probably the cause of my non-functioning oil pressure gauge. The wires running from the sender to the gauge are broken at the send connection. That makes it rather tough for it to work. Fred also found a sheave for the steering system that needed cleaning and lubing and a connector on the shaft that needed lubing too. I don't think that Fred grasps the idea that I want him to help me with things that need doing not find more work for me to do!
Friday was paint scraping day.All of the reachable areas of the bilge had to be scraped of lose and flaking paint in preparation for painting. The painting of the bilge is not just for appearances, though ABISHAG could use an upgrade in that department. Not many people are going to see the bilge. The main reason for the paint job is to seal the bilge so that the oil and fuel and grease and water that get into it do not get absorbed into the fiberglass. It will help to keep "bilge breath" - the halitosis of boats - at bay. So I scraped and vacuumed and wire-brushed and vacuumed and got the bilge already for the paint. Only the areas under the engine, in the sump and under the galley decking will not be painted, at least not right away. they have to be decreased before the paint goes down or it will simply be a waste of paint. Once the yard water is running, the degreasing can begin.
Saturday was spent at TYC on the barge build. The club is constructing a barge that will be used to move, re-move and set moorings. The Mooring committee is in the midst of an ambitious plan to finally grid the mooring filed. For the most part the moorings for the boats are set rather randomly in what could be be described as in " a willy-nilly fashion." As a result, we are wasting a lot of space. The plan will fix that but it required the moving of a lot of mooring and rather than contract the job out - it would cost some major bucks which we don't have - it was decided to do it in house. To lift mooring, some of which are 1,000 lbs, and reposition them requires a floating platform hence the need for the barge. It took most of the day to build but we got it done and it really look quite good and if form follows function, the mooring job should go rather well and rather smoothly.
The weather has cooperated, at least a little bit, and work on ABISHAG has begun in earnest. There is a lot to do and it didn't help when the yard added to the load. Somehow, for reasons not fully understood by them or me, the batteries went flat! They were stored in place on ABISHAG and the yard was maintaining them over the winter. For some reason they let them go flat and I first discovered this when friend Fred and I went to tackle the pressure water system . . . for which having power on-board would have been a real good thing. The yard electrician came down ad hooked up a battery charge and started to re-juice the batteries. Hopefully there was no damage done and they will take and hold a charge but the reason for the discharge is still a mystery. It is a bit disquieting to say the least, but perhaps it was just "one of those things!"
Fred and I spent some time tracing hoses in the pressure water system. It is not as easy as it sound as they run under the deck with limited access but we got it pretty much pegged out. Once we have power and water (that is still not on in the yard yet. Too much a danger of frozen pipes, so they say) we can do a better job of tracing where the possible leaks are. I will, according to Fred, probably have to rebuild the water pump in the system. Fred doesn't feel that it is providing enough suction.
While he was poking around, Fred also found what is probably the cause of my non-functioning oil pressure gauge. The wires running from the sender to the gauge are broken at the send connection. That makes it rather tough for it to work. Fred also found a sheave for the steering system that needed cleaning and lubing and a connector on the shaft that needed lubing too. I don't think that Fred grasps the idea that I want him to help me with things that need doing not find more work for me to do!
Friday was paint scraping day.All of the reachable areas of the bilge had to be scraped of lose and flaking paint in preparation for painting. The painting of the bilge is not just for appearances, though ABISHAG could use an upgrade in that department. Not many people are going to see the bilge. The main reason for the paint job is to seal the bilge so that the oil and fuel and grease and water that get into it do not get absorbed into the fiberglass. It will help to keep "bilge breath" - the halitosis of boats - at bay. So I scraped and vacuumed and wire-brushed and vacuumed and got the bilge already for the paint. Only the areas under the engine, in the sump and under the galley decking will not be painted, at least not right away. they have to be decreased before the paint goes down or it will simply be a waste of paint. Once the yard water is running, the degreasing can begin.
Saturday was spent at TYC on the barge build. The club is constructing a barge that will be used to move, re-move and set moorings. The Mooring committee is in the midst of an ambitious plan to finally grid the mooring filed. For the most part the moorings for the boats are set rather randomly in what could be be described as in " a willy-nilly fashion." As a result, we are wasting a lot of space. The plan will fix that but it required the moving of a lot of mooring and rather than contract the job out - it would cost some major bucks which we don't have - it was decided to do it in house. To lift mooring, some of which are 1,000 lbs, and reposition them requires a floating platform hence the need for the barge. It took most of the day to build but we got it done and it really look quite good and if form follows function, the mooring job should go rather well and rather smoothly.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Happy April Fool's Day! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Taking the time to celebrate Holy Week meant that work on ABISHAG wouldn't begin until today. That is, it would if today was not "Opening Day." It is Red Sox vs the Yankees down at the awful "new" Yankee Stadium. As much as I "hate" the Yankees, I was really disappointed when they trashed the "sacred baseball ground" that was the original "house that Ruth Built," for the pale imitation known as the "House that George Built," and did it all for "money." And this year they seem to be a bit older and more banged up and it is quite possible that they will not make the playoffs and could, hopefully, simply because I would enjoy it so, end up last. Even if they don't, it always remains a matter of A.B.T. Y. - "Anyone But The Yankees."
Back to boating . . . .I discovered that it is difficult to make repairs and correct problems if you don't have the right tools or if the tools that you have don't work, and so we come to the adventures of me and my multimeter. I have had several of these very useful tools but they do not seem well equipped for residing on water craft. A multimeter is an electronic device that reads the flow of current(AC/DC), continuity, resistance, voltage, amperage and other assorted electrical stuff that basically tell you that the electrical system on your boat is fine or that it is not. If it is not, it can help you find the reason why, especially if you love a good mystery. Last year, it took me a week to find out why the GPS at the helm stopped working - it turned out to be a fuse - the problem was simple to solve once I was able to track do the location of the fuse (not simple).
No to accomplish such feats of electrical legerdemain, one must have a multimeter of some kind. It can be really simple, such as a "continuity tester" - which is simply a wire attached to a probe that has a small light on it. If there is "continuity" between the point where you place the probe and where you touch the wire, the light lights! If not, you don't and you can begin to investigate further. Even with the best meter made by FLUKE - the Ferrari of electrical multimeters - it can be a long process because you have to examine every part of a circuit, and I mean every part of a circuit, to find your problem. And of course, one a boat you have the additional problem of "getting at" the entire circuit/ run of wire.
Now I mention all this because late last year, I discovered that my "primary" - I have two(2) - multimeter had cease to function. My secondary, back-up, much more limited in scope and function multimeter had turned green and white, that is it was a block of corrosion. I asked Friend Fred to pick me up another secondary meter so that i could figure out what was wrong with the primary. Ascribing to the philosophy that one should always put off to tomorrow what you can do today, I only got around to it on Saturday last. I took it to Radio Shack because I had a sneaking suspicion that I had blown the fuse in the meter and that was the problem. I knew it wasn't the battery as I had replaced it last fall when trying to get the bloody thing to work so that was relatively "new" and should still be good. The new ceramic fuse, which I actually good for free as the clerk must have been filled with pre-Easter joy didn't solve the problem, as the meter would boot up. I took the meter back to the residence and was about to trash it, figuring I had cook the entire thing, when I decided to check it out again. It took me a few minutes to figure it out - read the instructions - but I eventually used the secondary meter to check out the "old" fuse that the clerk return to me. According to the meter, the fuse was blown. I had to assume that "new fuse", inserted in the Primary meter, was good as it was brand new, just out of the package. I checked the battery in the meter and it read "nothing." I don't mean that it read "low voltage dead," I mean that\, according to the secondary meter, there was no voltage in the battery whatsoever. Actually, I had never seen that but I figured it might be s\possible so I got another 9bolt battery from a stash I have and put it into the meter and got . . . ZIPPO! BUPKIS! NADA!
That confirmed for me the meter was "cooked' and I was about to trash it when I considered the possibility that the "new" battery was bad, after all the battery stash was from the boat and was a few years old. I metered the "new" battery and it measured 6.3 volts. Basically it was dead, so I trucked out to the store and bought a brand new, fresh in the package9 volt battery. Back at the residence, I checked the voltage - 9.6 volts - and inserted it into the primary multimeter. Holding it in place as the cover to the battery compartment was not in place - the back of the multimeter had several screws including four to get at the battery compartment - I turned it on and it went on! It meant that it wasn't cooked and that it didn't work because the fuse was blown and the battery was deader than dead. I screwed everything back in place and turned it on and NOTHING! I unscrewed everything and took the battery out - it was good. Took the new fuse out, it was good. Put everything back in place and again holding the battery hit the power button and it lit up like Broadway. It turns out that the battery compartment is just a tad to big to hold the battery firmly against the connectors and so I had to fashion a little shim to press it firm in place and keep it there.
AH, "Sold By Sears, Made In China!" That explains it all!
Taking the time to celebrate Holy Week meant that work on ABISHAG wouldn't begin until today. That is, it would if today was not "Opening Day." It is Red Sox vs the Yankees down at the awful "new" Yankee Stadium. As much as I "hate" the Yankees, I was really disappointed when they trashed the "sacred baseball ground" that was the original "house that Ruth Built," for the pale imitation known as the "House that George Built," and did it all for "money." And this year they seem to be a bit older and more banged up and it is quite possible that they will not make the playoffs and could, hopefully, simply because I would enjoy it so, end up last. Even if they don't, it always remains a matter of A.B.T. Y. - "Anyone But The Yankees."
Back to boating . . . .I discovered that it is difficult to make repairs and correct problems if you don't have the right tools or if the tools that you have don't work, and so we come to the adventures of me and my multimeter. I have had several of these very useful tools but they do not seem well equipped for residing on water craft. A multimeter is an electronic device that reads the flow of current(AC/DC), continuity, resistance, voltage, amperage and other assorted electrical stuff that basically tell you that the electrical system on your boat is fine or that it is not. If it is not, it can help you find the reason why, especially if you love a good mystery. Last year, it took me a week to find out why the GPS at the helm stopped working - it turned out to be a fuse - the problem was simple to solve once I was able to track do the location of the fuse (not simple).
No to accomplish such feats of electrical legerdemain, one must have a multimeter of some kind. It can be really simple, such as a "continuity tester" - which is simply a wire attached to a probe that has a small light on it. If there is "continuity" between the point where you place the probe and where you touch the wire, the light lights! If not, you don't and you can begin to investigate further. Even with the best meter made by FLUKE - the Ferrari of electrical multimeters - it can be a long process because you have to examine every part of a circuit, and I mean every part of a circuit, to find your problem. And of course, one a boat you have the additional problem of "getting at" the entire circuit/ run of wire.
Now I mention all this because late last year, I discovered that my "primary" - I have two(2) - multimeter had cease to function. My secondary, back-up, much more limited in scope and function multimeter had turned green and white, that is it was a block of corrosion. I asked Friend Fred to pick me up another secondary meter so that i could figure out what was wrong with the primary. Ascribing to the philosophy that one should always put off to tomorrow what you can do today, I only got around to it on Saturday last. I took it to Radio Shack because I had a sneaking suspicion that I had blown the fuse in the meter and that was the problem. I knew it wasn't the battery as I had replaced it last fall when trying to get the bloody thing to work so that was relatively "new" and should still be good. The new ceramic fuse, which I actually good for free as the clerk must have been filled with pre-Easter joy didn't solve the problem, as the meter would boot up. I took the meter back to the residence and was about to trash it, figuring I had cook the entire thing, when I decided to check it out again. It took me a few minutes to figure it out - read the instructions - but I eventually used the secondary meter to check out the "old" fuse that the clerk return to me. According to the meter, the fuse was blown. I had to assume that "new fuse", inserted in the Primary meter, was good as it was brand new, just out of the package. I checked the battery in the meter and it read "nothing." I don't mean that it read "low voltage dead," I mean that\, according to the secondary meter, there was no voltage in the battery whatsoever. Actually, I had never seen that but I figured it might be s\possible so I got another 9bolt battery from a stash I have and put it into the meter and got . . . ZIPPO! BUPKIS! NADA!
That confirmed for me the meter was "cooked' and I was about to trash it when I considered the possibility that the "new" battery was bad, after all the battery stash was from the boat and was a few years old. I metered the "new" battery and it measured 6.3 volts. Basically it was dead, so I trucked out to the store and bought a brand new, fresh in the package9 volt battery. Back at the residence, I checked the voltage - 9.6 volts - and inserted it into the primary multimeter. Holding it in place as the cover to the battery compartment was not in place - the back of the multimeter had several screws including four to get at the battery compartment - I turned it on and it went on! It meant that it wasn't cooked and that it didn't work because the fuse was blown and the battery was deader than dead. I screwed everything back in place and turned it on and NOTHING! I unscrewed everything and took the battery out - it was good. Took the new fuse out, it was good. Put everything back in place and again holding the battery hit the power button and it lit up like Broadway. It turns out that the battery compartment is just a tad to big to hold the battery firmly against the connectors and so I had to fashion a little shim to press it firm in place and keep it there.
AH, "Sold By Sears, Made In China!" That explains it all!
Monday, March 25, 2013
If It Wasn't For Bad Luck . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
Did you ever have one of those days? Actually, I had a couple of "those days," as I mentioned before, I went to the Defender Industries March Madness Sale on Thursday last to pick up stuff I needed and then found out that they had charged me twice for the same total amount. Since the sale is now over and the store is returning to "normal," and since they are just down the road, I drove over there this morning and tried to get things straightened out. It took awhile as they are, well at least their accounting department is, still a bit chaotic dealing with all the sales over the last four days. They wanted to wait until the bank statement arrived so they could check it out. The only problem with that is that I no longer get a paper statement from my bank. I found on "The Trip" that bank on line was rather easy and now I do it all electronically. As a result, no paper statements. After a bit of talking, the graciously refunded the extra charge and simply asked that I make a copy of the electronic statement when it comes and forward it to them so that they can assure themselves that they did indeed charge me twice.
The there are "the meds." As old age increasingly batters me, I find that I have to take more medication to keep up and running. I get them online through a special program which sends me a three month supply at a whack. Every now and then they screw up. This time, despite all of the identification procedures, they sent me only a partial refill of my prescriptions. So I called them and found out the problem was that they got the OK from the wrong doctor, who willingly fill some but not all of the prescriptions . . . even though I WASN'T HER PATIENT!!!!!! The order-taker-pharmacist finally contacted my doctor and got things squared away. I am quite please with that though I do wonder what the first doctor was thinking when she OK-ed the meds! Kinda makes you a little bit more worried about our medical system, doesn't it?
Then there is my auto insurance! ALLSTATE and I have a troublesome relationship. after I pay the condo mortgage, common fees and, until July, a special assessment, I have to pay the condo insurance and the utilities first before any other bills so that the condo will be able to stay in the rental program and I stay out of foreclosure. This means that, after the salary check comes in (and goes right out), and after making another payment to wipe out my credit card debt ( it will all be gone on March 6, 2014) there is some serious financial juggling that goes on each month until the SS check arrives. And even after that arrives, there is still more juggling as I pay off what I can and delay what I can't. A gift here and there from family and friends usually covers the nut, but sometimes not and then it comes down to who gets stiffed! this makes a mistake such as has taken place more than a little troublesome. It doesn't help that I didn't win the $338 million Powerball Prize, but then I didn't have the $2 for a ticket. In addition, Publishers' Clearing-House can't seem to find me. But if ABISHAG sells and the condo as well, I will be in a nice financial spot.
We will be getting snow later today which may put the kibosh on doing anything on the boat tomorrow. ( I have to wait until tomorrow for the double-charge reimbursement to get back into my account so I can buy gas). I have a couple of minor things I can work on that do not require warmth and I'll take a shot if the weather allows.
Oh, one last "one of those days things" . . . . I had to add some oil to my P.O.S. ride on Saturday. I unscrewed the oil filler cap, added the oil, went and tossed the container in the trash and shut the hood . . . . . neglecting to screw the oil filer cap back in place. I was driving later and there was this funny smell. I stopped and opened the hood and found that the oil filler cap had mysteriously disappeared. $5.98 + tax at NAPA.
Did you ever have one of those days? Actually, I had a couple of "those days," as I mentioned before, I went to the Defender Industries March Madness Sale on Thursday last to pick up stuff I needed and then found out that they had charged me twice for the same total amount. Since the sale is now over and the store is returning to "normal," and since they are just down the road, I drove over there this morning and tried to get things straightened out. It took awhile as they are, well at least their accounting department is, still a bit chaotic dealing with all the sales over the last four days. They wanted to wait until the bank statement arrived so they could check it out. The only problem with that is that I no longer get a paper statement from my bank. I found on "The Trip" that bank on line was rather easy and now I do it all electronically. As a result, no paper statements. After a bit of talking, the graciously refunded the extra charge and simply asked that I make a copy of the electronic statement when it comes and forward it to them so that they can assure themselves that they did indeed charge me twice.
The there are "the meds." As old age increasingly batters me, I find that I have to take more medication to keep up and running. I get them online through a special program which sends me a three month supply at a whack. Every now and then they screw up. This time, despite all of the identification procedures, they sent me only a partial refill of my prescriptions. So I called them and found out the problem was that they got the OK from the wrong doctor, who willingly fill some but not all of the prescriptions . . . even though I WASN'T HER PATIENT!!!!!! The order-taker-pharmacist finally contacted my doctor and got things squared away. I am quite please with that though I do wonder what the first doctor was thinking when she OK-ed the meds! Kinda makes you a little bit more worried about our medical system, doesn't it?
Then there is my auto insurance! ALLSTATE and I have a troublesome relationship. after I pay the condo mortgage, common fees and, until July, a special assessment, I have to pay the condo insurance and the utilities first before any other bills so that the condo will be able to stay in the rental program and I stay out of foreclosure. This means that, after the salary check comes in (and goes right out), and after making another payment to wipe out my credit card debt ( it will all be gone on March 6, 2014) there is some serious financial juggling that goes on each month until the SS check arrives. And even after that arrives, there is still more juggling as I pay off what I can and delay what I can't. A gift here and there from family and friends usually covers the nut, but sometimes not and then it comes down to who gets stiffed! this makes a mistake such as has taken place more than a little troublesome. It doesn't help that I didn't win the $338 million Powerball Prize, but then I didn't have the $2 for a ticket. In addition, Publishers' Clearing-House can't seem to find me. But if ABISHAG sells and the condo as well, I will be in a nice financial spot.
We will be getting snow later today which may put the kibosh on doing anything on the boat tomorrow. ( I have to wait until tomorrow for the double-charge reimbursement to get back into my account so I can buy gas). I have a couple of minor things I can work on that do not require warmth and I'll take a shot if the weather allows.
Oh, one last "one of those days things" . . . . I had to add some oil to my P.O.S. ride on Saturday. I unscrewed the oil filler cap, added the oil, went and tossed the container in the trash and shut the hood . . . . . neglecting to screw the oil filer cap back in place. I was driving later and there was this funny smell. I stopped and opened the hood and found that the oil filler cap had mysteriously disappeared. $5.98 + tax at NAPA.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Did You Say SPRING ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
SHIP'S LOG:
As several people reminded me over the last day or so, last year at this time we were experiencing temperatures in the low 80's! Ah, what a difference a year makes! I am not necessarily looking for temperatures in the "low 80's," but I would settle for temperatures in the normal seasonal range which I gather is somewhere around 60. This would mean that most boat chemicals that need to set to accomplish their purpose would be able to do so as most require at least a temperature above 50 degrees. It would also mean that the boatyard would turn on the water through out the boatyard so that one could actually do some cleaning as most cleaning projects require at least a modicum of water. Seasonable temperature would also mean that you could work without being bundled up like "Nanook of the North" and it would also allow you to work without gloves, a very necessary option whenever a project requires one to handle screws and bolts and nuts and washers and to fit little things into tiny places. try picking up a small washer with gloves of any kind on, at least any kind that provide some degree of warmth for the hands.
I received a phone call from "Francis of Toronto" who said a friend of his in the Great white North was looking for a boat. I am fairly certain that "ABISHAG" will not be the boat for him. Just getting her there would be a major project. They could go up the Hudson, through the New york Canals and into the Great Lakes and cross Lake Ontario to get to Toronto. Of course they would have to drop the masts $$$$$$$$(both of them) to go through the canal system and re-install them $$$$$$ once on the Lakes. Or they could sail up the Atlantic Coast, through the Gulf Of Maine and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, down the St. Lawrence River all the way to Lake Ontario all the way to Toronto. They could also just contract with a boat-moving company who will ABISHAG from New London to Toronto for probably close to $3,000. ABISHAG is certainly worth any of these efforts but I have a feeling that she is just too big for what the "potential buyer" is contemplating. Still, there is someone out there would is looking for her. Now if we can just get them together!
As several people reminded me over the last day or so, last year at this time we were experiencing temperatures in the low 80's! Ah, what a difference a year makes! I am not necessarily looking for temperatures in the "low 80's," but I would settle for temperatures in the normal seasonal range which I gather is somewhere around 60. This would mean that most boat chemicals that need to set to accomplish their purpose would be able to do so as most require at least a temperature above 50 degrees. It would also mean that the boatyard would turn on the water through out the boatyard so that one could actually do some cleaning as most cleaning projects require at least a modicum of water. Seasonable temperature would also mean that you could work without being bundled up like "Nanook of the North" and it would also allow you to work without gloves, a very necessary option whenever a project requires one to handle screws and bolts and nuts and washers and to fit little things into tiny places. try picking up a small washer with gloves of any kind on, at least any kind that provide some degree of warmth for the hands.
I received a phone call from "Francis of Toronto" who said a friend of his in the Great white North was looking for a boat. I am fairly certain that "ABISHAG" will not be the boat for him. Just getting her there would be a major project. They could go up the Hudson, through the New york Canals and into the Great Lakes and cross Lake Ontario to get to Toronto. Of course they would have to drop the masts $$$$$$$$(both of them) to go through the canal system and re-install them $$$$$$ once on the Lakes. Or they could sail up the Atlantic Coast, through the Gulf Of Maine and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, down the St. Lawrence River all the way to Lake Ontario all the way to Toronto. They could also just contract with a boat-moving company who will ABISHAG from New London to Toronto for probably close to $3,000. ABISHAG is certainly worth any of these efforts but I have a feeling that she is just too big for what the "potential buyer" is contemplating. Still, there is someone out there would is looking for her. Now if we can just get them together!
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Best Laid Plans Of Mice & Men Etc., Etc., Etc!
SHIP'S LOG:
I was hoping that today I would have sorted out the water pressure problem on ABISHAG. Friend Fred, master of all things to do with pumps, was to meet me at Yankee and we would find out whatever was causing the "lack of flow" and fix it. Unfortunately, Fred came down with a 24 hour tumor or the Plague or something that laid him out flat, so the plan for fixing the pressurized water was a bust. Should have remembered what I always say about plans, "Custer Had A Plan! ! ! ! ! "
In addition, it was COLD! and the thought of spending a day dealing with pressurized water was "chilly" pun intended. Waiting for Friend Fred to arrive at the boat, well it was just too cold. Actually it wasn't terrible outside but then we would be working inside the boat and there had to be a 10-15 degree temp difference inside from the outside. It was while I was sitting in the cold that I took some pictures of the inside of the boat to email to the broker. I also have to track down a couple I have of her sailing. These will be in the add online which will hopefully sell her and quickly.
Fred and Bob and I went to the Defender March Madness Sale where I picked up the bottom paint the bilge paint, some filler, two stanchion braces, a propane sensor for the system and it only cost me 80% of one Marine Unit. It was a considerable savings. But then the registration forms for the dinghy and ABISHAG showed up in the mail and they total almost the same amount!
Friend Fred and I will have to schedule another day to work on the water. If today had been a year ago, it would have been 83 degrees at noon. Of course, anyone outside at noon today sure n]knew it wasn't 83 degrees and so not last year!
I was hoping that today I would have sorted out the water pressure problem on ABISHAG. Friend Fred, master of all things to do with pumps, was to meet me at Yankee and we would find out whatever was causing the "lack of flow" and fix it. Unfortunately, Fred came down with a 24 hour tumor or the Plague or something that laid him out flat, so the plan for fixing the pressurized water was a bust. Should have remembered what I always say about plans, "Custer Had A Plan! ! ! ! ! "
In addition, it was COLD! and the thought of spending a day dealing with pressurized water was "chilly" pun intended. Waiting for Friend Fred to arrive at the boat, well it was just too cold. Actually it wasn't terrible outside but then we would be working inside the boat and there had to be a 10-15 degree temp difference inside from the outside. It was while I was sitting in the cold that I took some pictures of the inside of the boat to email to the broker. I also have to track down a couple I have of her sailing. These will be in the add online which will hopefully sell her and quickly.
Fred and Bob and I went to the Defender March Madness Sale where I picked up the bottom paint the bilge paint, some filler, two stanchion braces, a propane sensor for the system and it only cost me 80% of one Marine Unit. It was a considerable savings. But then the registration forms for the dinghy and ABISHAG showed up in the mail and they total almost the same amount!
Friend Fred and I will have to schedule another day to work on the water. If today had been a year ago, it would have been 83 degrees at noon. Of course, anyone outside at noon today sure n]knew it wasn't 83 degrees and so not last year!
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