As a very wise person once said, you don't have to shovel hot, humid and hazy. I'll have to admit that it has been a rather uncomfortable few days but we had a nice rain storm last night and another again this morning and hopefully that will take care of the humidity. I don't know if we will be getting more storms in the days ahead, but we probably will as this type of weather tends to produce them. But who cares, there's no shoveling.
We've had a couple of world cruising boats stop off at TYC in the last week; 40 Cabo Rico and a 42ft moody. Both werecruised by young couples who were off on 'round the world adventures.They are both using the east coast to cut their teeth and workout the cruising life. Living on a boat is whole different way of living. A 40footer might seem to be a big boat but it can be very small, especially when you get out of sight of land. And you focus and priorities change. A lot. you do a lot more planning, detailed planning because you can't just rush off to the store if you forget something or sun out. You become a lot more attentive to the weather, what it is going to do, and when, and for how long. After all, all that you own is held in place by a 20 foot piece of 3/8 inch chain attached to an anchor and 150 feet of 5/8 nylon anchor rode. I am sure they will work it out, if not it will be short adventure.
My "bad knee" is acting up and it has made that stroll down the dock back and forth to the launch less than fun. It makes me dread next week as I have shifts every day. One of the drivers is off on vacation and since he will be covering me when I'm off on the cruise, I couldn't very well turn him down.
I did get out to ABISHAG and check out some sails that I have not used before as they are too much of me alone to handle. I had to check out how to fly them, putting them up while on the mooring in order to see how the lines had to be led. Actually, after getting them in place, it looks as though they would not be too difficult to fly solo. It is the hoisting and dousing that would be the problem. With friend Fred along on the cruise, I am sure that we will use them. Sailing off the wind, it would be possible to have five (5) sails flying at once:
1.) Genoa; 2.) Cruising Spinnaker; 3.) Main; 4.) Mizzen Staysail; and 5.) the Mizzen. That's a lot of laundry and if we do it well, it will look spectacular.
HAPPY FOURTH! And remember to let go of the fire cracker after lighting the fuse!
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
So I Missed Monday, Big Deal
Actually, Monday was a bit of a horror showed, covering my launch driver's shift that is. It was an infamous "3 H" day . . . . hazy, hot & humid. My shift ran 9 to 5 and as I got to the club, I got a call from Wayne who is Launch Chairperson this year. He shared with me that the Launch was out of service. evidently, towards the end of the day Sunday, when checking the transmission fluid, the driver discovered it was contaminated with water. this is not a good thing and until the solution to the problem was discovered, we would have to use one of the skiffs. The skiffs are small, flat-bottomed boats that can only be steered when the prop is engaged. No rudder, and as a result they are really, really difficult to maneuver at slow speeds. They also have low free-board which means that getting i n at the dock is difficult and getting out and onto or off-of a normal sailboat is an adventure. Lack of slow speed maneuverability also means that the odds of seriously whacking in to a boat is quite high. It was going to be a fun day!
Quite naturally, someone was waiting to used the launch as soon as I got there. We went down to the launch dock, got into the skiff and started out . . .sort of. Having untied the skiff and started the motor, I gave the outboard some gas and we moved away from the dock, extremely slowly. When we had drifted way from the dock, I discovered that the prop had disappeared from the outboard and we were just drifting.
As luck would have it, we were drifting toward the second skiff which was on a mooring. It took a little hand paddling but eventually we got to it and after making sure its engine had a prope, I transferred the fuel, attached the "broken skiff " to the mooring, detached the working skiff and went about my shift. Basically, I ended up using the "back-up to the back-up" launch.
Luckily, they were able to get the real launch up and running but not until my shift was at an end. O, it was fun.
Quite naturally, someone was waiting to used the launch as soon as I got there. We went down to the launch dock, got into the skiff and started out . . .sort of. Having untied the skiff and started the motor, I gave the outboard some gas and we moved away from the dock, extremely slowly. When we had drifted way from the dock, I discovered that the prop had disappeared from the outboard and we were just drifting.
As luck would have it, we were drifting toward the second skiff which was on a mooring. It took a little hand paddling but eventually we got to it and after making sure its engine had a prope, I transferred the fuel, attached the "broken skiff " to the mooring, detached the working skiff and went about my shift. Basically, I ended up using the "back-up to the back-up" launch.
Luckily, they were able to get the real launch up and running but not until my shift was at an end. O, it was fun.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Two Days In A Row! I Am On A Streak!
It is so bleeding hot & humid today that it would be a perfect day for the boast. Unfortunately there is no wind. It would mean simply floating, either trying to sail and drifting or simply hanging on the mooring. In either event, it would only be slightly less hot and humid that being on land today. Indeed, it would simply be hair-splitting arguing which would be best. One needs a space with AC or at least a fan and several large glasses filled with gin & tonic.
ABISHAG came down river on June 16th and we almost didn't make it. Actually, we almost didn't even start. She wasn't pumping raw water. To cool the engine when it is running, the raw water pump sucks up water exterior to the hull, pumps it through a heat exchanger which exchange the heat from the anti freeze to the raw water being pump to keep the engine from over heating. Biut the water wasn't being pumped. There is a little paddlewheel in the raw water pump which sucks in the water and pumps it out. After checking for leaks, blockages and the like, Fred dismantled the pump and found that the 12 paddles on the impeller were all broken off. I usually replace the impeller each years as it is only hard, flexible rubber and takes a beating. I asked the yard to do it and it they missed it or forgot about it or whatever, but it certainly means that I am going have to check them and all work if we go back in the fall. Luckily, I still had two(2) impellers that were part of the haul from the ICW trip and which I finally got to use.The 15 minutes that it took to pull out the old and install the new produced a nice flow of water. It should be good for at least a year but it will be changed in the spring by ME!
THE KNEE - when we last left the knee, it was awaiting the Monday morning arrival of the visiting nurse and the home health care physical therapist. The arrive at 10am on the dot. I sent 30 minutes answering all the nurse's question and she then left me to the tender mercies of the physical therapist. She was a wonderful therapist and was so nice, that I "had to do everything she said." She would do all the exercises with me to show just how easy they were, though the cracking of the scar-tissue and adhesion in my left ankle and left knee made her queezy, which I found strange for a physical therapist. She showed up three times for two weeks before she handed me off to an outside physical therapist who turned out to be the one who handled my left ankle therapy a couple of years ago. After about two months, it became more a question of simply strengthening the muscles above the knee that really hold it in place, As they have become stronger, the knee has become more my own. Certainly the pain has long be gone and the only down side is that it has made clear just how bad the left knee is. If the cartilage is gone by the fall, I check with the doctor about doing that knee. If he feels that it is ready, we'll do it. If it still needs to "cook" a bit longer, then I'll do it next fall. In any event, it is certainly a whole lot better making that walk down the dock than it was.
THE LOFT - Still haven't got enough hours in yet. But it will happen . . . eventually.
THE CRUISE - Due to the locked in schedule this year, I do not have to work on weekends and have been able to sign up to go on one of the Club Cruises. It is strange not to work on weekends and it actually takes a little getting used to. The one down side is parking. Not a lot of room down near the club. One must be ready to go very early or be willing to hike. The club Cruise that I am going to take will be the one to Newport and Narragansett Bay and the Elizabeth Islands. we will moor off the Ida Lewis Yacht Club or Fort Adams for both the Folk Festival and the Jazz Festival. How great is that.
I am tapped out. More later.
ABISHAG came down river on June 16th and we almost didn't make it. Actually, we almost didn't even start. She wasn't pumping raw water. To cool the engine when it is running, the raw water pump sucks up water exterior to the hull, pumps it through a heat exchanger which exchange the heat from the anti freeze to the raw water being pump to keep the engine from over heating. Biut the water wasn't being pumped. There is a little paddlewheel in the raw water pump which sucks in the water and pumps it out. After checking for leaks, blockages and the like, Fred dismantled the pump and found that the 12 paddles on the impeller were all broken off. I usually replace the impeller each years as it is only hard, flexible rubber and takes a beating. I asked the yard to do it and it they missed it or forgot about it or whatever, but it certainly means that I am going have to check them and all work if we go back in the fall. Luckily, I still had two(2) impellers that were part of the haul from the ICW trip and which I finally got to use.The 15 minutes that it took to pull out the old and install the new produced a nice flow of water. It should be good for at least a year but it will be changed in the spring by ME!
THE KNEE - when we last left the knee, it was awaiting the Monday morning arrival of the visiting nurse and the home health care physical therapist. The arrive at 10am on the dot. I sent 30 minutes answering all the nurse's question and she then left me to the tender mercies of the physical therapist. She was a wonderful therapist and was so nice, that I "had to do everything she said." She would do all the exercises with me to show just how easy they were, though the cracking of the scar-tissue and adhesion in my left ankle and left knee made her queezy, which I found strange for a physical therapist. She showed up three times for two weeks before she handed me off to an outside physical therapist who turned out to be the one who handled my left ankle therapy a couple of years ago. After about two months, it became more a question of simply strengthening the muscles above the knee that really hold it in place, As they have become stronger, the knee has become more my own. Certainly the pain has long be gone and the only down side is that it has made clear just how bad the left knee is. If the cartilage is gone by the fall, I check with the doctor about doing that knee. If he feels that it is ready, we'll do it. If it still needs to "cook" a bit longer, then I'll do it next fall. In any event, it is certainly a whole lot better making that walk down the dock than it was.
THE LOFT - Still haven't got enough hours in yet. But it will happen . . . eventually.
THE CRUISE - Due to the locked in schedule this year, I do not have to work on weekends and have been able to sign up to go on one of the Club Cruises. It is strange not to work on weekends and it actually takes a little getting used to. The one down side is parking. Not a lot of room down near the club. One must be ready to go very early or be willing to hike. The club Cruise that I am going to take will be the one to Newport and Narragansett Bay and the Elizabeth Islands. we will moor off the Ida Lewis Yacht Club or Fort Adams for both the Folk Festival and the Jazz Festival. How great is that.
I am tapped out. More later.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Yes, I am Still Alive . . . . .Really!
Yes, I know that it has almost been a year, but things have been a little busy. Let me enumerate some for you:
1.) Once I got down to TYC, I actually did as much sailing as time allowed. Unfortunately, there wasn't all that much time in July or August. Of the six Launch Drivers, only I was available all the time. Some went on the Club Cruises and some took vacations (non-sailing) and in one case, one driver decided not to work at all during the month of August. One driver was holding down two other part-time jobs that paid a bit better and ran schedules that were often in conflict with the Launch schedule. Basically, it guaranteed that I would be driving most of the weekend schedule. Well, I got a good tan.
I was sort of limited as well by bad knees. Doing the walk from the Club House to the Launch dock was a bit draining. The pain was constant in both knees, not overwhelming, just a nagging. I got the right knee shot with cortisone and lydocaine which helped for several weeks but you can't do this treatment all that often. It masks the pain but allows the damage happening to continue, making the situation worse and not better. Getting the right knee treated just made the pain in the left seem worse. I was able to make it through the season, but it was clear that the worst of the two knees had to be replaced. That was the right knee and that was done in November.
The sailing season ended for me on Columbus Day weekend when Friend Fred and I joined the last Club Cruise. It went to Essex where we over-nighted and had a meal at the Griswold Inn. The next day, about half of the cruisers continued up river to have their boats hauled for the winter. I made a change this year and didn't go all the way up to Portland for the task but stopped at Midway Marina in Haddam. A number of club members use this marina if for no other reason than doing so cuts 2 1/2 to 3 hours off the total trip. It was also closer by car, making the trips up to winterize and getting her ready for launch significantly shorter. It was a little more expensive but not significantly so and it actually turned out to be a good deal. The only downside was that because of ABISHAG's displacement, 22,000lbs, the antiquated travel lift they had, and the hill to the storage yard, so I got stored near the river's edge along with a couple of other "big" boats. Normally, it wouldm't be a big deal, but this past winter produced a lot of ice in the river and it piled up against the piers of the Haddam Swing Bridge a little over a mile down river. This ice dam backed the river up and it spilled into the marina right where ABISHAG was wintering. Luckily, though the water reached her keel, that was as far as it went. No damage was done and she remained up right in place until we launched her in the late spring.
2.) THE KNEE - I was a little conserned about having the work done due to all the horror stories people told about the operation itself and the physical therapy that would follow. But it was at the point that it was not going to get bteree by itslef so it had to be done. Initially, the most difficult thing was getting up at 4am to ride to the hospital to check in by 5 so that they could do all the pre-op stuff for the 7am operation. I got a spinal which stung for the first time. Once that was done they put me out. I think they got it backward but what the heck, it worked. I woke up about 11am back in my room and was ive a light lunch . . . . and the message that the occupational therapist would be in at 1pm. That caught me by surprise as I figured I have a couple days of vacation, lounging around in bed. Not quite. The occupational therapist showed up at 1pm and when I shared my surprise, she simply said, "You want to be able to get to get and used the toilet, don't you?" A very persuasive argument. I learned how to get out of bed, get in a chair, use a walker, go to the bathroom and use the toilet. I was absolutely forbidden to "wipe" and had to call a nurse for that task. They didn't want me to twist the knee and damage their good work.
After about 45 minutes, she left with the cheery new that the "PHYSICAL THERAPISTS" would be by in an hour. Say what? And in an hour, there their were, a young man and woman who were unhealthily "perky." Think of the most perky, upbeat person you know, double them, and these two would make them seem like Ebenezer Scrooge. and they wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They had me show how to get myself out of bed and, with a walker, start off down the hall. "Go as far as you can," they urge but left out one important detail, once you got "as far as you can down the hall," I had to turn around and walk all the way back. Sneaky.
Once I got back to my room, I showed they how I was supposed to get into bed. Then they left with a cheery, "The occupational therapist will see you after dinner." Say what? And she was, only to be replaced immediately by the physical therapy team before I could go to sleep. They we back again following breakfast and my morning "ablutions." And after lunch. And after dinner.
Sunday morning, it was breakfast, ablutions, Occupational therapy, physical therapy, lunch and "Go home now." Say what? I was home before 2pm and in my own bed. AH! The the phone rang and the visiting nurse call to say she and the "Home physical therapist" would be by the next morning at 10am. Say what?
Well, I finish that up the next time.
3.)Things are not well in the recreational boating industry. Marinas are maybe half filled, and lots of boats are still on the hard in their winter clothes. The sail loft was initially not busy at all. ABISHAG needs a a new bimini, a "roof" over the cockpit to keep the sun off and the rain out. The old one is pretty much rotted by the sun and is splitting. The loft was down to one(1) stitcher and he came in only twice a week. There was also little in the way of repair work to be done and no new sail work. I was able to work out a barter deal with the owner, work for a bimini. The work picked up a bit as we approached spring, but not enough for full time work for anyone but the owner. Once I was able to make it up the stairs to the loft, I was able to work a couple of days a week, cutting and assembly patches for sails. So far, I don't have enough hours in for the trade to be complete and now we are running into conflicts with Launch Drivers' Schedule. ABISHAG is in the water and at TYC but without her "new hat." Hopefully, we'll get that corrected before too long.
I am tapped out for now. More coming later.
1.) Once I got down to TYC, I actually did as much sailing as time allowed. Unfortunately, there wasn't all that much time in July or August. Of the six Launch Drivers, only I was available all the time. Some went on the Club Cruises and some took vacations (non-sailing) and in one case, one driver decided not to work at all during the month of August. One driver was holding down two other part-time jobs that paid a bit better and ran schedules that were often in conflict with the Launch schedule. Basically, it guaranteed that I would be driving most of the weekend schedule. Well, I got a good tan.
I was sort of limited as well by bad knees. Doing the walk from the Club House to the Launch dock was a bit draining. The pain was constant in both knees, not overwhelming, just a nagging. I got the right knee shot with cortisone and lydocaine which helped for several weeks but you can't do this treatment all that often. It masks the pain but allows the damage happening to continue, making the situation worse and not better. Getting the right knee treated just made the pain in the left seem worse. I was able to make it through the season, but it was clear that the worst of the two knees had to be replaced. That was the right knee and that was done in November.
The sailing season ended for me on Columbus Day weekend when Friend Fred and I joined the last Club Cruise. It went to Essex where we over-nighted and had a meal at the Griswold Inn. The next day, about half of the cruisers continued up river to have their boats hauled for the winter. I made a change this year and didn't go all the way up to Portland for the task but stopped at Midway Marina in Haddam. A number of club members use this marina if for no other reason than doing so cuts 2 1/2 to 3 hours off the total trip. It was also closer by car, making the trips up to winterize and getting her ready for launch significantly shorter. It was a little more expensive but not significantly so and it actually turned out to be a good deal. The only downside was that because of ABISHAG's displacement, 22,000lbs, the antiquated travel lift they had, and the hill to the storage yard, so I got stored near the river's edge along with a couple of other "big" boats. Normally, it wouldm't be a big deal, but this past winter produced a lot of ice in the river and it piled up against the piers of the Haddam Swing Bridge a little over a mile down river. This ice dam backed the river up and it spilled into the marina right where ABISHAG was wintering. Luckily, though the water reached her keel, that was as far as it went. No damage was done and she remained up right in place until we launched her in the late spring.
2.) THE KNEE - I was a little conserned about having the work done due to all the horror stories people told about the operation itself and the physical therapy that would follow. But it was at the point that it was not going to get bteree by itslef so it had to be done. Initially, the most difficult thing was getting up at 4am to ride to the hospital to check in by 5 so that they could do all the pre-op stuff for the 7am operation. I got a spinal which stung for the first time. Once that was done they put me out. I think they got it backward but what the heck, it worked. I woke up about 11am back in my room and was ive a light lunch . . . . and the message that the occupational therapist would be in at 1pm. That caught me by surprise as I figured I have a couple days of vacation, lounging around in bed. Not quite. The occupational therapist showed up at 1pm and when I shared my surprise, she simply said, "You want to be able to get to get and used the toilet, don't you?" A very persuasive argument. I learned how to get out of bed, get in a chair, use a walker, go to the bathroom and use the toilet. I was absolutely forbidden to "wipe" and had to call a nurse for that task. They didn't want me to twist the knee and damage their good work.
After about 45 minutes, she left with the cheery new that the "PHYSICAL THERAPISTS" would be by in an hour. Say what? And in an hour, there their were, a young man and woman who were unhealthily "perky." Think of the most perky, upbeat person you know, double them, and these two would make them seem like Ebenezer Scrooge. and they wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They had me show how to get myself out of bed and, with a walker, start off down the hall. "Go as far as you can," they urge but left out one important detail, once you got "as far as you can down the hall," I had to turn around and walk all the way back. Sneaky.
Once I got back to my room, I showed they how I was supposed to get into bed. Then they left with a cheery, "The occupational therapist will see you after dinner." Say what? And she was, only to be replaced immediately by the physical therapy team before I could go to sleep. They we back again following breakfast and my morning "ablutions." And after lunch. And after dinner.
Sunday morning, it was breakfast, ablutions, Occupational therapy, physical therapy, lunch and "Go home now." Say what? I was home before 2pm and in my own bed. AH! The the phone rang and the visiting nurse call to say she and the "Home physical therapist" would be by the next morning at 10am. Say what?
Well, I finish that up the next time.
3.)Things are not well in the recreational boating industry. Marinas are maybe half filled, and lots of boats are still on the hard in their winter clothes. The sail loft was initially not busy at all. ABISHAG needs a a new bimini, a "roof" over the cockpit to keep the sun off and the rain out. The old one is pretty much rotted by the sun and is splitting. The loft was down to one(1) stitcher and he came in only twice a week. There was also little in the way of repair work to be done and no new sail work. I was able to work out a barter deal with the owner, work for a bimini. The work picked up a bit as we approached spring, but not enough for full time work for anyone but the owner. Once I was able to make it up the stairs to the loft, I was able to work a couple of days a week, cutting and assembly patches for sails. So far, I don't have enough hours in for the trade to be complete and now we are running into conflicts with Launch Drivers' Schedule. ABISHAG is in the water and at TYC but without her "new hat." Hopefully, we'll get that corrected before too long.
I am tapped out for now. More coming later.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Home At Last!
SHIP' LOG:
Huzzah! On the mooring at TYC!Huzzah!
Friend Fred and I brought ABISHAG down the Connecticut River from Portland. It was a great trip though the start was a bit "iffy."
First of all, we had to get the Genoa and main rigged. I had tried for a couple of hours on Thursday to do it, but I couldn't even get the main completely up. Then again, it was blowing 15 mph and gusting to 30! The wind put enough force against the sail so that it lay against the mast, shroud and spreaders and so there was enough pressure and friction on the sail that I could not get it completely up. I tried and I got h3 blisters to prove it, but I just couldn't get it done. But on Friday morning, at 6:30 am when there was no wind, both sails went up easily.
The next thing was the engine. Unlike a car engine which has a closed system, I large boat like ABISHAG has a raw water system as well. IT sucks in cold water from the river/ocean to cool the anti-freeze in the closed part of the cooling system. The "raw water" is sucked in and pumped out. without it, since there is now radiator, as in a care, the anti-freeze would be overwhelmed and boil off and the engine would over heat and seize up. That is a $10,000 screw up. With all the sea-cocks opened up, I turned the engine on and waited for the water to get spit out. And waited. And waited. No water! Panic! Obviously, there was a problem. Checked the raw water intake, open! Checked the hoses, no leaks! Checked to outflow sea-cock. Open and functioning.Check the impeller. The impeller is a little rubber doodad that has several fins on it so that when it spins, it draws in the raw water, pushed it on through the heat-exchanger, where it draws the heat out of the anti-freeze cooling it so that it cools the engine. The impeller is in a small chamber so that it can spin and create the vacuum necessary to move the water. It is held in place by 4 screws. I undid the screws and the plate, sealing off the chamber, was held in place by the vacuum and some caulking. I gently taped it with a hammer and the plate came off and the water poured out. Basically, it was sucking in the river. Panic!
It took a few minutes to stem the flow and get the plate back into place. Lots of water in the bilge, but the good point was that the raw water went all the way through the system. Evidently we simply did not let the engine run long enough for the water to get completely through the system. So we let it run and eventually the raw water both went into the boat and came out. Huzzah! And we were off!
It was a relatively fast passage down river, a little over three hours, plus two half-hour waits at the bridges in Haddem and Old Lyme. The wind was really honking, blowing a solid 15 to 18 knots with gust to 25! The river was also relatively high and, with the tie going out, was running fast. It all combined to make for that fast passage.
With the forecast 15-20knots out of the southwest in the sound, with 3-4 foot waves, it was going to be a great broad reach all the way to New London. AH, not so much. Once out in the sound, beyond the Old Saybrook Bar Bell, the wind went light, down to no more than 10 knots. Still, it was sailing!
I pretty much let Friend Fred handle ABISHAG most of the way. He no longer has his own boat and love tweaking sails and getting the most he can out of a boat. With a ketch and three sails, he was having a ball. Still, it took a good three hours to get to New London and we were finally on the mooring at TYC by 4:30pm.
But the day wasn't over then as I had to drive Friend Fred all the way back to Portland so he could pick up his car and drive home. It was a long day.
Huzzah! On the mooring at TYC!Huzzah!
Friend Fred and I brought ABISHAG down the Connecticut River from Portland. It was a great trip though the start was a bit "iffy."
First of all, we had to get the Genoa and main rigged. I had tried for a couple of hours on Thursday to do it, but I couldn't even get the main completely up. Then again, it was blowing 15 mph and gusting to 30! The wind put enough force against the sail so that it lay against the mast, shroud and spreaders and so there was enough pressure and friction on the sail that I could not get it completely up. I tried and I got h3 blisters to prove it, but I just couldn't get it done. But on Friday morning, at 6:30 am when there was no wind, both sails went up easily.
The next thing was the engine. Unlike a car engine which has a closed system, I large boat like ABISHAG has a raw water system as well. IT sucks in cold water from the river/ocean to cool the anti-freeze in the closed part of the cooling system. The "raw water" is sucked in and pumped out. without it, since there is now radiator, as in a care, the anti-freeze would be overwhelmed and boil off and the engine would over heat and seize up. That is a $10,000 screw up. With all the sea-cocks opened up, I turned the engine on and waited for the water to get spit out. And waited. And waited. No water! Panic! Obviously, there was a problem. Checked the raw water intake, open! Checked the hoses, no leaks! Checked to outflow sea-cock. Open and functioning.Check the impeller. The impeller is a little rubber doodad that has several fins on it so that when it spins, it draws in the raw water, pushed it on through the heat-exchanger, where it draws the heat out of the anti-freeze cooling it so that it cools the engine. The impeller is in a small chamber so that it can spin and create the vacuum necessary to move the water. It is held in place by 4 screws. I undid the screws and the plate, sealing off the chamber, was held in place by the vacuum and some caulking. I gently taped it with a hammer and the plate came off and the water poured out. Basically, it was sucking in the river. Panic!
It took a few minutes to stem the flow and get the plate back into place. Lots of water in the bilge, but the good point was that the raw water went all the way through the system. Evidently we simply did not let the engine run long enough for the water to get completely through the system. So we let it run and eventually the raw water both went into the boat and came out. Huzzah! And we were off!
It was a relatively fast passage down river, a little over three hours, plus two half-hour waits at the bridges in Haddem and Old Lyme. The wind was really honking, blowing a solid 15 to 18 knots with gust to 25! The river was also relatively high and, with the tie going out, was running fast. It all combined to make for that fast passage.
With the forecast 15-20knots out of the southwest in the sound, with 3-4 foot waves, it was going to be a great broad reach all the way to New London. AH, not so much. Once out in the sound, beyond the Old Saybrook Bar Bell, the wind went light, down to no more than 10 knots. Still, it was sailing!
I pretty much let Friend Fred handle ABISHAG most of the way. He no longer has his own boat and love tweaking sails and getting the most he can out of a boat. With a ketch and three sails, he was having a ball. Still, it took a good three hours to get to New London and we were finally on the mooring at TYC by 4:30pm.
But the day wasn't over then as I had to drive Friend Fred all the way back to Portland so he could pick up his car and drive home. It was a long day.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Summer is HERE!
SHIP"S LOG:
ABISHAG IS AFLOAT AND HEADS DOWN RIVER TO TYC TOMORROW. WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID!
ABISHAG IS AFLOAT AND HEADS DOWN RIVER TO TYC TOMORROW. WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID!
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Work, Work, WOrk And More WORK
SHIP'S LOG:
I was able to get a day off from the loft and Friend Fred was free you were both at the boat. Fred got the fun task of painting the bottom, or at least getting a good start at it. He got the waterline taped and was able to get half of the painting done. He will be going up again on Wednesday and should be able to finish that articular job.
I on the other had to re-attach the ceiling panel over the galley so that I could do a major job, replacing the window (opening port) in the galley. The biggest problem was too few arms. I had to hold the panel in place in order to screw it in place. After a lot of thought, I taped it in place with wide masking tape and then screwed it back in place. Surprisingly, the idea worked!
After that was done, I had to unbolt the old port and trim. The un-bolting wasn't that bad, though getting the bolts out required a major persuader (2 pound hammer) and a punch. The old port had to be pulled out of the hole. It revealed that a lot of water had gotten in. There was a lot of discoloration, some soft, damp plywood and corrosion of the aluminum of the port itself. It was time for it to go and so it went . . . . . . into the trash
Next, the hole in the side of ABISHAG had to be enlarged as the new port was slightly larger than the old one. It took a bit of grinding the fiberglass/plywood/fiberglass sandwich of the bulkhead but it actually went rather quickly which was a surprise. Once the new port fit well, I covered it with silicone, a lot of silicone I slipped it into place. Then I anchored it in place with self-tapping screws and it was done.
I finished up the caulking of the teak deck seams and I was done for the day. The day ended about 6:30pm and for the first time I was too beat to clean up afterward. As a result, my favorite multi-bit screwdriver and the charger for the Multi-tool are missing. They are somewhere in the saloon but just where it is tough to say. A cursory search did not turn them up and hopefully I will be free Friday and while find them then. The bottom should be done by then and then, actually, we can plan to take ABISHAG to New London sometime next week. AH, the joys of boat ownership.
I was able to get a day off from the loft and Friend Fred was free you were both at the boat. Fred got the fun task of painting the bottom, or at least getting a good start at it. He got the waterline taped and was able to get half of the painting done. He will be going up again on Wednesday and should be able to finish that articular job.
I on the other had to re-attach the ceiling panel over the galley so that I could do a major job, replacing the window (opening port) in the galley. The biggest problem was too few arms. I had to hold the panel in place in order to screw it in place. After a lot of thought, I taped it in place with wide masking tape and then screwed it back in place. Surprisingly, the idea worked!
After that was done, I had to unbolt the old port and trim. The un-bolting wasn't that bad, though getting the bolts out required a major persuader (2 pound hammer) and a punch. The old port had to be pulled out of the hole. It revealed that a lot of water had gotten in. There was a lot of discoloration, some soft, damp plywood and corrosion of the aluminum of the port itself. It was time for it to go and so it went . . . . . . into the trash
Next, the hole in the side of ABISHAG had to be enlarged as the new port was slightly larger than the old one. It took a bit of grinding the fiberglass/plywood/fiberglass sandwich of the bulkhead but it actually went rather quickly which was a surprise. Once the new port fit well, I covered it with silicone, a lot of silicone I slipped it into place. Then I anchored it in place with self-tapping screws and it was done.
I finished up the caulking of the teak deck seams and I was done for the day. The day ended about 6:30pm and for the first time I was too beat to clean up afterward. As a result, my favorite multi-bit screwdriver and the charger for the Multi-tool are missing. They are somewhere in the saloon but just where it is tough to say. A cursory search did not turn them up and hopefully I will be free Friday and while find them then. The bottom should be done by then and then, actually, we can plan to take ABISHAG to New London sometime next week. AH, the joys of boat ownership.
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