SHIP'S LOG:
20-25knots of wind! Black clouds pouring down sheets of rain! A nice 2foot chop! Hey, what a day to get a little bad weather sailing done. . . . . . but not for me this time. It wasn't so much that I could not handle the conditions with ABISHAG; it was not getting off the mooring and the sails up; it was not maneuvering back to the mooring through the field of boats. It was getting from the cockpit to the bow to pick up the mooring with the bow going up and down through a 4 foot swing. I have to maneuver the boat down wind of the mooring and come at it with just enough speed to have just enough headway so that when the bow gets to the reachable distance from the pick up buoy the boat stops. Then I have to shift the boat into neutral, climb out of the cockpit and make my way up to the bow, lean over and grab the pickup buoy. Haul the mooring pennant aboard and put it on a cleat. Sounds easy doesn't it? Miss time the move from the cockpit to the bow and you miss the pickup buoy. Then, one must go around and try again. this usually happens when there is anyone around watching. When you are all by yourself, you get it the first time every time. I decided that I would await another day.
I took the time to fix the chafe guards on the mooring pennants. To keep them from slipping down the pennant, I ran a cord from the to the loop on the cleat. The chafe guards are really needed as a pennant can get sawed through surprisingly quickly if it gets a chance.
I also set up the rode (line) to the secondary anchor. Naturally the "U" shackle on the end of the chain attached to the anchor was too small to attach the chain to the rode. Hey, it went with the weather.
And that was about it as it was pouring so hard it washed away most of the only Free Beach in New London.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I found working on the boat in the "storm" a bit of a challenge. ABISHAG has a good, steady motion, but it is still a bit of a chore doing the work in the conditions that existed. I can see that keeping up the maintenance will really be necessary because trying to do any work/repairs in "weather" is exponentially more difficult than when the weather is good. Preventative maintenance is the key.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WEATHER
SHIP'S LOG:
Having checked several weather sites, I went down to ABISHAG with the absolute certainty that the weather would be crappy and that was a good thing. When the weather is crappy, then it is easier to tackle the "PROJECTS LIST" without feeling torn about not sailing. I laid out all of the projects and started below grey skies with a 60% chance of rain. I was not even through the first project, restitching the sun cover on the Genoa, when the suns came out and the clouds all went away. And I mean all of them. Not one remained and there I was with all these projects to do. Such is life!
Restitched the sail cover where it had torn loose from the edge of the Genoa. It is not really a major flaw but it did effect sail shape and it wouldn't get any better (only worse) by itself. I had thought about the possibility of picking up a used sewing machine to take care of things like this but there is no way that your average "home machine" could get through some of the multi-layered sail cloth. It was not perhaps the neatest job ever, but it will be a long time before that comes undone again.
I had to come up with a new way to hand the dinghy off the davitts, the bow especially. The blocks that attached to the front of the dinghy, allowing it to be raised and lowered, were contacting the bow and since the dinghy is "rubber", I worried that if it move a lot, it might wear a hole in the dinghy and that would not make me happy, not at all. I fashioned 2 foot length of three ply 1/4 inch line as a painter with a braided loop in each end. I slipped one through the towing point ring and attached the block to the other end. At little minor adjusting and voila!, another success.
I moved the two gas"cans" to the stern, affixing them to the port and starboard stern rails. I am not sure that this will be the final locations but they interfered with the Jackline where they were position before and had to be moved. Traditionally, it appears that most cruisers tie a board between two stanchions and then tied their gas/diesel/water jugs to it. ABISHAG's side decks are a bit too narrow for that and would necessitate crawling over the jugs to move along the side deck. Not a satisfactory option. I'll just have to wait and see how this particular arrangement works out . . . or doesn't.
The time had come to repair the teak grating in the cockpit. A number of slats and pieces of slats were missing missing or broken and needed to be replaced. The teak grating provided great footing in the cockpit but in its deteriorated state, was more of a pain than helpful. Unfortunately, the marine unit drought meant that purchasing the teak tread slats was not really practical. It necessitated an innovated and imaginative solution. Would you believe paint stirrers? They were actually thin enough and, with some sanding and the occasional cutting, fit quite nicely. The resulting job, when finished, looks just a little "odd." The teak has the weathered "grey-brown" color and the new pieces are "light blonde" in color. You can definitely tell where the repairs were made. Hopefully, they new pieces will, with dirt and weather, eventually look a little more like the teak. It is more important that the fix works. Right now, I am not sure that I would spend the money to replace the teak slats and rebuild the grate. If it doesn't work, I'll probably rip it out and replace it with rubberize grating that is far less expensive and works just as well, so long as one doesn't mind having a blue or grey or white cockpit grating as these are the only colors they come in.
No matter how many of these little projects I do, I can't seem to make much of a dent in the list. Invariably, as I am doing them, I discover more that needs doing. How much fun is this?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Right now, the "MARINE UNIT" deficit is keeping me from doing more than day-sailing. In one way, it is not a bad thing as I am getting to know ABISHAG better and better. She tells me a lot if I am will to listen. On the other hand, I want and "need" to get some miles under her keel. It almost the end of July after all and I am only about two months before I have to be heading toward the Chesapeake.
I have had several more people inquiry what make of boat ABISHAG happens to be. They seem impressed when they hear "CAMPER NICHOLSON" and they all seem to like her look. Hey, what's not to like?!? I think it is God's way of saying that we (God and me) made a good selection.
Having checked several weather sites, I went down to ABISHAG with the absolute certainty that the weather would be crappy and that was a good thing. When the weather is crappy, then it is easier to tackle the "PROJECTS LIST" without feeling torn about not sailing. I laid out all of the projects and started below grey skies with a 60% chance of rain. I was not even through the first project, restitching the sun cover on the Genoa, when the suns came out and the clouds all went away. And I mean all of them. Not one remained and there I was with all these projects to do. Such is life!
Restitched the sail cover where it had torn loose from the edge of the Genoa. It is not really a major flaw but it did effect sail shape and it wouldn't get any better (only worse) by itself. I had thought about the possibility of picking up a used sewing machine to take care of things like this but there is no way that your average "home machine" could get through some of the multi-layered sail cloth. It was not perhaps the neatest job ever, but it will be a long time before that comes undone again.
I had to come up with a new way to hand the dinghy off the davitts, the bow especially. The blocks that attached to the front of the dinghy, allowing it to be raised and lowered, were contacting the bow and since the dinghy is "rubber", I worried that if it move a lot, it might wear a hole in the dinghy and that would not make me happy, not at all. I fashioned 2 foot length of three ply 1/4 inch line as a painter with a braided loop in each end. I slipped one through the towing point ring and attached the block to the other end. At little minor adjusting and voila!, another success.
I moved the two gas"cans" to the stern, affixing them to the port and starboard stern rails. I am not sure that this will be the final locations but they interfered with the Jackline where they were position before and had to be moved. Traditionally, it appears that most cruisers tie a board between two stanchions and then tied their gas/diesel/water jugs to it. ABISHAG's side decks are a bit too narrow for that and would necessitate crawling over the jugs to move along the side deck. Not a satisfactory option. I'll just have to wait and see how this particular arrangement works out . . . or doesn't.
The time had come to repair the teak grating in the cockpit. A number of slats and pieces of slats were missing missing or broken and needed to be replaced. The teak grating provided great footing in the cockpit but in its deteriorated state, was more of a pain than helpful. Unfortunately, the marine unit drought meant that purchasing the teak tread slats was not really practical. It necessitated an innovated and imaginative solution. Would you believe paint stirrers? They were actually thin enough and, with some sanding and the occasional cutting, fit quite nicely. The resulting job, when finished, looks just a little "odd." The teak has the weathered "grey-brown" color and the new pieces are "light blonde" in color. You can definitely tell where the repairs were made. Hopefully, they new pieces will, with dirt and weather, eventually look a little more like the teak. It is more important that the fix works. Right now, I am not sure that I would spend the money to replace the teak slats and rebuild the grate. If it doesn't work, I'll probably rip it out and replace it with rubberize grating that is far less expensive and works just as well, so long as one doesn't mind having a blue or grey or white cockpit grating as these are the only colors they come in.
No matter how many of these little projects I do, I can't seem to make much of a dent in the list. Invariably, as I am doing them, I discover more that needs doing. How much fun is this?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Right now, the "MARINE UNIT" deficit is keeping me from doing more than day-sailing. In one way, it is not a bad thing as I am getting to know ABISHAG better and better. She tells me a lot if I am will to listen. On the other hand, I want and "need" to get some miles under her keel. It almost the end of July after all and I am only about two months before I have to be heading toward the Chesapeake.
I have had several more people inquiry what make of boat ABISHAG happens to be. They seem impressed when they hear "CAMPER NICHOLSON" and they all seem to like her look. Hey, what's not to like?!? I think it is God's way of saying that we (God and me) made a good selection.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT . . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . .not quite. It was a hot and sunny day. A great day for a sail and so I sailed. . . . . . solo! Having spent most of my time sailing singled handed, it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was going to be. ABISHAG made it easy, tracking straight and balancing easily. The wind was light, 5 - 10 knots, and she tacked slowly but once she started she completed the tack and didn't stall half way. She had a surprising turn of speed in the light wind, surprising because she isn't "light." If I had my druthers, I would have placed the winches in a slightly different spot, but then they were placed on the assumption that there would be more than one person handling the boat. They'll stay where they are as there are little"winch islands" on the cockpit coaming to hold them and the coaming isn't wide enough to place them any where else. I'll learn to live with it. I'll have to.
The repair of the tear in the suncover of the Genoa didn't last. The sail repair tape didn't adhere well to the SUNBRELLA cloth. I will have to actually stitch it and make the repair permanent. It's not a big deal though I would have been happier if the tape repair had worked.
I had to put another set of shroud roller on the forward shrouds. The Genoa sheets were rubbing on them and to keep the shrouds from cutting through the sheets, the rollers were required.
I have discovered that working the boat with the safety harness on takes some thought and planning. Clip on. Unclip. Coming to the end of the jackline and shifting to another. Getting pulled up 2feet short of your goal and having to unclip and clip onto a new spot. I am sure that It will become easier and automatic in time but it is just a bit irritating, but I will continue to wear it. A little irritating is far more acceptable than falling overboard and watching the boat sail away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was an incredibly relaxing sail today. I could have napped it was so comfortable. I am getting more comfortable moving on the boat as the "sealegs" start to come back. I am beginning to get itchy for a little voyaging . . .even if it is only to Napatree or Block Island. I don't think I'll be ready for Tenants Harbor in August but there is another Rendezvous in the Chesapeake in September. But I am not tied to any schedule . . . .except for the one that gets me out of New England before the onset of Fall.
It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . .not quite. It was a hot and sunny day. A great day for a sail and so I sailed. . . . . . solo! Having spent most of my time sailing singled handed, it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was going to be. ABISHAG made it easy, tracking straight and balancing easily. The wind was light, 5 - 10 knots, and she tacked slowly but once she started she completed the tack and didn't stall half way. She had a surprising turn of speed in the light wind, surprising because she isn't "light." If I had my druthers, I would have placed the winches in a slightly different spot, but then they were placed on the assumption that there would be more than one person handling the boat. They'll stay where they are as there are little"winch islands" on the cockpit coaming to hold them and the coaming isn't wide enough to place them any where else. I'll learn to live with it. I'll have to.
The repair of the tear in the suncover of the Genoa didn't last. The sail repair tape didn't adhere well to the SUNBRELLA cloth. I will have to actually stitch it and make the repair permanent. It's not a big deal though I would have been happier if the tape repair had worked.
I had to put another set of shroud roller on the forward shrouds. The Genoa sheets were rubbing on them and to keep the shrouds from cutting through the sheets, the rollers were required.
I have discovered that working the boat with the safety harness on takes some thought and planning. Clip on. Unclip. Coming to the end of the jackline and shifting to another. Getting pulled up 2feet short of your goal and having to unclip and clip onto a new spot. I am sure that It will become easier and automatic in time but it is just a bit irritating, but I will continue to wear it. A little irritating is far more acceptable than falling overboard and watching the boat sail away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was an incredibly relaxing sail today. I could have napped it was so comfortable. I am getting more comfortable moving on the boat as the "sealegs" start to come back. I am beginning to get itchy for a little voyaging . . .even if it is only to Napatree or Block Island. I don't think I'll be ready for Tenants Harbor in August but there is another Rendezvous in the Chesapeake in September. But I am not tied to any schedule . . . .except for the one that gets me out of New England before the onset of Fall.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
AH! WHAT A WORK DAY! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Part of the reason you do a shake-down cruise, aside from just enjoying the trip, is to find out what works and what doesn't and what needs to be fixed. What we discovered on Sunday's trip was two small tears in the Genoa and the Main that needed to be repaired. SO today was the day to do it.
The tear in the Genoa was a separation of the sun cover on the edge of the sail along a seam. I had to unfurl the sail, lower it to the deck, cover the split of the seam of the sun cover, re-hoist the sail and then re-furl it. No big deal and a success to boot!
The small tear in the mainsail required going up the mast on the top climber. I have do this a couple of times before but that was in the shelter of a slip in the Mystic Shipyard and the Mystic River. This time it would be in the rolly Thames River with constant boat traffic. The pendulum effect could be rather spectacular, especially with the ferries going by twice an hour. Thankfully the tear wasn't that far up the leech so I only had to go about 12feet off the deck. Still, it was rolly and I had to grasp the mast with my legs to keep from swinging more than I did. To repair the tear, I had to cut a piece of sail repair tape, put the roll of tape and the scissors in the work pouch, peel the backing off the tape, affixing the tape to close the tear, smooth it and do so while swinging back and forth. I had to do this three times on one side and once on the reverse, swinging back and forth. It took a while but it all went perfectly. Indeed, it was interesting to be up that high and look around and considering I have a fear of heights, any height, it was very comfortable and even enjoyable. I was getting some curious looks from people who sailed by as there was no one who had hoisted me up, that I had gone up the mast all by myself. I expected that some wanted to asked how I did it. So far, the TOP-CLIMBER has paid for itself.
We didn't get the mainsail completely furled after the trip on Sunday and I took the opportunity to unfurl it and re-furl it properly. At least that's what I wanted to do and tried to do. However, the Mainsail was jammed. When the sail is furled, it can't all be rolled in the same spot or it is too wide for the furler. It was a mistake made Sunday and there seemed no way to unroll it. I put the outhaul on a mast winch, not enough power. I lead to outhaul line to a cockpit winch, more power but no joy. And to make matters worse, I got a line wrapped around the winch. There was tension on the line and now I could get it off the winch. The suggested way to resolve such a problem is to attach a second line to the one under tension, take the pressure off of it, then unwrap messed up line from the winch. Unfortunately, no matter what I did, I couldn't get the tension off the line. Eventually, with a LARGE screwdriver and a winch handle I was slowly able to back the line off the winch. It was a long and tedious process but eventually it was successful. Still the mainsail was wrapped tight and jammed. The effort must have don something as I was able to unjam the sail and unfurl it and re-furl it correctly. It was if ABISHAG was just running a little problem by me as a test to see what I would do. I hope I passed.
I also got a rode for the secondary anchor. It will be 10 feet of chain and 200' of 5/8 line. I took the opportunity to insert depth marks in the rode and set it in the anchor well. I am going to have to cut an access for the shaft of the anchor if it is going to sit in the bow roller like the plow, but it is one of those projects that goes "on the list."
I didn't go sailing today, but it was a good day.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
There is something different doing projects on the boat when it is on the mooring. I suppose that it is knowing that so can stop anything you are doing and be sailing in a few minutes. Knowing that I can do this is almost as good as doing it. Almost, but not quite. So tomorrow is a sailing day!
Part of the reason you do a shake-down cruise, aside from just enjoying the trip, is to find out what works and what doesn't and what needs to be fixed. What we discovered on Sunday's trip was two small tears in the Genoa and the Main that needed to be repaired. SO today was the day to do it.
The tear in the Genoa was a separation of the sun cover on the edge of the sail along a seam. I had to unfurl the sail, lower it to the deck, cover the split of the seam of the sun cover, re-hoist the sail and then re-furl it. No big deal and a success to boot!
The small tear in the mainsail required going up the mast on the top climber. I have do this a couple of times before but that was in the shelter of a slip in the Mystic Shipyard and the Mystic River. This time it would be in the rolly Thames River with constant boat traffic. The pendulum effect could be rather spectacular, especially with the ferries going by twice an hour. Thankfully the tear wasn't that far up the leech so I only had to go about 12feet off the deck. Still, it was rolly and I had to grasp the mast with my legs to keep from swinging more than I did. To repair the tear, I had to cut a piece of sail repair tape, put the roll of tape and the scissors in the work pouch, peel the backing off the tape, affixing the tape to close the tear, smooth it and do so while swinging back and forth. I had to do this three times on one side and once on the reverse, swinging back and forth. It took a while but it all went perfectly. Indeed, it was interesting to be up that high and look around and considering I have a fear of heights, any height, it was very comfortable and even enjoyable. I was getting some curious looks from people who sailed by as there was no one who had hoisted me up, that I had gone up the mast all by myself. I expected that some wanted to asked how I did it. So far, the TOP-CLIMBER has paid for itself.
We didn't get the mainsail completely furled after the trip on Sunday and I took the opportunity to unfurl it and re-furl it properly. At least that's what I wanted to do and tried to do. However, the Mainsail was jammed. When the sail is furled, it can't all be rolled in the same spot or it is too wide for the furler. It was a mistake made Sunday and there seemed no way to unroll it. I put the outhaul on a mast winch, not enough power. I lead to outhaul line to a cockpit winch, more power but no joy. And to make matters worse, I got a line wrapped around the winch. There was tension on the line and now I could get it off the winch. The suggested way to resolve such a problem is to attach a second line to the one under tension, take the pressure off of it, then unwrap messed up line from the winch. Unfortunately, no matter what I did, I couldn't get the tension off the line. Eventually, with a LARGE screwdriver and a winch handle I was slowly able to back the line off the winch. It was a long and tedious process but eventually it was successful. Still the mainsail was wrapped tight and jammed. The effort must have don something as I was able to unjam the sail and unfurl it and re-furl it correctly. It was if ABISHAG was just running a little problem by me as a test to see what I would do. I hope I passed.
I also got a rode for the secondary anchor. It will be 10 feet of chain and 200' of 5/8 line. I took the opportunity to insert depth marks in the rode and set it in the anchor well. I am going to have to cut an access for the shaft of the anchor if it is going to sit in the bow roller like the plow, but it is one of those projects that goes "on the list."
I didn't go sailing today, but it was a good day.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
There is something different doing projects on the boat when it is on the mooring. I suppose that it is knowing that so can stop anything you are doing and be sailing in a few minutes. Knowing that I can do this is almost as good as doing it. Almost, but not quite. So tomorrow is a sailing day!
Monday, July 14, 2008
THERE ARE NOW WORDS
SHIP'S LOG:
Everything is working, as far as I know!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Today was the first sail and the weather was perfect! Puffy clouds, 12-15 knots of wind, nice warm temperature, waves less that a foot and few powerboats. ABISHAG tacks slowly but holds a course like she is on a rail. She has a wonderful, easy, comfortable motion and can really move. She is no racer but shed is not a barge either. She reached 5.5knots on a close reach and it was wonderful. AH! I just can't quite put it in to words except to say it was "WONDERFUL!"
Everything is working, as far as I know!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Today was the first sail and the weather was perfect! Puffy clouds, 12-15 knots of wind, nice warm temperature, waves less that a foot and few powerboats. ABISHAG tacks slowly but holds a course like she is on a rail. She has a wonderful, easy, comfortable motion and can really move. She is no racer but shed is not a barge either. She reached 5.5knots on a close reach and it was wonderful. AH! I just can't quite put it in to words except to say it was "WONDERFUL!"
Sunday, July 13, 2008
HOME SWEET HOME!
SHIP'S LOG:
I got the word from Mark Geer, the Diver, that the pennants have been affixed to mooring and that it was now the time to move to ABISHAG's permanent mooring. I got down to ABISHAG about 11:30 and started, yes started the engine, cast off the "GRACE" mooring pennants and motored about 100 yards or so to "my own mooring!" True it took three tries to grab the pick-up buoy but I was able to do, slipped the pennants on the cleats, shut the engine down and was home at last. AH!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It has been a long time coming but it is here at last. Even though the "journey" was a little over 100 yards, it was my first solo journey with ABISHAG. I got a sense of how much "way" she has, how far she will move once the power is off. I also got a sense of how the wind impacts her and moves her. I got a sense of how well and how fast she turns at low power. All these little things are helping me make the boat a little bit more an extension of myself. Eventually I hope to get to the point where "I don't have to think" about handling ABISHAG, that it becomes just a natural flow.
I decided against taking ABISHAG out for a spin today as the river was getting crowded with boats full of people showing up for the evening's fireworks and were anchoring helter-skelter all over the place. After staking out their spots, they started eating and drinking, with an emphasis on drinking. I would have been uncomfortable and wouldn't have felt safe going out with that crowd out there. I would also like to have someone along for the first couple of times just so I have a backup if some problem should arise. Once the comfort level increases, and it will, it always does, then I can start sailing solo. It will be exciting but I need to take it one step at a time. . . .. . but I can always walk quickly.
I got the word from Mark Geer, the Diver, that the pennants have been affixed to mooring and that it was now the time to move to ABISHAG's permanent mooring. I got down to ABISHAG about 11:30 and started, yes started the engine, cast off the "GRACE" mooring pennants and motored about 100 yards or so to "my own mooring!" True it took three tries to grab the pick-up buoy but I was able to do, slipped the pennants on the cleats, shut the engine down and was home at last. AH!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It has been a long time coming but it is here at last. Even though the "journey" was a little over 100 yards, it was my first solo journey with ABISHAG. I got a sense of how much "way" she has, how far she will move once the power is off. I also got a sense of how the wind impacts her and moves her. I got a sense of how well and how fast she turns at low power. All these little things are helping me make the boat a little bit more an extension of myself. Eventually I hope to get to the point where "I don't have to think" about handling ABISHAG, that it becomes just a natural flow.
I decided against taking ABISHAG out for a spin today as the river was getting crowded with boats full of people showing up for the evening's fireworks and were anchoring helter-skelter all over the place. After staking out their spots, they started eating and drinking, with an emphasis on drinking. I would have been uncomfortable and wouldn't have felt safe going out with that crowd out there. I would also like to have someone along for the first couple of times just so I have a backup if some problem should arise. Once the comfort level increases, and it will, it always does, then I can start sailing solo. It will be exciting but I need to take it one step at a time. . . .. . but I can always walk quickly.
Friday, July 11, 2008
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.
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.
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