SHIP'S LOG:
I arose this morning and decided to "test out" the new holding tank sanitation system. Thankfully, my guardian angel suggested that I try and "unloaded" flush. Pump, Pump. Pump. Pump. And nothing went into the holding tank. Thank goodness for the test. Nothing could be worse than a full bowl and no way to empty it. This particular problem was something that I had to fix before departing. I had to have a working head and a holding tank system or a run in with the Coast Guard or local marine police could be a very expensive encounter. The bowl would empty overboard but seemingly not empty into the holding tank. The scary thing was trying to figure out where it was going if it was not going into the tank!
After fiddling and fussing for about an hour, I placed a call to the DIESEL Brothers. They know everything about things mechanical and something as simple as a sanitation system on a boat would be a piece of cake so to speak. Luckily they were down at TYC, or rather at Fort Trumbull Coast Guard Station for a stability test - not for the Diesel Brothers but for the Club Launch. After the test they stopped by and it took them all of 1minute to determine the problem and less time to fix it. The "problem" was simply that there was not enough water in the system to fill the hose and move the "product" along the hose to the tank. One there was water through the system, it work just fine. I can personally attest to it!
The whole hooha with the holding tank took most of the morning and it really messed up the day's plans. Once the sanitation system, I had to secure the tank in place. You really don't want a 13 gallon tank filled with . .. er . ."waste" slide around the boat. The chances of an "accident" would be great and the consequences would be too terrible to contemplate. I hit WEST Marine for the items I needed for the tank, as well as a few last minute items and went back to the boat. The whole project took the rest of the afternoon and left no time for grocery shopping. And that means no departure today.
An it turns out that this might be a very good thing. The weather for the next couple of days looks nasty. Rain, and a lot of it. Wind and a lot of that. And nasty seas - any of those aren't good. So the new "plan" is to go grocery shopping tomorrow and then take the boat out to the mooring and wait for the weather to clear. It will not quite be the same as going down the coast but it will give me the time to get into the rhythm of living on the boat. There will be plenty to do, simply storing all the itmes that still litter the salon plus the food stiuffs, will eat up lots of time. As will logging where all the stuff is so that i can find it when I need it. According to the weather reports, it now looks like Sunday or Monday will be departure day but I'll let it happen when God decides it should happen.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I was really disappointed that I didn't get to go today, but I guess that God didn't want me out in the coming weather. Once I decided not to go, I got very peaceful. It allowed me to go do the shopping for the items I need for the projects and to work through the things that need to be done. There was no rush, not anxiety, and everything got done. I have found that making a decision can bring a lot of peace. It settles the mind. It is the indecision that seems to cause all the anxiety and worry. You can't really do any more than what you can do. Still, I am looking foward to getting off the dock . . . . . and get going.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
NOT TODAY< HOPEFULLY TOMORROW
SHIP'S LOG:
Today was spent clearing up a few items . I had gone to my sisters' to pick up some DVDs the other night and have dinner, only to have dinner and forget the DVDs. SO up I went to collect them. The work yesterday in the aft head rendered it not usable, so I took the opportunity of going to my sisters' to perform my morning ablutions. I then collected my mail l and got the propane tanks filled. Taking them back to the boat I installed them and my stove should work just fine now. We shall see.
I then spent the afternoon trying to perform a simple project: connect a y-valve( a diverter valve - a valve that you can use to send stuff to either of two locations). Now what I was trying to do was install the y-valve so that I could send the contents of the aft head either overboard( of which the EPA take a dim view) or into a holding tank( which needs to be emptied periodically). All that was required was to insert one of three nipples into to appropriate hose. The conjunction of hoses was located under the counter in the aft head and could be reached only through a small hole provided by removing a small locker. Imagine trying to insert a small object into the mouth of a small non-cooperative pig through a partially open car window while standing on one foot with not enough light to really see clearly.The 1 1/2" nipple had to be inserted into a 1 1/2" ID hose. The old hose had lost most of its elasticity so the insertion was difficult to say the least. Starting at 1pm, I finished at 4pm! It was not a fun afternoon, one spent bent over and inserted into a hole in a counter trying to put together a valve and three hoses, none of whom wished to have anything to do with one another.
By the end of the exercise, I was in no mood to go shopping so the groceries will wait until tomorrow. With any luck at all, the shopping will be done by noon and I will be able to get away. True, I'll probably not make my first goal of getting to New Haven, but I will get away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
My sister Karen bailed me out when Bank of America didn't come through as promised. I won't get into the details but suffice it to say that the banking crisis is not only about the big business. They can't seem to do simple things like returning funds they weren't suppose to receive. Big sister came through . . . .and baby sister works for Bank of America! Just goes to show you.
I am down to the shopping and I'll be ready to go. Huzzah!
Today was spent clearing up a few items . I had gone to my sisters' to pick up some DVDs the other night and have dinner, only to have dinner and forget the DVDs. SO up I went to collect them. The work yesterday in the aft head rendered it not usable, so I took the opportunity of going to my sisters' to perform my morning ablutions. I then collected my mail l and got the propane tanks filled. Taking them back to the boat I installed them and my stove should work just fine now. We shall see.
I then spent the afternoon trying to perform a simple project: connect a y-valve( a diverter valve - a valve that you can use to send stuff to either of two locations). Now what I was trying to do was install the y-valve so that I could send the contents of the aft head either overboard( of which the EPA take a dim view) or into a holding tank( which needs to be emptied periodically). All that was required was to insert one of three nipples into to appropriate hose. The conjunction of hoses was located under the counter in the aft head and could be reached only through a small hole provided by removing a small locker. Imagine trying to insert a small object into the mouth of a small non-cooperative pig through a partially open car window while standing on one foot with not enough light to really see clearly.The 1 1/2" nipple had to be inserted into a 1 1/2" ID hose. The old hose had lost most of its elasticity so the insertion was difficult to say the least. Starting at 1pm, I finished at 4pm! It was not a fun afternoon, one spent bent over and inserted into a hole in a counter trying to put together a valve and three hoses, none of whom wished to have anything to do with one another.
By the end of the exercise, I was in no mood to go shopping so the groceries will wait until tomorrow. With any luck at all, the shopping will be done by noon and I will be able to get away. True, I'll probably not make my first goal of getting to New Haven, but I will get away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
My sister Karen bailed me out when Bank of America didn't come through as promised. I won't get into the details but suffice it to say that the banking crisis is not only about the big business. They can't seem to do simple things like returning funds they weren't suppose to receive. Big sister came through . . . .and baby sister works for Bank of America! Just goes to show you.
I am down to the shopping and I'll be ready to go. Huzzah!
Monday, September 22, 2008
ON BOARD AT LAST!!!!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
At last!Yesterday (Sunday) I brought another load of "stuff" down to the boat and load it on board. Unfortunately, I still hadn't stored all the stuff from the previous load and every available flat surface is covered with "stuff." To make matters worse, another load of stuff . . . the last . . . was hauled down today. Finding places for all of these items will be quite the challenge but I am sure that it will get down. It has to get done. Well it will give me something to occupy my time.
I took ABISHAG to get fueled and got my first lesson docking at a pier with pilings. The guy at the gas dock was very helpful and gave me a lot of good info for future reference. Way back in the Fall, I installed a valve in the fuel vent line to keep it from spurting out diesel when the tank was full. It doesn't work. Such is life. I'll just have to be very careful fueling the boat.
Skip came down to help with the installation of the holding tank. Actually he did most of the work, though we discussed each step of the project. There just isn't a lot of room in the aft cabin for two people to work together. Far better then that the one who knew what he was doing did the work. As skip cut holes in my boat, I tried to sort though all the stuff that now is everywhere. I got a handle on most of it those it still looks a disaster. It may take more than a few days to find a place for everything.
Roland, Mark and Mike stopped by with a bottle of "champagne" to toast my departure. I think they also stopped by to see if I was as crazy as they suspected I was. They seem suitably impressed by ABISHAG and Mark and Mike seemed already to be making plans to join me for a while this winter in Florida. Roland on the other hand is not a fan of the ocean.
The amount of stuff that still needs to be stored and the fact that I means haven't even bought food yet has lead me to delay departure for a day. Wednesday with be Departure day now. Slowly but surely it comes!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am exhausted. I didn't do all that much but I am still exhausted. It must be some sort of reaction to the departure. I was never quite sure that this day would come. True, it isn't here yet, but it is coming fast. I think the excitement of anticipation is exhausting me. I'm off to bed.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
THREE DAYS - MORE OR LESS
SHIP'S LOG:
Yesterday(Saturday) saw the second load of "stuff" brought down and stored on ABISHAG. Stored is perhaps a little generous. Let us say, on the boat and below deck. It was my intention to store everything I brought down but, hey, what can I say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Tony Marino came by and finished up the installation of the water-maker system, actually just the installation of some filters on the raw water line. He did a fine job I am sure, but I will be miles away before I actually use it for the first time The manufacture doesn't recommend using it in brackish water or in harbors where oil and other water borne things might clog the filter system. So I'll probably be far, far south before I have the opportunity to to test out his handiwork. His departing recommendation when using it for the first time was to check for leaks! While Tony was squaring that away, I reworked the fender board system so that I can dock at piers that have exposed and protruding pilings without damaging the topsides
An elder member of TY, Peter Brouwer, died a couple of months ago and his widow brought his ashes up from Florida to honor his last wish which was to have them scattered at Seaflower Reef off Groton Long Point. As Chaplain of TYC, I got to do my very first committal at sea. We motored out from the club to the reef for the service. There were a half a dozen boats and 30 - 40 members present and Peter went over the side amid prayers, poetry, a shower of flowers, a canon blast and a bottle of Tequila.
Back aboard ABISHAG, I attempt to correct a problem with the Spinnaker Halyard. A previous owner had attempted a rather strange though functional repair. At the end of the halyard, which raises and lowers the spinnaker, was a snap shackle, a "clip" that attaches the halyard to the top of the spinnaker. It has a little pull ring so that the shackle can open and close on the sail. The shackle was braided into the end of the spinnaker halyard. Unfortunately, at some time in the past, the little pull ring broke off and the shackle could no long be opened without a great deal of effort. Rather than un-braid the halyard, take off the shackle, put on a new one and braid the halyard back, a previous owner opened the broken shackle, attached a new one to it and closed it back up. It is not a particularly elegant nor safe approach. I decided to correct this little problem and attach a new, working shackle, but first I had to remove the old one. I had to cut it off.
Sadly, my dremel tool had given up the ghost a few days before and I was forced to try and cut off the stainless steel shackle with a hacksaw. A hacksaw with a dull blade I might add. I put the shackle into the vice an set to work. After about an hour! I had made considerable progress, dull blade and all, and to finish it off, I reversed the shackle in the vice and with two cut I finished it off but good! The halyard not the shackle that is. The dull hacksaw blade, which struggled against the stainless steel, just about severed the braided halyard line in two strokes! I was NOT happy! Now unless I want to attempt to learned how to weave a loop in the end of the braided line, a nasty process with older braided line, I can only use it as a halyard by 1.) knotting it to the top of the spinnaker; 2.) knotting the new shackle to the end of the halyard. I do not particularly like either choice. After I had left the boat I realized that in the rope locker, there is an old main sail halyard with a loop in the end that just might work. I don't have the marine units for a new halyard at this time.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Another step closer but rushing around doing all the last minute stuff sort of insulates me from thinking and feeling too much. Doing things while on the boat, I often stop and fall into a revere about what is ahead. It will be a great adventure and a desert experience. An adventure in that I have never done a trip that is anywhere near the scope of this one, even though it will be a series of one day jumps rather than one long haul. And a desert experience in that I will be alone for at least the first part of it. True there will be a lot to occupy me but there will also be a lot of time for reflection and introspection. In a very real and tangible sense, it is a tripping away of just about everything to encounter myself with the help of God. I don't know what will happen so I will try not to anticipate and simple participate in the journey to which God is calling me.
Yesterday(Saturday) saw the second load of "stuff" brought down and stored on ABISHAG. Stored is perhaps a little generous. Let us say, on the boat and below deck. It was my intention to store everything I brought down but, hey, what can I say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Tony Marino came by and finished up the installation of the water-maker system, actually just the installation of some filters on the raw water line. He did a fine job I am sure, but I will be miles away before I actually use it for the first time The manufacture doesn't recommend using it in brackish water or in harbors where oil and other water borne things might clog the filter system. So I'll probably be far, far south before I have the opportunity to to test out his handiwork. His departing recommendation when using it for the first time was to check for leaks! While Tony was squaring that away, I reworked the fender board system so that I can dock at piers that have exposed and protruding pilings without damaging the topsides
An elder member of TY, Peter Brouwer, died a couple of months ago and his widow brought his ashes up from Florida to honor his last wish which was to have them scattered at Seaflower Reef off Groton Long Point. As Chaplain of TYC, I got to do my very first committal at sea. We motored out from the club to the reef for the service. There were a half a dozen boats and 30 - 40 members present and Peter went over the side amid prayers, poetry, a shower of flowers, a canon blast and a bottle of Tequila.
Back aboard ABISHAG, I attempt to correct a problem with the Spinnaker Halyard. A previous owner had attempted a rather strange though functional repair. At the end of the halyard, which raises and lowers the spinnaker, was a snap shackle, a "clip" that attaches the halyard to the top of the spinnaker. It has a little pull ring so that the shackle can open and close on the sail. The shackle was braided into the end of the spinnaker halyard. Unfortunately, at some time in the past, the little pull ring broke off and the shackle could no long be opened without a great deal of effort. Rather than un-braid the halyard, take off the shackle, put on a new one and braid the halyard back, a previous owner opened the broken shackle, attached a new one to it and closed it back up. It is not a particularly elegant nor safe approach. I decided to correct this little problem and attach a new, working shackle, but first I had to remove the old one. I had to cut it off.
Sadly, my dremel tool had given up the ghost a few days before and I was forced to try and cut off the stainless steel shackle with a hacksaw. A hacksaw with a dull blade I might add. I put the shackle into the vice an set to work. After about an hour! I had made considerable progress, dull blade and all, and to finish it off, I reversed the shackle in the vice and with two cut I finished it off but good! The halyard not the shackle that is. The dull hacksaw blade, which struggled against the stainless steel, just about severed the braided halyard line in two strokes! I was NOT happy! Now unless I want to attempt to learned how to weave a loop in the end of the braided line, a nasty process with older braided line, I can only use it as a halyard by 1.) knotting it to the top of the spinnaker; 2.) knotting the new shackle to the end of the halyard. I do not particularly like either choice. After I had left the boat I realized that in the rope locker, there is an old main sail halyard with a loop in the end that just might work. I don't have the marine units for a new halyard at this time.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Another step closer but rushing around doing all the last minute stuff sort of insulates me from thinking and feeling too much. Doing things while on the boat, I often stop and fall into a revere about what is ahead. It will be a great adventure and a desert experience. An adventure in that I have never done a trip that is anywhere near the scope of this one, even though it will be a series of one day jumps rather than one long haul. And a desert experience in that I will be alone for at least the first part of it. True there will be a lot to occupy me but there will also be a lot of time for reflection and introspection. In a very real and tangible sense, it is a tripping away of just about everything to encounter myself with the help of God. I don't know what will happen so I will try not to anticipate and simple participate in the journey to which God is calling me.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
FIVE DAYS AND COUNTING!
SHIP'S LOG:
Stuff is going back into ABISHAG at last. All the stuff (or at least most of it) that was still present has all been moved to permanent locations around the interior, locations selected with an eye to item usefulness and need for ease of access. The new stuff is basically clothes and shoes. I quite surprised myself that I had room for everything I brought. I expected that I would run out of space and have to take a number of items back for storage or disposal but there was plenty of room. In fact, I will be bring a few more items that I left out - cold weather clothes - which look as though, with the ever-lengthening of the time before departure, they might come in useful.
Friday will see the arrival of the remaining tools, books - for pleasure and reference, and assorted odds and ends, many of which I am not sure I will need but am taking anyway. After all there are trash cans everywhere in the event that their usefulness comes into question.
Saturday will see the fueling of the boat - diesel and propane, the final tuning of the rig, and the completion of a dozen or so simple projects.
Sunday will see the last of the items necessary for the trip, as well as food and water coming abroad and stored.
And Monday, well Monday will see the installation of the holding tank for the aft head. A delay in its arrival has forced this delay but all departure plans are arbitrary and flexible. I expect that the the day will be consumed with the installation and "the testing," with makes departure Tuesday Morning - weather permitting.
So Tuesday should be it.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I feel strangely peaceful about the coming departure, and that's saying something considering finances and the never ending projects list. The boat is ready though not perfect. Money is tight. The weather is getting a little bit iffy. And I have never done anything quite like this. This time God's got the plan and I'm just trying to follow it.
Stuff is going back into ABISHAG at last. All the stuff (or at least most of it) that was still present has all been moved to permanent locations around the interior, locations selected with an eye to item usefulness and need for ease of access. The new stuff is basically clothes and shoes. I quite surprised myself that I had room for everything I brought. I expected that I would run out of space and have to take a number of items back for storage or disposal but there was plenty of room. In fact, I will be bring a few more items that I left out - cold weather clothes - which look as though, with the ever-lengthening of the time before departure, they might come in useful.
Friday will see the arrival of the remaining tools, books - for pleasure and reference, and assorted odds and ends, many of which I am not sure I will need but am taking anyway. After all there are trash cans everywhere in the event that their usefulness comes into question.
Saturday will see the fueling of the boat - diesel and propane, the final tuning of the rig, and the completion of a dozen or so simple projects.
Sunday will see the last of the items necessary for the trip, as well as food and water coming abroad and stored.
And Monday, well Monday will see the installation of the holding tank for the aft head. A delay in its arrival has forced this delay but all departure plans are arbitrary and flexible. I expect that the the day will be consumed with the installation and "the testing," with makes departure Tuesday Morning - weather permitting.
So Tuesday should be it.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I feel strangely peaceful about the coming departure, and that's saying something considering finances and the never ending projects list. The boat is ready though not perfect. Money is tight. The weather is getting a little bit iffy. And I have never done anything quite like this. This time God's got the plan and I'm just trying to follow it.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
CLEAN-UP!
SHIP'S LOG:
Today was spent doing the major clean-up of ABISHAG. It is really amazing how much "dirt' ends up on a boat surrounded by water! The clean-up also involved finding a spot for all the "stuff" currently on board. That was a little more of a challenge. It would be easy to place things in the first available spot but I couldn't do that as it would create chaos in the future. I have a lot of plumbing stuff - connectors, valves, pumps, hoses of various lengths and diameters - and while it is important the odds of needing any of it anytime soon are slim. So it was that i had to move it out of a locker over the settee in the salon to locker under the LECTROSAN unit in the fore peak. All the electrical stuff - wires, connectors, switches - were moved from a settee shelf to a locker under the settee. There were several other shifts of stuff that went on and as a result, the interior is a lot cleaner and ready to receive the stuff that is coming. Space for a load of books and clothes and tools and provender has to be found and the stuff put in place. A good blow will make clear what items are in the wrong spots and which are.
Had a long chat with "CHUCK THE LAUNCH DRIVER" who was planning to leave for the South on Monday(9/15) but who put it off as the weather was a bit iffy. It was bright and sunny but the wind was honking between 15-20knots and gusting up to 30 - not particularly bad, (actually probably sounds pretty good) but coming out of the North would make the trip down Long Island Sound a little rough and there was no real reason to get beat up. I like Chuck's approach - go when the weather is good and don't when it isn't. We talked about the where he was planning to stop for the first few days and I was glad to find that his plan was a match to my own - New London to the New Haven Breakwater - New Haven to Willet's Point, New York(Throgg's Neck) - Willet's Point to Mannasquan Inlet, New Jersey. Of course, it will all depend on weather and that's up to God. I'll go with what I am given. Chuck and I traded cell phone numbers and we'll keep in touch as we go. Chuck's delay turned out to be a good thing - much like my own - as he found a leak in his anti-freeze/cooling system that he was able to fix. He will now be leaving, or is planning to do so, this morning (9/16).
As of this morning, I am planning to be leaving on this coming Monday Morning(9/22). Even if the weather keeps me in New London, it is always a possibility, I will have everything down that I can get down, everything needed to be done, and will be ready to go. There is always the possibility that chuck and I will meet up along the way and will trip together. If not, I will at least have "a scout" ahead of me on the journey.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Well the last financial option for getting out of debt before leaving came a cropper. Evidently, I have too much credit card debt to get a loan and so I will just have to make the trip on shaky financial ground. I will buy a Powerball ticket for the Wednesday drawing but I am not expecting to win the big prize or even a smaller one. I think God is trying to get me to trust that he will take care of everything. Perhaps it is part of God's plan that I win the Powerball and there is no way I can know if I don't play, but I suspect that it won't be the case. I am just going to have to trust that God is in charge. Self-surrender, giving up control, taking steps with trust is a tough, tough thing to do.
Today was spent doing the major clean-up of ABISHAG. It is really amazing how much "dirt' ends up on a boat surrounded by water! The clean-up also involved finding a spot for all the "stuff" currently on board. That was a little more of a challenge. It would be easy to place things in the first available spot but I couldn't do that as it would create chaos in the future. I have a lot of plumbing stuff - connectors, valves, pumps, hoses of various lengths and diameters - and while it is important the odds of needing any of it anytime soon are slim. So it was that i had to move it out of a locker over the settee in the salon to locker under the LECTROSAN unit in the fore peak. All the electrical stuff - wires, connectors, switches - were moved from a settee shelf to a locker under the settee. There were several other shifts of stuff that went on and as a result, the interior is a lot cleaner and ready to receive the stuff that is coming. Space for a load of books and clothes and tools and provender has to be found and the stuff put in place. A good blow will make clear what items are in the wrong spots and which are.
Had a long chat with "CHUCK THE LAUNCH DRIVER" who was planning to leave for the South on Monday(9/15) but who put it off as the weather was a bit iffy. It was bright and sunny but the wind was honking between 15-20knots and gusting up to 30 - not particularly bad, (actually probably sounds pretty good) but coming out of the North would make the trip down Long Island Sound a little rough and there was no real reason to get beat up. I like Chuck's approach - go when the weather is good and don't when it isn't. We talked about the where he was planning to stop for the first few days and I was glad to find that his plan was a match to my own - New London to the New Haven Breakwater - New Haven to Willet's Point, New York(Throgg's Neck) - Willet's Point to Mannasquan Inlet, New Jersey. Of course, it will all depend on weather and that's up to God. I'll go with what I am given. Chuck and I traded cell phone numbers and we'll keep in touch as we go. Chuck's delay turned out to be a good thing - much like my own - as he found a leak in his anti-freeze/cooling system that he was able to fix. He will now be leaving, or is planning to do so, this morning (9/16).
As of this morning, I am planning to be leaving on this coming Monday Morning(9/22). Even if the weather keeps me in New London, it is always a possibility, I will have everything down that I can get down, everything needed to be done, and will be ready to go. There is always the possibility that chuck and I will meet up along the way and will trip together. If not, I will at least have "a scout" ahead of me on the journey.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Well the last financial option for getting out of debt before leaving came a cropper. Evidently, I have too much credit card debt to get a loan and so I will just have to make the trip on shaky financial ground. I will buy a Powerball ticket for the Wednesday drawing but I am not expecting to win the big prize or even a smaller one. I think God is trying to get me to trust that he will take care of everything. Perhaps it is part of God's plan that I win the Powerball and there is no way I can know if I don't play, but I suspect that it won't be the case. I am just going to have to trust that God is in charge. Self-surrender, giving up control, taking steps with trust is a tough, tough thing to do.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
MYSTERY SOLVED ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I was up bright and early and down at TYC to meet with the "The Diesel Brothers" - Chuck and Cliff, who care for the Club Launch and who had volunteered to help my iron out my diesel problem.
I let Chuck and Cliff into the boat and left them to their investigations and mechanical magic while I went to work on the Mizzen Mystery. Like it is with cooks in the kitchen, too many mechanics in the engine room is a recipe for disaster, especially when one of the (yours truly) ain't no mechanic.
The Mizzen Mystery(ABISHAG still has lots of mysteries) was that the Mizzen Sail, the sail furthest aft on the boat, wouldn't go all the way to the top of the Mizzen mast. I could raise it about 3/4ers of the way up and them it seemed to snag on something and would go no further. In such a position, the Mizzen was worse than useless and trying to use it would only wear the sail. I needed to be able to rise it all the way or not use it at all and yet the whole reason for having a ketch in the first place was to be divide the sail area of the boat, making it easier to handle. I had to fix it as it made no sense to haul around something that didn't work.
I checked the halyard, the line which is used to raise and lower the sail. It went up and down freely, with no strain, no snagging, no catching anywhere. This is very good news as it means that the problem was not in the mast through which the halyard ran. If it had been inside the mast, and it could not be freed with the mast standing, it meant a trip to a Boatyard, dropping the mast, locating the problem, fixing the problem, re-stepping the mast. . . . . . . . The sound you just heard was a couple of marine units going bye-bye.
Secondly, it meant that it was a problem of lubrication. When a sail is attached to a mast, there are usually slides affixed to luff (edge) of the sail that slide up and down in a track in the mast. Dirt, salt, and other assorted detritus end up in the track and can impede the slides making the sail hard or all but impossible to raise. In that the problem wasn't the halyard, lubricating the track and the slides should do the trick. Out came the graphite lube, incredible slippery stuff. No Joy! Evidently, the graphite just added to the problem by putting more "crap" into the track. Next up was the racer's friend, MACLUBE, a dry, spray-on lubricant that is used to lube everything from Genoa track and blocks and other such items on go-fast boats Well, the best that could be said in this case was that it washed some of the gunk out of the track and off the slides but the sail still wouldn't go all the way up. Last came old reliable - WD-40! This is rather remarkable stuff. It is technically not a lube but a water expeller - something gets wet that shouldn't, hit it with WD-40 and the water goes away. Still, everyone uses it a a lube and so I tried it. I sprayed the track. I sprayed the slides. I pulled the halyard and the Mizzen shot up the the top of the mast like it was coming out of a canon. Mystery solved. Let's hear it for WD-40!
Back in the engine room, The Diesel Brothers" - Chuck and Cliff - had found the problem! It was the engine being sneaky! When you change the oil in your car, you put it on a lift, position a container under the oil pan, unscrew a plug in the sump and the oil drains out. Simple! On a car yes, but rather impossible on a boat. in years past, before the EPA, it was common to remove the sump plug, drain the oil into the bilge, replace the plug, fill the engine with oil and pump the bilge - pumping the old oil overboard. It is not something you can do anymore - thanks goodness. There are a whole host of devices to catch the old oil or to remove it - with varying degrees of success and ease - from the engine. One of the simplest and most common is a small hand pump attached to the oil pan. Pumping it removes the oil and directs it into a container for proper disposal. On ABISHAG, this pump has a bracket which is attached to a bracket on the front of the engine. A rubber hose runs from the pump to the sump. A simple and efficient system. Evidently though, the screw connecting the two brackets vibrated off sometime and disappeared into the bilge.
Now this is the sneaky part! As long as the engine and oil was cold, the hose from sump-to-pump was ridged and remained upright, holding the pump on place. When the engine ran, the oil heated, as did the engine, and sump-to-pump hose softened and drooped under the weight of the pump. It would slowly lower itself to a point where it was below the oil pan sump, allowing the oil to run out of the sump through the pump. But when the engine shut down and the engine and oil began to cool, the hose stiffened and returned to its original position, leaving no indication of what had happened. Nice! Re-attaching the bracket, topping off the engine oil and the problem was solved. . . . except for the oil that had accumulated in the bilge! ! ! ! !
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
This coming Friday is September 19th, International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and one year from the day I had intended to leave . . . last year. It also should be the day that I find out whether my final attempt at getting funds the pay-off the Marine Units Bill from the winter yard work comes through comes through. I like the way God seems to be folding everything together into a nice neat package. So this week will be the clean-up, pack the boat week and then ADIOS! solvent or not!
I was up bright and early and down at TYC to meet with the "The Diesel Brothers" - Chuck and Cliff, who care for the Club Launch and who had volunteered to help my iron out my diesel problem.
I let Chuck and Cliff into the boat and left them to their investigations and mechanical magic while I went to work on the Mizzen Mystery. Like it is with cooks in the kitchen, too many mechanics in the engine room is a recipe for disaster, especially when one of the (yours truly) ain't no mechanic.
The Mizzen Mystery(ABISHAG still has lots of mysteries) was that the Mizzen Sail, the sail furthest aft on the boat, wouldn't go all the way to the top of the Mizzen mast. I could raise it about 3/4ers of the way up and them it seemed to snag on something and would go no further. In such a position, the Mizzen was worse than useless and trying to use it would only wear the sail. I needed to be able to rise it all the way or not use it at all and yet the whole reason for having a ketch in the first place was to be divide the sail area of the boat, making it easier to handle. I had to fix it as it made no sense to haul around something that didn't work.
I checked the halyard, the line which is used to raise and lower the sail. It went up and down freely, with no strain, no snagging, no catching anywhere. This is very good news as it means that the problem was not in the mast through which the halyard ran. If it had been inside the mast, and it could not be freed with the mast standing, it meant a trip to a Boatyard, dropping the mast, locating the problem, fixing the problem, re-stepping the mast. . . . . . . . The sound you just heard was a couple of marine units going bye-bye.
Secondly, it meant that it was a problem of lubrication. When a sail is attached to a mast, there are usually slides affixed to luff (edge) of the sail that slide up and down in a track in the mast. Dirt, salt, and other assorted detritus end up in the track and can impede the slides making the sail hard or all but impossible to raise. In that the problem wasn't the halyard, lubricating the track and the slides should do the trick. Out came the graphite lube, incredible slippery stuff. No Joy! Evidently, the graphite just added to the problem by putting more "crap" into the track. Next up was the racer's friend, MACLUBE, a dry, spray-on lubricant that is used to lube everything from Genoa track and blocks and other such items on go-fast boats Well, the best that could be said in this case was that it washed some of the gunk out of the track and off the slides but the sail still wouldn't go all the way up. Last came old reliable - WD-40! This is rather remarkable stuff. It is technically not a lube but a water expeller - something gets wet that shouldn't, hit it with WD-40 and the water goes away. Still, everyone uses it a a lube and so I tried it. I sprayed the track. I sprayed the slides. I pulled the halyard and the Mizzen shot up the the top of the mast like it was coming out of a canon. Mystery solved. Let's hear it for WD-40!
Back in the engine room, The Diesel Brothers" - Chuck and Cliff - had found the problem! It was the engine being sneaky! When you change the oil in your car, you put it on a lift, position a container under the oil pan, unscrew a plug in the sump and the oil drains out. Simple! On a car yes, but rather impossible on a boat. in years past, before the EPA, it was common to remove the sump plug, drain the oil into the bilge, replace the plug, fill the engine with oil and pump the bilge - pumping the old oil overboard. It is not something you can do anymore - thanks goodness. There are a whole host of devices to catch the old oil or to remove it - with varying degrees of success and ease - from the engine. One of the simplest and most common is a small hand pump attached to the oil pan. Pumping it removes the oil and directs it into a container for proper disposal. On ABISHAG, this pump has a bracket which is attached to a bracket on the front of the engine. A rubber hose runs from the pump to the sump. A simple and efficient system. Evidently though, the screw connecting the two brackets vibrated off sometime and disappeared into the bilge.
Now this is the sneaky part! As long as the engine and oil was cold, the hose from sump-to-pump was ridged and remained upright, holding the pump on place. When the engine ran, the oil heated, as did the engine, and sump-to-pump hose softened and drooped under the weight of the pump. It would slowly lower itself to a point where it was below the oil pan sump, allowing the oil to run out of the sump through the pump. But when the engine shut down and the engine and oil began to cool, the hose stiffened and returned to its original position, leaving no indication of what had happened. Nice! Re-attaching the bracket, topping off the engine oil and the problem was solved. . . . except for the oil that had accumulated in the bilge! ! ! ! !
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
This coming Friday is September 19th, International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and one year from the day I had intended to leave . . . last year. It also should be the day that I find out whether my final attempt at getting funds the pay-off the Marine Units Bill from the winter yard work comes through comes through. I like the way God seems to be folding everything together into a nice neat package. So this week will be the clean-up, pack the boat week and then ADIOS! solvent or not!
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