SHIP'S LOG:
It is amazing how long it can take to do one little project! There is a spotlight that illuminates the cockpit and the the deck when it is on. A helpful thing when one is working on deck at night or simply when one is moving about the deck in the dark. I know that the light works as the bulb was just replaced and one of the guys at the MYSTIC Shipyard tested it with his own battery. However,(boy, there's a word I am using a lot)the wire to the light has ripped out of the deck connector and had to be replaced. I purchased a water proof connection and went to work. Removing the old deck connector was no big deal, three simple screws and clipped off the wires. This is where the fun begins as the wires from the boat were red & black and the wires coming from the light were brown and blue! Thankfully, the yard guy stated that the blue wire was the negative(attaches to the black) and the brown is the positive. I connected the wires from the mast to the plug and the ones from the boat to the deck connector. That is I did, after cleaning the wires that were corroded. The wires were connected with screw attachments which are rather simple. Then I inserted the deck connection into the deck. Well that was my intent. I had forgotten to measure the hole to see if the deck connector would fit. I assumed that it would and you know what happens when you assume! You know, of course, that it did not. The hole was too small and had to be enlarged. This meant dis-assembling the deck connector. Then I had to go to the aft cabin and remove the ceiling panel and pull the wires out of the hole so that I would not cut them when I opened up the hole. Then back up on deck and bored out the hole to the proper size. Then back into the aft cabin to feed the wires back into the hole. I connected the wires to the deck connector, caulked it and screwed it into the hole. Then down to the nav station and the power panel. On with the power. On with the "Deck Light Switch" and . . . . nada. No light! ARRGH! It took two hours of work for no result! It was only after I got home that I realized that there is a special fuse for part of the power panel (where the Deck Light Switch is located) and I hadn't check to see if it was good. So maybe, it is just a fuse problem . . . I hope, I Hope, I hope! ! ! !!
While I had the ceiling down in the aft cabin, I took a shot at getting the ceiling light to work. The reading lights over the bunks work, as does the deck light, but the ceiling light doesn't. The wiring from the light was connected to power wires with wire nut ties. This is a no-no on a boat so I removed them and connected them properly with crimp connectors. That didn't solve the problem so I went to the next step, was there power in the wires. Out came the multi-meter and I checked the wire. No juice. The proper procedure to locate the problem is to move back along the line until you get to a place(connector, joint, fixture, switch) where there is power so that you can identify the problem and correct it. Sound simple but the wires supplying this light run into a dime-size hole in the overhead and there is no way to trace them. I can understand why it would be simpler to just leave the old wires in place and run another set, but I have had to deal with such an approach on the boat before. I am not sure how to go about the trace but since I have light already in the aft cabin, it isn't an immediate priority.
I got the propane system up and running but without the owner's manual, I am not sure what I am doing or if it is working correctly. I went to the XINTEX website to down load the manual for the system I have and found that it wasn't on the site. I called them and they were amazed that I still had a working system When I asked about the manual, they said that it was too only for inclusion on the website. They said that they would scan it and email it to me, so again I am waiting on someone else to progress.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I have laid out the first day's course on the laptop. From New London to Morris Cove in New Haven Harbor. Having laid it out, I now have a destination as well as a departure date. It is starting to get very real.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN!!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, the Count-Down Has begun. I have chosen Monday, September 15th as D-Day, Departure Day. By that time the refi of the condo should be done and I will be able to purchase the last few items necessary for my departure. The major purchase will be two(2) 80 watts Solar panels and their installation should be rather straight forward, as well as problem free. Aside from that installation, there remains only cutting into that never-ending projects list, none of the items on which should be preventive of my departure.
Friends stopping by to the boat do slow down the the process but it is good to have visitors. Even while they have visited, I have still be able to re-glue the slats of the the cockpit grating (the first attempt didn't take), install turning blocks for the jib, hang the radar reflector, store the linens and blankets, and locate the dipstick for the engine( which was no mean feet!). You might be thinking, "How difficult can it be to find the engine dipstick?" but it was not as easy as it sound. First of all, the engine was repainted (Robin Egg Blue) some time in the recent past and the handle to the dipstick got sprayed as well. Usually, the dipstick handle is of a contrasting color so you can spot it. In addition, it is usually shaped in a circle so you can pull it, just as it is on your car and just as it is depicted in the engine manual. This one wasn't. It appears to be an after market item (someone evidently lost the original) and is "T" shaped. The tube into which it is inserted is not fixed. It is movable, quite movable in fact, and the arc through which it swings is rather large and so moves its location around. One last wrinkle, it is located behind several wires, hiding it even further. But after crawling all over the engine, I was able to locate it. Huzzah! Next will be to find the dipstick to the transmission.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
September 15th! D-Day! The Countdown has begun! GULP! Checking out the charts and the cruising guide, I think that I will go down the inside, down Long Island Sound. The simple reason is that there are numerous harbors and anchorages and it will make the trip basically a series of day cruises.It may take as much as two weeks to get to the Chesapeake, but there is really no rush as I can't go south of Norfolk, VA. before November 1st. The plus is that should anything untoward happens, help will be close at hand. I will be paranoid about break downs until a.) they happen, b.) I get further experience with ABISHAG. In one sense, I can't wait to start and in another, I nervous about going. The day sailing will make the journeying a lot easier and more comfortable. The fact that I am at last counting down creates a feeling that is tough to explain, a mish-mash of fear, excitement, anticipation, concern, freedom, a whole bunch of different feelings that are bouncing me back and forth between the two extremes.If there are real reasons to delay, I can do that but setting a date helps getting things ready. With the weather, it can be too easy to spend more time sailing that getting ready. The sailing is great but to keep sailing, the work has to be done. D-Day will come, is coming and truth be told, I can't wait!!!!!!!!!
Well, the Count-Down Has begun. I have chosen Monday, September 15th as D-Day, Departure Day. By that time the refi of the condo should be done and I will be able to purchase the last few items necessary for my departure. The major purchase will be two(2) 80 watts Solar panels and their installation should be rather straight forward, as well as problem free. Aside from that installation, there remains only cutting into that never-ending projects list, none of the items on which should be preventive of my departure.
Friends stopping by to the boat do slow down the the process but it is good to have visitors. Even while they have visited, I have still be able to re-glue the slats of the the cockpit grating (the first attempt didn't take), install turning blocks for the jib, hang the radar reflector, store the linens and blankets, and locate the dipstick for the engine( which was no mean feet!). You might be thinking, "How difficult can it be to find the engine dipstick?" but it was not as easy as it sound. First of all, the engine was repainted (Robin Egg Blue) some time in the recent past and the handle to the dipstick got sprayed as well. Usually, the dipstick handle is of a contrasting color so you can spot it. In addition, it is usually shaped in a circle so you can pull it, just as it is on your car and just as it is depicted in the engine manual. This one wasn't. It appears to be an after market item (someone evidently lost the original) and is "T" shaped. The tube into which it is inserted is not fixed. It is movable, quite movable in fact, and the arc through which it swings is rather large and so moves its location around. One last wrinkle, it is located behind several wires, hiding it even further. But after crawling all over the engine, I was able to locate it. Huzzah! Next will be to find the dipstick to the transmission.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
September 15th! D-Day! The Countdown has begun! GULP! Checking out the charts and the cruising guide, I think that I will go down the inside, down Long Island Sound. The simple reason is that there are numerous harbors and anchorages and it will make the trip basically a series of day cruises.It may take as much as two weeks to get to the Chesapeake, but there is really no rush as I can't go south of Norfolk, VA. before November 1st. The plus is that should anything untoward happens, help will be close at hand. I will be paranoid about break downs until a.) they happen, b.) I get further experience with ABISHAG. In one sense, I can't wait to start and in another, I nervous about going. The day sailing will make the journeying a lot easier and more comfortable. The fact that I am at last counting down creates a feeling that is tough to explain, a mish-mash of fear, excitement, anticipation, concern, freedom, a whole bunch of different feelings that are bouncing me back and forth between the two extremes.If there are real reasons to delay, I can do that but setting a date helps getting things ready. With the weather, it can be too easy to spend more time sailing that getting ready. The sailing is great but to keep sailing, the work has to be done. D-Day will come, is coming and truth be told, I can't wait!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
HOW TO STUFF A BOAT!
SHIP'S LOG:
It took longer than I expected, to rid myself of all the "stuff" I no longer needed, or which could not go on the boat. The next step in this fun process is hauling what remains down to ABISHAG and finding a proper place for each item. Heavy stuff low in the boat, lighter stuff higher up - all to keep the boat in trim. Of course, such a wise plan doesn't always work itself out as one envisions it in real life. Like all things in boating, it will be a compromise and I have a funny feeling that some of the items will be "deep-sixed" somewhere along the line.
Tools got stored today. Wrenches, files, screwdrivers and the like. I have got them all stored in a set of plastic shelves. It works pretty well and the only problem is that its location, right next to the cabin ladder makes transiting to the galley and the stern a bit difficult unless you are rail thin. Suffice it to say that I am not but it seems to be the perfect location. I imagine though that it will get moved as this ready access to this tool chest was necessitated by the need to get the boat ready. Once we are up and sailing, I would suspect that it will not longer be such a priority. Experience will dictate if a move is necessary or not.
I have started sealing things. Linens, towels, clothes and the like are going into "Space Saver" Bags. These are great. Fill 'em up, attach a vacuum hose, suck out the air and they are reduced to about 1/3 of their former size. They are sealed and can be store in even the wettest bilge location! I am also using Rubber Maid tubs with lips for all the little things that formerly got stored in resalable plastic bags. Hard and sharp items just ripped through the bags with all the rocking of the boat, scattering stuff everywhere, and since Murphy's Law (Any dropped item will always end up in the most inaccessible place and/or a place where it can do the most damage) really applies in boating, a new system of storage was needed. These tubs seem to work just fine though I am sure that they have their own little idiosyncrasies that will have to be dealt with some day.
I had to clean and paint the rudder to the Wind Steering System For some reason, I never took care of this little item while the boat was out of the water. Now doing it "at sea" was going to be a bit of a task. First of all, the rudder, despite being made of a rubber/plastic compound of some type, doesn't float, so before disconnecting it I had to rig a pulley system and line to secure it to the boat, while being able to maneuver it onto the boat for cleaning. Not cleaning the rudder while it was still in the water was probably not a really smart move. It had a serious coating of marine crustaceans and it probably would have been easier(and cleaner) to scrape them off while the whole thing was still in the water. Still, the task was not that bad on deck though I had to stop every few minutes to get a bucket of water to wash it, and the boat deck, clear of the detritus. Once the scraping and clean was done, I rubbed it down with mineral spirits and then hung it off davit to dry. It didn't take long in the sun and then on with a coat of bottom paint. . . . . . . and I didn't even get much on myself or the boat. Most of it actually ended up where I intended to be, which was amazing considering how much the boat was rolling. I let it dry for about an hour and then returned it to its proper place.
It's proper place was at the end of a stainless steel pipe hanging off the transom. The pipe was to slide into a hole in the top of the rudder and then a stainless steel pin was slid through the rudder and through the pipe, securing the rudder to the pipe. Visions of loosing the rudder and/or the securing pin led to lines running everywhere, securing both to the boat more securely than the boat was secured to the mooring ball. Hopefully I won't have to do this project again . . at least not while the boat is in the water! The bright, clean bottom paint also made it abundantly clear that it is time again to clean ABISHAG's bottom. O Joy!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
While working on the boat, I had a visitor . . . a mortgage broker who is working out a refi for my condo. This will pay off the credit card bill I've run up getting ABISHAG ready. I really felt uncomfortable doing it but it had to be done. If it wasn't done, there would be no way i could really head south. . . . .and I am heading south. Strangely, it also felt good because it means, if it all goes through, that I will be financially free enough to head south . . .and I am heading south!!!!!
It took longer than I expected, to rid myself of all the "stuff" I no longer needed, or which could not go on the boat. The next step in this fun process is hauling what remains down to ABISHAG and finding a proper place for each item. Heavy stuff low in the boat, lighter stuff higher up - all to keep the boat in trim. Of course, such a wise plan doesn't always work itself out as one envisions it in real life. Like all things in boating, it will be a compromise and I have a funny feeling that some of the items will be "deep-sixed" somewhere along the line.
Tools got stored today. Wrenches, files, screwdrivers and the like. I have got them all stored in a set of plastic shelves. It works pretty well and the only problem is that its location, right next to the cabin ladder makes transiting to the galley and the stern a bit difficult unless you are rail thin. Suffice it to say that I am not but it seems to be the perfect location. I imagine though that it will get moved as this ready access to this tool chest was necessitated by the need to get the boat ready. Once we are up and sailing, I would suspect that it will not longer be such a priority. Experience will dictate if a move is necessary or not.
I have started sealing things. Linens, towels, clothes and the like are going into "Space Saver" Bags. These are great. Fill 'em up, attach a vacuum hose, suck out the air and they are reduced to about 1/3 of their former size. They are sealed and can be store in even the wettest bilge location! I am also using Rubber Maid tubs with lips for all the little things that formerly got stored in resalable plastic bags. Hard and sharp items just ripped through the bags with all the rocking of the boat, scattering stuff everywhere, and since Murphy's Law (Any dropped item will always end up in the most inaccessible place and/or a place where it can do the most damage) really applies in boating, a new system of storage was needed. These tubs seem to work just fine though I am sure that they have their own little idiosyncrasies that will have to be dealt with some day.
I had to clean and paint the rudder to the Wind Steering System For some reason, I never took care of this little item while the boat was out of the water. Now doing it "at sea" was going to be a bit of a task. First of all, the rudder, despite being made of a rubber/plastic compound of some type, doesn't float, so before disconnecting it I had to rig a pulley system and line to secure it to the boat, while being able to maneuver it onto the boat for cleaning. Not cleaning the rudder while it was still in the water was probably not a really smart move. It had a serious coating of marine crustaceans and it probably would have been easier(and cleaner) to scrape them off while the whole thing was still in the water. Still, the task was not that bad on deck though I had to stop every few minutes to get a bucket of water to wash it, and the boat deck, clear of the detritus. Once the scraping and clean was done, I rubbed it down with mineral spirits and then hung it off davit to dry. It didn't take long in the sun and then on with a coat of bottom paint. . . . . . . and I didn't even get much on myself or the boat. Most of it actually ended up where I intended to be, which was amazing considering how much the boat was rolling. I let it dry for about an hour and then returned it to its proper place.
It's proper place was at the end of a stainless steel pipe hanging off the transom. The pipe was to slide into a hole in the top of the rudder and then a stainless steel pin was slid through the rudder and through the pipe, securing the rudder to the pipe. Visions of loosing the rudder and/or the securing pin led to lines running everywhere, securing both to the boat more securely than the boat was secured to the mooring ball. Hopefully I won't have to do this project again . . at least not while the boat is in the water! The bright, clean bottom paint also made it abundantly clear that it is time again to clean ABISHAG's bottom. O Joy!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
While working on the boat, I had a visitor . . . a mortgage broker who is working out a refi for my condo. This will pay off the credit card bill I've run up getting ABISHAG ready. I really felt uncomfortable doing it but it had to be done. If it wasn't done, there would be no way i could really head south. . . . .and I am heading south. Strangely, it also felt good because it means, if it all goes through, that I will be financially free enough to head south . . .and I am heading south!!!!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
PACKING AND UNPACKING
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG SUPPLEMENTAL:
The last several days I have not been down to ABISHAG. I am sure that she is just fine. What has consumed my time has been sorting through my remaining "stuff." Back in the fall, I did the first sort through of my "stuff" and I got rid of a good 75% of it. As all of you know, or at least those of you who have had to move in recent history, one always has a lot more "stuff'" that one realizes. Even having gotten rid of as much as I did, I still have a lot to sort through before I move onto the boat full-time. I have "trashed" a dozen trash bags full of stuff and am just starting on the clothes. I have discovered that the best way to do it is to just not look at things and stuff it into the trash bags, tie them off and heave-ho! If you stop to look at everything or even most things, it will take an eternity to even make a dent in the pile.
It is a rather freeing experience. It is a bit disturbing at how much stuff I have and have to get rid of. Just thinking of all the money I have spent on all the stuff in the trash bags is distressing. I am sure that there will be a certain amount of stuff that I won't be taking and won't be getting rid of and that will need to be stored, so I am not going completely ascetical. However, anything I save to take with me I have to find a place for on the boat and 39' x 11' isn't a lot of space. And just finding a place for it all is not the least of it. How one stores the stuff on the boat affects the boat trim and performance. There may be, probably will be, an even further "winnowing of the chaff" before departure and perhaps even after.
Well, back to the "sorting" . . . . . . and I haven't even begun on the stuff that is stored in the garage!
The last several days I have not been down to ABISHAG. I am sure that she is just fine. What has consumed my time has been sorting through my remaining "stuff." Back in the fall, I did the first sort through of my "stuff" and I got rid of a good 75% of it. As all of you know, or at least those of you who have had to move in recent history, one always has a lot more "stuff'" that one realizes. Even having gotten rid of as much as I did, I still have a lot to sort through before I move onto the boat full-time. I have "trashed" a dozen trash bags full of stuff and am just starting on the clothes. I have discovered that the best way to do it is to just not look at things and stuff it into the trash bags, tie them off and heave-ho! If you stop to look at everything or even most things, it will take an eternity to even make a dent in the pile.
It is a rather freeing experience. It is a bit disturbing at how much stuff I have and have to get rid of. Just thinking of all the money I have spent on all the stuff in the trash bags is distressing. I am sure that there will be a certain amount of stuff that I won't be taking and won't be getting rid of and that will need to be stored, so I am not going completely ascetical. However, anything I save to take with me I have to find a place for on the boat and 39' x 11' isn't a lot of space. And just finding a place for it all is not the least of it. How one stores the stuff on the boat affects the boat trim and performance. There may be, probably will be, an even further "winnowing of the chaff" before departure and perhaps even after.
Well, back to the "sorting" . . . . . . and I haven't even begun on the stuff that is stored in the garage!
Monday, July 28, 2008
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
SHIP'S LOG:
Saturday was a great sailing day and I took ABISHAG out to get to know her just a little bit better. I am still amazed at how well she handles in light air. In the very light air, I was surprised
that she wouldn't stall in a tack. Once she starts over she completes the tack and indeed it is necessary to center the rudder once she gets half way or her displacement will give her the momentum to turn farther than I want. Learning how to handle her in the light air is really important, actually more so than heavy air, for I am going to sail a lot more in light air along the coast that in heavy air. In heavy air, coastal sailing, I can always drop a hook and wait for it to pass if I want, but ghosting around a harbor, to a dock, to a mooring, is a skill that I will use a lot more, especially when I am by myself. Aside from the first attempts to get on the mooring, she has handled wonderfully and predictably, and there have been no problems. Still it is a learning process.
And speaking about learning, I have discovered a new aspect to ABISHAG. She has visions of being a "lobsta boat." Ghosting down the Pine Island Channel toward New London, I got into a field of lobster pots and hooked one. If it had been a simple float it probably would have slipped off. However, these floats had a stick at the top which probably makes them easier to pick up, but they also make it tougher for them to slide off a prop or rudder of a passing boat.
Moving at about one knot, it took a few moments for me to realize that I wasn't moving. Turning the wheel made it clear that I wasn't hooked by the rudder. Leaving the wheel and going to the stern, I could see that the float wasn't hooked around the rudder on the wind steering vane. That mean that it was hooked around the prop. It also meant that I was going swimming. Great!
I lowered the dinghy and then the ladder. Tied a line to the stern cleat and heaved it astern so that once I got the boat free it didn't sail away from me. Put on the mask and went over the side.
One breathe and down to the prop and there was the float, its line wrapped around the prop and the stick on top wedged against the hull holding it in place. A hard tug and it was off the prop . . . . . . .and then wrapped itself around the rudder. Another tug and it slipped off the rudder . . . . . only to wrap itself around the rudder of the wind steering vane. One more tug and it was disconnected completely from ABISHAG which literally leaped forward now that she was free. trailing the line behind the boat was a very, very good idea. My grab for the boarding ladder was a miss! and who knows if I would have caught up without the safety line.
I am going to have to clean and paint the rudder on the wind steering system. The "sea growth" has been particularly vigorous in its growth rate and while it comes off rather easily from the bottom painted surfaces, the "bare naked" rudder on the wind steering system gets a quick coating and unfortunately barnacles to go with it. I say unfortunately as when I went over the stern, I scraped my leg and it didn't feel very good at all. The nasty thing about "barnacle rash' is that it heals very, very slowly. A little Witch Hazel, a little Hydrogen peroxide, some Bactine and Neosporen and it will still look "new" for the next month. I am going to have to pull that rudder, scrape it down and paint it. I am not sure why I didn't do that before. For some reason I "thought" that it wasn't necessary but it surely is.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was strangely quiet Saturday . . . . on the Marine radio. I monitor Channel 16 (you are supposed to) when I am sailing and usually on weekends, there is constant chatter on 16. This Saturday, it was strangely quiet. A few calls for radio checks, a few calls for towing help, a few Coast Guard updates and advisories, and one "SECURITE" call, and that was it. There just aren't the boats out there this year. I should say that there are not the "powerboats" out there. There numbers are really down and even those out there are motoring at very un-powerboat-like speeds. There are fewer sailboats than in years past, but still a lot more of them than there are powerboats. I suspect that the cost of fuel is really having an impact.
Still about 20 or so big powerboat racers came zipping into New London from Manhattan, went around the Goldstar Bridge and headed back to Manhattan at full bore. The noise they produced was incredible. The close passing to other boats was unnerving. The amount of fuel any one of the boats used in this race probably exceeded to total amount of fuel I have used since I have owned boats! It's nice to see people waste money like that!
Saturday was a great sailing day and I took ABISHAG out to get to know her just a little bit better. I am still amazed at how well she handles in light air. In the very light air, I was surprised
that she wouldn't stall in a tack. Once she starts over she completes the tack and indeed it is necessary to center the rudder once she gets half way or her displacement will give her the momentum to turn farther than I want. Learning how to handle her in the light air is really important, actually more so than heavy air, for I am going to sail a lot more in light air along the coast that in heavy air. In heavy air, coastal sailing, I can always drop a hook and wait for it to pass if I want, but ghosting around a harbor, to a dock, to a mooring, is a skill that I will use a lot more, especially when I am by myself. Aside from the first attempts to get on the mooring, she has handled wonderfully and predictably, and there have been no problems. Still it is a learning process.
And speaking about learning, I have discovered a new aspect to ABISHAG. She has visions of being a "lobsta boat." Ghosting down the Pine Island Channel toward New London, I got into a field of lobster pots and hooked one. If it had been a simple float it probably would have slipped off. However, these floats had a stick at the top which probably makes them easier to pick up, but they also make it tougher for them to slide off a prop or rudder of a passing boat.
Moving at about one knot, it took a few moments for me to realize that I wasn't moving. Turning the wheel made it clear that I wasn't hooked by the rudder. Leaving the wheel and going to the stern, I could see that the float wasn't hooked around the rudder on the wind steering vane. That mean that it was hooked around the prop. It also meant that I was going swimming. Great!
I lowered the dinghy and then the ladder. Tied a line to the stern cleat and heaved it astern so that once I got the boat free it didn't sail away from me. Put on the mask and went over the side.
One breathe and down to the prop and there was the float, its line wrapped around the prop and the stick on top wedged against the hull holding it in place. A hard tug and it was off the prop . . . . . . .and then wrapped itself around the rudder. Another tug and it slipped off the rudder . . . . . only to wrap itself around the rudder of the wind steering vane. One more tug and it was disconnected completely from ABISHAG which literally leaped forward now that she was free. trailing the line behind the boat was a very, very good idea. My grab for the boarding ladder was a miss! and who knows if I would have caught up without the safety line.
I am going to have to clean and paint the rudder on the wind steering system. The "sea growth" has been particularly vigorous in its growth rate and while it comes off rather easily from the bottom painted surfaces, the "bare naked" rudder on the wind steering system gets a quick coating and unfortunately barnacles to go with it. I say unfortunately as when I went over the stern, I scraped my leg and it didn't feel very good at all. The nasty thing about "barnacle rash' is that it heals very, very slowly. A little Witch Hazel, a little Hydrogen peroxide, some Bactine and Neosporen and it will still look "new" for the next month. I am going to have to pull that rudder, scrape it down and paint it. I am not sure why I didn't do that before. For some reason I "thought" that it wasn't necessary but it surely is.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was strangely quiet Saturday . . . . on the Marine radio. I monitor Channel 16 (you are supposed to) when I am sailing and usually on weekends, there is constant chatter on 16. This Saturday, it was strangely quiet. A few calls for radio checks, a few calls for towing help, a few Coast Guard updates and advisories, and one "SECURITE" call, and that was it. There just aren't the boats out there this year. I should say that there are not the "powerboats" out there. There numbers are really down and even those out there are motoring at very un-powerboat-like speeds. There are fewer sailboats than in years past, but still a lot more of them than there are powerboats. I suspect that the cost of fuel is really having an impact.
Still about 20 or so big powerboat racers came zipping into New London from Manhattan, went around the Goldstar Bridge and headed back to Manhattan at full bore. The noise they produced was incredible. The close passing to other boats was unnerving. The amount of fuel any one of the boats used in this race probably exceeded to total amount of fuel I have used since I have owned boats! It's nice to see people waste money like that!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
A MIND LIKE A STEEL TRAP
SHIP'S LOG:
I suppose that I should have taken the hint, but typically I didn't. I went to the boat to install the two(2) mooring bits/ Sampson Posts at the bow of the ship to take the strain off the windlass when anchoring. (Stainless steel can take a lot more punishment than bronze!) As I was driving to TYC, I kept reminding myself that I had to stop at WEST MArine to pick up a couple items I need, so naturally i forgot and drove straight to the club. I got out to the boat, set up all the items needed and set to work.
I lined up the bits and measured and drilled 8 more holes (count'em 8!) in the foredeck. It always makes me a little ill drilling holes on my boat, indeed on any boat. The process seems to oxymoronic some how. But the holes were drill and I reached for the sealant that I bought at West Mar . . . .$##@@^! O well, maybe I have some on the boat. I actually found a half-used cartridge! . . . . . . which had curred in the tube. Off to West Marine.
It only took about 20 minutes and I was back on ABISHAG putting sealant around the new holes, on the shafts of the bolts, sliding everything home and crawling into the forepeak to tighten down the nuts to hold the bits in place. I reached for my wrench with ratchet at both ends which would allow me to tighten the nuts with out the laborious process of removing the wrench and refitting it for each turn. Unfortunately, the wrench, so carefully laid out on the foredeck with the other tools was no where to be found. Despite a very diligent search, the wrench had been "raptured" into that place where all loose items on boats tend to go every once in a while. (I thought of the bungee cords that had disappeared from a cabinet only to reappear months later in that very same cabinet!) No ratchet wrench! No easier tightening of nuts! No, it was get myself into a contorted position and crank away, dropping the "spanner" every few turns, creating a loud ringing that could jar one's fillings. And doing this 8 times! Of course, what makes it even more fun is the sealant. "Just try", it challenges, "just try not get me on your hands and then on every surface you touch. Just try!" I suppose that I should be happy it comes only in black or white and not Day-Glo Orange and Green! Truth be told, I did pretty well keeping the stuff where it belongs. SO the bits are in and look spiffy! Will they work? Well, that be a whole 'nuther question.
The repair of the cockpit grating is holding up though I had to re-glue three pieces. Still looks weird though. No more weird than the epoxy repair on the engine cooling system, but then who sees the engine?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
The work is done for the week. Time to go sailing.
I suppose that I should have taken the hint, but typically I didn't. I went to the boat to install the two(2) mooring bits/ Sampson Posts at the bow of the ship to take the strain off the windlass when anchoring. (Stainless steel can take a lot more punishment than bronze!) As I was driving to TYC, I kept reminding myself that I had to stop at WEST MArine to pick up a couple items I need, so naturally i forgot and drove straight to the club. I got out to the boat, set up all the items needed and set to work.
I lined up the bits and measured and drilled 8 more holes (count'em 8!) in the foredeck. It always makes me a little ill drilling holes on my boat, indeed on any boat. The process seems to oxymoronic some how. But the holes were drill and I reached for the sealant that I bought at West Mar . . . .$##@@^! O well, maybe I have some on the boat. I actually found a half-used cartridge! . . . . . . which had curred in the tube. Off to West Marine.
It only took about 20 minutes and I was back on ABISHAG putting sealant around the new holes, on the shafts of the bolts, sliding everything home and crawling into the forepeak to tighten down the nuts to hold the bits in place. I reached for my wrench with ratchet at both ends which would allow me to tighten the nuts with out the laborious process of removing the wrench and refitting it for each turn. Unfortunately, the wrench, so carefully laid out on the foredeck with the other tools was no where to be found. Despite a very diligent search, the wrench had been "raptured" into that place where all loose items on boats tend to go every once in a while. (I thought of the bungee cords that had disappeared from a cabinet only to reappear months later in that very same cabinet!) No ratchet wrench! No easier tightening of nuts! No, it was get myself into a contorted position and crank away, dropping the "spanner" every few turns, creating a loud ringing that could jar one's fillings. And doing this 8 times! Of course, what makes it even more fun is the sealant. "Just try", it challenges, "just try not get me on your hands and then on every surface you touch. Just try!" I suppose that I should be happy it comes only in black or white and not Day-Glo Orange and Green! Truth be told, I did pretty well keeping the stuff where it belongs. SO the bits are in and look spiffy! Will they work? Well, that be a whole 'nuther question.
The repair of the cockpit grating is holding up though I had to re-glue three pieces. Still looks weird though. No more weird than the epoxy repair on the engine cooling system, but then who sees the engine?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
The work is done for the week. Time to go sailing.
Friday, July 25, 2008
SAILING IN THE STORM
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.
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.
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