SHIP'S LOG:
COLD doesn't begin to express what the temperature of the water was! If it was in the mid 50's I would be very surprised. Even more surprising was the condition of the prop. What a collection of sea creatures had set up housekeeping on it and the shaft. There were sponges. There were crabs. And of course there were barnacles. Boy, were there barnacles. Not only were they on every exposed surface of the prop and shaft, they were on the crabs as well. They were even on each other. Actually, they almost seemed as though they had been placed, lined up in rows so as to maximize the number of them that could be present. They were several layers deep wherever they were attached . And attached is the operative word! They resisted attempts to move them off. It was a question of scrape and go up for air. Scrape and go up for air again. Over and over again. The sponges were simple to remove and the crabs, once you touched them, vacated the area rather easily. But the barnacles, it was a real war. And even after all of the barnacles were removed, you still had to deal with the "glue" the left behind. Barnacles secrete something from their shells that they use to affix themselves to whatever surface they desire. Once you scrape the shells off, you have to scrape the "glue" off as well or else it acts like an invitation to other barnacles to come and attach themselves in place of those who were removed. And barnacle "glue" is something akin to crazy glue or super glue. Once in place it resists almost every attempt to remove it. You have to use a scraper and then bronze wool and lots of elbow grease. And it takes a lot, a lot of time. All of this done in cold, cold water. Does the term "hypothermia" mean anything to you.
And then there are the cuts! Barnacle shells have sharp edges and when you break them by trying to scrape them off, they develop more sharp edges. Every piece of unprotected skin, meaning every place you aren't wearing chain mail, Kevlar or any other type of armor, when it comes in contact with an edge, and no matter how careful you are they will, there will be a cut. It is something like rolling around in a bunch of rose bushes. No matter how careful, you will get cut. And then there is the fact that you are in salt water! Of course there is little chance that bleeding in the water will attract sharks, but it is a thought that enters your mind. And the odd fish that comes swimming by minding its own business sends a chill up and down your spine. You feel it even though you are already shivering from the cold water. Of course, the largest Great White Shark( remember from JAWS?) ever taken on rod and reel(23 feet), was taken off Montauk by Frank Mundus . . . a little over 10 miles away. Still, what are the chances? But the prop an shaft are clean and ABISHAG is ready for the eventual trip to Mystic for her winter slumber. I still haven't figured the cost yet.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Denial is more than a river in Egypt. I keep hoping that winter won't come but the last few days make it abundantly clear that it is coming and fast. The astronomical "winter" won't be here until December, but the atmospheric winter will be early this year. The Old Farmer's Almanac says that it is going to be cold and nasty with lots of snow. I was so hoping that all I was going to see of winter and cold and snow would be what was available in the Internet. I was planning to be deep in the South before the first flakes fell in God's Country, laughing at all of you stuck up here. I guess that God thought I was being unkind and decided that I should share your fate. So I will. Man, the thought of unloading the boat AGAIN is depressing. Going through the entire winterization process, even more depressing. The thought of not sailing in the sunshine and the hot weather in December, really depressing. C'est la vie!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Ending Of The Season
SHIP'S LOG:
It hasn't been what you would a particular good season this years. Few have really had the chance or the opportunity to enjoy their boats. The sole exception is the Barnacle. Considering their adherence to props around the Yacht club, this has been a truly bountiful season for the randy little bastards. Prolific doesn't even begin to describe them this year. Any underwater appendage of metal has, not the odd one or two, but a colony on every surface. In fact, barnacles are adhering to barnacles creating a dense mass in every thru-hull and on the prop. In addition, every unpainted underwater surface, has it's own colony growing. It is amazing as a month ago, there were few or none around, but now! WOW! I am not sure why but they are there in force. And they half to go. Now! The water is somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees (yeah, I know that sounds warm, but it ain't), more on the cold side than on the warm, and going for a dip now, while doable, will be a chore without a wetsuit. And I do not have one. But chilling as it is today, next week, even the end of this week it will be even more so.
And as I said, they have to go. It is not that they will cut your sailing spend that much, unless you are a serious racer looking for that 1/10 of a knot edge, but barnacles on your prop can, if not removed, really cut down on the engine making the boat move. A big colony can actually render the prop useless. An inconvenience when you are sailing can become a serious problem when you need your engine and with the time soon approaching to haul ABISHAG, I am going to need the engine-powered locomotion. Sailing to Mystic, about 6 miles, is a piece of cake but getting up the Mystic River to the marina absolutely demands the engine, and so the prop, be functioning at their best.
So it is that Columbus Day will be celebrated with a dip in the Thames River, scrapper in hand, evict the barnacles, one and all. I am sure that more than one barnacle will get revenge by inflicting a cut or two or more. It will be a cold, non-funny experience. It would have so much better in the Keys!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I haven't even figured out what it will cost to ave ABISHAG hauled for the winter. I have the contract and all I have to do is plug in the numbers, and I will know. But coward that I am, (that should be "financially destitute coward") I haven't done so as though somehow, the final figure will somehow be lower. After the "dip," will will figure it out. Might as well make the whole day a totally awful experience.
It hasn't been what you would a particular good season this years. Few have really had the chance or the opportunity to enjoy their boats. The sole exception is the Barnacle. Considering their adherence to props around the Yacht club, this has been a truly bountiful season for the randy little bastards. Prolific doesn't even begin to describe them this year. Any underwater appendage of metal has, not the odd one or two, but a colony on every surface. In fact, barnacles are adhering to barnacles creating a dense mass in every thru-hull and on the prop. In addition, every unpainted underwater surface, has it's own colony growing. It is amazing as a month ago, there were few or none around, but now! WOW! I am not sure why but they are there in force. And they half to go. Now! The water is somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees (yeah, I know that sounds warm, but it ain't), more on the cold side than on the warm, and going for a dip now, while doable, will be a chore without a wetsuit. And I do not have one. But chilling as it is today, next week, even the end of this week it will be even more so.
And as I said, they have to go. It is not that they will cut your sailing spend that much, unless you are a serious racer looking for that 1/10 of a knot edge, but barnacles on your prop can, if not removed, really cut down on the engine making the boat move. A big colony can actually render the prop useless. An inconvenience when you are sailing can become a serious problem when you need your engine and with the time soon approaching to haul ABISHAG, I am going to need the engine-powered locomotion. Sailing to Mystic, about 6 miles, is a piece of cake but getting up the Mystic River to the marina absolutely demands the engine, and so the prop, be functioning at their best.
So it is that Columbus Day will be celebrated with a dip in the Thames River, scrapper in hand, evict the barnacles, one and all. I am sure that more than one barnacle will get revenge by inflicting a cut or two or more. It will be a cold, non-funny experience. It would have so much better in the Keys!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I haven't even figured out what it will cost to ave ABISHAG hauled for the winter. I have the contract and all I have to do is plug in the numbers, and I will know. But coward that I am, (that should be "financially destitute coward") I haven't done so as though somehow, the final figure will somehow be lower. After the "dip," will will figure it out. Might as well make the whole day a totally awful experience.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What A Day! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Monday was a "no sailing" day as there were small craft warnings up once again. It has been a strange couple of weeks as the only days when it didn't rain were the wind was blowing so hard that small craft warnings were posted. It is not that I can't sail in such weather, indeed as a boat built for the waters of the North Sea, ABISHAG would be perfectly at home in such conditions. Rather I never saw day sailing as a survival sport. I really enjoy a nice relaxing cruise, enjoying the interplay of wind and water and sun and me. Bashing just doesn't fit in that image. Now if I had a crew or two, pounding through can be a lot of fun but crew tends to be rather thin at this late time of the sailing season.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was perfect. The breeze was out of the south-west at about 12knots and it was crystal clear. There were few boats out nice long tacks were the order of the day. It was fast down the river, out to Seaflower Reef , hardening up to the Silver Eel Bell of fishers Island and then a great close hauled run on port tack to Barlett Reef, then another tack and back into the Thames on a run all the way back to the mooring. It was a perfect spoiled only by the guys in the orange zodiac escorting a sub out as I as coming in. Now a days, you have to stay way far away from all naval vessels and just to make sure you do, they are escorted in and out of the river by armed guys in zodiacs inflatables. I must have been a little too close (or perhaps they were just bored) and the zodiac zipped over. Rather than just call on the radio and telling me to change course and move farther away which is the standard procedure, they pulled up nearly along side while the guy manning the 60 cal. machine gun on the bow yelled, "Move it or loose it!" Very non-professional. Just give a guy a 60 caliber machine gun and they loose all sense of propriety and perspective.
My own inflatable, the dinghy, needed to by inflated a bit as it was loosing air somewhere. A slow leak somewhere, nothing of a worry except for the fact that every once in a while one had to do the "One-Footed- Hoppity-Dance" in order to pump it up. There is no graceful way to do this which is probably why most inflatable dinghy owners invest in an electrical air pump to handle the job. Needles to say, I do not own such a device though I am trying to figure a way to convert my Craftsman Tire Pump so that it can do double duty.
I made the journey over to the West Mystic Shipyard to get a contract for winter storage. I will fill it out today and then try to figure out how I am going to pay for it. Perhaps I will win POWERBALL. Doubtful, as the last year and a half has seen me get not one number right!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
As much as I hate to admit it, the acceptance of wintering again in New England this year came rather easily. While I was really looking forward to going south, undertaking the great journey, I was also hesitant to do so. After last year, that is completely understand able, but it is not really the fear of something going wrong that causes the hesitation. I had the same feeling last year but it slowly disappear as I left New London for the first step south. The joy and excitement of being underway at last slowing superseded the hesitancy and it was completely gone by the time I dropped the hook in New Haven that night. of course, after that little "difficulty," it came back full bore and so there is a little bit of a feeling of relief that I am stuck here. So I will winter here, plan, and get the boat ready for spring launch, and then I will try it again. It will be interesting to see the ways in which God weaves whatever plan is on the drawing board this time. I have got to do this eventually
Monday was a "no sailing" day as there were small craft warnings up once again. It has been a strange couple of weeks as the only days when it didn't rain were the wind was blowing so hard that small craft warnings were posted. It is not that I can't sail in such weather, indeed as a boat built for the waters of the North Sea, ABISHAG would be perfectly at home in such conditions. Rather I never saw day sailing as a survival sport. I really enjoy a nice relaxing cruise, enjoying the interplay of wind and water and sun and me. Bashing just doesn't fit in that image. Now if I had a crew or two, pounding through can be a lot of fun but crew tends to be rather thin at this late time of the sailing season.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was perfect. The breeze was out of the south-west at about 12knots and it was crystal clear. There were few boats out nice long tacks were the order of the day. It was fast down the river, out to Seaflower Reef , hardening up to the Silver Eel Bell of fishers Island and then a great close hauled run on port tack to Barlett Reef, then another tack and back into the Thames on a run all the way back to the mooring. It was a perfect spoiled only by the guys in the orange zodiac escorting a sub out as I as coming in. Now a days, you have to stay way far away from all naval vessels and just to make sure you do, they are escorted in and out of the river by armed guys in zodiacs inflatables. I must have been a little too close (or perhaps they were just bored) and the zodiac zipped over. Rather than just call on the radio and telling me to change course and move farther away which is the standard procedure, they pulled up nearly along side while the guy manning the 60 cal. machine gun on the bow yelled, "Move it or loose it!" Very non-professional. Just give a guy a 60 caliber machine gun and they loose all sense of propriety and perspective.
My own inflatable, the dinghy, needed to by inflated a bit as it was loosing air somewhere. A slow leak somewhere, nothing of a worry except for the fact that every once in a while one had to do the "One-Footed- Hoppity-Dance" in order to pump it up. There is no graceful way to do this which is probably why most inflatable dinghy owners invest in an electrical air pump to handle the job. Needles to say, I do not own such a device though I am trying to figure a way to convert my Craftsman Tire Pump so that it can do double duty.
I made the journey over to the West Mystic Shipyard to get a contract for winter storage. I will fill it out today and then try to figure out how I am going to pay for it. Perhaps I will win POWERBALL. Doubtful, as the last year and a half has seen me get not one number right!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
As much as I hate to admit it, the acceptance of wintering again in New England this year came rather easily. While I was really looking forward to going south, undertaking the great journey, I was also hesitant to do so. After last year, that is completely understand able, but it is not really the fear of something going wrong that causes the hesitation. I had the same feeling last year but it slowly disappear as I left New London for the first step south. The joy and excitement of being underway at last slowing superseded the hesitancy and it was completely gone by the time I dropped the hook in New Haven that night. of course, after that little "difficulty," it came back full bore and so there is a little bit of a feeling of relief that I am stuck here. So I will winter here, plan, and get the boat ready for spring launch, and then I will try it again. It will be interesting to see the ways in which God weaves whatever plan is on the drawing board this time. I have got to do this eventually
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Getting Ready For Winter or this Isn't Quite What I Was expecting To Do!
SHIP'S LOG:
#$%^%^#%^$%$&*%!!!!! Damn! It wasn't supposed to be this way . . . but it is and I am going to have to deal with it.
Step 1.) Get in all the sailing I can in the next few days.
Step 2.) Find a yard to store ABISHAG for the winter. I hate to say it, but I am probably going to go back to West Mystic Shipyard.. Joy of joys. I can't really complain because they really did a fine job on all the work that needed doing when I was last there. It is also the "homeport" for "Don the Electrician Magician."
Step 3.) Put together a plan for winterizing the boat, ie. the water system, the engine, the fuel system, the electrical system; taking off the sails, and hauling all that stuff I just hauled to the boat back from the boat to some place where it can spend the winter and not suffer too much.
Step 4.) Put together a plan for what work can be done during the winter months and what will have to wait from spring. The windlass is definitely going to get pulled and taken to a small electric motor shop to find out why it don't spin . . . electrically that is. Hopefully it will be something stupidly simple like a broken lead wire as oppose to a motor that has been shorted out because of water intrusion. If that is the case, it becomes a case of repair or replace, a tough decision for someone with no money!
If there is anything good in all this, it would be that there is little that "needs" to be done and what little there is will be simply "trace and replace." Perhaps the two biggest projects will be to reupholster the cushions( cockpit & interior) and replacing the "fixed-on-a-pedestal-taking-up-too-much-space" saloon table with something bulkhead mounted folds down for use and up and out of the way when unneeded. Of course, you just know that that list is going to grow exponentially!!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Curses on Bernnie Madoff, the housing market, sub-prime mortgages and the bastard who didn't buy my condo! "Blast and Thunder,(to quote Blackbeard), I could have been underway south for almost a week now. I even had a cousin I had forgotten about who is an big boat ocean racer, boat deliverer, with lots of free time on his hands, who considers the downhill run from Montauk to the Chesapeake a yawn-producing walk in the park. But here I am, trying to psyche myself up to get the boat ready for a winter snooze in New England instead of a slow cruise to the sun and the south. What is wrong with picture?
Probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, but this really isn't what I wanted much less expected. I am beginning to feel like "the Pilot" in the book, "SHOGUN," who keeps trying to leave Japan and get back to England, but keeps having the boats he builds destroyed by Toranaga. I keep trying to convince myself that it will all work out but sometimes that's faith, sometimes it's acceptance and sometimes it is just resignation. So I will spend another winter getting ABISHAG ready and getting me ready. But after awhile, getting ready is a drag and you really long for the going!!!!!!
#$%^%^#%^$%$&*%!!!!! Damn! It wasn't supposed to be this way . . . but it is and I am going to have to deal with it.
Step 1.) Get in all the sailing I can in the next few days.
Step 2.) Find a yard to store ABISHAG for the winter. I hate to say it, but I am probably going to go back to West Mystic Shipyard.. Joy of joys. I can't really complain because they really did a fine job on all the work that needed doing when I was last there. It is also the "homeport" for "Don the Electrician Magician."
Step 3.) Put together a plan for winterizing the boat, ie. the water system, the engine, the fuel system, the electrical system; taking off the sails, and hauling all that stuff I just hauled to the boat back from the boat to some place where it can spend the winter and not suffer too much.
Step 4.) Put together a plan for what work can be done during the winter months and what will have to wait from spring. The windlass is definitely going to get pulled and taken to a small electric motor shop to find out why it don't spin . . . electrically that is. Hopefully it will be something stupidly simple like a broken lead wire as oppose to a motor that has been shorted out because of water intrusion. If that is the case, it becomes a case of repair or replace, a tough decision for someone with no money!
If there is anything good in all this, it would be that there is little that "needs" to be done and what little there is will be simply "trace and replace." Perhaps the two biggest projects will be to reupholster the cushions( cockpit & interior) and replacing the "fixed-on-a-pedestal-taking-up-too-much-space" saloon table with something bulkhead mounted folds down for use and up and out of the way when unneeded. Of course, you just know that that list is going to grow exponentially!!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Curses on Bernnie Madoff, the housing market, sub-prime mortgages and the bastard who didn't buy my condo! "Blast and Thunder,(to quote Blackbeard), I could have been underway south for almost a week now. I even had a cousin I had forgotten about who is an big boat ocean racer, boat deliverer, with lots of free time on his hands, who considers the downhill run from Montauk to the Chesapeake a yawn-producing walk in the park. But here I am, trying to psyche myself up to get the boat ready for a winter snooze in New England instead of a slow cruise to the sun and the south. What is wrong with picture?
Probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, but this really isn't what I wanted much less expected. I am beginning to feel like "the Pilot" in the book, "SHOGUN," who keeps trying to leave Japan and get back to England, but keeps having the boats he builds destroyed by Toranaga. I keep trying to convince myself that it will all work out but sometimes that's faith, sometimes it's acceptance and sometimes it is just resignation. So I will spend another winter getting ABISHAG ready and getting me ready. But after awhile, getting ready is a drag and you really long for the going!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It Is Not As Simple As You Might Think
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am referring to the blog actually. Many times, especially when there really is nothing going on about ABISHAG, the journey (on the boat), things to fix, etc, it is difficult to write anything. Ah! C'est la vie!
And specking of life, it has taken another one of those weird turns again. Thanks to Bernnie Madof, the effects of the sub-prime mortgage mess, the rotten economy in New England and a whole host of financial black holes, my income has been sliced in half. Now, if I was making a million a year, it wouldn't be that bad a thing, but making as little as I do ( I am so far below the poverty line that I can't see it), things are beyond tight. If I had been unable to unload my condo, I would probably be able to do it, but since that hasn't happened, it doesn't look as if it is part of God's plan that I go south this year either. It is going to be another New England winter and I can't begin to tell you how depressing that is. Not just the cold and snow, which supposedly is going to be rather nasty this time around, nor is it missing the sun and sailing and seeing new places and doing new things, rather it is about the journey that won't happen, at least not in the way I would wish it. In a very real sense, the personal journey goes on, but the sailing part will come to a dead stop sometime in the next few weeks when ABISHAG gets snuggled down for the winter. The personal journey is obviously more important but it would be nice to do the sailing too.
I am referring to the blog actually. Many times, especially when there really is nothing going on about ABISHAG, the journey (on the boat), things to fix, etc, it is difficult to write anything. Ah! C'est la vie!
And specking of life, it has taken another one of those weird turns again. Thanks to Bernnie Madof, the effects of the sub-prime mortgage mess, the rotten economy in New England and a whole host of financial black holes, my income has been sliced in half. Now, if I was making a million a year, it wouldn't be that bad a thing, but making as little as I do ( I am so far below the poverty line that I can't see it), things are beyond tight. If I had been unable to unload my condo, I would probably be able to do it, but since that hasn't happened, it doesn't look as if it is part of God's plan that I go south this year either. It is going to be another New England winter and I can't begin to tell you how depressing that is. Not just the cold and snow, which supposedly is going to be rather nasty this time around, nor is it missing the sun and sailing and seeing new places and doing new things, rather it is about the journey that won't happen, at least not in the way I would wish it. In a very real sense, the personal journey goes on, but the sailing part will come to a dead stop sometime in the next few weeks when ABISHAG gets snuggled down for the winter. The personal journey is obviously more important but it would be nice to do the sailing too.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
It Never Rains, But It Pours! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
As some great philosopher once said, "You can't fix stupid!" And as another said, "Stupid is as Stupid does." Well, stupid is not checking the launch schedule when Labor Day rolls around, or in my case, checking the schedule and forgetting to note that post Labor Day, the launch at the Yacht Club will only be running on weekends! A great week of sailing went by and I spent it on land. C'est la vie.
So it wouldn't be a total loss, I used the time to basically chart every rock, every shoal, every spot of low water from New London, Connecticut to Key West, Florida, and boy, there is a lot of them . . .two of which I know intimately. All things being equal and the good Lord willing, I will be heading South again, or at least making the attempt, the last week in September.
This past week, I have spent taking care of, or at least trying to, a host of little projects that are on the never ending list of projects. The only problem with this is that every time one takes a shot at doing a project, it rarely gets more than 90% done when another project or two rears its ugly head. A couple of the latest: the chain gypsy clutch nut is frozen. The chain gypsy is one side of the anchor windlass that controls the chain anchor rode. The chain gypsy clutch nut tightens (and loosens) the gypsy so that the anchor with the chain rode can be raised and lower. A very helpful thing if one is thinking of using it to anchor the boat. Seawater has "intruded" between the clutch nut and the gypsy and corrosion has set in. It would take hundreds of years to cause any serious damage but there is just enough corrosion so that the clutch nut can't be loosened. So I can bring the chain up but can't lower it. I have hit it with every corrosion bust I know from PB Blaster to Coca Cola and now I am waiting for the mixture to do its magic. The other side of the windlass works fine, so anchoring won't be a problem, but it would be nice to have the all chain rode available in a time of need. Though since the windlass motor dosen''t function and it can only be operate manually, it isn't a priority fix.
The there is the pressurized fresh water. There is no pressure. A couple of hours of bilge crawling with Cliff and a pinhole was finally discovered. Evidently, it was just enough to rob the entire system of pressure. The fresh water system is part copper pipe and part Tygon hose. It runs on the almost inaccessible side of the engine and so rather that try to fix the pipe in the pipe hose system, I am going to replace it with all hose. . . . . easier said than done but it will get done. The pressure water system is more used for washing that for drinking, so while I may stink after a few days, I won't die of thirst. I don't think I would want to drink that stuff anyway as there is grunge in the tank. I don't think it has been radically cleaned in quite a while, so if I can get the pressure system working, I will flush it with chlorine and then just use it for showers and washing up.
I took the time to tune the rig. It didn't need much to get it into shape and after doing this for some 30 years or so, it was a snap . . .one of the few. The propane stove and system are up and running and now I won't starve either. The inverter/charge wouldn't shut off the other day. The control panel just froze up. (Have I ever told you how much I hate electronics!) A call to the manufactures tech line got me into a long conversation with a techie who was worse than useless. Evidently he couldn't picture in his head how to fix the system and relied totally on the "Troubleshoot" chapter in the owners manual, all of whose suggestions I had already tried with no luck. So after that wasted call call, I remembered a trick that Don the Magic Electrician in Mystic always tried as a last resort. I disconnected the panel from the the inverter/charger, counted 30 and reconnected it. It works fine. Sort of like rebooting a computer. VICTORY of the magic of electricity and electronics!!!!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am not as excited about taking off for the south as I was last year. I suppose that it has to do with how things turned out last year. If I get to Sandy Hook, NJ, and anchor safely, that should change. But for now, it is just get the boat ready to go. This may change as departure day gets closer, but I'll just have to wait and see. One day, one anchorage at a time.
As some great philosopher once said, "You can't fix stupid!" And as another said, "Stupid is as Stupid does." Well, stupid is not checking the launch schedule when Labor Day rolls around, or in my case, checking the schedule and forgetting to note that post Labor Day, the launch at the Yacht Club will only be running on weekends! A great week of sailing went by and I spent it on land. C'est la vie.
So it wouldn't be a total loss, I used the time to basically chart every rock, every shoal, every spot of low water from New London, Connecticut to Key West, Florida, and boy, there is a lot of them . . .two of which I know intimately. All things being equal and the good Lord willing, I will be heading South again, or at least making the attempt, the last week in September.
This past week, I have spent taking care of, or at least trying to, a host of little projects that are on the never ending list of projects. The only problem with this is that every time one takes a shot at doing a project, it rarely gets more than 90% done when another project or two rears its ugly head. A couple of the latest: the chain gypsy clutch nut is frozen. The chain gypsy is one side of the anchor windlass that controls the chain anchor rode. The chain gypsy clutch nut tightens (and loosens) the gypsy so that the anchor with the chain rode can be raised and lower. A very helpful thing if one is thinking of using it to anchor the boat. Seawater has "intruded" between the clutch nut and the gypsy and corrosion has set in. It would take hundreds of years to cause any serious damage but there is just enough corrosion so that the clutch nut can't be loosened. So I can bring the chain up but can't lower it. I have hit it with every corrosion bust I know from PB Blaster to Coca Cola and now I am waiting for the mixture to do its magic. The other side of the windlass works fine, so anchoring won't be a problem, but it would be nice to have the all chain rode available in a time of need. Though since the windlass motor dosen''t function and it can only be operate manually, it isn't a priority fix.
The there is the pressurized fresh water. There is no pressure. A couple of hours of bilge crawling with Cliff and a pinhole was finally discovered. Evidently, it was just enough to rob the entire system of pressure. The fresh water system is part copper pipe and part Tygon hose. It runs on the almost inaccessible side of the engine and so rather that try to fix the pipe in the pipe hose system, I am going to replace it with all hose. . . . . easier said than done but it will get done. The pressure water system is more used for washing that for drinking, so while I may stink after a few days, I won't die of thirst. I don't think I would want to drink that stuff anyway as there is grunge in the tank. I don't think it has been radically cleaned in quite a while, so if I can get the pressure system working, I will flush it with chlorine and then just use it for showers and washing up.
I took the time to tune the rig. It didn't need much to get it into shape and after doing this for some 30 years or so, it was a snap . . .one of the few. The propane stove and system are up and running and now I won't starve either. The inverter/charge wouldn't shut off the other day. The control panel just froze up. (Have I ever told you how much I hate electronics!) A call to the manufactures tech line got me into a long conversation with a techie who was worse than useless. Evidently he couldn't picture in his head how to fix the system and relied totally on the "Troubleshoot" chapter in the owners manual, all of whose suggestions I had already tried with no luck. So after that wasted call call, I remembered a trick that Don the Magic Electrician in Mystic always tried as a last resort. I disconnected the panel from the the inverter/charger, counted 30 and reconnected it. It works fine. Sort of like rebooting a computer. VICTORY of the magic of electricity and electronics!!!!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I am not as excited about taking off for the south as I was last year. I suppose that it has to do with how things turned out last year. If I get to Sandy Hook, NJ, and anchor safely, that should change. But for now, it is just get the boat ready to go. This may change as departure day gets closer, but I'll just have to wait and see. One day, one anchorage at a time.
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