A Day Of Sails !!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, today, after a lot of running around, I got my sails at last! As I was manning them out to the launch, I noticed a friend on the Beach at TYC. I asked for some help, cause the Main is always a pain, and Roger volunteered, and volunteered his son and his son's friend. The Genoa, the biggest sail, went up lickity-split. And then there was the main . . . . .

John Lucey at the sail loft did me a favor. He put a double layer of UV Protection tape on the foot ( bottom) of the main. It was a generous favor but it created a problem. It made the bottom of the sail too thick when it was furled and it wouldn't completely enter the housing for the sail behind the mast. The sail is a bitch to raise in the first place because of the furling system . . . it French! . . and so it was really, really irritating when we couldn't get it to work properly. I called John, told him not to cash the check and he said bring it back and he'll make it right. It consumed the afternoon and it left me exhausted. I guess that I am not as recovered as I thought.

MASTER PERSONAL LOG:

I called Tim Porter, the yard manager over at Mystic Shipyard and let him know how his people had screwed up. He was really upset and he said that he would take care of it. I am hoping there will b e a slight reduction is the charges. One can Hope, can't one?

What A Summer Day! ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

It was a damn bad day not to have sails! But it was still a great day to be on the boat. I fixed the boarding ladder so that I can access it from both the boat and THE WATER! There are always those times, few hopefully, when one goes ass-over-teakettle into the water and it is nice to have a water to get back on, especially if you are alone!

I unloaded the stuff I brought down to the boat yesterday and tried to find a place for each item. I was somewhat successful. Of course, now I don't know where half of the stuff is so thank goodness mostly of it was clothes and sundries and the like. There is little chance of having a desperate need of toothpaste in an emergency!

I re-did the fuse arrangement for the windlass. I didn't like the way I did it the first time. It was Mickey Mouse looking and while it might have worked, it lacked "panache!" So I re-did it and it looks much better. Writing this I realize that I forgot to test it. But there is no reason it should not work wonderfully well.

Last year, I tried to develop a system for storing tools and used tubes of PVC to hold screw drivers, wenches, etc. and stored them on a rack system on the wall of the engine room. It was a wonderful idea that was terribly impractical. It just simply didn't work as I envisioned it would. So I made it go away until I can come up with something more practical. I also to took the time to attach for sliding barrel bolts on the wall where the rack system was. It was held in place by a whole bunch of screws and it was a chore to removed them all to access the top of the engine. Now I slide four bolts and the whole wall panel lifts out. I found that the yard had neglected to put the breather back when they changed the engine oil. Already it has proven a wise move!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I got my first sunburn of the season!!!!! I am sure that I will regret it tonight. I realize that I don't have any sunscreen. It is amazing how dumb I can be. I will have to check out things more carefully, open more draws and lockers and get a sense of what I have and what I need but don't have! It is a chance to settle in and set a routine and get comfortable. I did sleep like a the dead last night, once I got used to the sounds the boat makes.

Where To Begin?!?!?!?

SHIP'S LOG:

Truth be told, and it is a sad truth, but ABISHAG has had nare a mile pass under her keel since she got to TYC. It seems that the reason for this was/is the fact that she is "sail-less." They've been in the loft which has been overwhelmed and is behind in work and everyone is after them to get their sails and more work is coming in Yadada, Yadada, Yadada!!!!!!! But fear not, the sail will be bent on come this Monday, or so I am assured!

I am now living on ABISHAG as my onshore arrangements have come "a cropper!" An arrangement that has worked so well has been done in the vagueries of the employment market. One new job and a carefully crafted arrangement goes in the crapper! Such is life. I had to eventually make the move anyway and now I have to make the move and have made it. Perhaps the toughest thing will be to develop a new routine and implement it. It is not as easy as it sounds. There is particularly getting used to the approximate 39' X 11' of living space. Thank goodness that I got rid of so much stuff, but it is amazing how much I still have. What I don't take I store or have one hell of a yard sale!

I now have the time and the inclination (necessitated by the fact that Iam living aboard) to finally get all the systems checked out. If they are working, what a relief. If a system is not, then it is either do without or jury-rig, because finances will not allowed for much in the way of replacement and/or repair by outside agencies. Tonight it is "Check Out The Lights" Night! And you just know that some light way,way, way up the mast will be non-functioning. You just know it!

'Tis Summer, Alright! ! ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

ABISHAG is no longer in Slip #7 of Dock "B" of the Mystic Shipyard at Willow Point. No, she is safe and sound on her mooring off the Thames Yacht Club in New London! Huzzah! Huzzah!! Huzzah!!!

Yesterday, (Friday, May 28th), round about 14:30 hours, Russ and I "sailed" her from Mystic to New London on a truly glorious afternoon. I say "sailed" for we actually motored the whole distance owning to the fact that she had no sails onboard. They are still in the loft and I am not sure exactly when they shall make their appearance in the appropriate location on ship. Ah, but we are in New London and are "at home!"

This short jaunt took place without incident, the most difficult part being getting away from the dock! Not being used to being in a slip, the welter of lines holder her fast were confusing at first but with a push, a shove, and some nimble footwork, she was set free and we were off. It was, all in all, a disappointingly short trip, a little over an hour, but blessedly uneventful. And it was surprisingly chilly as well for it being the start of the Memorial Day weekend holiday. Few boats were out and about and clearing down the Mystic River, you could see many people hard at work getting theirs ready for the the season. I guess the "summer" sort of snuck up on'em!

Everything seemed to be working properly though the amount of turn of the helm to compensate for the set of the prop-wsh seemed more than last year. It is quite possible that the rudder to the windvane steering system is out of alignment and needs to be correct. It will be a simple fix and I really mean that. There were a number of serious scrapes on the starboard side of the hull that I will have to hit with paint. I am not sure of their origin but it is quite possible that they came during a storm this winter when she possibly rubbed against a piling. They are on the side of the boat that was away from the dock so I didn't noticed them until I was getting off at TYC. Hey, if it is not one thing it is another. Such is the fun of boat ownership!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

What a wonderful DAY! Too bad we had no sailing for we would have moved just as fast as we did with the engine. The wind was perfect for a trip to New London from Mystic. I can't wait for the first trip under sail!!!!!!!!

Good News Tonight!

SHIP'S LOG:

It turns out that the problem with the engine was the direct result of bad engineering. Sometime back in the distant past, probably when the last owner had the top end of the engine rebuilt, someone decided, for reason known only to them and God, to install a check valve in one of the oil return lines Basically what this did was lengthen the time (and the route) it took of the oil, which cools the engine, to circulate through the oil cooler. Now why this was done no one could figure out, not even the Ford Lehman people who were the parent company for the engine. The check valve was removed and the oil circulated and there was now leaking and the oil was cooler and the engine ran cooler and all is right in the world (figuratively speaking.)

As i have mentioned before, the mysteries of electricity and things that use electricity are something akin to voodoo and/or magic, at least to me. The perfect example is the windlass problem. As far as I could tell, it didn't work and I expected a burnt solenoid, a bad switch, ashorted motor in the windlass itself, a bad connection along the wire run, a bad circuit breaker, gremlins or all or most of the above in some ghastly (and expensive) combination. I took a multi-meter and tested the connections at the solenoid and got no indication of power. I moved back to the foreward head where the LECTROSAN ( the electric masticator for the toilet) had been attached to the boat's electrical grid and from which point the power also went to the windlass. I had removed the LECTROSAN, a super consumer of electrical power) as there is no way you can legally use it in US Waters anymore, so why have it. The connections in the head were no strictly for the windlass. I tested the connection and got a power reading of "12.83 Volts DC" - very good and then tied to find where the power disappeared from the there to the solenoid in the forepeak. There were no other connection from one spot to the next that could have become disengaged. I tested the solenoid again, no voltage. I went back to the head, and tried it again and got . . no voltage! Thinking that perhaps I had somehow read it wrong, I threw on the main power switch and retested only to find that i still got no readings!

In desparation, I call Done the Electrician Magician who works in the shipyard and he stopped by as he was leaving for the day. Using a "continuity tester" a length of wire with a probe contain a light at one and and an alligator clip at the other. When you hook it up right, the light will light. With the main power on, we tested the circuit breaker for the windlass and got light. We moved to the head and checked that connection and got light. Went to the solenoid and tested . . . the right terminals. Evidently, I had mistaken a big fat black wire coming off the solenoid as "the ground' when it was a much smaller wire. In fact, the big, fat, black wire I thought was a ground turned out to be the "hot " wire that actually fed the windlass instead. well, testing the right terminals on the solenoid got us LIGHT!!!!!!!. So the windlass should work. I went up on deck and hit the switch adn the windlass crank happily away. Strange as it may sound, I evidently never had the main power on whenever I had tested the windlass and so assumed that it didn't work. And so, when the pwoer was on, I never bothered to hit the switch. Evidently, electricaldevices require power to operate effectively. Who would have thought ? ? ? ? ? ?

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

The broker called to inform me that 1.) he was losing his office int eh Shipyard but would have an office in downtown Mystic and he still want my business! (What business?) Secondly, he had a inquiry from some dude in Canada who knew Camper Nicholson and was interested. (Yeah, sure!) If he shows up for a test sail then we may have something, but til then I refuse to get excited.

Hopefully, this weekend sometime will see ABISHAG back at TYC. Still a wee chilly. I've not gotten the sails back from the loft. The motor is running fine so I can always motor over. Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the street! ! ! ! or sailing on the sound.

There's Good News Tonight! (Well, Maybe)

SHIP'S LOG:

The "good news" that maybe regards the windlass - the large winch on the foredeck that raises the anchor. As you may recall, it was non-functional and I assumed (never a good thing to do, especially for a Catholic elementary school grad) that it being 33 years old and having been exposed to :the sea" and all that implies, that it had given up the ghost. At the very least, that the electric motor and/or the connections had shorted out and would need to be replaced and/or restored. This assumption may be, and I caution, maybe completely erroneous!

It was presumed that because one could hear the deck switch (the switch on deck that activated the windlass) engage when it was stepped on, that the system was functional, at least the electricity was making it to the windlass and that the fault lay there. "Au con trier!" It appears that I have juice at the switch but seemingly no where else along the line.It doesn't make sense because the switch is at the end of the line and activates the solenoid that operates the windlass, but that's what I have. It makes absolutely no sense whatever, but then I never did understand electricity. It is all mysterious voodoo magic!

I contacted Cliff Fisher and he tried to talk me through checking it out by phone. He came to one of two [possible conclusions: 1.) I wasn't testing the system correctly; 2.) my multi-meter was busted and was giving false readings. Both could be right but I will find another meter and try again. It would be nice to have a working windlass as raising the anchor, especially the one with the all chain rode can e be a real bastard of a task when you are doing it completely by hand, with no mechanical assistance!

I am waiting on the sails. At this time of the years, sail lofts are overwhelmed with work. They quite naturally put more into build new stuff ( more income) than repairing old stuff (less income), so the repairs are usually saved for this time of year and get done in a rush. Like everyone else, i can't understand why my sails aren't done yet.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

It is surprisingly chilly down at the shore still. The wind off the water definitely is much cold than the land as its strength and intensity clearly indicate. It's all a matter of thermodynamics. Still i would like to get out on the water.

I have gotten no word on the readiness of the engine. There was a piece of tape over the ignition key slot on the engine panel. the other day. Obviously they didn't want the engine started. This weekend it was gone but I am not sure what it means and there is no one to ask. I hope that means good news, like the engine is working properly. I'll get down and check it out later today and hope for the best.

Bilge! ! ! ! ! ! !

SHIP"S LOG:

While not clean enough to eat out of, the bilge has become much cleaner than it was. Last year, I had this "mysterious" oil disappearing problem which, with the help of Cliff & Chuck, the engineering miracle workers, was solved by left oil way down deep in the bilge. The deep bilge is to "ultimate low point" of the interior of the boat, the final resting place of everything dropped in the boat. Loose anything, and you will eventually find it in the bilge . . .not that you would wanted after it has spent time therein! The bilge on ABISHAG is a little over a foot square and a good foot deep so it collects detritus and fluids quite well. The one bad bit of engineering is that it is also the location of the "show sump"." The Shower Sump is a 1 ft. square box into which drains the flow from the drains in the floor of the two heads. It is intended to trap hair and other such items to keep it from clogging the bilge pump which empties the bilge and keeps the boat afloat. The shower sump has three (3) inflow hose connections and one discharge hose connection. The discharge was intend to be connected to the bilge pump discharge hose downstream from the bilge pump and so exit the boat through the same thru-hull as the bilge pump. The show sump has a mesh trap inside to trap and collect all the nasty stuff that we exude when taking showers or washing in the sink. If you have ever had to unclog a drain in a sink or shower, you know what I am talking about. If you never have, you will one day! The entire top can be removed to that the trap can be cleaned . . not a chore that anyone who willing choose to do!

Unfortunately, somewhere in her past, one of ABISAHG's previous owners, for reason know only to them, removed to of the three hoses bring the nastiness to the sump and disconnected the discharge hose complete. There is, on the top of the shower sump box, a "float switch," a little device that lifted by rising water, turns on a pump somewhere. I am assuming, bad idea I know, that the pump it operates is inside the shower sump. When the water in the bilge rose sufficiently to lift the float switch, the rising water would also activate the regular bilge as well. Thus the water in the bilge and in the sump would be discharged together. However, the float switch is inactive. All electrical leads to the pump, wherever it might be located, are severed and, with the hoses cut, and with what remains of the dischage hose connected to nothing, the sump has fillled with oil and bilge and has been "fermenting" for years. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of the shower sump?

Yesterday, I cleaned as much of the bilge as I would get to for you see the shower sump just about fills the entire deep bilge making it all be impossible to really clean it out. I hit it with SIMPLE GREEN, LESTOIL, DAWN Dish-washing liquid, and scrubbed with a brush, a scouring pad and lots and lots of Brawny Paper towels. To get rid of all the water, cleaning fluids and gunk, I vacuumed it all out with my wet/dry shopvac. I was able to get the almost inaccessible places in the bilge and even sucked most of "whatever" was in the shower sump out! The fluids I osaked up with two weeks worht of newspapersand dumped them into heavy duty trash bags and hauled them down the dock to the dumpster. It is clear though that the shower sump has got to go! It prevents any chance of really cleaning the bilge and, without cleaning the bilge really, really well, you get that low-grade rotten egg smell. Putting a mesh trap ( what is know for some reason as a "strum box") around the bilge pumps , automatic and manual, will make it a who lot easier. It "looks" as though the "only thing" hold int eh shower sump in place is one hose that wasn't disconnected by the previous owner. Remove that hose should free the shower sump box and open up the bilge.

Don, the magic electrician, is working on my engine. When it was winterize last year, the winterizer found that the oil got "way too hot." Eveidently it partially melted the plastic on one of the oil filters. There seems to be some question about how well or if the oil is circulating through the oil cooler. So at $60/hour, Don is trying to discover what is what. Having Don, the magic electricain, do this is great. He is a terribly honest guy, He trys to do everything he can to cut expenses. And he is a wonderful source for electrical work whose brain I pick when I can. I was having aprioblem with the SSB ( SIngle Side-Band Radio). However the power was turned on, it crackled and hummed and buzzed, not sounds that are indicative of proper operation. I disconnected it and took it to Dockside electronics, a stone's throw across the river, and they tested out the radio. It worked fine, so the problem was with the boat. I went back and reconneceted it and the problem reoccured. Do was able to talk me through tracking down the problem. It turned out to be a loose nut connecting the positive power wire to a fuse between the radio and the battery. Of course, the nut was nearly inaccessible, but I did get to it and the SSB is working just fine now. I 'll pick Don's brain more tomorrow when I see if he can walk me through discovering why the windlass doesn't work electrically.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I thought that I was through with bills from the Shipyard but it looks like I'll be getting another for Don's work. Hopefully, it will just be labor and not parts, though parts are usually the least expensive part of any work done. Hopefully, someone will come through at the last moment to, I hate to say it, "buy ABISHAG." Getting dunned again is hard on one's finances especially when one doesn't have any!