SHIP'S LOG:
73! You've got to be kidding! But I'll take it! Makes it a "little warm" working inside the ABISHAG but then I wasn't prepared for doing anything on the outside.
Truth be told, I spend a good part of the day just cleaning. I still can't answer that question of where the "dust rhinoceros" come from. Then and the just plain dirt gets aboard somehow and I just wish I could figure out how and "fill the breech" as it were.
I filled the shop-vac just sucking up stuff from the now empty stern lockers. I don't think this part of the boat has seen daylight since she slipped down the ways. This cleaning did reveal why the SSB reception signal has been so bad. The counterpoise is shot. The counterpoise is a 3'' x 50' strip of copper that the radio and antenna tuner some how use to bounce the radio signal of the SSB. Short-waveRadio waves and their control are right up there with the voodoo of electricity and are high up on my list of things that I have little or know understanding of and which I fear will bite my on the but some day. The counterpoise evidently has to be "draped around the ship" for it to do its thing. The one on ABISHAG snakes its way from the antenna tuner in the stern up the starboard side of the engine compartment, across to the port side and up under the port settee. I have not quite followed it to the end yet. I can say that it is not neatly done but then trying to lay out 50 feet of 3 inch wide copper ribbon in such a way that it lays flat and stays completely out of the way is a task that whoever installed he SSB radio didn't bother with. Or perhaps, they just got frustrated with the process and in the end just stuffed it wherever it fit . . . sort of. Well in any event, the counterpoise has " corroded through in a couple of places so it is basically worthless for its intended use and will have to be replaced. So I will get the job of carefully laying and snaking the new counterpoise ribbon in the "proper" way . . . that is after I get the old one out. Did I mention that it has edges like razor blades? No, well it has edges like razor blades and I've got the cuts already to prove it.
After the stern cabin was cleaned, all of the stuff that had been taken out had to be replaced. It is not as easy as it sounds for all the components that were removed had to be taken out first and some place for that found where they could sit out of the way. The hatches to the lockers had to be set back in place slightly askewed so that they would admit the air flow. Then the "Hypo-vent Condensation Preventers" laid down. They lay between the deck and the mattress cushions to allow air to flow underneath and so prevent condensation. It is sort of a cross between a pot scrubber on steroids and a heavy - duty brush for the floor. It can be nasty stuff and seems to find any unguarded pore in which to insert a stray end. Once they are in place, then the two "mattresses"which are anything but a standard shape and which, while only 2 inches thick, have all the bend of plate steel, had to be "coaxed" from the salon , down the galley corridor, through the aft head, make two 90 degree turns and then get turned flat and set in place in a cabin with less vertical clearance that the width of either mattress. This should have been one of those labors Hercules got stuck with!
Basically, the stern half of the stern half of the boat is set and cleaned. At least it has had its initial cleaning, removing whatever need to be removed and 99% of the dust and dirt and detritus. Once the rest of the boat has undergone a similar cleaning, and the boat yard turns on the water, the insides will be washed down.
So I have begun to make a start. I'll just have to keep at it though the 73 degrees make it tough. It is hard to sit in the cockpit and do much more than think about sailing. Then again, if I don't do the work, I won't be doing much of that.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
I Forgot Just How Much Fun It Can Be! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
! ! ! Doing work on my boat that is! Well, not really. Luckily, I had Friend Fred to help me.
The projects for yesterday were to remove the refrigeration system ( compressor, condenser, pump, electric motor, the cold plate in the box, the control box, the control panel, plus assorted hoses and piping) and the auto-pilot system( the electric controlling motor, the chain and wires that connect it to the steering quadrant. In addition, there are the "miles of associated wiring that electrically juices both pieces of equipment. What makes it really, REALLY fun is that it all has to be done through hatchways that are really do small. All of the components of each system had to be disconnected and removed independently, in that way the came easily through the hatch. The down side in this procedure is that the screws and bolts that secure them in place are difficult, tres difficult, to get at easily and, as is the case in all such operations, since they have been in place securely since 1977 for the auto pilot system and all of the refrigeration system except the cold plate and control panel( 1986 for them), they are hesitant to give up their hold. And,of course, if there are four fasteners for a component, at least one will break, strip or be corroded in place beyond all releasing.
At least the major components were all in one place though it is/was all but impossible for two people to work together. In that Friend Fred was an engineer of some type in a previous incarnation, he provided the real skilled labor while I was relegated to what the Navy used to call a "warm body," which was defined as "someone with at least two fingers who can pick ups something when told to," though the cussing was handled by each of us in equal amounts.
Friend Fred kept decrying the fact that I was taking the refrigeration system out as he kept referring to its substructure and set up as "elegant" and " beautifully engineered." I have to admit that it was/is but it also didn't work and when it did was an electrical hog and since I had been up and down the ICW without it functioning, nor having ever used it since I have owned ABISHAG, it was time for it to go away. The cold plate, control panel and control box, since they are of a more recent vintage, actually have some monetary value and I will put them in a consignment shop and they should go away and leave some ducats behind. The other components, while rebust and functionable while probably go to trash though Friend Fred took the heat exchanger for his own boat as payment for his assistance, I think for the hot tub. A fair exchange.
The auto-pilot unit came out easier though there was still a lot of wire cutting. There is not much call these days for an old auto pilot that just turns the boat in circles so it too will like go to trash, though I got several feet of chain, wire rope and 8 wire-rope clamps, o I am ahead in that game. It too was an electricity hog and weighed a ton, and since it didn't work, it was/is no real loss.
It took Friend Fred and I about 4 hours to remove these major components and then it was time for him to leave to work on his own boat. I was then left with the fun grunt job of removing the assorted hoses, piping and wires that once connected the refrigeration and auto pilot components together and to the electrical system. The 20 feet of copper tubing($ $ $ $ $)had been bent and soldered in all sorts of angles to horse it into the limited space and could not be pulled out in one piece, or even two. It had to be cut into sections. It is a real pain trying to get at it with a hacksaw. One has to get into some incredible gymnastic-type positions just to reach it and then even more contorted positions to make the cuts. The sawing was accompanied by Anglo-Saxon expletives but eventually the deed was done. The hoses were easier as the required only a sharp knife. The wire could not just be cut and left dangling. It had to be slowly be pulled through the boat to to point where it connected to the electrical panel.The worker who laid the wire evidently had religious prohibition against taking the most direct route. It snaked through the bilge, over and around and above the engine, finally disappearing into a wire run on the opposite. It was a series of freeing the wire from one section of the boat, lifting a floor hatch and locating it under the next section, then repeating the procedure, opening every floor panel and bulkhead hatch, SLOWLY pulling the wire through less it hook on something and rip it out(which it did often), getting covered with oil, grease, water and unidentifiable bilge sludge, all the time twisted into pretzel shapes. Eventually, I had to empty the "In-Law Apartment" (the cockpit locker) and pull up the floor. The four bound wires that I was "pulling" split there, two going into a "black box" of some type and from there into the bulkhead on their way to the back of the main electrical switch panel. The other two went through the bulkhead under the Nav-table to a small fuse panel that I often wondered about. I had to dismantle that panel completely, and disconnect the wires. also connected to this panel was a half-dozen other wires that control what I have no idea. I left them connected and reassembled to panel as it might be something important. If I had to guess, not always a good idea, I would suspect that they go to the control panel for the auto pilot up in the cockpit so I will leave them in place for awhile. I will not be removing the auto-pilot control panel for the moment as it would leave a huge hole in the panel in the front of the cockpit. On this panel is also the display for the non-working wind indicator, the display for the working Speedo, the panel for the working depth sounder, the display for the Auto-Helm Auto pilot that had been installed but that went away before I bought the boat. (Evidently at one time, someone engaged both the old auto pilot and the newer Auto Helm and they fought over control of the boat. The older but extremely robust auto-pilot destroyed the auto Helm and it was tossed. However the display panel for the Auto-Helm , still electrically connected, is still in place.) Before I can remove the non-function items, I am going to have to find a 4'x1' piece of plexiglass to replace what will be a rather "holey" panel.
The day of twisting and turning and pulling and all the rest left me rather stiff and sore. I guess all the limber with which I was imbued by doing the ICW has gone by the boards. I found that getting into and out of the positions necessary to accomplish the various jobs is more difficult this March than it was last March. Either that or I am just getting old. I know that can't be the case!!!!
! ! ! Doing work on my boat that is! Well, not really. Luckily, I had Friend Fred to help me.
The projects for yesterday were to remove the refrigeration system ( compressor, condenser, pump, electric motor, the cold plate in the box, the control box, the control panel, plus assorted hoses and piping) and the auto-pilot system( the electric controlling motor, the chain and wires that connect it to the steering quadrant. In addition, there are the "miles of associated wiring that electrically juices both pieces of equipment. What makes it really, REALLY fun is that it all has to be done through hatchways that are really do small. All of the components of each system had to be disconnected and removed independently, in that way the came easily through the hatch. The down side in this procedure is that the screws and bolts that secure them in place are difficult, tres difficult, to get at easily and, as is the case in all such operations, since they have been in place securely since 1977 for the auto pilot system and all of the refrigeration system except the cold plate and control panel( 1986 for them), they are hesitant to give up their hold. And,of course, if there are four fasteners for a component, at least one will break, strip or be corroded in place beyond all releasing.
At least the major components were all in one place though it is/was all but impossible for two people to work together. In that Friend Fred was an engineer of some type in a previous incarnation, he provided the real skilled labor while I was relegated to what the Navy used to call a "warm body," which was defined as "someone with at least two fingers who can pick ups something when told to," though the cussing was handled by each of us in equal amounts.
Friend Fred kept decrying the fact that I was taking the refrigeration system out as he kept referring to its substructure and set up as "elegant" and " beautifully engineered." I have to admit that it was/is but it also didn't work and when it did was an electrical hog and since I had been up and down the ICW without it functioning, nor having ever used it since I have owned ABISHAG, it was time for it to go away. The cold plate, control panel and control box, since they are of a more recent vintage, actually have some monetary value and I will put them in a consignment shop and they should go away and leave some ducats behind. The other components, while rebust and functionable while probably go to trash though Friend Fred took the heat exchanger for his own boat as payment for his assistance, I think for the hot tub. A fair exchange.
The auto-pilot unit came out easier though there was still a lot of wire cutting. There is not much call these days for an old auto pilot that just turns the boat in circles so it too will like go to trash, though I got several feet of chain, wire rope and 8 wire-rope clamps, o I am ahead in that game. It too was an electricity hog and weighed a ton, and since it didn't work, it was/is no real loss.
It took Friend Fred and I about 4 hours to remove these major components and then it was time for him to leave to work on his own boat. I was then left with the fun grunt job of removing the assorted hoses, piping and wires that once connected the refrigeration and auto pilot components together and to the electrical system. The 20 feet of copper tubing($ $ $ $ $)had been bent and soldered in all sorts of angles to horse it into the limited space and could not be pulled out in one piece, or even two. It had to be cut into sections. It is a real pain trying to get at it with a hacksaw. One has to get into some incredible gymnastic-type positions just to reach it and then even more contorted positions to make the cuts. The sawing was accompanied by Anglo-Saxon expletives but eventually the deed was done. The hoses were easier as the required only a sharp knife. The wire could not just be cut and left dangling. It had to be slowly be pulled through the boat to to point where it connected to the electrical panel.The worker who laid the wire evidently had religious prohibition against taking the most direct route. It snaked through the bilge, over and around and above the engine, finally disappearing into a wire run on the opposite. It was a series of freeing the wire from one section of the boat, lifting a floor hatch and locating it under the next section, then repeating the procedure, opening every floor panel and bulkhead hatch, SLOWLY pulling the wire through less it hook on something and rip it out(which it did often), getting covered with oil, grease, water and unidentifiable bilge sludge, all the time twisted into pretzel shapes. Eventually, I had to empty the "In-Law Apartment" (the cockpit locker) and pull up the floor. The four bound wires that I was "pulling" split there, two going into a "black box" of some type and from there into the bulkhead on their way to the back of the main electrical switch panel. The other two went through the bulkhead under the Nav-table to a small fuse panel that I often wondered about. I had to dismantle that panel completely, and disconnect the wires. also connected to this panel was a half-dozen other wires that control what I have no idea. I left them connected and reassembled to panel as it might be something important. If I had to guess, not always a good idea, I would suspect that they go to the control panel for the auto pilot up in the cockpit so I will leave them in place for awhile. I will not be removing the auto-pilot control panel for the moment as it would leave a huge hole in the panel in the front of the cockpit. On this panel is also the display for the non-working wind indicator, the display for the working Speedo, the panel for the working depth sounder, the display for the Auto-Helm Auto pilot that had been installed but that went away before I bought the boat. (Evidently at one time, someone engaged both the old auto pilot and the newer Auto Helm and they fought over control of the boat. The older but extremely robust auto-pilot destroyed the auto Helm and it was tossed. However the display panel for the Auto-Helm , still electrically connected, is still in place.) Before I can remove the non-function items, I am going to have to find a 4'x1' piece of plexiglass to replace what will be a rather "holey" panel.
The day of twisting and turning and pulling and all the rest left me rather stiff and sore. I guess all the limber with which I was imbued by doing the ICW has gone by the boards. I found that getting into and out of the positions necessary to accomplish the various jobs is more difficult this March than it was last March. Either that or I am just getting old. I know that can't be the case!!!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Well, It Starts Tomorrow! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Yes, tomorrow is the day. Friend Fred & I will be on ABISHAG for an operation. Actually two operations to be accurate. We will endeavor to remove the auto pilot which has ceased to function properly except to be very good at piloting ABISHAG in a circle. I can't think of many( if any) instances when such a "speciality" would be of much if any use and, since it is a real drag on the steering system, making it a chore at times to helm the boat, out it comes.
The second operation will be to remove the entire refrigeration system - compressor, condenser, raw water connection, pump, cooling unit in the ice box and assorted hoses. Friend Fred harbors a secret desire for the refrigeration system so it will go to him. Being an engineer it is possible that with his wizardry he will be able to get it up and running in his own craft but in that I went up and down the ICW with ice alone, I don't count it as much of a loss.
The removal of both units will save electricity and weight, both good things, and it will also mean that I am saving about $2,000. I won't replace either, not unless I win the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes so money not spend is money saved. . . . . not that I have the money to spend! It will also give me a new and better location for the water maker. Right now it is using up to much need space in the galley
I went up to ABISHAG last week and winter hasn't been kind. It is not the cold and ice and snow ( we didn't have any really) but the moderate temperatures and the dampness. In a closed up boat that means mold. Combating the mold is just the first of a host of clean up and maintenance issues that will have to be dealt with, just part of the fun of getting ABISHAG ready for the season. Unfortunately, the list is growing exponentially and as with all boating projects, the completion of one always leads to the discovery of at least three more that need immediate attention. Ah, it is never ending.
One good thing about the mild winter, there should be not much flooding of the Connecticut River which means that on the spring jaunt to New London, there will be a lot less "flotsam and jetsam" to deal with on the way to the Sound. I haven't even really begun to make a start at getting ready to begin the work and already I am trying to decide whether to make the dash to New London and TYC in one day or cruise in a relaxed manner and take two days. Oh, how I love such conundrums!
Yes, tomorrow is the day. Friend Fred & I will be on ABISHAG for an operation. Actually two operations to be accurate. We will endeavor to remove the auto pilot which has ceased to function properly except to be very good at piloting ABISHAG in a circle. I can't think of many( if any) instances when such a "speciality" would be of much if any use and, since it is a real drag on the steering system, making it a chore at times to helm the boat, out it comes.
The second operation will be to remove the entire refrigeration system - compressor, condenser, raw water connection, pump, cooling unit in the ice box and assorted hoses. Friend Fred harbors a secret desire for the refrigeration system so it will go to him. Being an engineer it is possible that with his wizardry he will be able to get it up and running in his own craft but in that I went up and down the ICW with ice alone, I don't count it as much of a loss.
The removal of both units will save electricity and weight, both good things, and it will also mean that I am saving about $2,000. I won't replace either, not unless I win the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes so money not spend is money saved. . . . . not that I have the money to spend! It will also give me a new and better location for the water maker. Right now it is using up to much need space in the galley
I went up to ABISHAG last week and winter hasn't been kind. It is not the cold and ice and snow ( we didn't have any really) but the moderate temperatures and the dampness. In a closed up boat that means mold. Combating the mold is just the first of a host of clean up and maintenance issues that will have to be dealt with, just part of the fun of getting ABISHAG ready for the season. Unfortunately, the list is growing exponentially and as with all boating projects, the completion of one always leads to the discovery of at least three more that need immediate attention. Ah, it is never ending.
One good thing about the mild winter, there should be not much flooding of the Connecticut River which means that on the spring jaunt to New London, there will be a lot less "flotsam and jetsam" to deal with on the way to the Sound. I haven't even really begun to make a start at getting ready to begin the work and already I am trying to decide whether to make the dash to New London and TYC in one day or cruise in a relaxed manner and take two days. Oh, how I love such conundrums!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
AHOY!
SHIP'S LOG:
O, The Mail! In the last few days, I received in the mail the "West Marine Catalog" and the "Defender Marines Industries" catalog, both fill with stuff I absolutely need to have and need to afford, stuff that I would nice to have but probably can't afford, stuff that is unnecessary but would be wonderful to have and which I can definitely not afford, and stuff that I fantasize about and which would take a visit from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol to afford. I actually went and did some "window shopping" at Defenders. O what a terrible place for an impulse buyer who owns a boat. Worse than going to a boat show where, at least, you know that you can't afford anything. I can still remember my first boat show back in the early 80's. I went on a Hans Christian 33 and was just blown away. The salesman offered to take $30,000 off the price if I bought the boat and kept it in the "traveling Boat Show fleet" until the next summer. I had to tell the poor guy that I could afford the $30,000 let alone the $200,000 discounted, Boat Show Special price.
Someone in Rhode Island won the $300+ Million Power Ball prize. I was hoping it was "family" but evidently not. Some of these prizes from Power Ball and Mega-Millions are getting so credulous that if you win you could bailout Greece. Still it would be fun to win one and have a chance to play with it a bit. You could sure to a lot of good with $300,000,000!
If the weather is going to stay the way it is, and I am not quite sure that it will, perhaps I will begin on the boat in the next week or so. The temps might not be warn enough for paint and varnishing, but they have certainly be warm enough to do prep work and mechanical stuff and I am getting itchy to start. It is not so much as I like the work, truth be told I hate maintenance chores, but they have to be done if the boat is going to go into the water. and this summer, owning a "sailboat" as opposed to a "powerboat" is going to be the thing. The cost of diesel in more expensive in marinas to begin with and with the rise in fuel prices now, they out to be brutal by summer. Since it basically costs the same to launch the boat as it does to keep it store for the summer, most people will probably launch though sailors will use their boats far more that powerboaters. The same thing happened the last time the prices for fuel shot up. Still in all, when you have a 55 gallon tank, even if you are judicious about running the "iron genny," any trip to the fuel dock is likely to be shocking to your wallet. O well, that's tomorrow and ABISHAG has a full tank, and tomorrow will have to take care of itself.
While I was at Defenders talking with one of the clerks, he mentioned that he was thinking about doing the ICW. I told him, "Do it! You won't regret it." I was still in Miami at this time last year, tentatively . . . very tentatively . . . making plans for the long trip home. from Miami, it is 1,089 miles to ICW Mark #1 at Hospital Point in Hampton Roads, Virginia. After that, depending on your course and stops, it was another 450+ miles to TYC. It's a long slog especially at 60 miles a day at best.No wonder it was so easy to say the heck with it and take another swim. Like I am sure I said several times back them, "Good harbors rot ships and men." Amen!
Today I am going to work out the projects list and finalize it. One small step to get closer to launching. Even before I can start any projects, I will have to retrieve tools and such from storage and cart them to the boat. Just getting ready to make a start is a project in itself. C'est la vie!
O, The Mail! In the last few days, I received in the mail the "West Marine Catalog" and the "Defender Marines Industries" catalog, both fill with stuff I absolutely need to have and need to afford, stuff that I would nice to have but probably can't afford, stuff that is unnecessary but would be wonderful to have and which I can definitely not afford, and stuff that I fantasize about and which would take a visit from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol to afford. I actually went and did some "window shopping" at Defenders. O what a terrible place for an impulse buyer who owns a boat. Worse than going to a boat show where, at least, you know that you can't afford anything. I can still remember my first boat show back in the early 80's. I went on a Hans Christian 33 and was just blown away. The salesman offered to take $30,000 off the price if I bought the boat and kept it in the "traveling Boat Show fleet" until the next summer. I had to tell the poor guy that I could afford the $30,000 let alone the $200,000 discounted, Boat Show Special price.
Someone in Rhode Island won the $300+ Million Power Ball prize. I was hoping it was "family" but evidently not. Some of these prizes from Power Ball and Mega-Millions are getting so credulous that if you win you could bailout Greece. Still it would be fun to win one and have a chance to play with it a bit. You could sure to a lot of good with $300,000,000!
If the weather is going to stay the way it is, and I am not quite sure that it will, perhaps I will begin on the boat in the next week or so. The temps might not be warn enough for paint and varnishing, but they have certainly be warm enough to do prep work and mechanical stuff and I am getting itchy to start. It is not so much as I like the work, truth be told I hate maintenance chores, but they have to be done if the boat is going to go into the water. and this summer, owning a "sailboat" as opposed to a "powerboat" is going to be the thing. The cost of diesel in more expensive in marinas to begin with and with the rise in fuel prices now, they out to be brutal by summer. Since it basically costs the same to launch the boat as it does to keep it store for the summer, most people will probably launch though sailors will use their boats far more that powerboaters. The same thing happened the last time the prices for fuel shot up. Still in all, when you have a 55 gallon tank, even if you are judicious about running the "iron genny," any trip to the fuel dock is likely to be shocking to your wallet. O well, that's tomorrow and ABISHAG has a full tank, and tomorrow will have to take care of itself.
While I was at Defenders talking with one of the clerks, he mentioned that he was thinking about doing the ICW. I told him, "Do it! You won't regret it." I was still in Miami at this time last year, tentatively . . . very tentatively . . . making plans for the long trip home. from Miami, it is 1,089 miles to ICW Mark #1 at Hospital Point in Hampton Roads, Virginia. After that, depending on your course and stops, it was another 450+ miles to TYC. It's a long slog especially at 60 miles a day at best.No wonder it was so easy to say the heck with it and take another swim. Like I am sure I said several times back them, "Good harbors rot ships and men." Amen!
Today I am going to work out the projects list and finalize it. One small step to get closer to launching. Even before I can start any projects, I will have to retrieve tools and such from storage and cart them to the boat. Just getting ready to make a start is a project in itself. C'est la vie!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Suck, Bang, Blow! That's Right!
SHIP'S LOG:
"Suck, Bang, Blow" is actually the name of a biker bar in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, just off of the ICW. The name comes, supposedly, from the engine sounds of an old Panhead Harley Davidson when you try to kick start it. It also , along with "Pop," "Squeal" and "Grind," are the sound recently made by my POS Hyundai. I got the belts replaced, well two out of three, last week and Saturday evening I was headed up to Somers to have dinner with some friends. On the way up Route 9, there came a "pop" and then some "squealing" and a little "grinding," followed by a loss in power and then "suck, bang blow" and I lurched to a stop by the side of the road.
Long story short, the alternator had stopped charging and the battery had run down and I was without electrical power to run the engine. Unlike with a diesel, electricity is something you need to run a gas engine. I contacted a friend in the area of the breakdown and he came by and gave me boost which got me a few miles before POS died again and AAA had to be called for a tow. Good friend Ray told me to check the alternator as it had recently had a new belt installed. It was a simple check and it was immediately clear that that one of the bolts holding the alternator to the engine appeared to have backed out. It turned out that it had not so much backed out and broken off! Two other friends got the POS to a heated garage with the intent of removing the alternator, drilling out the broken bolt, tapping the hole and boss for a new bolt an re-installing the alternator. Surprisingly, after a couple of hours in the heated garage, the metal warmed enough so that the broken bolt could be un-threaded. A new one was quickly procured and the alternator, reinstalled, happily procured the necessary voltage an the POS was once again running, saving God alone knows how may hundreds of dollars don't have. The "Check Engine"light was still on and I went to Advance Auto and had them do a computer check of the systems. The alternator was working fine but the computer indicated that the engine had "multiple miss-fires." The clerk suggested that since I had recently replaced all the plugs and wires, that possibly one of the connectors was loose and that I should " give them all a check, move'em around a bit" and the miss-fires would stop and the light would go out.Yeah, right! Well I did and it did. It is a good thing to have friends! Ghosts in the machine!
"Suck, Bang, Blow" is actually the name of a biker bar in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, just off of the ICW. The name comes, supposedly, from the engine sounds of an old Panhead Harley Davidson when you try to kick start it. It also , along with "Pop," "Squeal" and "Grind," are the sound recently made by my POS Hyundai. I got the belts replaced, well two out of three, last week and Saturday evening I was headed up to Somers to have dinner with some friends. On the way up Route 9, there came a "pop" and then some "squealing" and a little "grinding," followed by a loss in power and then "suck, bang blow" and I lurched to a stop by the side of the road.
Long story short, the alternator had stopped charging and the battery had run down and I was without electrical power to run the engine. Unlike with a diesel, electricity is something you need to run a gas engine. I contacted a friend in the area of the breakdown and he came by and gave me boost which got me a few miles before POS died again and AAA had to be called for a tow. Good friend Ray told me to check the alternator as it had recently had a new belt installed. It was a simple check and it was immediately clear that that one of the bolts holding the alternator to the engine appeared to have backed out. It turned out that it had not so much backed out and broken off! Two other friends got the POS to a heated garage with the intent of removing the alternator, drilling out the broken bolt, tapping the hole and boss for a new bolt an re-installing the alternator. Surprisingly, after a couple of hours in the heated garage, the metal warmed enough so that the broken bolt could be un-threaded. A new one was quickly procured and the alternator, reinstalled, happily procured the necessary voltage an the POS was once again running, saving God alone knows how may hundreds of dollars don't have. The "Check Engine"light was still on and I went to Advance Auto and had them do a computer check of the systems. The alternator was working fine but the computer indicated that the engine had "multiple miss-fires." The clerk suggested that since I had recently replaced all the plugs and wires, that possibly one of the connectors was loose and that I should " give them all a check, move'em around a bit" and the miss-fires would stop and the light would go out.Yeah, right! Well I did and it did. It is a good thing to have friends! Ghosts in the machine!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Spring ?!?!?! or Winter?!?!?!?!?
SHIP'S LOG:
Well I guess it is to be the winter that wasn't/isn't! Despite the rather nasty predictions in "The Old Farmer's Almanac," winter sure hasn't lived up to expectations . . . . thank goodness.The weather truly has been almost spring-like tough it seems that every weather man/woman worth their laser pointers and computer graphics is hedging their bets, assuring one and all that certainly February will be cold and snowy and truly winter. It is what it is and it will be what will be. No matter what really happens we will all have to simple deal with what comes.
My P.O.S. Hyundai has been squealing indicating that it needs new belts. I guess after 130,000 some odd miles that is to be expected. Ray and Ken both nominated Chuck to do the job. He works with Ray, who is laid up after carpel tunnel and rotator cuff surgery, and Ken, who is his father-in-law. God bless him, the labor will be free though I had to spring for the parts - the three(3) needed belts, a set of plugs and wires( one of the plugs was miss-firing and goodness only knows when they were last replaced) and a set of wiper-blades as the current ones are starting to separate. The P.O.S. is getting $109.37 spent on it and so I hope it appreciates it and doesn't pull any more crap!
Still no word from the powers-that-be and here I wait, quite patiently. A little sail-lofting and stitching, work on the guitar, reading good books, and working on me. Things are quite peaceful though I have to admit I do jump a bit whenever the phone rings between 9 and 5. The call will come eventually but it seems that it has been overly long delayed for some reason. The fact that there is nothing that i can do about it to hurry the process along in any way makes the waiting at tines a bit irritating and frustrating. Then again, it is not in my hands so that's that. . . . and it is another day closer to spring and the sailing season.
Well I guess it is to be the winter that wasn't/isn't! Despite the rather nasty predictions in "The Old Farmer's Almanac," winter sure hasn't lived up to expectations . . . . thank goodness.The weather truly has been almost spring-like tough it seems that every weather man/woman worth their laser pointers and computer graphics is hedging their bets, assuring one and all that certainly February will be cold and snowy and truly winter. It is what it is and it will be what will be. No matter what really happens we will all have to simple deal with what comes.
My P.O.S. Hyundai has been squealing indicating that it needs new belts. I guess after 130,000 some odd miles that is to be expected. Ray and Ken both nominated Chuck to do the job. He works with Ray, who is laid up after carpel tunnel and rotator cuff surgery, and Ken, who is his father-in-law. God bless him, the labor will be free though I had to spring for the parts - the three(3) needed belts, a set of plugs and wires( one of the plugs was miss-firing and goodness only knows when they were last replaced) and a set of wiper-blades as the current ones are starting to separate. The P.O.S. is getting $109.37 spent on it and so I hope it appreciates it and doesn't pull any more crap!
Still no word from the powers-that-be and here I wait, quite patiently. A little sail-lofting and stitching, work on the guitar, reading good books, and working on me. Things are quite peaceful though I have to admit I do jump a bit whenever the phone rings between 9 and 5. The call will come eventually but it seems that it has been overly long delayed for some reason. The fact that there is nothing that i can do about it to hurry the process along in any way makes the waiting at tines a bit irritating and frustrating. Then again, it is not in my hands so that's that. . . . and it is another day closer to spring and the sailing season.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Well, Winter's Over . . . At Last!
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, maybe not really, but the 5" - 8" of snow with which we got bombarded on Saturday has all gone away courtesy of a lot of rain and temperatures in the 40's & 50's, that and the fact that I am currently living on the coast, below the "snow line." Curious thing, the "snow lone." when there is a chance of snow it usually seems that when it comes, odds are that from the coastline inland to about 6 miles, we get rain, or at least the infamous "wintery mix." There are piles of snow here and there, the remains of Saturday's shoveling and plowing, but aside from that, where the snow was "untouched by human hands, the snow is gone! The sun is out and the birds are singing and it is as much like spring as it can be without it actually being spring.
The work on the guitar is proceeding "fair." To quote the late John Lennon, "I've got blisters on me fingers!" I have been doing a lot of hand exercises on my left hand, whose wrist was shattered a couple of years ago falling off my Schwinn. Who says bike ridding is good for your health. And while it was well set and healed well, it is surprisingly still a little weak and not as flexible as it should be. I've still got the "muscle memory' for most of the cords I know way back when but not really the strength and flexibility to hold and sustain them. The "slow hand" is always faster that the cord hand and that can be very frustrating. In addition, there are the blisters. The callous is starting t build up, it will take another couple of weeks, though I have had one blister form under the callous on one finger and that it truly annoying.So to keep the "slow hand" occupied and working, I have been working on finger picking, learning new paterns and trying to pick up speed. Developing the "muscle memory" for that is a rather long and tiresome and boring exercise but I seem to be making some progress at it. I am even building up callous on the "slow hand" as well.
I have started once again to develop a "projects list" for the coming spring boat maintenance season, which if the weather stays like this, could begin soon. I dread it and look forward to it at the same time. There will be a certain amount of "destruction" this year as the old refrigeration system and icebox arrangement have to go, as well as the auto pilot, which is very good for steering the boat in a circle but not much else. I won't be replacing that for any number of reasons but mostly financial. I still haven't heard from the Publishers Clearing House people. They keep wanting me to have millions but we can't seem to make the connections to bring it about. O well, c'est la vie! Of course, Powerball has upped the cost of a ticket to $2 so it will be even rarer that I will be able to afford a ticket. It will really have to be a spectacular prize for be to risk a Jefferson. Just think of the fun though I could have in given it all way!
Well, maybe not really, but the 5" - 8" of snow with which we got bombarded on Saturday has all gone away courtesy of a lot of rain and temperatures in the 40's & 50's, that and the fact that I am currently living on the coast, below the "snow line." Curious thing, the "snow lone." when there is a chance of snow it usually seems that when it comes, odds are that from the coastline inland to about 6 miles, we get rain, or at least the infamous "wintery mix." There are piles of snow here and there, the remains of Saturday's shoveling and plowing, but aside from that, where the snow was "untouched by human hands, the snow is gone! The sun is out and the birds are singing and it is as much like spring as it can be without it actually being spring.
The work on the guitar is proceeding "fair." To quote the late John Lennon, "I've got blisters on me fingers!" I have been doing a lot of hand exercises on my left hand, whose wrist was shattered a couple of years ago falling off my Schwinn. Who says bike ridding is good for your health. And while it was well set and healed well, it is surprisingly still a little weak and not as flexible as it should be. I've still got the "muscle memory' for most of the cords I know way back when but not really the strength and flexibility to hold and sustain them. The "slow hand" is always faster that the cord hand and that can be very frustrating. In addition, there are the blisters. The callous is starting t build up, it will take another couple of weeks, though I have had one blister form under the callous on one finger and that it truly annoying.So to keep the "slow hand" occupied and working, I have been working on finger picking, learning new paterns and trying to pick up speed. Developing the "muscle memory" for that is a rather long and tiresome and boring exercise but I seem to be making some progress at it. I am even building up callous on the "slow hand" as well.
I have started once again to develop a "projects list" for the coming spring boat maintenance season, which if the weather stays like this, could begin soon. I dread it and look forward to it at the same time. There will be a certain amount of "destruction" this year as the old refrigeration system and icebox arrangement have to go, as well as the auto pilot, which is very good for steering the boat in a circle but not much else. I won't be replacing that for any number of reasons but mostly financial. I still haven't heard from the Publishers Clearing House people. They keep wanting me to have millions but we can't seem to make the connections to bring it about. O well, c'est la vie! Of course, Powerball has upped the cost of a ticket to $2 so it will be even rarer that I will be able to afford a ticket. It will really have to be a spectacular prize for be to risk a Jefferson. Just think of the fun though I could have in given it all way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
