SHIP'S LOG:
It is always a good thing to have help when your are undertaking projects on your boat. You have someone to help, someone to bounce ideas off, someone to make suggestions, some one to do the actual work and someone to blame if things come-a-cropper!
Josh the yard electrician tackled the wind generator problem. As you know, to me electricity is all voodoo and I avoid dealing with it as much as possible. he went through the manual and all the steps and determined that the problem must be in the generator unit way up the top of the mizzen mast. The yard had a cherry picker so he did what work he could up there before resorting to calling the manufacturer to see if there was anything he missed and/or whether or not he had to take the unit off and ship it to them for repair. He got no response fro m the company but left messages and hopefully we will get a call back sooner than later. Still trying to figure out how the gremlins are stealing volts from the batteries. There is a slow but steady drain and it has everyone scratching their heads.
While all that fun was going on, I was busily ripping off 11 feet or so of the port caprail. It was the section that got battered and beaten and was being held in place with wood filler and Gorilla glue. It looked awful and was structurally unsound and had to go. My good friend Skip got me some very fine oak as a replacement. While the Gorilla glue wasn't all that good at holding the wood together it was dynamite in holing the wood to the fiberglass. It too quite the effort to get it off. In addition, I had to locate and remove the screws that were actually holding the caprail to the boat. I had to find the bungs that sealed and hid their locations along the rail, dig the bungs out, clean the slot on the screws with a dental pick so that I could slot in a screw drive and back them out. Sounds simple but it wasn't. The rail had been whacked enough times so that the screws in the rail were bent and just wouldn't back out. I had to chisel-out the wood around the screws( teak is rather hard) and then attach a pair of vice-grips and so spin out the screws. Next came filling the old screw holes and any voids along the rail. Once that was done, I had to fit an 8 foot straight piece of oak along an 11 foot piece of curved rail. I had to cut and scarf the pieces to fit the curve and though I was 3ft or so short, it went well. I see if Skip has some more wood to finish the job.
Like I said, many hands make lite work. They also make more work as well. Friend Fred came by, and after suggesting several additional projects for me to tackle, took over repositioning the water-maker to the rear cabin. There was not a lot of room to do the work so I left Fred handle it, which he would rather have happen anyway. He spent lots of time expressing him admiration of the technical design of the system and making derogatory comments on its previous installation. Typical Fred, God bless him. One thing, if Fred tackles a job, it will be done right. Good friend that he is, he left me all the grunt work to finish up.
Before Fred was having fun in the aft locker and Josh was having fun 50 feet in the air at the wind generator, in addition to the caprail I was dealing with, Fred and I tackled the Main halyard winch on the mast. It has been non-functioning as long as I have owned the boat but it currently serves no necessary purpose. I use it as an "aide" in dealing with the mainsail out-haul, but basically that's it. The main halyard goes up once in the spring and we don't need the power of the winch to get it up. So while it would be nice to be able to "grind" that particular winch, it isn't really necessary. It can't be repaired "in situ" as it can't be completely dismantled "in situ." As a result, we want to take it off the mast, but the five SS machine bolts that affix it to the mast are "unmoving." The mast is aluminum and the bolts stainless steel and when the two meet, in the present of moisture and with a little time, corrosion sets in. And since these bolts have been in place since the mast went into the boat some 34 years ago, there was serious need to break the corrosion. However, nothing we tried worked and before we stripped the heads, I cleaned and greased the winch and reassembled it. It is a low priority project for another day.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
And Back To work!
SHIP'S LOG:
Today's projects were not all that many. I was planning to scarf in the new toe rail but unfortunately, the yard was using my electrical cable to charge up my batteries so electrical tools were out for the day. Instead, I decided to clean-out and paint the anchor locker. It still contains traces of the mud from the Carolinas and, with the leaves of the fall that found their way into the locker, along with some leftover sealife from the summer, it was a rather pungent brew that need to be exercised from the locker.
Hauling out the rope and chain anchor rode, I found parts of the rope to be a lovely shade of green so I high pressure washed the entire length, getting not only the green but the salt crystals out of the rode. I also discovered, luckily, that one of the links in the chain "leader" that attaches the rode to the anchor was bad. It had corroded to the point that I didn't think it was safe to use it any further. Disappointingly, the offending link was right in the middle of the 12 foot length of chain. I had another length of the same type of chain and replace the old with the "relatively new." It required getting the galvanized shackles off which took a lot of language, PB Blaster and some serious elbow grease. Galvanized shackles tend to weld themselves into an unmoving state after they have been exposed to the weather and/or water. It is a good thing in that you never really have to worry that they will undo themselves when you are not looking though it is a bad thing when you want to undo them. Still after making the switch, I still installed the safety wires on the shackles which should insure that they are never coming apart unintended.
The anchor locker also contains a hose (to wash down the deck); a handle to operate the windlass manually; the anchor weights (used to double the holding power of the anchor when set); a lead line; and a couple of holey stones( used to scrub the teak deck if one so chooses). The it was wash out the "gunk" and let dry, wipe it down with paint thinner and paint. Two coats went on and it looks great. I almost hated to put the stuff back into the locker.
I actually had to do some sewing. One of the cushions on the settee had a split between the fabric top and the vinyl bottom. It kept getting snagged by the hatch on the settee locker next to it which gets open constantly. That lock contains all the spares and "whatnot" items that are always being used.It was a quick and easy job, though I wonder how long it will last.
The next little project was to pressure wash the hull and get rid of all the loose paint. Every boat seems to have several places along the hull where bottom paint just doesn't want to stick. getting rid of the loose paint on these spots allows me to put down an undercoat or two before doing the entire job.
I was just getting ready for the next little project when the rains came. it was rather surprising in that NOAA called for temps in the 50'sw and sunny skies. Then again, maybe it should not have been such a surprise. It was NOAA after all.
Today's projects were not all that many. I was planning to scarf in the new toe rail but unfortunately, the yard was using my electrical cable to charge up my batteries so electrical tools were out for the day. Instead, I decided to clean-out and paint the anchor locker. It still contains traces of the mud from the Carolinas and, with the leaves of the fall that found their way into the locker, along with some leftover sealife from the summer, it was a rather pungent brew that need to be exercised from the locker.
Hauling out the rope and chain anchor rode, I found parts of the rope to be a lovely shade of green so I high pressure washed the entire length, getting not only the green but the salt crystals out of the rode. I also discovered, luckily, that one of the links in the chain "leader" that attaches the rode to the anchor was bad. It had corroded to the point that I didn't think it was safe to use it any further. Disappointingly, the offending link was right in the middle of the 12 foot length of chain. I had another length of the same type of chain and replace the old with the "relatively new." It required getting the galvanized shackles off which took a lot of language, PB Blaster and some serious elbow grease. Galvanized shackles tend to weld themselves into an unmoving state after they have been exposed to the weather and/or water. It is a good thing in that you never really have to worry that they will undo themselves when you are not looking though it is a bad thing when you want to undo them. Still after making the switch, I still installed the safety wires on the shackles which should insure that they are never coming apart unintended.
The anchor locker also contains a hose (to wash down the deck); a handle to operate the windlass manually; the anchor weights (used to double the holding power of the anchor when set); a lead line; and a couple of holey stones( used to scrub the teak deck if one so chooses). The it was wash out the "gunk" and let dry, wipe it down with paint thinner and paint. Two coats went on and it looks great. I almost hated to put the stuff back into the locker.
I actually had to do some sewing. One of the cushions on the settee had a split between the fabric top and the vinyl bottom. It kept getting snagged by the hatch on the settee locker next to it which gets open constantly. That lock contains all the spares and "whatnot" items that are always being used.It was a quick and easy job, though I wonder how long it will last.
The next little project was to pressure wash the hull and get rid of all the loose paint. Every boat seems to have several places along the hull where bottom paint just doesn't want to stick. getting rid of the loose paint on these spots allows me to put down an undercoat or two before doing the entire job.
I was just getting ready for the next little project when the rains came. it was rather surprising in that NOAA called for temps in the 50'sw and sunny skies. Then again, maybe it should not have been such a surprise. It was NOAA after all.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Happy Tax Day ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I must be getting old. After a week and a weekend of work, I am beat and sore. True, not all of it was done on my boat. Saturday was down at TYC ripping out the kitchen floor, putting the two skiffs in the water, fixing the floating dock in place and generally getting the place ready for Spring Clean-up Day. Sunday was work up at the boat, painting the deep sump of the bilge and the parts of the engine area I could reach, cleaning the head and the forepeak, and, later in the afternoon, helping Jackie Fisher uncover her boat in a surprisingly un-forecast stiff breeze. So it is that I am taking today off. Tomorrow, I will truck up again to Portland and begin what are mostly clean up projects. If friend Fred ever gets another day off, we'll tackle the pressure water system again. I must really be tired because I am making all sorts of typing mistakes. Thank goodness of spell-check!
I must be getting old. After a week and a weekend of work, I am beat and sore. True, not all of it was done on my boat. Saturday was down at TYC ripping out the kitchen floor, putting the two skiffs in the water, fixing the floating dock in place and generally getting the place ready for Spring Clean-up Day. Sunday was work up at the boat, painting the deep sump of the bilge and the parts of the engine area I could reach, cleaning the head and the forepeak, and, later in the afternoon, helping Jackie Fisher uncover her boat in a surprisingly un-forecast stiff breeze. So it is that I am taking today off. Tomorrow, I will truck up again to Portland and begin what are mostly clean up projects. If friend Fred ever gets another day off, we'll tackle the pressure water system again. I must really be tired because I am making all sorts of typing mistakes. Thank goodness of spell-check!
Friday, April 12, 2013
An Actual Week (Almost!) Of Spring Boat Work! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I blame N.O.A.A. ! If they had been a little more accurate, hell if they had been accurate at all, I would gotten an actual 4 straight days of spring maintenance done on ABISHAG. As it was, I got three and I am actually happy with that.
The biggest project was "painting the bilge." It might seem strange to actually be all that concerned enough with a part of the boat you rarely see to actually go through the process of painting it but it actually is of great benefit. Despite the best efforts of every boater, water (sea or fresh) and various petroleum products( lube oil, diesel & gas) end up in the bilge and slosh around until removed. One never seems to quite get it all out but merely reduces the amount to an acceptable level. Petroleum products will eventually leach into raw fiberglass and, not only stain it, but give it a "fragrance" that cannot be removed. And where the petroleum products go, water is sure to follow making the smell even worse. In addition, the right combo of water and petroleum products can create osmotic blisters which can weaken the hull. So it behooves one to remove both from the bilge. And the best way to do it is with a paint design specifically for the purpose. It seals the fiberglass and makes it look "purrdy!"
Of course, one cannot just "slap on the paint" and be done with it. Nope! First you have to scrape down all the surfaces to be painted to remove old flaking paint. Next there is the obvious need to vacuum out the detritus that you have created. Then, it is necessary wash down the surface and "decrease" them as well. Any place bilge water goes, it take with it the petroleum soup from the sump and deposits it with great care. It all must go away or the paint won't adhere. Sounds a simple procedure but the bilge stretches under every bit of flooring, most of which you can really get under. There are just the hatches in the deck that are placed there to reach "important" devices and things like the water tank fill, and not just for free access to the bilge. While the interiors of boats are often marvels of innovation in the are of cramming amazing amounts of stuff into incredibly small places, easy access it one aspect of the whole concept that seems to have slipped by unnoticed. It is as though once something has been installed, the installer never conceived of the notion that it would ever have to be removed. In some case you can just shift things around, like moving hoses and wires and the like. In other cases, you just have to see how far you can stick a brush loaded with paint and how creative you can be getting in, under, around and down items that are not moving anywhere!
It is also necessary to have a plan regarding where you start and how you will proceed with the painting. Painting oneself into a corner on a boat is a real possibility on a bot, so a pan is an absolute necessity. However, one must always remember that "Custer had a plan!" The actual worst spot is, of course, the bilge sump which is in the center of the boat, so it will be the last part attacked as everything in the bilge eventually ends up there. Thus t is that one has to work one's way from either end to the center. Scraping and vacuuming isn't to bad. Washing and decreasing is a little more difficult. Painting is a total pain. Mixing the paint and pouring it into a smaller, easier to move and use container, leads to the inevitable dripping and little grey spots and rings everywhere one paints and also in a lots of places one has no intention of painting. I was actually able to get the whole project done without once spilling the paint. I suppose that do to the fact that I had to do it in small sections, I was able to keep paint transfer to a minimum.
Every part is done now except the engine bed, the section under the engine itself, and the deep sump. Those took extra time to clean and decrease. Even though I have tried to clean these two spots each year, there were always places I evidently never got to. This time, with the help of a garden sprayer and some industrial strength degreasing solvent, every spot got dosed and washed out several times. I even scrubbed them down using a serious scrub brush on the end of a paint stirrer to reach the hard to get spots. As a result I am confident that I was able to get those places 95% clean. Short of pullout the engine, which I certainly have no intention of doing, you just can't get to them. That being said, the painting of those spots will take place Monday, weather permitting. It would have been done already, but NOAA screwed up again. They called for on and off rain all day Thursday leading to a day-long rain on Friday. Nary a drop fell on Thursday and the day was at worst "partially sunny." Friday will be a wash out. Saturday I am committed to work at TYC. Sunday will be a drying of the boat day. I am sure that water will enter the boat through the mast and the ports I left ajar to air out the boat and it will all end up in the deep sump. That has to be drained and dried before painting.
The ports were left ajar by the way because the fumes from the bilge paint were really something. At first I didn't really notice them. heck, when you work with paints and varnishes and fiberglass resins and solvents and the like, you almost don;'t noticed the smell. Fred came by and got me to open the ports and hatches and give the boat a really good airing. That when I could actually smell how bad it was. It is all but gone now but will reappear when I do the sump. The engine bed, which is mostly unreachable, I will let slide and get by with an engine oil drip pad. One very good thing that the painting of the bilge provides is that I can now see inside the bilge to what is there. Before this, opening a hatch into the bilge. I was faced with the "Clack Hole of Calcutta." I couldn't see a lick. Now at least, I can see things which is of genuine benefit.
In addition to that little project, there was also the greasing of sheaves and cables. There was the trimming of fiberglass hatches and hatches covers. I was able to section the cockpit grating so that it is removable. When the last owner put in the new steering pedestal and pedestal guard, he rendered the grating non-removable. Not a big deal but lots of dirt(where it comes from I don't know), leaves, screws, pieces of grating, and all sorts of other detritus found their ways into the area under the grating. Eventually, they found their way into the scuppers and in on case, clogged one. And there was just no way to really clean the area under the grating, until now. Now, it is a 30 second job at most. Pop the grating, hose it down, hose down the cockpit flooring, scoop out anything that gets trap on the scupper screens, and put the grating back Voila!
I am hoping that next week, I will get to the toe-rail replacement and begin the bottom painting. That would be a very good week indeed.
I blame N.O.A.A. ! If they had been a little more accurate, hell if they had been accurate at all, I would gotten an actual 4 straight days of spring maintenance done on ABISHAG. As it was, I got three and I am actually happy with that.
The biggest project was "painting the bilge." It might seem strange to actually be all that concerned enough with a part of the boat you rarely see to actually go through the process of painting it but it actually is of great benefit. Despite the best efforts of every boater, water (sea or fresh) and various petroleum products( lube oil, diesel & gas) end up in the bilge and slosh around until removed. One never seems to quite get it all out but merely reduces the amount to an acceptable level. Petroleum products will eventually leach into raw fiberglass and, not only stain it, but give it a "fragrance" that cannot be removed. And where the petroleum products go, water is sure to follow making the smell even worse. In addition, the right combo of water and petroleum products can create osmotic blisters which can weaken the hull. So it behooves one to remove both from the bilge. And the best way to do it is with a paint design specifically for the purpose. It seals the fiberglass and makes it look "purrdy!"
Of course, one cannot just "slap on the paint" and be done with it. Nope! First you have to scrape down all the surfaces to be painted to remove old flaking paint. Next there is the obvious need to vacuum out the detritus that you have created. Then, it is necessary wash down the surface and "decrease" them as well. Any place bilge water goes, it take with it the petroleum soup from the sump and deposits it with great care. It all must go away or the paint won't adhere. Sounds a simple procedure but the bilge stretches under every bit of flooring, most of which you can really get under. There are just the hatches in the deck that are placed there to reach "important" devices and things like the water tank fill, and not just for free access to the bilge. While the interiors of boats are often marvels of innovation in the are of cramming amazing amounts of stuff into incredibly small places, easy access it one aspect of the whole concept that seems to have slipped by unnoticed. It is as though once something has been installed, the installer never conceived of the notion that it would ever have to be removed. In some case you can just shift things around, like moving hoses and wires and the like. In other cases, you just have to see how far you can stick a brush loaded with paint and how creative you can be getting in, under, around and down items that are not moving anywhere!
It is also necessary to have a plan regarding where you start and how you will proceed with the painting. Painting oneself into a corner on a boat is a real possibility on a bot, so a pan is an absolute necessity. However, one must always remember that "Custer had a plan!" The actual worst spot is, of course, the bilge sump which is in the center of the boat, so it will be the last part attacked as everything in the bilge eventually ends up there. Thus t is that one has to work one's way from either end to the center. Scraping and vacuuming isn't to bad. Washing and decreasing is a little more difficult. Painting is a total pain. Mixing the paint and pouring it into a smaller, easier to move and use container, leads to the inevitable dripping and little grey spots and rings everywhere one paints and also in a lots of places one has no intention of painting. I was actually able to get the whole project done without once spilling the paint. I suppose that do to the fact that I had to do it in small sections, I was able to keep paint transfer to a minimum.
Every part is done now except the engine bed, the section under the engine itself, and the deep sump. Those took extra time to clean and decrease. Even though I have tried to clean these two spots each year, there were always places I evidently never got to. This time, with the help of a garden sprayer and some industrial strength degreasing solvent, every spot got dosed and washed out several times. I even scrubbed them down using a serious scrub brush on the end of a paint stirrer to reach the hard to get spots. As a result I am confident that I was able to get those places 95% clean. Short of pullout the engine, which I certainly have no intention of doing, you just can't get to them. That being said, the painting of those spots will take place Monday, weather permitting. It would have been done already, but NOAA screwed up again. They called for on and off rain all day Thursday leading to a day-long rain on Friday. Nary a drop fell on Thursday and the day was at worst "partially sunny." Friday will be a wash out. Saturday I am committed to work at TYC. Sunday will be a drying of the boat day. I am sure that water will enter the boat through the mast and the ports I left ajar to air out the boat and it will all end up in the deep sump. That has to be drained and dried before painting.
The ports were left ajar by the way because the fumes from the bilge paint were really something. At first I didn't really notice them. heck, when you work with paints and varnishes and fiberglass resins and solvents and the like, you almost don;'t noticed the smell. Fred came by and got me to open the ports and hatches and give the boat a really good airing. That when I could actually smell how bad it was. It is all but gone now but will reappear when I do the sump. The engine bed, which is mostly unreachable, I will let slide and get by with an engine oil drip pad. One very good thing that the painting of the bilge provides is that I can now see inside the bilge to what is there. Before this, opening a hatch into the bilge. I was faced with the "Clack Hole of Calcutta." I couldn't see a lick. Now at least, I can see things which is of genuine benefit.
In addition to that little project, there was also the greasing of sheaves and cables. There was the trimming of fiberglass hatches and hatches covers. I was able to section the cockpit grating so that it is removable. When the last owner put in the new steering pedestal and pedestal guard, he rendered the grating non-removable. Not a big deal but lots of dirt(where it comes from I don't know), leaves, screws, pieces of grating, and all sorts of other detritus found their ways into the area under the grating. Eventually, they found their way into the scuppers and in on case, clogged one. And there was just no way to really clean the area under the grating, until now. Now, it is a 30 second job at most. Pop the grating, hose it down, hose down the cockpit flooring, scoop out anything that gets trap on the scupper screens, and put the grating back Voila!
I am hoping that next week, I will get to the toe-rail replacement and begin the bottom painting. That would be a very good week indeed.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Busy! Busy! Busy!
SHIP'S LOG:
The weather has cooperated, at least a little bit, and work on ABISHAG has begun in earnest. There is a lot to do and it didn't help when the yard added to the load. Somehow, for reasons not fully understood by them or me, the batteries went flat! They were stored in place on ABISHAG and the yard was maintaining them over the winter. For some reason they let them go flat and I first discovered this when friend Fred and I went to tackle the pressure water system . . . for which having power on-board would have been a real good thing. The yard electrician came down ad hooked up a battery charge and started to re-juice the batteries. Hopefully there was no damage done and they will take and hold a charge but the reason for the discharge is still a mystery. It is a bit disquieting to say the least, but perhaps it was just "one of those things!"
Fred and I spent some time tracing hoses in the pressure water system. It is not as easy as it sound as they run under the deck with limited access but we got it pretty much pegged out. Once we have power and water (that is still not on in the yard yet. Too much a danger of frozen pipes, so they say) we can do a better job of tracing where the possible leaks are. I will, according to Fred, probably have to rebuild the water pump in the system. Fred doesn't feel that it is providing enough suction.
While he was poking around, Fred also found what is probably the cause of my non-functioning oil pressure gauge. The wires running from the sender to the gauge are broken at the send connection. That makes it rather tough for it to work. Fred also found a sheave for the steering system that needed cleaning and lubing and a connector on the shaft that needed lubing too. I don't think that Fred grasps the idea that I want him to help me with things that need doing not find more work for me to do!
Friday was paint scraping day.All of the reachable areas of the bilge had to be scraped of lose and flaking paint in preparation for painting. The painting of the bilge is not just for appearances, though ABISHAG could use an upgrade in that department. Not many people are going to see the bilge. The main reason for the paint job is to seal the bilge so that the oil and fuel and grease and water that get into it do not get absorbed into the fiberglass. It will help to keep "bilge breath" - the halitosis of boats - at bay. So I scraped and vacuumed and wire-brushed and vacuumed and got the bilge already for the paint. Only the areas under the engine, in the sump and under the galley decking will not be painted, at least not right away. they have to be decreased before the paint goes down or it will simply be a waste of paint. Once the yard water is running, the degreasing can begin.
Saturday was spent at TYC on the barge build. The club is constructing a barge that will be used to move, re-move and set moorings. The Mooring committee is in the midst of an ambitious plan to finally grid the mooring filed. For the most part the moorings for the boats are set rather randomly in what could be be described as in " a willy-nilly fashion." As a result, we are wasting a lot of space. The plan will fix that but it required the moving of a lot of mooring and rather than contract the job out - it would cost some major bucks which we don't have - it was decided to do it in house. To lift mooring, some of which are 1,000 lbs, and reposition them requires a floating platform hence the need for the barge. It took most of the day to build but we got it done and it really look quite good and if form follows function, the mooring job should go rather well and rather smoothly.
The weather has cooperated, at least a little bit, and work on ABISHAG has begun in earnest. There is a lot to do and it didn't help when the yard added to the load. Somehow, for reasons not fully understood by them or me, the batteries went flat! They were stored in place on ABISHAG and the yard was maintaining them over the winter. For some reason they let them go flat and I first discovered this when friend Fred and I went to tackle the pressure water system . . . for which having power on-board would have been a real good thing. The yard electrician came down ad hooked up a battery charge and started to re-juice the batteries. Hopefully there was no damage done and they will take and hold a charge but the reason for the discharge is still a mystery. It is a bit disquieting to say the least, but perhaps it was just "one of those things!"
Fred and I spent some time tracing hoses in the pressure water system. It is not as easy as it sound as they run under the deck with limited access but we got it pretty much pegged out. Once we have power and water (that is still not on in the yard yet. Too much a danger of frozen pipes, so they say) we can do a better job of tracing where the possible leaks are. I will, according to Fred, probably have to rebuild the water pump in the system. Fred doesn't feel that it is providing enough suction.
While he was poking around, Fred also found what is probably the cause of my non-functioning oil pressure gauge. The wires running from the sender to the gauge are broken at the send connection. That makes it rather tough for it to work. Fred also found a sheave for the steering system that needed cleaning and lubing and a connector on the shaft that needed lubing too. I don't think that Fred grasps the idea that I want him to help me with things that need doing not find more work for me to do!
Friday was paint scraping day.All of the reachable areas of the bilge had to be scraped of lose and flaking paint in preparation for painting. The painting of the bilge is not just for appearances, though ABISHAG could use an upgrade in that department. Not many people are going to see the bilge. The main reason for the paint job is to seal the bilge so that the oil and fuel and grease and water that get into it do not get absorbed into the fiberglass. It will help to keep "bilge breath" - the halitosis of boats - at bay. So I scraped and vacuumed and wire-brushed and vacuumed and got the bilge already for the paint. Only the areas under the engine, in the sump and under the galley decking will not be painted, at least not right away. they have to be decreased before the paint goes down or it will simply be a waste of paint. Once the yard water is running, the degreasing can begin.
Saturday was spent at TYC on the barge build. The club is constructing a barge that will be used to move, re-move and set moorings. The Mooring committee is in the midst of an ambitious plan to finally grid the mooring filed. For the most part the moorings for the boats are set rather randomly in what could be be described as in " a willy-nilly fashion." As a result, we are wasting a lot of space. The plan will fix that but it required the moving of a lot of mooring and rather than contract the job out - it would cost some major bucks which we don't have - it was decided to do it in house. To lift mooring, some of which are 1,000 lbs, and reposition them requires a floating platform hence the need for the barge. It took most of the day to build but we got it done and it really look quite good and if form follows function, the mooring job should go rather well and rather smoothly.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Happy April Fool's Day! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Taking the time to celebrate Holy Week meant that work on ABISHAG wouldn't begin until today. That is, it would if today was not "Opening Day." It is Red Sox vs the Yankees down at the awful "new" Yankee Stadium. As much as I "hate" the Yankees, I was really disappointed when they trashed the "sacred baseball ground" that was the original "house that Ruth Built," for the pale imitation known as the "House that George Built," and did it all for "money." And this year they seem to be a bit older and more banged up and it is quite possible that they will not make the playoffs and could, hopefully, simply because I would enjoy it so, end up last. Even if they don't, it always remains a matter of A.B.T. Y. - "Anyone But The Yankees."
Back to boating . . . .I discovered that it is difficult to make repairs and correct problems if you don't have the right tools or if the tools that you have don't work, and so we come to the adventures of me and my multimeter. I have had several of these very useful tools but they do not seem well equipped for residing on water craft. A multimeter is an electronic device that reads the flow of current(AC/DC), continuity, resistance, voltage, amperage and other assorted electrical stuff that basically tell you that the electrical system on your boat is fine or that it is not. If it is not, it can help you find the reason why, especially if you love a good mystery. Last year, it took me a week to find out why the GPS at the helm stopped working - it turned out to be a fuse - the problem was simple to solve once I was able to track do the location of the fuse (not simple).
No to accomplish such feats of electrical legerdemain, one must have a multimeter of some kind. It can be really simple, such as a "continuity tester" - which is simply a wire attached to a probe that has a small light on it. If there is "continuity" between the point where you place the probe and where you touch the wire, the light lights! If not, you don't and you can begin to investigate further. Even with the best meter made by FLUKE - the Ferrari of electrical multimeters - it can be a long process because you have to examine every part of a circuit, and I mean every part of a circuit, to find your problem. And of course, one a boat you have the additional problem of "getting at" the entire circuit/ run of wire.
Now I mention all this because late last year, I discovered that my "primary" - I have two(2) - multimeter had cease to function. My secondary, back-up, much more limited in scope and function multimeter had turned green and white, that is it was a block of corrosion. I asked Friend Fred to pick me up another secondary meter so that i could figure out what was wrong with the primary. Ascribing to the philosophy that one should always put off to tomorrow what you can do today, I only got around to it on Saturday last. I took it to Radio Shack because I had a sneaking suspicion that I had blown the fuse in the meter and that was the problem. I knew it wasn't the battery as I had replaced it last fall when trying to get the bloody thing to work so that was relatively "new" and should still be good. The new ceramic fuse, which I actually good for free as the clerk must have been filled with pre-Easter joy didn't solve the problem, as the meter would boot up. I took the meter back to the residence and was about to trash it, figuring I had cook the entire thing, when I decided to check it out again. It took me a few minutes to figure it out - read the instructions - but I eventually used the secondary meter to check out the "old" fuse that the clerk return to me. According to the meter, the fuse was blown. I had to assume that "new fuse", inserted in the Primary meter, was good as it was brand new, just out of the package. I checked the battery in the meter and it read "nothing." I don't mean that it read "low voltage dead," I mean that\, according to the secondary meter, there was no voltage in the battery whatsoever. Actually, I had never seen that but I figured it might be s\possible so I got another 9bolt battery from a stash I have and put it into the meter and got . . . ZIPPO! BUPKIS! NADA!
That confirmed for me the meter was "cooked' and I was about to trash it when I considered the possibility that the "new" battery was bad, after all the battery stash was from the boat and was a few years old. I metered the "new" battery and it measured 6.3 volts. Basically it was dead, so I trucked out to the store and bought a brand new, fresh in the package9 volt battery. Back at the residence, I checked the voltage - 9.6 volts - and inserted it into the primary multimeter. Holding it in place as the cover to the battery compartment was not in place - the back of the multimeter had several screws including four to get at the battery compartment - I turned it on and it went on! It meant that it wasn't cooked and that it didn't work because the fuse was blown and the battery was deader than dead. I screwed everything back in place and turned it on and NOTHING! I unscrewed everything and took the battery out - it was good. Took the new fuse out, it was good. Put everything back in place and again holding the battery hit the power button and it lit up like Broadway. It turns out that the battery compartment is just a tad to big to hold the battery firmly against the connectors and so I had to fashion a little shim to press it firm in place and keep it there.
AH, "Sold By Sears, Made In China!" That explains it all!
Taking the time to celebrate Holy Week meant that work on ABISHAG wouldn't begin until today. That is, it would if today was not "Opening Day." It is Red Sox vs the Yankees down at the awful "new" Yankee Stadium. As much as I "hate" the Yankees, I was really disappointed when they trashed the "sacred baseball ground" that was the original "house that Ruth Built," for the pale imitation known as the "House that George Built," and did it all for "money." And this year they seem to be a bit older and more banged up and it is quite possible that they will not make the playoffs and could, hopefully, simply because I would enjoy it so, end up last. Even if they don't, it always remains a matter of A.B.T. Y. - "Anyone But The Yankees."
Back to boating . . . .I discovered that it is difficult to make repairs and correct problems if you don't have the right tools or if the tools that you have don't work, and so we come to the adventures of me and my multimeter. I have had several of these very useful tools but they do not seem well equipped for residing on water craft. A multimeter is an electronic device that reads the flow of current(AC/DC), continuity, resistance, voltage, amperage and other assorted electrical stuff that basically tell you that the electrical system on your boat is fine or that it is not. If it is not, it can help you find the reason why, especially if you love a good mystery. Last year, it took me a week to find out why the GPS at the helm stopped working - it turned out to be a fuse - the problem was simple to solve once I was able to track do the location of the fuse (not simple).
No to accomplish such feats of electrical legerdemain, one must have a multimeter of some kind. It can be really simple, such as a "continuity tester" - which is simply a wire attached to a probe that has a small light on it. If there is "continuity" between the point where you place the probe and where you touch the wire, the light lights! If not, you don't and you can begin to investigate further. Even with the best meter made by FLUKE - the Ferrari of electrical multimeters - it can be a long process because you have to examine every part of a circuit, and I mean every part of a circuit, to find your problem. And of course, one a boat you have the additional problem of "getting at" the entire circuit/ run of wire.
Now I mention all this because late last year, I discovered that my "primary" - I have two(2) - multimeter had cease to function. My secondary, back-up, much more limited in scope and function multimeter had turned green and white, that is it was a block of corrosion. I asked Friend Fred to pick me up another secondary meter so that i could figure out what was wrong with the primary. Ascribing to the philosophy that one should always put off to tomorrow what you can do today, I only got around to it on Saturday last. I took it to Radio Shack because I had a sneaking suspicion that I had blown the fuse in the meter and that was the problem. I knew it wasn't the battery as I had replaced it last fall when trying to get the bloody thing to work so that was relatively "new" and should still be good. The new ceramic fuse, which I actually good for free as the clerk must have been filled with pre-Easter joy didn't solve the problem, as the meter would boot up. I took the meter back to the residence and was about to trash it, figuring I had cook the entire thing, when I decided to check it out again. It took me a few minutes to figure it out - read the instructions - but I eventually used the secondary meter to check out the "old" fuse that the clerk return to me. According to the meter, the fuse was blown. I had to assume that "new fuse", inserted in the Primary meter, was good as it was brand new, just out of the package. I checked the battery in the meter and it read "nothing." I don't mean that it read "low voltage dead," I mean that\, according to the secondary meter, there was no voltage in the battery whatsoever. Actually, I had never seen that but I figured it might be s\possible so I got another 9bolt battery from a stash I have and put it into the meter and got . . . ZIPPO! BUPKIS! NADA!
That confirmed for me the meter was "cooked' and I was about to trash it when I considered the possibility that the "new" battery was bad, after all the battery stash was from the boat and was a few years old. I metered the "new" battery and it measured 6.3 volts. Basically it was dead, so I trucked out to the store and bought a brand new, fresh in the package9 volt battery. Back at the residence, I checked the voltage - 9.6 volts - and inserted it into the primary multimeter. Holding it in place as the cover to the battery compartment was not in place - the back of the multimeter had several screws including four to get at the battery compartment - I turned it on and it went on! It meant that it wasn't cooked and that it didn't work because the fuse was blown and the battery was deader than dead. I screwed everything back in place and turned it on and NOTHING! I unscrewed everything and took the battery out - it was good. Took the new fuse out, it was good. Put everything back in place and again holding the battery hit the power button and it lit up like Broadway. It turns out that the battery compartment is just a tad to big to hold the battery firmly against the connectors and so I had to fashion a little shim to press it firm in place and keep it there.
AH, "Sold By Sears, Made In China!" That explains it all!
Monday, March 25, 2013
If It Wasn't For Bad Luck . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
Did you ever have one of those days? Actually, I had a couple of "those days," as I mentioned before, I went to the Defender Industries March Madness Sale on Thursday last to pick up stuff I needed and then found out that they had charged me twice for the same total amount. Since the sale is now over and the store is returning to "normal," and since they are just down the road, I drove over there this morning and tried to get things straightened out. It took awhile as they are, well at least their accounting department is, still a bit chaotic dealing with all the sales over the last four days. They wanted to wait until the bank statement arrived so they could check it out. The only problem with that is that I no longer get a paper statement from my bank. I found on "The Trip" that bank on line was rather easy and now I do it all electronically. As a result, no paper statements. After a bit of talking, the graciously refunded the extra charge and simply asked that I make a copy of the electronic statement when it comes and forward it to them so that they can assure themselves that they did indeed charge me twice.
The there are "the meds." As old age increasingly batters me, I find that I have to take more medication to keep up and running. I get them online through a special program which sends me a three month supply at a whack. Every now and then they screw up. This time, despite all of the identification procedures, they sent me only a partial refill of my prescriptions. So I called them and found out the problem was that they got the OK from the wrong doctor, who willingly fill some but not all of the prescriptions . . . even though I WASN'T HER PATIENT!!!!!! The order-taker-pharmacist finally contacted my doctor and got things squared away. I am quite please with that though I do wonder what the first doctor was thinking when she OK-ed the meds! Kinda makes you a little bit more worried about our medical system, doesn't it?
Then there is my auto insurance! ALLSTATE and I have a troublesome relationship. after I pay the condo mortgage, common fees and, until July, a special assessment, I have to pay the condo insurance and the utilities first before any other bills so that the condo will be able to stay in the rental program and I stay out of foreclosure. This means that, after the salary check comes in (and goes right out), and after making another payment to wipe out my credit card debt ( it will all be gone on March 6, 2014) there is some serious financial juggling that goes on each month until the SS check arrives. And even after that arrives, there is still more juggling as I pay off what I can and delay what I can't. A gift here and there from family and friends usually covers the nut, but sometimes not and then it comes down to who gets stiffed! this makes a mistake such as has taken place more than a little troublesome. It doesn't help that I didn't win the $338 million Powerball Prize, but then I didn't have the $2 for a ticket. In addition, Publishers' Clearing-House can't seem to find me. But if ABISHAG sells and the condo as well, I will be in a nice financial spot.
We will be getting snow later today which may put the kibosh on doing anything on the boat tomorrow. ( I have to wait until tomorrow for the double-charge reimbursement to get back into my account so I can buy gas). I have a couple of minor things I can work on that do not require warmth and I'll take a shot if the weather allows.
Oh, one last "one of those days things" . . . . I had to add some oil to my P.O.S. ride on Saturday. I unscrewed the oil filler cap, added the oil, went and tossed the container in the trash and shut the hood . . . . . neglecting to screw the oil filer cap back in place. I was driving later and there was this funny smell. I stopped and opened the hood and found that the oil filler cap had mysteriously disappeared. $5.98 + tax at NAPA.
Did you ever have one of those days? Actually, I had a couple of "those days," as I mentioned before, I went to the Defender Industries March Madness Sale on Thursday last to pick up stuff I needed and then found out that they had charged me twice for the same total amount. Since the sale is now over and the store is returning to "normal," and since they are just down the road, I drove over there this morning and tried to get things straightened out. It took awhile as they are, well at least their accounting department is, still a bit chaotic dealing with all the sales over the last four days. They wanted to wait until the bank statement arrived so they could check it out. The only problem with that is that I no longer get a paper statement from my bank. I found on "The Trip" that bank on line was rather easy and now I do it all electronically. As a result, no paper statements. After a bit of talking, the graciously refunded the extra charge and simply asked that I make a copy of the electronic statement when it comes and forward it to them so that they can assure themselves that they did indeed charge me twice.
The there are "the meds." As old age increasingly batters me, I find that I have to take more medication to keep up and running. I get them online through a special program which sends me a three month supply at a whack. Every now and then they screw up. This time, despite all of the identification procedures, they sent me only a partial refill of my prescriptions. So I called them and found out the problem was that they got the OK from the wrong doctor, who willingly fill some but not all of the prescriptions . . . even though I WASN'T HER PATIENT!!!!!! The order-taker-pharmacist finally contacted my doctor and got things squared away. I am quite please with that though I do wonder what the first doctor was thinking when she OK-ed the meds! Kinda makes you a little bit more worried about our medical system, doesn't it?
Then there is my auto insurance! ALLSTATE and I have a troublesome relationship. after I pay the condo mortgage, common fees and, until July, a special assessment, I have to pay the condo insurance and the utilities first before any other bills so that the condo will be able to stay in the rental program and I stay out of foreclosure. This means that, after the salary check comes in (and goes right out), and after making another payment to wipe out my credit card debt ( it will all be gone on March 6, 2014) there is some serious financial juggling that goes on each month until the SS check arrives. And even after that arrives, there is still more juggling as I pay off what I can and delay what I can't. A gift here and there from family and friends usually covers the nut, but sometimes not and then it comes down to who gets stiffed! this makes a mistake such as has taken place more than a little troublesome. It doesn't help that I didn't win the $338 million Powerball Prize, but then I didn't have the $2 for a ticket. In addition, Publishers' Clearing-House can't seem to find me. But if ABISHAG sells and the condo as well, I will be in a nice financial spot.
We will be getting snow later today which may put the kibosh on doing anything on the boat tomorrow. ( I have to wait until tomorrow for the double-charge reimbursement to get back into my account so I can buy gas). I have a couple of minor things I can work on that do not require warmth and I'll take a shot if the weather allows.
Oh, one last "one of those days things" . . . . I had to add some oil to my P.O.S. ride on Saturday. I unscrewed the oil filler cap, added the oil, went and tossed the container in the trash and shut the hood . . . . . neglecting to screw the oil filer cap back in place. I was driving later and there was this funny smell. I stopped and opened the hood and found that the oil filler cap had mysteriously disappeared. $5.98 + tax at NAPA.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
