Maybe I shouldn't have written that I was planning to go back to Texas. The current heat wave is making it feel like I'm there already. It's so bad that it's actually cooler around Houston right now than it is here. That's bizarre, and it's making progress on the boat a little difficult.
Zoe seems to be doing okay, but I have to keep an eye on her -- there is no air conditioning.
Freshwater and bilge watch:
Should be able to get the freshwater and bilge pumps installed today. I flushed the freshwater tank yesterday and will try to drain it today. It's not bad, but seems to have something in it. I think it's just left over from the winterizing fluid I added a couple of years ago when I put it up. I think I'll get a new, clean hose and siphon it directly out of the boat. That way I can get stuff from the bottom and not have to worry about clogging the new pump -- or running it too much. I'll probably do the same with the bilge, but don't need to worry so much about a clean hose. I've cleaned it pretty well, but it still seems to have a bunch of stuff in the bottom, mainly paint chips, fiberglass, and dirt.
Once I get the freshwater system hooked up and operational, I'll add some bleach and let it stand for a while, then flush the system a few more times before I try to drink it. At least I'll be able to wash my hands. That should get it in pretty good shape. Btw, I need to get this done now, because once I get her into the water, it will be tough to get access to that much water; I have all the water I want here in the yard.
Mast watch:
Looks like I'll have to add one more major repair job to the list. My mast is aluminum and the bottom of it has a solid aluminum foot inserted into it that fits into the step. It's deck stepped, and the step is actually an oval disk of laminated teak about 10" x 6" and an inch thick that's bolted onto the top of the coach roof. There's a really sturdy bulkhead directly under it that goes all the way down to the keel.
In order to fix the corrosion, I'll need to remove the foot, cut off the bad section, about 1 1/2 inches, clean it up, reinsert it, and add a spacer to the step to make up for what I cut off. That's so the mast head will remain at exactly the same height, otherwise the stays and shrouds won't be the length, not to mention the sails. This isn't really a hard job, but will take a couple of days. I also need to figure out exactly how I want to fix the step and add the additional height.
The purpose of the step is to transfer the load to the keel and provide lateral stability to the bottom. The weight of the mast and the tension on the stays and shrouds provide a compression force on the step, which increases the friction between it and the deck. That's in addition to it being screwed down and caulked, so it probably won't be going anywhere. I just need to make sure whatever I add to it will both take the compression and sheer loads. I was thinking about using some of the 3/4" marine plywood I'm planning to buy, but it might be better to do it out of fiberglass. But since that's the last thing I need to do before I put her in, I've got some time to think about it.
However, this also might be a good time to re-engineer the step and add some sort of ring that could be used to attach eyes and blocks. A lot of new boats come that way from the factory and it really helps to have that extra flexibility -- you can never have enough rope or eyes on a boat. Btw, rope is exactly what you think it is. It's only called line once it's actually attached to something, at which point it may be running rigging, dock lines, anchor rode, etc.
Deck watch:
Still working on the deck. I wasn't happy with the configuration of the two winches on the cabin roof at the companionway and have been thinking about what to do about them. That's one of the reasons I haven't tried to paint yet -- if I move them, I want to fill the old holes before I paint. I think I'll leave the starboard side one where it is for now, but will move the port side one forward. The problem is that you need to add a backing plate to make sure the force doesn't pull it out of the deck, but since there's a gap between the inside of the deck and the headliner (an 1/8 thick finished fiberglass shell inside the boat), and some of the old hardware had backing plates installed at the factory between the two, it makes it difficult to add anything else since the new backing plates will try to compress this space and the void isn't consistent. I'll probably have to end up cutting out a section of headliner and adding some sort of cover to hide the hole and backing plates.
But for right now, I'm just going to move the new winch to the spot where the original winch was mounted and move the 3-gang clutch forward enough that I don't crack the headliner when I tighten it. That's what happened when I mounted it before. Looks like the backing plate for the old winch was about 1/2" and the 3-gang clutch was mounted too close to it. Now I have to fill all those holes, but with the gap, I need to be careful or all my resin will just leak out. Nothing's easy on a boat, but I'm sure I'll figure out something. I just don't want to cut out the headliner yet.
Zoe watch:
Zoe didn't like the little pool I made for her. I'll see if I can find a real one somewhere else today. I want something small and if it can fit in the cockpit, that would be even better. If it's too big, I'll have to throw it away or leave it here once we leave.
I broke out the ball she likes, but that wasn't enough to tempt her into the pool. I did get her to stand in it for a little while, but she wasn't terribly happy about it.
29 June 2010
28 June 2010
Weather update
The forecast for today is sorta messed up. Since we're going to have thunder storms this afternoon, the high listed on most of the forecasts are actually the high for the afternoon after the rain, which would normally the hottest time of the day, but since the rain will cool things off, the hottest part of the day will be earlier. It's already around 93 and will probably go up a few more degrees, but the forecast is only for 89 - 90. Probably a computer glitch, but in any case, it's way too hot to do anything.
I'll continue to flush the tanks, but will have to keep an eye on Zoe and probably spray her down soon. She seems okay, but it's really hot. The only good thing is that the wind is blowing about 5 - 10 miles an hours. I picked up some beer and ice at the store, but couldn't find a pool. I have some old canvas (part of the old Bimini) that I think I can use make a little pool, so I think I'll go down and do that next. Glad I shaved her last night -- it's brutal today.
I'll continue to flush the tanks, but will have to keep an eye on Zoe and probably spray her down soon. She seems okay, but it's really hot. The only good thing is that the wind is blowing about 5 - 10 miles an hours. I picked up some beer and ice at the store, but couldn't find a pool. I have some old canvas (part of the old Bimini) that I think I can use make a little pool, so I think I'll go down and do that next. Glad I shaved her last night -- it's brutal today.
Still hot
The forecast is for around 89 today, just 2 degrees below the record high, and a full 10 degrees higher than average. We'll also have thunder storms this afternoon, but hopefully that will cool things off a bit. I'm going to work on the freshwater system today and try to flush and clean the tanks. I walked down to the local hardware store a little while ago to pick up the fitting I need to reconnect the upper and lower tanks and was soaking wet by the time I got back to the boat -- it's only about a quarter mile from here.
Got up early and walked Zoe into town so I could drop by the bank and hit the ATM. There's a branch that's about a mile from here, so we had a good walk, and ended up stopping at a little cafe and had breakfast out on the sidewalk in the shade. We really enjoyed it even though it was already getting hot. I've got her under the bow this morning so I can flush the tanks without getting her splashed -- the drains are aft under the cockpit where she normally hangs out.
Zoe watch:
As I said, she's handing out under the bow this morning. She gets excited when she gets to do something new, so she's happy. I shaved her last night, so she's also a lot cooler. I'll head to the store to see if I can get a pool for her once it gets hot.
Weather watch:
Just heard that a heat advisory will go into effect in about an hour, and the waitress at the cafe told me that the heat index was supposed to be 106 today. Probably won't get too much done today.
Ham license watch:
Decided not to go into Manhattan to take the test today due to the heat, but will try to take the one in Hicksville on 10 July at 9am. Just hope it cools off by then, but since it's early in the morning, I should be able to get back before it warms up too much. There's another one a few days later in Bethpage, so I might try that one if I can't make the one in Hicksville. If I miss both of these, the next one here in Huntington won't be until mid August.
Got up early and walked Zoe into town so I could drop by the bank and hit the ATM. There's a branch that's about a mile from here, so we had a good walk, and ended up stopping at a little cafe and had breakfast out on the sidewalk in the shade. We really enjoyed it even though it was already getting hot. I've got her under the bow this morning so I can flush the tanks without getting her splashed -- the drains are aft under the cockpit where she normally hangs out.
Zoe watch:
As I said, she's handing out under the bow this morning. She gets excited when she gets to do something new, so she's happy. I shaved her last night, so she's also a lot cooler. I'll head to the store to see if I can get a pool for her once it gets hot.
Weather watch:
Just heard that a heat advisory will go into effect in about an hour, and the waitress at the cafe told me that the heat index was supposed to be 106 today. Probably won't get too much done today.
Ham license watch:
Decided not to go into Manhattan to take the test today due to the heat, but will try to take the one in Hicksville on 10 July at 9am. Just hope it cools off by then, but since it's early in the morning, I should be able to get back before it warms up too much. There's another one a few days later in Bethpage, so I might try that one if I can't make the one in Hicksville. If I miss both of these, the next one here in Huntington won't be until mid August.
27 June 2010
Another hot day
It's been pretty hot lately, and the forecast for tomorrow calls for a high of 90. If that turns out to be the case, I won't be able to go over to Columbia to take the Amateur Extra exam. On top of the heat, thunder storms are also forecast, so I'd have to close the cover, and there's no way I'll leave Zoe on board under those conditions. Chances are, it wouldn't get too hot in the cabin, but I don't want to take a chance. It's only around 85 right now, but it's around 100 on deck and at least 90 in the cabin. The cover acts like an oven even when it's open, but it can really get hot when it's closed.
Not sure when I'll be able to remove the cover, but I have to get the deck finished and everything remounted first. I still need to finish sanding and fill in a few more holes before I can paint. It's pretty close, but I'm not sure when it will actually be done. I've been working on plumbing in the cabin and bilge while it's hot. I have two fresh water tanks, one in the lockers under the v-berth, and the other under the cabin sole. The bottom tank is gravity fed from the upper one and originally had just a manual valve to control it. Without a valve, the bottom tank could overflow and leak into the bilge. The previous owner used electrical tape to seal some of the connections and added a hose to the vent to keep that from happening. I've gotten rid of the tape and the other fill line, and will add a float valve to control the lower tank water level. That should solve the problem in a semi elegant manner.
I'm also going to replace all the hoses and clean the tanks. I haven't ordered the float valve yet, but will go ahead and clean the tanks, replace the hoses, install the new pump, and reinstall the old valve as a temporary solution. I'll just watch the tank fill and turn off the valve as soon as it fills up. Hope to have that all finished tomorrow.
I've also decided to go ahead and install a small 6 gallon holding tank. Gill said he'd just let me have the old one he's got in his store. It's new, but has been sitting on the shelf so long, it's dusty inside and looks used. Since he can't sell it as new, he said he'd just give it to me if I could use it. It will just fit in the locker, but may be difficult to hook up. However, I need one to be legal, so this is the best short-term solution.
The only other plumbing I'm planning to do before leaving is to run the freshwater intake to the hand pump at the galley sink. I'll also add shutoff and check valves to it so that I can use it for both the head and the sinks without loosing pressure. Since it's non-potable water, I may be able to use some of the old hose. The head sink has both hot and cold water hose that runs from the galley that might be okay to reuse. I may also add a trap to the line to keep it from getting clogged.
I replaced the bilge pump hose yesterday and was able to pump the bilge. The boat had two pumps, one for the bilge and one for the shower basin. They were inter-connected with y-valves so that you could use either one to pump either the shower or bilge. This was a bit too complex for me, and meant that hoses and valves were all over the place -- it was a big mess. Since a manual pump will be my backup system (I'll have three, one in the cabin, one in the cockpit, and a hand held one just in case) so I don't need a extra electric pump (I'll have two now, a small submersible one to keep the bilge dry, and the large one I'm working on now). In an emergency, I can also run the engine and run it's intake hose into the bilge I may try to setup a valve for that as well so I can use the current filter. I'll keep the other pump as a backup, but won't hook it up unless the good one fails.
Once I got the new hose hooked up and started pumping, the pump got clogged. I had to remove it and take it apart to clear it. It also clogged up the line further up, so I had to remove and clear it too. But once that was done, I pumped the bilge down to about an inch. I'll also replace that section of bilge pump hose once I remount the pump -- didn't like it's current location -- and install the submersible one. Once I remove the other one, there will be a lot more room in the locker. That will make it a lot safer too, since I'll be able to inspect and work on stuff. Before I started removing the old system, it was impossible to work on it.
I had filled the main freshwater tank all the way up and was letting it overflow into the bilge to clean out the gunk. I'll do it again this evening and will also pump it dry with the new fresh water pump tomorrow a few times to see if I can get it completely clean. The upper tank should be in better shape, since it probably stays dry most of the time, but I'll need to move a bunch of stuff to get to the inspection plate before I'll know for sure. I'm going run detergent and bleach through them until they're clean and smell fresh.
Zoe watch:
Zoe's hanging out under the boat trying to stay cool. She's been crawling under the vegetation next to the fence lately, but that gets direct sunlight in the afternoon, so under the boat is better. It also gets a better breeze, which should help. I brushed her this afternoon, and plan to shave her down again this evening. It's just too hot for all that black hair. My hair's starting to grow out a bit too, so I may trim it up a bit too. I'm also thinking about getting her a little plastic pool. I'll check the super market later to see if they have any. Just something for her to get in and get wet is all I'm looking for.
She used to love getting into the pool at the Leroy St. dog run in Manhattan. She'd just stand in the water and keep biting her ball. It's a really soft chewy one that floats but can't be destroyed. She likes to bit and sink it, then wait for it to float back up to the surface and do it again. The ball is empty, so it sinks easily and just floats barely above the surface. The only problem was that it was a very popular ball and sometimes the bigger dogs would steal it and not give it back. I'd have to retrieve it for her, which must have confused her -- she can't seem to understand that I'm the boss, not her. But I don't mind -- she's a great dog.
Not sure when I'll be able to remove the cover, but I have to get the deck finished and everything remounted first. I still need to finish sanding and fill in a few more holes before I can paint. It's pretty close, but I'm not sure when it will actually be done. I've been working on plumbing in the cabin and bilge while it's hot. I have two fresh water tanks, one in the lockers under the v-berth, and the other under the cabin sole. The bottom tank is gravity fed from the upper one and originally had just a manual valve to control it. Without a valve, the bottom tank could overflow and leak into the bilge. The previous owner used electrical tape to seal some of the connections and added a hose to the vent to keep that from happening. I've gotten rid of the tape and the other fill line, and will add a float valve to control the lower tank water level. That should solve the problem in a semi elegant manner.
I'm also going to replace all the hoses and clean the tanks. I haven't ordered the float valve yet, but will go ahead and clean the tanks, replace the hoses, install the new pump, and reinstall the old valve as a temporary solution. I'll just watch the tank fill and turn off the valve as soon as it fills up. Hope to have that all finished tomorrow.
I've also decided to go ahead and install a small 6 gallon holding tank. Gill said he'd just let me have the old one he's got in his store. It's new, but has been sitting on the shelf so long, it's dusty inside and looks used. Since he can't sell it as new, he said he'd just give it to me if I could use it. It will just fit in the locker, but may be difficult to hook up. However, I need one to be legal, so this is the best short-term solution.
The only other plumbing I'm planning to do before leaving is to run the freshwater intake to the hand pump at the galley sink. I'll also add shutoff and check valves to it so that I can use it for both the head and the sinks without loosing pressure. Since it's non-potable water, I may be able to use some of the old hose. The head sink has both hot and cold water hose that runs from the galley that might be okay to reuse. I may also add a trap to the line to keep it from getting clogged.
I replaced the bilge pump hose yesterday and was able to pump the bilge. The boat had two pumps, one for the bilge and one for the shower basin. They were inter-connected with y-valves so that you could use either one to pump either the shower or bilge. This was a bit too complex for me, and meant that hoses and valves were all over the place -- it was a big mess. Since a manual pump will be my backup system (I'll have three, one in the cabin, one in the cockpit, and a hand held one just in case) so I don't need a extra electric pump (I'll have two now, a small submersible one to keep the bilge dry, and the large one I'm working on now). In an emergency, I can also run the engine and run it's intake hose into the bilge I may try to setup a valve for that as well so I can use the current filter. I'll keep the other pump as a backup, but won't hook it up unless the good one fails.
Once I got the new hose hooked up and started pumping, the pump got clogged. I had to remove it and take it apart to clear it. It also clogged up the line further up, so I had to remove and clear it too. But once that was done, I pumped the bilge down to about an inch. I'll also replace that section of bilge pump hose once I remount the pump -- didn't like it's current location -- and install the submersible one. Once I remove the other one, there will be a lot more room in the locker. That will make it a lot safer too, since I'll be able to inspect and work on stuff. Before I started removing the old system, it was impossible to work on it.
I had filled the main freshwater tank all the way up and was letting it overflow into the bilge to clean out the gunk. I'll do it again this evening and will also pump it dry with the new fresh water pump tomorrow a few times to see if I can get it completely clean. The upper tank should be in better shape, since it probably stays dry most of the time, but I'll need to move a bunch of stuff to get to the inspection plate before I'll know for sure. I'm going run detergent and bleach through them until they're clean and smell fresh.
Zoe watch:
Zoe's hanging out under the boat trying to stay cool. She's been crawling under the vegetation next to the fence lately, but that gets direct sunlight in the afternoon, so under the boat is better. It also gets a better breeze, which should help. I brushed her this afternoon, and plan to shave her down again this evening. It's just too hot for all that black hair. My hair's starting to grow out a bit too, so I may trim it up a bit too. I'm also thinking about getting her a little plastic pool. I'll check the super market later to see if they have any. Just something for her to get in and get wet is all I'm looking for.
She used to love getting into the pool at the Leroy St. dog run in Manhattan. She'd just stand in the water and keep biting her ball. It's a really soft chewy one that floats but can't be destroyed. She likes to bit and sink it, then wait for it to float back up to the surface and do it again. The ball is empty, so it sinks easily and just floats barely above the surface. The only problem was that it was a very popular ball and sometimes the bigger dogs would steal it and not give it back. I'd have to retrieve it for her, which must have confused her -- she can't seem to understand that I'm the boss, not her. But I don't mind -- she's a great dog.
23 June 2010
Provisions
I ran out of alcohol for my stove last night, so I had to buy a new gallon today. I can't remember exactly when I bought the last gallon, but it was well over a month ago. I'll keep better tabs on this one, but either way, my consumption will change a bit once I get on the water and start using the stove more. I hope to install it this week -- need to buy a couple of sheets of marine plywood first.
I thought I had mentioned the burner in either my daily log entries or here on the blog, but couldn't find any mention of it. However, I did find an entry in the log concerning the first time I ran out of coffee on 20 May, and since I use a can in just less than a week, I think I must have started using it on or around the 13th. That means that it took me at least 5-6 weeks to use a gallon of fuel. So when I provision, I'll make sure I have a gallon on board for every month I'll be out. That's even less than I originally figured, so I feel pretty good about it.
However, I was surprised at how fast I went through the coffee. I have one of those Italian, stove-top ones and like my coffee, actually espresso, pretty strong. I don't fill it up, but do add 4 well rounded teaspoons, so I guess that explains it. Right now I'm getting some stuff called "Cafe Bustelo," and it's pretty good. The label says it's for espresso, and it's ground pretty fine, but the best part is that it's just about the cheapest coffee in the store -- under $3.99 for a 10 ounce can, and often an sale for $3.29.
I don't have an idea about other provisions yet, but am consuming about 2 cans of soup, beans, or other vegetables per day, plus a couple of croissants or bagels, and some fruit per day. Once the oven is operational, I'll see if I can learn how to bake bread, and also look into adding rice to my daily diet. I grew up eating rice and love it -- the Houston area is a big rice producer. But with the cabin still packed full of tools and parts, cooking is tough. Right now, I'm just making coffee and warming soup, etc.
Once I'm ready to provision the boat, I'll see if I can get a good deal on a bulk order somewhere. Hopefully, that will be in the next couple of weeks. Not sure if I'll try to provision before or after I splash, but before would be much easier. I just need to have everything done and stowed before I try to bring a bunch of stuff on board. I'll also need to strip the labels and wax all the cans so they won't rust, so it's a big deal. Nothing's easy on a boat.
Zoe watch:
Forgot this earlier, and decided to rename it from update to watch, a la Dan Froomkin. (Used to enjoy reading his White House Briefing until the Washington Post fired him -- what were they thinking?).
Zoe got a little too hot yesterday. We usually take a walk in the morning and she likes to hang out under an empty boat trailer about 10 feet from the boat when we get back. At that time of the morning, it's all in the shade, so it doesn't really matter, but after a few of hours, the only real shade is under the boat, so I have to make sure I move her. I made a little shady area a few days ago under the trailer so she'd have shade if she wanted it, but she often likes to alternate between sun and shade, so I just let her do what she wants.
Anyway, I was up in the boat for a couple of hours and think she must have made some sort of noise, because I heard something and looked out to check on her and she was looking up to me and looked a little anxious. I quickly climbed down, moved her under the boat and gave her some water. She drank almost a whole bottle. I don't think she was in too much trouble, because she still had the shady area I'd created -- and it was still early -- but it was getting hot and she'd run out of water. I kept an eye on her for the rest of the day, but she was fine.
However, I'd decided change our work schedule and working start tropical hours. We get up pretty early now and try to have our walk before it gets too hot. I also make sure I move Zoe before we loose the shade. Then I'll work till it starts to get hot -- wasn't too bad today, so that turned out to be about 3pm. At that point, I stop, rinse off and try to stay off the deck and out of the boat till it cools off again. I'll walk her around the yard and hang out under the boat with her. I've got plenty of stuff I still need to study and read, so that's a good time to catch up. I also took her up to the office this afternoon and she got to hang out in the a/c while I talked to Gill and bought some more fuel.
It's after dark now, and she's already had her evening walk. She's on deck hanging out at the bow keeping watch. As soon as I'm done with this online I'm going to get her and turn in. It's finally cooled off enough in the boat. Since the weather's been nice for the last couple of days, i.e., dry without too much wind, I've got the cover opened up with lines tied to blocks sorta like a tent. It stays a lot cooler that way. I think it was in the high 80's today, and the deck only got up to the low 90's. Normally, it would have been over 100.
Unfortunately, the forecast is for thunder storms early in the morning, so I'll need to button it up beforehand so it doesn't blow away. I'll do some of it before I go to bed, but will set the alarm for really early so I can seal it up before we get too much wind and rain. It's almost like being on the water, except instead of worrying about how much sail I have up, I'm worried about securing the cover. But as soon as I get it painted and the hardware remounted, I won't have to worry too much keeping her dry.
Ham license watch:
I'm thinking about going into Manhattan and taking the Amateur Extra exam at Columbia next Monday. I wasn't sure I'd still be here and still be in the yard for it, but since I am, I might as well. My other options would be to take it in Hicksville in mid July, here in Huntington in August, or wait till I get to Houston and take there. The problem with Houston is that you pretty much have to have a car to do anything -- and I don't even have a driver's license anymore, mine expired last year. Hicksville might be a better choice, but could be a problem if I have the boat in the water. I know I won't have the boat in the water next Monday, and other than having to walk back from the train station when I get back, the whole trip can be done via mass transit. Another good reason to go ahead and take it is that I've been studying for it and think I could pass it right now. The test is hard enough that if I let enough time pass, it might take me a while to get ready again.
I just did a search for exam sessions around Kemah (that's where I'll probably put the boat, it's just a few miles south of Baytown), and there are monthly sessions at the Johnson Space Center. I think that's only a few miles on foot, so Houston may not be a bad option, except that I'll have to get ready again, and probably won't be there for a few more months. I could also take it somewhere along the way on my trip there, but am not really sure how easy that would be -- again, I don't have a car or license. Maybe I could get one of those folding bikes.
Btw, the main reason I want to get the Amateur Extra license is so I can request one of the shorter call signs. I have a 2+3 (2 letters, one digit, and 3 letters), but even with a General license, I can't request one of the 1+2 or 2+1 call signs. Only Amateur Extra holders can do that.
Boat watch:
Just a quick note on the boat progress. I bought an 80 watt solar panel, but can't even think about installing it until I'm done with the deck. I also bought a few other things like a kerosene anchor light, new cowl vents for my dorades, and a really good radar reflector. I got a tri-lense one made by Rozendal Associates, Inc. This is the type that subs use when operating on the surface and are supposed to be the best ones out there. Since my boat is fiberglass, it's practically invisible to radar, therefore I have to use a reflector in order to be seen.
Not sure what I'm going to do about a holding tank, but have almost decided to make my own out of polyethylene. You can buy sheets pretty cheap, and a plastic welder is under $50. It uses compressed air, so I'd need a compressor, but that shouldn't be too difficult, I could always rent one. I just don't know if I could do this before I splash. And if not, am I going to have a problem sailing down to Houston -- most areas are no discharge, so it may not be legal to have a head without a holding tank.
I'm also having some problems with my fresh water system. I have two tanks: the original one is under the cabin sole in the keel, and the other, newer one, is under the v-berth just aft of the chain locker. The one in the v-berth is a couple feet higher and has a hose connected to the bottom of it that drains it into the main tank in the keel. The old system had a fill pipe for each tank, and a valve where the upper tank connected to the fill line for the lower tank. This could work, but seemed a bit too complex for me. If the valve was open, then the lower tank could overfill -- which it would do anyway if you filled it up completely from it's fill hose connected to a deck fitting which is about five feet higher. That means that if the tank doesn't seal, the extra water will leak into the bilge. And of course, it doesn't seal. The draw pipe is a copper tube that's loose. It was taped up with electrical tape to keep if from leaking too much.
But that's not too big of a problem is it's only what's in the hose. However, if it's from the upper tank, it will all go into the bilge and be lost if the valve is in the wrong position. Plus, I'm not sure the bilge would hold that much water. Zoe and I might end up floating in the cabin.
Anyway, I didn't like this idea. In fact, I removed the fill hose and deck fitting for the lower tank completely. I'm planning on always filling the upper tank and letting it keep the lower tank full, and use a float value in the lower tank to control it's level. That it will stay no fuller than say and inch or so from the top. Then I'll always draw from the lower tank and never have to worry about overflows or valves. I just need to find the right value. It's a pretty common problem, so I don't think it will be difficult to get one that works, e.g., they use them for stock tanks, fish ponds, etc.
I thought I had mentioned the burner in either my daily log entries or here on the blog, but couldn't find any mention of it. However, I did find an entry in the log concerning the first time I ran out of coffee on 20 May, and since I use a can in just less than a week, I think I must have started using it on or around the 13th. That means that it took me at least 5-6 weeks to use a gallon of fuel. So when I provision, I'll make sure I have a gallon on board for every month I'll be out. That's even less than I originally figured, so I feel pretty good about it.
However, I was surprised at how fast I went through the coffee. I have one of those Italian, stove-top ones and like my coffee, actually espresso, pretty strong. I don't fill it up, but do add 4 well rounded teaspoons, so I guess that explains it. Right now I'm getting some stuff called "Cafe Bustelo," and it's pretty good. The label says it's for espresso, and it's ground pretty fine, but the best part is that it's just about the cheapest coffee in the store -- under $3.99 for a 10 ounce can, and often an sale for $3.29.
I don't have an idea about other provisions yet, but am consuming about 2 cans of soup, beans, or other vegetables per day, plus a couple of croissants or bagels, and some fruit per day. Once the oven is operational, I'll see if I can learn how to bake bread, and also look into adding rice to my daily diet. I grew up eating rice and love it -- the Houston area is a big rice producer. But with the cabin still packed full of tools and parts, cooking is tough. Right now, I'm just making coffee and warming soup, etc.
Once I'm ready to provision the boat, I'll see if I can get a good deal on a bulk order somewhere. Hopefully, that will be in the next couple of weeks. Not sure if I'll try to provision before or after I splash, but before would be much easier. I just need to have everything done and stowed before I try to bring a bunch of stuff on board. I'll also need to strip the labels and wax all the cans so they won't rust, so it's a big deal. Nothing's easy on a boat.
Zoe watch:
Forgot this earlier, and decided to rename it from update to watch, a la Dan Froomkin. (Used to enjoy reading his White House Briefing until the Washington Post fired him -- what were they thinking?).
Zoe got a little too hot yesterday. We usually take a walk in the morning and she likes to hang out under an empty boat trailer about 10 feet from the boat when we get back. At that time of the morning, it's all in the shade, so it doesn't really matter, but after a few of hours, the only real shade is under the boat, so I have to make sure I move her. I made a little shady area a few days ago under the trailer so she'd have shade if she wanted it, but she often likes to alternate between sun and shade, so I just let her do what she wants.
Anyway, I was up in the boat for a couple of hours and think she must have made some sort of noise, because I heard something and looked out to check on her and she was looking up to me and looked a little anxious. I quickly climbed down, moved her under the boat and gave her some water. She drank almost a whole bottle. I don't think she was in too much trouble, because she still had the shady area I'd created -- and it was still early -- but it was getting hot and she'd run out of water. I kept an eye on her for the rest of the day, but she was fine.
However, I'd decided change our work schedule and working start tropical hours. We get up pretty early now and try to have our walk before it gets too hot. I also make sure I move Zoe before we loose the shade. Then I'll work till it starts to get hot -- wasn't too bad today, so that turned out to be about 3pm. At that point, I stop, rinse off and try to stay off the deck and out of the boat till it cools off again. I'll walk her around the yard and hang out under the boat with her. I've got plenty of stuff I still need to study and read, so that's a good time to catch up. I also took her up to the office this afternoon and she got to hang out in the a/c while I talked to Gill and bought some more fuel.
It's after dark now, and she's already had her evening walk. She's on deck hanging out at the bow keeping watch. As soon as I'm done with this online I'm going to get her and turn in. It's finally cooled off enough in the boat. Since the weather's been nice for the last couple of days, i.e., dry without too much wind, I've got the cover opened up with lines tied to blocks sorta like a tent. It stays a lot cooler that way. I think it was in the high 80's today, and the deck only got up to the low 90's. Normally, it would have been over 100.
Unfortunately, the forecast is for thunder storms early in the morning, so I'll need to button it up beforehand so it doesn't blow away. I'll do some of it before I go to bed, but will set the alarm for really early so I can seal it up before we get too much wind and rain. It's almost like being on the water, except instead of worrying about how much sail I have up, I'm worried about securing the cover. But as soon as I get it painted and the hardware remounted, I won't have to worry too much keeping her dry.
Ham license watch:
I'm thinking about going into Manhattan and taking the Amateur Extra exam at Columbia next Monday. I wasn't sure I'd still be here and still be in the yard for it, but since I am, I might as well. My other options would be to take it in Hicksville in mid July, here in Huntington in August, or wait till I get to Houston and take there. The problem with Houston is that you pretty much have to have a car to do anything -- and I don't even have a driver's license anymore, mine expired last year. Hicksville might be a better choice, but could be a problem if I have the boat in the water. I know I won't have the boat in the water next Monday, and other than having to walk back from the train station when I get back, the whole trip can be done via mass transit. Another good reason to go ahead and take it is that I've been studying for it and think I could pass it right now. The test is hard enough that if I let enough time pass, it might take me a while to get ready again.
I just did a search for exam sessions around Kemah (that's where I'll probably put the boat, it's just a few miles south of Baytown), and there are monthly sessions at the Johnson Space Center. I think that's only a few miles on foot, so Houston may not be a bad option, except that I'll have to get ready again, and probably won't be there for a few more months. I could also take it somewhere along the way on my trip there, but am not really sure how easy that would be -- again, I don't have a car or license. Maybe I could get one of those folding bikes.
Btw, the main reason I want to get the Amateur Extra license is so I can request one of the shorter call signs. I have a 2+3 (2 letters, one digit, and 3 letters), but even with a General license, I can't request one of the 1+2 or 2+1 call signs. Only Amateur Extra holders can do that.
Boat watch:
Just a quick note on the boat progress. I bought an 80 watt solar panel, but can't even think about installing it until I'm done with the deck. I also bought a few other things like a kerosene anchor light, new cowl vents for my dorades, and a really good radar reflector. I got a tri-lense one made by Rozendal Associates, Inc. This is the type that subs use when operating on the surface and are supposed to be the best ones out there. Since my boat is fiberglass, it's practically invisible to radar, therefore I have to use a reflector in order to be seen.
Not sure what I'm going to do about a holding tank, but have almost decided to make my own out of polyethylene. You can buy sheets pretty cheap, and a plastic welder is under $50. It uses compressed air, so I'd need a compressor, but that shouldn't be too difficult, I could always rent one. I just don't know if I could do this before I splash. And if not, am I going to have a problem sailing down to Houston -- most areas are no discharge, so it may not be legal to have a head without a holding tank.
I'm also having some problems with my fresh water system. I have two tanks: the original one is under the cabin sole in the keel, and the other, newer one, is under the v-berth just aft of the chain locker. The one in the v-berth is a couple feet higher and has a hose connected to the bottom of it that drains it into the main tank in the keel. The old system had a fill pipe for each tank, and a valve where the upper tank connected to the fill line for the lower tank. This could work, but seemed a bit too complex for me. If the valve was open, then the lower tank could overfill -- which it would do anyway if you filled it up completely from it's fill hose connected to a deck fitting which is about five feet higher. That means that if the tank doesn't seal, the extra water will leak into the bilge. And of course, it doesn't seal. The draw pipe is a copper tube that's loose. It was taped up with electrical tape to keep if from leaking too much.
But that's not too big of a problem is it's only what's in the hose. However, if it's from the upper tank, it will all go into the bilge and be lost if the valve is in the wrong position. Plus, I'm not sure the bilge would hold that much water. Zoe and I might end up floating in the cabin.
Anyway, I didn't like this idea. In fact, I removed the fill hose and deck fitting for the lower tank completely. I'm planning on always filling the upper tank and letting it keep the lower tank full, and use a float value in the lower tank to control it's level. That it will stay no fuller than say and inch or so from the top. Then I'll always draw from the lower tank and never have to worry about overflows or valves. I just need to find the right value. It's a pretty common problem, so I don't think it will be difficult to get one that works, e.g., they use them for stock tanks, fish ponds, etc.
20 June 2010
Second day off
I was planning on grinding and patching the last deck hole today and patching the few remaining screw holes, but it's just a bit too hot, so I decided to take the day off. It's only the second day I've taken off since I moved onto the boat on 30 April, so I don't feel too bad about it. Of course, there's no such thing as a day off when you're singlehanding.
Anyway, I'll probably do the touch-ups to the bottom paint this evening, and may still grind out the hole and fill some of the holes once it cools off, but it's over 100 on deck right now (that's under the cover -- think it's actually only 85 or so in the shade, but it's 90 in the cabin where I'm typing this.) and that's just too hot. I tried to work in that before and got sick from it a few weeks ago, so I'm not even going to try today.
I've only got a few days of work left, and there's really no hurry. I'd like to get in before the 4th of July, but may have to wait. I'll talk to the guys at Coneys next week and see when they can put me in. All I plan to do is fill the remaining holes, paint the deck, then remount everything. I may also try to replace the partitions in the cockpit lockers, but we'll see how it goes. I'm anxious to get out of here. The biggest problem will be trying to remount some of the hardware. I'll probably end up having to hire one of the guys in the yard for a hour of two -- at only about $100 an hour, ouch...
Btw, I think I'd like to get my 6-pack Captain's license, Charter Boat Captain - OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels), but will need 360 days of underway experience before I qualify. I think I also need to either take a course or pass the deck exam (still looking into it, but have started studying the deck exam material anyway -- mainly the "rules of the road" section since I'll need to know that anyway). That's what I'm doing to stay busy today, aside from this post, while I'm waiting for it to cool off.
The exam shouldn't be a problem, but the 360 days will be the tough part. Each "day" must include at least 8 hours underway, i.e., not moored, at anchor, tied up at the dock, or grounded. So a day sail of less that 8 hours doesn't count. However, if you stand 12 watches, you can get 1 1/2 days per day, so as a singlehander, I should be able to do that when I'm out overnight.
You also need to have 90 days in the last year in a particular category, i.e., coastal in my case. But coastal only goes out to 100 miles. That means that on a trip to Bermuda, I could only count the first and last days of each crossing, but hopefully, that's only for the coastal part. I think I can still count the other days toward the 360. The rules are a little fuzzy, so I may need to ask someone once I get close. Right now, I just want to make sure I know how to stay out of trouble.
Zoe update:
Seems that almost everyone is more interested in what Zoe's been up to, so I'll try to include a Zoe update in all my postings from now on. Zoe's hanging out in the shade under the boat today. That's where she stays most of the time during the day when I'm working. She likes to dig a little hole and sleep in it. Guess she stays cooler that way.
I gave her another trim last week and ended up throwing away a ball of hair about 8 inches in diameter. Her hair seems to be the thickest around her neck, so once I'd finished trimming her, she looked a lot different and 10 years younger (in dog years). I may trim her again, but she doesn't like it much and it's not too much fun for me either.
She still loves to go to the local bar/restaurant down the street, so we dropped by for a little while on Friday night. Didn't want to stay too long, since it gets a little dangerous for her when it gets crowded, but everyone likes her and she loves the attention -- she loves the treats too.
I normally bring her up on deck once it's cooled off enough and she's had her walk. The boat's covered, but there's an opening at the peak of the bow where she can stick her head out and keep watch. She'd stay there all night if I'd let her. She got really excited a few days ago when a raccoon wondered into the yard. Not sure what attracts them, but we get something every night and Zoe starts paying attention around sundown. There's a family of rabbits about 50 in front of the boat, so she's always watching for them.
Still not sure what she was chasing the other night when she got out, but it might have been the raccoon -- they normally try to entice pursuers to follow them into the water, but they probably didn't realize Zoe was such a good swimmer. I'll save her swimming story for next time.
Anyway, I'll probably do the touch-ups to the bottom paint this evening, and may still grind out the hole and fill some of the holes once it cools off, but it's over 100 on deck right now (that's under the cover -- think it's actually only 85 or so in the shade, but it's 90 in the cabin where I'm typing this.) and that's just too hot. I tried to work in that before and got sick from it a few weeks ago, so I'm not even going to try today.
I've only got a few days of work left, and there's really no hurry. I'd like to get in before the 4th of July, but may have to wait. I'll talk to the guys at Coneys next week and see when they can put me in. All I plan to do is fill the remaining holes, paint the deck, then remount everything. I may also try to replace the partitions in the cockpit lockers, but we'll see how it goes. I'm anxious to get out of here. The biggest problem will be trying to remount some of the hardware. I'll probably end up having to hire one of the guys in the yard for a hour of two -- at only about $100 an hour, ouch...
Btw, I think I'd like to get my 6-pack Captain's license, Charter Boat Captain - OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels), but will need 360 days of underway experience before I qualify. I think I also need to either take a course or pass the deck exam (still looking into it, but have started studying the deck exam material anyway -- mainly the "rules of the road" section since I'll need to know that anyway). That's what I'm doing to stay busy today, aside from this post, while I'm waiting for it to cool off.
The exam shouldn't be a problem, but the 360 days will be the tough part. Each "day" must include at least 8 hours underway, i.e., not moored, at anchor, tied up at the dock, or grounded. So a day sail of less that 8 hours doesn't count. However, if you stand 12 watches, you can get 1 1/2 days per day, so as a singlehander, I should be able to do that when I'm out overnight.
You also need to have 90 days in the last year in a particular category, i.e., coastal in my case. But coastal only goes out to 100 miles. That means that on a trip to Bermuda, I could only count the first and last days of each crossing, but hopefully, that's only for the coastal part. I think I can still count the other days toward the 360. The rules are a little fuzzy, so I may need to ask someone once I get close. Right now, I just want to make sure I know how to stay out of trouble.
Zoe update:
Seems that almost everyone is more interested in what Zoe's been up to, so I'll try to include a Zoe update in all my postings from now on. Zoe's hanging out in the shade under the boat today. That's where she stays most of the time during the day when I'm working. She likes to dig a little hole and sleep in it. Guess she stays cooler that way.
I gave her another trim last week and ended up throwing away a ball of hair about 8 inches in diameter. Her hair seems to be the thickest around her neck, so once I'd finished trimming her, she looked a lot different and 10 years younger (in dog years). I may trim her again, but she doesn't like it much and it's not too much fun for me either.
She still loves to go to the local bar/restaurant down the street, so we dropped by for a little while on Friday night. Didn't want to stay too long, since it gets a little dangerous for her when it gets crowded, but everyone likes her and she loves the attention -- she loves the treats too.
I normally bring her up on deck once it's cooled off enough and she's had her walk. The boat's covered, but there's an opening at the peak of the bow where she can stick her head out and keep watch. She'd stay there all night if I'd let her. She got really excited a few days ago when a raccoon wondered into the yard. Not sure what attracts them, but we get something every night and Zoe starts paying attention around sundown. There's a family of rabbits about 50 in front of the boat, so she's always watching for them.
Still not sure what she was chasing the other night when she got out, but it might have been the raccoon -- they normally try to entice pursuers to follow them into the water, but they probably didn't realize Zoe was such a good swimmer. I'll save her swimming story for next time.
18 June 2010
GTT
GTT stands for "Gone to Texas," and was the message left behind by a lot of the folks who migrated to Texas during the 19th century. Even though I'm from Texas, I think I can still use it when I leave here. That's because I've decided to make Texas my first destination. I'll probably take some interesting trips along the way, but I'll decide on those based on how this part of the refit goes and how she sails once I get her into the water.
Based on the work that still needs to be done, I don't think I could realistically finish up here -- at least not very quickly. Also, some of it depends on how she sails, which I won't know until get her out on the water. I'd originally planned on doing most of the refit in the Houston area anyway, but the oil spill put that plan on hold. However, it looks like the current and prevailing winds are pushing the oil away from the Texas coast on toward Florida, so I think it's safe to go to Houston later this summer.
Therefore, I'm going to place the final orders today, finish up the deck and cockpit lockers, then remount everything and put her into the water. There might be a few more things I'll need to do before I can leave, but hopefully I'll be able to handle all of that on a mooring. I think I'll probably be in a slip once I arrive in Houston, so I'll have power to finish up the refit, but that's not an option on a mooring. I'll also try to get my radio's working, but won't worry too much about that for now. If I stay close to the coast, all I'll need is my VHF and AIS. I still have my cell phone and computer with a mobile broadband modem, so I don't need to worry about having Winlink working yet.
The biggest things I still need to do are fix the toerails, remount some of the more difficult to get to deck hardware (can't seem to get anyone interested in coming way out here to give me a hand), redesign the cabin for mounting the radios, cabin heater, and chart table, and install an observation dome in the main sliding companionway hatch. The toerails, deck hardware, and cabin redesign will have to wait, but I might get to the dome and at least figure out a temporary solution for the radios before I launch. I'm going to punt on the cabin heater for right now -- won't need it in Houston till around December anyway. I never could get it to work correctly. It always smoked really bad and kept filling up with soot.
Based on the work that still needs to be done, I don't think I could realistically finish up here -- at least not very quickly. Also, some of it depends on how she sails, which I won't know until get her out on the water. I'd originally planned on doing most of the refit in the Houston area anyway, but the oil spill put that plan on hold. However, it looks like the current and prevailing winds are pushing the oil away from the Texas coast on toward Florida, so I think it's safe to go to Houston later this summer.
Therefore, I'm going to place the final orders today, finish up the deck and cockpit lockers, then remount everything and put her into the water. There might be a few more things I'll need to do before I can leave, but hopefully I'll be able to handle all of that on a mooring. I think I'll probably be in a slip once I arrive in Houston, so I'll have power to finish up the refit, but that's not an option on a mooring. I'll also try to get my radio's working, but won't worry too much about that for now. If I stay close to the coast, all I'll need is my VHF and AIS. I still have my cell phone and computer with a mobile broadband modem, so I don't need to worry about having Winlink working yet.
The biggest things I still need to do are fix the toerails, remount some of the more difficult to get to deck hardware (can't seem to get anyone interested in coming way out here to give me a hand), redesign the cabin for mounting the radios, cabin heater, and chart table, and install an observation dome in the main sliding companionway hatch. The toerails, deck hardware, and cabin redesign will have to wait, but I might get to the dome and at least figure out a temporary solution for the radios before I launch. I'm going to punt on the cabin heater for right now -- won't need it in Houston till around December anyway. I never could get it to work correctly. It always smoked really bad and kept filling up with soot.
15 June 2010
World Cup (en español)
Can't seem to find any World Cup coverage on the radio in English, so I've been listening to the afternoon matches on the local Spanish station. Since I don't speak Spanish, it's a bit of a challenge, but at least I can recognize when goals are scored. ;-)
Actually, I've watched a lot of soccer in French, mainly when I lived in France, and since Spanish is pretty close, I can understand enough to enjoy it. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up a bit more before the cup is over, but until then -- gooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllll...
Actually, I've watched a lot of soccer in French, mainly when I lived in France, and since Spanish is pretty close, I can understand enough to enjoy it. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick up a bit more before the cup is over, but until then -- gooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllll...
14 June 2010
Zoe escapes -- again...
Zoe escaped for about half an hour a couple of days ago. After the USA - England World Cup match, I came back to the boat yard and took her for a walk. We ended up stopping at the dog friendly bar done the street and had dinner and a couple of drinks, beer for me, and water for her. The bar allows dogs, which is technically illegal, but doesn't seem to bother anyone. The dogs are even welcome to sit on the stools.
We ended up staying till about 10pm before heading home. It was getting a bit crowded and I didn't want anyone stepping on her -- I don't let her up on the stools. When we got back to the boat yard, the gate was already locked, so I opened it, locked it behind us, and let Zoe off the leash for the walk back to the boat. We're in the back, so that gives her about 100 yards to run. She must have seen or smelled a rabbit, because she took off like a rocket. I jogged after her to see what she was chasing, but couldn't keep up. She ran back and forth along the far side of the yard that boarders a wooded area, then found a hole in the fence and was gone. I called for her for a while and then climbed the fence myself.
The neighbor behind the yard yelled over to see what was going on, so I went over and explained that my dog was missing. We spoke for about a minute, then I excused myself and began jogging up the street. At that point, I saw Zoe run by his house and called her. She came right up, panting, completely out of breath, and soaking wet -- she must have found a water hole of some kind. The neighborhood behind the boat yard is pretty quite, so there wasn't much chance of her getting into trouble, but if she'd gotten out onto the main road, it would have been a different story.
She hasn't run off like that for the last couple of years, and does come back within a few minutes, but I just can't seem to keep her from running off in the first place. She goes nuts for rabbits and horses, and we saw a possum the other night which really got her going as well. Now that I know the fence isn't secure, I won't be letting her off the leash even in the yard again. I never had this problem with any of my other dogs. Every one of them would listen and turn back if I called them, but Zoe just can't help it. She takes off at full blast and only comes back once she's worn out.
The first time she did this was right after I got her. We lived next to Vandy and took her onto the campus to let her run off leash with another dog, thinking the other dog would make her easier to control. But as soon as she got off the leash, she took off. That was before I injured my heels, so I took off after her. I must have chased her for about a mile before she got tired and turned around. It was all I could do to keep close enough to see where she was going.
She'd chase one squirrel after another. As soon as one went up a tree, she'd see another one and take off after it. All I had on were flip flops, so I kicked them off and chased her bare footed. I was glad we were on campus, since I could run on grass most of the time, but then she got to the edge and ran along the street for another good quarter mile.
I think I tried it again about a year later figuring that she would obey at that point, but it was pretty much the same thing. However, I was ready and had on my running shoes, so I was able to keep up a bit better. She's gotten loose a few other times, mostly through an open door, but I pretty much try to keep her in fenced areas like dog parks.
She's jumped off the boat before too, but never into the water, just onto the dock. We'd been out by ourselves and she got a little scared when the boat heeled over a bit too far. She didn't like that too much and wanted off the boat a quick as possible once we got back to the dock. I was busy with the lines, so couldn't chase her right away, but she just went about 100 yards and waited for me. We were living on the boat, and she didn't seem to have a problem with it once we got back, she jumped right back on board.
We ended up staying till about 10pm before heading home. It was getting a bit crowded and I didn't want anyone stepping on her -- I don't let her up on the stools. When we got back to the boat yard, the gate was already locked, so I opened it, locked it behind us, and let Zoe off the leash for the walk back to the boat. We're in the back, so that gives her about 100 yards to run. She must have seen or smelled a rabbit, because she took off like a rocket. I jogged after her to see what she was chasing, but couldn't keep up. She ran back and forth along the far side of the yard that boarders a wooded area, then found a hole in the fence and was gone. I called for her for a while and then climbed the fence myself.
The neighbor behind the yard yelled over to see what was going on, so I went over and explained that my dog was missing. We spoke for about a minute, then I excused myself and began jogging up the street. At that point, I saw Zoe run by his house and called her. She came right up, panting, completely out of breath, and soaking wet -- she must have found a water hole of some kind. The neighborhood behind the boat yard is pretty quite, so there wasn't much chance of her getting into trouble, but if she'd gotten out onto the main road, it would have been a different story.
She hasn't run off like that for the last couple of years, and does come back within a few minutes, but I just can't seem to keep her from running off in the first place. She goes nuts for rabbits and horses, and we saw a possum the other night which really got her going as well. Now that I know the fence isn't secure, I won't be letting her off the leash even in the yard again. I never had this problem with any of my other dogs. Every one of them would listen and turn back if I called them, but Zoe just can't help it. She takes off at full blast and only comes back once she's worn out.
The first time she did this was right after I got her. We lived next to Vandy and took her onto the campus to let her run off leash with another dog, thinking the other dog would make her easier to control. But as soon as she got off the leash, she took off. That was before I injured my heels, so I took off after her. I must have chased her for about a mile before she got tired and turned around. It was all I could do to keep close enough to see where she was going.
She'd chase one squirrel after another. As soon as one went up a tree, she'd see another one and take off after it. All I had on were flip flops, so I kicked them off and chased her bare footed. I was glad we were on campus, since I could run on grass most of the time, but then she got to the edge and ran along the street for another good quarter mile.
I think I tried it again about a year later figuring that she would obey at that point, but it was pretty much the same thing. However, I was ready and had on my running shoes, so I was able to keep up a bit better. She's gotten loose a few other times, mostly through an open door, but I pretty much try to keep her in fenced areas like dog parks.
She's jumped off the boat before too, but never into the water, just onto the dock. We'd been out by ourselves and she got a little scared when the boat heeled over a bit too far. She didn't like that too much and wanted off the boat a quick as possible once we got back to the dock. I was busy with the lines, so couldn't chase her right away, but she just went about 100 yards and waited for me. We were living on the boat, and she didn't seem to have a problem with it once we got back, she jumped right back on board.
12 June 2010
Passed the General Exam
Passed the General Exam here in Huntington this morning. I only missed one, so I gave the Extra Exam a try, but only got about 24 out of 50 right -- you need 37 to pass. Not sure if I'll try again --the Extra license really doesn't give you that many more frequencies -- but a lot of the information encompassed in the exam is definitely stuff I need know, so I'll probably continue to review it anyway. However, they only have exam sessions here in Huntington every couple of months, so I'm not even sure if I'll still be around for the next one. If I am, I'll definitely take it. I know I'll be here for at least another month or so.
I'm also considering requesting a shorter call-sign, but believe I need to wait for my General Exam results to appear online before I can do that. It only took about a week for the results of my Technician Exam to appear, so it might be there by the end of next week.
To celebrate, I think I'll take the afternoon off and watch the US "beat the hell out of" England. (that's the way Aggies normally put it...)
I'm also considering requesting a shorter call-sign, but believe I need to wait for my General Exam results to appear online before I can do that. It only took about a week for the results of my Technician Exam to appear, so it might be there by the end of next week.
To celebrate, I think I'll take the afternoon off and watch the US "beat the hell out of" England. (that's the way Aggies normally put it...)
11 June 2010
She's alive
Looks like Abby lost her mast and with it all her antennas, as well as her engine. It's great that she's still alive and will be rescued, but I think this is yet another example of what not to do. She had the wrong type of boat, seemed to rely too heavily on high-tech gear, and let an arbitrary date dictate her choice of time and route. Plus, she's now put a number of other people at risk in near hurricane conditions who have to rescue her.
Again, glad she's okay, but I think she, and her family, need to pick up the bill for this one. But, she'll write a book and make lots of money from it. And if one of the rescuers is killed saving her, she'll make even more. Btw, the boat isn't sinking and most likely won't, and she has plenty of food. The only problem she really has right now is that the mast is down and the engine is out, so she currently can't sail or make headway. But the reason she's getting saved is that she has no way to communicate.
With all the gear she has on the boat, she could easily jury rig some sort of sail and could most likely fix the engine too, but since she's just 16, she pops her EPIRB's instead. There is no imminent threat to life, just an inconvenience and the fact that she won't be able to set a record. I think she should have at least made an effort before declaring an emergency.
Again, glad she's okay, but I think she, and her family, need to pick up the bill for this one. But, she'll write a book and make lots of money from it. And if one of the rescuers is killed saving her, she'll make even more. Btw, the boat isn't sinking and most likely won't, and she has plenty of food. The only problem she really has right now is that the mast is down and the engine is out, so she currently can't sail or make headway. But the reason she's getting saved is that she has no way to communicate.
With all the gear she has on the boat, she could easily jury rig some sort of sail and could most likely fix the engine too, but since she's just 16, she pops her EPIRB's instead. There is no imminent threat to life, just an inconvenience and the fact that she won't be able to set a record. I think she should have at least made an effort before declaring an emergency.
10 June 2010
Abby Sunderland is missing
Looks like she might have lost her boat, or at least her mast and radio. Hope she's okay, but it's not a good idea to be down there during the winter.
New Stove
Got my new stove today. It's an Origo 6000 non-pressurized, two burner alcohol stove, which is the larger version of the Origo 1500 single burner I already have -- guess I'll keep that one as a backup.
It's a little smaller than the space I've got, so I'll need to add 1 1/2" spacers on each side to mount the gimbals, probably just a couple 3/4" thick blocks of plywood. I'll also have a little more space behind it, so I might be able to use that for storage as well, but will need to be careful since it will be near the stove.
I need to buy some 3/4" plywood to replace the dividers in the cockpit lockers, so I should have enough left over to mount the stove. I can use the burners now, but need to wait until it's mounted to use the oven. Looking forward to baking bread -- sorta like Chichester did on his circumnavigation. I picked up his book, Gypsy Moth Circles the Globe, shortly after moving onto the boat and finished it a few weeks ago. It was really good, but the main things I learned from it were what not to do -- some of which I already knew. Singlehanded sailing was still in it's infancy back then; He did his singlehanded circumnavigation via the clipper route in 1967.
I just finished another book about Magellan's circumnavigation (he actually died in route) last week that a friend from McManus, Justin (another Justin, not the owner), gave me right before I moved from Manhattan. It was pretty good as well, but wasn't quite as applicable as Chichester's book-- he was a singlehander like me. Might sound like a lot of reading, but other than those two books, studying for my license, doing some research and ordering online, I've been working pretty much every day, though not making as much progress as I'd like.
Haven't painted the cockpit yet -- problems with weather, etc. -- but have the entire deck cleared off and almost ready for painting. So, I should be able to do the whole thing at one time, or at least large sections. I have to mix the expoxy, so it's better if I have more area available so I won't waste any of it -- it only lasts about a hour or so once it's mixed.
Hoping to start remounting deck hardware next week. I'll need help, so I'm hoping a friend will drop by. Otherwise, I'll have to hire someone from the yard. However, I think I can do a good deal of it myself using gorilla tape, but that takes a lot longer since you have to keep going from one side to the other (which can be a long way and require you to crawl into a small space) to adjust the wrench. With someone on the other side, it's really quick. I took it all off with gorilla tape, but putting it back on requires caulking which adds to the complexity.
To get the deck clear, I removed the 1x4 stringers from the cover's frame and lashed it with one of my old halyards. Then I moved the legs of the "rafters" off the deck and onto the toe rail, and to keep them from slipping off, I had to lash the bottom of one side to the other side about a foot of so down from the ridge. It seems even more sturdy and rigid than it did when they installed it -- Paul would be proud of me.
That's Paul Smoke. He was my first boss, back when I was 16, and he and his girlfriend let me live with them when my father kicked me out of the house later that summer. Paul was a framer at the time and taught me how to be a carpenter -- comes in handy. I ended up working for Paul several times over the years and still keep in touch. He's married with 4 grown kids now and owns a sign business in Baytown. Was hoping to get down there this summer, but with the oil spill, that probably isn't an option.
Anyway, it's a nice day, so I'm going to see if I can get the rest of the deck ready for painting.
It's a little smaller than the space I've got, so I'll need to add 1 1/2" spacers on each side to mount the gimbals, probably just a couple 3/4" thick blocks of plywood. I'll also have a little more space behind it, so I might be able to use that for storage as well, but will need to be careful since it will be near the stove.
I need to buy some 3/4" plywood to replace the dividers in the cockpit lockers, so I should have enough left over to mount the stove. I can use the burners now, but need to wait until it's mounted to use the oven. Looking forward to baking bread -- sorta like Chichester did on his circumnavigation. I picked up his book, Gypsy Moth Circles the Globe, shortly after moving onto the boat and finished it a few weeks ago. It was really good, but the main things I learned from it were what not to do -- some of which I already knew. Singlehanded sailing was still in it's infancy back then; He did his singlehanded circumnavigation via the clipper route in 1967.
I just finished another book about Magellan's circumnavigation (he actually died in route) last week that a friend from McManus, Justin (another Justin, not the owner), gave me right before I moved from Manhattan. It was pretty good as well, but wasn't quite as applicable as Chichester's book-- he was a singlehander like me. Might sound like a lot of reading, but other than those two books, studying for my license, doing some research and ordering online, I've been working pretty much every day, though not making as much progress as I'd like.
Haven't painted the cockpit yet -- problems with weather, etc. -- but have the entire deck cleared off and almost ready for painting. So, I should be able to do the whole thing at one time, or at least large sections. I have to mix the expoxy, so it's better if I have more area available so I won't waste any of it -- it only lasts about a hour or so once it's mixed.
Hoping to start remounting deck hardware next week. I'll need help, so I'm hoping a friend will drop by. Otherwise, I'll have to hire someone from the yard. However, I think I can do a good deal of it myself using gorilla tape, but that takes a lot longer since you have to keep going from one side to the other (which can be a long way and require you to crawl into a small space) to adjust the wrench. With someone on the other side, it's really quick. I took it all off with gorilla tape, but putting it back on requires caulking which adds to the complexity.
To get the deck clear, I removed the 1x4 stringers from the cover's frame and lashed it with one of my old halyards. Then I moved the legs of the "rafters" off the deck and onto the toe rail, and to keep them from slipping off, I had to lash the bottom of one side to the other side about a foot of so down from the ridge. It seems even more sturdy and rigid than it did when they installed it -- Paul would be proud of me.
That's Paul Smoke. He was my first boss, back when I was 16, and he and his girlfriend let me live with them when my father kicked me out of the house later that summer. Paul was a framer at the time and taught me how to be a carpenter -- comes in handy. I ended up working for Paul several times over the years and still keep in touch. He's married with 4 grown kids now and owns a sign business in Baytown. Was hoping to get down there this summer, but with the oil spill, that probably isn't an option.
Anyway, it's a nice day, so I'm going to see if I can get the rest of the deck ready for painting.
08 June 2010
Aurora, c. 2000
Aurora, c. 2000This is an old photo of Aurora taken by her previous owner -- I think that's him in the photo. The 98 on the sails represents the hull number, i.e., she was 98th Luders 33 built. She's on a port tack with her sails fully deployed and probably doing about 6 knots. I'll post some more photos once I've finished the refit and removed the cover.
06 June 2010
Square root algorithm
Coach Drew Dunlap taught me this algorithm a long time ago in a high school algebra class, and I've always regretted that I'd forgotten it and could never find an example in any math books. I'm studying for my General exam next weekend and needed to take the square root of something and didn't have a calculator handy, and won't have one for the test, even though it's allowed -- the batteries are dead in the old TI I've got, and I doubt they'd let me use a laptop.
Anyway, I google'd for it and found several sites that demonstrated it, so now I can do it again. Basically, you group the numbers in pairs starting from the right, then work from the left and find the square. Obviously, the first pair might be a single digit, or 0(something). I'm not going to try to replicate it here, but if you search for "square root algorithm" you'll get a bunch of hits.
Coach Dunlap was a great coach, he coached track (I was swimmer not a runner at the time), but was an even better teacher. I took 2 full years of mathematics my junior year, all with him, and it changed my life. Turned out to be the only thing in high school that challenged and excited me, other than sports. Once I learned to read proficiently -- years later while deployed on board ship with nothing else to do -- I got more interested in history and literature, but still love math.
It's probably still my best subject, even though my degree is in history with a minor in English; I could have minored in math as well, but Dr. Clinton Machann was teaching an English course the summer I was graduated, so I took it instead of another math course. I'd had him for two other courses and really like him. Once before I went on active duty, and once after I got out. It wasn't until the first class that I realized the "romantics" was all poetry. I struggled through it and actually liked some of it. At least I know who those guys are, even if it's not to my taste.
Dr. Machann is also a musician and I remember mentioning that Jonathan Edwards was also the name of musician up in the north east -- I first heard his album will living in a group house in Lake Placid during the Winter Olympics in 1980. He was familiar with him and mentioned several of his songs. The only ones I could remember at the time where Shanty and Sunshine. I was a few years older than the other kids in the class -- they were all freshman, and I was probably a junior, or should have been, at the time. Anyway, they all looked at me like I was from outer space after that.
At some point during the semester, Dr. Machann announced to the class that the English department had a band and that they would be playing the next weekend at Grins Beer Garden (I think that was the name), so I took my girl friend Nancy to see them. I was the only one from the class who came and Nancy and I were practically the only ones there, but they were pretty good and it was fun. Nancy liked them too.
My only other story about Dr. Machann, was when I got out of the Corps and went back to school, I just happened to take another class with him, probably Western Literature or something like that. One day, he was talking about Jane Austin and asked the class if anyone had ever read anything by her. I, along with half a dozen other students raised my hand, and he asked us one by one what we'd read.
The girl he called on right before me mentioned that she'd read Pride and Prejudice, and he said it was a good example of English mannerism and that the girls in the class would probably really like it. Then he asked me what I'd read, and when I said Pride and Prejudice too. He laughed and said, well it looks like Marines would probably like it as well. This was in the late 80's and I was a good 10 years older than everyone in the class, so again, they all looked at me somewhat strangely.
So, although I got a slow start, I'm one of those weird life-long learners who doesn't own a tv, listens to NPR, and reads all the time. And some of my best friends are former teachers or mentors whom I've known for over 20 to 30 years. They might even read this...
Anyway, I google'd for it and found several sites that demonstrated it, so now I can do it again. Basically, you group the numbers in pairs starting from the right, then work from the left and find the square. Obviously, the first pair might be a single digit, or 0(something). I'm not going to try to replicate it here, but if you search for "square root algorithm" you'll get a bunch of hits.
Coach Dunlap was a great coach, he coached track (I was swimmer not a runner at the time), but was an even better teacher. I took 2 full years of mathematics my junior year, all with him, and it changed my life. Turned out to be the only thing in high school that challenged and excited me, other than sports. Once I learned to read proficiently -- years later while deployed on board ship with nothing else to do -- I got more interested in history and literature, but still love math.
It's probably still my best subject, even though my degree is in history with a minor in English; I could have minored in math as well, but Dr. Clinton Machann was teaching an English course the summer I was graduated, so I took it instead of another math course. I'd had him for two other courses and really like him. Once before I went on active duty, and once after I got out. It wasn't until the first class that I realized the "romantics" was all poetry. I struggled through it and actually liked some of it. At least I know who those guys are, even if it's not to my taste.
Dr. Machann is also a musician and I remember mentioning that Jonathan Edwards was also the name of musician up in the north east -- I first heard his album will living in a group house in Lake Placid during the Winter Olympics in 1980. He was familiar with him and mentioned several of his songs. The only ones I could remember at the time where Shanty and Sunshine. I was a few years older than the other kids in the class -- they were all freshman, and I was probably a junior, or should have been, at the time. Anyway, they all looked at me like I was from outer space after that.
At some point during the semester, Dr. Machann announced to the class that the English department had a band and that they would be playing the next weekend at Grins Beer Garden (I think that was the name), so I took my girl friend Nancy to see them. I was the only one from the class who came and Nancy and I were practically the only ones there, but they were pretty good and it was fun. Nancy liked them too.
My only other story about Dr. Machann, was when I got out of the Corps and went back to school, I just happened to take another class with him, probably Western Literature or something like that. One day, he was talking about Jane Austin and asked the class if anyone had ever read anything by her. I, along with half a dozen other students raised my hand, and he asked us one by one what we'd read.
The girl he called on right before me mentioned that she'd read Pride and Prejudice, and he said it was a good example of English mannerism and that the girls in the class would probably really like it. Then he asked me what I'd read, and when I said Pride and Prejudice too. He laughed and said, well it looks like Marines would probably like it as well. This was in the late 80's and I was a good 10 years older than everyone in the class, so again, they all looked at me somewhat strangely.
So, although I got a slow start, I'm one of those weird life-long learners who doesn't own a tv, listens to NPR, and reads all the time. And some of my best friends are former teachers or mentors whom I've known for over 20 to 30 years. They might even read this...
03 June 2010
Too Hot
I got a little too hot yesterday working in the cockpit under the cover. It was open at both the stern and bow, but was still close to 100 -- it's about 95 right now. I got a little dizzy toward the end of the day, and didn't sleep well, so I'm taking it a little easier today and plan to work on jobs in the cabin today and only work on the deck in the morning or evening when it's cooler. However, due to fog this morning and thunder storms predicted for this afternoon, I may not be able to work on it today. In addition to the 4 places that need another coat of fairing plus a few holes and nicks that still need filling, I'm going to add a lip of resin to the edge of the deck up against the teak toe rail, so I'm probably looking at at least another full day of glass work before I can paint.
I spent most of today working on plumbing. I finally removed the lectro-san from the head. To get it out, I had to remove the sink and toilet. Now that everything's out, I'm going to try to find a holding tank that will fit in the locker below the counter top along the hull. It's not a big space, and due to the curvature of the hull, it's not regular shape either. That's why I'm online; I need to search for one. A holding tank will make me legal. Otherwise, I could get into trouble for having a functioning head with no holding tank, since most places near shore are officially "no discharge" areas. I'll add a y-value (that I'll need to lock in place) so I can switch to direct discharge when out at sea and holding tank when close to shore.
I'm also going to order the oven version of the stove I bought a few weeks ago. It's sorta expensive, but I think it'll workout okay. I really like the way the stove works, but am a bit concerned about it not sealing when not in use. You have to open it and insert a rubber cover/seal, and if you forget to remove it and try to light it, you'll burn it. I guess the only real problem is if you were to capsize without the cover in place, you'd leak fuel all over the place. You'd also have a fire if it was lit at the time, but since it burns alcohol that's extinguished with water, it may not be that big a deal, e.g., if we capsize, there will be plenty of water in the cabin to put out the fire.
Please note, that I have no intention on capsizing. For one thing, I plan to deploy my Jordan drogue if I run into that sort or weather. I also have a boat that heaves to pretty well. Also, the stove is fully gimballed so it should be relatively safe.
I spent most of today working on plumbing. I finally removed the lectro-san from the head. To get it out, I had to remove the sink and toilet. Now that everything's out, I'm going to try to find a holding tank that will fit in the locker below the counter top along the hull. It's not a big space, and due to the curvature of the hull, it's not regular shape either. That's why I'm online; I need to search for one. A holding tank will make me legal. Otherwise, I could get into trouble for having a functioning head with no holding tank, since most places near shore are officially "no discharge" areas. I'll add a y-value (that I'll need to lock in place) so I can switch to direct discharge when out at sea and holding tank when close to shore.
I'm also going to order the oven version of the stove I bought a few weeks ago. It's sorta expensive, but I think it'll workout okay. I really like the way the stove works, but am a bit concerned about it not sealing when not in use. You have to open it and insert a rubber cover/seal, and if you forget to remove it and try to light it, you'll burn it. I guess the only real problem is if you were to capsize without the cover in place, you'd leak fuel all over the place. You'd also have a fire if it was lit at the time, but since it burns alcohol that's extinguished with water, it may not be that big a deal, e.g., if we capsize, there will be plenty of water in the cabin to put out the fire.
Please note, that I have no intention on capsizing. For one thing, I plan to deploy my Jordan drogue if I run into that sort or weather. I also have a boat that heaves to pretty well. Also, the stove is fully gimballed so it should be relatively safe.
01 June 2010
First day off
Took off most of Memorial Day and ended up going for a run just after noon. It was a hot sunny day and I just couldn't resist. The run felt great. I went about 4 miles at an 8:38 pace, and even ran the last 2 miles without my shirt. But a few hours later my heels started hurting and this morning my left one was really sore. I stretched it out this morning and it feels fine now, but I'll have to be really careful and keep my calves stretched. Not sure I'll ever be able to run pain-free again, but I can deal with a little pain, so I plan to run again in a few days and see how it goes.
I did do a little glass work yesterday afternoon. I added a couple of layers of fiberglass to the top of the winch bases and filled in the old holes, actually all the holes, with resin. I gave them a coat of filler for fairing this morning, but I mixed a large amount and some of it gelled in the cup before I could use it. I hate wasting it since it's so expensive -- resin, hardener, and filler runs at about $125 a gallon once you mix it up.
I've got the cockpit almost ready to paint now. Just need to finish faring everything and clean it all up. I had to button up the cover this afternoon due to the rain, and can't do any more glass work due to the humidity but should be able to use this time to get all the cleaning and sanding done. I've got a few other tasks I can work on too, but will need a couple of nice days to finish the cockpit. Once it's done, I can move all the gear off the coach roof and start working on that part. It only needs a little cleaning, filling, and sanding before I can paint it as well. I do need to remove the last 2 hand rails and some deck hardware, but might be able to do that this afternoon while I'm waiting out the rain.
I'm using a 2-part epoxy primer, but have just a 1-part polyurethane for the top coat. I only have 3 quarts, but none of them are white, so I may not use them. I was planning on using a light gray for the non-skid areas, but am now thinking that white all over would be better. I also need to figure out if I can use the primer as the finish coat or need to use something like the polyurethane -- for UV protection? At some point, I'm going to do the aft pulpit and the toe rails, so I don't want to have to deal with removing a lot of paint in order to fix and fair the fiberglass. If I use the polyurethane, will I need to remove it before I can do any glass work? I haven't been able to find a good answer yet.
I've also decided to put a bead of resin along the edge of the toe rail in order to help seal it and turn away the water. I'm going to try to clean under it and force the resin underneath and leave a little lip. Resin won't stick real well to teak, but it's better than nothing and should hold better and longer than regular caulk. I'll probably caulk it as well, but that'll be later. I used 5200 a couple of years ago, but it broke down, probably due to UV.
I did do a little glass work yesterday afternoon. I added a couple of layers of fiberglass to the top of the winch bases and filled in the old holes, actually all the holes, with resin. I gave them a coat of filler for fairing this morning, but I mixed a large amount and some of it gelled in the cup before I could use it. I hate wasting it since it's so expensive -- resin, hardener, and filler runs at about $125 a gallon once you mix it up.
I've got the cockpit almost ready to paint now. Just need to finish faring everything and clean it all up. I had to button up the cover this afternoon due to the rain, and can't do any more glass work due to the humidity but should be able to use this time to get all the cleaning and sanding done. I've got a few other tasks I can work on too, but will need a couple of nice days to finish the cockpit. Once it's done, I can move all the gear off the coach roof and start working on that part. It only needs a little cleaning, filling, and sanding before I can paint it as well. I do need to remove the last 2 hand rails and some deck hardware, but might be able to do that this afternoon while I'm waiting out the rain.
I'm using a 2-part epoxy primer, but have just a 1-part polyurethane for the top coat. I only have 3 quarts, but none of them are white, so I may not use them. I was planning on using a light gray for the non-skid areas, but am now thinking that white all over would be better. I also need to figure out if I can use the primer as the finish coat or need to use something like the polyurethane -- for UV protection? At some point, I'm going to do the aft pulpit and the toe rails, so I don't want to have to deal with removing a lot of paint in order to fix and fair the fiberglass. If I use the polyurethane, will I need to remove it before I can do any glass work? I haven't been able to find a good answer yet.
I've also decided to put a bead of resin along the edge of the toe rail in order to help seal it and turn away the water. I'm going to try to clean under it and force the resin underneath and leave a little lip. Resin won't stick real well to teak, but it's better than nothing and should hold better and longer than regular caulk. I'll probably caulk it as well, but that'll be later. I used 5200 a couple of years ago, but it broke down, probably due to UV.
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