I've been hearing a lot about the recent leaks of classified material to Wikileaks, and felt obliged to comment.
Since I had a Top Secret clearance for about 3 years and worked in the message center for 2nd Tank Battalion for about a year and a half where I normally picked up and processed all the confidential and secret messages for the battalion every morning, I feel like I can bring a bit of perspective to this discussion that's been missing. I spent the last 1 1/2 years in the 26th MAU headquarters, but since we worked for a full colonel, senior NCO's and officers took care of his messages; I only maintained all the classified documents and stored the encryption, COMSEC, material. At the time, these were mainly paper tapes.
First of all, you need to know how the classification system works. There are only three (3) levels of classification: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret, with Confidential posing the least risk and Top Secret the most. Confidential material isn't normally a big deal, as much of this information is already commonly known, or will be in a short period of time. For instance, the date and time of a deployment as well as the units to be deployed is normally classified Confidential, but the same information will end up in a press release at some point and be printed in the local papers. So Confidential material is only meant to be protected for a short finite amount of time and is normally just destroyed once it's no longer needed. Other than ensuring viewers have appropriate access, there is no need to keep track of who saw it or when/how it was destroyed. Although we did keep burn reports for Confidential documents, Confidential messages didn't require any destruction reporting whatsoever -- there was just too many of them.
Secret material normally doesn't have this temporal aspect, or if it does, it's for a much longer period of time and consisted mainly of some sort of contingency plan, e.g., evacuation plans for embassies and U.S. citizens abroad are normally classified Secret. Access, storage, and disposition, i.e., destruction, was handled in much the same way as Confidential, however, destruction of Secret documents, not messages, required burn reports signed by an officer (I was authorized as the assistant Top Secret Control Officer). Secret material also required better safes and safer buildings, but nothing more -- no electric fences or security systems, etc..
Top Secret material is a completely different thing, and I only saw about a couple dozen Top Secret documents during the entire time I held my Top Secret Clearance, and this was all while serving with the 26th MAU. Also, due to the increased storage requirements, we weren't even allowed to store them ourselves when we were in garrison at Camp Lejeune and had to pick them up just before we deployed -- they were mainly of the contingency plan variety mentioned above. (please note that although I had a clearance and physical control over this material, I didn't have a "need to know" of what was in them, and other than familiarizing myself with the title and general content, so I could find the appropriate document for someone, I never read any of this stuff)
Now, the Top Secret material I had was considered "generic" Top Secret, and really wasn't that much more sensitive than the Secret material we kept. I kept it separate and locked up at all times, and other than opening the box and inventorying it every once in a while for my records, never looked at it -- and neither did anyone else during the time I held it. The reason for the difference in classification was probably due to the likelihood of an incident, e.g., if there was a contingency plan for evacuating Paris, it would probably be classified Secret and rarely if ever looked at or updated. However, I'd imaging that if we had one for Beirut, it might be considered more sensitive and be classified TS, but would still probably be of the "generic" variety and get more attention.
The interesting thing about Top Secret is that although it is the highest classification, it can also be compartmentalized, and in order to get access to it, you need to be "read into" that particular program. I was never "read into" any programs. However, since I hung out with the intel guys, I did hear enough to become familiar with the process. In any case, the access, storage, and disposition of Top Secret material is highly controlled, and while I was in, every message, photo, or document required a signature for access and had to be listed individually on a burn report when it was destroyed, with the destruction witnessed by an Officer. I'd image these requirements would be modified a bit for organizations who got a lot of Top Secret photos and messages just due to the sheer volume. Sorta like what we did for Confidential and Secret messages at our level.
I must confess that I did receive, view, and hold one Top Secret photo for over a year that was part of a program for which I was not "read into." Since I wasn't privy to this information, I didn't understand the markings, even though I'd never seen them before, and had no idea of what it was. If you do come across something like that, you are supposed to secure it, not look at it, and report it immediately.
Here's how it happened. I joined the 26th MAU SOC, which was a brand new unit, only days before our first deployment, and was the first to fill my billet. Up until that point, the job had be time shared by several individuals and the record keeping was a bit shoddy. Right before we deployed, I went down to division with a warrant officer who was the Top Secret Control officer, and he signed for all the Top Secret material and gave it to me to pack up and load on the ship.
I've got a photo somewhere of me standing on a pallet of embark boxes with a 45 along with several other guys, mostly the intel analysts all armed with M-16's, waiting to load them on a 6-by for the trip up to Moorhead City where the ships were waiting. The TS was in one of those boxes. Btw, the cool thing about transporting classified material like this is that I also had room for my bike, and other junk, in the back of the 6-by and took it on the deployment with me. (I'll have to write about that sometime too...)
Since I didn't sign for the TS material, I never really looked at it until after we got on board ship and settled in. I did an inventory and entered everything in a log, and didn't really think too much about the fact that one of the documents was a single photo. At some point, by hanging out, and drinking with them on liberty throughout the voyage, I became vaguely aware of one the compartmentalized programs they were dealing with (perhaps the only one), and during one of my inventories on my second deployment, I took a good look at the photo, the only classified photo I'd ever seen, and realized that the markings in the margin of the photo I had were in fact part of this program.
Shortly after I finished the inventory and locked everything back up, one of the analysts, a corporal from Chicago, came down to the vault to get a document. My vault was a 15-man berthing area that I shared with my alternate, a corporal in S1. It was roomier than the staterooms most of our officers had, which was a pretty sweet deal. (I'll have to write more about this later too -- this is also where I learned how to play darts)
Anyway, I told him that I thought I had something I probably shouldn't have, and showed him the photo. He immediately told me that he couldn't let me keep it and that he'd have to take it with him, so I had him sign for it and he left. Shortly thereafter, all hell broke loose. My boss, a major, came down to talk to me about it, and I gave him the specifics, showed him my records, and explained how I though the whole thing had happened. Our colonel, who was up for his first star, was not pleased.
Turns out that the warrant officer had signed for the photo separately, and by the time we got back to our office had either forgotten about it or that I wasn't part of that program, so I just packed it up with everything else and we both forgot about it. He should have kept it and given it to his group; He was part of S2, intel, and I was part of S1, administration. It wasn't until over a year later that I discovered the problem and reported it, and by that time, he'd already left the unit.
The incident was covered up so that no one would know about it, and I was directed to fill out an undated burn report that the CO signed and dated on the same day the warrant office originally picked up the photo. I never saw the photo again, but I doubt it was actually destroyed. I agree that there was no danger, and can't even remember much about the photo other than is was significantly better, 25 years ago, than what you see on google satellite maps today, and showed a big bomb crater. It really was a surprisingly good photo, and I think the TS designation had more to do with quality than content. But the whole mess left a bad taste in my mouth. I was party to covering up something that wasn't a matter of national security, but might embarrass someone or hurt their career. I'd already decided to get out and go back to school as soon as we got back.
Unfortunately, I think this sort of thing goes on way too much and a lot of stuff is classified or remains classified for exactly this reason, not to embarrass someone. As for the information contained in the current leak, most of it seems temporal and no longer needs protection. It's sorta like in the movie "In Harms Way" when John Wayne's character orders one of his officers to transmit a message saying they'd been attacked, and the officer asks, "and break radio silence?" To which, Wayne's character responds, "don't you think they know where we are by now?"
That goes for the heat seeking missile revelation too -- the only one's who didn't know they were shooting down U.S. aircraft with heat seeking missiles where the general public. The guys doing the shooting and the one's catching the missiles sure as hell knew about it.
The only information that should not have been made public were the names of informants, but since secret material really isn't kept all that secret, my question is not why or how was it leaked, but why was that information placed in a Secret message in the first place. That's totally irresponsible. There's no reason for it. The higher ups aren't going to call the guy up or drop by for tea. They should have classified it as Top Secret, probably under a special program, and used an alias in other messages. If you throw a guys name around and it gets to enough people, someone who shouldn't know is bound to find out. This is an extreme case where it got made public, but I'm more worried about our "allies" in the area. Classifying something Top Secret, even in a special compartment, doesn't mean it will never get out, but it sure cuts down on the number of people who get access. Practically anyone, and all officers, could have access to Secret messages. That's a lot of people.
Zoe watch:
It got down to 68 last night, so Zoe is really happy. She's hanging out under the boat today.
Boat watch:
It was a bit too humid to do much yesterday, but with nice weather expected for the next few days, I hope I can get the toerails finished. The first section looks pretty good, but I think it'll need a little more work. I think I'll use epoxy from now on, and once it's set, I'll drill small holes and fill them with epoxy to give it a bit more strength. I'll also pin the the splice, since it'll be the most likely place to fail.
30 July 2010
28 July 2010
Toerail leak
I think I figured out why my starboard toe rails leak so badly into the cabin. I had assumed that the rake of the deck from the peak back to the deck drain just aft of the companionway was uniform enough to shed the water and had concentrated on caulking the area forward of the leak, but it looks like that's not the case. Evidently there are several things going wrong here.
First, there is an area of about 4-6 feet from the drain forward that's essentially the same height, and water seems to pool a few feet forward of the drains. I could probably raise the bow a little, but then it would pool aft of the drain. Unfortunately, this can't really be fixed without pulling off the toe rail and re-fairing that section of deck. I can come a little inboard of the toerail and seal the joint with epoxy, but the part under the toe rail will still be subject to the same problem.
The second problem is that the toerail along this section is in bad shape, which is probably due to poor maintenance and the fact that is was continually wet due to the pooling. Yesterday, I started trying to fix it by forcing in glue and clamping a 4' section where the splitting was the worst. I still need to do smaller sections fore and aft of the one I've got clamped, but with only 4 c-clamps, I can only do one small section at a time. The funny thing is, that I never saw a leak near this area, it was always forward. So, it looks like the water got in at the split section and ran forward until it found a bolt hole that had lost it's seal. I could see several bolts that leaked and nothing else was wet, but re-bedding the offending bolts didn't help.
The other problem, is that when I had the boat in the water, I had a bunch of extra gear that made the bow heavier than normal, so she was nose down by a couple of degrees which exacerbated the problem and made it leak every time it rained or I shipped a sea. I bought about 200' chain and installed a bow roller for a new 35# CQR anchor which also added weight forward. Plus, I had a bunch of books and clothes that I've since gotten rid of packed into the v-berth.
However, the addition of the wind vane off the stern as well as the jordan drogue, and the new plywood partitions I plan to add to the cockpit lockers should more than make up for this. I also plan to add mounts for heavier stuff, like spare anchors, on the new plywood partitions which should add considerable weight aft and be much safer -- I don't want any loose cannons on, or below, deck. Although, I won't know for sure until I have her in the water at rest and can adjust the weight to get her to sit properly fore and aft.
Boat watch:
I'm going to continue working on the toerail and preparing the deck for painting. However, I want to have the toerails finished first so I can paint over the bead of epoxy I plan to add to the crack between the deck and the toerail since it will provide UV protection. Otherwise, the sun will deteriorate it over time and all my work will be for naught. There's only a few more places on the deck that need some filling/fairing, so I'll try to get that done while I'm working on the toe rails. I've also started working on the rest of the teak to get it ready for varnish -- some of which, like the handrails, still need to be reinstalled first. Scraping off the old varnish is a really dirty job.
Zoe watch:
The days are noticeably shorter, a couple of minutes a day now, but it's still unseasonably hot. However it is getting better and pretty much staying under 90 during the day and has actually been cool in the mornings. Zoe loves the cooler weather and likes to play tug with the leash on the walk home. She was so happy this morning that she even played tug on the way out. We just went down to the harbor and looked at boats as usual, but if it keeps cooling off, we'll start taking longer walks.
In Manhattan, we'd normally walk about 45 minutes to an hours in both the morning and the evening, but at those times, you can always find shade on one side of the street or the other, so the heat wasn't too bad. But that's not the case here in Huntington, and she has no choice but to walk over large sections of hot asphalt between shady areas. The only time it was really bad was when it got over 100, but we didn't go far that day and I kept her on the grass and in the shade most of the time -- and have the poison ivy to prove it. Our walks these days are only about 30 minutes.
First, there is an area of about 4-6 feet from the drain forward that's essentially the same height, and water seems to pool a few feet forward of the drains. I could probably raise the bow a little, but then it would pool aft of the drain. Unfortunately, this can't really be fixed without pulling off the toe rail and re-fairing that section of deck. I can come a little inboard of the toerail and seal the joint with epoxy, but the part under the toe rail will still be subject to the same problem.
The second problem is that the toerail along this section is in bad shape, which is probably due to poor maintenance and the fact that is was continually wet due to the pooling. Yesterday, I started trying to fix it by forcing in glue and clamping a 4' section where the splitting was the worst. I still need to do smaller sections fore and aft of the one I've got clamped, but with only 4 c-clamps, I can only do one small section at a time. The funny thing is, that I never saw a leak near this area, it was always forward. So, it looks like the water got in at the split section and ran forward until it found a bolt hole that had lost it's seal. I could see several bolts that leaked and nothing else was wet, but re-bedding the offending bolts didn't help.
The other problem, is that when I had the boat in the water, I had a bunch of extra gear that made the bow heavier than normal, so she was nose down by a couple of degrees which exacerbated the problem and made it leak every time it rained or I shipped a sea. I bought about 200' chain and installed a bow roller for a new 35# CQR anchor which also added weight forward. Plus, I had a bunch of books and clothes that I've since gotten rid of packed into the v-berth.
However, the addition of the wind vane off the stern as well as the jordan drogue, and the new plywood partitions I plan to add to the cockpit lockers should more than make up for this. I also plan to add mounts for heavier stuff, like spare anchors, on the new plywood partitions which should add considerable weight aft and be much safer -- I don't want any loose cannons on, or below, deck. Although, I won't know for sure until I have her in the water at rest and can adjust the weight to get her to sit properly fore and aft.
Boat watch:
I'm going to continue working on the toerail and preparing the deck for painting. However, I want to have the toerails finished first so I can paint over the bead of epoxy I plan to add to the crack between the deck and the toerail since it will provide UV protection. Otherwise, the sun will deteriorate it over time and all my work will be for naught. There's only a few more places on the deck that need some filling/fairing, so I'll try to get that done while I'm working on the toe rails. I've also started working on the rest of the teak to get it ready for varnish -- some of which, like the handrails, still need to be reinstalled first. Scraping off the old varnish is a really dirty job.
Zoe watch:
The days are noticeably shorter, a couple of minutes a day now, but it's still unseasonably hot. However it is getting better and pretty much staying under 90 during the day and has actually been cool in the mornings. Zoe loves the cooler weather and likes to play tug with the leash on the walk home. She was so happy this morning that she even played tug on the way out. We just went down to the harbor and looked at boats as usual, but if it keeps cooling off, we'll start taking longer walks.
In Manhattan, we'd normally walk about 45 minutes to an hours in both the morning and the evening, but at those times, you can always find shade on one side of the street or the other, so the heat wasn't too bad. But that's not the case here in Huntington, and she has no choice but to walk over large sections of hot asphalt between shady areas. The only time it was really bad was when it got over 100, but we didn't go far that day and I kept her on the grass and in the shade most of the time -- and have the poison ivy to prove it. Our walks these days are only about 30 minutes.
25 July 2010
Huntington Bay
Finally got to see the East side of Huntington Bay this morning, and it's really beautiful. I've been wanting to go for a run for a few weeks now. The last time I ran was on the 10th when I passed my Extra exam. That run was out of necessity, but this one was just for fun. Although I was concerned about my chronic foot pain, I hardly noticed any change after the last run, so I decided to go ahead and run the next time I got the chance.
The weather this summer has been awful, but the last couple of days have been relatively cooler, and this morning was really nice. I ended up getting a later start than I wanted when I couldn't find my light running shorts and had to climb back on the boat to replace the battery in my foot pod. I didn't start running until after 1130, but it was still relatively cool. However, it's starting to heat up now and should make it into the low 90's this afternoon.
I took East Shore Road North out of Halesite all the way up to the private Wincoma community, then turned right on Harbor Hill and took Bay Drive back down to Kanes Lane which took me back to East Shore right below the entrance to the Huntington Yacht Club. Harbor Hill road is well named; I went from sea level to over 100' in about a 1/2 mile, then back down to sea level as I approached the yacht club. After I made the turn onto Shore, my watch indicated the 3-mile split, so I paused it and stopped for water. The sprinklers were running, so I used my hands to scoop up some water and cool off in the shade. I didn't drink any, but did rinse out my mouth. After about a minute, I resumed both my watch and the run and continued back down toward Halesite and the boatyard. That section also has a hill, but it was only about 60' over about a mile.
According to my watch, I ran 4 miles in 32:30, but gmaps put the mileage at only 3.6. I'm not sure which is correct, but the hills seem to have confused one or both of them. The foot pod had me at an 8 minute pace, while gmaps had me at a 9 minute pace. Since I had a really good, and fast, run, I think it's closer to 8, but could be somewhere in between. If my legs hold up, I'll look for a nice flat path and try it again. The hills slowed me down a bit, but I'm in good enough shape that it shouldn't be that big a difference. If I run a sub 8 minute pace, that would indicate my watch/foot pod was closer, but if it 8 or above, them gmap is probably more trustworthy when hills are involved.
I've run hundreds of miles in Nashville on pretty flat terrain, and found the watch/foot pod to be very accurate. I even used it in races in Central Park and found it was really close, e.g., within several yards for a 5 or 10k. Central Park has some hills too, but not quite as big as the ones today. However, my watch did loose the signal for a few steps on the descent to the yacht club on Kanes Lane when I put my hands over my head, but the error from lost data should have had the opposite effect, i.e., it would have thought I'd run less, not more, so who knows. I think the gmap algorithm is faulty, but it's still good for planning.
Zoe watch:
Zoe didn't make the run. She hung out under the bow and guarded the boat.
Fireworks watch:
The jerks who live behind me fired off a bunch of fireworks again last night, so I immediately called 911. I have 3 burn holes in the cloth cover on my boat, as well as dozens of burn streaks where cinders hit the cover and slid down a few feet and scorched a nice little trail. The 3 burn holes are actually holes that you can stick your finger through. Originally, they just looked like a cigarette burn, but they're all the way through now. I have zero tolerance for that sort of stuff.
The weather this summer has been awful, but the last couple of days have been relatively cooler, and this morning was really nice. I ended up getting a later start than I wanted when I couldn't find my light running shorts and had to climb back on the boat to replace the battery in my foot pod. I didn't start running until after 1130, but it was still relatively cool. However, it's starting to heat up now and should make it into the low 90's this afternoon.
I took East Shore Road North out of Halesite all the way up to the private Wincoma community, then turned right on Harbor Hill and took Bay Drive back down to Kanes Lane which took me back to East Shore right below the entrance to the Huntington Yacht Club. Harbor Hill road is well named; I went from sea level to over 100' in about a 1/2 mile, then back down to sea level as I approached the yacht club. After I made the turn onto Shore, my watch indicated the 3-mile split, so I paused it and stopped for water. The sprinklers were running, so I used my hands to scoop up some water and cool off in the shade. I didn't drink any, but did rinse out my mouth. After about a minute, I resumed both my watch and the run and continued back down toward Halesite and the boatyard. That section also has a hill, but it was only about 60' over about a mile.
According to my watch, I ran 4 miles in 32:30, but gmaps put the mileage at only 3.6. I'm not sure which is correct, but the hills seem to have confused one or both of them. The foot pod had me at an 8 minute pace, while gmaps had me at a 9 minute pace. Since I had a really good, and fast, run, I think it's closer to 8, but could be somewhere in between. If my legs hold up, I'll look for a nice flat path and try it again. The hills slowed me down a bit, but I'm in good enough shape that it shouldn't be that big a difference. If I run a sub 8 minute pace, that would indicate my watch/foot pod was closer, but if it 8 or above, them gmap is probably more trustworthy when hills are involved.
I've run hundreds of miles in Nashville on pretty flat terrain, and found the watch/foot pod to be very accurate. I even used it in races in Central Park and found it was really close, e.g., within several yards for a 5 or 10k. Central Park has some hills too, but not quite as big as the ones today. However, my watch did loose the signal for a few steps on the descent to the yacht club on Kanes Lane when I put my hands over my head, but the error from lost data should have had the opposite effect, i.e., it would have thought I'd run less, not more, so who knows. I think the gmap algorithm is faulty, but it's still good for planning.
Zoe watch:
Zoe didn't make the run. She hung out under the bow and guarded the boat.
Fireworks watch:
The jerks who live behind me fired off a bunch of fireworks again last night, so I immediately called 911. I have 3 burn holes in the cloth cover on my boat, as well as dozens of burn streaks where cinders hit the cover and slid down a few feet and scorched a nice little trail. The 3 burn holes are actually holes that you can stick your finger through. Originally, they just looked like a cigarette burn, but they're all the way through now. I have zero tolerance for that sort of stuff.
21 July 2010
Stalled
Progress is somewhat stalled right now. Mostly due to the heat, but mid-July is also sort of a bad time of year anyway. Since it doesn't cool off till really late, I'm not getting a lot of sleep right now either.
I think I'll spend most of the day today cleaning up and getting things ship shape. I've been doing a little deck work, but most of it still isn't ready to paint. Hopefully, it will cool off soon. Looks like July is the hottest month up here anyway and it's almost over now.
Reading watch:
I'm about halfway through Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" and really love it. After I'm done, I was planning on reading Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle." However, while reading "Two Years," I've added a few other works to my list: "Robinson Crusoe," "Paul Clifford," "and "The Last Days of Pompeii." I also need to finish Lawrence's "Seven Pilars of Wisdom" which it began a while back but had to put down.
I realize this is an eclectic list, but "Robinson Crusoe" was added because the island in question was mentioned on Dana's voyage up the coast (I think I've already read it, but can't remember for sure, so I downloaded it from Gutenberg) and Dana mentioned reading, and really liking, "Paul Clifford" after joining the crew of the Alert in San Diego. "Clifford" famously starts out with the line: "It was a dark and stormy night." The author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, also wrote "the pen is mightier than the sword" in his play "Richelieu," as well as a few other famous sayings. I haven't found "Richelieu" yet, but would like to read it as well. "Pompeii" is also by Bulwer.
Zoe watch:
Zoe got her bath yesterday evening. The water was too hot during the day, so I had to wait until things cooled off. The water line in the yard is an exposed 1" black plastic hose with spigots placed every 20-40 feet. I'm at the far end of the yard, so there's at least a couple hundred feet of it out there soaking up the sun before it gets to me. That's not bad when you want a hot shower under the hose, but not when the temperature's already in the high 80's. I decided not to cut her hair again, but did spend about an hour brushing out the knots.
Poison Ivy watch:
Seem to have gotten it all over my feet, hands, and left knee again yesterday and was itching until late into the night last night. Not sure where I got it though. I've been on the lookout for it, but haven't really noticed any. Maybe I got it off Zoe's fur. It's a lot better today, but I have several random bumps on my fingers and feet. Why does it only itch at night? There must be something to that.
I think I'll spend most of the day today cleaning up and getting things ship shape. I've been doing a little deck work, but most of it still isn't ready to paint. Hopefully, it will cool off soon. Looks like July is the hottest month up here anyway and it's almost over now.
Reading watch:
I'm about halfway through Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" and really love it. After I'm done, I was planning on reading Darwin's "Voyage of the Beagle." However, while reading "Two Years," I've added a few other works to my list: "Robinson Crusoe," "Paul Clifford," "and "The Last Days of Pompeii." I also need to finish Lawrence's "Seven Pilars of Wisdom" which it began a while back but had to put down.
I realize this is an eclectic list, but "Robinson Crusoe" was added because the island in question was mentioned on Dana's voyage up the coast (I think I've already read it, but can't remember for sure, so I downloaded it from Gutenberg) and Dana mentioned reading, and really liking, "Paul Clifford" after joining the crew of the Alert in San Diego. "Clifford" famously starts out with the line: "It was a dark and stormy night." The author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, also wrote "the pen is mightier than the sword" in his play "Richelieu," as well as a few other famous sayings. I haven't found "Richelieu" yet, but would like to read it as well. "Pompeii" is also by Bulwer.
Zoe watch:
Zoe got her bath yesterday evening. The water was too hot during the day, so I had to wait until things cooled off. The water line in the yard is an exposed 1" black plastic hose with spigots placed every 20-40 feet. I'm at the far end of the yard, so there's at least a couple hundred feet of it out there soaking up the sun before it gets to me. That's not bad when you want a hot shower under the hose, but not when the temperature's already in the high 80's. I decided not to cut her hair again, but did spend about an hour brushing out the knots.
Poison Ivy watch:
Seem to have gotten it all over my feet, hands, and left knee again yesterday and was itching until late into the night last night. Not sure where I got it though. I've been on the lookout for it, but haven't really noticed any. Maybe I got it off Zoe's fur. It's a lot better today, but I have several random bumps on my fingers and feet. Why does it only itch at night? There must be something to that.
20 July 2010
Near record summer
What's up with the heat waves? This summer has been awful. It seems like we've had record or near record temperatures for weeks now with no relief in site. The average temperature for July in Huntington is historically around 81, but this year it's 88, with six days over 90, and one over 100 already. Looks like I picked a really bad time to move onto a boat.
Actually, maybe it's a good time, or perhaps just in time would be a better way to put it. At least I hope it's just in time. Global climate change will affect everything, but might make sea travel especially challenging. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to wait too long; health is another.
I haven't felt well for almost a year now. Not sure if living in Manhattan or working in a really crowded office had anything to do with it, but I have felt much better since moving out to Long Island and onto the boat. I suppose it could have been allergies -- being packed really close to people wearing heavy perfumes that gave me headaches certainly didn't help.
It's tough, even when doing something you love, when you feel lousy all the time. I still get a sore neck occasionally, and still have a little discomfort in my left ear, but the headaches and nausea are gone. In fact, I started feeling better almost right away and by the time I moved onto the boat, about a month later, felt almost normal.
I'm pretty sure it was some sort of chemical allergy at work. They had an on site nurse, but she was adamant that it couldn't be anything in the building. But what do you expect, she works for the company. At least I didn't work for the Big Branch Mine. I'm sure it wasn't anything intentional, but everyone seems more concerned with not getting sued than actually solving problems.
Sailing can be very physically demanding, as can working on boats. Come to think of it, maybe that's the same thing. Anyway, I needed a break and I didn't want to wait too long and run out of time.
Zoe watch:
I'm going to give her a bath this afternoon once it gets too hot to work -- she's getting a bit gamey. Although I think she prefers it that way, and seems really pleased with herself after rolling in the grass, I think it's time. She's been scratching a little, and her coat is starting to look a little dingy too. I haven't decided if I'll shave her again, but we'll start with the bath and see how that goes first.
Actually, maybe it's a good time, or perhaps just in time would be a better way to put it. At least I hope it's just in time. Global climate change will affect everything, but might make sea travel especially challenging. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to wait too long; health is another.
I haven't felt well for almost a year now. Not sure if living in Manhattan or working in a really crowded office had anything to do with it, but I have felt much better since moving out to Long Island and onto the boat. I suppose it could have been allergies -- being packed really close to people wearing heavy perfumes that gave me headaches certainly didn't help.
It's tough, even when doing something you love, when you feel lousy all the time. I still get a sore neck occasionally, and still have a little discomfort in my left ear, but the headaches and nausea are gone. In fact, I started feeling better almost right away and by the time I moved onto the boat, about a month later, felt almost normal.
I'm pretty sure it was some sort of chemical allergy at work. They had an on site nurse, but she was adamant that it couldn't be anything in the building. But what do you expect, she works for the company. At least I didn't work for the Big Branch Mine. I'm sure it wasn't anything intentional, but everyone seems more concerned with not getting sued than actually solving problems.
Sailing can be very physically demanding, as can working on boats. Come to think of it, maybe that's the same thing. Anyway, I needed a break and I didn't want to wait too long and run out of time.
Zoe watch:
I'm going to give her a bath this afternoon once it gets too hot to work -- she's getting a bit gamey. Although I think she prefers it that way, and seems really pleased with herself after rolling in the grass, I think it's time. She's been scratching a little, and her coat is starting to look a little dingy too. I haven't decided if I'll shave her again, but we'll start with the bath and see how that goes first.
16 July 2010
Time to start learning Spanish
You'd think growing up in Texas would have been the perfect place to learn Spanish at an early age. Well, I wish I had, but back then I was having a hard enough time learning the read and write English, pretty much on my own -- I didn't really learn to read well until I'd spent a couple of pumps in the med.
I bought a copy of Tell me More for Spanish a few years ago, but never used it much -- I had used the French version extensively while I lived in France and it helped a lot. I was dating a woman from Spain at the time -- met her watching the World Cup in Nashville -- but since she spoke English pretty well and wasn't too patient, I stopped trying to speak it with her. A few months later we stopped seeing each other and I got busy with other stuff and stopped using it altogether. Now that I'm done with my Ham license, I'll start studying it again. It should come in handy when I sail south, and I've got plenty of time on my hands and not much to do in the evenings or when it's hot.
As a Marine on board a Navy ship, you don't have much to do either, and playing cards gets old pretty quick, so I ended up doing a lot of reading. That's where I really learned to read. I think I mentioned reading Pride and Prejudiced before. I got my copy from another Marine who was trying to get rid of a bunch of extra stuff before we deployed so he wouldn't have to store it. I think he'd worked for a publisher, Franklin Books, at some point and had a bunch of seconds. These were all leather bound classics, so I took one of each, for a total of about 15 or 16. I was what I liked to call a combat librarian at the time, i.e., I was in charge of all the classified material for the 26th MAU, and already had thousands of books and maps of all kinds, so a few more didn't really make a difference.
I read a bunch of them while out, and most of the rest of them after I got back. I also read a few other books that I got from either one of our officers or the chaplain. Some religious organization used to send boxes of paperbacks to the chaplain and we'd comb through them for something interesting. Most of them weren't, but I did find a few that were. Due to the racy nature of some of the books we got, I doubt the folks that sent them had ever even looked at them.
I was on board ship for a total of 14 months, of which, only about a month was spent working for the ship, in combat cargo. That's where a group of Marines help load and unload helicopters. We were on the Guadalcanal, which has since been decommissioned. I mainly stayed down below and wore a headset. You know, the kind you see in all those old movies, with a strap around your neck and microphone sitting on your chest. It was okay, except for the time we were doing an exercise off the coast of North Caroline and the helicopter we just loaded went down in the sea right after takeoff.
My guys had just complained to me that the sticks we were loading -- a stick is what you call the group of about 18-19 Marines on a single helicopter -- weren't following directions. So, I lectured the next group a bit, and a few minutes later they were all dead. Actually, a few did survive, but the pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, and most of the Marines from the stick all drown. I think that 4 made it to the surface, but one of them, a chaplain, died of a heart attach.
Later that day, after the bodies had been recovered in about 60 feet of water, I helped carry the some of them to a specially rigged CH-46 for the flight back to shore. I specifically remember carrying the body of the sergeant whom I'd lectured. He'd been the stick commander. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember his name.
I don't remember ever hearing about what caused the crash, but it did result in a few changes. From then on, all the exits on board a helicopter at night where marked by those little glow in the dark wands. Also, we all had to go through helicopter egress training. That's where they take you to a pool and strap you into a section of a helicopter body and dunk you several times. The first time you do it with regular goggles, but then, they give you ones that are blacked out so you can't see a thing and have to feel your way out.
You have on seat belts, just like on a regular flight, and you can't see a thing. They drop you into the water from a few feet up, so you feel it hit, then it flips over, which is what a helicopter does almost immediately when it hits the water since the engines are overhead. Then it comes to rest on the bottom and you have to unbuckle and find your way out. I was a swimmer, so it didn't bother me, but I could tell it made a few of the guys uncomfortable. Thankfully, we didn't loose any more helicopters while I was in. At least not any from my units.
Zoe watch:
Yesterday was great and she hung out under the bow while I sanded the decks. Today should be good too, but might get up into the 90's. She's under the bow now, and I'll continue sanding the decks and getting ready for painting. Sanding takes a lot longer than you might think, even with an orbital sander.
I bought a copy of Tell me More for Spanish a few years ago, but never used it much -- I had used the French version extensively while I lived in France and it helped a lot. I was dating a woman from Spain at the time -- met her watching the World Cup in Nashville -- but since she spoke English pretty well and wasn't too patient, I stopped trying to speak it with her. A few months later we stopped seeing each other and I got busy with other stuff and stopped using it altogether. Now that I'm done with my Ham license, I'll start studying it again. It should come in handy when I sail south, and I've got plenty of time on my hands and not much to do in the evenings or when it's hot.
As a Marine on board a Navy ship, you don't have much to do either, and playing cards gets old pretty quick, so I ended up doing a lot of reading. That's where I really learned to read. I think I mentioned reading Pride and Prejudiced before. I got my copy from another Marine who was trying to get rid of a bunch of extra stuff before we deployed so he wouldn't have to store it. I think he'd worked for a publisher, Franklin Books, at some point and had a bunch of seconds. These were all leather bound classics, so I took one of each, for a total of about 15 or 16. I was what I liked to call a combat librarian at the time, i.e., I was in charge of all the classified material for the 26th MAU, and already had thousands of books and maps of all kinds, so a few more didn't really make a difference.
I read a bunch of them while out, and most of the rest of them after I got back. I also read a few other books that I got from either one of our officers or the chaplain. Some religious organization used to send boxes of paperbacks to the chaplain and we'd comb through them for something interesting. Most of them weren't, but I did find a few that were. Due to the racy nature of some of the books we got, I doubt the folks that sent them had ever even looked at them.
I was on board ship for a total of 14 months, of which, only about a month was spent working for the ship, in combat cargo. That's where a group of Marines help load and unload helicopters. We were on the Guadalcanal, which has since been decommissioned. I mainly stayed down below and wore a headset. You know, the kind you see in all those old movies, with a strap around your neck and microphone sitting on your chest. It was okay, except for the time we were doing an exercise off the coast of North Caroline and the helicopter we just loaded went down in the sea right after takeoff.
My guys had just complained to me that the sticks we were loading -- a stick is what you call the group of about 18-19 Marines on a single helicopter -- weren't following directions. So, I lectured the next group a bit, and a few minutes later they were all dead. Actually, a few did survive, but the pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, and most of the Marines from the stick all drown. I think that 4 made it to the surface, but one of them, a chaplain, died of a heart attach.
Later that day, after the bodies had been recovered in about 60 feet of water, I helped carry the some of them to a specially rigged CH-46 for the flight back to shore. I specifically remember carrying the body of the sergeant whom I'd lectured. He'd been the stick commander. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember his name.
I don't remember ever hearing about what caused the crash, but it did result in a few changes. From then on, all the exits on board a helicopter at night where marked by those little glow in the dark wands. Also, we all had to go through helicopter egress training. That's where they take you to a pool and strap you into a section of a helicopter body and dunk you several times. The first time you do it with regular goggles, but then, they give you ones that are blacked out so you can't see a thing and have to feel your way out.
You have on seat belts, just like on a regular flight, and you can't see a thing. They drop you into the water from a few feet up, so you feel it hit, then it flips over, which is what a helicopter does almost immediately when it hits the water since the engines are overhead. Then it comes to rest on the bottom and you have to unbuckle and find your way out. I was a swimmer, so it didn't bother me, but I could tell it made a few of the guys uncomfortable. Thankfully, we didn't loose any more helicopters while I was in. At least not any from my units.
Zoe watch:
Yesterday was great and she hung out under the bow while I sanded the decks. Today should be good too, but might get up into the 90's. She's under the bow now, and I'll continue sanding the decks and getting ready for painting. Sanding takes a lot longer than you might think, even with an orbital sander.
14 July 2010
Rainy Day
Looks like rain all day today, with accompanying high humidity. It's not hot and I'm high and dry under the cover, but I'll still need to get out in it to walk Zoe and get water. I've been listening to it rain non-stop for about an hour without a break, but might have to bite the bullet if it doesn't stop in the next hour or so -- Zoe can't wait forever.
Although my decks won't get (too) wet today, I will have to climb up and down a slippery aluminum ladder to get on and off the boat. I switched to a smaller ladder a few weeks ago, and almost immediately slipped on one of the rungs. The original one was a single section of a 16' extension ladder, but it extended too high over the deck and made it difficult to zip up the cover and climb on and off the boat, so I found a smaller one that looked almost brand new -- there are always tons of ladders around a boat yard.
The new one is shorter and the diameter of the rungs is smaller too. I slipped on one the first rungs of the lower section on the very next day and banged up my knee a little bit. It left a nice bruise, but other than that wasn't a big deal. I thought about switching back to the old one, but figured I just needed to be more careful. The new one is much safer getting on and off the deck, especially when carrying Zoe, and I haven't slipped on it again, so I think it'll be okay.
However, I did slip on the companionway ladder, or lack of ladder, yesterday and banged up my left thigh pretty good. I've got a bruise about he size of my hand on the outside just above the knee. I'd been using the wet vac to clean out the bilge again -- it's still a little grimy -- and had removed the steps that sit on top of the hatch in the cabin sole, so I could remove it. Aurora has an engine cover that extends into the cabin about 18," sorta like the engine cover you see in a van. It's about 30" high, and has a little 2-step teak ladder attached to the forward side. Under the ladder is a 10" x 16" hatch giving access to the lower fresh water tank and the bilge. The bilge is just aft of the tank and directly under the engine and goes almost all the way down to the bottom of the keel and back to the rudder post.
I caught myself as I slipped, so it wasn't too bad, and could have slipped even if the ladder had been there. You need to be prepared all the time on a boat, so slipping is something you just have to get used to. At least is wasn't as bad as the slip Chickchester took during his sea trails on Gypsy Moth. He banged his leg up so bad that he wasn't able to walk properly for almost a year. He was about 65 at the time -- I'm only 50.
I did have a pretty bad fall right after I got the boat and moved on board in Marion in 2007. It was early and the decks were slick with dew, and I went right over the side. I rolled and was able to grab the toe rail on the way down, so I didn't really go all the way over, but unfortunately, I bumped my left knee hard on a jack stand. I limped on it for at least a couple of weeks before the swelling went down, but nothing was broken.
That's why I want to make sure my decks are nice and rough before I put her in the water. I don't plan to slip on them again. Not sure when I'll start painting, but I hope to finish sanding in a few days. I cleared the decks yesterday, so there's nothing in the way now. All I need to do is sand the whole thing down and fill the rest of the small nicks.
Zoe watch:
The rain seems to have stopped, so I'm about to take her for a quick walk. I'll probably leave her under the bow today, but will bring her on board if it starts to thunder. She's sleeping on the sole up in the v-berth. It's nice and snug up there and she seems to like that. For her, a boat is sorta like being in a cave. She loves it.
Boat watch:
The old faucet in the galley is pretty corroded and leaks badly, so I've had to turn off the fresh water pump until I can fix/replace it. I think I'll replace it, but will need to do a bit a research first. The leak got the locker I just painted wet and made the newly painted surfaces stick together. I dried it out and will try to put a final coat on it as soon as I can.
I also need to hook up the bilge pumps, but may wait till I can find a new one for the cabin and I'm ready to reinstall the one in the cockpit. That way, I can do them all at once. The old cabin pump was completely worn out and leaked, but I haven't found a suitable replacement yet. It's a would be nice at this point, so if I don't find one right away, I'll just do the others and let it wait till I get to Houston.
Although my decks won't get (too) wet today, I will have to climb up and down a slippery aluminum ladder to get on and off the boat. I switched to a smaller ladder a few weeks ago, and almost immediately slipped on one of the rungs. The original one was a single section of a 16' extension ladder, but it extended too high over the deck and made it difficult to zip up the cover and climb on and off the boat, so I found a smaller one that looked almost brand new -- there are always tons of ladders around a boat yard.
The new one is shorter and the diameter of the rungs is smaller too. I slipped on one the first rungs of the lower section on the very next day and banged up my knee a little bit. It left a nice bruise, but other than that wasn't a big deal. I thought about switching back to the old one, but figured I just needed to be more careful. The new one is much safer getting on and off the deck, especially when carrying Zoe, and I haven't slipped on it again, so I think it'll be okay.
However, I did slip on the companionway ladder, or lack of ladder, yesterday and banged up my left thigh pretty good. I've got a bruise about he size of my hand on the outside just above the knee. I'd been using the wet vac to clean out the bilge again -- it's still a little grimy -- and had removed the steps that sit on top of the hatch in the cabin sole, so I could remove it. Aurora has an engine cover that extends into the cabin about 18," sorta like the engine cover you see in a van. It's about 30" high, and has a little 2-step teak ladder attached to the forward side. Under the ladder is a 10" x 16" hatch giving access to the lower fresh water tank and the bilge. The bilge is just aft of the tank and directly under the engine and goes almost all the way down to the bottom of the keel and back to the rudder post.
I caught myself as I slipped, so it wasn't too bad, and could have slipped even if the ladder had been there. You need to be prepared all the time on a boat, so slipping is something you just have to get used to. At least is wasn't as bad as the slip Chickchester took during his sea trails on Gypsy Moth. He banged his leg up so bad that he wasn't able to walk properly for almost a year. He was about 65 at the time -- I'm only 50.
I did have a pretty bad fall right after I got the boat and moved on board in Marion in 2007. It was early and the decks were slick with dew, and I went right over the side. I rolled and was able to grab the toe rail on the way down, so I didn't really go all the way over, but unfortunately, I bumped my left knee hard on a jack stand. I limped on it for at least a couple of weeks before the swelling went down, but nothing was broken.
That's why I want to make sure my decks are nice and rough before I put her in the water. I don't plan to slip on them again. Not sure when I'll start painting, but I hope to finish sanding in a few days. I cleared the decks yesterday, so there's nothing in the way now. All I need to do is sand the whole thing down and fill the rest of the small nicks.
Zoe watch:
The rain seems to have stopped, so I'm about to take her for a quick walk. I'll probably leave her under the bow today, but will bring her on board if it starts to thunder. She's sleeping on the sole up in the v-berth. It's nice and snug up there and she seems to like that. For her, a boat is sorta like being in a cave. She loves it.
Boat watch:
The old faucet in the galley is pretty corroded and leaks badly, so I've had to turn off the fresh water pump until I can fix/replace it. I think I'll replace it, but will need to do a bit a research first. The leak got the locker I just painted wet and made the newly painted surfaces stick together. I dried it out and will try to put a final coat on it as soon as I can.
I also need to hook up the bilge pumps, but may wait till I can find a new one for the cabin and I'm ready to reinstall the one in the cockpit. That way, I can do them all at once. The old cabin pump was completely worn out and leaked, but I haven't found a suitable replacement yet. It's a would be nice at this point, so if I don't find one right away, I'll just do the others and let it wait till I get to Houston.
12 July 2010
Poison Ivy
When I was growing up in Crosby, I was extremely allergic to poison ivy and would frequently get it all over me. It was so bad, and caused so much disruption in the household, that I felt like I was being blamed for getting it -- as if I had a choice.
It's gotten better over the years, but I still seem to get it all the time, e.g., I've had small patches on my hands, feet, and legs almost the entire time I've been here. I pretty much ignore it these days since I don't scratch, it doesn't spread, but I just can't seem to keep out of it. I might be getting it off Zoe's fur, but since I'm always in shorts and flip flops, and try to walk her in the shady, grassy areas, I'm sure I rub up against it just as much as she does.
A long time ago, my brother Charlie recommended that I should learn how to identify it so I could avoid it, but that's easier said than done. He could always identify all sorts of flora and fauna, but to me, it all looks the same. He even got his bachelor's degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences, but I was never very interested in that sort of stuff.
I can't even tell cars apart very well. I can pick out a few, but most of them are so similar, that I have no idea which one they are unless I walk up and can find a name actually written on it. Unfortunately, they don't put the name on cars very often, and other than a few symbols, like Mercedes and BMW, they're all meaningless to me. I was never very interested in cars either. However, I am interested in boats, and read and study about them all the time. But I still have trouble telling them apart too, e.g., I can't tell a Beneteau or a Jeanneau from a Hunter (well, maybe from a Hunter, but not from each other).
Zoe watch:
Zoe's doing much better in the cooler weather. We just got back from our walk and she played tug with the leach most of the way back. She's under the boat now, and I'll probably keep her under the bow so I can flush the water tanks a few more times today.
Boat watch:
I flushed the clorox out of the tanks a few times yesterday, but the water still doesn't taste fresh, so I plan to flush it a few more times over the next week or so. I installed the new pump and the new hose from the upper tank to the lower one. I also moved the valve up to the upper tank. That allows me to cut off the flow and service the hose without spilling water all over the place. There's a hatch under the v-berth in the small lateral bulkhead that I can open and access the value, but without the float value in the lower tank, I have to be careful not to overfill the lower tank.
With the value closed, I filled the upper tank completely yesterday so I could see how much water it held, vis-a-vis the lower tank. When it finally filled up and water came out of the fitting on deck, I could see water coming from the vent flowing onto the inside of the hull beneath the tank, but I couldn't see where it was going. The bilge already had a few inches of water in it, so I couldn't tell if it flowed all the way back or pooled somewhere along the way. I hope it wasn't pooling anywhere, but based on everything else I've seen on this boat, I'm betting that's the case. I tried tapping the upper tank to see how full it was so I wouldn't overfill, but couldn't really tell. At some point, I'll need to revisit this and figure out a better solution.
After draining the lower tank, I opened the valve and it filled the lower tank only about halfway to maybe 2/3. I'd assumed the upper tank was the larger, but that's not the case. My rough estimate, based on how long it took to fill it, was about 30 gallons. I can't find the original specs from when I bought her, but I think it was about 70 gallons total, maybe a 50 + 20 breakdown, which sounds plausible. At some point, I need to measure them exactly so I'll know how much water I can carry. I have some 5 gallon water jugs that should work fine for that.
I'm also considering adding a through hull to the chain locker in the peak so it can drain directly overboard without having to go the entire distance of the boat to get to the bilge. This should make the boat dryer and keep the accumulation in the bilge to a minimum. If I do that, I can also add a vent hose to the upper tank so that the overflow will also go directly overboard. Normally, the you'll get a little water in the chain locker through the hawse pipe when seas break over the bow.
Not sure how much glass work will be required to seal the base of the locker, but it shouldn't be too much trouble and can be done at any time once the through hull is in place. The peak of the bow and the transom are the only places on a sailboat that never go under water even when she's heeled. I may have mentioned before that I also plan to add a couple of 2" drains from the cockpit directly out the transon, and use scuppers valves so following waves won't rush in and refill the cockpit. I want to make sure I can keep the boat as dry as possible and that the cockpit drains as quickly as possible. Both of these jobs will probably have to wait till I get to Houston.
It's gotten better over the years, but I still seem to get it all the time, e.g., I've had small patches on my hands, feet, and legs almost the entire time I've been here. I pretty much ignore it these days since I don't scratch, it doesn't spread, but I just can't seem to keep out of it. I might be getting it off Zoe's fur, but since I'm always in shorts and flip flops, and try to walk her in the shady, grassy areas, I'm sure I rub up against it just as much as she does.
A long time ago, my brother Charlie recommended that I should learn how to identify it so I could avoid it, but that's easier said than done. He could always identify all sorts of flora and fauna, but to me, it all looks the same. He even got his bachelor's degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences, but I was never very interested in that sort of stuff.
I can't even tell cars apart very well. I can pick out a few, but most of them are so similar, that I have no idea which one they are unless I walk up and can find a name actually written on it. Unfortunately, they don't put the name on cars very often, and other than a few symbols, like Mercedes and BMW, they're all meaningless to me. I was never very interested in cars either. However, I am interested in boats, and read and study about them all the time. But I still have trouble telling them apart too, e.g., I can't tell a Beneteau or a Jeanneau from a Hunter (well, maybe from a Hunter, but not from each other).
Zoe watch:
Zoe's doing much better in the cooler weather. We just got back from our walk and she played tug with the leach most of the way back. She's under the boat now, and I'll probably keep her under the bow so I can flush the water tanks a few more times today.
Boat watch:
I flushed the clorox out of the tanks a few times yesterday, but the water still doesn't taste fresh, so I plan to flush it a few more times over the next week or so. I installed the new pump and the new hose from the upper tank to the lower one. I also moved the valve up to the upper tank. That allows me to cut off the flow and service the hose without spilling water all over the place. There's a hatch under the v-berth in the small lateral bulkhead that I can open and access the value, but without the float value in the lower tank, I have to be careful not to overfill the lower tank.
With the value closed, I filled the upper tank completely yesterday so I could see how much water it held, vis-a-vis the lower tank. When it finally filled up and water came out of the fitting on deck, I could see water coming from the vent flowing onto the inside of the hull beneath the tank, but I couldn't see where it was going. The bilge already had a few inches of water in it, so I couldn't tell if it flowed all the way back or pooled somewhere along the way. I hope it wasn't pooling anywhere, but based on everything else I've seen on this boat, I'm betting that's the case. I tried tapping the upper tank to see how full it was so I wouldn't overfill, but couldn't really tell. At some point, I'll need to revisit this and figure out a better solution.
After draining the lower tank, I opened the valve and it filled the lower tank only about halfway to maybe 2/3. I'd assumed the upper tank was the larger, but that's not the case. My rough estimate, based on how long it took to fill it, was about 30 gallons. I can't find the original specs from when I bought her, but I think it was about 70 gallons total, maybe a 50 + 20 breakdown, which sounds plausible. At some point, I need to measure them exactly so I'll know how much water I can carry. I have some 5 gallon water jugs that should work fine for that.
I'm also considering adding a through hull to the chain locker in the peak so it can drain directly overboard without having to go the entire distance of the boat to get to the bilge. This should make the boat dryer and keep the accumulation in the bilge to a minimum. If I do that, I can also add a vent hose to the upper tank so that the overflow will also go directly overboard. Normally, the you'll get a little water in the chain locker through the hawse pipe when seas break over the bow.
Not sure how much glass work will be required to seal the base of the locker, but it shouldn't be too much trouble and can be done at any time once the through hull is in place. The peak of the bow and the transom are the only places on a sailboat that never go under water even when she's heeled. I may have mentioned before that I also plan to add a couple of 2" drains from the cockpit directly out the transon, and use scuppers valves so following waves won't rush in and refill the cockpit. I want to make sure I can keep the boat as dry as possible and that the cockpit drains as quickly as possible. Both of these jobs will probably have to wait till I get to Houston.
10 July 2010
Passed my Amateur Extra exam
Glad to get that out of the way. I had to get up early, take the 0730 bus to the train station, catch the 0804 West bound train to Hicksville, and since there were no taxis and I didn't have change for the bus, I had to walk to the Levittown Town Hall to take the test. I didn't mind walking, but was a bit miffed that the bus wouldn't take bills.
Since I now have a blackberry instead of an iphone, it was really difficult trying to get a map, so I ended up walking a different route than I had planned. I don't think it was much further, maybe a few minutes, but I did have to ask for directions since I couldn't get the map to work. Once I found out where I was, it was already close to 0900, so I started jogging. I didn't want to get there late and maybe miss the test.
I arrived right at 0900, but was soaking wet. They were still setting things up, so I went to the mens room and rinsed off a bit. When I got back, they checked my credentials and gave me the exam. I'd been studying so much lately, that I knew every question on it and breezed through it in about 10 minutes. I ended up getting 100%, which was even better than I'd done on the relatively easier General exam, on which I'd missed one.
Once it was over, I got another guy who was there taking his General exam to give me a lift back to the station. He dropped me off a couple blocks away, so I jogged the rest of the way, and got there just as the train back to Huntington was arriving. It must have been about 1000.
When I got to Huntington, it was overcast and not too hot, so I decided to jog back to the boat. I figured I was already going to have to pay for jogging earlier, so I might as well get a workout. I only had on my flip flops, so after about a mile, I started feeling blisters on my toes where I gripped them so they wouldn't fly off. At that point, I decided to take them off and try to run barefoot. At first, I wasn't sure how that was going to go, but it turned out fine. I just watched where I stepped, ran on grass when I could, which wasn't much, and tried to be extra careful when I crossed streets.
I put my flip flops back on once I got near the boatyard since the streets and sidewalks in that area are pretty bad, and walked the last 1/4 mile. The distance from the train station to the boatyard is about 2 1/4 miles, and I probably went about a mile total in Hicksville, so my guess is that I ran about 3 miles this morning, and except for my left heel, feel great. I'll stretch out several times today, and hopefully, I'll still be able to walk in the morning.
Zoe watch:
I walked Zoe early this morning before catching the bus. She didn't get as long a walk as normal, so I'm going to walk her again in a few minutes. We're having isolated thunder storms today, and the temperature is hovering around 80 with a light wind. I can hear some rumbling, and she's laying on my feet as I type. She gets spooked by loud noises anyway, but thunder seems to be the worst.
I left her on the boat this morning while I went to take the exam. I had closed up most of the cover for fear of the rain, but left it open at both ends so she could get some breeze. With it only getting up to 80, and the boat being a comfortable 70 inside, I figured she'd be fine, but just in cas,e I hurried back. That's partly why I ran back. It takes about 40 minutes to walk, the bus comes every hour, and I'd missed it by about 20 minutes, and the taxis are really expensive, so walking (or running) was the best choice. I was back on the boat by 1100, and she was waiting for me on deck when I climbed up the ladder.
Book watch:
I've seen several references to Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast," so I figured I needed to read it for myself. I found it online a couple of days ago at the Gutenberg site, downloaded, and started reading it. It's an American classic and really good. I like it much better the Chickchester's book. I believe Chickchester even cited Dana in "Gypsy Moth." I just started it and am only to the part where he's approaching the Horn on board Pilgrim, but I'm already hooked. He also seems to be a pretty interesting guy, but according to Dale, he was a disaster as a politician in Boston after the Civil War. If Dale finds and sends me more information on that, I'll post it here. I'm curious to hear what the guy said that ruined his career.
Since I now have a blackberry instead of an iphone, it was really difficult trying to get a map, so I ended up walking a different route than I had planned. I don't think it was much further, maybe a few minutes, but I did have to ask for directions since I couldn't get the map to work. Once I found out where I was, it was already close to 0900, so I started jogging. I didn't want to get there late and maybe miss the test.
I arrived right at 0900, but was soaking wet. They were still setting things up, so I went to the mens room and rinsed off a bit. When I got back, they checked my credentials and gave me the exam. I'd been studying so much lately, that I knew every question on it and breezed through it in about 10 minutes. I ended up getting 100%, which was even better than I'd done on the relatively easier General exam, on which I'd missed one.
Once it was over, I got another guy who was there taking his General exam to give me a lift back to the station. He dropped me off a couple blocks away, so I jogged the rest of the way, and got there just as the train back to Huntington was arriving. It must have been about 1000.
When I got to Huntington, it was overcast and not too hot, so I decided to jog back to the boat. I figured I was already going to have to pay for jogging earlier, so I might as well get a workout. I only had on my flip flops, so after about a mile, I started feeling blisters on my toes where I gripped them so they wouldn't fly off. At that point, I decided to take them off and try to run barefoot. At first, I wasn't sure how that was going to go, but it turned out fine. I just watched where I stepped, ran on grass when I could, which wasn't much, and tried to be extra careful when I crossed streets.
I put my flip flops back on once I got near the boatyard since the streets and sidewalks in that area are pretty bad, and walked the last 1/4 mile. The distance from the train station to the boatyard is about 2 1/4 miles, and I probably went about a mile total in Hicksville, so my guess is that I ran about 3 miles this morning, and except for my left heel, feel great. I'll stretch out several times today, and hopefully, I'll still be able to walk in the morning.
Zoe watch:
I walked Zoe early this morning before catching the bus. She didn't get as long a walk as normal, so I'm going to walk her again in a few minutes. We're having isolated thunder storms today, and the temperature is hovering around 80 with a light wind. I can hear some rumbling, and she's laying on my feet as I type. She gets spooked by loud noises anyway, but thunder seems to be the worst.
I left her on the boat this morning while I went to take the exam. I had closed up most of the cover for fear of the rain, but left it open at both ends so she could get some breeze. With it only getting up to 80, and the boat being a comfortable 70 inside, I figured she'd be fine, but just in cas,e I hurried back. That's partly why I ran back. It takes about 40 minutes to walk, the bus comes every hour, and I'd missed it by about 20 minutes, and the taxis are really expensive, so walking (or running) was the best choice. I was back on the boat by 1100, and she was waiting for me on deck when I climbed up the ladder.
Book watch:
I've seen several references to Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast," so I figured I needed to read it for myself. I found it online a couple of days ago at the Gutenberg site, downloaded, and started reading it. It's an American classic and really good. I like it much better the Chickchester's book. I believe Chickchester even cited Dana in "Gypsy Moth." I just started it and am only to the part where he's approaching the Horn on board Pilgrim, but I'm already hooked. He also seems to be a pretty interesting guy, but according to Dale, he was a disaster as a politician in Boston after the Civil War. If Dale finds and sends me more information on that, I'll post it here. I'm curious to hear what the guy said that ruined his career.
07 July 2010
Record High of 102 in Huntington
It was truly brutal yesterday and officially reached 102. That's 22 degrees higher than normal. I kept wetting down the cover and ground under and around the boat to keep things cool. However, it was still over 110 under the cover on the deck. I ended up working under the boat from about 11am on, but didn't get too much done.
Today is much better, but I think I'll take Zoe down to the pub to watch the Germany-Spain match this afternoon. I should have done that yesterday, but once it got really hot, we just hunkered down and tried to stay cool. We'll go down a little early to avoid the hottest part of the day, but will still have to walk in it for about a 1/4 mile. I'll wet her down before we leave.
I'm not really pulling for any particular team in the World Cup, but it would be cool if Spain wins today because that would mean the the ultimate winner will be a team who's never won before. The Dutch have been closer, so I think they deserve it more,and a Dutch win would make USA look better since our loss, and all the subsequent margins, have been very close. Also, a Dutch-German final would probably be the most interesting.
Ham License watch:
Due to the heat, I haven't studied as much as I would have liked, but still feel good about it. Now, I just hope it cools off enough that I can go take it and not have to worry about leaving Zoe behind. It's the last exam, and I'd like to get it out of the way before I leave. Otherwise, it may be difficult. The forecast for Saturday is 83, which is almost normal, so if that holds, it won't be a problem.
Zoe watch:
She's over next to the boat in the shade, and I'll move her under the boat as soon as I sign off. The high today is only supposed to be around 93, so I think she'll be okay. However, I may try to trim her a little more and give her a bath before we walk down to the pub.
Today is much better, but I think I'll take Zoe down to the pub to watch the Germany-Spain match this afternoon. I should have done that yesterday, but once it got really hot, we just hunkered down and tried to stay cool. We'll go down a little early to avoid the hottest part of the day, but will still have to walk in it for about a 1/4 mile. I'll wet her down before we leave.
I'm not really pulling for any particular team in the World Cup, but it would be cool if Spain wins today because that would mean the the ultimate winner will be a team who's never won before. The Dutch have been closer, so I think they deserve it more,and a Dutch win would make USA look better since our loss, and all the subsequent margins, have been very close. Also, a Dutch-German final would probably be the most interesting.
Ham License watch:
Due to the heat, I haven't studied as much as I would have liked, but still feel good about it. Now, I just hope it cools off enough that I can go take it and not have to worry about leaving Zoe behind. It's the last exam, and I'd like to get it out of the way before I leave. Otherwise, it may be difficult. The forecast for Saturday is 83, which is almost normal, so if that holds, it won't be a problem.
Zoe watch:
She's over next to the boat in the shade, and I'll move her under the boat as soon as I sign off. The high today is only supposed to be around 93, so I think she'll be okay. However, I may try to trim her a little more and give her a bath before we walk down to the pub.
06 July 2010
Heat wave
It's going to be another hot one today with a forecast of 98 here in Huntington. I think it only got up to about 93-94 yesterday, but the temp on deck under the cover hovered around 110. Obviously, I can't really do much when it's that hot, but I have been able to get some work done inside the cabin, mainly cleaning, and was able to work on the portholes under the boat in the afternoon when it was really hot. I used green scrubbing pads to clean up the aluminum cover plates. I need to do a little more cleaning on the all the portholes/lights, so I'll probably spend this afternoon under the boat trying to finish up.
Some of them are in bad shape, especially where they seal, so I'm going to use some epoxy putty on them. Not sure if I'll get to that this afternoon, but I want to at least get them ready. I need to finish patching the final holes in the deck, so I'll try to do that as soon as the humidity goes down. The only other job I want to do today is finish up the freshwater system. I have one more locker to clean, then I can remount the pump and connect the new hoses. I was able to clean the bilge out yesterday with the shop vac, so I may try to flush the tank one more time before I connect it up.
Zoe watch:
Zoe's holding up pretty well in the heat. I shaved her again yesterday and wet her down a couple of times. She's under the boat right now, and I moved the thermometer down there so I could keep an eye on it. It's only around 80 right now, but we're still in the shade. In another hour, we'll be in full sunshine and it will stay like that for about 10 hours. It's going to be brutal today, but I'll move down there with her in a couple hours and spend the rest of the day under the boat.
Some of them are in bad shape, especially where they seal, so I'm going to use some epoxy putty on them. Not sure if I'll get to that this afternoon, but I want to at least get them ready. I need to finish patching the final holes in the deck, so I'll try to do that as soon as the humidity goes down. The only other job I want to do today is finish up the freshwater system. I have one more locker to clean, then I can remount the pump and connect the new hoses. I was able to clean the bilge out yesterday with the shop vac, so I may try to flush the tank one more time before I connect it up.
Zoe watch:
Zoe's holding up pretty well in the heat. I shaved her again yesterday and wet her down a couple of times. She's under the boat right now, and I moved the thermometer down there so I could keep an eye on it. It's only around 80 right now, but we're still in the shade. In another hour, we'll be in full sunshine and it will stay like that for about 10 hours. It's going to be brutal today, but I'll move down there with her in a couple hours and spend the rest of the day under the boat.
04 July 2010
No more Google news
A couple of years ago, I discovered google news and got hooked. It was okay, and had a few ways you could customize it, but other than weather, I preferred to keep the defaults. You could quickly get an overview of about a dozen general categories and use it to track a particular person or story.
Well, I guess someone decided that wasn't good enough, so they've enhanced it, and after a few days of struggling with it, I've decided to drop it for now and go back to reviewing the half dozen news outlets I like, e.g., the New York Times, LA Times, Seattle P-I, the Guardian, Le Monde, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, MLB, etc.
Besides the fact that I didn't like the new format, I was miffed that the weather forecast was completely wrong -- it wasn't even for the right days. I hope they don't decide to revamp the blogs too. I'll still use google for everything else, but will probably avoid the news page until they fix the problem.
Well, I guess someone decided that wasn't good enough, so they've enhanced it, and after a few days of struggling with it, I've decided to drop it for now and go back to reviewing the half dozen news outlets I like, e.g., the New York Times, LA Times, Seattle P-I, the Guardian, Le Monde, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, MLB, etc.
Besides the fact that I didn't like the new format, I was miffed that the weather forecast was completely wrong -- it wasn't even for the right days. I hope they don't decide to revamp the blogs too. I'll still use google for everything else, but will probably avoid the news page until they fix the problem.
Illegal Fireworks
When I got up this morning and climbed down to take Zoe for a walk, I found the remnants of a few dozen fireworks, all the way from 1/2" to 1 1/2" in diameter, on and around the boat. From the pattern, it looks like the people who live directly behind the boat yard, and directly adjacent to where my boat it parked, fired them off. Since I didn't notice it until this morning, they must have fired them off just after dark while I was walking Zoe. We were gone for a couple of hours and got back to the boat sometime after 10pm -- it doesn't start too cool off until around 8 and doesn't get dark until after 9, so we probably left around 8:30 or so.
I don't really care that much about fireworks, but do care about my boat. After I found and picked up most of the spent cardboard casings (guess that's what they're called), I called the police and found out the it was indeed illegal to discharge fireworks here, and they recommended I call them the next time it happened. I plan to be back from the walk this evening before dark and wet down the cover to minimize the risk.
If that sounds paranoid, it's not. I found one large burn spot on the cover and evidence of at least two other projectiles that hit and stayed on the cover. I also found a place in the fore peak where something hit and burned a spot in the paint that looked reminiscent of a small cigarette burn. I had pulled back the cover, and exposed that section of the deck, in order to allow better ventilation. Since I don't smoke and that's the section I've already repainted, it's obviously from the fireworks -- not to mention that the ash is still fresh.
I made these discoveries as I was preparing to do more work on the freshwater and bilge systems and after I'd already spoken to the police. You might image how upset it made me that I'd come this close to loosing my boat even before she was in the water -- there were several gallons of paint and solvents only a few feet from the largest of the burn marks. So I picked up a couple of the spent rounds and walked around the block to talk to the owners. This is the second time, that I know of, that they've set off fireworks. The first time was a few weeks ago and I was here and sprayed water on the cover to make sure it didn't catch fire. None of those rounds came my way, however, it looks like all of these were directed toward the boat yard and my boat got about half.
The walk calmed me down a bit, so when I arrived at the house, I was able to make my case to the owner, a woman sitting out on the patio, without any undue emotion. It was probably even a bit understated, although I did stress that I had paint and solvents stacked on the deck, and that all of it was highly flammable. Had any of the fragments that hit and burned the cover ignited it, the boat would have been a total loss -- something I couldn't afford to replace. Unsaid was that she probably couldn't afford to replace it either.
It went pretty well, and she was very apologetic, so I hope that'll be the last of if. But I'll keep an eye out tonight and try to finish up as quickly as I can just in case.
Zoe watch:
Since Zoe was with me, she was never in any danger. She's hanging out under the bow today.
Boat watch:
Hopefully, I can get the bilge and the last couple of lockers cleaned and reinstall all the pumps today. I'm also going to try to finish filling the deck holes and get ready to paint. We've got a few good days in a row, so I think I can get some painting done. Since I can't paint the whole thing at once anyway, I want to paint a few particular sections first so I can start remounting hardware. That will help a lot with storage in the cabin and in the cockpit and allow me to remount the AC power plug and manual bilge pump in the cockpit. I also want to remount the handrails and the winches. That'll all make a huge difference.
I don't really care that much about fireworks, but do care about my boat. After I found and picked up most of the spent cardboard casings (guess that's what they're called), I called the police and found out the it was indeed illegal to discharge fireworks here, and they recommended I call them the next time it happened. I plan to be back from the walk this evening before dark and wet down the cover to minimize the risk.
If that sounds paranoid, it's not. I found one large burn spot on the cover and evidence of at least two other projectiles that hit and stayed on the cover. I also found a place in the fore peak where something hit and burned a spot in the paint that looked reminiscent of a small cigarette burn. I had pulled back the cover, and exposed that section of the deck, in order to allow better ventilation. Since I don't smoke and that's the section I've already repainted, it's obviously from the fireworks -- not to mention that the ash is still fresh.
I made these discoveries as I was preparing to do more work on the freshwater and bilge systems and after I'd already spoken to the police. You might image how upset it made me that I'd come this close to loosing my boat even before she was in the water -- there were several gallons of paint and solvents only a few feet from the largest of the burn marks. So I picked up a couple of the spent rounds and walked around the block to talk to the owners. This is the second time, that I know of, that they've set off fireworks. The first time was a few weeks ago and I was here and sprayed water on the cover to make sure it didn't catch fire. None of those rounds came my way, however, it looks like all of these were directed toward the boat yard and my boat got about half.
The walk calmed me down a bit, so when I arrived at the house, I was able to make my case to the owner, a woman sitting out on the patio, without any undue emotion. It was probably even a bit understated, although I did stress that I had paint and solvents stacked on the deck, and that all of it was highly flammable. Had any of the fragments that hit and burned the cover ignited it, the boat would have been a total loss -- something I couldn't afford to replace. Unsaid was that she probably couldn't afford to replace it either.
It went pretty well, and she was very apologetic, so I hope that'll be the last of if. But I'll keep an eye out tonight and try to finish up as quickly as I can just in case.
Zoe watch:
Since Zoe was with me, she was never in any danger. She's hanging out under the bow today.
Boat watch:
Hopefully, I can get the bilge and the last couple of lockers cleaned and reinstall all the pumps today. I'm also going to try to finish filling the deck holes and get ready to paint. We've got a few good days in a row, so I think I can get some painting done. Since I can't paint the whole thing at once anyway, I want to paint a few particular sections first so I can start remounting hardware. That will help a lot with storage in the cabin and in the cockpit and allow me to remount the AC power plug and manual bilge pump in the cockpit. I also want to remount the handrails and the winches. That'll all make a huge difference.
03 July 2010
Earplug method
Well, the earplug method I used to try to plug the bottom of the deck holes worked out okay, but only for 6 of the 11 holes. The other 5 will need to be refilled. About half of them seemed to almost work and might have held had the resin been a bit thicker. I'm hoping the first batch blocked those holes and the second will fill them up. If not, I can fill them up a third time. Even though the earplugs didn't work 100% on the first try, I'm still pretty happy with it, since it's the first time I was able to get any of the ones with a void between the two layers to fill on the first try. I might try to mix up another batch this evening, but it's too hot right now.
Zoe watch:
She's hanging out under the bow again, and although there isn't too much special going on with her, I did go ahead and cut my hair again today -- didn't want her to feel like I was picking on just her. I ended up with essentially another high and tight, but didn't touch the top. I was trying to let it grow out a bit, but made a few mistakes and had to keep going higher to get it even. However, I think I'm getting better. Maybe next time it'll look like a normal haircut. I've learned that even though I can't see where what I'm cutting, I can touch the end of my index finger to the clipper and guide it by feel.
I cut it under the boat so I wouldn't get hair everywhere, but had to keep climbing back on board to check to see how it looked. I have a little hand held mirror, but have to go into the head to use it with the large fixed mirror in order to see the back. It actually looks professional this time -- and I've had hundreds of professional, as well as some not so professional, high and tights in my life, so I know what I'm taking about.
I'm not sure where it originated, but after 14 months deployed at sea with no professional barbers, I can only imagine that the amateur barbers on board were basically doing that same thing. i.e., just keep cutting it shorter till it looks right.
Boat watch:
Cleaned up the rest of the lockers on the port side so I can run the freshwater feed line. I've already cut the holes I need to reroute it through the aft locker directly into the sous-sole, but haven't run it yet.
When I was draining the lower tank and pumping the bilge yesterday with the old wash down pump, it got clogged, so I had to spend a few hours taking it apart and fixing it. It's a simple pump, but took a while to clean. When I first tried it again, it didn't work, so I took it back apart, several times, and re-cleaned it and made sure it sealed properly. Finally it worked and I was able to pump the bilge dry and even refill and cycle the lower tank again -- didn't finish till around 10pm. It's much cleaner, but still isn't as clean as I'd like. I'll clean it a bit more and then run some detergent through it and then let some clorox stand for a while before trying to use it, but I don't think it'll foul my new pump -- I'll mount it as soon as I clean two more lockers. In any case, I've had worse, but nothing as bad as what Paul had to drink at his family's cabin up in Canada.
I mentioned earlier that Paul Smoke was my first boss. I spent a lot of time with him the first year I met him, part of which I lived in his spare bedroom, and he used to tell a lot of great stories. One of my favorite was the time he was up in Canada at his family's cabin. Everyone had been complaining for weeks about how bad the well water tasted, so Paul decided to investigate. He grabbed a lantern and climbed down into the well to see what was going on. Once he got to the bottom, he found the remains of a family of possums.
When I asked him what he did about it, to my surprise, he said he just came back up and made a pot of tea, then added that he'd already been drinking the same water for several weeks and it hadn't killed him yet, so it didn't really matter at that point. It was a good lesson, even if it can't be applied to all situations. I learned a lot from Paul. Hopefully I'll get to see him again when I get back to Texas, and drinking my water in a few days.
Zoe watch:
She's hanging out under the bow again, and although there isn't too much special going on with her, I did go ahead and cut my hair again today -- didn't want her to feel like I was picking on just her. I ended up with essentially another high and tight, but didn't touch the top. I was trying to let it grow out a bit, but made a few mistakes and had to keep going higher to get it even. However, I think I'm getting better. Maybe next time it'll look like a normal haircut. I've learned that even though I can't see where what I'm cutting, I can touch the end of my index finger to the clipper and guide it by feel.
I cut it under the boat so I wouldn't get hair everywhere, but had to keep climbing back on board to check to see how it looked. I have a little hand held mirror, but have to go into the head to use it with the large fixed mirror in order to see the back. It actually looks professional this time -- and I've had hundreds of professional, as well as some not so professional, high and tights in my life, so I know what I'm taking about.
I'm not sure where it originated, but after 14 months deployed at sea with no professional barbers, I can only imagine that the amateur barbers on board were basically doing that same thing. i.e., just keep cutting it shorter till it looks right.
Boat watch:
Cleaned up the rest of the lockers on the port side so I can run the freshwater feed line. I've already cut the holes I need to reroute it through the aft locker directly into the sous-sole, but haven't run it yet.
When I was draining the lower tank and pumping the bilge yesterday with the old wash down pump, it got clogged, so I had to spend a few hours taking it apart and fixing it. It's a simple pump, but took a while to clean. When I first tried it again, it didn't work, so I took it back apart, several times, and re-cleaned it and made sure it sealed properly. Finally it worked and I was able to pump the bilge dry and even refill and cycle the lower tank again -- didn't finish till around 10pm. It's much cleaner, but still isn't as clean as I'd like. I'll clean it a bit more and then run some detergent through it and then let some clorox stand for a while before trying to use it, but I don't think it'll foul my new pump -- I'll mount it as soon as I clean two more lockers. In any case, I've had worse, but nothing as bad as what Paul had to drink at his family's cabin up in Canada.
I mentioned earlier that Paul Smoke was my first boss. I spent a lot of time with him the first year I met him, part of which I lived in his spare bedroom, and he used to tell a lot of great stories. One of my favorite was the time he was up in Canada at his family's cabin. Everyone had been complaining for weeks about how bad the well water tasted, so Paul decided to investigate. He grabbed a lantern and climbed down into the well to see what was going on. Once he got to the bottom, he found the remains of a family of possums.
When I asked him what he did about it, to my surprise, he said he just came back up and made a pot of tea, then added that he'd already been drinking the same water for several weeks and it hadn't killed him yet, so it didn't really matter at that point. It was a good lesson, even if it can't be applied to all situations. I learned a lot from Paul. Hopefully I'll get to see him again when I get back to Texas, and drinking my water in a few days.
02 July 2010
Finally cooled off
The weather finally cooled off, but it looks like it will warm up again this weekend for the 4th of July. The 10 day forecast indicates that the high on the 10th will only be 85, so I should be able to head over to Hicksville and take the Amateur Extra exam without having to worry about Zoe. It's at 9am, so I should be back well before noon. It's still a few degrees above normal for this time of year, but a lot better than some of the 90+ degree days we've had lately. I see it'll be back in the low 90's by Sunday.
The boat is progressing, but I've been spending a few hours a day studying for the exam. All the questions are in published question pools, and the Amateur Extra exam pool consists of 735 questions, of which 50 will be on the exam. To pass, you just need to get 37 correct.
The questions are divided into 10 different sections that are further subdivided into subsections, with each subsection averaging around 15 questions, one of which will be on the exam. So each question has about a one in 15 chance of making it into the test. Most of the sections are pretty straight forward, but there are a few that are more technical and require a bit more understanding of electronics than I currently possess. But since those comprise such a small percentage of the entire test, I've been skipping them on the practice exams (normally around 4-8 questions), and have still been averaging around 40 correct answers, so I think I'll be okay. I'll try to learn the information if I get a chance, but won't let that stop me from taking the exam on the 10th. I'm currently going through the entire list of questions so there won't be any surprises when I take the test. I can always guess on the ones I don't know and may get a couple extra points.
The ARRL site has several links to sites that maintain the question pools and have flash cards and practice exams. The one I've found most useful is maintained by KB0MGA, that's his call sign as well as his domain name. I'm over half way through the flash cards right now, and hope to go through them at least twice before I take the exam. The site keeps track of the questions you skip or miss, and will represent them to you once you've seen all the questions at least once. It's a pretty good system, but once I've finished the boat and have more time, I may try to create a more flexible framework which could be used for this or other educational purposes. Maybe I'll do it for the Coast Guard exam questions.
Zoe watch:
Had dinner with Zoe at the bar/restaurant down the street last night. We had fish and chips, which they do pretty well. It was pretty good, and Zoe got a good bit of fish, but the music was loud, as were some of the patrons, and she didn't seem comfortable -- she kept trying to climb up in my lap -- so we ate and left.
She's been hanging out under the bow lately. It's nice and shady there until around 5pm, so I don't have to worry about her until late in the day when the sun is much lower and it's already starting to cool off.
Boat watch:
I'm still working on the freshwater and bilge systems, so I don't want her near the drains. I'm going to do a little more cleaning today, then reinstall the pumps and flush it again. I had to rearrange everything in the saloon so I could get to the lower lockers on the port side under the settee to pull the old lines, clean it, and install the new ones. Once I'm done cleaning today, I'll run the new line from the upper tank to the lower one. I still need to order the float valve, but am going to concentrate on getting everything put back together before I worry about the "would be nice" stuff.
While cleaning the lockers, I found where one of the previous owners had removed some bracing along the hull and didn't fix it correctly. I don't think I'll take the time to do it now, but I'll need to fill in a small depression with fiberglass at some point. There's a piece of iron in the hull that's exposed and since the fiberglass has been removed -- probably to run some hoses -- and water stands there. I want everything to drain nicely and not have any standing water anywhere on the boat, but again, that's a "would be nice" issue that I'll handle some time in the future. I'm sure there will be several of them before I'm done.
Back when I did the bottom, I noticed a patch on the outside of the hull that wasn't done very well, i.e., it hadn't been ground down and floated out smooth. I took care of that when I refinished the bottom and painted it with barrier coat, but didn't see any evidence inside the boat of why it had been patched. Now, I think that this might have been the issue. I'll tap around the area from the outside to make sure it's sound, and refinish the inside if I detect any issues. At this point, I don't think it's a problem, but I'd rather take care of it now than try to jury rig something after it's too late.
I did come up with an idea on how I can fill the last dozen or so bolt holes in the coach roof. The problem, as I've written before, is that there's a void between the bottom of the deck and the inner headliner, so I need to fill it with something before I try to fill the hole with resin from the top, or it will all leak out. I've tried several methods, but they all seem to leak a little, and it's difficult shoving something up into the holes.
The solution I've decided to try is to use earplugs. I bought a bunch of them a while back -- the office where I used to work was so crowded I could barely hear myself think. They are spongy and about an inch long and tapered at one end. I'm not sure if resin will stick to them, but I know it doesn't stick to plastic, so I'll cover them in a piece of plastic bag before I try to use them. You just need to compress them like you do when you want to put them into your ear and insert them into the hole. As they expand, they'll fill the void and hopefully not push too far up into into the hole in the deck. I'll use a light to look down into the holes to make sure the plugs don't go up too far.
Once they're in, I should be able to fill all the holes in one session, then pull the plugs back out. I'll still have to fill the holes in the headliner, but that's a cosmetic issue that currently falls into the "would be nice" category. My goal right now is to get the deck sealed and painted so I can remount the handrails and hardware and get out of here. I can live with a few blemishes in the interior, but don't want to spend another winter up here.
The boat is progressing, but I've been spending a few hours a day studying for the exam. All the questions are in published question pools, and the Amateur Extra exam pool consists of 735 questions, of which 50 will be on the exam. To pass, you just need to get 37 correct.
The questions are divided into 10 different sections that are further subdivided into subsections, with each subsection averaging around 15 questions, one of which will be on the exam. So each question has about a one in 15 chance of making it into the test. Most of the sections are pretty straight forward, but there are a few that are more technical and require a bit more understanding of electronics than I currently possess. But since those comprise such a small percentage of the entire test, I've been skipping them on the practice exams (normally around 4-8 questions), and have still been averaging around 40 correct answers, so I think I'll be okay. I'll try to learn the information if I get a chance, but won't let that stop me from taking the exam on the 10th. I'm currently going through the entire list of questions so there won't be any surprises when I take the test. I can always guess on the ones I don't know and may get a couple extra points.
The ARRL site has several links to sites that maintain the question pools and have flash cards and practice exams. The one I've found most useful is maintained by KB0MGA, that's his call sign as well as his domain name. I'm over half way through the flash cards right now, and hope to go through them at least twice before I take the exam. The site keeps track of the questions you skip or miss, and will represent them to you once you've seen all the questions at least once. It's a pretty good system, but once I've finished the boat and have more time, I may try to create a more flexible framework which could be used for this or other educational purposes. Maybe I'll do it for the Coast Guard exam questions.
Zoe watch:
Had dinner with Zoe at the bar/restaurant down the street last night. We had fish and chips, which they do pretty well. It was pretty good, and Zoe got a good bit of fish, but the music was loud, as were some of the patrons, and she didn't seem comfortable -- she kept trying to climb up in my lap -- so we ate and left.
She's been hanging out under the bow lately. It's nice and shady there until around 5pm, so I don't have to worry about her until late in the day when the sun is much lower and it's already starting to cool off.
Boat watch:
I'm still working on the freshwater and bilge systems, so I don't want her near the drains. I'm going to do a little more cleaning today, then reinstall the pumps and flush it again. I had to rearrange everything in the saloon so I could get to the lower lockers on the port side under the settee to pull the old lines, clean it, and install the new ones. Once I'm done cleaning today, I'll run the new line from the upper tank to the lower one. I still need to order the float valve, but am going to concentrate on getting everything put back together before I worry about the "would be nice" stuff.
While cleaning the lockers, I found where one of the previous owners had removed some bracing along the hull and didn't fix it correctly. I don't think I'll take the time to do it now, but I'll need to fill in a small depression with fiberglass at some point. There's a piece of iron in the hull that's exposed and since the fiberglass has been removed -- probably to run some hoses -- and water stands there. I want everything to drain nicely and not have any standing water anywhere on the boat, but again, that's a "would be nice" issue that I'll handle some time in the future. I'm sure there will be several of them before I'm done.
Back when I did the bottom, I noticed a patch on the outside of the hull that wasn't done very well, i.e., it hadn't been ground down and floated out smooth. I took care of that when I refinished the bottom and painted it with barrier coat, but didn't see any evidence inside the boat of why it had been patched. Now, I think that this might have been the issue. I'll tap around the area from the outside to make sure it's sound, and refinish the inside if I detect any issues. At this point, I don't think it's a problem, but I'd rather take care of it now than try to jury rig something after it's too late.
I did come up with an idea on how I can fill the last dozen or so bolt holes in the coach roof. The problem, as I've written before, is that there's a void between the bottom of the deck and the inner headliner, so I need to fill it with something before I try to fill the hole with resin from the top, or it will all leak out. I've tried several methods, but they all seem to leak a little, and it's difficult shoving something up into the holes.
The solution I've decided to try is to use earplugs. I bought a bunch of them a while back -- the office where I used to work was so crowded I could barely hear myself think. They are spongy and about an inch long and tapered at one end. I'm not sure if resin will stick to them, but I know it doesn't stick to plastic, so I'll cover them in a piece of plastic bag before I try to use them. You just need to compress them like you do when you want to put them into your ear and insert them into the hole. As they expand, they'll fill the void and hopefully not push too far up into into the hole in the deck. I'll use a light to look down into the holes to make sure the plugs don't go up too far.
Once they're in, I should be able to fill all the holes in one session, then pull the plugs back out. I'll still have to fill the holes in the headliner, but that's a cosmetic issue that currently falls into the "would be nice" category. My goal right now is to get the deck sealed and painted so I can remount the handrails and hardware and get out of here. I can live with a few blemishes in the interior, but don't want to spend another winter up here.
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