I'd hoped to cut the lines shackling me to the grid tomorrow, but it looks like I'll need to stay connected just a bit longer, so I extended it another month. The new date is 2 July.
Transmission watch:
Well, I'd like to say it's all fixed and reinstalled, but although I was able to get it out -- with some help from Doug -- I did break a few bolts and have been dealing with that for a few days. They are rusted steel bolts in an aluminum housing, so I doubt they're ever coming out -- salt water and aluminum doesn't mix well, especially if steel is involved. I'll probably have to drill them all out and use helicoils.
But on the bright side, it looks like it's just the clutch that went, so I'll press off the gears tomorrow and figure out which parts I need and get them ordered. Nothing else looks broken or worn or anything, so I think it's just the key that pins the clutch to the shaft that went. I'll replace whatever else is worn-out, but at least the gears, bearings, and spindles look good.
Weather watch:
It's only May and it's already hot as hell -- think working in a hot car in an asphalt parking lot with no shade. Can't wait to get in the water.
30 May 2011
19 May 2011
Cleaning Up
With all the rain, I've had to spend a bit more time in the cabin, so I've been trying to clean up a bit. It still looks like a workshop, but it's getting better. I ran a temporary hose from my sink drain out the port side seacock hole yesterday so I could flush my tanks. I ran a couple tank-fulls through yesterday and another one this morning, but am still getting a bit of grit out of the faucet. I think I'll do this a few more times I trust it enough to drink.
I also washed out my ice box yesterday and let it dry out most of the afternoon, mainly to let the teak shelves dry. I re-stowed a bunch of stuff in it this morning, which helped clear off the counter tops. Finally having running water again really makes a difference.
Chainplate watch:
I worked on the chainplates this afternoon, but wasn't able to finish them. However, I think I got the system down, so hopefully I can finish them tomorrow. Actually, it takes so long to do each hole, it may be next week before I'm done, but they look good and I'm making progress, so I'm not complaining.
Transmission watch:
It rained this morning and is threatening again as I type, but was pretty nice for most of the day. I was tempted to try to pull the transmission today, but decided to go with my original plan and work on plumbing and chainplates. I may crawl down and give the bolt a try this evening or tomorrow morning, but with the weather set to improve by the end of the weekend, I'll probably just wait till then before I try to seriously mess around with it (see below).
Rapture watch:
Evidently, the rapture is a go for Saturday the 21st. I wish I had a better idea of exactly what time -- which time zone does he use anyway? Since I'm not sure I'll have a choice or how much warning I'll get, I need to make sure Zoe is taken care of. I'd hate to think of her locked up inside the boat with nothing to eat or drink while I'm hanging out by the pool in paradise. But this is a boat yard, so I'm sure there will be lots of people left around to care for her. Maybe I'll just put a note on the hull: "in case of rapture, please take care of Zoe for me."
That's also another reason why I've decided to wait on the transmission -- I might not ever have to do it at all. But just in case I don't make the first cut, I sure hope the stuff I ordered gets here tomorrow. My worst fear right now is that all the UPS drivers go on the first wave and my stuff gets looted out on some deserted highway somewhere -- probably north of the Mason-Dixon line, I expect most the the south to go up right away. It might be hard to get boat parts in a the post-rapture world.
I also washed out my ice box yesterday and let it dry out most of the afternoon, mainly to let the teak shelves dry. I re-stowed a bunch of stuff in it this morning, which helped clear off the counter tops. Finally having running water again really makes a difference.
Chainplate watch:
I worked on the chainplates this afternoon, but wasn't able to finish them. However, I think I got the system down, so hopefully I can finish them tomorrow. Actually, it takes so long to do each hole, it may be next week before I'm done, but they look good and I'm making progress, so I'm not complaining.
Transmission watch:
It rained this morning and is threatening again as I type, but was pretty nice for most of the day. I was tempted to try to pull the transmission today, but decided to go with my original plan and work on plumbing and chainplates. I may crawl down and give the bolt a try this evening or tomorrow morning, but with the weather set to improve by the end of the weekend, I'll probably just wait till then before I try to seriously mess around with it (see below).
Rapture watch:
Evidently, the rapture is a go for Saturday the 21st. I wish I had a better idea of exactly what time -- which time zone does he use anyway? Since I'm not sure I'll have a choice or how much warning I'll get, I need to make sure Zoe is taken care of. I'd hate to think of her locked up inside the boat with nothing to eat or drink while I'm hanging out by the pool in paradise. But this is a boat yard, so I'm sure there will be lots of people left around to care for her. Maybe I'll just put a note on the hull: "in case of rapture, please take care of Zoe for me."
That's also another reason why I've decided to wait on the transmission -- I might not ever have to do it at all. But just in case I don't make the first cut, I sure hope the stuff I ordered gets here tomorrow. My worst fear right now is that all the UPS drivers go on the first wave and my stuff gets looted out on some deserted highway somewhere -- probably north of the Mason-Dixon line, I expect most the the south to go up right away. It might be hard to get boat parts in a the post-rapture world.
17 May 2011
Way too much Water
They finally moved us yesterday. We were in the way of one of SUNY's boats, so they had to move us out the way to get her out. They put us back in roughly the same position, so hopefully we'll be here till we can go in the water. Maybe now I can start working on the transmission again -- didn't want to take it out before the move since the rear engine mounts attach to the transmission itself. -- but now it's raining and probably won't stop until the end of the week.
Even if I don't get to work on the transmission, I've got plenty of things to keep me busy, but right now I've got my hands full just keeping the bilge pumped out. I had to remove the drains to get to the transmission, so the cockpit is draining directly into the bilge at this point. I pumped it dry last night, but it filled up almost to the top by morning -- we've been getting a lot of rain. It's stayed relatively dry since them, and there are a few things I can do to mitigate it, but it's something I need to keep an eye on, i.e., check it right before and leave the boat and as soon as I get back.
I currently don't have a manual bilge pump installed in the cabin -- I bought one, but haven't installed it yet -- so I have to go into the cockpit to pump it out. My electric bilge pumps aren't connected either. One just hasn't ever been installed, and the other, which is the main one, connects to the drains that were removed. So, I'm forced to go out into the cockpit periodically to pump her out. That's not a big deal, but with the cooler wet weather, it's not as pleasant as writing this blog or playing on the radio, but is does remind me of the Corps.
I ordered a bunch of stuff over the weekend to finish up my head and replace the manual bilge pump in the cabin. I got the pumps and valves today, but haven't gotten the hoses or clamps yet. I forgot to order a 1-1/2" thru-hull for the new manual bilge pump, so I'll do that today. The old one was smaller and drained into one of the 1-1/2" drains I removed to get to the transmission. They don't recommend sharing drains for bilge pumps, so I'm going to run the new one straight out the back.
As soon as I finish this post, I'm going to see if I can temporarily reconnect the aft cockpit drains to reduce the amount of water getting into the bilge. I'm also going to see if I can make any more headway on getting the transmission out. If the bolts turn easily -- I've been spraying them for days with penetrating oil -- I might be able to go ahead and pull it. Otherwise, I'll just respray it and wait for better weather. I certainly don't want to break off a bolt. Unfortunately, I don't have any way to stay out of the rain when I'm working on it.
Chainplate watch:
I'm going to see if I can get back into the machine shop this afternoon to finish them up. I still need to drill and polish them, which shouldn't take too long, then they'll be ready to reinstall. I'll have to wait until the weather clears and I can dry-out and fix the deck, but that project is really close to being done.
Rigging watch:
I have the new wire, so all I need to do now is cut it to match the existing stays and shrouds (they swaged the upper ends and left the tails long) and attach the mechanical lowers. I bought Sta-Lok fittings, which are really strong and more weather resistant than regular swage fittings. They're also more expensive, but since you can reuse them and probably make the wire last longer, I think it's worth it.
Radio Interference watch:
I'm still having problems with interference on multiples of 220khz up and down the band from the local radio stations, particularly ham bands. They change their configuration during Yankees games, which makes the interference worse, especially on 14,300, the Maritime Mobile Service Network, which is what I monitor. Although they did tests under their normal configuration, they've thus far refused to test under the configuration used during Yankees games.
They obviously wouldn't change the configuration during the Yankees games for no reason (I'd bet that's their biggest money maker) but they claim that it shouldn't make any difference. I'm not sure I'll be able to get them to do anything about it, but the FCC has been pretty responsive and helpful, so we'll see. They're a big corporation, and I'm just a retired vet living on a boat with limited resources, so I'm not holding my breath. However, I did take issue with their attitude, so I plan to pursue the issue.
Even if I don't get to work on the transmission, I've got plenty of things to keep me busy, but right now I've got my hands full just keeping the bilge pumped out. I had to remove the drains to get to the transmission, so the cockpit is draining directly into the bilge at this point. I pumped it dry last night, but it filled up almost to the top by morning -- we've been getting a lot of rain. It's stayed relatively dry since them, and there are a few things I can do to mitigate it, but it's something I need to keep an eye on, i.e., check it right before and leave the boat and as soon as I get back.
I currently don't have a manual bilge pump installed in the cabin -- I bought one, but haven't installed it yet -- so I have to go into the cockpit to pump it out. My electric bilge pumps aren't connected either. One just hasn't ever been installed, and the other, which is the main one, connects to the drains that were removed. So, I'm forced to go out into the cockpit periodically to pump her out. That's not a big deal, but with the cooler wet weather, it's not as pleasant as writing this blog or playing on the radio, but is does remind me of the Corps.
I ordered a bunch of stuff over the weekend to finish up my head and replace the manual bilge pump in the cabin. I got the pumps and valves today, but haven't gotten the hoses or clamps yet. I forgot to order a 1-1/2" thru-hull for the new manual bilge pump, so I'll do that today. The old one was smaller and drained into one of the 1-1/2" drains I removed to get to the transmission. They don't recommend sharing drains for bilge pumps, so I'm going to run the new one straight out the back.
As soon as I finish this post, I'm going to see if I can temporarily reconnect the aft cockpit drains to reduce the amount of water getting into the bilge. I'm also going to see if I can make any more headway on getting the transmission out. If the bolts turn easily -- I've been spraying them for days with penetrating oil -- I might be able to go ahead and pull it. Otherwise, I'll just respray it and wait for better weather. I certainly don't want to break off a bolt. Unfortunately, I don't have any way to stay out of the rain when I'm working on it.
Chainplate watch:
I'm going to see if I can get back into the machine shop this afternoon to finish them up. I still need to drill and polish them, which shouldn't take too long, then they'll be ready to reinstall. I'll have to wait until the weather clears and I can dry-out and fix the deck, but that project is really close to being done.
Rigging watch:
I have the new wire, so all I need to do now is cut it to match the existing stays and shrouds (they swaged the upper ends and left the tails long) and attach the mechanical lowers. I bought Sta-Lok fittings, which are really strong and more weather resistant than regular swage fittings. They're also more expensive, but since you can reuse them and probably make the wire last longer, I think it's worth it.
Radio Interference watch:
I'm still having problems with interference on multiples of 220khz up and down the band from the local radio stations, particularly ham bands. They change their configuration during Yankees games, which makes the interference worse, especially on 14,300, the Maritime Mobile Service Network, which is what I monitor. Although they did tests under their normal configuration, they've thus far refused to test under the configuration used during Yankees games.
They obviously wouldn't change the configuration during the Yankees games for no reason (I'd bet that's their biggest money maker) but they claim that it shouldn't make any difference. I'm not sure I'll be able to get them to do anything about it, but the FCC has been pretty responsive and helpful, so we'll see. They're a big corporation, and I'm just a retired vet living on a boat with limited resources, so I'm not holding my breath. However, I did take issue with their attitude, so I plan to pursue the issue.
12 May 2011
Going off the Grid
I'll probably be going off the grid pretty soon, maybe as early as the end of the month, but definitely by the end of June. I don't see much reason for a cell phone once you get a few miles offshore. I still have a few things I need to get, so I'll keep if for a while, but don't plan to sign another contract for cell of internet.
Move watch:
The travel lift broke down a couple of days ago, so pretty much everything is on hold here. I'm going to do some laundry today as well as a little plumbing work while I'm waiting for them to move me. I may also try to drill the chainplates and assemble the rigging.
Head watch:
It doesn't look like I have room for a flexible holding tank, which is probably good since they aren't recommended anyway. I have a small 6 gallon rigid one that doesn't really fit anywhere, but I think I can mount it under the settee is I tilt it over a bit. That'll reduce it's capacity, but since I don't plan to use it much, capacity really isn't an issue. I need to order hoses, values, and a pump to complete the project, so once I get back from the laundry mission, I'll work on that.
Bilge watch:
I also need to replace the manual bilge pump in the cabin. I've been looking at a Whale Titan, which is what I have in the cockpit. It works well and can also be used for waste, so I'm planning to buy two, one for the bilge and the other for the head. I'll need to add another thru-hull in the transom to drain it, but other than that, it's pretty easy to mount.
Drain watch:
My large toerails tend to hold water on the deck, so I've got a couple of deck drains that are connected to a chase molded into the inside of the hull on both sides of the boat just aft of the companionway. The only problem is that there's no way to seal them off, so if you're on a tack for several days, they could leak and you'd never know unless you stuck your head down in the cockpit lockers. There's not much I can do about it right now, except replace the hoses and keep an eye on them, but I plan to remove them completely when I redo the toerails later this year.
I'm also planning to remove the two aft drains in the cockpit sole and add two larger drains that go directly out the transom. The cockpit has four 1-1/2" drains, but they're connected to two 1-1/2" seacocks, so the extra ones don't really help -- you're still constrained by what the seacocks can handle. This is one modification I may try to do before I leave -- shouldn't take too long and will make the boat much more seaworthy. I'm looking at ordering some fiberglass tubes I can glass in. Then I'll add scuppers to the transom and drain plates inside the cockpit.
Laundry watch:
Well, I'm off to do some laundry. The leak increased the load far beyond my 5 gallon bucket capacity, so I really don't have a choice. Since the laundry is about half a mile away, I'm only going to do half at a time, but the transmission delay makes this a good time to take care of it.
Move watch:
The travel lift broke down a couple of days ago, so pretty much everything is on hold here. I'm going to do some laundry today as well as a little plumbing work while I'm waiting for them to move me. I may also try to drill the chainplates and assemble the rigging.
Head watch:
It doesn't look like I have room for a flexible holding tank, which is probably good since they aren't recommended anyway. I have a small 6 gallon rigid one that doesn't really fit anywhere, but I think I can mount it under the settee is I tilt it over a bit. That'll reduce it's capacity, but since I don't plan to use it much, capacity really isn't an issue. I need to order hoses, values, and a pump to complete the project, so once I get back from the laundry mission, I'll work on that.
Bilge watch:
I also need to replace the manual bilge pump in the cabin. I've been looking at a Whale Titan, which is what I have in the cockpit. It works well and can also be used for waste, so I'm planning to buy two, one for the bilge and the other for the head. I'll need to add another thru-hull in the transom to drain it, but other than that, it's pretty easy to mount.
Drain watch:
My large toerails tend to hold water on the deck, so I've got a couple of deck drains that are connected to a chase molded into the inside of the hull on both sides of the boat just aft of the companionway. The only problem is that there's no way to seal them off, so if you're on a tack for several days, they could leak and you'd never know unless you stuck your head down in the cockpit lockers. There's not much I can do about it right now, except replace the hoses and keep an eye on them, but I plan to remove them completely when I redo the toerails later this year.
I'm also planning to remove the two aft drains in the cockpit sole and add two larger drains that go directly out the transom. The cockpit has four 1-1/2" drains, but they're connected to two 1-1/2" seacocks, so the extra ones don't really help -- you're still constrained by what the seacocks can handle. This is one modification I may try to do before I leave -- shouldn't take too long and will make the boat much more seaworthy. I'm looking at ordering some fiberglass tubes I can glass in. Then I'll add scuppers to the transom and drain plates inside the cockpit.
Laundry watch:
Well, I'm off to do some laundry. The leak increased the load far beyond my 5 gallon bucket capacity, so I really don't have a choice. Since the laundry is about half a mile away, I'm only going to do half at a time, but the transmission delay makes this a good time to take care of it.
10 May 2011
Transmission on Hold
I got the engine mounts loosened and blocked up the aft end of the engine under the bell housing on Sunday. However, I wasn't able to free one of the bolts that attach the mounting brackets to the transmission, so I sprayed and tapped it and closed everything back up. I'd hoped to work on it again yesterday, but found out they were planning to move me to get another boat out some time this week.
They won't move her far, but I don't like the idea of having the engine supported by blocks on one end while she's bouncing around on uneven ground. That's just asking for trouble and these guys don't inspire me with that much confidence anyway, so I'll wait till we're settle again before I work on it again. I ended up having to pull all the drains, seacocks, drive shaft, and batteries in order to get to it. I'm sure glad we're having such nice weather, but I'm not sure what I'll do if it rains. Thankfully, none is in the forecast till the weekend.
Chainplate watch:
Since I can't work on the transmission right now, I decided to try to finish up the chainplates. I ordered the bits yesterday, so they should be here tomorrow. I also got them all cut today. They let me use their bandsaw, but the bar I had was too long to work by myself, seven feet, so I had to cut it in half by hand first. I used a hack saw and ruined two blades before I finally got through it. In fact, I had to walk down the the hardware store this morning and buy some new blades. I got a few extra just in case, but only used one and it still looks good.
I also bought more alcohol fuel since it was relatively cheap, and a new grabber tool I can use to clean out some debris in my water tank -- looks like some broken plastic. I have an old one, but since I use it to retrieve stuff I drop in the bilge, I decided not to use it in my water tank. I'll try to keep them separate. I might try to flush the tanks this evening.
Head watch:
I've decided to buy a flexible holding tank -- and just never use it. It will make me legal, and is probably the cheapest and easiest way to go right now. They tend to have pump out issues, but as long as you don't use it, you don't need to worry. I won't use it at sea, but will need to lock the seacock when in no discharge areas. A custom rigid tank would have been best, but those get expensive real quick. I'd tried to use a composting toilet, but don't have enough room in my head to mount and use it.
I'm still not sure how well the flexible tank will fit in the space I've got, but as long as I can get it hooked up and it works when and if they ever inspect me, it'll be fine. The inspection process is pretty simple, they just drop dye in the toilet and flush it, then if they see the dye in the water, they fine you -- about $2,000, I think.
Compass watch:
I've decided to buy a new dual-reading (can be read from both the cockpit and the cabin) bulkhead mounted compass. I have a binnacle one mounted at the wheel, but you have to be at the far aft end of the cockpit to read it. There's already a big round hole in the bulkhead where a compass was once mounted that I need to fix anyway, so I might as well mount something else there. Not only will it be much more convenient, it'll make the binnacle one unnecessary.
I've actually been considering getting rid of the wheel and going back to using a tiller, so this will make that decision easier too. My wind vane will work with either a wheel or tiller, and I already have a tiller -- it's for emergency use and looks like it's never been used -- so that's not a problem, but I think it actually works better with a tiller. I'd have to modify the hole in the cockpit sole, but that's not a big deal -- though it's more work than I want to try to do here.
Zoe watch:
I think it's time for another hair cut. It's not that hot, but she's been getting a little overheated during the afternoon, so I'm planning to trim her tonight once it cools down. She likes to hang out on the deck in the evening, but the mosquitoes have been so bad lately, that I've been trying to keep the hatches closed once the sun goes down. I walked around and got rid of most of the standing water, so hopefully it'll get better. It was pretty nice last night, but the breeze may have grounded them.
They won't move her far, but I don't like the idea of having the engine supported by blocks on one end while she's bouncing around on uneven ground. That's just asking for trouble and these guys don't inspire me with that much confidence anyway, so I'll wait till we're settle again before I work on it again. I ended up having to pull all the drains, seacocks, drive shaft, and batteries in order to get to it. I'm sure glad we're having such nice weather, but I'm not sure what I'll do if it rains. Thankfully, none is in the forecast till the weekend.
Chainplate watch:
Since I can't work on the transmission right now, I decided to try to finish up the chainplates. I ordered the bits yesterday, so they should be here tomorrow. I also got them all cut today. They let me use their bandsaw, but the bar I had was too long to work by myself, seven feet, so I had to cut it in half by hand first. I used a hack saw and ruined two blades before I finally got through it. In fact, I had to walk down the the hardware store this morning and buy some new blades. I got a few extra just in case, but only used one and it still looks good.
I also bought more alcohol fuel since it was relatively cheap, and a new grabber tool I can use to clean out some debris in my water tank -- looks like some broken plastic. I have an old one, but since I use it to retrieve stuff I drop in the bilge, I decided not to use it in my water tank. I'll try to keep them separate. I might try to flush the tanks this evening.
Head watch:
I've decided to buy a flexible holding tank -- and just never use it. It will make me legal, and is probably the cheapest and easiest way to go right now. They tend to have pump out issues, but as long as you don't use it, you don't need to worry. I won't use it at sea, but will need to lock the seacock when in no discharge areas. A custom rigid tank would have been best, but those get expensive real quick. I'd tried to use a composting toilet, but don't have enough room in my head to mount and use it.
I'm still not sure how well the flexible tank will fit in the space I've got, but as long as I can get it hooked up and it works when and if they ever inspect me, it'll be fine. The inspection process is pretty simple, they just drop dye in the toilet and flush it, then if they see the dye in the water, they fine you -- about $2,000, I think.
Compass watch:
I've decided to buy a new dual-reading (can be read from both the cockpit and the cabin) bulkhead mounted compass. I have a binnacle one mounted at the wheel, but you have to be at the far aft end of the cockpit to read it. There's already a big round hole in the bulkhead where a compass was once mounted that I need to fix anyway, so I might as well mount something else there. Not only will it be much more convenient, it'll make the binnacle one unnecessary.
I've actually been considering getting rid of the wheel and going back to using a tiller, so this will make that decision easier too. My wind vane will work with either a wheel or tiller, and I already have a tiller -- it's for emergency use and looks like it's never been used -- so that's not a problem, but I think it actually works better with a tiller. I'd have to modify the hole in the cockpit sole, but that's not a big deal -- though it's more work than I want to try to do here.
Zoe watch:
I think it's time for another hair cut. It's not that hot, but she's been getting a little overheated during the afternoon, so I'm planning to trim her tonight once it cools down. She likes to hang out on the deck in the evening, but the mosquitoes have been so bad lately, that I've been trying to keep the hatches closed once the sun goes down. I walked around and got rid of most of the standing water, so hopefully it'll get better. It was pretty nice last night, but the breeze may have grounded them.
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