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Thread: Sailing Tomorrow

  1. #311
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    436

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    Bantering - it requires information that is not posted on this forum. I have never seen Dura Mater's bilge, so I am at a disadvantage. But, who knows, bantering may be upcoming. In the meantime, I try to be helpful without being offensive.

    As for wiring Silver Alert, it was an ideal opportunity since any wiring on the Moore was useless. There was not much. At this point in life, things don't go quickly, but if the time is spent, why not make the effort to the highest standard.

    Bantering, it comes easily to some and slower to others.

    As far as siblings, there were older sister and brother, as well as younger.

    I will sleep better knowing the true story behind the bilge pump tape.

    Ants

  2. #312
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Quote Originally Posted by AntsUiga View Post
    I will sleep better knowing the true story behind the bilge pump tape. Ants
    I used the blue tape only long enough to keep the wiring from dropping into the the deep bilge while I was organizing my tools. When Bob teased me about it I came up with a story that would make him laugh.

    I appreciate your offer of the heat shrink connectors. That is a nice sized kit. Once in awhile I find them on sale at places like Harbor Freight, where I buy more than 3 or 4 at a time. Tell us: How did your older sister tease you? I'm sure you remember ;-)
    Last edited by Philpott; 08-27-2020 at 09:35 PM.

  3. #313
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Years ago, shortly after I bought my current Dura Mater I decided that I needed a windvane. I did some research and decided that the Navik was the windvane for me. I posted on this forum and Tom Krase responded. At the time he had a gorgeous Wiley 33, s/v Constellation. I drove over to see the Navik on his boat and he very patiently walked me through the process of using it.

    Shortly afterward I found a Navik on Craigslist down on the Peninsula somewhere. Theoretically it was being sold by a fella who owned a sailboat, but when I arrived to collect it there was a woman and she wasn’t even sure what it was called, but it was FOR SALE. It was in her dining room and she wanted it gone. So I paid cash for it, threw it in my car before the fella got home and drove away with it. I deposited it in my own dining room. When objections were raised, I moved it to a corner of the bedroom. It’s been there ever since.

    Finally, last week, I realized that redundancy is probably a good thing because the word is used so much around this forum. Redundancy. Redundancy. Redundancy.

    I emailed Tom Krase and asked him if he might be feeling patient again, and if so, would he help me with my Navik. He said yes, we met yesterday and he put all the many many complicated and impressive parts of my Navik together in about 15 minutes.

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    As he put it together he explained the purpose of each part and then I took him out to lunch at Louie’s in Point Richmond. We sat on the patio and drank serious coffee (double espresso for him, latte for me). We drove back to RYC and then, just to see how it worked, we bolted the Navik to Dura Mater's transom. We motored out into Potrero Reach and on out to the bay.

    Oh my! Oh my! What a wondrous thing is a windvane! Almost as impressive as the camaraderie of sailors for each another.

    Today Mr Hedgehog helped me problem solve a stuck bolt, Mr Fugu helped me unbolt the windvane from Dura Mater’s transom, and my dockmate Gene offered to make me G10 backing plates. I replaced all old stiff lines with sparkly new ones, pressure washed everything and sprayed it down with lithium grease. I’m a sweaty mess and the windvane is a thing of beauty. Thank you, gentlemen.

    p.s. That's a 2001 Farallones sweatshirt Tom is wearing.
    Last edited by Philpott; 08-30-2020 at 07:55 PM.

  4. #314
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Saratoga
    Posts
    336

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    You're going to be ready for a Transpac at this rate.
    The Sea is my Church; the Boat is my Pew.

  5. #315
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    436

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    Tell Quanci you are still a racer when the gun goes off, even if there is a wind vane on your transom.

    Ants

  6. #316
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default G-10 for the Windvane

    9.3.20 The Windvane is in pieces down in DM's cabin and tomorrow I'll go down and re-install it, this time with backing plates. I took it apart and put it back together several times, then I washed it and oiled the quadrant. I sprayed it with lithium grease and then I sprayed it again just to make sure it was ... greasy enough. I went and bought new locking nuts and big fat washers. Now all I need is an unsuspecting individual who will sit on the dock and hold the screwdriver while I install the nuts as I lay below, contorted and miserable, in my lazarette.

    Mr Fugu is in Napa Marina, Mr Surprise! is missing in action, Mr Hedgehog is doing his qualifier. I need a new unsuspecting victim. In the meantime:

    I have this friend, let’s call him Howard. My expected source of G10 backing plates dried up, so Plan B was to use 4”x 4” blocks of 1” marine plywood instead. There I was, contemplating my drill and the plywood pieces when Howard wandered by my boat on the way to his boat. Which is conveniently next to my boat, so there we both were: Next to our boats.

    “I thought you were going to use G10,” said this friend, who by any other name would still be called Howard.

    “Nah,” said I. “I’m going to use this instead.”

    “Walk with me,” said Howard. So I did.

    We walked and walked and walked and we ended up in a place where a chunk of G10 was laying all alone in a trash bin. I kid you not. But what good was a chunk of G10 to me?

    “Don’t worry,” said Howard. “When I was in high school I used to get into trouble and they would send me to the shop teacher. He knew how to deal with bad kids.” Howard rolled his eyes.

    He told me to follow the yellow power cord and find the source. There it was. I could tell dangerous business was about to occur so I put on a huge plexiglass helmet with a face guard. Kind of like an uber Covid mask.

    Howard told me to measure for four pieces of 4” x 4” blocks in the G10, so I did. Then he reached over, found an incomprehensibly complicated looking attachment for an enormously powerful and scary looking tool, powered it up and cut me four backing plates. He made it seem like a sharp knife cutting butter. It took him about two minutes.

    Before he finished Howard asked if I wanted to cut the last piece. Hell no. It was a huge scary looking machine!

    What did Howard say when I thanked him?

    “You’re welcome.”

    Then we walked back to our boats. I was ecstatic. Howard was nonchalant. He shrugged and said, "That was so easy."
    Last edited by Philpott; 09-03-2020 at 07:31 PM.

  7. #317
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

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    Most excellent. That Howard is a good guy.

    If that happens again, I have a stack of them sitting in a bin from some deck hardware project. They're kinda thick (1/4") but they were cut out for a bigger boat...

  8. #318
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

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    Today was the day for re-installation of the windvane. Well, yesterday would have been the day but it was too hot. Today was hot, too, but I figured I would be more likely to waylay someone on a holiday than during the week.

    And E Dock did not disappoint. Here we are at the successful completion of the task, complete with G10 backing plates, big fat washers and locking nuts. I've decided to name my windvane GoodBoy. Think about it.

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    Thank you to Gene Filipi and The Shadow for the help, sitting in the sun while I slowly contorted and ratcheted in Dura Mater's lazarettes. And thank you to Rebecca Hinden s/v Bombora, who happened to walk by at just the right time to take the photo when we were all done.

  9. #319
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

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    I was feeling self-conscious about not wearing a mask for the photo-op, so I grabbed the alcohol-soaked towel I'd been using to clean the excess UV4000 off the Navik's mounting hardware.

    As soon as the towel was over my nose I realized this was not a good idea.

  10. #320
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    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Yesterday I decided that it would probably be a good idea to try out the new-to-us Navik windvane before going offshore. Yeah. I know. Duh.

    So we did, in about 7 knots of wind, out the RYC entrance, raise the main a bit, unroll the jib and let ‘er rip. Head right toward the dredge in the middle of Potrero Reach, then turn the knob to switch direction: No! not that way! This way.

    We sailed out of the reach and practiced sailing under windvane. I kept the Pelagic engaged until all the lines were run, disengaged the blade from its frame, then disengaged the Pelagic. We were in business, heading for San Quentin. What a dream of an invention is the windvane. And mine is especially perfect. Goes where I tell it to go. Does what I tell it to do. GoodBoy.

    The only time we stalled was when the wind died while I was trying to gybe. Note to self: Don't try that until you've practiced in a bit more wind. Better yet, use the Pelagic for gybing.

    Tom Krase came by again on Thursday to help with a sticky bolt that was supposed to slide freely in case the blade catches in kelp or hits a log or marine mammal. That way, the vane will kick up instead of breaking. That's the plan, anyway. Tom broke his one time on the way to Mexico when the boat broached in 40 knots. Huh. I don't like the sound of that.

    Tom wore not one but two time-honored SSS shirts:

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    Once again: Thanks, Tom!

    Here’s the Navik set-up on Dura Mater: seen from the cockpit

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    Lines 'round the quadrant

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    Lines to the tiller

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    Lines to the teensie cleats on the tiller. Pretty (new) red lines

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    The 2020 Half Moon Bay race has been cancelled. I sulked for an hour, then looked at the wind forecast. Monday should have a bit more wind, who knows what the air will be like. So that’s the plan for us. Picking the days and the forecasts all the way out the gate into infinity and beyond. Well, maybe not that far. Certainly not out of California.
    Last edited by Philpott; 09-12-2020 at 01:18 PM.

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