Sailing 2002:  The Slows

 

This is the second or third time that I have started this chapter.  Forced and unforced departure delays changed the details to be included.  As President Lincoln said of the defensive minded General McClelland during the Civil War:  “He’s got the slows.” 

The Preparations

 The tell tale signs that I am working on the boat:  For the past two months my gas consumption for my moped has doubled.  Every other week I refuel.  I’m up to two gallons a month.  I’ve lost one inch on my waistline.  Also, it seems as if every other day I am stopping at the ATM, drawing out more money.  Now you know why I still have to work.

It would appear that the idea of solo sailing is slowly losing its appeal for me.  But now hurricane season is almost over and I have dedicated myself to getting “the hell out of Dodge.”  However, I keep uncovering deficiencies in the Sirius II that need to be corrected, thus delaying my departure.  (I hope this is not a case of displaced identity, that maybe the deficiencies are really the attributes of the master.)

Some of what I am doing now is corrective in nature.  I have come to realize that if a problem is recurring, it must because of a structural design.  Ergo, four years ago I quit replacing the bearings in the reverse gear box of the Volvo engine and replaced the Volvo engine itself, which was causing the bearings to wear, the motor mounts to break, and much consternation amongst the crew.  This learning curve took several years and a marriage.  Hated to give up that Volvo engine.

Tomorrow is Friday, and I am almost ready, but now the weather bureau says another cold front, a  Norther’ will be here on Saturday.  The problem with this is that a front turns the winds around.  My Friday passage to Cuba will find the winds out of the east blowing against the west flowing Gulf Stream.  I’ll wait until tomorrow a.m. to make this call. 

Now, nearly a week later, I have a one-day window.  Tomorrow NE winds will diminish to less than 20 knots in the Florida straits and on the following day switch to the west (bad) and pick up to over 20 knots again.  So, tonight the plan is to disconnect all my shore connections (including this computer) and prepare to leave tomorrow.  

For the record, here are the repairs that have been made since returning from my “vacation” to Seattle, and subsequent “business trip” to New Orleans, in September: 

1.     Installed a new stainless steel stern pulpit, which a local machinist fabricated for me.  This wraps around the cockpit to keep people from falling overboard.

2.     Installed new lifelines on the starboard side, the side that suffered the most damage from my accident.

3.     Replaced or repaired two lifeline stanchions on the same side.

4.     Removed the automatic wind steering device and sealed the holes that were left in the stern.

5.     Replaced the cleat and the bimini mounting base on the starboard side.  Another cruiser had previously patch the bimini while I was still in the Dominican Republic.

6.     Rebuilt and installed a new arch for the solar panels.

7.     Replaced both panels.  One was totally destroyed last November (I was plucking pieces of glass out of my feet for months afterwards).  The other panel was losing its punch and was replaced by the manufacturer.  A vote of approval for Siemens for standing behind its product.

8.     Rewired and added a regulator for the panels, as the new panels produce slightly more amps than the former:  Don’t want to burn up the batteries!

9.     Repaired the sunshade, damaged from normal wear and tear.

10.  Of course I should not forget the work on the outboard motor that had sunk during a storm the day before I got back to Key West.  I ended up installing a new carburetor.

11.  Sent the auto steering motor in for repairs.  Covered by “warranty.”  An accolade for Raytheon Marine.

12.  Sent the radar back to the factory for repairs.  Again.  Not covered by warranty.  A big boo for Furuno.  The local technician has been out to the Sirius II several times.  He has taken this on as a project.  It was like a hydra:  Solve one problem, two more would develop.  There were problems in the monitor in the cabin, in the dome on the mast, and the wire in between had chaffed through in spots.  Now, right now, the radar works!!!!!!

13.  Removed the bow pulpit and replaced the electrical wiring for the red/green navigation lights.  Remember how I got this navigation light?

14.  Replaced the shower sump pump so now Char can take a shower without the head sink overflowing.

15.  Rebuilt the base for the outboard and redid the case for the Man Overboard Sling, both of which ride on the stern railing.

16.  Repaired the night light for the compass.

17.  Finally, but probably not last, I located what I think is the source of the persistent leak in the forward section of the boat when underway in heavy weather.  I fiber glassed it over.  I won’t tell you the source; it might make some of you a little queasy.

18.  Finished painting the fore deck, a project I started nearly two years ago. 

19.  Replaced the hatch latches in the forward hatch, as the old ones had totally rusted through.  Glad I discovered this before I left.  In heavy weather, a lot of water falls on the fore deck.

20.  Two frivolous projects, since I am forced to stay in the harbor:  I installed a new cabin light in the quarter berth, which allows me to better see the computer which has all the charts I need, and reinstalled an amp meter that measures the output of my solar panels.  Right now it is .5 amps/hour as the sun is behind the adjacent houseboat.  Both projects required extensive rewiring through the bowels of the Sirius II.

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Contact: siriusii@hotmail.com