February 7, 2012

This week’s projects focused on repairing the consequences of last week’s bad ju-ju.  I got the engine problems cured for the moment, but I’m not sure why.  I drained the primary fuel filter which showed some scum, but no apparent water.  When I pumped some fuel through the filter using the inline bulb pump, I could see some tiny bubbles, so it’s possible there’s a pinhole air leak or the fuel may be low enough in that tank to suck a little air.  I checked the air filter and rotated it to expose a cleaner section, switched fuel tanks and tried starting it up.  Started right up and ran great until I shut it down half an hour later.  Since I had removed the helm chair and engine hatch cover to do my troubleshooting, I decided to complete a long-deferred repair to the damaged lip of the hatch.

In any case, since the engine was behaving again, I once again made arrangements for my old friend Curt to help me take the boat over to the Harbor Patrol for the liveaboard inspection.  Again, strong Santa Ana winds came up at the very hour we planned to go.  So, instead we had coffee and good conversation.  $35 got the Harbor Patrol to come to the slip and do the inspection later that day.  Well worth it to get the harpies in the marina office off my back.

I repaired the damaged paint on the galley counter partition and took measures to reseal the leaking ports in the aft cabin.  After a couple of hours of light rain today everything was still dry.  A good sign, but not a real test.  We’ll see….

I went paddling with the outrigger club Saturday morning and for the first time was able to function normally afterwards.  That was a good thing, since Carol came up for the weekend in the afternoon. We again had a great weekend.  There was an informal dock party/potluck late Saturday afternoon which moved to a big luxurious powerboat after the sun went down and it turned cold.  Got to know some new people and people I knew, I got to know better. Nice time and good conversation.  Even got to talk about bad ju-ju in terms of the second law of thermodynamics with a retired physicist.  Sunday we enjoyed the warm, but windy, weather with a walk in Marina Park and a stroll in Ventura’s quaint downtown.  We had a nice brunch in a sidewalk café and I found a nice black and white print of a moored sailboat in one of the antique stores.  I’ll post a photo later after it’s framed and put up in the boat.  Carol had to leave early Sunday, which turned out okay for me because I got invited to sail with a new friend, John, on his lovely little Montgomery 12 Sunday afternoon.

All-in-all, it was a good week marred only by a pretty bad knock on the head by the dockbox lid.  At least the golf ball sized lump is now down to a small bruise and bump.  Still tender, though.