December 15, 2011

Now that the most urgent tasks of settling into my new home are largely completed, the focus has again shifted to boat projects.  With an overwhelming number of potential projects, I needed to decide on a focus to avoid scattered efforts.  Since it’s winter and could rain any time, obviously the emphasis would be on interior work.  That also made sense in light of the tight restrictions on boat work in the marina.  Until I make real friends of my neighbors, discretion would be the better part of valor in that regard.  Since I am now living aboard full time, I decided to start with projects that improved the livability of Circadian. 

To that end, this week’s big project was the installation of a microwave oven.  That entailed some cabinetry and wiring work, as well as the challenge of pre-Christmas shopping for the appliance itself.  I wanted a microwave that was relatively low wattage so it wouldn’t overwhelm the circuitry, it needed to fit the available space, and it would be nice if it looked decent.  A name brand would be preferred, too.  I ended up with a 700 watt GE that fit the bill pretty well.  Once the microwave was installed and working, I needed to be able to secure the door to the forward cabin v-berth in the closed position and out of the way of my new appliance.  I cut and shaped a block of teak to receive the pin from a brass barrel bolt and installed the new barrel bolt.

In the good news/bad news department, I got a call from Lighthouse mfg, the maker of my windlass, only a few days after I had returned the motor to them for repair.  The good news was that they had cured the motor problem and repairs would be covered under warranty (even tho it was 10 months beyond the written warranty period).  The bad news was that they had determined that a faulty seal in the winch part of the windlass had allowed grease to get onto the commutator of the motor, which is what was causing the slow starting.  I would need to return the winch portion of the windlass to them so they could replace the seal.  Dismounting the windlass was relatively straightforward, since I had installed it only about 18 months before.  I decided to remove the chain clutch and gypsy as well as the rope drum from the gearbox to reduce the shipping weight.  Even without them, the winch was very heavy – 40 or50 pounds.  Figuring out how to pack the heavy and oddly-shaped hunk of stainless steel for shipping and then doing it was the hardest part of the whole job.  It only took about an hour or so to remove the winch, but it took most of the rest of the day to get it ready for shipping.  

Between projects, I’ve enjoyed walks around the harbor and beaches as well as watching the sunsets.  They’re different from the Delta, but just as spectacular.  A special treat was watching the lunar eclipse.  The sky was crystal clear, and with no lights on the ocean, it was perfect.

One the social side, I’ve started making arrangements to get together with old friends here, and I’m looking forward to visiting the Mt Wilson Observatory with Carol and friends this weekend.  Fortunately, I was able to find a vet who can board my dog while I’m gone.  After all, even a sailor can’t survive on projects alone.

 

January 16, 2010

Up early and headed back to Napa Saturday morning. The weather forecast called for rain for the next two days, which was unfortunate since I had Monday off for the Martin Luther King holiday. Clearly it wasn’t an auspicious time to unwrap the mast and start on the mast wiring and radar installation projects. So, armed with my trusty volt-ohm meter and a big set of wrenches, my goal was to determine if the non-functioning windlass was getting current, and if so, to dismount it and bring it home for further diagnosis. Since it had been taking a beating from wind and sea on the bow of Circadian for some 35 years, it was no surprise that it wasn’t working. I just hoped it was something simple and cheap, since the manufacturer in England was long out of business and parts were pure unobtainium. In order to determine if current was reaching the windlass, I had to remove it from the deck to access the terminals on the bottom. Thanks to its previous removal when the decks were recently redone, it was surprisingly easy. I was thankful that Jessie was experienced enough to know not to use 3M 5200 as the sealant. It is such a strong adhesive that it is impossible to remove something bonded with it without a chisel and saw. It didn’t look too bad underneath where the electrical connections were housed, but the meter told me that current was getting past the switch and to the solenoid, so I knew something was wrong with either the solenoid (minor) or the motor (major or even terminal). I disconnected the wiring from the supply battery and then from the windlass so I could dismount it and bring it home. The damn thing was just as heavy as the gas-powered emergency pump, so I lowered it to the ground the same way I had the pump two days before.
I spent the rest of the day cleaning up, removing old foodstuffs from the galley, and off-loading the loose locker doors to bring them home for refurbishing. I covered up the holes in the deck resulting from the removal of the windlass with plastic sheeting. Having found a head manual online yesterday, I had brought a couple of gallons of pure water to flush down the head to push all the stinkies through the hoses into the holding tank. I did that and a few other minor chores and I was on my way home. As tired as I was when I got home, I had to get the heavy windlass and locker doors down into the basement before the rain arrived, so I found myself still a beast of burden well into the evening.