First Day Out

Nice Southerly afternoon breeze. Temps 50-60. Partly Cloudy.  Current running out.

I decided to take the day off and head up to the boat for some work.  The boat splashed last Friday and a week had gone by since I went up that night and checked the lines.  I was looking forward to getting the boat ready to sail again.

I packed up in the morning and drove to Haverstraw.  If was the first day of the boat show and everyone was setting up.  I arrived on the boat and immediately went to work on the engine.  I take my time getting the engine ready.  I am really anal about the engine, but the boat has turned over in under 2 seconds for the last three years.  Here is the routine:

1. Hookup shore power and begin to charge the battery.  The charge was good, so I started at a trickle.
2. Plug in a portable heater and blow hot air into the engine compartment.  A warm engine starts with less effort.
3. For the next hour or two, I work on the topsides.  More on that later.
4. After the engine is warm I disconnect the heater.  I also bring the charge on the battery from 2 amps to 10 amps.  This will leave the battery at peak voltage before turning the engine over.
5. Now I work on the engine.  This year I did not have to replace the impeller.  Next year I will.
6. I open the sea cock for the raw water.
7. I open the compression levers at the top of the engine and spin it a dozen times or so.  This helps move the oil around the pistons and stuff.  (Don't know much about engines)  Then I close the levers.  Very important.
8. I check the oil to make sure water has not made it too high. 
9. I tighten the belts.  I used a car device for belt tightening.  It fits on the belt area and is much easier and safer than using a screw driver to torque it.  This is a tough tool to find.  I highly recommend ordering one.  It may save your belts.  Click here to view.
10. I make sure the diesel is in the secondary filter.  I unscrew the top screw and pump the fuel manually until some comes out.  In the video below, you can see the oil rag I left around it in the top left.  I had to replace a washer since diesel leaked.  I had the replacement on hand.  It is helpful to keep the heavily used engine parts in a kit.
11. I unhook the charge on the battery.
12. Finally, I go topsides and turn the engine over.  It should start right away.  If not, do not turn for more than 10 seconds as you may flood the engine with raw water.
13. I check the exhaust for color and to make sure the water is going through.

Now I let the engine run while I work on other stuff.  After 15 or 20 minutes, I kill it and check the oil level.

While the engine was being heated, I took care of the following:

1. Hook up main and lazy jacks.
2. Hoist and roll jib.
3. Clean compartments and fill with crap.
4. Put speedo into the water.
5. Empty bilge.
6. etc.

Now it was time to go out on the river and give the engine a nice little run.  I motored out past the breakwater and the wind was dead.  One other boat was out floating.  The current was ebbing over a knot, so I unfurled the jib and had just enough breeze to stay put in the current.  I cracked a beer and decided I would go back in and clean the topsides. 

A moment later, I looked to the south and saw the sea breeze working up river.  I scurried about to get the main up before the breeze hit.  It came in at 10 knots steady.  I was now sailing upwind at 5 knots.  It was perfect.  My work day had ended and sailing would occupy my time for the next three hours.  The wind eventually freshened to a perfect 10-14 knots from the south.  I blast reached across the river a few times.  It was nice to see all the familiar spots again.  It was a great feeling to have the boat sailing after the long winter.

Looks like red 26 outside the harbor was replaced.  Notice the lack of seagull shit.

After a while I reluctantly docked the boat and headed home.  It was a great day.  The morning was calm and cool.  Perfect working conditions.  The afternoon was breezy and the perfect excuse to blow off the rest of the work and sail.  I was very happy to get out for the unexpected sea breeze.  Hopefully it will be the beginning of a great season on the water.

How long is your pole?

In sailing, length is key for your whisker pole.  In other areas of life, length can be compensated for.  When sailing wing on wing downwind, nothing can compensate for a short whisker pole.  A long pole will put the clew of the jib far from the shadow of the main and allows increased sail area perpendicular to the breeze.

For a few years, I have noticed that boats in the non spinnaker class have been using longer and longer poles.  I stayed with the cheap piece of shit that came with the boat.  I have noticed that this is a downwind detriment to our speed.  The new PHRF ratings recognize this as well and have introduced some ratings changed related to the length of your pole.

Recently boats have added adjustable poles to their collection.  These must be banded to indicate the maximum declared length for the pole.  Sailors should take this seriously as the extra length is getting more attention than in the past.  I would not be surprised if there are a few violations on this issue in the coming year.

It is important to measure your pole.  I just threw down an approximation and was told to measure it accurately.  I erred on the long side, so I would not be in violation.  I will take an accurate measurement next time I am at the boat.  This will make my PHRF certificate accurate and should have been done before I submitted the application.  I may even get a credit for my short pole. 

So don't overestimate the size of your pole.  It could hurt your rating. 

Spring Commissioning

Light Northerly wind. Temps 45-50. Cloudy. I went to the boat to get some work done. With the terrible forecast and packed calendar, this was the only good day to work on it. I had to do all the land commissioning in one day. Luckily after five years I have a good list and know how to knock it out. It began at 07:00 hours. I woke early, packed up the truck, played with the kids a little and was out the door by 08:30. My list indicated I needed a few supplies. I got a micro fiber bonnet at AutoZone and headed to Samalot marine for the rest of the supplies. It was close to 10:00 when I arrived at the boat. The first order of business was to remove the winter cover. Once gone, I had easy access to the batteries and hooked them up for a 10-amp charge. I should have worked on the prop next, but I was excited to put my new town on the stern. I moved from Mahwah to Ringwood and wanted to change this immediately. Here were the steps I took. It is not perfect, but the job is done. 1. Scrape the old letters off 2. Wipe area with solvent 202 3. Rub some fiberglass-rubbing compound it and polish off 4. Wipe again with solvent 5. Tape a line for the letters to be straight 6. Apply letters 7. Take picture for Tara (wife)

I then went to work on the prop and shaft. It was a mess from last summer's warm water. I had to scrape and then sand off the growth and old paint. Once clean, I taped over the area for the zinc anode. Next, I wiped it off with solvent and then sprayed on the zinc coat. Two hours later I would spray on another coat. At this point the battery had been charging for over an hour, so I turned it down to 2 amps for a trickle charge. I started over 12.2 volts, so I did not have to overdo it. I then went to work on waxing the sides. First, I like to use solvent on the heavy soiled areas. These are mostly the gunk from rubbing into old rubber wheels at the dock. After that I apply the cleaner wax (Royal Satin One Step). Then I use a clean part of terry cloth and wipe off any extra wax before buffing. I started with an old terry cloth bonnet on the buffer, but when I switched to the micro fiber bonnet I was amazed how well it worked. I only needed two bonnets for the whole boat. I would only work a small section at a time. In between sections I would get a new rag and have a drink of beer. It is tough work, so my shoulders appreciated the quick rest between areas. After about two hours, the boat looked good. Here are some tips: 1. Make sure all supplies are handy before you start. 2. Tape the cleaner wax to the top of your ladder. I have dropped it in the past and it is too expensive to waste. 3. Do not apply too much or it will not work as well. 4. If you apply too much, use the rag to wipe it completely off. 5. Have at least 20 rags on hand if not more. It is much easier to clean with a new rag than to try and use elbow grease with a dirty one. I use a rag every 3-4 feet. 6. Get a micro fiber bonnet. They cost more, but work much better than terry cloth. I will try a micro fiber cloth next time. 7. Wear gloves. I got the $10 gloves from Home Depot and have not regretted it. 8. Don't rush. It was nice to have the time to rest and drink a beer during rag changes. I then put the zinc on the shaft, painted the transducer, lubed the seacocks, and put out the fenders and lines. Some other tips I have learned over the years: 1. Bring 4 extensions cords, a power strip, and a three-way extender. Sounds like a lot of cords, but I use them all. a. One long cord to get power from the pole to the boat. b. Power strip helps when the yard is busy and you need to make an outlet for yourself. c. The extender gets plugged in by the boat to allow for multiple cords. d. A short cord goes to the battery charger. e. Another cord is for the buffer f. The final cord is to reach to the radio. 2. Get all supplies before starting. Driving to Samalot and back a few times can waste an hour or two. 3. A radio makes things a little less boring. 4. Make lists and instructions. It sure sucks to forget to do something or to be unable to finish something. 5. Bring a beer or four. I like to crack a beer towards the end of the work. It also is something to share with anyone that may help you in the yard.