Quiet

[Dale Tanski]

Hey people...

I am busy working on a kitchen rebuild so its no boat projects for me, but what is up with all of you?  Awful quiet on this board.  Either you are all very busy with life or the boat but ya gotta come up for air sooner or latter.  Hope all is well.

With the way the weather is going it looks like an early launch this season for us Great Lakers.  The Lake Erie water temperature is officially 33.1 degrees as of a few minutes ago, so it is doubtfull that the lake will even freeze this year unless we get some heavy duty cold weather.  Even if the water temp dropped to 32 it takes a lot of cold to phase change that hunk of water into a hunk of ice, and as ours is the shallowest of the Great Lakes all of the other lakes have to warmer by a few degrees.  It is currently in the 40's outside with rain and 40 to 50 kt gusts out of the south. 

Perhaps we will pay for this unwinter this summer.  It may be good time to think about installing heat in the old boat.  Just saying...

Good sailing... 
Dale

[RayNWanda]

 It has been quiet. I have been wondering if everybody was gone sailing.
It's been in the 70's here- no icebergs.
We did fly in zero visibility and rain this morning, but it improved as we approached the beach. A Sikorsky S-76+++ has entirely too many electrical doo-dads. It doesn't inspire confidence when the rain is dripping inside and after landing you see it dripping out the belly of the aircraft. I cringe every time we fly in the rain. Only four more flights- two out and two in (not in that order) and I'm done.

I stopped by the boatyard today on my way home. They were supposed to weld out our arch while I was offshore. It is still just tacked together. We want to get it on the boat this week and get wire pulled for the panels. We have a new 12V fridge to install, still working on the dinghy, a new water heater, and more than I want to remember at the moment. No sense in getting depressed.

[S/V Deo Volente]

Hi Dale and All,
Good time to get those house projects done before spring! Last year was the house for me. I've actually been using the mild weather to work on some boat projects. Replaced the shaft log hose, rebuilt the fuel lift pump, and many many misc items. One thing leads to another... No ice on Lake Superior, but it often doesn't freeze until Feb. With no ice water levels will be down next year!
You may be kidding about heat, but I wouldn't want to be without it. I had a bulkhead fireplace in a previous boat, and loved it, but the pilothouse didn't have a good location. With the Pearson I went with a "bus heater" off the engine which is great, and a Webasto forced air furnace, which has nice heat. One night in June we had both heaters going while heading to the Apostle Islands.
Winter's also a great time for armchair sailing!

[INCOMMUNICADO]

Good Morning Guys,I took five days off from business and boat work to make a trip to Eagle Pass TX. for a great hunt.But boat projects still go on and on and on.That reminds me I better hurry If I'm to finish all planed projects before the boat goes back in the water in October.Yall have fun Allen

[Sta-Sea-Dawn]

Wow guys....I feel sorta guilty writing and complaining about the ICE!...It is in the 50's most nights and only gets to middle 70's in the day time and mostly sun.  But someone has to live in the North...thank ya'll.
I am also putting in a new Adler Barbour CU 200...VD153 Evaporator this weekend.  I have done some added insulation on the port hull side of the reefer box (R-10).  I am going to use 3 600 RA batteries for the house bank...having 900 usable amps.  Hopefully a arch and solar panel will follow.  I just received my cable attachment from Edson and putting in the helm steering will be next.  Billy in Hernando Beach, fl.

[SailingSeaDragon]

I have been rebuilding my fixed ports



3 down one to go

[INCOMMUNICADO]

Garner, I hope your ports are stainless.If not I have to add another project to the list.Allen

[graemek]

Hi all
       here it's  7' and raining,nice ports just like mine ,wishing you all a happy new year from across the pond,spent the winter fitting a katyan desalinator under the cooker just fits in nicely,looking forward to spring only 8 weeks to go yepee !!

[kevin barber]

Garner-

How did you end up with stainless?  I am pretty sure mine are aluminum.  Did you fabricate those?

[SailingSeaDragon]

Kevin & Allen,

No those are the original aluminum ports that came with Sea Dragon.....



This is what I started with... add 320 grit, 400 grit, 1000 grit, & 2000 grit sand paper mix in an 8" buffing wheel and a little buffing rouge then top it with polish and sealer --- Poof new ports.

I am in the process of documenting the project including one my biggest screwups to date.

If you attempt this please be careful removing the ports!

Garner

[Dale Tanski]

Garner,

Looking good, looking good!

Dale

[S/V Laelia]

Garner,

I'll be interested to hear about the screwup. I'm about to pull out the port side opening portlight over the forward bunk. It drips if we get a heavy dew. It gushes in a heavy rain.

Also, it looks like someone was very careless about rebedding my fixed ports in the past and there is a lot of stuff smeared around the edges of the glass (plastic?). Any ideas about how to clean that up?

Ralph