Today was a special day for me.
I was eagerly anticipating picking up my rebuilt starter from the generator shop in St. Louis and get it out to Beach Chair. Today I had a special visitor with me. Jennifer's dad had come down for a visit and has been with us for a few days now. I have been talking to him at length via email and in person chats all about what I have been doing to Beach Chair. I couldn't wait for him to see her for the first time.
Today was the day, the new injector installed, 2 new batteries, a new battery selector switch, in situ cleaning of the starter panel in the cockpit, fresh fuel after sucking out the fuel tank and re-adding fresh, new fuel filters, rebuilding of the fuel injector pump (this deserves an entire blog entry in and of its own), the final step was to quickly install the rebuilt starter with a heavy duty industrial solenoid, which I did.
I gave Jen the honors and she unceremoniously yet cautiously turned the key causing the emission of the infernal piezo squeal we have come to loath. She hit the starter button and in 2 compression cycles Beach Chair was running again! not just running, but running smoother then she ever did.
I was able to reset the idle to a lower speed due to her ability to handle it again bringing back that ever so welcome taca taca taca.. of the single cylinder.
We both smiled with Glee as I rechecked to make sure the seacock to the water intake was open and verified its jettison out with the exhaust. I immediately asked if anyone was up for a sail being it as 12:30PM with practically no humidity, high pillowy clouds spotting a perfectly Blue sky with warm sunshine and a light 5-8 kn wind out of the Northeast.
Dad took a few minutes to think about it as he is not the seasoned sailer but a well seasoned traveler, Jen and I both convinced him we would just air out the sails for a short run and back. 2 hours tops.
He agreed and we began preparing to pull out of the slip. Electric off, main sail cover stowed, binnacle cover stowed, hatches closed on top deck and opened on sides, GPS activated, dock lines off, Jen behind the wheel, I walked her down the dock and allowed her to float out into the channel where with me now on board, Jen set her forward and piloted her out of the channel into the marina harbor. Out around the break wall we motored, the wind feeling like a long lost friend giving me a warm hug and welcome back.
Once out in the lake we turned her into the wind and hoisted the main. Once again, we were sailing! Jen shut down the engine and we let the familiar sound of silence overtake us as Jen skillfully did a leeward tack taking the wind on our port side. I unfurled the headsail and foosh! She filled so nicely as Beach Chair came alive doing what she is meant to do. We took the wind on our aft port side moving us down the lake at about a 4 knott clip.
Dad was loving it. He sat in his comfy chair as Jen and I talked a bit about what we were doing as I let out the main a bit and loosened the headsail to a nice belly shape. Dad was full of questions and Jen was proud to be able to explain it all.
I walked around the deck pulling in the fenders, managing the lines, and tidying up the deck as we floated along. yes we were out again and loving it!
As promised, about 45 minutes down wind we turned and began to tack our way back upwind with ease as we described the new sail shapes and the hows and why's of what we were doing. He loved every minute of it. For the first time Herb was sailing and experiencing what we have been going on about for years. All of our talk of one day taking to the Great Lakes, then up and out the St. Lawrence, around New Brunswick, down the east coast; he now understood a little more of what we were talking about. Not just the mechanics, or the boat, but the desire! He is happy for us.
So now here we are, close to the end of the season, finally have Beach Chairs power plant back in operation and we will probably be able to get her out a few more times before it will be time to pull her out of the water. This is her year for a bottom job and probably will unstep the mast allowing me to do some much needed repairs to the mast head electronics, wind vane, and replace the newly installed LED deck light which never worked (thanks very much St. Louis sail and paddle).
This winter will be a big project winter with hopes of companionway saloon doors, new transducers, some additional electronics, some new interior lighting, repacking the stuffing box, and probably refinish the exterior brightwork.
Next year will be a great year for Beach Chair, and if someone doesn't buy her out from under us, we will be enjoying her for another season! Till then, we still have some awesome sailing weather ahead of us till Dec, when we will pull her out and put her to bed for the winter.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
looking forward to new things
Small spaces in many different places seems to be my outlook on the future. I used to enjoy thinking of myself as a wanderer. I endeared it and chuckled at those locked to a place unable to move around. Being a Nomad has always been my desire. To discover new places even if only new to me. Feast my eyes on all that nature has to offer. Not so much what man has done, As I loath Mankinds encroachment on nature. I think of Mr. Smith's dialogue in The Matrix where he describes mankind as a virus that consumes all its surrounding resources, then moves on seeking out new places to overpopulate and dessimate. OK, I won't go down that road too far and not get on my soapbox.
I prefer to drift around with minimal footprint disturbing as little as possible. Therefore.. I Sail! I can think of no other way of moving about allowing the seasonal winds to guide my path and allow me to explore within those limits. I am only in the training stages of that era of my life when I can finally cut those land locked ties, and sail away. Its going to be a long trip just to get to water considering I am located in St. Louis!
Been sailing in circles on a small reservoir in Carlysle Illinois just northeast of St. Louis and between running aground when the corps lowers the water level and trying to keep a one lung Yanmar diesel engine running, I am getting my fill of how to be creative in keeping a 30' 9000lb boat moving. Light winds are making me the master of trimming sails, and the occasional 20 knott squall that whips up allows me to get my reefing down.
I have all but given up on that 79 Yanmar single cylinder engine. I have spent more time keeping it running than I have learning to fly my spinnaker! I will say I have gotten very experienced at sailing my vessel out of and into my slip. This to much the nervousness of my slip neighbors.
All in all, the experiences are worthwhile and if you follow the Retirement project blog on here, you will learn it is the same beginnings TJ and Deb started from.
This weekends project is to put a new injector on the engine in hope of allowing the engine to start easier and run smoother. There is not much else that could cause that old beast to not do just that, so thats my goal.
I am also slowly working through the DC electrical circuitry replacing Battery selector switches, replacing connectors, any old wiring not passing muster in hopes of getting better current to the starter motor so she will turn better. I have been fussing with the power train of this vessel all season so its getting to the point where I am pretty much replacing everything in an effort to chase away any corrosion gremlins creeping around the wiring harness.
Until the day she starts when she is supposed to, and runs like a champ when she needs to.. there is my nemesis.
Rod
I prefer to drift around with minimal footprint disturbing as little as possible. Therefore.. I Sail! I can think of no other way of moving about allowing the seasonal winds to guide my path and allow me to explore within those limits. I am only in the training stages of that era of my life when I can finally cut those land locked ties, and sail away. Its going to be a long trip just to get to water considering I am located in St. Louis!
Been sailing in circles on a small reservoir in Carlysle Illinois just northeast of St. Louis and between running aground when the corps lowers the water level and trying to keep a one lung Yanmar diesel engine running, I am getting my fill of how to be creative in keeping a 30' 9000lb boat moving. Light winds are making me the master of trimming sails, and the occasional 20 knott squall that whips up allows me to get my reefing down.
I have all but given up on that 79 Yanmar single cylinder engine. I have spent more time keeping it running than I have learning to fly my spinnaker! I will say I have gotten very experienced at sailing my vessel out of and into my slip. This to much the nervousness of my slip neighbors.
All in all, the experiences are worthwhile and if you follow the Retirement project blog on here, you will learn it is the same beginnings TJ and Deb started from.
This weekends project is to put a new injector on the engine in hope of allowing the engine to start easier and run smoother. There is not much else that could cause that old beast to not do just that, so thats my goal.
I am also slowly working through the DC electrical circuitry replacing Battery selector switches, replacing connectors, any old wiring not passing muster in hopes of getting better current to the starter motor so she will turn better. I have been fussing with the power train of this vessel all season so its getting to the point where I am pretty much replacing everything in an effort to chase away any corrosion gremlins creeping around the wiring harness.
Until the day she starts when she is supposed to, and runs like a champ when she needs to.. there is my nemesis.
Rod
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
one look backward, then onward and upward.
Thank you Dad. You showed me so many things during our time together. I could have gone in so many different directions, most of them bad considering where we grew up, and the kids in the HOOD, but you showed me ways to have fun that were healthy, legal, thrilling, adventurous (to some degree), and most of all taught me that if I wanted something, go get it....the right way.
Fast Fwd a cpl years. My younger brothers and I are all on Suzuki Motorcycles ranging from a little 50cc trailHopper for my youngest Brother Matt, a 50cc enduro for Kelly, and an 90cc enduro for me.
Of course Dad was a very smart guy and knew the only way mom would not put the kibosh on the whole thing was to buy her a bike as well. She got a Suzuki GL125 of her very own to ride along with us while dad enjoyed a 385cc big bike (big to us anyway). Mom never so much as sat on hers but at least she let us ride ours! I actually have that very GL125 sitting in my garage right now with 2000 original miles on it! Ive been restoring it as a home project.
That wasn't enough for dad and us. we needed more fun. In Cleveland, Summer time was very hot and humid and the best way to beat the heat was a boat! yes DAD!!!! so we were the proud owners of an old Larson Lapland 19 foot IO with a volvo 4 Cylinder engine that was capable of pushing that heavy old boat with 3 kids and 2 adults around the Cleveland shoreline at a whopping 12 knotts or so.
We all learned to Ski and learned how to steer her, how to drop anchor, and sometimes when needed, we learned how to Paddle her to shore!
That was the beginning. The spell was cast. water was introduced into our lives on the shores of Lake Erie along Cleveland's skyline, Edgewater beach, the 5 mile Crib, the Break wall (as we knew it), and of course the historic Lighthouse marking the channel to the Cuyahoga River. We danced around many an Ore Boat coming and going, playing in the immense Wake behind the huge Tugs as they plowed their way out to meet the Ore boats to turn them around and push them down the river.
Dad was never satisfied! we never let him be. The newest addition to our family was a 30' House Boat! our home away from home. my 2 younger Brothers and I spent 2 entire summers on that floating mansion while mom and dad worked. Almost a daily routine when mom and dad got off work we would cast off our slip at Cuyahoga Boat and Engine down on a branch of the Cuyahoga and head for 9th Street Pier where we would tie up while mom made dinner. we would sit and eat and then always go to the 9th st. Pier custard stand for some of Cleveland's finest offerings in Frozen Custard. Only to be rivaled by Euclid Beach Custard at the Amusement park there.
During these magical years it was also a tradition set by mom that we would attended Church every sunday without fail. I do mean WITHOUT fail! we received countless perfect attendance buttons over the years for never missing a sunday school class. That is with only one exception; Church Camp! This was counted in attendance so never logged as a missed sunday. Mission Meadows Camp in Dewittville New York on Lake Chataqua. Wow, I can still get warm feelings just thinking of all the memories of my time at camp, family retreat weekend, and of course, the work weekends when we would go open and clean up at the season beginning, or close up at the end of the season. Dad Loved driving that tractor to cut the grass. It was his only job as I could remember and to this day, the smell of fresh cut fields takes me back to that time.
Summer Camp held all the special things that it should have; fist times away from home, first time learning how to jump on a trampoline, the Archery range, polar bear swim club, baseball, Capture the Flag, devotions, camp fires, and oh yes.. my first love! Of course I was too shy to ever say anything but Janet Rinaldo from Jamestown New York, you were my first Love! I will never forget waving good bye to you as your family came and got you by boat. Then off you went... so much for first love!
But, there was something very special at Camp that makes this all relevant. SUNFISH! I learned how to sail a sunfish! That was it. I knew what a tiller was, a sail was, I knew what a Bowland knot was and how to tie it. I learned a figure eight, a half hitch, a clove hitch! I considered myself from this time forward.. a SAILOR!
now when we went out on the houseboat which after a couple years was replaced by a very short owned 50 footer, I was always looking at the sailboats. As I watched my dad add a second 50 Gallon Fuel tank to our House Boat so we could make it across Lake Erie to Rondeau bay Canada which was a 50 mile or so trip due north from the 5 mile crib off cleveland's lakefront, I was thinking how much that cost to run and if only we had a sail...
I was hooked and I might add chided quite a bit by my brothers about liking "blow Boats". I secretly remained true to my desire and admired them from afar. Teenage years brought the normal distractions of cars, girls, jobs, school, and then military duty. I joined the Army following my older Brothers lead looking to go get into the thick of it during Viet Nam. I joined in 1975 but had to wait until I graduated High School in 76 before I could actually go. Wouldn't you know they shut that darn war down a month after I joined? Was I sad? At the time yes! My brother was 101st Airborne and a screaming Eagle paratrooper! He was awarded some very impressive medals for saving peoples lives while on patrol and even was wounded doing it. Yes I wanted to be like him.
After he came home just before I left to go, I learned the real damage that war did and even then, didn't really understand until many years later.
I joined the Army as a Watercraft Operator. A 61B. They taught me how to pilot sea going tugs, seamanship the army way, and finally I ended up in Fort Story Virginia the home of the Larc. Lighter Amphibeous Resupply Cargo vessel. Its 6 1/2 foot Diameter Rubber Tires allowed it to drive up on beaches and over the dunes carrying a fair sized payload without having to stop. I was back on the water!
Peace time Army was a crazy time. Especially when all my NCO's and CO's were straight back from Viet Nam and really didn't care much about anything regarding regulations, or decorum. it was a crazy time. Jimmy Carters Army was a mess. They stuck me and a squad of other watercraft operators in with the mechanics when we first got there because there was no room for us in with the other operators. Finally we found our way to where we belonged operating Amphibs, and ripping up the shoreline of Fort Story.
Coming home to a new wife and new mortgage at the age of 21 put the crunch on me to get a job and start making my way which I did. Dad had sold all the boats and finally settled in with a neat little SunRunner 20 footer which all the kids were able to enjoy now all being old enough to take her out when we wanted. Mom and Dad were divorced now and He didn't get out as much, but we would take him out along the river nightlife when we had the chance and we all enjoyed to antics of the Flats.
I was struggling to keep a job during Reaganomics and the Lake got farther and farther away from me as I fought to make money. Then came the inevitable, we were blessed with a child. Christopher came to us in 1982 and I was a proud dad. Everything was now for Christopher. Now I was that crazy Dad who wanted to do everything with Chris and give him the opportunity to experience my childhood. Bikes and Dads Boat and Camping, and baseball, ice hockey, we did what we could to provide. We were fairly successful depending on who's perspective you hear, rental properties, selling out starter home and moving into a good neighborhood, good school system and the good people of brooklyn Ohio, we were winning. Dad sold his boat, Chris graduated and went on to College, Recognizing the internal call for me to keep moving caused a divorced and I moved away in pursuit of my dream; I wanted to live on the water and my own boat!
A year of searching led me to downtown Lorain Ohio where on the waterfront stood a century home staring out at a historic lighthouse at the mouth of the black river. the shore was lined with the city marina with the city pier right across the street from my front porch. I was home! My goal was to get that old house up to snuff, then eventually get a sailboat and put it in that marina across the street.
I was on my way toward my dream when the struggles of managing the restoration of a home with champagne tastes and a beer budget began to give me reality checks as to the magnitude of the tasks I undertook. Seeing the grasp of my dream right there, yet just out of reach I did something crazy. I fell in Love again. This time with someone who shared my dream of getting out and experiencing life. Only issue, 3 wonderful children who were so in need of a father figure. I fell for them without hesitation and now my course was altered to a new timeline. But this time I had a partner who shares it with me to this very day.
So here we are in St. Louis Mo. in the middle of the United States as land locked as you could be pursuing our dream! I guess when I said I wanted to be by water, I should have been more specific. The mighty Mississippi was never even a thought much less a goal. However following our fortune we are here for now, we have our 30' hunter sail boat and are sailing her around the Carlysle Reservoir practicing, and training for that glorious day when we point hang a "for sale" sign on her and move up to something a little more livable and cruisable, get her up to Lake Michigan, sail the Great Lakes, make our glorious stop in Cleveland Ohio for a brief reunion with family and long time friends before we continue on for the Erie Canal and out through the Hudson River, New York Harbor, hang a left for Long Island sound, a mandatory stop over in North Harbor on acadia island, some lobster in bar Harbor, then from there, weather and seasons will determine our future.
A mini bike! I might have been 10 maybe? Never forget that shiny new RUPP mini bike with the centrifugal torque clutch making her a fully automatic bike that could zoom up to 20 MPH easily.
Shiny Blue with lots of Chrome on the fenders, she was a beauty.
Keeping it in a trailer in the yard so we could pull it down to the trails to run her around. I could not wait for the time to come when I could jump on her, pull that starter chord and speed away. As a child in the 60's, Being like Easy Rider was a big deal. As SteppinWolf put it, I was "born to be wild.."
Fast Fwd a cpl years. My younger brothers and I are all on Suzuki Motorcycles ranging from a little 50cc trailHopper for my youngest Brother Matt, a 50cc enduro for Kelly, and an 90cc enduro for me.
Of course Dad was a very smart guy and knew the only way mom would not put the kibosh on the whole thing was to buy her a bike as well. She got a Suzuki GL125 of her very own to ride along with us while dad enjoyed a 385cc big bike (big to us anyway). Mom never so much as sat on hers but at least she let us ride ours! I actually have that very GL125 sitting in my garage right now with 2000 original miles on it! Ive been restoring it as a home project.
That wasn't enough for dad and us. we needed more fun. In Cleveland, Summer time was very hot and humid and the best way to beat the heat was a boat! yes DAD!!!! so we were the proud owners of an old Larson Lapland 19 foot IO with a volvo 4 Cylinder engine that was capable of pushing that heavy old boat with 3 kids and 2 adults around the Cleveland shoreline at a whopping 12 knotts or so.
We all learned to Ski and learned how to steer her, how to drop anchor, and sometimes when needed, we learned how to Paddle her to shore!
That was the beginning. The spell was cast. water was introduced into our lives on the shores of Lake Erie along Cleveland's skyline, Edgewater beach, the 5 mile Crib, the Break wall (as we knew it), and of course the historic Lighthouse marking the channel to the Cuyahoga River. We danced around many an Ore Boat coming and going, playing in the immense Wake behind the huge Tugs as they plowed their way out to meet the Ore boats to turn them around and push them down the river.
Dad was never satisfied! we never let him be. The newest addition to our family was a 30' House Boat! our home away from home. my 2 younger Brothers and I spent 2 entire summers on that floating mansion while mom and dad worked. Almost a daily routine when mom and dad got off work we would cast off our slip at Cuyahoga Boat and Engine down on a branch of the Cuyahoga and head for 9th Street Pier where we would tie up while mom made dinner. we would sit and eat and then always go to the 9th st. Pier custard stand for some of Cleveland's finest offerings in Frozen Custard. Only to be rivaled by Euclid Beach Custard at the Amusement park there.
During these magical years it was also a tradition set by mom that we would attended Church every sunday without fail. I do mean WITHOUT fail! we received countless perfect attendance buttons over the years for never missing a sunday school class. That is with only one exception; Church Camp! This was counted in attendance so never logged as a missed sunday. Mission Meadows Camp in Dewittville New York on Lake Chataqua. Wow, I can still get warm feelings just thinking of all the memories of my time at camp, family retreat weekend, and of course, the work weekends when we would go open and clean up at the season beginning, or close up at the end of the season. Dad Loved driving that tractor to cut the grass. It was his only job as I could remember and to this day, the smell of fresh cut fields takes me back to that time.
Summer Camp held all the special things that it should have; fist times away from home, first time learning how to jump on a trampoline, the Archery range, polar bear swim club, baseball, Capture the Flag, devotions, camp fires, and oh yes.. my first love! Of course I was too shy to ever say anything but Janet Rinaldo from Jamestown New York, you were my first Love! I will never forget waving good bye to you as your family came and got you by boat. Then off you went... so much for first love!
But, there was something very special at Camp that makes this all relevant. SUNFISH! I learned how to sail a sunfish! That was it. I knew what a tiller was, a sail was, I knew what a Bowland knot was and how to tie it. I learned a figure eight, a half hitch, a clove hitch! I considered myself from this time forward.. a SAILOR!
now when we went out on the houseboat which after a couple years was replaced by a very short owned 50 footer, I was always looking at the sailboats. As I watched my dad add a second 50 Gallon Fuel tank to our House Boat so we could make it across Lake Erie to Rondeau bay Canada which was a 50 mile or so trip due north from the 5 mile crib off cleveland's lakefront, I was thinking how much that cost to run and if only we had a sail...
I was hooked and I might add chided quite a bit by my brothers about liking "blow Boats". I secretly remained true to my desire and admired them from afar. Teenage years brought the normal distractions of cars, girls, jobs, school, and then military duty. I joined the Army following my older Brothers lead looking to go get into the thick of it during Viet Nam. I joined in 1975 but had to wait until I graduated High School in 76 before I could actually go. Wouldn't you know they shut that darn war down a month after I joined? Was I sad? At the time yes! My brother was 101st Airborne and a screaming Eagle paratrooper! He was awarded some very impressive medals for saving peoples lives while on patrol and even was wounded doing it. Yes I wanted to be like him.
After he came home just before I left to go, I learned the real damage that war did and even then, didn't really understand until many years later.
I joined the Army as a Watercraft Operator. A 61B. They taught me how to pilot sea going tugs, seamanship the army way, and finally I ended up in Fort Story Virginia the home of the Larc. Lighter Amphibeous Resupply Cargo vessel. Its 6 1/2 foot Diameter Rubber Tires allowed it to drive up on beaches and over the dunes carrying a fair sized payload without having to stop. I was back on the water!
Peace time Army was a crazy time. Especially when all my NCO's and CO's were straight back from Viet Nam and really didn't care much about anything regarding regulations, or decorum. it was a crazy time. Jimmy Carters Army was a mess. They stuck me and a squad of other watercraft operators in with the mechanics when we first got there because there was no room for us in with the other operators. Finally we found our way to where we belonged operating Amphibs, and ripping up the shoreline of Fort Story.
Coming home to a new wife and new mortgage at the age of 21 put the crunch on me to get a job and start making my way which I did. Dad had sold all the boats and finally settled in with a neat little SunRunner 20 footer which all the kids were able to enjoy now all being old enough to take her out when we wanted. Mom and Dad were divorced now and He didn't get out as much, but we would take him out along the river nightlife when we had the chance and we all enjoyed to antics of the Flats.
I was struggling to keep a job during Reaganomics and the Lake got farther and farther away from me as I fought to make money. Then came the inevitable, we were blessed with a child. Christopher came to us in 1982 and I was a proud dad. Everything was now for Christopher. Now I was that crazy Dad who wanted to do everything with Chris and give him the opportunity to experience my childhood. Bikes and Dads Boat and Camping, and baseball, ice hockey, we did what we could to provide. We were fairly successful depending on who's perspective you hear, rental properties, selling out starter home and moving into a good neighborhood, good school system and the good people of brooklyn Ohio, we were winning. Dad sold his boat, Chris graduated and went on to College, Recognizing the internal call for me to keep moving caused a divorced and I moved away in pursuit of my dream; I wanted to live on the water and my own boat!
A year of searching led me to downtown Lorain Ohio where on the waterfront stood a century home staring out at a historic lighthouse at the mouth of the black river. the shore was lined with the city marina with the city pier right across the street from my front porch. I was home! My goal was to get that old house up to snuff, then eventually get a sailboat and put it in that marina across the street.
I was on my way toward my dream when the struggles of managing the restoration of a home with champagne tastes and a beer budget began to give me reality checks as to the magnitude of the tasks I undertook. Seeing the grasp of my dream right there, yet just out of reach I did something crazy. I fell in Love again. This time with someone who shared my dream of getting out and experiencing life. Only issue, 3 wonderful children who were so in need of a father figure. I fell for them without hesitation and now my course was altered to a new timeline. But this time I had a partner who shares it with me to this very day.
So here we are in St. Louis Mo. in the middle of the United States as land locked as you could be pursuing our dream! I guess when I said I wanted to be by water, I should have been more specific. The mighty Mississippi was never even a thought much less a goal. However following our fortune we are here for now, we have our 30' hunter sail boat and are sailing her around the Carlysle Reservoir practicing, and training for that glorious day when we point hang a "for sale" sign on her and move up to something a little more livable and cruisable, get her up to Lake Michigan, sail the Great Lakes, make our glorious stop in Cleveland Ohio for a brief reunion with family and long time friends before we continue on for the Erie Canal and out through the Hudson River, New York Harbor, hang a left for Long Island sound, a mandatory stop over in North Harbor on acadia island, some lobster in bar Harbor, then from there, weather and seasons will determine our future.
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