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.
