Poulsbo redux

When last I wrote about last weekend's visit to Poulsbo, the visit wasn't over yet.  There are a few things I still want to inflict on share with you from this great weekend.

First, on Friday evening, a rain shower approached from the Southwest.  Apparently all the rain was virga (evaporates before it gets to the ground) because we never felt any.  But as it fell between us and the sunset it made a spectacular show!

Marco Andretti at 220+ mph

Next, since both Jane and I have roots in Indiana, the Memorial Day Indy 500 classic (the largest sporting event on earth - they seat more than 400,000 people at the Indy 500 Speedway) is a must.  Our anchorage in Poulsbo gave us spotty but adequate TV reception, but we used AM 1380 for the sound.  It was a good race - better than many of the more recent year's when it had essentially become a one-design race.  This year both Chevrolet and Lotus were present which added another dimension.  Both Jane and I (and a large proportion of the crowd) were rooting for Tony Kanaan, but it was Dario Franchitti who won.

Finally, during the last 5 laps of this 200 lap (the track is a 2.5 mile oval - there is a golf course in the infield) race, during a yellow flag and in a hold-your-breath moment, we heard knocking on the hull.  It was Trevor, ex of s/v Lea Fortis, A Force 50 that used to be docked across from us here on G-dock!  Trevor was ferrying his two young daughters (! no offspring when they left G-Dock) around Liberty Bay, recognized Eolian, and stopped for a visit.  Sorry Trevor!  We want to run into you again under better circumstances, and I promise you a beer or three next time!  Really!

But this brings up a wonderful fact about the cruising life...  People may come and go on the dock, but they are not really gone when they leave.  There is an excellent chance that you will connect with them again.  When they leave the dock, they are not gone forever.  Instead, they are extending the geography of your friendship circle.  It's a Good Thing©.

Poulsbo redux

Looking up in Poulsbo

We woke up this morning to summer, here in Liberty Bay.  For the first time this year, we slept with the ports and the hatch open and it was comfortable in the cabin when we got up.  The sun is shining brightly, and the water is glass smooth - one of those wonderful gorgeous mornings.

Just off Point Monroe

But the sail over here yesterday was definitely not calm.  We had 20-25kt, with gusts to 30kt.  We had Eolian rigged with just the mainsail and staysail (perhaps I should have taken a reef in the mainsail...).  With this rig, wind, and rough water, we made more than 6kt across the sound.  For some reason I didn't think to take a picture until we were behind Jefferson Head, and sheltered from the waves. 

Ray steered us all the way from Shilshole to Poulsbo, following our previously laid in and vetted GPS route.  There was only one place where I had to take control from him - the left turn into Agate Pass.  Because of the placement of the shoals, there is little room for error there, and Ray was going to swing wider than I was comfortable with.

And glory be!  Where we are anchored we are getting a weak but mostly usable signal on channel 4.  Considering that we almost never watch TV, why is that important?  Well, because tomorrow morning, beginning at 09:00, channel 4 will broadcast the Indy 500.

Looking up in Poulsbo

RIP Evinrude 2

You might recall that last Christmas, we had to be ignominiously towed for the lighted dinghy parade.

And last weekend, when I tried to start the outboard, I couldn't get it going.

Well this morning I set out to make things right in the dinghy world.  I got out my tools and put the dinghy down into the water so that I could delve into the outboard.  But before I turned a wrench, I gave a diagnostic tug on the cord.

No compression.

At. All.

You could just barely feel some resistance in the pull if you pulled rapidly.

*sigh*  It's plum worn out.  Replacing the piston and cylinder would cost more than the motor is worth (I only paid $100 for it, many years ago), and that would be if I could even find the parts for a 30+ year old motor.

So, once again, I am on the hunt for a dinghy outboard.  The primary criterion is minimal weight, since it spends its life on the dinghy hanging on the davits, and since I have to hoist it up there by hand.  The Evinrude 2 weighed about 24 lb., which was suitable.

And it should be cheap... because I am cheap.  Like with the Evinrude, I am willing to be a motor's last stop on its way to the graveyard.

In the mean time, we are back to having a human-powered dinghy - not necessarily a bad thing.

(If you are into coincidences, John Vigor's post today also treats with outboards.)

RIP Evinrude 2

Project ST5000: Rudder transducer is solid

Ray needs a permanent, solid attachment to the rudder quadrant in order to know exactly where the rudder is.  Although it served for initial sea trials and feasibility testing, the string arrangement will never do for a permanent installation.

I cut a piece of the aluminum angle, carefully measured and trimmed so that it fit tightly inside the tapered space under the top flanges of the quadrant, right at the correct spot. This was not exactly easy, and involved many trials with folded paper.

Then to hold it in place, I cut off two more pieces of angle, 1" long. On each of these pieces, I trimmed one leg to 3/16", the thickness of the bronze casting flange of the quadrant.  These were to serve as the clamps, to be held in place with the 1" 1/4-20 stainless bolts, fender washers and nylock nuts.  For the piece d'resistance, I applied a dab of 5200 to the top of each end of the aluminum angle before installing.  I think this is going to stay in place.  And it avoids weakening the bronze quadrant casting by drilling holes in it.

The aluminum angle got an 11/32" hole bored in the exact center to take the ball bolt.  (By the way, if you ever need any replacement parts for your rudder transducer, these are the 10mm rod ends and ball bolts that are used with gas struts.  Search for them that way.)

Finally, I measured the amount of the M6 all-thread needed (the distance between the ends of the black nylon rod ends, plus the distance that the rod screws into one of the rod ends.  This way, I am left with the approximately 10mm length of the threaded part  at the other rod end for possible adjustment).  I cut the stainless all-thread to this length.

Installed with a lock nut and washer at each end, and voilà, Ray gets a solid, repeatable, linear report of rudder position!

Project ST5000: Rudder transducer is solid