It's here!

Just like clockwork, summer arrived in Seattle on July 5.  And it was like a big weather knife switch in the sky was thrown - the change was sudden, profound, and welcome.

I know that much of the rest of the US has been suffering with triple digit temperatures, but we up here in the upper left hand corner of the country have had high temps in the 50's and low 60's for our "summer"...  up until July 5.  Then BOOM!

And we have Adam & Kaci out on the boat this weekend - the timing could not be better!  I've always wanted them to be able to experience true summer cruising, but it seems that we've always picked crummy  cold or cold/rainy times to have them aboard.  I'm really looking forward to this weekend!

It's here!

You want authentic Ballard?

For good or for ill, Ballard is being gentrified. The Seattle city fathers have decided: Ballard is to be the new high-density housing area.  And so the Ballard skyline is littered with construction cranes. The sleepy, blue collar marine community is disappearing to make way for hi-rise apartments and condos.

The newcomers are attracted in part to that sleepy, working man atmosphere - an atmosphere which is slowly but surely being over-layed by their future.  In consequence there is a palpable desire to seek out and experience the authentic "Old Ballard", before it goes the way of Fremont.

The Lockspot
Authentic Ballard

Tho there are a lot of places laying claim, there is probably no place more authentic Ballard than the Lockspot Cafe.  It's been there at the Chittenden Locks for more than 90 years - it certainly has the whiskers for being authentic.

There's a story behind the antlers

No, this is not a fancy restaurant, nor is it a fern bar.  This is an honest to goodness pub.  A classic American seaside pub.  Wood paneling, marine kitsch, and a fireplace with a huge moose rack above it (yes, those are champaign corks protecting the patrons from the points).

The Lockspot is not a place to go to "be seen".  Seattle has plenty of those - if that's what you want, you should go to one of them.  If instead, you want the best fish n' chips to be had in Seattle in a comfortable, laid-back, homey environment, this is the place for you.  And as you might expect from a neighborhood establishment, families and kids are frequent patrons.

I'm not sure how, but The Lockspot survived its contact with fame essentially untouched...  it was featured in the "Deadliest Catch" TV series, but the only real evidence of this is that you can buy "Deadliest Bar" T-shirts there.  And a poster signed by the crew of the boats in the series (yes, they are real boats) hangs by the cash register.  As you might expect from a Ballard staple, fame did not go to its head.

Pam & Adolph

We've been coming in for over 15 years - since before we moved to Seattle from Spokane.  For us, this is Ballard's version of Cheers - where everybody knows your name.  Recently, when Jane's cousin's daughter (does that make her a second niece?) Amy won first place in the 10K Olympic Finals, we mentioned this to Adolph, our usual and familiar waiter, because he was paying attention to Olympic track & field events on the TV.  That started a long conversation, which eventually grew to include Pam (the Lockspot's owner) as well.  It's that kind of place.

If you go, tell Pam & Adolph that Bob & Jane say, "Hi!"

You want authentic Ballard?

Boat jewelry

Remember this little exercise with the exhaust manifold that happened this past spring?  Well now it has come full circle.

Boat Jewelry

A little internet research turned up Marine Exhaust Systems of Alabama.  Amazingly, they were able to fabricate a replacement exhaust manifold from heavy 316 stainless plate and deliver it to Seattle for about half the delivered cost of a cast iron one from Perkins.

So, what exactly is this exhaust manifold thing?  On an auto engine, the exhaust ports of the engine are connected to a cast iron manifold that collects the exhaust and conveys it to the muffler.  And on a car, that manifold runs almost red hot.  On a car, that is not a problem because of all the air flowing thru the engine compartment.  But on a boat, that is too much heat to safely have trapped below the floorboards.  So, marine engines have water-cooled exhaust manifolds.

There it is!

So, there is ours, lurking just below the intake manifold (the intake has the yellow warning sticker on it).  The cooling water inlet is on the right (hose clamp shining brightly), and the water discharge is the hose connection on the left.  The exhaust elbow, which conveys the exhaust to the water-lift muffler is also on the left, below the water discharge, but you can't see it in the picture.

Out with the old...

Last Friday, we stayed at the dock, and I tackled the task of pulling out the old cast iron manifold and replacing it with the beautiful new stainless one.  I won't bore you with the blow-by-blow details of wedging my body into the space and turning nuts that are not quite completely inaccessible.  Instead, you can just imagine me cursing the British engineers who designed things that way.  Repeatedly cursing.

And in with the new!

Now, there's always some trepidation when using non-factory parts, as to whether they will actually fit.  And right up to the point where I trial-fitted the new manifold, I had the fear that after going thru all the steps of disassembly, that I would have to reassemble with the old manifold because the new one didn't fit in some way.  And that was a real possibility, since the clearances are so tight.

I needn't have worried.  The new manifold slipped right into place, perfectly.  Kudos to Marine Exhaust of Alabama!

I inspected the old cast iron manifold; there is no evidence of water leakage into the exhaust gas side.  So, I guess it could have stayed in there, for a while yet.

But you know what?  I am going to sleep better.

Boat jewelry

Got licorice?

When we are anchored in Liberty Bay, one of the places we visit in Poulsbo is the Marina Market.  In fact our visits are more in the nature of pilgrimages.  You see, I am one of those weird people who actually seek out the black jelly beans - I love licorice...  I confess, I am a licoricista.

And the Marina Mart is kind of like a Mecca for me  - because they actually have a Licorice Shrine.  No, really!

The Shrine

Hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of licorice.  (Jane is reminding me about chocolate.  OK, if you are one of those strange chocolate people, they do that too.)

The biggest problem I face when I visit the Marina Mart is that I can't buy one of everything.  And sadly, our visits seem to be far enough apart (and I am old enough) that I cannot remember what I sampled at the last visit.  Or what I thought of it.  But like the movie "Groundhog Day", that means every visit is a new and wonderful experience!

Andrea is the owner - she is the one behind all this.  And I for one thank her.

(Oh by the way, if you are in Poulsbo for the fireworks celebrating the birth of our Nation on July 3 - yes they do it a day early in Poulsbo - be sure to stop in.  And say that Bob & Jane sent you.)

Got licorice?