Enlarge the pic with a click.

It’s time for an update on Velkommen’s water tank project. Mid August of last year was ‘Phase 5′ and then there was the little exhaust elbow repair in January.The last couple of months have been dedicated to the Hurricane heater. It was upgraded to 2012 standards by Gordon Jensen of Latitude Maritime.  The heat sheild exhaust blanket was done by National Marine Exhaust.  The installation positions the heater partially under the port exhaust elbow (the former problem child) with just enough room for the hydronic lines and the Hurricane exhaust to pass beside the  engine exhaust.  Both the inboard and aft panels of the heater are removable for service, so the current placement gives as much access as possible within the challenging confines of a lazarette.  Everything is mounted on rubber pads to isolate vibration and minimize chafing.  I puzzled a while on the placement and containment of the start batteries.  I think I came up with a creative solution.  It is simple and effective and I’ve never seen another like it.

I even got Ray Robinson’s “seal of approval”, and that’s really tough to get.  He slid through the hatch, inspected everything thoroughly, frowned and said, “Damn thing’s overbuilt”.  SWEET!  That is just the way I want it.

There is nothing nautical about this book.  It is about riding motorcycles.  In particular, long distance touring and endurance riding, popularized by the Iron Butt Association.  There are two main characters:  John Ryan, quintessential endurance rider, and the author, Melissa Pierson.  This is a love story; doubtless, true in every detail.  And exquisitely proportioned in what it describes and what it leaves to the imagination.

Allegorically speaking, The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing is as nautical as Moby Dick.  The human spirit against the elements.  Courage.  Determination. Pushing the envelope.  Man and the machine that propells him through time and space.  Oh yes, there must be a damsel nearby  or the whole thing unravels.

So what do you get when you choose to spend time with this book?  For one, you get an inside look at the IBA.  This is different from the AMA (American Motorcyclist Asso.)  These are doers, not just believers.  A tightly knit group, in a very loose knit sort of way.   If you are a rider, you are likely to understand the concept.  Second, you get to enjoy the writing of Melissa Holbrook Pierson.  It is academic and “ivy league”…..but so very eloquent.  It is a total joy to read.  Don’t let out the clutch too fast; this is several grade levels above the newspaper.

It would be a gift to the nautical community if Melissa were to do the Great Loop.  What a fine read that woud be.

In memory of Bill McAvan, a 2003 Iron Butt Rally competitor and a great friend.  RIP

No need for bifocals if you click on these pics.
I have much to learn about photography.  High Dynamic Range can produce amazing pictures but there is a learning curve and I’m at the bottom.  But……hey!  Things are lookin’ up.

OK, let’s change the subject.

What did I learn? I need a wider range of exposure values and I need to reduce the noise in complied pic.

Even products that look absolutely flawless can can occasionally have problems. Right before Christmas I was stretched out in the lazarette attending to a little detail that I wanted to tidy up.  A wire going to the starboard courtesy light was wound around a hydraulic line.  It didn’t bother anything, but without much effort it could be untangled and everything would look much neater.  I had to get my 2XL self into the far corner and reach up under the new stainless steel exhaust elbow to begin.  My sleeve got a little wet; that didn’t seem right.  A little drip seemed to be forming on the underside of the exhaust elbow and one of the welds was not perfectly smooth.  There was a rusty little spot on one of the new ribs that hold the water tank platform.

I didn’t relish the unanticipated job of removing the elbow.  The exhaust hoses are short and stiff and not very forgiving or flexible.   So everything got put on hold until the New Year arrived.  The starboard exhaust elbow came off  easier than expected, but when the exhaust elbow gets removed all the water that is in the muffler spills into the bilge……and I had it so dang clean, too.   Just so you know:  a muffler that looks like it might hold 5 gallons of water spills about 10 gallons of water into the bilge.  Trust me.

National Marine Exhaust was excellent.  Scott built the elbow about 18 months ago.  He polished the weld with a wire wheel and it looked fine, but when he put the torch to it , a big crevasse opened up.  So it got rewelded (extra-beefy) and we added a bonding tab for good measure.

Reinstallation was a joy.  There are not many places to get leverage or to pry against.  But with help from Mark Hanger of Mark’s Marine Repair the elbow finally gave  up and slid into place.  Usually it’s “two steps forward and one step back”; this was probably “one step forward and two steps back”.  But it emphasizes the value of doing business with good local folks who treat ya right, long after the check has cleared.

Saturday, October 21 was a snotty day. A stiff wind and 45° rain alternating between mist, drizzle and torrential. I had my head in the bilge when I heard the unmistakable sound of twin 454s. The day was so crappy I had to see who was  out puttering around. It was Jay and Vernessa, idling down the fairway between “C” dock and “D” dock aboard Destiny.   After a few minutes my curiosity got the better of me and I had to see what they were up to. Well….just a micro cruise. Enough to get the engines nice and warm for an oil change. After a few minutes of scuttlebutt we saw a tall mast making its way down the fairway between “B” dock and “C” dock. Since the shoreward end of the fairway is all covered moorage, a tall mast meant something was awry. It soon became obvious that the 45 Beneteau was not under command and was being blown down the fairway. Occasionally the skipper seemed to gain a bit of control and would try to initiate a turn, but as soon as he started to come around he was broadside to the wind and moving more quickly toward the steep rocky shoreline. Then he got really close to “C” dock. The dingy he was towing alongside got squeezed between the Beneteau and the pilings untill it went POP…..and expired. The parking lot gave us a better view and we watched until the boat, totally broadside in the fairway was being poked with boathooks and lassoed by well meaning cowboy bystanders. I’m sure the keel found bottom, but probably not long enough for serious damage. There were half a dozen folks on each dock, all trying to help, but really working at odds with one another. A total cluster. I heard Jay say, “I can’t take this any longer” and down the ramp he charged. In less than a minute he was barking orders to the befuddled skipper and his hapless mates. The stern was secured and a bowline run down “C” dock as far as it would reach.  Several hearty lads pulled the bow around against the wind and got the pointy end headed down the fairway. There seemed to be some transmission trouble, or at least some confusion regarding the function of the levers on the binnacle. After a few minutes the Beneteau motored down the fairway and into her slip without further incident. An interesting bit of gossip floated down the dock……this was day 1 of a week long charter. OUCH!

Click on a thumbnail for a more expansive view.

If you look closely, You can see Jay in the third pic in his green sweater between the first two pilings taking charge of the situation. (Better pics next time. All I had handy was an iPhone.)