Well it's been a couple of weeks since my last post and apologize to my loyal readers. A lot and a little has happened.
I was able to get new lights off of E-bay, a new Frenzel style masthead light from Hella and a new steaming/halogen deck light also from Hella, both for under $60 including shipping!
I got new Antenna Coax from a local electronics store not the type of store where you buy stereos, the real electronics store, where you go if you want to build your own computer or something from the chips up.
I think I spent about $200.00 in the last couple of weeks on parts for the boat, got a new fire extinguisher the original was last checked in 1992, smoke detector, 4 circuit wiring to wire the new lighting in.
Last Saturday I had a friend (Mike with the Chris Craft) come down and help me wire and solder in the new antenna connectors (pl259) and new lights. Then we stepped the mast, put the wiring of the deck connector and cabin wiring off and tried to go sailing - very little wind, but it gave us a chance to test the radio - it works very well, not sure if it works better than before, but it works just as well and the antenna insulation is not cracking letting moisture in.
Today I slept in, something I haven't done on a Saturday for tooo long, then went down to the boat to finish up the mast repairs. I took my old Golden retriever with me so that she could hang out on the boat (more on this later). On the drive down my good friend Brian called and filled me in on his new toy, an FJ13 he is refitting and getting ready for summer. Check him out at "I am thinking... Second Wind" after chatting with him for most of the 45 minute drive I signed off as the cell signal was failing, right before pulling into the marina.
Started off my drilling a 1/2" hole in the deck/cabin liner for the new wiring. Catalina actually fiber glassed over the wiring for the Mast when they assembled the boat I guess it was never meant to be replaced or upgraded. I ran the new wiring through the cabin to the switch panel and and finished installing the new 4 pin deck connector. Then I tested all of the circuits with an ohm meter, it seems like their shorted, getting cross connections all over the place. Looks like I will have to step the mast again to get to the wiring inside of the mast, I verified it was not the new wiring in the cabin (that would be too easy) after that was done I worked on the outboard a little I was not happy with the way the recoil starter (pull rope starter) was working and pulled it off to make some adjustments. The motor is getting very hard to start, but runs fine once it starts.... There was a little breeze blowing through the marina and it was about 4pm so I put Poppy (the Golden Retriever) into the boat, hanked on the Jib (I'm learning this is easier to do at the dock when single handing) and cast off. I motored through the marina, the outboard actually sounding like a good running outboard, not a steel coffee can full of loose nuts rolling down a hill. When I got to the mouth of the San Joaquin river I reached back to idle the motor down and raise the jib, instead of idling down the engine died (I wasn't that far out into the river). I tried to restart the engine and on the 3rd pull the rope didn't return (crap). I raised the jib just to try and keep forward momentum, then lashed the tiller in place and went forward to drop the anchor.
I dropped the anchor in about 30' of water letting out about 90' of rode, I know it is not enough but it did the job. The I went back, pulled the hood off of the motor, then started pulling the recoil starter off. I told myself to be careful and not drop the socket and ratchet wrench into the river, not 30 seconds later I heard a power boat coming out of the harbor entrance and as I turned to look... You got it I dropped the damn tool into the river!
Luckily I had another 10mm socket and wrench. I finished pulling the starter off without loosing any other parts or tools. I got it into the cockpit and opened it up, turns out the recoil spring had unraveled. I re-wound the spring, then re-wound the pull rope, I wasn't happy with the job I had done before (the rope broke the week before last) I put the starter back together, got it back on the motor, and tried starting the engine - no good. So I took the screwdriver handle I had handy and tapped on the side of the carb then gave the starter a pull.... The engine started right up and ran fine???? This is getting old I really need to rebuild my spare carb and get this one changed out.

I left the engine running and went forward to pull the anchor, after getting the anchor up I motored up river toward Stockton, the rest of the sail was uneventful, beautiful day on the river all I needed was some wind.

After making it as far as Old River and shutting the engine off and drifting for a while as I cleaned the cabin up. I tried starting the engine again, it is really getting hard to start and as I pumped the fuel bulb I could hear a sucking noise from the fuel tank which should be full, I think I will change it out for a new 6 gallon tank I bought for my smaller sailboat and never used, and get a new line and primer bulb. This may be contributing to the hard starting problem.
I motored back without any other problems, at least until I got close to the marina and tried to raise my keel. The harbor has a ton of vegetation in the water that fouls the keel and rudder really bad, so I've found if I raise my swing keel I don't snag as much junk. Well we found on one of the few windy days that water will splash up into the cockpit on the keel cable soaking the 1/4 berth cushion, so we keep an old rag stuffed into the cable tube, this works pretty well but I need to remember to pull it out before raising the keel, this time I forgot.
The rag got tangled up in the winch and jammed it up, the keel was about 1/3 of the way up and I couldn't raise or lower it. I hadn't shut the outboard off I just lashed the tiller in place when I went below to take care of the keel and while I was working on the rag the boat was going in slow circles down the river with what looked like my golden at the tiller. Sure must have looked weird (ha). I finally got the rag out, and the keel raised then motored into the harbor, put the boat away for the week and got ready to head home.
As I was motoring into the harbor the sun was going down so I was able to test my new lighting. Everything works, but I'm getting some feedback between the anchor light and deck light I will have to look for a short next week.
At this point my wife called with extreme drama and needed me home NOW! I raced to lock the boat up and get my stuff to the car, as I was walking down the dock with armloads of stuff my dog, did I mention she was like 14 years old and going blind? decided to walk right off of the dock into the river. I dropped all of my stuff and leaned over the dock grabbing at Poppy afraid that she was going to swim under a dock and drown. I got a hold of her, pulled her out, now I had a wife freaking out at home and a soaking dog, could things get better? I put the dog in the car on a coat I had, then went back to the boat to get the rest of my stuff and lock it up. At this point my wife called, her friend Jerry had saved the day and the crisis was averted, so now I just had a soaked dog and frazzled nerves to deal with.

Even with all of the problems it was a good day on the water, I'm that much closer to having a dependible safe boat for the summer. Next week I'm actually taking a client and her boyfriend out for a dinner cruise. I hope there is enough wind.

Sorry about the long post, also here are some pictures from today.

Flying the colors:


Poppy the wonder dog:



Running with the outgoing tide, over the ground versus indicated: