Last time we went to the boat, I had removed the two main winches to take them home for servicing. Our winches are very nice, for a small boat. They are Lewmar brand model 40 two speed self tailing winches. Self tailing means that the winch cleats the line as it is wound around the winch. Two speed means that it turns at different speeds depending on which way you turn the handle. I had never done anything to the winches and I was sure they needed attention. I bought a kit containing winch grease, oil, instructions and 10 pall springs. The cleaning and servicing process was very straight forward. Now that I know how to do it, I won't wait so long between servicing. I always wondered why sailboat winches were so very expensive (nearly $1500 new) and now I understand. They are elegantly simple, beautiful machines built of brass (or bronze) and are packed with cogs and lots of other precision moving parts. Never disassemble a winch unless it is inside a large box because parts tend to jump out when the cover is removed.

Friday July 24, 2009
My work week had been long, hectic and more than a little stressful, but it was over and we headed for the coast shortly after work as usual. Other than putting the winches back on the boat and a vague notion that we would probably go sailing, we didn't have a hard plan for the weekend. That turned out to be a good thing.

Saturday July 25, 2009
We were up by 7:30, but I was moving unusually slowly. It took longer to re-install the winches than I thought, but it is not unusual for me to underestimate the time required for a project. By mid morning the temperature had climbed to nearly uncomfortable, and the skies were threatening. There was very little apparent wind, which is unusual in the area. Brent and John, our dock mates, left mid morning to try to "find some wind".

Since neither the mate nor I were inclined to fight the heat and lack of wind out on the sound, we decided to deploy the sun shade and the air conditioner. There is always plenty to do on a boat. I had a nagging fresh water plumbing issue that I had been fighting since our trip the Elizabeth City. I really needed to address the issue because working plumbing is essential especially since we plan some anchoring out in the near future. As it turned out, our decision to stay at the dock was a good one. Brent and John got chased back to the dock by a thunderstorm about 3 hours after they left. They reported almost no wind before storm came up.

Our boat has a very simple plumbing system, which is a good thing. I had fixed a leak at the water pump while we were anchored at Campbell Creek several weeks ago. We noticed a similar problem last time we were down so I knew it needed attention. I opened the hatch to reveal the pump and saw a trickle of water but couldn't see where it was coming from. I removed the pump with the plumbing intact so I could examine it more closely and found that the fitting on the pump had come loose and was leaking. I fixed this by sliding the latch closed. Then I noticed a leak at the hose / barb joint. I think this one was caused by a failing hose clamp. I quickly replaced the clamp with a bigger one that I had in "stock". Hopefully this particular leak is fixed for good.

The fresh water plumbing in the bathroom consists of a single faucet fixture with a diverter that connects to what I call a "telephone" shower, because it is on a cord and looks much like an old telephone receiver. I had replaced the fixture with a new one back in the winter because the original 1983 model faucet had developed a leak. The replacement faucet was very nice looking and very reasonably priced. There is a reason for the reasonable price. After only a few uses, the shower diverter hung up so that the shower would turn on unexpectedly while the faucet was running. I doubted that West Marine would be willing to give us a refund after so much time, so I figured I'd take a crack at fixing the jammed diverter. I removed the faucet and took it apart. I was able to fix the problem, but this equipment was never meant for a marine environment and it will be replaced as soon as I can find a suitable fixture. I reassembled and reinstalled the faucet and turned the pressure water on. The diverter worked but the faucet now squirted water everywhere if you turned it more than half open. This was better but still not acceptable. While I was testing the faucet repair, I found that the water pump was running continuously. I was looking for the leak when the bilge pump came on. Not good. The new faucet was not leaking but something was. It was getting late and Judy went over to Oriental to get supplies for a planned cookout with Richard and Frances. While she was gone, I traced the leak to a blowout on the hose near the water heater. This leak was in the other end of the boat from the faucet I had just fixed. Fixing the leak at the water heater was a piece of cake but it took me half an hour to find it. I had fretted over plumbing enough for one day and decided that we would just not run the water over half open and I would let the problem rest and have some dinner.

By late afternoon the weather had cleared, the wind was steady and conditions were beautiful. The cookout was a typical Ensign Harbor affair. Everyone brought food to cook on the grill. We had burgers, Bill and Susan had steak and Bob and Tammy grilled a pork roast. It was like old times and one of the best turnouts Judy and I had seen in months. We had been down many times in the last year and spent the weekend completely by ourselves. It was good to be back to normal, and we really hope it continues. We ate too much and stayed up too late (for old people) but we slept well in a cool dry boat.

Sunday July 26, 2009
We were glad the air conditioner was running because it was already hot and muggy when we got up. There was coffee and cereal for breakfast. I was rested and I started thinking about the plumbing issue, and how I would really hate for a guest to get a shower when all they wanted was to wash their hands. After Saturday's session I knew that I could get to the suspected leak (squirt) without removing the entire faucet fixture. After an hour and a brain cramp that caused water to gush straight up and practically flood the head, I wrestled the little faucet fixture into submission. At the moment the plumbing in the head is working as it should, but more work is in order.

We left a little before noon. I had read about a radio controlled sailboat race that would be held at noon at Whittaker Pointe Marina. We stopped by to check it out. The race was held by a local club.



There were a dozen or so little yachts about 30 inches long. They were really "scooting" across the water in the stiff breeze. Most of the skippers were quite accomplished sailors and there was at least one youngster who was holding his own in the competition. The most striking thing for me was that they could hold a race from beginning to end in about 10 minutes. A similar race for keelboats would take at least several hours.

We are thankful for every minute we can spend together doing what we love to do. We scored another beautiful weekend this time. We plan to be on the water as much as possible over the coming months. Fall is the very best time for sailing, and we plan to take advantage of every hour. One of the unexpected benefits of our boating venture is the friends we have made at our dock. We really enjoyed seeing many of them this weekend and hope to see more of them on future trips.