Spring time sailing

This last week-end really kicked the sailing season off in fine fashion. Friday after work I stopped at Home Depot to pick up some 1/2” pvc conduit and tie-wraps to make insulated stand-offs for the new SSB antenna installation. Got to the boat, had a nice dinner and watched the Lionel Richie and friend’s concert.

Friday night Hannah was working at the theater and got home about 1:30am and told me there was a drunk and bloody guy staggering up and down our dock looking for his boat. When I caught up to him he was bloody, 1”-1 1/4” cut above right eye, nose clearly broken, blood everywhere, he did not know his name, what happened, where he was, his boat name. Would not let me help him at all. I called 911 for the ambulance as he was pleading with me not to. He finally remembered his boat name. staggered around until he found his boat on H-dock. Climbed aboard and shut the door. The ambulance came, Hannah and I showed the firemen the boat and went home. He refused care from them also. The summer must be starting. It did look like he was beat-up. There were no obvious injuries to his hands like he fell and tried to catch himself. Oh well, another day in the life at the marina.

Saturday was at work then we started installing the SSB coax (RG-213) up the mizzen stay and over to the main back stay above the insulator. The “as-found” installation used RG-6 from the tuner to the chain plate associated with the mizzen back-stay. Then an RG-6 jumper from the mizzen stay to the main insulated back-stay. This installation affectively grounded the tuner out-put as the mizzen back stay chain plate is grounded and the mizzen back stay is un-insulated at the top of the mizzen mast. There is also the safety factor of the SSB power being applied to a stay that is in reach.

So we drilled new holes in the topside to feed the RG-213, installed a rubber gasket through hull fitting then the PVC insulated off sets up to the lower insulator on the main and had to stop there. I forgot to purchase a split bolt connector large enough for the back stay. Also, I can not reach as high as I need to in order to complete the final connections. The solution will be to lift the main boom with the topping lift and push it out close to the back stay then climb on out. There is very little doubt that I will end up in the bay. I will probably wear a swim suit just in case. Just hope I don’t loose any tools in the process. We will try to finish the coax installation tonight. Hope it works.

Sunday, we cleaned the boat up and waited for some friends of Jenny and Jordan’s from Wyoming to arrive for an afternoon sail. Dave, Mary and Cody arrived around 11, we briefed and departed for a day sail. We motored to inner harbor, made the turn out and raised sail at the rusty scupper and had a nice run out to the key bridge. Winds were from the west at 7-11 knots with a few gusts to 20. Tried to find the key marker but it was not to be found. Must be out to get painted before the 200th year anniversary

Tina made an awesome snack with three different salsa’s/dips and two different cheeses and garlic olives. It was great! Made it back to the slip, Steve helped tie up, Cody climbed the mast to the crows nest and they left to continue their vacation. We gave Cody an Aletheia tee shirt he seemed to like.

Tina and I had great sun-downers in the cock-pit, a nice grilled steak and salad with a pinot. Watch the great race then to bed.

We live a great life.

Take care and have a great day everyone.

Tim