Kaimusailing

There was a brief break in the weather and the deflatable dinghy was pumped up and launched aft near the engine box. The engine is mounted on something called a “sled” which is like the transom of a runabout motor boat. The forward part of the sled is designed to split the waves and is hinged to the #3 crossbeam. At the transom end of the sled are a pair of fixed length heavy duty straps that hold the engine at the proper depth. A second pair of straps lift the sled up above the surface of the water and the engine also power tilts so that nothing is dragging in the water when lifted.
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I had replaced the fixed length straps and now decided to replace the hoisting straps. One goes to a modified boat trailer hand crank winch, the other uses a strap tensioner that ratchets, like those used to cinch down loads on a flatbed truck. The idea is that if the winch fails, the sled could be hauled up using a come along and the strap with the ratchet tensioner could be used to hold the sled up.
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The bad straps were noticed when I worked on the engine. It had been running rough and the suspected culprit was the choke linkage. The linkage was pulling the choke on, but when pushed to take the choke off, it would slip and the choke would stay partly on. This was easily fixed with a plastic wire tie. The engine tested fine, it always runs fine at the dock. It was run dry out of fuel to prevent fuel contamination from sitting idle over the winter.
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When a winter storm warning comes along, the grocery stores and gas stations are jammed. Down at the docks, it is similar. My only task was to run the engine again, this time with “the blue stuff” mixed in with the gas. This stuff is sold in the marine stores as “Starbrite”, but what I could get was called “Start On”. The ethanol gas has caused us problems and the traditional gas treatments haven't proved effective. Leaving ethanol gas to stand is asking for trouble. It separates and the heavier layer is ethanol and any water that's been absorbed. This corrosive mixture is what gets pulled into the carburettors from the pickup tube at the bottom of the gas tank. It doesn't burn, so the engine stops and won't restart. It corrodes the alloy components of the fuel system, creates insoluble particles that clog fuel jets in the carburettors. Some plastics get dissolved and distributed throughout the fuel system. The result is typically rebuilding your carburettors every season at least once. I hope these new additives will help.
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Kaptain Kris arrived at the docks with the new part for the Sailomat self steerer. It started as a piece of stainless steel pipe with ¼” wall thickness, and now has been slotted, welded, and reslotted so that it can form a junction piece between the hickory servo oar and the servo oar shaft. Some holes have to be drilled in it for the quick release pin, key, and a breakaway screw. There is a need to allow for adjustment of the servo oar sweep back angle. It is a work in progress.
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His immediate concern was to pump out his holding tank. Also, Cornelia Marie's full keeled ketch was sitting at anchor with dead batteries and needed to be towed to the dock for shore power. Cornelia Marie was away so the men had to do the work.
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I ran Kaimu's engine with the additive in the fuel, although there was little left in the day tank. Kris thought he could get out to the ketch with her dinghy which was full of water and leaves. I motioned him over while casting off lines.
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We'll pull up her anchor onto Kaimu's deck and tow her. We didn't even have to go aboard. It was a calm day, chilly, but not too cold. The anchor line was grabbed with a boathook and I began to haul in the anchor and pay off the anchor line so that the ketch could be towed behind us. The line began to get Bodkin slimey. The anchor chain was clean, coming off the bottom. Before I could get too far with it, Kris had boarded the ketch and somehow gained access below through the locked companion way and got the engine started. The dead batteries didn't include the engine battery.
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I cast off the anchor line and got Kaimu out of the way. I was covered in that smelly ooze that is unique to Bodkin Inlet. Kris cranked the ketch's anchor up with the manual windlass and made for the docks. Kaimu followed and I swung her around to tie up bow out.
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The water level was low and the rudders dragged in the mud as I swung her around. I could move her off with the engine, but it took several tries to finally get tied up. I let the engine run on and run dry after the gas line was pulled from the tank.
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The trip to the pump out at Pleasure Cove was next. Just next door, a million dollar marine facility. Kris's dog, Jessie, could be described as neurotic, nervous, overly friendly, or just plain crazy. Jessie wouldn't come with us out to retrieve the ketch, but now came aboard Kris's full keeled ketch for the trip to pump out.
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At Pleasure Cove there was only one yacht still tied up at their docks. On shore were many on the hard, probably for the winter. A huge forklift was bringing a motor yacht indoors. This facility is 9 million cubic feet. If you Google Earth the Bodkin Inlet, you can't fail to miss it at the head of the inlet, it's right next to the Bodkin Yacht Club.
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The pup began to whine and yowl as we got closer to the dock and when we tied up the boat she bolted ashore and began running around, sniffing everywhere. We topped off the tank for Kris's stove and found out the holding tank pump out had been winterized. There was another pump out near the haul out well, so we moved over there. The news was that it too would be winterized in a couple of weeks and there would be no pump out facility available till April.
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As the marina personnel tried to do their tasks, Jessie, the overactive dog, intervened and it ended up with them schmoozing the pooch. She really liked attention and responded by hugging them, which in dog-talk is leaning against them with her snoot in their crotch. “A really mean, nasty, aggressive dog” I said. The dockman agreed, “Indeed”.
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We backed out while the BOAT/US towboat came up to the gas dock and we motored over to tie up. The sun was setting as clouds fought and the winter storm began to roll in.
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The picture is of the dock with a full keel ketch and Kaimu.