Kaimusailing

Each day peeled away another layer of pain. I felt better each day, but each day brought new pains that I didn’t notice before because I had much bigger pains. Fortunately we are in a rain weekend, going into Monday, and I’ve taken a break, ordering stuff, doing a shopping trip, getting a haircut, and I registered at the local gym. They offer the same amenities the marina does and they welcomed me at $45/mo. There I can get a not-campstyle shower and even shampoo my hair. Their internet didn’t work, so I used Walmart’s while having pizza slices at a food shop inside the store.
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At Walmart I purchased an $18 electric bilge pump, 600 gal per hour, that’s 10 gallons a minute. I need to dewater both hulls, I think it’s water that sloshed on deck and then down the companionways. I went online and was able to track the replacement windlass motor, from UK, and the replacement autopilot head, from St. Augustine, FL. The shipping from UK was about $80, but the part price was far below the $418 from a US distributor, I think the total from the UK was around $360. Also mail that was on hold at St. Brendan Isle is now shipped. All to arrive at the little post office.
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Captain Chris was scheduled for shoulder surgery, so I drove him in and after more errands, picked him up and drove him back. Then I had an appointment, came back and took him to pick up his pain medication which required that he pick it up in person and have a photo ID. He treated me to late lunch at a Tex-Mex place that was new to me, must be less than 2 years old.
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Unfortunately the Tex-Mex gave me the Tijuana Trots overnight. The next day I used the little bilge pump from Walmart to pump out the dinghy, there was too much water in it to haul it onto the dock or risk swamping it by climbing aboard. 10 gallons a minute and that job was done. The brick battery I was using would also be needed to go up the mast with the electric bos’un’s chair, so I put it on charge.
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The next day I had to pump out the dinghy again. We seem to be having a never ending rain event. I track my shipments and pick up my forwarded mail and the autohelm control head. I had to go to Linthicum to FedEx to pick up the windlass motor.
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The windlass motor is brand new, I have no doubts about it working. The Autohelm control head is used and sold as part only, not working. I bought it anyway because it was the only one available on eBay. When I plugged it into the power plug in the pilothouse nothing happened. A user’s manual in nice condition came with the unit and I noticed if the polarity is reversed nothing will happen and the unit won’t be damaged.
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After some research with the electric meter I found that my installation was reverse polarity to the purchased unit. So, I reversed the wiring of the power socket. It is the only place in the power line that can be disassembled. The unit powered up and would turn the wheel in both directions. It is probably good to go.
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A phone call came in from my old boss of almost 10 years ago. The firm, which had been winning Broadcast Engineering’s award in one category or another almost every year, was considered one of the top broadcast integrators, and now has been sold and pretty much disbanded. Communications Engineering, Inc., CEI, will be no more.