Tag Archives: Boat repair and maintenance

The ADD Brain and Boat Maintenance Reading

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Great literature!

Hi there blog readers. So earlier this week Mike posted about the kinds of books one needs in a good boat maintenance library: the kind my husband likes to read. Books like [amazon_link id=”0071475354″ target=”_blank” ]Marine Diesel Engines[/amazon_link] by Nigel Calder are light reading for Mike. He loves to snuggle down on a rainy day with a good book, and since he’s already read the entire Oxford English Dictionary, fine print edition,  this book on diesel engines will do.

This is where we part company. Unlike Mike, I did not grow up reading the dictionary for entertainment. No, I grew up reading Nancy Drew, like all red-blooded American women my age. If my husband had read The Hardy Boys rather than the dictionary and various other reference materials, we’d probably be on the same proverbial page about good literature and what constitutes reading entertainment.

Good reading!

There are two basic problems here. First, Mike has the kind of brain that can pick up a book like Marine Diesel Engines and understand what the bloody hell the author is talking about. He can see it in his mind as Nigel waxes poetic about tracing fuel lines, Pneumatic Sensors, and Flexible-Impeller Pumps. When Mike reads about ‘four-cycle’ engines, he knows the author is not talking about permanent press, delicate, pre-wash, or soak.  The term ‘planetary transmissions’ does not, to him, mean that Mercury is retrograde until August 2012.

Now, I don’t want to be accused of stereotyping here (a crime that never goes unpunished in our household), but I submit to you that part of the reason we are different this way is that Mike grew up a boy in Tennessee. He carried a knife because it’s a useful item. He cut his teeth on screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and their ilk.  While he was busy taking things apart, I was busy putting things together in artsy craftsy ways. My tools tended toward needles, thread, scissors, and glue with the occasional wood thrown in as a test.  I think you know what I’m saying here without getting into the whole ridiculous nature/nuture argument, as if there is a way to separate those things. In a nutshell, Nigel speaks Mike’s native tongue. I, however, am from a different planet altogether.

Here’s the other reason I will never be able to get cozy with a book on diesel engines. My brain cannot cope with it.  I believe this issue is more closely related to the whole ‘native tongue’ issue than to my ‘native intelligence’, but regardless of that it’s a good thing I have a rather decent amount of self-esteem or I’d be pretty upset. I mean, who wouldn’t like to think they could get cozy with diesel engines at any time, any place?

Rather than try to explain, let me illustrate the difference between what goes on in my head when I’m reading such a book and what goes on in Mike’s head while reading the same passage. I use a passage on page 36 of the book, under the heading ‘Wet and Dry Exhausts’ ( It certainly does!).

Mike’s brain:

“Noise is a rather complicated business, but one of its major causes is the velocity with which gases exit an engine. Another is the sudden pressure changes created as each cylinder discharges its exhaust gases. Decreasing the volume of the gases or expanding them into a larger area reduces velocity. A certain amount of back pressure in the exhaust system smoothes out pressure changes.”

My brain:

“Noise is a rather complicated business,……. I need to think of something to take to the brunch on Sunday. It shouldn’t be egg based… Shit! What did I just read? Focus, Melissa, Focus!….Noise is a rather complicated business, but one of its major causes is the velocity with which gases exit an engine. Another is the sudden pressure…..I forgot to take the clothes out of the dryer. Damn! Now I’m going to have to get out the iron. No, I’ll just run them through the dryer again…. A certain amount of back pressure in the exhaust system smoothes out pressure changes. I need to add coffee to the shopping list. And I need to make sure the long underwear is on the boat. I think I left my sailing jacket there, but better check the closet to be sure. Crap!  Noise is a rather complicated business….”

No, Nigel. Noise is really rather simple. But reading this book is a VERY complicated business for me. I think I will go makes some dolls.

 

 

 

Boat Maintenance Day

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Whoops!

Ahhh, the feeling of sore muscles and a stiff neck from a day of boat maintenance. That must mean that boating season is right around the corner. Since Moonrise is for sale, we are trying to keep her looking extra spiffy, and catch up on a few minor repairs we’ve been meaning to do. What is it about boats and houses that make people, like us, put off the small things until it’s time to sell? It’s not like we wouldn’t enjoy the benefits of having things like nice looking exterior teak.

So we had a list of things to accomplish, and if it weren’t for the fact that it is so gosh darn cold, we probably would have put them off and gone sailing. Perfect wind today, and not raining. But we decided to be responsible instead. We stayed tied to the dock. I just hate when that happens.

While Mike worked on his stuff inside the cabin, I was busy up top sanding the teak handholds, trim, and rails that hold the companionway hatch in place. Let me show you my favorite tool. If you own a boat and you don’t have one of these, you are missing out.

Handy electric multi tool.

This tool is similar to this one, sold by Fisheries Supply for over $200. We got ours at Harbor Freight for about 40$ and it’s been great. We used it to cut away the heavy fiberglass on the sole of the cabin when we took out the ungainly table, and it makes short work of a sanding job like I had today. Well, maybe not exactly ‘short’, but certainly short-er! I figure if we burn it out, we can buy almost three of them for the cost of the Fein one. No pun intended.

So I got the teak sanded, but I cannot put any kind of a finish on it in this cold, wet weather. Still, it looks a heck of a lot better without the flaking Cetol. Frankly I hate Cetol and cannot understand why it’s the finish of choice for so many sailors. I prefer oiled teak, or raw teak because I do not enjoy having to sand off layers of old finish when it starts to flake. I’m leaving the teak raw until it warms up, then I’m going to oil it.

And what was Mike working on? First, he was hoping to replace the curved teak piece on the bulkhead. I bought some pieces that might work when I was up at Fisheries Supply. Alas, they were all the wrong size, just enough off that it would have looked wierd. We stared at it together for awhile, quietly, studiously, but in the end Mike made measurements and we’ll try to find something that won’t have to be retrofitted.

He's only looking happy for the camera. There's nothing happy about having to go searching for another piece of wood.

You might be curious how that little piece of wood came off. That’s what happens when one is standing in the companionway and the boat hits a wave. You fall backward and your hind end hits that little curve of wood, breaking the wood off, and leaving a wonderfully colorful bruise on said rear. Apparently it was not attached correctly in the first place.

Mike did a little engine maintenance as well. He cleaned the raw water strainer and although he explained to me all the other things he did, all I remember is “anode”, something something, “pump”, etc.  My mind is like a steel sieve when he begins to talk engine talk.

 

 

 

 

A Tour of Moonrise, Part 4

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Our final tour of Moonrise includes the fore and aft parts of the cabin: the v berth and the quarter berths.

This photo shows the wooden grates I installed to level the floor and provide extra storage in the head.

In the photo, you are looking toward the front of the boat. This berth is as wide as a king size bed at the head and narrows down to about a twin size at the foot. As beds go, this one is really comfy. We replaced the foam with high density foam and then put a memory foam mattress topper on top. Once in the bed, we don’t want to get out because it is so very comfortable. (The memory foam topper is not shown in the photo. We also have the filler piece that creates one large mattress that goes all the way across.)

The master cabin has a cabinet for clothing storage, which is to the right in the photo. This cabinet holds a ton of clothes. That cabinet used to be a hanging locker, but it was a terrible waste of space. So I added shelves. I may not have commented about this before, but non-boaters need to understand there is nothing simple about adding shelves in a boat. The back of the cabinet follows the hull of the boat. The hull is curved. Think about it for a minute. I was happy when this project was complete!

This cabinet was a difficult but satisfying project. It’s much deeper than it looks. I can stick my entire arm in there.

Across the boat from this cabinet is a smaller cabinet and the storage space for the holding tank. The small cabinet holds Mike’s drill, and our liquor.

Another thing I like about the master cabin is the shelf that runs along each side of the berth. We use them like bedside tables at home. I can keep my water bottle, my book,  all those little things I might want in the night right there. All the comforts of home pretty much. Plus the gentle rocking of a boat at anchor. Each side of the berth has its own reading light.

In the aft part of the boat are the two quarter berths.  One of the projects I’ve done on the boat is to create storage for our sailing boots, hats, and gloves in the starboard side area. This has worked to make it easy to get to these things right before you go up on deck.

Quarter berth with storage.

This was another project that challenged my ‘carpentry’ skills. But it turned out well and you can see it in the photo above. I used a bull-nosed piece of oak.  I planned this area to make preparing to go up to the cockpit during foul weather easier. I also wanted a place to hang our jackets, sunglasses, etc, right by the hatch. With the seat right there, we have a place to sit down to put on said hats, gloves, and sailing boots, and the berth is still fine for sleeping.

On the port side of the boat is another quarter berth where we store all of our tools, the radio, and other electronic devices. We have hooks for hanging life jackets close to the hatch, and a shelf for phones, chargers, and other small electronics. Our son uses the port side berth when he is aboard. He is just about 6 feet tall and he has plenty of room.

The berth to port has places for the electronics, storage for tools and parts, and it is also a comfortable berth when needed.

If you have a Cal 34, we’d love to see photos of your boat.