tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-305761712024-03-13T15:28:52.008-04:00DebonairSailing Vessel DebonairSailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-56431544338755705602017-12-19T21:08:00.001-04:002017-12-20T00:14:06.305-04:00War Is Sweet<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">War
Is Sweet for Those Who Have Not Tried It</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and
other timely proverbs.</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 107%;">Larry
Struck</span></h3>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sometimes a pithy saying tells
you everything you need to know. Instead of detailed analyses or extensive
debate of an issue, a well-placed proverb can cut to the core. So it is with
the Adages of Erasmus, a collection assembled by the Renaissance scholar that
gathers the wisdom of ancient Greece and Rome. In its day, the early 1500s, the
Adages was a best seller and much better known than the work he is today best
remembered for, In Praise of Folly, also worth a look.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">War is
sweet for those who have not tried it</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> can be traced back over 2500
years when warfare was mainly a brutal hand to hand business. By comparison,
modern cyber-based war may seem clean and thrilling to spectators who don’t
have flesh in the game. It was apparently as easy then as now for an
inexperienced leader to unleash the dogs of war with a terrible order leading
to distant human destruction. Erasmus comments, “By his will the world is to be
thrown into an uproar with wars and slaughter, all things sacred and profane
are to be turned upside down.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The bad behavior of an unfit
leader, and the example it sets, can leave us wondering whether this is some
kind of Machiavellian design worked out by grown naughty boys. Or are we
dealing with a different beast altogether whose dark nature is more
frightening? Good question. Not mutually exclusive views, but our contemporary
tendency to psychologize disorders and then prescribe therapy or meds contrasts
with earlier ages that would agree with the saying, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A crooked branch, never straight.</i> This older fatalistic attitude
holds that a twisted or warped character can’t be expected to bear good fruit,
allowing that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Erasmus believes that
“the evil prince…either knows nothing, or what he knows is how to bring about
public disaster.” Such a leader would be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">clouded
in mind</i> and far removed from conventional notions of honesty or honor. Citizens
should ask if clinical deviance spares him from the penalties for treasonous
conduct in a nation of laws.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How would such an impetuous
leader gain the support of his people? If not through forced submission to a
tyrant, then more democratically by guile or public persuasion aided by the
contortions of sympathetic media. A ruler’s subjects would be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">led by the nose</i> to do or think as
they’re told, even if believing it was their own free choice. The image comes
from oxen, cattle or horses that are led by a ring through the nostril. A
manipulative leader skilled in oratory or just plain fakery to get his way can
be said <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to sell smoke. </i>Our more
modern <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">smoke and mirrors</i> also points
to empty promises, illusions or flattery, whatever helps make the sale. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Consensus makes it easier to
govern, but finding common ground with others who look too extreme or
delusional is tricky. Dialogue is usually recommended as the key to
communication and resolving differences. But suppose either party to the
conversation can’t understand or just isn’t interested in working toward
solutions. They may seem to be paying attention, nod and even make an
occasional comment. Maybe they’re acting a part to show cooperation while in
fact not caring at all about what’s said since their own agenda is already set
in motion. Or they could just be clueless and out of their depth. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An ass (listening) to the lyre</i> captures
some truth here: a donkey will twitch its ears as if appreciating music or
understanding speech. Point being that donkeys are always twitching their ears
so it doesn’t mean they understand a thing. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pearls
before swine</i> is a similar biblical example. A more recent variation comes
from George Bernard Shaw: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The single
biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s not surprising that so
many dysfunctional traits would have dire implications for an organization or
country led by toxic individuals. An old expression that vividly depicts the
result, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A fish rots from the head down,</i>
has become a favorite with management experts. While the description may not be
biologically accurate--innards and heart may go first—it still rings true. The
person(s) at the top of an organization will be responsible for deteriorating
standards and performance throughout. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a situation that stinks.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Erasmus offers a few thoughts in
a more constructive vein. “The first requisite [of good leadership] is to judge
rightly about each matter, because opinions are like springs from which all the
actions of life flow, and when they are contaminated everything must needs be
mismanaged.” To do this, “the mind of the prince must be freed from all false
ideas so that he can see what is truly good.” No doubt it’s an uphill battle
for the rare individual who can follow this advice while fighting the everyday
stormy sea of troubles, not to mention those slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">If a leader--whether of a
state, project, or family--can withstand the daily onslaught of media overload,
innovative disruption, and enemies’ dirty tricks, then there’s a chance for a
fresh start. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well begun is half done.</i>
Sometimes just tackling an unappealing job is the hardest part; made worse if
you have to play defense at the same time. However if instead of making a good
beginning a leader rushes off in the wrong direction then others are left with
a needless mess to clean up later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
Kurt Vonnegut would add: And so it goes…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The advice and wisdom we take
from proverbs cover every corner of life, from shameful depravity and comic
weakness to heroic triumph. An entire society looking for guidance could do
worse than heeding: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Between friends all
is common.</i> Although this maxim can </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">be taken as justification for
sharing everything, private property and all, it really suggests the basis for social
responsibility and general welfare: for all citizens to be able to meet basic
needs and have a chance for a happy life with a little help from their friends,
us. But what’s the plan to get that done? Ay, there’s the rub!</span></div>
Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-32065484286059388302017-02-12T15:27:00.002-04:002017-02-12T15:31:02.538-04:00<h1 class="page-title">
Our New Era of Clowns and Creepiness</h1>
Originally published 12/08/2016. MinnPost.com<br />
<br />
<br />
What do clowns and politics have in common? In these brave new times we may well ask. Lately there has been a peculiar craze about “evil clowns.” I’m not referring directly to the recent presidential election. Instead there are apparently grinning, menacing clown characters wandering among us that make people nervous. OK, maybe we are into the political arena just a bit.<br />
<div class="image float-right">
<br /></div>
The recent presidential contest has left many citizens struggling to understand the grim outcome. It may not be possible to predict the erratic behavior of a uniquely unqualified leader and his fawning followers, but we <i>can</i> make out an emerging zeitgeist that is becoming the new normal. Let’s go deep for a moment with creepiness.<br />
<br />
Some witnesses to an evil clown sighting report a feeling of creepiness, uneasiness bordering on danger. While ordinary clown behavior would seldom be seen as threatening, the bad variety can apparently give us the chills by going against type, seemingly happy and entertaining but with a dark, sinister side (think The Joker). Now suppose there’s more to this creepiness meme than just a passing pop culture fad.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Related image" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKXDeSwnr5CJnHjkZHR9vQt8pT5R7YVYS9FLQVQPFVcqiGKaD22g" /><br />
<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0732118X16300320" target="_blank">recent psychology research</a> [New Ideas in Psychology 43<i> </i>(2016) 10-15, and others] a thing or person will seem creepy if we think they <i>could</i> pose a threat, but we’re not sure. That uncertainty sets off our personal alarm bells or makes our “skin crawl.” Unlike a clear and present danger that we would turn and run from, the creepy presence can remain nearby and be part of our everyday world. So the weird neighbor with a taxidermy hobby may be amiable, though creepy, but a drunken knife-wielding attacker is nothing but hostile, bad for us in every way, and we flee.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Both alien and familiar</h4>
In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-Sigmund-Freud-ebook/dp/B00F3CQ05E" target="_blank">his work</a> on the related concept of the “uncanny” (unheimlich), Sigmund Freud suggests that we experience an eerie recognition of something both alien and familiar. We relate to what is creepy because it’s part of us, yet somehow distorted or unnatural. Key to Freud’s general theory of the unconscious, the uncanny represents part of ourselves that we’ve repressed but has come back in an unpleasant form to haunt or torment us.<br />
<br />
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</div>
</div>
Something else that gives us the creeps has to do with things that violate natural boundaries or disturb our settled categories [<a href="https://aeon.co/essays/what-makes-clowns-vampires-and-severed-hands-creepy">David Livingstone Smith</a>, Aeon, Sept. 19]. A mannequin can look quite human but is clearly not alive. Horror movies are filled with unsettling images like a dog with a talking human head or trees that come alive with limbs that reach and grab. Clowns or other figures that wear masks seem spooky because we can’t tell who they really are or what they mean to do.<br />
<br />
When we think of creepiness it’s these kinds of things that stand out: odd personal encounters or bizarre fictional images. Social media, trolls and all, also provide ample opportunity for creepy behavior thanks to the false personae that users are free to hide behind. Now consider the emerging U.S. political climate and cultural milieu, not forgetting that we ourselves contain potential for creepiness.<br />
<br />
There’s something about the recent turn of electoral events that has many of us on edge, disgusted or creeped out. At the same time we might see ourselves and fellow citizens, through complacency or elitist negligence, partially to blame for this unprecedented dismal state of affairs. More could have been done for those economically left behind who now cheer for the new mandate. We and our representatives should have taken a more generous worldview, and now must bear partial responsibility for this surreal, yet preventable, outcome. As the old comic strip character, Pogo, summed it up: We have met the enemy, and he is us.<br />
<br />
So are we dealing with a psychoanalytic syndrome writ large, a mass unconscious breakout producing high anxiety? Or is it a social dynamic that could have been reasonably predicted given better humility and inclusiveness? Once we move past our current stunned depression over the new status quo, a thorough debate about these issues would be therapeutic, leading from denial through bargaining and acceptance to action (apologies to <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/" target="_blank">Kubler-Ross</a>).<br />
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Mood of dread will likely recede</h4>
In the near future we would expect that everyday transactions in business, education, relationships and community will mostly continue as usual. The world won’t stop revolving even though an ominous new weight has been added. The ship of state, barely manageable in the best of times, now has the added drag of mean-spirited leadership, inept at administration and driven by crass impulse. But a widely shared initial mood of dread and paranoia, so well captured by David Remnick [<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/an-american-tragedy-2" target="_blank">"An American Tragedy," The New Yorker</a>, Nov. 9], will likely recede with the ebb and flow of daily affairs. <br />
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On the other hand, American normality could change to match those dire expectations and morph into crisis conditions. The contemptuous mentality taking control of government is capable of all manner of destruction, which looks to be the goal: dismantling health care for millions, undermining educational quality, depriving citizens of civil rights, starting trade (or shooting) wars abroad, and driving the economy into a ditch for all but the 1 percent.<br />
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Grandiose claims to the contrary, loss of jobs and opportunity should not be surprising, particularly among the new regime’s true believers. Presidential appointment of horribles to top government positions can further ensure dysfunction and ongoing damage. Add in a coarsening of public dialogue seasoned with a loose regard for protocol, truth or the law and we see that creepiness, along with fear, dread and disgust fairly define our new political and social reality. A bleak but blunt forecast to produce shame for our country.<br />
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In a <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/advice-italian-who-survived-berlusconi/" target="_blank">recent interview</a> [Brian Lehrer, WNYC, Nov. 23], a veteran Italian journalist wanted us to know that, based on his knowledge of Italy’s history and despite our own troubles, America will never succumb to fascism. We appreciate the reassurance and hope his European vantage is prescient. But any observer has to reckon with the vigorous strain of anti-intellectualism (see <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Intellectualism-American-Life-Richard-Hofstadter/dp/0394703170" target="_blank">Richard Hofstadter</a>) in the U.S. where a motto could well be: My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge. Maybe as appropriate would be Benjamin Franklin’s quip: “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.”<br />
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There may be clowns among us, but the next several years promise to be no laughing matter.Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-34046437957175498742016-08-27T23:18:00.000-04:002016-10-10T12:15:46.016-04:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What Donald Trump Learned (or not) from
Aristotle</b></span><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.4px;">by Larry Struck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="mailto:larry.struck1@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 18.4px;">larry.struck1@gmail.com</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">It would be difficult to imagine a more incongruous pairing
of names in a headline than Donald Trump and Aristotle. The above title doesn’t
mean that the Donald actually studied Greek philosophy although the ancient
one’s name may have passed blankly beneath his eyes as a young enquiring
student. As J.M. Keynes is known to have quipped, “Practical men, who believe
themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually
slaves of some defunct economist.” Or in this case, philosopher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The Republican Party in its currently distorted form has been
changing the conventional rules of political discourse. As outlined in Jeff
Greenfield’s POLITICO piece, </span><a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/08/2016-gop-hillary-clinton-delegitimizing-dems-214170"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Why the GOP Will Never Accept President Hillary Clinton</span></i></a><i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> , </span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;">(8/18/16),
conservative leadership has shifted its focus over the past few decades from
debating issues to de-legitimizing the Democratic Party opposition. This change
of emphasis has altered the tone and substance, or lack thereof, in our
national political conversation. Whatever post-November consequences will
result for governance and life in the U.S. will be due in large part to this
new way of framing the debate, or what amounts to a different rhetorical style.
To the extent that campaign advisors craft messages to create impressions and
be persuasive, they are practicing rhetoric, which was invented by Aristotle. Knowingly or not, we are all his students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course there have been a few developments in language and
society in the past 2500 years but the original concepts of rhetoric still
stand. In delivering a speech, or let’s call it a political performance, there
is a speaker, an audience and the speech itself. When Mr. Trump speaks publicly
he immediately overwhelms us with his high estimate of his own character, erasing
any notion of modesty or measured temperament. Then if he later attempts to
dial down this personal bravado or backpedals on an issue trying to appear more
reasonable and acceptable it comes across as contrived… a transparent ploy. So
a major criterion that voters use to judge candidates is largely lost to Trump
since one’s character is not expected to fluctuate like a strange weather
forecast. Nor are we used to grandiose candidates who present their qualifications as a
foregone conclusion, a contemporary divine right of kings.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trump fares better addressing his audience of disaffected
citizens. This demographic doesn’t seem to be bothered, as yet, by their man’s
erratic behavior or condescending manner. Trump knows he has set the hook in
this group and believes they will stay on the line through Election Day. His
inability to reach other constituencies, however, is another matter and
probably a fatal weakness. Minorities are unlikely to respond well to his hostile
anti-immigrant positions or lame catch-up appeals, e.g., African-Americans
should vote for him because they have nothing to lose.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The political message, platform, or worldview, is usually how
we sort and rate candidates, although there is a blending of personality and
position. A “strong” individual will
seem less likely to favor cooperative projects—withdraw from NATO—and more
inclined to confrontational tactics—get tough with the Chinese. Given Trump’s
history of uninformed or erroneous statements, together with an attention span
not suited to prolonged deliberation, there is little solid ground on which to
judge a hypothetical Trump presidency. But that’s not really an obstacle for
his followers who are willing to roll the dice in a desperate act of faith. The
Donald will get them a better deal in a somehow better world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The usual ways of evaluating candidates—who he/she is, what
they stand for, who their target voters are—suggest a shaky path to a Trump
presidency. So it’s not surprising that his campaign is descending to character
assassination, and worse, of his opponent as an election strategy. Why?
Rational debate and careful examination of political differences are not
Trump’s style and probably doomed to fail anyway. Instead we can expect his resorting to more
illogic, blatant fabrication, pettiness and sleaze…the current Trump political brand…in what should
candidly be described as a cynical bid for personal power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> If things don’t work
out, and Trump loses his chance to fully unleash his inner demagogue, well, so
what? The Donald has been covering his
behind by informing us that the election is rigged anyway. We’ve also been told,
just so we know, that in case of losing, either the general election or
interest in the whole affair and dropping out prematurely, he can go back to a
pretty great life, no doubt supervising beauty pageants and dreaming up new
schemes to fleece investors like the very demographic his candidacy is aimed
at. Returning to his private TrumpWorld would, in effect, be his middle finger
way of saying to the American people, “You’re fired!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">If Trump or his brain trust understood and applied effective
rhetorical principles we would now know a lot about the candidates’ differences
and have a more productive election cycle. (Aristotle, incidentally, also
invented and formulated the discipline of logic which is never a candidate’s
best friend.) As things stand, this
presidential contest is revealing a darker but no less true side of American democracy.
Either the Trump persona will turn stunningly malleable and hope to cajole or
flatter us with new-found contradictory positions, or his campaign will march
ahead using a scorched earth strategy to annihilate his adversary. Likely some of both. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Aristotle’s reputation for knowledge and wisdom led him to be
recruited as tutor to a promising young man who went on to accomplish great
things. Comparing Trump and Aristotle’s earlier young ward yields an
interesting contrast. Alexander the Great, no doubt a willing and attentive
pupil, went on to conquer the known world. The Donald, on the other hand, is
overawed by large buildings, loves the trappings of power and excels above all
in admiring his own image. Hail the new
conquering hero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-28885735188966899612016-03-31T11:21:00.001-04:002016-03-31T11:21:06.984-04:00LEAN IN<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQsEqMJ-Z6oTpZzYNmUax3DGgkPknCUQH85gP2DAzMTiREUyR26qesNlq-Nde6FDCmeX12w5Spu5VDzXfvNGD_XBQZVN-qdq4Yxe4KiWlos3JGxWo4REsIMVDbexZaXUjrlcS/s1600/P3070204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQsEqMJ-Z6oTpZzYNmUax3DGgkPknCUQH85gP2DAzMTiREUyR26qesNlq-Nde6FDCmeX12w5Spu5VDzXfvNGD_XBQZVN-qdq4Yxe4KiWlos3JGxWo4REsIMVDbexZaXUjrlcS/s320/P3070204.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The palm trees are always leaning away from the east wind</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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As we walk down the street here in Aruba, it brings new meaning to the term <i>lean in. </i>It's how you need to brace yourself if you're walking into the wind. Oh, and hang onto your hat, before it goes skittering down the sidewalk.<br />
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Sailors have some colorful phrases for the weather in this part of the Caribbean. The climate is remarkably stable, and the wind seems never to stop blowing. <i>Sporty </i>is one description we often hear, as in "It was downright sporty out there today." We also hear "The seas were a mite <i>frisky </i>on our way in." Several new boats have come into the marina, one from New Zealand, on their way back home; some French Canadians bound for Panama; a French boat next door, set to leave for Cartagena in Colombia. It's nice to have neighbors with similar interests to discuss the ever-present topic of weather.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-39707390703571266612016-03-21T11:49:00.001-04:002016-03-21T11:50:17.062-04:00More Life on Aruba - and Boat Fixes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yObhwQRZSB7fL1oYfDq30TT1bojlasKm1UIY8thRbM3UORNvSp19rOgb_DWGJ1VzqyBObJjQPawxxuZ7T6QRqQoyIJjYL8ohdGHMbple9GoqAQQg6DTo8PaiM454IqkkqzMX/s1600/P3040163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yObhwQRZSB7fL1oYfDq30TT1bojlasKm1UIY8thRbM3UORNvSp19rOgb_DWGJ1VzqyBObJjQPawxxuZ7T6QRqQoyIJjYL8ohdGHMbple9GoqAQQg6DTo8PaiM454IqkkqzMX/s320/P3040163.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Horseshoe Buoy with Light</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One of the replacement items we needed to buy was a new horseshoe buoy. Our old buoy washed away when we were hit by the rogue wave, and we didn't even notice it was gone until we dropped anchor in Aruba. It was an old safety item and needed replacement anyways. Our new buoy, designed to be thrown to crew overboard, comes with an attached strobe light that automatically activates when it hits the water. Yet another item we should never need, as we are always tethered to the boat with life jackets, and harnesses. It's one of our big fears, that one of us would go overboard. We're well aware of the risks involved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_ogXylbldkzmbmzetmqzd5NTQzCqtt29xcLyHxA25KZXU12gEEIgu7uHjPW9K7CA9Sq7sspkgmvTK5BPYletgaWoig8TXkIGsWQULdK0DzcCOE4QsseoFh8RZJ_sRku2BLzE/s1600/P2250135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_ogXylbldkzmbmzetmqzd5NTQzCqtt29xcLyHxA25KZXU12gEEIgu7uHjPW9K7CA9Sq7sspkgmvTK5BPYletgaWoig8TXkIGsWQULdK0DzcCOE4QsseoFh8RZJ_sRku2BLzE/s320/P2250135.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monitor Wind Vane Self Steering</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Another big project was our Monitor wind vane self-steering. The gears shown at right came out, and we have been hammering the lower teeth back into place, and reinforcing the disintegrating plastic spacing washers with fishing line (!) on the advice of the manufacturer, Scanmar in California. We hope it is up to the rigors of our voyage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm-6_jDtd62c7qKQvjL51X-5K-zTfoH1kC_Lsc0qH6aLvUmCX7FdltFYbSAha0b-hb1DhHvegm-f3AUfCksPx1B-jqaVxQ7-GQ8X5Vu20FV57ZZtOj0vNDy5xROqLHn6ERXTR/s1600/P3070174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm-6_jDtd62c7qKQvjL51X-5K-zTfoH1kC_Lsc0qH6aLvUmCX7FdltFYbSAha0b-hb1DhHvegm-f3AUfCksPx1B-jqaVxQ7-GQ8X5Vu20FV57ZZtOj0vNDy5xROqLHn6ERXTR/s320/P3070174.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A beautiful bright red crab on the rocks right next to our boat posed for this shot one afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIPt3R3bDJE2Gl2lKy-aSSdJ1kLR4h6V0XPu16bqfpth1kWGAzLYpUkj7IBD0A9pSnhSzbOOJGuDf2ZW83yP_U8yFTK4bYtNvwG4N-YiG_ktJaXaWIJZhygTcpXedw7Q9xwyd/s1600/P3070195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIPt3R3bDJE2Gl2lKy-aSSdJ1kLR4h6V0XPu16bqfpth1kWGAzLYpUkj7IBD0A9pSnhSzbOOJGuDf2ZW83yP_U8yFTK4bYtNvwG4N-YiG_ktJaXaWIJZhygTcpXedw7Q9xwyd/s320/P3070195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming Pool at Sunset</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Every day we go for a swim in one of the swimming pools or a protected salt water lagoon at the Renaissance Hotel. The sunsets here are one of the most pleasant sights on Aruba, as the sun dips slowly into the ocean every evening.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-31095468072184481712016-03-21T11:09:00.002-04:002016-03-21T11:09:48.582-04:00Enjoying Life on Aruba<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaq6Aleq1kUknAFq245hLSCuWKMcaVTCwOBldQKwdDC8zucUtrC6NbrgACzc-39Iwr9ow1KR0blDcrJMuP0vNo-e2qdKqCXi2X1xE_8Fi03ZHlwzLiUARNrKhakvro0DAmbOZ/s1600/P3120276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaq6Aleq1kUknAFq245hLSCuWKMcaVTCwOBldQKwdDC8zucUtrC6NbrgACzc-39Iwr9ow1KR0blDcrJMuP0vNo-e2qdKqCXi2X1xE_8Fi03ZHlwzLiUARNrKhakvro0DAmbOZ/s320/P3120276.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aruba Arikok National Park</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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While we have been fixing the boat here in Aruba, we have been enjoying the natural beauty of the island. Last week we traveled to the National Park, a large area on the windward (eastern) shore of the island with some friends. Aruba is the driest island we have seen in the Caribbean, and very desert-like. In the two months we have been here, it has rained only once.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzRwld4QmfENHqnRBnmnBqyQccrTMzc1U8_nQsF7nyyXQcfurquTFUuaDYyb3aMcZbMBY-3nKG3OUAyFSmwXg4iqvpW-5gwxYswOvBug9lVqWqkXUMQP_soGA4leitlLRM9GF/s1600/P3120291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzRwld4QmfENHqnRBnmnBqyQccrTMzc1U8_nQsF7nyyXQcfurquTFUuaDYyb3aMcZbMBY-3nKG3OUAyFSmwXg4iqvpW-5gwxYswOvBug9lVqWqkXUMQP_soGA4leitlLRM9GF/s320/P3120291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural Bridge at Arikok</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The road through the National Park is part gravel with some paved sections, but there are areas you can only hike or mountain-bike through. We had a driving tour through the desert park, seeing wild donkeys and goats, along with ubiquitous lizards.<br />
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On the windy side, the waves crash against the shore almost continuously. We were always aware that this is what we will be sailing out into when we leave Aruba.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHImmQnoqhMK9-wXid-b-B3rlX5-UuJo2XqsSeXnSRZ9CAG2pP_Hzu-e8Js2KKO8zjWxNejcdDZPqaQ-qLWgtlc_G2Ma7GboabU8DVbpnwsgFTUp_aRPBxS51nyn4i5pBNTUgQ/s1600/P3120304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHImmQnoqhMK9-wXid-b-B3rlX5-UuJo2XqsSeXnSRZ9CAG2pP_Hzu-e8Js2KKO8zjWxNejcdDZPqaQ-qLWgtlc_G2Ma7GboabU8DVbpnwsgFTUp_aRPBxS51nyn4i5pBNTUgQ/s320/P3120304.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arikok Cairns</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The photo on the right gives a feel for the dry conditions on the island. Almost as far as we could see, people have made piles of stones in one area of the National Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI27zD-TOZhWNRX8ApHlM8eIxBrXWRQCiJl_t6FjdxB4BxiZorJazbsMpmL-oMhNWr4Cj2yqxql5kbEl-thwYoC5oHiLoMG4w9cQ_mlhDjxbYBvkxRPLvjJ2lvzBzrZ0Wst6SR/s1600/P3120232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI27zD-TOZhWNRX8ApHlM8eIxBrXWRQCiJl_t6FjdxB4BxiZorJazbsMpmL-oMhNWr4Cj2yqxql5kbEl-thwYoC5oHiLoMG4w9cQ_mlhDjxbYBvkxRPLvjJ2lvzBzrZ0Wst6SR/s320/P3120232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quadirikiri Cave</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One part of the National Park has a series of caves that look like limestone. The photo on the left reveals the cave with the camera's flash. Windows opening to the sun peek out throughout the cave.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEd4WcTLuVYVLNT4ExgMZwe58gSFfSu0qgnA-4rAvKFEO0Uil2-fYotZRCcSlG6zn7MTEdyAx9mG3UBd1N8b0Qtcq-QWP6uedMCuK5Ft4EMDjY149T0HJPL-_J0PqDd7QmGPbc/s1600/P3120321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEd4WcTLuVYVLNT4ExgMZwe58gSFfSu0qgnA-4rAvKFEO0Uil2-fYotZRCcSlG6zn7MTEdyAx9mG3UBd1N8b0Qtcq-QWP6uedMCuK5Ft4EMDjY149T0HJPL-_J0PqDd7QmGPbc/s320/P3120321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the northern tip of the island</td></tr>
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Up at the northern tip of the island is a lighthouse, under full re-construction. A good view of the western (leeward) shore of the island can be seen, including the big hotels and Orajestad (the largest city on the island) in the distance.<br />
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We are fully ready to leave and now just waiting for the wind to come down a bit. We've heard several stories from other sailors who have left and limped back into port, so we want to be sure of our weather.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-64469807903986117002016-01-30T10:05:00.000-04:002016-01-30T10:05:26.124-04:00We Didn't Make it Very FarLess than a hundred miles offshore, our first overnight of the four-day (and -night!) sail to the Windward Passage, we experienced unexpectedly bad weather. We entered a trough (which was predicted, with only a passing short squall) that lasted for hours. We had a single reef in our main and about half jib up, and were still sailing at seven knots. The wind was well forward of the beam (much more north-east than east), and the motion on the boat was very confused. After midnight, I made my way forward and put a second reef in the main and rolled up more jib to slow us down some.<br />
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About 3 a.m., I was on watch, with my harness and tether on, Larry asleep below decks. A rogue wave hit us broadside, coming up and over the bimini, slamming me against the cockpit lifelines (thank goodness we had installed stainless steel all around the cockpit!). Of course these things never happen during the day. We were hit with such force that the gears on our self-steering unmeshed and suddenly I was steering by hand, buffeted by beam-to waves. Larry was up and leaning over to fix the self-steering. After an hour of this, we determined we couldn't fix it underway and made the decision to turn back.<br />
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I got a couple of hours sleep and came up to a steel-grey sky, horizontally-sluicing rain, and perhaps 25 knots of wind, beating into it. We were trying to make it back to Curacao but it was obvious from our track that we wouldn't be able to, that we were headed for Aruba.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYTYLIIyVvdDVGa4r3KmLzJRk3402hFcbCLPF6eWXjcx9b2Fo7HbMTw55EuDcUfEGJBFLUPSG0EDIYq8IEaxN0G5CaTjN57qsb1rh04F7utS1i5o67RCd38un-qV5v3KHMQ2c/s1600/P1220129-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYTYLIIyVvdDVGa4r3KmLzJRk3402hFcbCLPF6eWXjcx9b2Fo7HbMTw55EuDcUfEGJBFLUPSG0EDIYq8IEaxN0G5CaTjN57qsb1rh04F7utS1i5o67RCd38un-qV5v3KHMQ2c/s320/P1220129-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our poor head sail</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Once we were able to take stock of the damage and count our bruises and scrapes, we were grateful neither of us was injured badly. Our poor headsail, one of the primary "engines" of our sailboat, was damaged. The blue sun cover was in shreds, and one of the control lines (known as the leech line) was dangling off the trailing edge of the sail. Oh my!<br />
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So - here we find ourselves in Aruba, a much windier island to the west of Curacao. We have been seeking a sailmaker to repair our jib, and finally found one who will take a look at it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxhCpC1IN7Udr0JIM96CSTe0jGaJeaG65Qp8q7qjmFXGdoYpsP4vLGPASCieXwtMKF8AuCUGvk0dq7IHzOZ-3OMT0t_5mSb8mVp-DjsjXH5_YU4Fh797GkuIyfBGvCRDQlNmK/s1600/P1270149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxhCpC1IN7Udr0JIM96CSTe0jGaJeaG65Qp8q7qjmFXGdoYpsP4vLGPASCieXwtMKF8AuCUGvk0dq7IHzOZ-3OMT0t_5mSb8mVp-DjsjXH5_YU4Fh797GkuIyfBGvCRDQlNmK/s320/P1270149.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel area in the north of the island</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Aruba is a very tourist-oriented island, much more so than Curacao. Cruise ships dock every day, and hotels make the island look very much like the coast of south Florida. Marine services for the small boat sailor like ourselves are few and far between.<br />
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But - this is where we find ourselves, so we will pursue fixing the boat here!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuOOp6Ez4eZIv-arFqoUQtbWOGrt-fpc5ThC8Eu31zh0o0E7k1ES-W-95_3Ol6FmcjU0RPQ40JNKpc4FxiTbosPyR2sjy4xREjrHNjtUL69uJDjDDOuI9rP1sCn8WI2yHikCt/s1600/P1270144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCuOOp6Ez4eZIv-arFqoUQtbWOGrt-fpc5ThC8Eu31zh0o0E7k1ES-W-95_3Ol6FmcjU0RPQ40JNKpc4FxiTbosPyR2sjy4xREjrHNjtUL69uJDjDDOuI9rP1sCn8WI2yHikCt/s320/P1270144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the stern of our boat</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We are at the Renaissance Marina, in a protected man-made cove, just past the cruise ship docks. It is interesting to watch the cruise ships come in, with the pilot boats handling their massive dock lines.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-25854621798844076382016-01-11T21:45:00.002-04:002016-01-11T21:45:28.133-04:00Sea Trial, New Lazy Jacks, Self-Steering Problem<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i4nzm8NtjkV4uOgSkQNOKLKE-gGxMKLNm1oCbC-eG1Qhc-KrI-Nv2GoC6N-cbRz6vdYOGix4pFCW6xl6SgNzas3dCq2h-tCIw6-1ojdFzbLxV2NWGAEjIrtdWra-PjwLqOx0/s1600/P1110102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4i4nzm8NtjkV4uOgSkQNOKLKE-gGxMKLNm1oCbC-eG1Qhc-KrI-Nv2GoC6N-cbRz6vdYOGix4pFCW6xl6SgNzas3dCq2h-tCIw6-1ojdFzbLxV2NWGAEjIrtdWra-PjwLqOx0/s320/P1110102.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monitor Self-Steering Wind Vane</td></tr>
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We have a short delay due to problems found on a sea trial we took on Sunday. The good news: the sails, rig, and engine performed wonderfully. The bad news: we could not get the self-steering to work. On a passage of this length, the wind vane self-steering gear is absolutely essential. When it works, it is brilliant - using only the wind as its energy source, it senses the wind as it comes over the boat, and connects to the tiller, steering the boat on a course we select.<br />
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It is not the easiest piece of gear to use on the boat, and we suspect the problem has to do with the gears not meshing properly, and also user error. After all, it has been several years since we have used it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rigger Gijs Installing Lazy Jacks</td></tr>
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Last week, we had the local rigger out to our boat to install a system of lines running up the mast called Lazy Jacks. It holds the mainsail in place when we are raising or lowering sails until we can put sail ties around it. It is known as "taming the main sail", and is worth its weight in gold during a sudden squall. That's when we want to drop the mainsail quickly to depower the boat to ride out a storm. In any but the lightest of breezes, the sail can be a handful for the one person on deck making sail changes. We tested it out on Sunday, and it's great to have.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS0A4wxpzGsF5pngwYuaqjkNVZEDEULhvi9HYBOQLRf13EIMDdv76P49Xvt9hz5kieBdh10Bl9YeW-iIEXEJRo_79GRmcheNxC7POZPJF-WiXHI4ZWOami5duYKyS9cTUys8G/s1600/P1080086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmS0A4wxpzGsF5pngwYuaqjkNVZEDEULhvi9HYBOQLRf13EIMDdv76P49Xvt9hz5kieBdh10Bl9YeW-iIEXEJRo_79GRmcheNxC7POZPJF-WiXHI4ZWOami5duYKyS9cTUys8G/s320/P1080086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up the mast with a drill to install the blocks and line</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another pair of boat shoes bites the dust - they've served me well</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-40882631903216728662016-01-09T20:19:00.002-04:002016-01-09T20:19:21.160-04:00Last Push Before We Set Sail!We are targeting Tuesday, January 12 to set sail. Every day is completely filled with last-minute projects, and we are busier than one-armed wallpaper hangers. So far, no show stoppers!<br />
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Today's big news is that I made radio contact with our weather router, Chris Parker. All next week looks good. There is a huge low-pressure system centered around Bermuda to the north of us, giving us the best light breezes we have ever seen on Curacao. Too bad one area has to get bad weather to steal our usual strong winds away!<br />
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Once we are underway, we'll have no Internet. Other things we will miss right away include the showers and flush toilets here at the marina, having a dock with a water hose and electric hookup right outside our door, daily long walks, and the camaraderie of the cruisers we have met here. More adventures will be in store in Florida, I am sure.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-27475607402078277952016-01-06T15:02:00.002-04:002016-01-06T15:02:34.955-04:00Weather WindowIt looks like the weather window we have been waiting for is finally about here! Conditions have been moderating for several days. So we have been tackling our "To-Do" list with a frenzy, working to get ready to leave.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry getting ready to dive on the boat's bottom</td></tr>
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One of the tasks is to dive down on the boat's bottom, clearing away all of the growth that has made its home attached to our keel. We also need to check the zincs, protective sacrificial metal that protect our boat's metal parts (especially the engine and propeller shaft) from galvanic corrosion. A general view of what's going on down there is also in order - does anything look amiss?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the water, scraper in hand</td></tr>
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We also need to inspect the anchor and chain. These are just two of the dozens of tasks that are on our list of jobs to finish before we finally give Curacao the old "heave-ho". <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haul out the anchor and inspect the chain</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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No less daunting is the psychological preparation we are adjusting to - it is a big ocean out there, and we have a small boat. There is no AAA on the water, so we must rely on our own problem-solving to fix all of the things that will break out there, buy all of the necessary stores we will need, and get ready for the rigors of 24/7 watch-keeping. One of the myths about long-distance sailing is that it is romantic and carefree. Larry and I rarely see much of each other in our double-handed boating - one of us is always on watch while the other sleeps. The sleep never seems to be enough before it is time to go back to being on watch. The list of potentially deadly things that can go wrong have been waking me up at night even now - we could be run down by a ship, a weather system could hit us unaware, we could run aground if our navigation is not spot on.<br />
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Fortunately we have enough experience to know what to watch out for, and the importance of keeping everything ship-shape on deck.<br />
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We hope to be ready to leave by Monday, January 11. It seems like we have been here on the island quite a while already, but it has only been three weeks so far!Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-73539174551143930492015-12-30T15:54:00.001-04:002015-12-30T15:54:15.641-04:00Windy ConditionsSince we have been back in Curacao these last two weeks, it has been very windy. Every day the trade winds are blowing over 20 knots and gusting to 30 knots (23 mph to 35 mph). As we continue our preparations to set sail, we are hoping for a break in the weather. Sailors call this a "weather window". The best forecast would be for 15 knots of wind or less, to give us the best chance of a calm, uneventful sail.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1926 Rolls Royce at a recent car show</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Our route has firmed up in our minds, after much research and talking to other sailors, we have decided to go north-west from Curacao, through the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba, up the Old Bahama Channel to Key West. It is the most direct route, and once through the Windward Passage, we will pick up a favorable current to help push us along.<br />
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We have each had minor illnesses which have slowed us down but are now on the mend. Our diligence in using bug spray has kept our mosquito bites to a minimum; the mosquito-borne illness chikungunya is what we do not want to catch. It is endemic on the island; most people who live here have had it, and it can take months to fully recover. No thanks!<br />
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In the meantime, we take walks up the hill every afternoon, where we see beautiful views of the sea.Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-78447941494737211892015-12-23T20:40:00.001-04:002015-12-23T20:40:57.226-04:00Back Aboard the Debonair in Curacao!It's back to the tropics for the crew of the <i>Debonair</i>! 85 degrees every day here, still warmer than Minnesota in the warmest fall many remember.<br />
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We stayed for three days at a wonderful funky hotel to ease our transition back to a non-functioning boat, before we got all systems back up and running. It's called <i>The Ritz</i>, which was a little pretentious. Clean, affordable, with a fridge, stove, and microwave, it also has an adjoining hostel (one of the few in the Caribbean).<br />
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All of the furniture was from Ikea. <br />
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A pathetic Charlie Brown Christmas tree on our coffee table - along with the major defenses we will need here - sunblock, for the strong tropical sun, and bug spray with DEET to deter the mosquitoes which carry chikungunya, a disease most islanders have had. We hope to leave the islands without having contracted it, and the only way to do that is to use bug spray. <br />
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A lovely little pool creates a resort-like feel - we would have spent more time pool-side if we hadn't had so much work on the boat!<br />
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We rented a cute little Kia Picanto for a week, so we could easily restock the boat. It's a model not sold in the U.S., but we loved the little car - 3 cylinders, 1 liter engine, very high mileage, and all the room we needed. There are so many Picantos on the road here, they must have delivered a container-ship-load to the island.<br />
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So far so good with bringing systems on-line with the boat, but I am sure some surprises will await us. We don't mind taking our time with boat work, as the wind is much too strong for us to leave comfortably right now.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-82999976692351847262015-05-12T21:04:00.002-04:002015-05-13T18:48:54.208-04:00Wind, Wind, and More Wind<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little corner of the dock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debonair</td></tr>
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As we work on our to-do list to button up the boat for the summer, we are struck by the intensity of the wind. Here in the boatyard and marina docks, the wind moans and whistles and rattles through the rigging of all of the boats all day and most of the night. We are reassured that we <i>really </i>made the right decision, as the wind is a steady 25 mph, lashing through with gusts up to 35 mph. The seas are high, too - 8 to 11 feet right now. Much too high for a 30-foot boat.<br />
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A normal pattern in Curacao, as with most islands in the tropical trade-wind belt, the wind will die down close to sunset, known as a katabatic wind. "Katabatic" has a Greek origin, meaning to "flow downhill". As the land cools down at sunset, the heat given off rises and counteracts the steady trade winds coming out of the east. The stronger the trade wind, the less effect the land will have. Right now, our wind has a lull right at sunset and then starts up again a half-hour later, keeping up a fresh breeze until almost midnight. Then it starts up again at 4 a.m., lasting all day long.<br />
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What's with such stronger than normal wind? No one seems to know, but as I look at the weather forecasting tools, no let-up is in sight. It's not just here, in the south-central Caribbean, but the entire route we plan to take across the Caribbean Sea. So we did make the right decision - coupled with the first tropical storm of the season forming off the coast of Florida and the Carolinas last week, a full three weeks earlier than the "official" start of the hurricane season.<br />
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Today we finished the last big project to secure the boat - Larry went diving on the hull. We needed to have the boat's hull clean, bag up the propeller to keep marine growth off of it, and check the sacrificial zincs on the hull. Everything we do is made harder by the relentless lash of wind all day long. We have to pace ourselves for outdoor work, taking refuge below decks. Even there, the whistling of the wind is almost constant, at times moaning like a ghost. Our boat's cabin feels like a cozy sanctuary from the wind.<br />
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<b>Dutch Word of the Day:</b></div>
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<b><i>Poespas</i></b></div>
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A Dutch word we really like for a boat name is pictured above - <i>Poespas, </i>seen on the boom. The owner told us that this means "a collection of small problems". What a great name for a boat! Every boat owner knows that to have a boat means to always be working on one thing or another. We meet interesting people every week here.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-40176280328563444762015-05-08T11:52:00.001-04:002015-05-13T18:53:12.259-04:00Reluctant DecisionBased on the weather forecasts in the Caribbean (wind, wind, and yet more wind), we have reluctantly decided to put the <i>Debonair</i> up for yet another season here in Curacao and fly home to Minnesota for the summer. We'll come back in the fall and look for a better weather window.<br />
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Here in the boatyard, the wind has been almost relentless. We fight our way upwind just to get to the boat store or shower 100 yards from the dock, and everyone we see is commenting on the high winds.<br />
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We now have a whole new to-do list to button up the boat before we leave on May 20. Sigh.<br />
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One of our many tasks is to eat down all of the food that we bought for the passage, which means we will not be going to our favorite supermarket very often. A suitably almost-unpronounceable Dutch name, Vreugdenhil Supermarket sends a van to pick up any shoppers from the boatyard six days a week, a wonderful service for those of us without a car.<br />
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Stepping into Vreugdenhil is like going into a time warp. It reminds me of the store where our family shopped when I was a girl, Country Club Markets in St. Paul. The signage has not been changed in decades.<br />
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It does have almost everything we need - including fresh produce, a bakery, a meat and deli section, canned goods, and is very large by Caribbean island standards.<br />
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The time warp occurs from the feel and look of the place, and also the piped-in music. Suddenly, Karen Carpenter is alive and well and wanting to be "Close to You". Starship will "never find another girl like you" in "Sara". Loverboy is still "Workin for the Weekend". I am a Wayward Son that Kansas wants to Carry On. Van Halen is still encouraging me to "Jump!". Rush wants me to get back into the "Limelight".<br />
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It is very hard for me not to smile at the music whenever I step into Vreugdenhil. The images of the 1970s and 1980s in my life come flooding back to me as I stop to compare this product to that, sussing out the Dutch on packaging to figure out the ingredient list. Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" came on two weeks ago, and suddenly I was back in time, writing a political science term paper to his music.<br />
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There is a little cafe onsite that offers free coffee and tea for shoppers. This area looks like it has not been updated since 1970 also, but it's nice to be able to stop and drink a coffee.<br />
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Pretty ordinary, but an essential part of our lives here on Curacao. Driving to an impersonal supermarket in the Twin Cities is just not the same as an experience at Vreugdenhil, where nothing much changes.<br />
<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-74309107100331886872015-04-27T15:57:00.002-04:002015-05-13T18:56:35.958-04:00Routing and WeatherAs we get ready to (finally) leave, routing, charts, and weather are becoming our most important tasks. We have decided to take the route with the best chance of favorable weather and currents, a north-west sail across the Caribbean to the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba, then west-north-west between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas to Key West, and finally north to Sarasota:<br />
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We have the option of anchoring for rest or to wait for weather at an island on the south-western tip of Haiti, Ile a Vache. This will be about half-way home. Once we get through the Windward Passage, we can pick up a favorable current called the Old Bahama Channel to help us along.<br />
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Right now, the wind is blowing in a fresh to strong breeze and will pick up mid-week, so we have time to stow more items that will become air-borne once we are underway, and make a last grocery store stop. Our last task, the day before we leave, will be to check out of customs and immigration. We still don't know when our weather window will be, and are relying on our weather router, Chris Parker for that information. Every day I look at the weather and it is still brisk with lumpy seas out on the open water.<br />
<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-86700388746410142692015-04-22T11:34:00.002-04:002015-04-22T11:34:29.340-04:00Sea TrialsWe've been pretty busy now, doing sea trials. What that means is we take the boat out for a short time to test out gear that we can't test at the dock and do shake-down sailing.<br />
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We first went out on April 16, and just tested the engine. We puttered around the inner harbor here in a fairly fresh breeze. The only weather we've been having are fresh to strong breezes. We came up with several small things to fix on the engine - a dirty air intake and a small diesel fuel drip out of the secondary fuel filter.<br />
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Then, last Monday April 20, we took the <i>Debonair </i>out into the open sea to raise sails. This was a strong breeze day, and we just raised the mainsail with two reefs in it (shortened sail area). We had 6 to 8 foot seas crashing over the bow on a beat, and wore ourselves out. We came up with some more things to fix and a *lot* of items to stow. Even with what we thought everything lashed down below decks, this really shook loose stuff that managed to crash onto the floor.<br />
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We decided that we needed a mainsail management system, known as a "lazy jack" system. This is a simple set of lines and blocks designed to keep the mainsail from being thrown all over the deck when we bring the sail down. We should have done this years ago, but it took going out into 25 knots of wind, gusting to 30 knots, to convince ourselves that we need one. Here's a picture of what the rigger will do for us:<br />
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This is as much a safety issue as ease of handling - when squalls come up, we can just go to the mast and dump the mainsail down without having to worry about it as the wind pipes up.<br />
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Almost ready!<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-3851246049363011492015-04-09T10:23:00.001-04:002015-04-09T10:23:50.917-04:00SCUBALest the reader think we are all work and no play, on Easter Sunday we celebrated by going for a SCUBA dive. It was a beach dive, over at Caribbean Sea Sports at the Marriott Hotel. My dive buddy was Tom from the dive shop.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting all my gear together</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suited up</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hardest part - walking to and from the water with 40 pounds of gear</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting on my fins</td></tr>
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The coral reefs on Curacao's leeward side are still quite healthy, with more colorful tropical fish than I could name. We even saw a large octopus!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dive shop is quite a welcoming view</td></tr>
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-78027355006871563702015-04-07T21:15:00.000-04:002015-04-07T21:15:13.833-04:00More PlumbingWell, most of you think we <i>should </i>be ready to leave by now, and we are almost there. Our last issue was yet another plumbing job. With everything apart under the lazarette, half of our batteries out and on deck, the engine's exhaust apart, we took a good look at the mysterious underpinnings to see what else might break. We also had the boatyard's mechanic over to get professional eyes on this area. Klaus, our favorite mechanic, pointed to the large exhaust hose that exits from the engine, and said that needed replacing. OMG! Yes - it had a groove worn in it from chafe through the plywood partition covering the engine. To have that hose break or blow out underway would be catastrophic - no more motoring! This is a large, double-ply, heavy hose, but - see the groove:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the old hose in place</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The groove that is working on a break in the hose</td></tr>
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We finally got the replacement installed by the mechanic, with a sleeve to protect it from chafe in the future.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The anti-siphon water lock that the hose connects to</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountain of stuff out of our lazarette, under a tarp</td></tr>
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So, now we have a cockpit back - the batteries have been re-installed, the waterlock is back in place, and all of the stuff is stowed away again. Our engine purrs without any drips, in goes into gear, and now we are ready to do a sea trial in the next day or two!<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-75285064972101724182015-03-18T10:47:00.000-04:002015-03-18T10:50:48.410-04:00Bezoekers in the Land of the DutchHere in Curacao we are surrounded by the Dutch language. Most everyone who lives here speaks it; some words sound a bit like German, and some words look like something we can suss out. And it's the rare person who does not speak English as well.<br />
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However, this does lead to some times when we are left scratching our heads as to what a sign might mean. And if food labels in the grocery stores don't have a picture, well, we're at a loss as to what the can or jar might hold.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parking Lot Sign</td></tr>
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Here's a good example. Hmmm.... <i>BEZOEKERS....</i>some days that's exactly how I feel, Bezoekers! Close enough to berserk. Especially on days when we spell each other from diving down into the bilge, an airless, dark cavern, to do battle with the boat, as we have been lately. What would we do without Google translator? This really means "VISITORS" so I guess we are Bezoekers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hS2YSgxUT49OKNzLNaTmNYe41KRrt6ZDBEaw4rFMjKsGxT6O_vL6llnTL-Dzfw3U62rN4N8rmxclffABuavkH6PnUzVMz6MBZoVoyzO1PdM9OC3BEitRIfUl1GvWWAZX2p-1/s1600/DSCN0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hS2YSgxUT49OKNzLNaTmNYe41KRrt6ZDBEaw4rFMjKsGxT6O_vL6llnTL-Dzfw3U62rN4N8rmxclffABuavkH6PnUzVMz6MBZoVoyzO1PdM9OC3BEitRIfUl1GvWWAZX2p-1/s1600/DSCN0113.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bewaking!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another example. Camera Bewaking! OK, Camera is easy enough, the sign has a helpful image as well. <i>BEWAKING....</i> looks a bit like English or German. Beware? I be waking, or walking? No - it means "monitoring".<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jUmrKY3pyTtjqQdEZpBag__XJ_HQLfWyRFnHs70IvbwMqQ8DfFxaAgUryPgufgP3anvTTOg2evqSIgfVOjk57_2cJduPM1tKkNEDrQmvXfkeMu9p6orvq9Zccp_4qXiDQMwO/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jUmrKY3pyTtjqQdEZpBag__XJ_HQLfWyRFnHs70IvbwMqQ8DfFxaAgUryPgufgP3anvTTOg2evqSIgfVOjk57_2cJduPM1tKkNEDrQmvXfkeMu9p6orvq9Zccp_4qXiDQMwO/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite street sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And here's my favorite. <i>LET OP! DREMPELS </i>warning to motorists. Let op! take your foot off the gas perhaps. Drempels, a good-sounding word that rolls off the tongue in a pleasing manner. This sign never fails to bring a smile to my face. This translates to "Pay attention - thresholds". I think Google translator really means speed bumps.<br />
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We need some humor in our lives as we continue to struggle with the bilge pumps. Both are still not working (the pumps have both been apart and test out just fine). So - what we were dreading, the intake hoses need replacing. This has meant major surgery, taking big pieces out of the bowels of the boat. Yesterday out came one battery bank and its box, and then a large piece of the diesel engine exhaust system called a waterlock. We have called in the professionals and a mechanic will be coming over tomorrow to take out the old intake hoses and install new ones. We can see a rupture in one of the hoses. As sturdy as they are, thirty years is a good amount of service from the hoses.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMRs9etaK6gWtbknjKNAhjHQiUgGbxKkVjlxWDJ86Do3H2YmgJtS3ezuLyX-NWOs_2WBqLoFUWsS58uxKcwnCgRFnAjGOUeCO6va-9WPBra4GBSR859tex_Tct5R3u-X009eu/s1600/DSCN0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMRs9etaK6gWtbknjKNAhjHQiUgGbxKkVjlxWDJ86Do3H2YmgJtS3ezuLyX-NWOs_2WBqLoFUWsS58uxKcwnCgRFnAjGOUeCO6va-9WPBra4GBSR859tex_Tct5R3u-X009eu/s1600/DSCN0243.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way Down in the Bilge</td></tr>
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You can just see the rupture in the hose on the left. These two hoses go to our pumps up in the cockpit. Hopefully tomorrow nice new clean hoses will be in place.Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-26451503513675544242015-03-10T18:23:00.000-04:002015-03-11T11:20:46.294-04:00For Want of a Ground and Two ScrewsI guess the proverb reads "For want of a nail, the kingdom was lost." Our bilge pump and switch problems turned out to be minor, but crucial, pieces of the whole system.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwavcSgBGq-0EDtIRiSgEmna7jlxfpRzJqAskIbzBzSAUFM22LI6ZZkgwnPuQMYoG_0u3TLT22YoflE2De_hhr4qpL9ayEGuRDS4_pDPCU0MRbFC4-w2A0ODALtSQ-aS3R-CsT/s1600/DSCN0215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwavcSgBGq-0EDtIRiSgEmna7jlxfpRzJqAskIbzBzSAUFM22LI6ZZkgwnPuQMYoG_0u3TLT22YoflE2De_hhr4qpL9ayEGuRDS4_pDPCU0MRbFC4-w2A0ODALtSQ-aS3R-CsT/s1600/DSCN0215.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our old bilge pump automatic switch, out of the bilge</td></tr>
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The pump switch, an Ultra PumpSwitch JR, was not working at all. Which meant that our electric bilge pump would not go on if the water level started to rise. We found this out after deliberately filling the bilge with water from a garden hose.<br />
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After a couple of days of dinking around with it, testing the leads, trying to figure out why it's not working, my eagle-eyed partner noticed - "Deb, what's that black ground line connected to?" Aha - we had lost our ground! It <i>had </i>been connected to a strip of copper, which is all disintegrating under our floorboards.<br />
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It was an easy fix, once we located the problem - find another spot to ground the leads for the pump switch. We re-installed a new switch - and <i>voila! - </i>it works!<br />
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<div class="" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; font-size: larger; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
For Want of a Nail</div>
<div class="" style="position: relative; text-align: center;">
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<div class="poem">
<div style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 22px; margin-right: 22px; margin-top: -1.5em;">
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<i>For want of a nail the shoe was lost.</i> <i>For want of a shoe the horse was lost.</i> <i>For want of a horse the rider was lost.</i> <i>For want of a rider the message was lost.</i> <i>For want of a message the battle was lost.</i> <i>For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.</i> <i>And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a0I8ZmH0Iy_mQBvY6L7QfK_IQ0h5Io1oouugmUB7vnih3RUP1spBAzD4lVwZ5wV_CiUefHyB2XSUAiyTpZDTem_w1-fdviOVuoSIMZBwDix7JV3dSRjZFaA0p4nZmg6AuPde/s1600/DSCN0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a0I8ZmH0Iy_mQBvY6L7QfK_IQ0h5Io1oouugmUB7vnih3RUP1spBAzD4lVwZ5wV_CiUefHyB2XSUAiyTpZDTem_w1-fdviOVuoSIMZBwDix7JV3dSRjZFaA0p4nZmg6AuPde/s1600/DSCN0217.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New PumpSwitch - now installed in the bilge<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWuw6zwb01IwKEyNij4q1IrAT_JYLDO9OZPWgqnt6GnXIlLvpBYVuvWnGeIiZUN6T8g4DG9iPXJBUxno4XPJ7BnF1ZhLN4pzNNgnTAvfGj_QBjiFAOIN3expxtdILOh-JXzPh/s1600/DSCN0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWuw6zwb01IwKEyNij4q1IrAT_JYLDO9OZPWgqnt6GnXIlLvpBYVuvWnGeIiZUN6T8g4DG9iPXJBUxno4XPJ7BnF1ZhLN4pzNNgnTAvfGj_QBjiFAOIN3expxtdILOh-JXzPh/s1600/DSCN0218.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down in the lazarette, where our bilge pumps live</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrtKsex4hdgVAA7V10WK6maqrDd2tirvLIklXrBws81Z0AHhGcPpyQFj9ucPt2LOIh3dwsP6VHhNshl9__QUwBwfkYuuq3vzxlCsE9TzHRzEvcC0dG_c10xNTh_45qMlPxNkZ/s1600/DSCN0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrtKsex4hdgVAA7V10WK6maqrDd2tirvLIklXrBws81Z0AHhGcPpyQFj9ucPt2LOIh3dwsP6VHhNshl9__QUwBwfkYuuq3vzxlCsE9TzHRzEvcC0dG_c10xNTh_45qMlPxNkZ/s1600/DSCN0223.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our electric bilge pump</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next, we turned our attention to the pumps. Why is neither the manual pump or the electric pump drawing out any water? Unfortunately, both pumps live way down in the lazarette, under the cockpit, which Larry calls our "basement". The problem here turned out to be two missing screws in the manual pump - causing an air pocket to prevent the necessary suction for the pumps to work. Why were both pumps not working? Because they share a common "Y" outflow. This took some time to diagnose. So now we have put two new, larger screws in the pump and are waiting for the goop bedding the screws to cure. Maybe we will have this fixed too!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzuWXNhkKVuMMqBZf9MgGLGcSD65zQrQhLmht3F3chiiz6xA49Vw8lWnig6jlZHPso_mWc_8strBgo0E0MESUPlYfNRlWV4Efy5nKE4XQVQTn1IJYEfQ5JJcycv1gMtVAs1L3/s1600/DSCN0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzuWXNhkKVuMMqBZf9MgGLGcSD65zQrQhLmht3F3chiiz6xA49Vw8lWnig6jlZHPso_mWc_8strBgo0E0MESUPlYfNRlWV4Efy5nKE4XQVQTn1IJYEfQ5JJcycv1gMtVAs1L3/s1600/DSCN0222.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly rust - unrelated but it must be addressed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As we dig deeper into the far reaches of the boat, we find all kinds of other problems or potential problems. This electric junction box is filled with rust. It leads to our stern light, a navigation light used while underway. A jiggle might have caused it to go out - and cause us to be unlit underway. So - fix up this too, while we are in the neighborhood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsQZL3JqDsKXVlr5_ez4DRbAGwgHE1_FZHwM3C35587qDpVtZlz7jRCNDT9aP940KSL_c9tmBI3426i2oZmzqdWaheSjEScCEUa2LuNrRcUbHCDaAuYIlNHhWHRZUC3Vn51Ga/s1600/DSCN0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsQZL3JqDsKXVlr5_ez4DRbAGwgHE1_FZHwM3C35587qDpVtZlz7jRCNDT9aP940KSL_c9tmBI3426i2oZmzqdWaheSjEScCEUa2LuNrRcUbHCDaAuYIlNHhWHRZUC3Vn51Ga/s1600/DSCN0173.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late afternoon at Kokomo Beach</td></tr>
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Lest the reader think we spend <i>all </i>of our time working, here's a view from Kokomo Beach, where I spent a lovely day with some friends a couple of weeks ago.<br />
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Onward!<br />
<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-5187319799727490292015-03-03T07:59:00.000-04:002015-03-03T07:59:11.599-04:00Oops...Houston, We Have a ProblemClose to the bottom on our to-do list was an item to check our bilge pumps. These (usually) trusty pumps get water out of the boat when it makes its way into the far reaches of the bilge under our feet. Normally it's fairly dry down there, but this is another safety item that <i>MUST </i>function when we need it. Things happen out at sea, and a sudden on-rush of water into the boat is one of the events no one wants to think about. But it does happen, and we have to have a plan for what to do about it.<br />
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Checking the bilge pumps was on the bottom of our list since we expected everything to work as it did the last time we used them two years ago. The pickup hoses for the pumps also live in a neighborhood with almost total inaccessibility, way down in the bowels of the boat. So, we put it off until we couldn't ignore it any longer.<br />
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We have a large capacity electric pump, set up with a monitor for the level of the water. This pump is designed to be triggered and automatically go on when the water level gets to a certain point. Then, we also have a hand pump in the cockpit to assist in water clearance. We took a hose and filled the bilge, expecting the automatic pump to go on. Nothing. Nada. So, we turned it on manually, and the motor kicks in, but no water is going out. Then we tested the manual pump - same response.<br />
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The good news is that we are in a boatyard, and can fix anything that goes wrong. This is a big problem and we must get to the bottom of it. We've got three separate problems - why is the automatic switch not working, why is the electric pump not pumping, and why is the manual pump not working. Oh boy.<br />
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The consolation to having one more show-stopping problem is that the weather is not good for our passage. It will be blowing quite a bit above normal for at least a week. So - we sit tight and fix our pumps.<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-45000612410315620052015-02-27T15:23:00.003-04:002015-02-27T15:23:39.947-04:00Success!We now have installed our new VHF radio.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeZlu37fi1TXfWyFM_UiGgF9t1u_5AuXd58h_HybiefOAINCUsvDcK8l1wcWIByfHnygdH9qL-q4YMkUi-Kval_4lwge2PQxvq8F9fGUnjRIr_btmrqmlkGQZ9yCSqB7-JX2G/s1600/DSCN0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeZlu37fi1TXfWyFM_UiGgF9t1u_5AuXd58h_HybiefOAINCUsvDcK8l1wcWIByfHnygdH9qL-q4YMkUi-Kval_4lwge2PQxvq8F9fGUnjRIr_btmrqmlkGQZ9yCSqB7-JX2G/s1600/DSCN0206.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the new radio, accessible from inside and out in the cockpit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The installation was not quite plug 'n' play, but took only a couple of days once we set our minds to it. We installed it right where the old VHF was located, which gives us access to the radio from inside the cabin and outside into the cockpit. It has many features, including an internal GPS locator, and displays our speed, course, location, and other useful information. Best of all, and the big reason we wanted it, is a feature called AIS - Automated Identification System. All commercial ships are now required to transmit information about their vessel, including name, destination, and last port of call. The new radio calculates the closest point for our two vessels, and has an alarm if a collision could happen. Then we can take action - calling the ship to make sure they see us, and changing our own course or speed. We're pretty happy to have it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrymTjIZKXF3PabS-uTmPY5CPdACI3g-Y2mjGRCgYMSQeTapjz9u5NShGxpnoTHSQQaGMnQBsVi_7Fjs5nPgAax0leZ35ZTC9xRY015YfrfBC3n4iX3c_91LmhKHUz5P8kNYV/s1600/DSCN0198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrymTjIZKXF3PabS-uTmPY5CPdACI3g-Y2mjGRCgYMSQeTapjz9u5NShGxpnoTHSQQaGMnQBsVi_7Fjs5nPgAax0leZ35ZTC9xRY015YfrfBC3n4iX3c_91LmhKHUz5P8kNYV/s1600/DSCN0198.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Installation - sorting out the rat's maze of electrical wires</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5U1znL-zaAoevxsGlLUYcV0kU-ETfiYcjiji6SiclPQ7OYkepGIYTCsIHO21UBoWwuHbJBCF0K2qNN4mKIkJ9nPrXnAHV5Zv3tPA74owWUGbWIaU6cR29bJ4kLmvRJaS37fl/s1600/DSCN0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5U1znL-zaAoevxsGlLUYcV0kU-ETfiYcjiji6SiclPQ7OYkepGIYTCsIHO21UBoWwuHbJBCF0K2qNN4mKIkJ9nPrXnAHV5Zv3tPA74owWUGbWIaU6cR29bJ4kLmvRJaS37fl/s1600/DSCN0207.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standard Horizon GX-2200</td></tr>
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I have a new nickname, "Radio Gal", and I get up early to listen to the weather report and check in with our radio nets on our SSB radio. It will be our lifeline when we are out to sea. I also managed to get my laptop computer hooked up to the radio, through a small box called "Pactor", that enables us to send and receive short emails while at sea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJZ1BtRmWOHgUG_m1lvsAWb9yHj7wGgCv2XKxfksh6v_0vLs9tGSZbT_5Q6rpHxsrrUdO-0jJcoCZTUhHRP5M6zUsGEPPIRzWJf8VldiEMTWQ2_d493stucfNcEVHVBFM4NjT/s1600/DSCN0200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJZ1BtRmWOHgUG_m1lvsAWb9yHj7wGgCv2XKxfksh6v_0vLs9tGSZbT_5Q6rpHxsrrUdO-0jJcoCZTUhHRP5M6zUsGEPPIRzWJf8VldiEMTWQ2_d493stucfNcEVHVBFM4NjT/s1600/DSCN0200.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking away - to others hundreds of miles away!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SSB and Ham Radio</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ICOM IC-M710 Marine SSB and Ham Radio with Pactor to the side</td></tr>
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It's been a long haul, but we are getting close to setting sail!<br />
<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-15479635375595903502015-02-24T15:41:00.002-04:002015-02-24T15:41:37.125-04:00New Engine InsulationWhile we waited for a coolant system hose to be shipped to the island for our engine, we decided to tackle a job that we have put off for over five years: replacing the sound insulation on our engine box.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdHwxqaCBcBPLFYK3IikR_od38rscLcsT06wHbrQ5WYhpGXFpiMvz-f67PAn-LNp9wgJ1z0Os0p0zYdPj4drK5P9-er_PwaF2s7ctdNoXty24fu5LOGhyphenhyphenrR_Em5_ylPD60FLI/s1600/DSCN0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdHwxqaCBcBPLFYK3IikR_od38rscLcsT06wHbrQ5WYhpGXFpiMvz-f67PAn-LNp9wgJ1z0Os0p0zYdPj4drK5P9-er_PwaF2s7ctdNoXty24fu5LOGhyphenhyphenrR_Em5_ylPD60FLI/s1600/DSCN0175.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engine box after grinding down to the wood and glue</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The engine box had foam insulation with lead backing and a nice shiny aluminum front at one time. As it started to deteriorate, we tried taping it on and then just had to start ripping it out. Finally we scraped the insides and just left it that way. The sound of the engine was considerably louder when we were under power, and there is a greater risk of fire spreading more quickly through a wooden box. We used the drill and a couple of different grinding wheels to get the rest of the crumbling insulation out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6X3jdGAOZfjHKfi-4kdPz273JE-Fkeqrx2_te0mSn39ixIq1XGULTo8AUckmFu_Kt6BRuLrW09PngUwdxwB9faVam1ocGPStY-lQuyfqFQ472CSjlVxSzhC34Rr2BEubHWUB/s1600/DSCN0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6X3jdGAOZfjHKfi-4kdPz273JE-Fkeqrx2_te0mSn39ixIq1XGULTo8AUckmFu_Kt6BRuLrW09PngUwdxwB9faVam1ocGPStY-lQuyfqFQ472CSjlVxSzhC34Rr2BEubHWUB/s1600/DSCN0176.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A messy job</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0pJxOdIQyZTPSn8aELoSAcHoa_9J_hUf2dIatGQClXHhggPPO-D6QJYbSNtdNfLSwO02HEOcwFpTq5ZXyfDjDax3s4PPi72mnZh7ElOllflWOB2OPSFSn8epW2fAGcZg449n/s1600/DSCN0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0pJxOdIQyZTPSn8aELoSAcHoa_9J_hUf2dIatGQClXHhggPPO-D6QJYbSNtdNfLSwO02HEOcwFpTq5ZXyfDjDax3s4PPi72mnZh7ElOllflWOB2OPSFSn8epW2fAGcZg449n/s1600/DSCN0178.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Once it was down to the wood, we took the box over to the boatyard's carpenter, Pedro. He installed new insulation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pedro in his workshop, working on our new insulation</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi_BkMsiWGnIb3xChZfSGdI35nxEyBnK6MVjFX_rrTLYxK4amCSSvFIqiLo0ukhHjQx0H69ZEiIO-Lk3u2AlgeQ_tBmJDVqG4f30CBkiyMLjcydvUNlh07791xH_X4IyFCKwu/s1600/DSCN0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbi_BkMsiWGnIb3xChZfSGdI35nxEyBnK6MVjFX_rrTLYxK4amCSSvFIqiLo0ukhHjQx0H69ZEiIO-Lk3u2AlgeQ_tBmJDVqG4f30CBkiyMLjcydvUNlh07791xH_X4IyFCKwu/s1600/DSCN0180.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Pedro is the friendliest worker amongst a congenial crew here at the boatyard. Being the only carpenter, he is busy all the time. Schooled as an artist in New York, he came into carpentry by working at furniture-making to put himself through college. He brings an artist's eye to some of the loveliest works of wood I have ever seen. We are very happy to have Pedro to finish this project - and our voyage home will be quieter if we need to motor for some time to make our goal.<br />
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Meanwhile, back at the boat, we made use of a borrowed vacuum cleaner to scrape off the rest of the engine insulation on the stern wall. This crumbling mess had deposited black, diesel-sodden bits over the top of the engine, which all had to be cleaned off. Then I went after the engine's rusty bits with light sandpaper, Q-tips and Corrosion Block. While we had the vacuum, we went over some of the far reaches of the boat, down into the bilge, behind the stove, all places that have not been fully cleaned for years.<br />
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Perhaps the best news is that our engine coolant hose came in. We installed it, along with new hose clamps all over the cooling system, with a minimum of fuss and bother. Best yet, no leaks or drips! We have propulsion again!<br />
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<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-64390166205646163632015-02-15T21:56:00.003-04:002015-02-15T21:56:48.014-04:00The People We Meet on Their BoatsLiving on a boat has its challenges but also its serendipitous moments. We meet some interesting people in the course of their travels. People sail into the boatyard to haul their boats, work on them, and then store their boats or sail away. It's a very different kind of community, one whose makeup changes every week. Recently many boats have sailed away, their projects completed. <br />
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In the slip next to us was a boat that had just been purchased by an engaging Dutch couple. It was their first boat, and they flew to the neighboring island of Aruba to see what life aboard a boat in the Caribbean would be like. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wietze and Ria</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO2zhjGqrKaue-8R9sAiNrcLOd_Jb3dmZj8_eOxWxR_InoreKbKJjdrNWa-n0Gq29Q7U5V_g-FPI78PqWzPmEPTJhyphenhyphenvrTHHFakrnO3zYDXkQQ3e12hmtQ76IffSk9oWpe5J6C/s1600/DSCN0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO2zhjGqrKaue-8R9sAiNrcLOd_Jb3dmZj8_eOxWxR_InoreKbKJjdrNWa-n0Gq29Q7U5V_g-FPI78PqWzPmEPTJhyphenhyphenvrTHHFakrnO3zYDXkQQ3e12hmtQ76IffSk9oWpe5J6C/s1600/DSCN0152.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wiri, a Dutch boat next door</td></tr>
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They sailed the boat from Aruba to Curacao, and were busy every day with projects, like everyone else around us. They are appealing and friendly, quick with a smile and conversation. Their boat is an aluminum cutter rigged sloop. We don't see many aluminum boats; most sailboats here are made out of fiberglass, like ours. We enjoyed their company for several weeks, and now they have flown back to Holland until next October.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCukAWviN8m5EtW66jOUvVzV0hqMp8pRG9LXJs9kZPD6hyVzLZ7rDD28jMIi_pqo0RKbdjqPtl4yqKwNXYieZO3GSNXp5G-n2v6HGlo1tdk5IVna9F6mHDaCkQy_dqnX0o4voF/s1600/DSCN0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCukAWviN8m5EtW66jOUvVzV0hqMp8pRG9LXJs9kZPD6hyVzLZ7rDD28jMIi_pqo0RKbdjqPtl4yqKwNXYieZO3GSNXp5G-n2v6HGlo1tdk5IVna9F6mHDaCkQy_dqnX0o4voF/s1600/DSCN0151.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferro-cement sailboat</td></tr>
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On the other side of us is an industrious Austrian couple with a very unusual boat, made out of cement. It is a tidy rig, with two masts, a ketch with many hand-made add-ons, and they are busy all day with new projects. They are also friendly, but will be sailing away to other parts of the Caribbean next week. They carry full-size bicycles on their boat to get around on the islands when they come into port. It's still hard to believe that cement can make up a floating hull.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vFMzpUJ_gA-aXCp2WD3q5WAy0VzySXn0e4EBmubAOB8lx4nOGQAT05wBe9UXrviylPheNnjwrTjl3b2EgSkoFRUGTj7LlaQUcblEX6zrIJXGgP4Y80Wz1ztwTxKZK39EVV-3/s1600/DSCN0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vFMzpUJ_gA-aXCp2WD3q5WAy0VzySXn0e4EBmubAOB8lx4nOGQAT05wBe9UXrviylPheNnjwrTjl3b2EgSkoFRUGTj7LlaQUcblEX6zrIJXGgP4Y80Wz1ztwTxKZK39EVV-3/s1600/DSCN0160.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparkman and Stephens 1963 sailboat</td></tr>
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Down the dock is one of the more compelling characters we have met recently, Pablo. He is a US Coast Guard certified captain, and has been tasked with getting this boat ready to sail and delivering it to Maine. It is one of the few wooden boats here, and was made in 1963. Pablo is from New Mexico, and he relocated to New England some years ago to become a lobster fisherman. He spent six years engaged in commercial fishing on the Grand Banks, like the Perfect Storm boats. His tales of fishing in all types of weather off the coast leave us spellbound. He was even swept overboard once, and lived to tell about it! Whenever our projects leave us despondent we go talk to Pablo. What he is working on with this much older boat dwarf anything we are doing, and leave us feeling like our projects are all very achievable. When I first met him, his boat was sinking at the dock in late December - a wooden boat can ship water between its planks, and that's what was happening. Thankfully it did not go under, due to the timely use of several emergency pumps. <i>Ibis </i>is almost twice the size of our boat, and all of its systems are more complicated.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6wSO_zdD2OOVozECtEgvvcAxmk9iKGNwVocDOyDWMeycDu0aJmEELQa-ypeaDXe8BXQ-fNi_7CHuQiBUX-5t4D615s44-hYCBEqsXvIv2krM5-Ryq0rWJe9_k7bB_GBotV0k/s1600/DSCN0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6wSO_zdD2OOVozECtEgvvcAxmk9iKGNwVocDOyDWMeycDu0aJmEELQa-ypeaDXe8BXQ-fNi_7CHuQiBUX-5t4D615s44-hYCBEqsXvIv2krM5-Ryq0rWJe9_k7bB_GBotV0k/s1600/DSCN0153.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Great Dane</i></td></tr>
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Up "on the hard", as we say, still on land, is my favorite name for a boat. <i>Great Dane </i>is a steel ketch from Nova Scotia, and has been in the yard for a long time. We haven't met her owners, but perhaps they are of Danish ancestry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcehyphenhyphen9085KHt3S2asDkvAc7_dgcZ77JRbB8zOl0_4YZHBaseUtpHaGu-sVz4T9gLk1iWufKiFqnQgUHo1OHEW6YIkOXYbh5ncwA2qSSGiozeQlg5u6ljkVLEzoMsn40Sv8CpW/s1600/DSCN0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcehyphenhyphen9085KHt3S2asDkvAc7_dgcZ77JRbB8zOl0_4YZHBaseUtpHaGu-sVz4T9gLk1iWufKiFqnQgUHo1OHEW6YIkOXYbh5ncwA2qSSGiozeQlg5u6ljkVLEzoMsn40Sv8CpW/s1600/DSCN0159.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Highland Breeze</i></td></tr>
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At the end of our dock is the largest boat here, 112 feet long. It has a crew of four or five, including a captain, cook, engineer, and deckhand. Everything is automated on this boat - sails go up with the push of a button, the anchor comes up and goes down with hydraulics, along with many more systems that must be continuously maintained. It is a wondrous machine to behold, but I wouldn't want its maintenance! The boat has crewed charters, where people fly in to Curacao and spend a few days or weeks aboard, sailing the Caribbean.<br />
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Just a few of the more interesting boats and people we have gotten to know here in Curacao.Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30576171.post-82978720046670245952015-02-10T15:55:00.001-04:002015-02-10T15:55:14.890-04:00How Hard Can It Be To Change the Oil on a Diesel Engine?!This week's agenda included addressing the diesel engine on our sailboat. A dirty secret among sailors is how often we turn the key and fire up the "iron jenny" (<i>jenny</i> is slang for the headsail, or Genoa jib). We sailors are almost never happy with the wind - there's too much of it, too little, or it's from the wrong direction to get where we want to go. So - we start up the trusty engine and use fuel to get going, or to assist the sails. We needed to change the oil and inspect the engine, which is now 30 years old, like the rest of the boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX5yBrot8ZMyhWfCZ8MUSap4xMTeXRgQ683VjojO9UlbHbLvuCRRwNBWnswR1lhgSHKW6CBm989Cuzvg_F5ka1uXdETC2t8tGMeBF1V9Pmlu8p2q40tO2n3e9Y9qU-YmQCbKk/s1600/DSCN0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX5yBrot8ZMyhWfCZ8MUSap4xMTeXRgQ683VjojO9UlbHbLvuCRRwNBWnswR1lhgSHKW6CBm989Cuzvg_F5ka1uXdETC2t8tGMeBF1V9Pmlu8p2q40tO2n3e9Y9qU-YmQCbKk/s1600/DSCN0141.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Yanmar diesel engine - access by taking off the stairs and box surrounding it</td></tr>
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Changing the oil is one of the messiest jobs on the boat, and we tend to avoid it as long as we possibly can. In fact, neither of us really likes maintaining the engine, and it drops down to the bottom of any to-do list we make. Nonetheless, we had to take the bull by the horns and get to it. The whole process is like parking your car in the living room and taking it apart, while trying not to spray black oil around our living and kitchen quarters.<br />
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We use a hand pump to get the oil out. Long ago, I changed the oil on all of my cars. That was an easy process compared to this - cars have a handy nut at the bottom of the oil pan, you are working on it in a garage with a cement floor, and a minimum of fuss and bother gets the whole job done quickly. Not so here - the hand pump and its lengths of hose tend to get away from us and dribble on the rugs, the cushions, the walls, the floor - everywhere but on the plastic sheeting and newspapers we have put down. More than two hands are always needed to keep the pump's hoses more or less where they should be. Then the oil filter has to come off - and it drips oil all over as well.<br />
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With the engine and transmission in full view, we then decided to check the transmission fluid. It has its own handy dipstick just behind the engine. We knew something was amiss when Larry said, "Does this thing screw out? It's just pulling up and out...." And half of the dipstick came up in his hand. The other half, a plastic screw assembly, remained firmly stuck in the transmission. I often tell Larry that all this problem-solving on the fly we do on the boat is really good mental exercise, and he won't get such made-to-order mind joggling in a nursing home later. He tried screwdrivers of various shapes, needle-nose pliers, and finally - in a burst of a mental ah-<i>HA </i>moment, a wire crimpers that fit perfectly in the hole left by the remaining end of the dipstick.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GsTua9zM5qVNPfDA9WFAXUpFnSvG3kBz2CreF_hDL_ABW14bXQPmllF3j3kfx54ik7oy6eWpycjwcV-sfZL5CW_IpgBla33hhgRDzik9clBiq9b1ZUlXhRtEjfaLhOL0mm_C/s1600/DSCN0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GsTua9zM5qVNPfDA9WFAXUpFnSvG3kBz2CreF_hDL_ABW14bXQPmllF3j3kfx54ik7oy6eWpycjwcV-sfZL5CW_IpgBla33hhgRDzik9clBiq9b1ZUlXhRtEjfaLhOL0mm_C/s1600/DSCN0140.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transmission Dipstick - broken in two</td></tr>
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So, I left the boat to go up to the mechanics' shop in the boatyard. How convenient we are finding these problems here - just get on the dock and walk to the shop! Jack, the guy in charge, sees more problems on boats of all types every day. He had just the part to fit and I left with a new dipstick. In Venezuela, for instance, this would be an insolvable problem, and we would be left trying to Super-Glue the old part back together. Spare parts are impossible to find there. But here in Curacao they abound. What they don't have can be shipped in.<br />
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Now, with everything put back together on the engine, the moment had come. Turn the key and see if the engine starts, and observe it carefully for problems. <i>OH NO - </i>water dripping from the raw water pump! We have had problems with this in the past - and replaced the pump five years ago. Here's where some of the corrosion that has suspiciously been invading the left side of the engine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XFm4bcYRHs34Ujz_iAaOd_P7V6YMXiBv_dkj4UxjZrk__NaNb9RSj8jmMzYaV7VP2GkPMPxAI7Ixifm5Fb0UK1Tg19c_wbQxnjZuvDEUrMaPIWreLm_WHPi6eS6nPB9s9Azp/s1600/DSCN0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XFm4bcYRHs34Ujz_iAaOd_P7V6YMXiBv_dkj4UxjZrk__NaNb9RSj8jmMzYaV7VP2GkPMPxAI7Ixifm5Fb0UK1Tg19c_wbQxnjZuvDEUrMaPIWreLm_WHPi6eS6nPB9s9Azp/s1600/DSCN0144.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry trying to combat the rust overtaking the engine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIz9D26ZSgYEq9V691qNeMbtVm9yRJbDYeIixJawkg4q7p-rKdHFz67g-xzqRFEmEjBgjRbtfz-q4Evl8fCZ3IEn3i2fxTDjo7bPGuSuxf-TaXNUqDK1zceCgnlTBw7ngubEQ_/s1600/DSCN0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIz9D26ZSgYEq9V691qNeMbtVm9yRJbDYeIixJawkg4q7p-rKdHFz67g-xzqRFEmEjBgjRbtfz-q4Evl8fCZ3IEn3i2fxTDjo7bPGuSuxf-TaXNUqDK1zceCgnlTBw7ngubEQ_/s1600/DSCN0149.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pesky water pump</td></tr>
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So, today has been another day with Mr. Engine. We've had the pump off before, but we both had conveniently forgotten how it was done, and need to figure it out again. The manual for the engine we have has many helpful diagrams, but the text tends to say "Remove the raw water pump." Not how, or which screws to take off first, or the fact that the lower fan belt assembly needs to come off with it. My trigonometry text in high school was written in much the same fashion - "The proof is left as an exercise for the student." I used to hate that phrase, and this manual has many such omissions. After several fits and starts, we have the pump. It looks fine to us, but what do we know? We'll have to take it up to the machine shop and have the experts tell us.<br />
<br />Sailboat Debonairhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05777682258085423394noreply@blogger.com0