Engine started!

Bill ( left ) and Rusty

Yesterday afternoon, with the help of my friends Rusty and Bill, we managed to get the engine running. After sucking out the remainder of the old gas ( some had fortunately been stolen recently, so it made the job easier ) adding fresh fuel and a can of Seafoam additive, and changing the fuel filter, she pretty much fired right up. Changing the filter was a real challenge. The old spin-on filter was on so tight that we had to remove the whole filter housing in order get a good enough grip on it. At the end of the day, it was a milestone moment and helps keep the momentum in a forward moving direction.
My sincere thanks to Rusty and Bill!





Transom Step Repair

Steps down at Folsom Lake, CA

While the boat was stored in California, some damage was caused to the boarding steps that fold down on the port side of the transom. They are supported by two cables and I guess one of the pad eyes broke, causing the steps to twist to the right, cracking the fiberglass along the hinge mounts.

Rusty hard at work

My friend Rusty offered to help with the repair and recently showed up with his new cordless grinder. He proceeded to make a horizontal cut along the damaged area to expose and check what needed to be done.

We discovered that someone had done a previous repair and had simply filled the void with resin and over time the unreinforced resin had broken down into loose chunks about an inch long and a half inch thick. We removed the broken bits and filled the space with resin soaked wood along with glass matting and finally several layers of fiberglass cloth.
The following day we applied a further top coat of colored fairing compound and sanded that down to a point where we can begin the finishing prior to painting the hull.
We'll also reinstall the hinges before painting. The main thing is that the repair is done and the hull integrity was not affected so there should be no further concerns at this point. That's not to say that there no other areas that need work ( there's plenty ) but none below the waterline, and that was my main worry.

Simplification!

Cupboard door removed and working on fascia

We're all familiar with the term " Keep it Simple" and there's a good reason. The more complicated systems get. the more they screw up. I truly believe that when it comes to boats and even MORE SO when applied to USED boats, this rule should be posted on a sign over the companionway, so you'll have it in mind before you even get aboard!
   So following up on the aftermath of the burst water pipe in my previous posting, and while discussing the matter with a number of expert friends, on multiple occasions, over a beer or three, the consensus was easy. SIMPLIFY!
  Now Tim suggested on that very first day, that the initial step should be to remove all those pesky cupboard doors. I should label them all, then put them in hefty trash bags, after which they could be stowed up top on the flybridge where they'd be safely out of the way. That way it would be much easier to see what was going on back in the dark recesses of the cabinetry.
   This seemed like a great idea to me and I've set about doing that very thing. The door removal has been quick and easy with the help of the handy cordless electric screwdriver/drill that I recently purchased at Walmart in Bellingham, along with an assortment of bits and screwdriver looking things all in a neat case.
   Anyway, after removing the doors I discovered that the cabinets were built on a wood framework  ( makes sense ) to which some previous owner has applied a fascia panel. The fascia appeared to be secured with screws ( about one every inch, like rivets on an aircraft ) but after removing the first thousand of them I realized that the fascia was also GLUED

into place, which meant it would need to be chiseled off. Hey, it's only time and I have SO MUCH of THAT! Seriously though....it's ok....there's still cold beer in the cooler and work is progressing! Really, it IS!
More about "Simplification" in a later post!
  

Water, Water, Everywhere!

The fresh water pump aboard Delta Blue appears to be dead and since there's a back-up pressure system by which one can connect a hose, turn a few gate valves on or off, and have the boat on city water, I decided to give it a try.

Split copper water pipe

  I had my friend Tim along to give a hand ( do all the work! ) On arrival at the yard, I found that the hose that I'd installed the previous day, had been cut off about three inches from the deck fitting and used to siphon gas from both the Seacamper and a couple of vehicles that were stored nearby.
I drove up to the local hardware store and bought another hose and after reconnecting it all, I turned on the water. Tim was onboard and I was in the bowels of the old storage building alongside the boat.
I was pleased when Tim announced that the water was indeed flowing from the galley taps, however that glee abated almost immediately, when he yelled out that it was also flowing from underneath the galley counter and out onto the carpeted cabin floors. Water began forming a deepening pool near the aft cabin step.
Clearly, all was not as it should be and I could see that measures would need to be taken ( probably large, rapid steps, in the opposite direction, but I'm dense that way and not too quick to learn by mistakes )
Besides, it was nearing "Happy Hour" and I could see little that was amusing about our present situation. I DO know when it's time to "cut and run" to the closest bar! This was obviously one of those times.
A burst copper pipe turned out to be the culprit....more on that in the next post!
  

Progress? NOT!

"Delta Blue" is still sitting in her temporary home near Birch Bay and I have to admit, progress has been slower than I anticipated. We've had a wonderful stretch of warm dry weather here in the Pacific Northwest, so my time has been split between our old Bayliner at Blaine Marina, and the Seacamper in storage. Of course the "boat IN the water" is getting a disproportionate amount of our spare time. The company of new friends, an abundance of fresh local crab, and a few Canada Day Daquiris, has made getting anything done on the Seacamper, all but impossible.


Life at Blaine Marina has been great this season and it seems that the move from Point Roberts was a good one. I still miss the old gang from D-Dock and I have to admit that the weekdays can be pretty quiet over here, but on the whole it's been good. Blaine gives us a lot more selection as far as supplies, food and restaurants, not to mention cheaper gas and liquor. Needless to say it's been difficult to pry myself away from the good life.

Time sure goes fast!

It's been almost three months since we brought the Seacamper north. The weather being what it is, nothing much has happened since then. The weather doesn't always cooperate so outside projects have been on hold. I've done a lot of exploring inside, and I've made a few discoveries.
   I've replaced two of the four batteries at this point and I have the boat hooked up to shore power. The left side 110 volt wiring has a dead short someplace and I still haven't found it. We cut the 110 wires to the three overhead lights on the port side ( over the dinette, in the head, and over the port side settee ) The breaker still blows.I'll most likely get rid of the 110 lights anyway, as they're old and outdated, and 12 volt lights are much more economical, especially the new LEDs. In any case, at this moment the three lamps are hanging by their respective wiring and the whole boat looks like a bomb went off inside.

   The fridge is another problem. It's a Dometic ( Swedish 3 way 110.12v/ LPG ) and not getting cold on 110 volt. It's an absorption so does not have a compressor, which makes it hard to know if it's even on. The 110 element could be bad and I don't expect much cooling ability from the 12V. I haven't wanted to get into the LPG side of it all; that's a whole other ball game! Probably the best idea for that is to rip it out and replace it with a standard 110V bar fridge. The problem with that is finding one that will fit. I have a height restriction of about 30 inches, which allows it to fit under the forward dinette seat.
 

Thanks, Bill!

Thanks to Bill, my "Delta Blue" is safely stored at her new home in Washington. After a two and a half day drive up from California, we arrived at the yard about 5PM on Sunday.
The trip north was uneventful; just the way I like it!

Rest stop on I-5

We made a stop in Grants Pass, Oregon to do a bit more shopping and have dinner, but then drove on to Woodburn, Oregon where we stayed the night. Sunday morning we made a last check at Walmart, just to make sure there was nothing left on the shelves for us to buy! We were rolling again by 10AM.






Bill

New home in storage, Birch Bay

  The weather was good the whole drive up from California and only we began to see some rain when we reached Washington. It came down pretty hard a few times and we even had some hail/sleet for a spell, but eventually it gave way to clear skies again. By the time we reached the yard it was all good.
As I said, we arrived at 5 PM and I was home by 6 PM so I have to say it was a successful trip.
    Also a big thanks to Alex, the owner of Gold River Motorsports in Rancho Cordova, CA. He definitely came through for us and was more than fair for all he did.
Again my hat's off to Bill for all his help and the use of his truck. There's no way this would have happened without his help.

It always takes longer than you think!

And it costs more too! Here we are about six moths later, and back in California with yet another of my hare-brained schemes. This time I've decided that it would be wiser to have the Seacamper up north, in Washington State. Rather than making expensive trips south (and often NOT getting anything accomplished ) I thought that it would make more sense to have the boat closer to home.
  With that in mind, and the help of our friend Bill Hay, we set out in Bill's truck to retrieve the boat from the storage yard in Rancho Cordova, CA.
   When Pat and I stopped by to check the boat on our way back from Las Vegas in February, we discovered that the out-drive had come down and was now embedded in the blacktop.
The batteries were dead, so there was no way to do anything at that time.
   Bill brought a new battery with us and after installing it, we had power but still no movement at the leg. It was about then that Alex, from the motorcycle shop next door, offered his assistance. He brought a small jumper battery as well, but discovered that it was a low hydraulic fluid issue, and he soon had it working fine.
We strapped the leg firmly in the up position, in preparation for the trip north.
   Unfortunately, we were far from ready. I asked Alex to have a look at the surge brake on the trailer, as when I tried to remove the cap from the master cylinder, it crumbled in my hand. To make a long story short the trailer needed pretty much the whole brake system replaced. New master cylinder, 4 new wheel brakes assemblies, clean and flush the lines, new surge brake shocks, and even the tail lamps, which had corroded and blown the bulbs. Alex moved the boat and trailer over into his yard and began the work.
   So, we had a couple of extra days to explore the Delta and show Bill some of my favorite watering holes. We did Old Sacramento,
our traditional Happy Hour at Crawdad's, and dinner at Hooters, as well as the drive down Hwy 160 along the Sacramento River to Rio Vista, and a short visit to Fosters Bighorn Bar.
  We thought we might be ready to hit the road by late Thursday, but that turned into Friday morning, which proved to be 4:30 PM before we actually pulled away. The good part is that it was all done, and it all worked. With the late start, we just wanted to get through the Sac rush hour and out onto the quieter section of I-5. We drove a couple of hour or so, and called it a day at Red Bluff.
It was a good day but tiring as we'd been ready to go since morning but gremlins kept rearing their ugly heads. The hotel in Red Bluff was nice, a Super 8 run by a cordial couple who seemed intent on us having a quiet and restful night. They assured us that the truck and boat would be safe on the street and that they would keep watch throughout the night. Dinner at Denny's and that was it!