I bought a pair of speakers for the cockpit but I don't want to cut circular holes in the fiberglass. The plastic grilles always get kicked in and it looks bad. I got the idea to install them under the Bimini top by fabricating brackets in order to attach them to the stainless steel tubes that support it. I will paint the aluminum brackets white and install them in the spring. I need the Bimini top up to determine the best position. The base of the brackets is offset to one side and they are symmetrical. That gives me more room to play with. I need to make sure that they don't get in the way. The next problem is to wire them up so I can put them away during the week. I want a way of plugging them in. Someone suggested using the connectors from automotive trailer hitches. They are made to take weather. Maybe...we will see.
Man it got cold fast. Glad I'm not in Buffalo! I pulled the batteries and measured up for a few winter project. I mentioned the exhaust but I have to source the gaskets. The place I get Universal parts from has changed their system. They don't ship to Canada. I will have to call them up. Not touching it until those gaskets are in my hand! Working on speaker brackets for the cockpit and I want to replace the bracket that holds the flotation ring on the stern rail.
Oil is changed and the motor is winterized.
Took the mutt out to Point Pelee for the remainder of the day. Here I explain hole digging while Marley gives me the "You're insane" look.
Well that's a wrap for 2014. I took this shot traveling
down the Detroit river toward my winter storage area. These ships, both Ocean going and Lakers were lined up to get road salt for the coming winter.
I winterized the engine and did an oil change. The tanks are flushed with pink antifreeze. Just have to pull the batteries and wrap things up. I'll get some projects done during the Hell that is winter.
This is going to be one of my winter projects. The exhaust is leaking. I guess it's a pin hole in the weld. Looking at the crappy job here, it doesn't surprise me. I noticed that the engine sounded a little different a month back. This is a bit of a learning curve. I have to find out where you get this high heat wrap and I plan on pulling the manifold off which means getting a new gasket. All this ugly will finally be gone. I have two speakers to mount in the cockpit and some little jobs such as converting all the lights to LED. I think back to my power boats and all the problems that I had, I think Sailors complain to much! The little diesel always starts and the boat always gets me where I am going and home again. It's a little like a sports car from England. You have to open the hood once in a while and nose around. (The exhaust for example) but more often than not, you find little or nothing wrong. A power boat with all that bashing through the waves constantly develops problems (VERY EXPENSIVE ONES!!!). Yeah, I don't go fast, but I always get there.
Last day of Summer on Lake St.Clair.
Detroit from a distance. Boat is running and sailing great! I hope to get out on the weekend as it is suppose to be warm. Hard to believe but in a few months there will be ice floating by.
We ran up to the port Credit boat show on the weekend. The sailboat that caught our interest was a Morgan / Catalina 38.1 center cockpit. We were blown away by the amount of room below created by the raised cockpit. The bedroom in the stern has a large comfortable bed. It ticked a lot of boxes.
This particular example was over priced but this proves out a few theories we have. 1#- You can not get the feel for a boats size from pictures, you have to see it.
2# -There is a boat under 40 feet that will work for us.
We are getting an early fall but hopefully we will get a few more sails in before the long freeze. The day is getting closer when we sail south and skip a few of them!!
We continue our search for a bigger boat. Looked at a 38.4 Morgan in Lasalle Michigan yesterday. Very nice but it failed the important question. "Could you handle living in this cabin for two years?" NO! The beds were small and uncomfortable. Great boat for a week away but at the end of the week you would be looking forward to your bed at home. We were going to look at a 37 Tartan but it has tighter quarters than the Morgan. I don't want any more boat than necessary but the layout has to work. Designers always short-sheet the beds in favor of features like 'Spacious Saloon' or 'five heads!' Our search continues. We met a couple on a Corbin 39 last week. Nice ride, I will have to keep an eye out for one to look at. We are going to check out a Brewer 44 in Tampa this fall. A little on the huge side but the more I see, the better informed I am. I make my intentions clear to people selling their vessels. I just need to see it for an hour and nothing more. If the layout doesn't work for us, we are on our way. Still- they get very upset with you. I have sold four boats and I know what a PITA it is. I figure that I will be up front about my interest and requirements and ask them for an hour at their convenience. Never ask for a ride out or anything else. That's as fair as I can be.
This particular example was over priced but this proves out a few theories we have. 1#- You can not get the feel for a boats size from pictures, you have to see it.