The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
Any day that starts with losing your smart phone promises to be bad and ugly. Any day that ends with you sleeping on your boat for the first time in months is good. Today was all of that but whew, was it ever ugly.

I realized walking back to the car after dropping off the first load that the familiar lump wasn’t on my belt. It’s happened before and it’s usually right on the ground next to the car. Nope. I retraced my steps, no phone. I didn’t hear it fall in the water when I stepped aboard, another likely place for it to fall off. Then, I remembered; there was snow on the edge of the dock and I kicked it off so I wouldn’t track it into the boat. The phone fell in the soft snow and I must have kicked it in.

No time to mourn. I moved the boat over to the bulkhead and filled the water tank. Back in the slip I quickly had the fresh water system up and running. I cleaned out the diesel cabin heater, a truly ugly job, and was soon enjoying the feeling of the boat coming alive with the warmth and flickering light of the fire.

While bleeding and flushing various lines, it became clear that the sump pump was not pumping. I disconnected the hose and tried to blow through it. It was blocked completely. I had to check for debris at the discharge end in the lazarette. The hose clamps and nipple were just at the limit of my fingertips.

Some of you may remember this video:

http://www.cruisingonstrider.us/videos/Lazarette.wmv

Well, two years later, I can still do it, over and over. Once I got the autopilot disconnected and removed, everything else out of the way, and the other end of the hose free, it was clear that this old hose, probably in the boat since 1980, was going to need to be replaced.

About this time, the yard mechanic showed up to talk about the engine re-alignment. With some good questions and careful analysis, he talked me out of giving the yard quite a bit of money. You’ve got to like and respect a yard when they do that. There may still be an issue but it’s worth running the boat again with the new shaft zincs to see. That was good.

After a trip up to West Marine to buy a new length of hose, I worked my way into the lazarette again and noticed black rubber along part of the steering line for the wind vane and autopilot. Further investigation revealed that the rope which holds the fuel filler hose away from the line had come loose and the line had worn a groove in the hose. It was within thousandths of an inch of where I would feel that I needed to undertake the expensive and difficult task of replacing it proactively. I re-secured it and installed chafing gear in case the rope contacts it again. If not for the clogged bilge line, I would have been fueling a few months from now and been surprised by fuel in the lazarette. This was very good.

Replacing the bilge line was very ugly, in and out of the lazarette, head down in the seat locker, out again to go in the other way, pushing, pulling, blood running down my hands. Nasty, nasty work. I’d written two or three versions of the “Boat for Sale” ad in my head by the time it was done. The pump now works beautifully. That’s good.

I then turned to straightening out the cabin. All this work following just throwing stuff on berths made it look like Strider had experienced a couple of roll overs in the Southern Ocean.

All is well now. Everything is back to normal except for two large sail bags taking up the V berth space where Dreameagle should be. I’ll get those up on deck and the main bent on tomorrow. Once I hoist the radar reflector and re-provision, only weather will keep me at the dock. From the weather forecasts, it looks like that will be Sunday at the earliest so I have plenty of time to enjoy being home again.

Life is good but it takes a lot of bad and ugly to make it so.
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
sorry to hear about your phone.....well now days thats like loosing your wallet.....i loose my phone all the time but being land based for now i contribute it to my short term memory ...i wonder if they make a may west for smart phones.....

regards

woody
 
Jul 24, 2006
628
Legnos, Starwind, Regal Mystic 30 cutter, 22 trailer sailor, bow rider NEW PORT RICHEY, FL
way to "hang" in there Roger

At a certain age some of us have learned that we can't do any good by lamenting about lost items. It "is what it is" and continue on with the task at hand. I have lost a few phones to neptune myself including the dishwater in the sink. For me it is most likely to be caught on a line and (slow motion) flung into the air where I make a futile attempt to catch it before waving good by as it sinks to the depths, I wonder why Davey Jones needs to use my cell?
I thoroughly enjoyed your video of contortions into the bowels of your boat, smiles and all. I need to bleed my hydraulic steering but can't remember what size wrench it was, or what screwdriver I needed, so I put it off until one of my sons can be my fetcher. While starring into the lazz I noticed a dripping hose into the bilge and fixed it to save the batts from needless pumping. the cockpit had 4" inches of water in it from an Osprey eating a squirrel in my cockpit and the fur clogging the drain. Always something.
Sorry if I missed it but what are your plans? On the boat again, North or South. And your new lady and "land life"? Very glad to see your posts again and am looking forward to your well written adventures and observations.
 
Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
Who here has not dropped a cell phone/sun glasses/car keys into the drink at one time or another?
 
Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
I woke up at 0800 to bright sunshine and wind. The next two days of weather that will keep me here mean enforced leisure in the two remaining re-commissioning tasks and re-provisioning.

Wind chill 29 degrees but tolerable in the cabin. I'm glad I pushed hard to get that bilge pump line replaced yesterday. It would a lot more miserable in this cold. I can also now take a hot shower which I'm just about to do (hose empties the shower sump among other things).

It's not as warm as it might be because I haven't adjusted the Newport heater for the cold thickened diesel fuel. The weather is going to warm up soon so I probably won't mess with it and just supplement with the electric heater since I'm at the dock.

Weather looks good for a run down to Hampton on Sunday. New cell phone will be waiting for me there.
 
Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
Unbelievable!

I found the phone but not before filing an insurance claim and the replacement already being on its way to Hampton Public Piers for pick up. Asurion told me to just instruct the piers to refuse the package and they will refund my deductible when they receive it.

Where was the phone?

I was turning in my rental car and checking around for anything I left and there it was in the door seat pocket. What the hel...? I'd looked there. Well, the door pocket in the car was jet black as is my phone case. Further, the pocket in a Jetta has a large recess at the back that can almost hide the phone out of sight. Evidently, at least by process of elimination and not being a believer in poltergeists, the seat belt hooked under it, lifted it off my belt, and deposited it neatly in the seat pocket when I got out of the car. It's happened before but always dumped it on the ground. I was late and in a hurry at Enterprise for the drop off so probably stopped quickly in the lot which made the phone slide forward out of it's hiding place.

Four hours of my life wasted dealing with this. I'm getting to the age when every little bit counts.

You know, I actually kind of liked my old dumb phone when I went back to using it, texting used to be a lot easier. I can't give up Internet access when I'm on the go in strange places though.
 
Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
this is all toooo funny...... i just got an app notification called Find My iPhone was going to disregard it but now i think i will load it in the phone...glad you found the phone....

regards

woody
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
I know the "lost smart phone" feeling. During winter prep I walked the length of the marina to the rest rooms, then back. About an hour later I noticed the phone pouch empty. I muttered a few choice words while looking around the boat and then walking back to the RRs. No phone. Then on a hunch, I called the number from my work phone. I could here it ringing, it was close. Found it in the lip of the tight sweatshirt I was wearing.

Woodster, I have used Find My iPhone to find my wife who was lost going to a Drs appt. Was able to guide her to the right street using that app and tracking her iPhone.

Roger, I always enjoy your postings. Thanks
 

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,039
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
The $3.00 SS eyestrap for the signal halyard while hanging in the bosun chair. The screw followed it gracefully a half second later.