Molds for 26D Dagger Board and Laz Hatch.

[chapster5]

Marty
Thanks for the "plug" for the Big Apple !!! The place is under new ownership and they are doing a good job getting the place in shape from what I hear.

One thing about that Big Apple it is an excellent landmark when you are telling people where you are from

thanks, Chapster5

 

[Doc_holiday]

Looks more like a big radish

 

[Chris & Lenore]

We stopped in there on our way to sail Bay of Quinte a few years ago. Bought an apple pie that must have weighed 5 pounds. Ate apple pie for about 4 days - it was one of the best we ever tasted. Definitely a good landmark.

 

[chapster5]

Sometimes also called the "Big Tomato"

havin fun, Chapster5 ...guess this is what happens when you have these fella's drop in

 

[finding41]

I did a little work on the SS hinge I picked up. It didn't have pre-drilled hoes so I drilled 1/8" holes and tapered them with a 1/4" drill bit after. I got my drill press form the shop and used it. It makes a huge difference if you are drilling a # of holes all at once. It goes a bit quicker too because you can power through the metal.
Here are some photos.
I hope everyone had a good Canada day! I had a buddy and his kids over for a BBQ. His dad and step mom live in Colborne. They just moved there a few years ago. He is a artist and she is an author. There last name is Urquhart.
Chapster5, I will be going by your place again on my way to PEI in a few weeks. I my pop in and say hi. What do you take in your coffee?

 

[finding41]

I took out the fuze panels.... I'm aghast at what I found!
Moron Electrical was contracted to do the work on this boat....
I've got some fixing and buying to do...
The hard wires that are exposed (I thought they may be fusible links... Not so much anymore.) were exposed!
There is just too much wrong here!

I vacuumed the water out of the boat that had accumulated and my big ShopVack started to die on me... Sad... (It's too heavy with the pop top down when it's full of water anyway.) So I finished with the medium ShopVac. I have 3...
After the electrical issues gave me a head ache I decided that I needed to work on something different. So I took apart the vacuum.
It had one bad bar on the commutator and because it doesn't owe me anything I decided to sand the commutator and brushes down a bit to clean them up. (Don't use emery cloth for this! The grit is conductive!)
So I sanded everything and cleaned between the communicator bars with a dental tool then went at it with compressed air. (I rounded the edges a bit on the brushes just so they would go over the bad bar easier.) {That isn't the proper way to fix it... But it works.}[Even with car starters...]
Put it all back together and gave it a whirl.
It worked! It also sounded different... So I switched it on and off a few times and it went clunk! Hmm. It kept running fine...
But what goes clunk in an electrical motor....?
One of the commutator bars coming off does!
I took it apart again. Found the bar and a short piece of winding wire kicking around inside the housing. So I looked to see ware the wire had come from and it was a nice clean break ware it won't touch anything else.
So I put it back together.
It works better now than it did before I started using it today! I think the one bad bar (The one that removed it's self.) was shorting out the others on each side of it. Not any more!
So I now consider that the big ShopVac fixed.

To fix that properly on would re-solder the bar and the wire back in.
I don't care much about the vacuum. I found it on the side of the road 5 years ago. Someone was throwing it out because they couldn't figure out how to change the filter...? In 20+ years of contracting I have never bought a vacuum... I just pick them up from the side of the road... I have never picked up a vacuum that didn't work...
I did buy our home vacuum. His name is Dale. Jasmine named him. He is a robot. Roomba. And the Best vacuum I have ever owned! (We have 3. Dale, CoCo and Bender. Coco is at my other house and Bender lives in the shop.)

 

[chapster5]

Marty
Sounds good, just cream in my coffee Just give me a heads up timing wise and hopefully we can meet up again.

later, Chapster5

 

[finding41]

I had a nice sanding time in the cabin today. What a mess! I have some gel-coat cracks inside the cabin I want to touch up and went at then with the grinder and random orbital sander today. They both make allot of toxic dust! (I wear a respirator when I make dust. You should too.)
So when I finished I got the hose out and hosed down the inside. Then I vacuumed the water out. I dump the vacuum into the cockpit from inside the cabin. It drains well!
Here is a picture of me after I had wiped the dust off... (Note: No shine on my head... And the dust on my phone!) It's a good thing I have the house to myself. I'm sure Heidi would have wanted me to hose myself off (With the hose.) before I came in the house!
After I showered I went to my favorite Princess store. I picked up wire and wire connectors. I love that store.
I let Dale look after cleaning up while I was gone.

 

[finding41]

I've got a tone of stuff on the go right now with my rental house. Painting etc. And an opportunity to move some things form the garage here to the shed at the rental. So I took the 30" snow blower out of the garage today after work. It was taking up allot of room! It's big! I'll take it to the rental tomorrow.

I got to looking at the rudder castle. I have two. One from each boat.
I have used both and I like the one that has the block of wood in it. It stiffens it up allot. I don't like the cheap looking piece of wood so I 'm thinking of changing it to a aluminum plate that is riveted on instead.

Has anyone done this? Will just a aluminum plate stop the flexing or does it need to be something that is solid like the wood chunk in the pictures? Should it maybe be bolted on?

I found out I need to replace the shingles on my garage today... My brickettes are now spoungettes... Should make lighting them a little more difficult. I wasn't planning on smoking a pork butt this week though. So they may dry out.

 

[Chris & Lenore]

I've got a tone of stuff on the go right now with my rental house. Painting etc. And an opportunity to move some things form the garage here to the shed at the rental. So I took the 30" snow blower out of the garage today after work. It was taking up allot of room! It's big! I'll take it to the rental tomorrow. I got to looking at the rudder castle. I have two. One from each boat. I have used both and I like the one that has the block of wood in it. It stiffens it up allot. I don't like the cheap looking piece of wood so I 'm thinking of changing it to a aluminum plate that is riveted on instead. Has anyone done this? Will just a aluminum plate stop the flexing or does it need to be something that is solid like the wood chunk in the pictures? Should it maybe be bolted on? I found out I need to replace the shingles on my garage today... My brickettes are now spoungettes... Should make lighting them a little more difficult. I wasn't planning on smoking a pork butt this week though. So they may dry out.

A stiffening plate on the 26D rudder castle is a common mod that greatly improves steering. Definitely worth the effort.

Are you going to be around Little Current anytime this month? We will be there the 19/20 launching with the Trailer Sailors and ( I think) the next two weekends as well).

I could bring those extra sails with me.

Chris

 

[finding41]

Chris I wish I was going to be up there by then. My original plan was to be up there early last month... There seems to be more things to fix the more I look. Latest being the electrical rats nest. Perseverance will prevail though.
I would bring the Siren but I'm leaving for PEI on them 18th for a week.
I'll have to hook up with you after you are back.

I will get aluminum pieces for the rudder castles and for under the genoa cleats on the Siren while I'm at it. (There just pop riveted to the fiberglass.... And they wiggle!) Maybe I just sail too hard... But there are hiking straps for a reason... Right...?

I got out the new interior lights and started installing the LED lights I have. The original bulb for these lights is a 1156. (Same as the original Mac equipment.)
I'm going to try two types of LED's. One in the form of a LED 1156 bulb. (Automotive.) and the other in the form of a flat 12 LED board. The board comes with different plug options. They don't fit the 1156 base though so I am soldering them in so if the LED quits a regular 1156 can still be used in it's base as a backup.
The anchor light is now LED as well.
Here are some pictures. You will notice I have used liquid electrical tape. (Same as black Plasti Dip) If you haven't heard of Plasti Dip... You have to see this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlunZdmyc10
Yes it is rubber they are spraying on there cars!

 

[finding41]

I installed the anchor light on top of my mast cap tonight. I still have to run new wires down the mast for it and the steaming light.

 

[finding41]

It's been a weekend of cleaning, repairing walls and painting at my rental property. I'm still not done... I have to have the unit ready for Wed. I'll wrap it up tomorrow.
I think my standards are too high. I kind of want people to leave things how they found them and maybe have some respect for others property.
My last tenant left quite a mess and a whole lot of damage. I'm rethinking... Maybe students aren't so bad... Mom and dad co-sign and pay for the damages without a collection agency to deal with...
C'est la vie.
I did get another light wired up ready for installation yesterday evening.

That will be about it for working on the boat for the next 2 weeks.
I'm heading to PEI on Friday night for a week and I'm driving. So I have to do some regular maintenance to the car. Oil change and a good check over of everything.
It's a nice car to travel with. Its a 03 SAAB 9-5 Aero. A hoot to drive on the highway.
My vacation will give me time to revamp my webpage and get some of the other info I have incorporated into it. (Make it look professional...) What I have now I built in 3 hours on New Years Eve. Not bad for my first website! Considering just 6 or 7 years ago I didn't even have a email address. (Back in the Luddite days.)
Pictures are of wall patches with one coat of 20. Half of them anyway...

 

[finding41]

Well I'm back form vacation and I have a new plan. With little charter time left in the season I'm going to call this year a wash for chartering and continue working on the boats. (It won't make the break even point even if the rest of the season was booked. That's just liability insurance costs.) So now I can have a more leisurely repair pace. Well it won't be as stress inducing when I get home form work to find my boat on the street and a work crew using my driveway until 7 pm. The pool next door is almost done! It's into the 11th month now!
I can recall the good old days of last fall when I was rebuilding the motor in my SAAB. Same deal... The car would be in the neighbors driveway after work... I did get it done though! link: http://saabworld.net/f9/rebuild-my-2-3t-b235l-29151/ Perseverance pays off. (I'm about to "tune it" to 285 hp! It's a station wagon!)
I've started another thread about the new charter plan of action here; http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=164690
I will update this thread as repairs continue.
I'm always looking for new ideas and tips so if you have any advice or such feel free to PM me!
Thanks for all the support!