"Single" Barry (to distinguish him from Barry and Joyce in the next boat) had loaned me a 12V electric pump for sucking the sump oil out of the engine but I took the opportunity to purchase a manual one for $16 that should do the job. The idea is to have my own so that I am able to change the oil whenever it is required.
Later in the morning I rode the bicycle to Whale Point hardware and got a refund on 5 courtesy flags that they had double ordered. I am left with the following courtesy flags: Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, U.K., South Africa. The U.K. one is for the Falkland Islands. It is unlikely that I will visit all of those countries, but I must be prepared to show courtesy and respect wherever I may go. I also picked up some badly needed funnels for the engine and transmission oil work. The 2010 Nautical Almanac that I requested has not arrived yet.
After lunch I did some minor tasks to prepare the boat for sailing. I reinstated the mainsail reefing lines and extended the chest high "Dieter" perimeter line to the inner forestay so that I've got something to hold when crossing that dangerous gap between the mast and inner forestay.
I investigated a method for setting up a downhaul for the staysail that I said that I would not use again. It would be easy: snatch block on the turnbuckle at the base of the inner forestay, line from the peak of the sail around that block and fed through the section of the line organizer and rope clutch currently occupied by the spinnaker downhaul, which I will definitely not use when sailing alone. I had noticed that the staysail dropped very easily with its piston hanks on the wire. I figure that in a heavy wind I could drop the staysail from the cockpit and hold it down on the deck with the downhaul and sheets made fast. This may be worth doing because the staysail is very good in 30-35 kt winds and is superb for heaving to. I'm thinking of sailing the critical part of the Horn with the storm trysail and staysail permanently set up, rolling the headsail out for moderate winds.
The weather is definitely getting "winterish". Jim returned after only one week away and noticed the difference. Last night I dug out another blanket for my bed in the V berth at the forecastle. The city is expecting serious rain on Monday and there are preparations for flooding.
Tonight Jim and I will visit Single Barry's boat to watch "Double Jeopardy".
Tomorrow morning I'll have a go at changing the oil on the diesel if it isn't raining too hard.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
1 comment:
Very complicated this oil change!! Good luck Robert!
Post a Comment