The Joy of Maintenance-Really!

Went up to Friday Harbor by myself to invest some time into maintenance projects aboard Aeolus. It seems no matter how often you perform the necessary tasks, or how diligently you track your maintenance needs, that there comes a time when they cluster up and require a burst of effort. This was one of those times.

Fortunately, I love all things maintenance on our boat, and as anyone who has ever read this blog will know, I find particular satisfaction in having a well-oiled machine that then allows me to safely adventure far and wide. Can't have one without the other.

View inside heat exchanger. All clear.

On this weekend I tackled a potpourri of items. Loving this machine so she will love us back:

• Adjusted the valves. Last adjusted three years ago and I forget how many hours. No valve was tight. Normal settings from .007 to .009. A few were loose to .011. Most needed no adjustment. Doing the valves is so easy aboard a Gulf 32 because access to the diesel is from the top and you have full access to all parts of the motor. 
• Changed the transmission fluid. Last changed about three years back. Slightly dark and smelly. Sucked out old. Filled over full with new. Spun prop shaft a while to stir things up, and then sucked out the new and refilled with fresh fluid. I like taking this extra step as I figure I'm already there and the extra bit of grime I get out by the flush might make her happy for a while longer.

English Camp escapade and the bright warm light

For the first time in all our travels around San Juan Island, we actually sailed from Friday Harbor around Roche Harbor and through Mosquito Pass to Garrison Bay at English Camp. It was both odd and wonderful. When we lived on San Juan I used to take our boys to English camp several times a week to walk around lovely Bell Point. It is a place utterly familiar to us from land, and yet we had never approached her from the sea. And the moods of the sea, always changing, provide a wholly different view of this lovely place.

Approaching Mosquito Pass from Roche Harbor

Leaving Friday Harbor we sailed up north toward Spieden Chanel and then motored around the rest of the way. Mosquito Pass is lovely, and if it weren't for all the homes crammed along the shore of San Juan and Henry it would be truly magical. Alas, it is still lovely in a depreciated sort of way. Anchoring in Garrison Bay was a bit tricky because there were a maze of crab floats present. Finding a spot large enough to swing at anchor without fouling  a line was rather challenging. There were two other sailboats lying at anchor when we arrived. As usual, we had no sooner dropped the hook than we jumped into the dinghy and rowed to shore.

Sucia Island, better than before

With the windlass project finally finished we were feeling anxious to go farther afield than Jones Island and Stuart, favorites though they are, and decided to give Sucia another try. We had last been there in July of 2007, soon after we had moved to San Juan Island and found it crowded, trashy and not remotely a wild experience. This time, with it being March, we hoped for a more favorable impression of a place that at least geographically speaking has much to offer.

We were not disappointed.

Elliott in a happy place

We left Friday Harbor early on Saturday and raised sail for some exciting tacks in San Juan Channel before furling up and motoring up around Orcas to Sucia. We were against a strong north wind and an ebb and so our SOG averaged in the neighborhood of 4 knots. Pretty dreadful. Beautiful though, and 4.5 hours later we arrived at Fossil Bay for the night. We had thought we would anchor since I was anxious to use my new system, but the anchoring spot in Fossil Bay is quite far from the dinghy dock and so we decided to pony up the buoy fee and stay closer.

Finished windlass project! Lofrans Tigres can now roar better.

Wow, that was pretty epic. I've never before wrestled with fiberglass as I had to do with this project and let me tell you my little Dremel tool saved the day. I had to enlarge the holes for the chain pipe rather substantially and this required work on both the deck (fairly straightforward) and the bulkhead (not at all straightforward). In the end, I won. Through endurance we prevail, like Shackleton said.

Now the windlass mount and system is better than ever. Among the list of improvements:

1. Drained and changed oil in windlass case
2. Removed windlass and cleaned out minor rot in bolt holes, expanded holes, filled with epoxy, and redrilled holes for new bolts. 
3. Replaced old small diameter schedule 40 pipe with new 3" diameter schedule 80 pipe. This will forever prevent any binding of the chain inside the pipe, as used to happen. 
4. Improved connection of power cables to windlass with proper sealing. 
5. Added a 1/4" backing plate under windlass itself, in addition to the one under the deck, so that the windlass itself is not applying torque to the deck but rather is attached firmly to a solid sandwich of plates and decking. This also provided me the opportunity to protect the entrance to the chain pipe with the opening in the plate so that the chain does not abrade on the pipe opening as used to happen. 

Here are some explanatory photos to tell the story. I'm so happy to have done this and can't wait to be out anchoring again!

The new pipe before being cut. The other hole routes the power cables

President's Day getaway: Jones and Stuart adventures

For the three day weekend we escaped to our two favorite San Juan Islands spots yet again and enjoyed some adventures. On our way up north I asked Amy what she was looking forward to and she responded "Something unexpected". It seems every time we go to these very familiar places we still have wonderfully unexpected experiences. And this time was no different.

Elliott on Stuart displaying his Moss hat!

The weather was cold and gray, and yet the two heaters aboard Aeolus kept the cabin at a steady 65 to 72. Quite comfortable really, given the ambient temperature of 38. For that matter, Aeolus is often warmer than our own house!

We went to Jones first and grabbed the buoy on the south side because there was a rare forecast for north winds. The ongoing windlass project required us to go only to places where we could grab buoys or tie to docks because the anchor is out of commission until the windlass is reinstalled. It was fine because we might have only gone to Jones and Stuart anyway with the South Pender Canadian Customs dock closed for the winter. You otherwise have to go to Sidney, which is convenient to Portland Island, but not the eastern Gulf Islands. Our next BC trip will almost certainly be to take Amy to Tumbo Island as my trip there with the boys last year was so magical and she has yet to see it.

Start of major windlass project

I've begun a major effort to improve my windlass mount and operation. This has been prompted mainly by the fact that the chain pipe that leads the chain from the windlass down to the chain locker is undersized for the 3/8 BBB I've been using on Aeolus for many years now. As a result, the chain easily kinks and binds in the pvc pipe, which requires me to bang and fight to free it. This brings the whole operation to a grinding halt, often at the most inopportune times.

The Lofrans Tigres windlass unbolted and showing the top of the chainpipe and cable hole.

A Stuart day to remember

1/15/12
...the small branches were so delicate among the thick bark trunks that rose up to that height, and on their very tippy tips were green buds with that tender fuzz that always speaks of new life. Seeing the green so much before spring, especially on a cold winter day that makes all things tremble and hide, was even more striking. And yet, this particular big leafed maple, the Mother Tree, The One, The Center of All Things, is capable of a great many things that defy easy understanding.

The One

Amy reached out and held one, excited at the beauty of the bud, and drew my attention to it. It was certainly a precious little burst of green, and a microcosm of all that was perfect and whole and exquisite about this entire day.

Piles of snugs

The morning began with a bed full of Windropes all smashed into one pile of snug. We all slept until forever, and then moving out of some deep unnecessary we stirred together for a while of piling. The boys are miserable cuddlers with all their elbows and knees and fussing and talking and poking, and yet the mere fact of their presence makes it all so wonderful.

It was up to me to start the vertical part of the day and by lighting the stove. This was prompted by it being 43 degrees again this morning on Aeolus, which for reasons probably related to the constancy of the ocean temperature seems to be the default onboard winter temperature.