Land N Sea Windows - Part I

All the windows on my '72 leak. It's not my intention to bring Big Duck back to her original state, but rather to make her comfortable and reliable. As she sits on her trailer today, she is quite acceptable despite the the intruding water...it's a mere inconvenience for the delight she provides on the water and on the road (on the trailer) in WalMart parking lots and Rest Areas on her way to distant lakes and rivers.

But, given that I'm retired, having time on my hands and having been accused of always looking for a better way, I'm destined to see if the leaky windows can be corrected. I pulled a small window in the galley today, to see how it's installed, sealed and what parts I'd need to make it better.

What I've learned so far, is that Big Duck's windows are secured by a simple clamping ring inside, and that in removing that ring some of the stainless screws are bound to break off at the head.

That the window is installed in a 2" wall, a sandwich of 1/4" of glass (outside), foam, and 3/8" of glass (inside). What a great way to incorporate positive floatation in a sound, light structure. 

Also, that the windows - at least the one I removed, is sealed by glazing putty - the kind you'd use on your house windows.

As of yet, I haven't decided what the best sealing approach will be, but I do know that:
a) the glazing putty is having trouble keeping the water out
b) the material that keeps the sliding pane in place is totally deteriorated
c) removing the glass from the frame can be complicated

More to come as I further indulge.

After Memorial Updates

We don't have the setee table up unless we're going to use it. The wood part of the table is stored on the upper bunk bed.

The cushion is stored above the aft dinette backrest...a snap holding it in place even on the road.

The table post is stored in the head.

We discovered that while on the road, the boat often took on the aroma of the holding tank. This is presumably because the only barrier between the odor in the tank and the inside of the boat is the water in the drain traps. On the road with the grades, pavement irregularities and who knows what wind/pressure/vacuum dynamics at 55 mph, the trap water isn't enough. I tried the 1 3/4" commercial plugs and they fit nicely, but after a spell they work themselves up to a very casual, non-hermetic fit. 'Got some PVC pipe caps and turned a valley in them for an O-ring, then drilled a hole for a 1/4" bolt and put a hole in the head for a pull ring. They make a nice air tight plug...made one for each of the drains.

Put a post at the transom stairs. Suzy asked what it was for. I told her she'd know when she needed it. It's a natural place for a handhold and unlike a handle you don't have to worry about letting go or getting your fingers caught if you don't. I used a piece of clear plastic for the post, from a $1 drain plunger.

One more thing for now. There are indicator lights on the panel that indicate levels in the fresh water and holding tanks, but until Big Duck and I get to know each other better I'm not going to rely in them. Water tank level isn't critical as we'll be boating on fresh water and use the tank only for dishes and bathing...we float in enough fresh water to easily take care of those needs. For holding tank level, it's a no brainer. The head is a gravity feed directly into the holding tank. Open the head and put down a dip stick to check the level - or just shine a light in there and have a look?. The Poop (dip) Stick has a home in the shower.

And one last thing - I took off the nylon 3 strand that holds the transom steps in the proper position when down, and replaced it with vinyl covered stainless cable. This provides a much more positive stop and stows better although it is a little harder on the hands when pulling the steps up from the boarding position while in the water.

OK a couple more things to wrap it up.
Found some soft wood under this Dorade vent on the front deck. I bumped it with my foot while docking and it shattered so I thought I'd take it off and see about a replacement.

 

The glass is 1/2" thick so I'm not considering any repairs, especially since the wood is sound under the stanchions and cleat.

As far as I can tell, this Dorade ventilates the (forward) bilge - or maybe it is only for inside access to the forward port vent. I have to assume this vent is for the holding tank as the fuel and water tank vents have been verified. 

Memorial Day On The Water

We weren't going to splash because of all the holiday traffic that will be on the lake, but Big Duck was dying to test out all her upgrades, so we took her to the ramp.

Getting Big Duck off the trailer was easier than ever. Piece of cake actually. We checked out the cove where fellow boaters were to gather/raft, then headed to our own preferred anchorage.

As we approached, the only other boat there was just leaving. We waited until he was gone and settled into our favorite place...walking distance to shore in pebbles. The pebbles do not come aboard when we do, so it's a nice clean place to swim. Our dog Merlin, couldn't wait to swim ashore to go potty, then re-boarded on his own - GOOD BOY!

I was sucking on a Heineken when the jetskies showed up. I couldn't buy a jetski cause you need to have an IQ less than 50, but I can dream can't I. They blasted through the anchorage, revving, swerving and jumping at open throttle. It's a big open lake, but you don't want to waste stupid where there's no one nearby to appreciate it. I just went below into the air conditioning to finish my beer.

This is my boating bliss. Hook out in a cove, have a brew, take a nap in the gentle motion of the lake. Too hot, or too many bugs? Close her up and turn on the a/c.

It's dark now and all the water maggots have gone home. It's just us in the cool night on the aft deck, bobbing gently along with the evening ripples in the company of my wife and dog.

I'm in heaven.

Keeping It Simple

If you want to really keep it simple:

Weatherbug on Android phone for weather alerts and to see weather radar.

NutiCharts on Android phone or tablet for NOAA charts and Active Captain.

Navionics on Android phone or tablet for places without NOAA charts and for tides and current.

My tablet, an EVO View, is my chartplotter. It has the Nuti and Navionics maps resident so it works even without a data connection.

Not sure why you'd need a paper chart anymore - or a compass either for that matter.

If you have a 'spare' sounder, put it to use. I have my second sounders 'ducer mounted at the bow. The aft sounder is set to alarm at 10 to 25 feet depending on speed and waters. The forward sounder is set to alarm at 3 feet. The deep one signals a warning and to slow down. The shallow one signals danger and reads 20' in front of my transom, alerting me before I'm dragging my outdrive. Having two sounders saves the need to reset the alarm going from deep to shallow water.

Easy way to mount the 'ducer up forward.
Shoot thru the hull 'ducer mount

I have a fixed and handheld VHF, but I seldom have them on unless I'm cruising with a buddy an need to keep in touch. I suppose it would be handy for locks and bridges, but I'd rather push the button or wait. If I use the VHF for weather, I can listen to the whole forecast 2 or 3 times and not remember a thing so we don't use it for that either.

It's pretty obvious that I'm a little more casual than most cruisers are, but after living aboard 3 years (over 1,000 nights at anchor) and having sailed to the Caribbean and done almost all of the Little Loop including 80 locks on the Erie Canal and several cruises up and down the entire AICW in sailboats trawlers and outboards, it works for me. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Harkers Islanders

When we lived aboard we got to know some Harkers Island boatbuilders. There were some very memorable characters that I was fortunate enough to work with and become friends with.

We were hauled on a railway at Harkers Island by some 'native' friends with a yard there. When we tied up, the current pushed us away away from the dock. As I was tugging a line to get us closer so my wife could get off onto the dock, a yard hand came to our rescue, exclaiming to my wife as he approached, "Go ahead, you can make it in 2 jumps."

When they got a look at the underwater hull of my full keel sailboat, one of the men told the railway operator..."Better pull her all the way up. A barnacle will jump 4 feet out of the water to attach hisself to a fiberglass boat."

And at the yard where they were building a shrimper, I asked if I could see the plans they were working from. I was directed to a 2 foot piece of 2x10 with a boat sketched on it in pencil. I asked how they calculated where the waterline would be. James said, "With the Detroit we're puttin in her, it'll be here." pointing to a place on the sketched drawing, "We might have to mover it up or down for a different motor."

I was helping Gillikin repair a damaged taffrail on a sailboat that I was crewing...he'd done a beautiful precision scarf, all that was left to do was make a 1" teak plug to cover a stainless nut on a post. I followed James back to the shop, thinking I'd get to see him turn the plug on a lathe. He grabbed a hunk of teak and examined the grain. "Let's go, this'll work." Back at the sailboat he took out his pocket knife and carved a plug by hand that was perfect.

But my favorite memory is watching them plank a trawler hull. As I approached, I asked the worker if he'd mind having a spectator. He was amiable, suggesting that the secret was to not leave a muletrack...the indentation a hammer head makes when the fastener isn't hit squarely as it's pounded flush, and he said, "You want to drive it in with one blow."

He then proceeded to place a silicon bronze screw at the end of the plank and with a single blow, put it flush to the plank without leaving a mark. I then asked him why he hammered the screw in. He commented that it arranges the wood fibers in a downward fashion that keeps the screw tight. So I asked, "Why do you suppose they put that slot in the head of the screw? He said, "Oh, that's only for gettin' 'em out."

Those Harkers Island boat builders were nothing short of wood magicians and a friendly lot for anyone interested in the water.

There's a lot of misinformation on the Intenet, but believe me, I'm not smart enough to be making this stuff up.

Raycor Clear Bowl - Double Standard?

When I purchased my 40 year old I/O houseboat, it had leaky fuel tanks. In order to get on the water right away, I left the empty leaking tanks in the bilge and installed a temporary tank in the engine room. The new temporary tank was made of plastic, and certified by the Coast Guard. The surveyor who looked over my boat for insurance purposes also blessed the plastic tank.

I finally got around to removing the leaking tanks and installing a new custom made aluminum tank which was just about the same capacity as the two leakers put together. Thinking that I'd like to keep an eye on fuel quality while breaking in the new tank, I ordered a clear bowl Racor Gasoline Spin On Fuel Filter/Water Separator - so I could see if any welding stuff was coming out of the tank.

The instructions say you have to use a metal bowl with an inboard motor. Does this make a lot of sense?

Forty gallon plastic fuel tank is perfectly OK, but a 1/2 pint plastic bowl on the fuel filter is a NO-NO!

A Chili Chuckle

My wife made a dynamite chili tonite. She uses ground turkey because it's healthier and we always have a salad. I slathered both helpings of the bean laden chili covered pasta with sour cream and put enough grated Parmesan on to make a crust. I could hardly move when I finished.

Suzy asked me if I'd like a bran muffin for desert. She commented that the label on the package said "Zero Trans Fat", but almost choked when she realized that there was some other kind of fat listed in the ingredients. She would have to 'Google' to find out if this other fat was healthy or not.

I'm pushing 70. I don't have to save for retirement or my kids education. I don't need to have my teeth last for 50 years. The shingles on my house are going to outlast me. I don't need to have a long range plan. Life is absolutely great and the last thing I'm worried about is whether that bran muffin is good for me. What I'm worried about is taste, and is there another cold beer?

Life is so much simpler when you get old.