Like everything on the boat that I haven't touched yet, and some things that I have, the windows are quite crusty and in need of replacement. It's a little difficult for me to call these things "ports." Same genus, different species. Chica-san and I met friends from Michigan in St. Augustine before getting over to the boat to show it off and take window measurements. They travelled with us to check it out before heading on to Orlando for a little family mousery. Ruth pointed out that the boat needs a lot of work. This is true.
Saw Kevin and caught up with him on some items. The Packless Sealing System (PSS) was off the prop shaft, and the old bronze packing nut and gland were back on. I like the idea of this arrangement better as the PSS instructions indicated that it was pretty feeble and fey when accosted by things like a little bit of time, air that isn't 100% oxygen, and liquids that aren't 100% water. With the neoprene boot that could have been torn easily, it looked just too fragile to be installed on any self-respecting rat islander's boat. I liked its high-tech idea at first, but practicality usually wins out one way or another.
A few pix of the engine installation, some items need to be moved, fixed, resolved before completion - such as the raw water strainer. Not quite sure what the plan is for the rudder post yet, but curious to watch and see it get sorted out.
On the way out of town, we stopped at Niko's for lunch. Sat one booth over from two couples with one man holding court, spewing half-baked opinions like the steaming, oily rush of air from a rusty old casino boat's engine room. Somewhere between admiring a passing Honda Trail Ridge (sic) pickup truck while claiming that it wasn't any good and explaining that someone had set (sic) Beull Clinton down (the crook) and told him to shut up cuz he h'ain't seen him awn TV lately, Mr. Knowledge claimed that, in his book (which I'm sure is dark and near his heart), Jimmy Carter was un-American. Chica-san let out a sharp laugh and the fun began...
No comments:
Post a Comment