It was amazingly difficult to find these 4″ rubber disks. They’re simple and their purpose is to seal the bronze end caps of the engine heat exchanger to the long tube part of the exchanger. Each time we clean out the heat exchanger, we’re supposed to replace the gaskets. Yet, we couldn’t find new ones so we kept re-using the old ones (on the right). In prep for our upcoming Sacramento Delta cruising, we just serviced the engine’s fresh and sea water systems. Clean as a whistle they are now! When I approached the local chandler, I even showed them the ones available online through Fisheries Supply but the local chandler had never heard of such a thing. Their engine repair guys didn’t know what these were either. Huh??? how could that be??? So, forgetting about buying “local” I bought these 4″ ones via Fisheries Supply and made sure to buy an extra pair plus an extra bronze end cap for our spare parts bag.
The Spot By The Bay Bridge
Twas the spot by the Bay bridge, where the still airs sit,
Not a boat was sailing, not even one bit.
Our sails were set on the spars with care,
In hopes that big winds soon would be there.
Crew sat in the cold, “please sunshine” they said,
While visions of trade winds danced in their heads.
And Skipper drinking coffee, while I scooted inside,
We settled into drifting, along with the tide.
When out on the water there arose such a vision,
A trio of America’s Cup boats might drift to collision.
Jumping on the rail, I watched and waited,
With the camera I wondered, how could they be baited.
The sun peeking through the clouds and mist,
Gave the hope of warm winds to the sailboats adrift.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But now the Oracle boat was coming quite near!
With an agile crew, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment, my shutter must click.
More rapid than eagles on the winches they ground,
Turning on a dime, for me they were bound!
And then, in a twinkling, I heard in the air,
The clacking and banging of their efforts right here.
As I put down the camera, and was turning to stare,
Close by they glided like the water was air.
I realized right then the sight THEY looked on,
Our lovely old schooner, with gaff sail bent on,
Her varnished combings gleaming, and bronze we don’t lack,
Her long bowsprit way forward, and her boomkin out back.
Us dressed in old woolies, our own style was clear,
They clad in helmet headsets, and the most modern gear,
Our schooner built for oceans: the seas and the gales,
Theirs for skimming Bay waters: with a wing not sails.
As we spoke not a word, but smiled as we passed,
The winds picked up, finally at last,
With this fine AC team, we parted ways,
Thinking fair winds to all who sail San Francisco Bay.
The Oracle Team
The Skipper Drinking Coffee
Burning Daylight
It’s time to fly away to new things and new places. The ever-more-complicated-windlass-motor-issue kept us captive here for too many weeks in one marina. I just can’t take it anymore! The motor still isn’t working but we just HAVE to move on. I’ve been teasing the harbor crew that this marina is the “Hotel California” and we need to break away! Fingers crossed that the windlass motor will be ready by Monday for us. Even if it is not, we plan on leaving here Tuesday or Wednesday–we’ve just GOT to MOVE! We won’t be able to switch anchorages at will, but we can plop the hook in Aquatic Park and spend some time in downtown San Francisco whilst we wait for the motor to be done. The latest in a long series of the fixes involves a local electric shop sending our ancient windlass motor (the original failure) to Arizona to have the armature done and to also have the impossible-to-replace commutator custom made by a gentleman there who knows his stuff. Fingers crossed that it works! The two replacement motors will be going back to the manufacturer and we will hope to get one back that we can use as a “spare.”
Happy tweets and whistles from David, Beryl, and I as we’re almost…almost…almost back out there enjoying the anchorages. I have a laundry list of places to visit in the next 3 months–all over the Delta and along the Pacific near San Francisco.
