2022 Launching of the WillieC

[WillieC]

I got the heading sensor calibrated! The link DA provided was the key. Now lots of full on clear blue sky practice so I can see what's what. Picked up a moored sail boat and a weather buoy just to see what they look like. We'll have to pay attention but the nice thing about running in fog now that we have radar, we won't have sound the horn every two minutes, just like everybody else! NOT!


The new alternator and regulator are doing exactly what I programmed it to do. Now to keep an eye on the batts to see if I did it correctly.

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[DesertAlbin736]

Awesome! Glad I could be of some help. I knew next to nothing about this issue. It was all thanks to the Google Machine. Helped me learn something new too. Just because you now have a functioning radar doesn't mean you can dispense with fog horn signals. There's still the danger some yahoo running blind in the fog could run into your boat while it's on your mooring when you're not aboard. Do you have AIS receiver linked to your chartplotter? That way you can "see" a target boat on radar & if they have AIS transponder can know who they are + their course & speed.

The wood lining on the hard top overhead looks very classy. Fun fact, in true nautical speak "ceiling" refers to trim on the interior sides of the cabin. What's above your head is the "overhead". Just like walls are bulkheads.
I just wish we could be up there cruising & hanging out with you guys & the BC folks. Maybe next year!

[tribologist]

It’s good to see how you did this. I’ve got about 90% of the bottom paint off “Slow Motion” in preparation of a barrier coat and new bottom paint. We do have boat stands, and removing the bunks and leaving the trailer is a great idea. Thank you! The problem here is that our season is so short, and we need to get the boat in the

I'm not sure it make sense to spend the hassle on putting on a barrier coat. I never seen a single post either here or in Sweden with osmosis damage on a Albin 25. They used a good ISO resin and if they have not had damage by now... Short season further reduces the risk. so does cold water as far as I understand. Driftless was sanded to the gelcoat and there were absolutely nothing in terms of blisters. a few spider cracks from impacts was all I found.

[DesertAlbin736]

Driftless was sanded to the gelcoat and there were absolutely nothing in terms of blisters. a few spider cracks from impacts was all I found.

Ditto La Dolce Vita for a 2016 bottom job & we are just one hull number off from Driftless. In our case we were able to pull the trailer out from under the boat due to the fact that the bunks are fully adjustable & we had access to a gantry crane with chain fall hoist for the front and and a forklift for the back end, and as seen in the photo six stands plus 3 small jack stands & 2 bottle jacks to support the keel. Since then I've be able to fabricate a rig to clamp two sections of 4X4 square wood posts to clamp on to the trailer frame rails to support one side & lower that side's bunk with the boat still on the trailer. I don't have access to this indoor shop anymore.

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[Burton]

It’s good to see how you did this. I’ve got about 90% of the bottom paint off “Slow Motion” in preparation of a barrier coat and new bottom paint. We do have boat stands, and removing the bunks and leaving the trailer is a great idea. Thank you! The problem here is that our season is so short, and we need to get the boat in the

I'm not sure it make sense to spend the hassle on putting on a barrier coat. I never seen a single post either here or in Sweden with osmosis damage on a Albin 25. They used a good ISO resin and if they have not had damage by now... Short season further reduces the risk. so does cold water as far as I understand. Driftless was sanded to the gelcoat and there were absolutely nothing in terms of blisters. a few spider cracks from impacts was all I found.

Tribologist and Desert Albin—
Okay! I’m glad to hear this. I actually sanded off nearly everything last year and haven’t found a single blister. One of my boating friends was berating me for not doing a barrier coat on it. He kept insisting it was a must. Anyway, I didn’t get the barrier coat on and went last year without any bottom paint. That’s not a huge deal here as we are in a river harbor that swaps freshwater and salt water. All we get is a bit of slime.

Right now I’m putting in a new exhaust system, and my has that been a job.

Burt
Slow Motion

[tribologist]

What muffler are u installing? I just slapped in a $130 centek checkvalve and called it a day. She is no louder than before. What I learned from driving behind is that i will start it and blow out the exhaust after she is out of water. There is a lot of water in it and im worried that braking downhill can push some into engine. What causes the change to be hard?? Are you “ improving” a design that worked for hundreds of thousands of hours? Lol!

[WillieC]

One of our members did experience "braking downhill" stuck in an approach to a lock. I do, however, appreciate your sense of improving on a design that worked for thousands of hours. I have a simple Centek muffler (that I installed backwards, apparently, last year) and a vetus through-hull with an incredibly flimsy flapper valve that I thought wouldn't last the first trip. It's been there 4 or 5 years now. Still flapping! Previously, there was no flapper fitting and the same muffler. Evidently a PO swapped out the rubber balloon style muffler that was originally supplied.

The angle of the dangle and the location of the holes in the hull for exhaust hose made me have to lay the Centek on its side, thus the drain screw left the muffler mostly full of water, which I forgot to drain anyway last winter. I just drilled another hole on the bottom end of the muffler (after turning it around correctly.)

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[tribologist]

Lol,, like the image.. I wonder why the website is so confused over the image direction? One thing I learned a few weekends ago is that if one pull reasonably fast out of the water, the exhaust has a significant amount of water left in it. going down a hill or hitting brakes hard could easily make some go up to the manifold. From now on I will start and run the engine briefly to clear the exhaust when pulling out of the water.

[tribologist]

I use to have a Point-1AP NMEA 200 compass (Lowrance) I got so sick and tired of that stupid thing never staying true and the Admiral was unhappy with the circle dances on the rivers trying to calibrate it . The boat icon was crabbing all the time and the AP was not working very well so I finally broke down and bought a Simrad HS60 GPS compass. That thing is beyond amazing. Besides giving heading within +- 3 deg it has a satellite based differential GPS so it is accurate well within the perimeter of the boat. If I leave it on overnight plotting the track it makes a blob with about 5 -8 ft diameter on the plotter. If I lost it somehow I would order one with overnight deliver in the next 15 minutes. When we go in the canals, I autoroute from the center to the center of the lock chambers. Rarely do I need to touch the steering wheel between the locks.

[DesertAlbin736]

Heard from WillieC on Wednesday. He and Starfleet Commander were spending the night at the government dock in Egmont on BC Sunshine Coast getting ready to head up Agamemnon Channel/Prince of Wales Reach/Malibu Rapids/Princess Louisa Inlet to Chatterbox Falls on Thursday morning, timing their arrival at Malibu Rapids at slack tide. There's no cell signal that far up, so I assume they're enjoying themselves.

[Thumper74]

Ahhhh. The infamous WILLIEC….. well well well…. Nice to meet you. Now back to scrolling topics for golden nuggets of knowledge

[WillieC]

Ok, now that we’ve formally met… I gotta know what lkymnky means.

Leaky monkey
Lucky minky (shades of Blackadder and Chief Inspector Clousseau)
An acronym (give me enough spare time, I’ll come up with one)

Just don’t use it for a boat name. We have seen and heard and imagined hailing so many indecipherable boat names over the years. We almost missed docking at Langley last week because they had us under the name LilyC.

Get home soon and get cracking on that Sabb! Where do you buy cigarettes for her? I suppose she imbibes a little as well. Next I’m going to find out I have 26 extra HP I don’t really need!! Don’t get me started on the hand crank. Literally. Even the 36 horse Volvo Pentas were often fitted with a factory hand crank and compression release. Thankfully not mine.

So the spare is in a box on the floor? Bolt that sucker down and get it started before you install it. That will be HIGHLY informative. Pictures required.

Cheers! Here’s hoping we do meet up one day!

[WillieC]

After a brief midseason drydocking on the trailer in the yard, the mighty WillieC was relaunched last night about 30 minutes after high tide.

Gelcoat repairs done, hull waxed. Details to follow if we ever get the settlement.
Minor mods to the table mounted to the back of the helm seat will make for easier engine checks.
Wiring to port nav light corrected. This old electrician really should hang up his belt. Too many rookie mistakes to admit here at AOG.
New faucet spigots at galley sink. I got tired of the old leakers soaking my pristine 1973 formica blue countertop and cabinet bottom. Replaced with identical only white trim.

I really need to fix this trailer. The bunks curve up to cradle das Boot and therefore hang on to the hull if the ramp is not steep enough. I need a simple way to raise the ball about two feet when launching and retrieving. Winter project.

We will be doing a South Sound foray soon. Can't wait. We love being on the WillieC.

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[RobS]

Good stuff Willie. Funny timing on your pics ....... We were out for a sunset cruise last night and when I took this pic I thought how it looked like the sun was setting behind mountains, not clouds.

[Thumper74]

Ok, now that we’ve formally met… I gotta know what lkymnky means.

Leaky monkey
Lucky minky (shades of Blackadder and Chief Inspector Clousseau)
An acronym (give me enough spare time, I’ll come up with one)

Lucky mUnkey77. 77 is birth year. Lucky munkey, is a nickname I was given by the keeper of the blankets,wallet,and the roost.

Everywhere else calls me knucklehead.