testing, 1-2-3, testing

I started off the day by shopping on-line for some ear plugs to use while snorkeling. Snorkeling daily during the summer of 2008 proved problematic for my left ear which became impossible to clear by popping and constantly felt congested. Google lead me to some articles on the DAN site which lead me to Doc's Proplugs.  I will report out on the plugs effectiveness later.

Once the bugs had retreated from the rising sun, I applied a 3rd and final top coat of paint to the generator box.  The next step is to began manufacturing the lid and trim from 1/2" mahogany plywood.

Mid morning found Anne and I installing the wooden crosspiece for the new gallows. The crosspiece is in the rough cut stage and before moving forward on sanding and finishing I wished to test the shape and dimensions while sailing. 

The image above was taken motoring out Indian Key Pass.  The boom is resting solidly on the gallows.  Also of note is our new tiller extension.  Anne has suggested installing a tiller extension for years and after one short day sail with the Spinlock extension and I am wondering why we waited so long.

Due to light winds on our stern we motored out to the Gulf.  The trip out to the Gulf also afforded us the opportunity to test the engine cooling system.  The previous afternoon with the Kubuta seems to have resolved our cooling troubles.

Approximately 1NM offshore of Indian Key and in 11 feet of water, yes it is the west coast of FL, we shut off the motor an let C'est la Vie drift while we scrubbed the hull and took in a lunch.  By early afternoon a fresh east wind was building.  Perfect time to test the gallows by tacking back into shore.

The gallows worked well in all points of sail, but the clearance between the boom and the gallows while sailing close hauled was a scant 1.5 inches.  Manually forcing the aft end of the boom outboard or downward  would bring it into contact with the wooden crosspiece.  I fear that in heavy seas the boom may begin to strike the gallows.  Fortunately we can trim 1 inch off the top of the crosspiece without loosing any structural integrity.  The loss of the material will result in more shallow notches for the boom's resting positions, but I'm willing to give up some depth on the notches to gain an additional inch of clearance between the gallows and the boom.

back to the woodshop...