Day 547 The installation continues.

The installation of the SSB (single sideband radio) continued with me being down inside the bilges and storage compartments in Zephyrs stern.  Everything had to come out so I could run the wires in a relatively direct manner as far as I could get them.  We also had to install the copper "tape" that acts as a ground and enhances the signal the radio puts out.  As I said before, I have no idea how it works, I just know(because I read it in a book so it must be true;-))that I have to put down as much of the stuff as possible and hook the end of the "tape"to the side of the antenna tuner.  The other end of the "tape" was attached to the grounding connection that attaches to the propeller shaft as the main ground for the boat.  I guess we will find out if we did it right once we get to turn on the radio.  The more copper you have, the farther the signal will reach(it's that book stuff again).  Dragging all that stuff out really trashed the inside of the boat so we had to get as much done in the stern compartment so we could get it put away before the end of the day.  Poor Zephyr looked like a bomb had gone off.   We found lots of stuff and reorganized much of what we found.  Many items headed for the trash.  

Our nice down filled comforter that we had washed while in Port Townsend and stowed in one of those vacuum seal bags is now covered in light green mold.  The vacuum is still good, but the green has taken over.  It's not like we will be using it South of the border any way but we had hoped it would still be in good condition.  Oh well.  

I managed to run the wires as far as the work bench area before the Sun went down and we got most of the mess put away.  Some things that had been stowed in cardboard boxes(oil filters mainly)had to be unboxed and stowed in plastic bags.  Cardboard is never supposed to be allowed onboard a boat as it normally brings with it cockroach eggs which bring cockroaches eventually(amazing how that works).  That's how they get into your houses also.  So while the filters aren't stowed quite so nicely and orderly, they won't be a breeding ground for the bugs once we get farther South and it gets warmer.

Today, we will finish the running of the wires and make the electrical connections and, with luck, finish the job.  We should be able to listen in and talk to people all over the world by late this afternoon.  Keep your fingers crossed.

It has now been a year and a half since we moved on board Zephyr and a lot of water has passed under her keel since then.  It has been some of the toughest and some of the most enjoyable months of our lives.   The learning curve that we have had to endure has been horrendous as we were about as green as you can get as to what to expect when we moved on board.  Yes, we have been sailing since the early 80"s but the systems are much easier on a 26 foot boat than they are on a 46 foot boat.  Reading manuals took over our lives and a book with a plot was unthinkable for quite some time.  We attended classes and worked with professionals(or at least watched them) as work was done.  We tackled many of the jobs ourselves.  The stove installation and the new refrigeration system to name two of the biggest.  We've committed to a big adventure and that takes time and patience.  I will admit that there have been many times over the past 18 months that I was at my wits end and could have just as easily thrown in the towel.  There were some days while we were in Port Townsend that I just had to leave the boat or sit there crying.  Frustration of all the delays was terrible.  BUT, we are now well in tune with Zephyr and if something goes bump in the night or you hear a faint click, we know what it is.  Many boaters, when they buy a used boat(or even a new boat), spend years at a marina or in a boat yard getting themselves and their boats ready for what we have done in 18 months--with the last 6 months actively moving(and still fixing).  Heck, we are now on our fourth transmission.  We've gutted or changes out just about every system on the boat.  From the electrical to the heads(toilets) to the water system and its pumps, the refrigeration system and stove, we have ripped it out and replaced it.   Along the way, tears were shed and words were said as the frustration ebbed and flowed with the job, but we just kept on going.  "In for a penny, in for a pound".  We were committed and still are.  BUT--boy it has been a tough yet very educational 18 months.  We're no longer the green newbies we were.  We now know Zephyrs(and are still learning)systems much better than we ever have and with every passing day(and installation or replacement)we grow and learn more.  For those of you that read this blog(with all my rants and raves) and dream of doing what we have done(live the dream?) please keep in mind what I have said above.  The work that needs to be done(on old boats as well as new boats-they aren't perfect either) before you ever leave the dock, marina or boat yard can be long and can take a toll on not only yourself and your spouse(physically and mentally) it also takes a toll on relationships(and bank accounts).  If you go as a couple, be prepared for "give and take" in the relationship.  No one is right all the time, so listen to your "significant other".  It's amazing how often she(or he)has better ideas that make the jobs easier.  For you men--don't be so "macho" that you won't listen.  And for you women, have patience with your man.  He is just trying to do as best he can to get what should have been a 10 minute job(now at 10 hours)done with out killing himself or dislocating his back or rupturing his spleen.  We have learned that this is a "give and take" learning experience.  It has made us stronger as a couple.  Yes, we have fought and argued and yet here we are.  Still heading South with dreams of warmer climates(sorry Colorado) and far off shores.  If you can get past the preparation for leaving with all it entails, you can do anything.  Just be prepared, the work never stops on your boat, the scenery around you as you work on her does.  

OK, now it back to the installation.

 

Day 545 & 546 Somethings started and more road trips.

As I said in my last post, we were off to pick up the cables for our new short wave radio that we have been trying to get installed since Monday.  We keep getting interrupted by not having things we need to get the job done.  So it's back in the car and off for more errands and to pick up parts.  

I finally got the GAM antenna on the back stay(pictures once we are done).  It's nothing more than two pieces of wire that go up each side of the backstay joined at the bottom that goes to your radio antenna tuner.  At $495.00(we found ours cheaper), it isn't cheap but the inventor must make a bunch of bucks off it as it's not much more than a piece of plastic that holds the wires with a tube between them that slides over the backstay.  Most boats with an SSB(Single Sideband radio-or short wave radio)have their antennas built into their backstay with insulators keeping it separate.  One piece of the backstay bolts to your deck.  Up about 10 feet, they install an insulator with another piece of wire that leads to another insulator and another piece of wire that goes to the top of your mast.  You end up with three pieces of wire to make your backstay.  We chose to go with one solid piece of wire instead of three.  There is a lot of stress on that wire when you are out sailing.

We found the copper tape(a strip of copper that is 3" wide and 7 feet long)that another boater had given us way back at Shearwater,BC.  We don't think it is long enough to do the job of a grounding strap for the radio so we were off on the road again picking up more.  Now we have a strip that is 2" by 25 feet to use for the installation.  It attaches to the antenna tuner and then is unwound down in the bilge(stuff can be put on top of it) and laid out flat.  I plan on attaching it to the main grounding strap that goes through the propeller to get the biggest ground I can.  I don't understand how it works, I just know that it has to be installed.  Of course as I was screwing on the last piece of of the GAM antenna--a plastic clamp that goes at the bottom of the antenna, I snapped it right in half.  The company is sending me a new one.

One of the best places for marine supplies in San Diego is Downwind Marine.  We've been looking at their website for a while and found that they were having a seminar last night on diesel engines.  So after we got back from getting the copper strap, I took off for San Diego.  We've been trying to get more affordable insurance for Zephyr and the agent that it trying to get a bid asked for copies of the invoices from all the work done and since his office was on the way, I stopped off and he made copies.  I killed two birds in one trip.

The seminar started at 1930 and went till 2130.  It covered lots of topics--some I already knew and some I didn't so all in all the 2+ hour drive South was worth it.  I didn't get home till almost midnight.

Now it's time to get back to work and get the radio installed.

Sorry to hear about all the snow that is falling back home in Denver.  We were in shorts yesterday.  Finally we were warmer than the folks back home.  It's gotten really old having to wear three layers of clothes all the time while we were up North over the past 18 months.

Days 541 thru 544 Here there and everywhere!

The engine room.  I've already removed the top elbow of the exhaust system.  Now down to the messy stuff.
With most of the exhaust system out.  Almost down to the transmission.

Down to the transmission.  It's ready for removal.

The wheels in the up position.  They simply swing down and lock in the down position for when we are ready to go ashore.

The last four days have been on the run.  Unlike most towns we have stopped in, there is no real mass transit system in Los Angeles, or certainly the Wilmington area.  It is for the most part industrial except the industrial is shipping and trains.  All coming and going at all hours of the day and night.  Oh, by the way, we are located at 33 46.373N  118 14.869W to answer a question in the comments section.  We had stripped all the electronics off the deck so fast after arriving here that I didn't get a chance to record it.  Sorry.  Anyway, if we hadn't rented a car, we would have been stuck in the middle of no where with no way to get out of here.  It's almost a mile just to the marina office.  It's over at their primary marina.

As I said in my last post, George and Celeste from Nereid arrived and boy was Celeste sick.  She caught some bug while they were in Redondo Beach and she is still in bad shape even today, 5 days later.  She finally went to a doctor yesterday afternoon.  We're staying well away from her, yet I now have a sore throat and a stopped up nose so maybe she passed it along.  Time will tell.

The last four days have been spent primarily in the car.  Over to Minney's to try and sell the anchors.  The "boss" was out(on vacation) and the worker bees offered me $120 for all three.  I don't think so.  That isn't even close.  The "boss" was due back yesterday so we took another trip(45 minutes each way) and we ended up at $165 for the three.  We took some in trade for a new chart book of Mexico down to Panama.  They are copies of the "official" charts but keep in mind that much of the charting for them was done over a hundred years ago when you go to some of the remotest parts of the Sea of Cortez.  The eyes are your best chart--plus all the electronics and cruisers guides you can find.  We have three cruisers guides to help us along.

George came along with us on Saturday as he had to pick up a part at West Marine in San Pedro and wanted to look at all the used sails at Minney's.  Unfortunately, he had no success with the sails but did get the part he needed from West Marine.

Early on Saturday, the wheels I ordered from DanardMarine.com showed up.  The man that owns the company was coming down to look at a boat and brought them.  Saved us freight.  These bolt on to the stern of the dingy so as you approach the shore to beach it, you swing these wheels down into the water and once the boat gets close to shore(keep in mind that there will be waves trying to swamp the dingy as you come in)you hop out and grab the bow of the dingy and roll her through the last parts of the surf and onto dry sand.  We know several couples that have swamped their boats while attempting to get their dingys ashore.  These came highly recommended from other boaters.  Check out the website.   I started the installation on Sunday but needed to make teak pads for the brackets that hold it to the stern and that set me back a ways.  Luckily, Chuck, a "neighbor" is working on his boat and cut the teak pads I needed.  I had to epoxy two together to make them thick enough so I pulled out some clamps and got the pieces joined.  Any how, to make a long story short, I found the bolt that came with it were too short so I had to get some new ones.  Of course, the ones I pick up were too short and the hardware store closed just after I was there so I had to wait till the next morning(Monday) to get the right bolts and get the job done.  Now all we have to do is wait till Mexico when we will have a beach where we can beach her.

We're still trying to find out the measurements of the shank of a 70 pound Delta anchor from Lewmar.   I want to make sure it will fit over the bow rollers as the front of the boat.  I called Lewmar and even they couldn't tell me.  Go figure.  I can't be the only person that would need that information.  The nice folks at West Marine are having one brought to their store on Wednesday so I can measure it.  They carry them in their warehouse but not out in their stores(yeah, I don't understand how you can expect to sell one if you don't show it to clients either).

We tried to start the installation of our ICOM 802 single side band radio on Monday but ran into more glitches and had to run more errands.  We were short a few pieces of cable to get the job done.  While we were out running the errands, we stopped at a few places to get replacement alternators.  We have two on board(they don't match)that make the amps to charge the batteries as we motor.  If one should blow(as happened North of Ketchican) you need to have a replacement if at all possible.  I also wanted to lay in a replacement starter in case it should go also.  I know the ages of the alternators(one rebuilt last year and the second rebuilt in Ketchican) but have no clue as the age of the starter.  Not something you want to be with out once you leave the good old USA.  Even though I took pictures, both places we went to said to rip them out and bring them in and they could get us replacements.  I don't think so!!  Ripping out these things(let alone getting them back in) would take hours and I just need them for replacements.  I contacted American Diesel(the guys that designed and built Ford Lehman engines) and ordered the starter from them.  As for the alternators, I took some better pictures and will try again when we are near the dealer.

We ordered in a new book to get information on what to do with fish(plus what the heck they are)once we catch them.  These aren't like lake fishing, these guys(and gals) can get up there in size and we have no idea what to do once we caught them or even how to catch them.  We found a book, "The Cruisers Handbook of Fishing" by Scott and Wendy Bannerot and had it shipped in from Amazon.  It arrived yesterday.  It has pictures of what the fish look like and how to filet them with out making a mess and making fish mongers around the world cry when we are doing it.  If you are planning on setting out and have no clue as to what to do(like us), get a copy.

Yesterday, we took off for Maritime Communications in Marina del Rey to get the cables we need to install the ICOM 802.  I'd called around and they were the only place that had the cables and were willing to fabricate the connections for us.  A good professional soldering job will save a lot of headaches down the road.  We also needed a "control" cable that goes between the antenna tuner and the transceiver(the guts of the radio).  I though we had ordered one in when we ordered the radio but I guess not.  I'd ordered two 40 foot long cables(yeah, I know, the boat is only 45 feet long), one the lead cable and second the controller cable and wanted to make sure I didn't end up short during the installation.  I've done that too many times when we were rewiring Zephyr.  When we got there, they had one all ready to go but wanted to know if we had brought the end fittings that came with the radio.  They were out of them.  Nope, they were still at the boat.  Back in the car and back to Zephyr to get them.  At 45 to 50 minutes each way, it made for a long trip, plus we were getting into "rush" hour traffic.  We dropped them off(of course the tech that was to do the job had gone home already) and will have to go back and get them today.  It's like I said at the beginning, it's a good thing we rented a car.  We'll be extending the rental for probably another week at the rate we are getting things done.  George rented a car yesterday at they had errands of their own to get done as well as take Celeste to the doctors office.

One story I neglected to tell you about was about a boat(Sunny Side Up) at Catalina Island.  On our last full day there last week, the winds were to change direction and come from the North instead of the South so all the boats in Isthmus Cove were to disconnect from their moorings and reverse themselves.  Since everyone is moored(lines to both the bow and stern)you have to drop both lines and start all over again.  Now the process is sort of straight forward.  The mooring is set up with  a BIG floating ball that is hooked to a smaller floating ball with a tall stick sticking out out the top so you can grab it as you come in.  Attached to that stick is a thin line that leads to a thicker line with an "eye" spliced in to it.  That "eye" attaches to your bow cleat.  There is a second thin line(attached to the original "eye" splice) that leads to a second "eye" spliced line that you hook to your stern cleat.  Simple huh?  It's not that bad as long as the wind keeps you pointed at the main mooring buoy.  Now, you have to reverse the process.  You grab the stick and pull up on the line and hook it to your stern and then take the second line to the bow.  Not only are you working backward, but the wind is trying to blow you off course as it hadn't changed yet.  Poor Sunny Side Up, made the mistake of going between the big mooring ball and the float on a stick and sucked the line(chain and all)right up onto their prop shaft.  Jay and Terri(off Cadenza) and the two of us had gone over in our dingys to see if we could help but got their just a bit too late.  We both saw it coming but couldn't get them to stop in time.  The Tom, the skipper, got into his swimming trunks and jumped in the water(burr) to try and get it untangled.  It was wrapped tight and wasn't going anywhere.  They had to call for a diver to come out.  At $175 per hour(it was after 1700 and on overtime) it became an expensive accident.  The diver had to disconnect the main buoy and cut the line off the prop as it had fused itself(friction from the revolving prop shaft).  The diver was still working on it as the sun went down.  They ended up having to go back the next day to replace the line and reposition the buoy.  It's amazing what can go wrong and how fast it can happen.  We'd called for help from the Harbor Master when we attempted to reposition ourselves as had Jay and Terri.

Well, thats about it for now.  We're off to pick up the single sideband radio cables.

Day 539 & 540 Errands and the tranny.

We decided to rent a car for a week to run errands and get some jobs done.  We took off for Minney's, a store full of used marine stuff.  From used sails to hardware-some new and some used, they have just about everything a boater could use.  It's THE place to stop at when you come to the LA area.  We must be getting closer to being ready to go as we found very little that we needed or wanted.  We did find a new storm anchor(bigger than out regular anchor), but I pulled out our computer and got on the internet and found that their price was actually more than at West Marine.  No savings there.

Off for a quick lunch at El Pollo Loco.  They used to be in Albuquerque years ago but had closed all their stores years ago there.  It was like going back in time.  Then off to Costco for more supplies for down south.  Once done there, we headed for West Marine.  We'd printed out lots of maps to make the trip easier and we got lost a lot less than usual.

Today, the men showed up with our transmission.  Yep, that's right.  Out on Wednesday and in on Friday.  Now that's great service.  They showed up about 0930 and had it all set by just after 1100.  The bad thing is that they couldn't find anything wrong with it.  They put it on the test bench and ran it all night.  Towels were put all around it and not one drop of transmission oil dropped out of it.  They ripped it apart anyway as they had seen all the fluid under and around it in the engine room and they knew that something was wrong and replacing the seal would solve the problem.  They got called away on a "emergency" call to another mans boat they worked on several weeks ago.  While they were gone, I put all the exhaust pipes, water lines, and muffler back in.  By the time they returned, we were ready to go.  

On Wednesday, when they first showed up, they were surprised at how the cooling system was set up.  The raw water cools the engine oil and then cools the transmission oil.  That means that the water that is used to cool the transmission is already quite hot and it isn't going to cool one of the hottest things in the engine room.  They decide to reroute the hoses so that it will cool the transmission first and then the engine oil.  That is how it is now done on just about every engine.  Out came the old hoses and in went the new ones and we were done.  Now the transmission will get cooled first and the engine oil last.  This will keep the transmission nice and cool even in the warm waters of down south.

We started the engine and they did some adjusting of the gear shift lever and the water in the exhaust was checked and we were done, at least with the transmission.  Now we had to address the leaking oil line that lead to the new oil cooler I installed on Tuesday.   They checked the oil line and found that it had developed a small leak where the rubber line went into the metal adapter that screwed into the cooler.  There was no way to attach it to the cooler with out it leaking.  They took it off and are making a new one over the weekend and will be back on Monday to install it.  At that point, we will be up and running and back in business.  I'll be running the engine for a while at the dock making sure nothing leaks.  I'll be having it in gear so we've got to make sure that the dock lines are good and tight.  

Early in the afternoon, we'd gotten a call from George and Celeste that they were headed for our marina.  At $15.00 a night, it was a deal that couldn't be beat and since they had been anchored at Redondo they could now have a nice slip at a great price, plus they would be just two slips over from us.  I checked with the marina and they were thrilled that was had passed on their name to our friends and that they had a new tenant for their marina.  George and Celeste expected to be at the marina late in the afternoon. 

 

During the installation of the transmission, I was discussing with Tracy the desire to get a bigger anchor for Zephyr.  One that will keep us safe during bad storms.  Fred--one of the repairmen--piped up with the comment "I've got three big anchors at my house that you can have if you want".  Well, OK, some one offers you three big anchors and I'm not about to say no to an offer like that.  Heck, even if I can't use them, maybe I can make a swap with Minney's--three for one or at least a good discount.  We took off for Fred's house later in the afternoon and picked up all three--another CQR, a big Danforth high tensile steel, and a Danforth knockoff that was made in Korea.  A nice collection.

On the way back to Zephyr, we stopped at the local Albertson's for some groceries but we made it back just in time to help George and Celeste into their new slip.  Celeste has come down with a bug of some sort so they needed some help getting tied up.  Once they were in, we headed back to Zephyr for a nice quiet evening.

We have more projects for Saturday.  

Picture of Catalina Island after the rally and entering LA

Isthmus Harbor after the rally.  Every one has headed out.
One of the biggest trees on Catalina Island.
The road to the cove on the south side of the isthmus.
The cove on the south side of the isthmus.
Cacti along the road and covering the hills.  It's a dry island.
The dingy docks being removed and moored just off shore.  They aren't needed now that the season has ended.
Fourth of July Cove on the east side of Isthmus Cove.
Approaching the coast with LA in the hills.
The entrance to LA harbor.
The freighter passing us just after we entered the harbor.  With two tug boats along her side, she took up most of the channel.
One of the cranes along the waterway.
One of the container ships getting loaded along the docks.
As we approached the bridge.
One of the container ships along the channel.
Under the bridge.  It's a long way up there(thank God).

More to comes as the journey continues.

Day 537 & 538 What now?!?

We got up Tuesday morning planning to be underway about 0800.  As is my normal routine, I go into the engine room and check all the fluids--engine oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, and hydraulic steering fluid.  All was fine until I pulled the dip stick for the engine oil.  It was grey in color.  about the color of modeling clay instead of light brown.  Tracy's father, Wayne, had told me many years ago that that is the sure indicator of water in the oil!!!  Something had gone wrong--again!!

I called the mechanic that is going to inspect the transmission and he asked if we could tell if it was sea water or fresh water.  If it was sea water, it would normally indicate that the raw water oil cooler had developed a leak.  Marine engines cool the oil that runs through the engine by running it through a small cylinder that has sea water passing through it.  Each is kept separate by the oil running inside small copper tubes and the water runs around the outside of the tubes.  As long as the water keeps flowing, the engine stays cool.  It would seem that one of the copper tubes that the oil runs in has ruptured and allowed salt water to get into the engine.  With the engine running, it would allow some of the oil to escape into the exhaust.   Wit hit stopped, the direction of flow would reverse and water would mix with the oil.  It would explain why I saw oil from time to time in the exhaust behind Zephyr.  The mechanics are checking it and will let me know wether it is bad tomorrow.

When we first tried to fix the transmission problem, it had been suggested that one of the likely causes was a faulty transmission cooler.  It's the same as the main engine oil cooler.  While taking to Jay off Moon Dancer in Newport, he told me the average life span was about 2000 engine hours before they break.  I ordered in two--one for the transmission and one to replace the oil cooler as I had no idea how old it could be.  Lucky that I ordered two as now it appeared I would need it.

I pulled out the pumper that sucks out the old oil and started pumping.   Out it came--lots of water and then lots of grey oil, all quite slowly as the oil was cold.  Off with the filter--more grey oil and then I disconnected the water lines to the oil cooler and then the oil lines--more grey oil.  On with the new cooler and in with more oil--eight more quarts.  On with the engine and quick checks of the pressure and the exhaust to make sure we were not pumping oil out the stern.  All was well-- the pressure came up fine and no oil came out the stern exhaust.  We let the engine run for a ten to fifteen minutes and shut her down.  A pull of the dip stick showed it still grey but not quite as grey.  Out with the oil a second time and in with new--eight more quarts.  A quick start up and all appeared alright.  Pressure was normal and again, no oil slick behind Zephyr.  We stopped the engine a few minutes later and pulled the dip stick.  It appeared just about normal so off we went for Los Angeles.

We motored off until we were out in some wind and hoisted the sails and took off in the wind.  What a nice change to be actually sailing.  The winds were in the mid-teens and we were moving along in 6.5 to the 7 knot range.  Faster than being under motor and with a much smoother ride than under power.  We made it past the shipping lanes(about 15 miles) and the wind slowly died.  It dropped down to 5 to 6 knots and our speed dropped like a stone.  Down came the sails and on came the engine.  It worked fine though one of the oil lines leaked at the new oil cooler no matter what I did.  I'll be replacing it(the oil line) once we get into shore.  Even though it leaked, it wasn't bad enough to cause any problems.  We still had lots of oil.

We passed the entrance to the harbor and made our way up the inner channel.  From behind us came a big freighter bearing down on our stern.  We pulled over and allowed it to pass us by.  Over the past day, I had made numerous calls to marinas all around LA looking for a place to stay while the transmission was getting fixed.  The mechanic had found me a spot at Colonial Marina at $60.00 per night.  If this repair was going to take a bit of time, that can add up to lots of money.  The last time it got repaired, it took two weeks.   I had a list of the marinas and called and called and called.  Most turned us down flat as few marinas have space for a 46 foot boat.  I finally tried a marina that wasn't on the list as even having guest slips and they had space for us and at only $15.00 A NIGHT!!! That's the cheapest we have found so far and in LA.  It was so hard to believe,  I called back to verify the location and the price.  Yup--$15.00 a night.  They normally rent by the month but would let us have the space for as long as we wanted it for just a percentage of the normal rent.  What a find!!!.  We motored up the channel and pulled into the slip slick as a whistle.  We were in for the night--or as long as we needed it.  

Our new neighbor(Chuck) came out to welcome us in.  We asked about the marina and the neighborhood.  His reply--"Well, you are in Wilmington!  You don't go out in the night in Wilmington."  OK, now it was getting scary.  Don't go out at night?  What had we gotten our selves into?  No wonder it was only $15.00.  Apparently, Wilmington has a bad reputation and it's not safe to travel the streets after sundown.  While there had not been any problems in the marina, we spent the evening pulling in all the electronics and any thing else that might look interesting to someone passing by.  Our life raft is now sitting in the cockpit.  We settled in for the night--snug in our "castle".

Today, Chuck gave me a lift to the marina office while we waited for the mechanic to show up and take a look at the transmission.  He was to call Great Lakes Power with what he saw and they would give the go ahead.    Two mechanics showed up and the decision was quick--it had to come out.  They took off for lunch while I called Great Lakes Power and left my contact a message and then took out the exhaust system and several hoses to make the job easier when they returned to take it out.  Fred, one of the mechanics showed up about 1330 and started the job.  He was just about finished by 1530.  Fred called to get help to get the transmission out of the engine room.  Tom, the owner of the company showed up about 30 minutes later and between the three of us, out she came.  During the haul out, I got some information about what SEA Marine had billed Great Lakes Power for the removal and installation of the repaired transmission back in March.  Apparently, they hit them for 27 hours of labor!!!  I'd taken out the exhaust system in about a hour and the transmission took about four-tops even waiting for Tom!  To put it back in will be probably a bit more but not the 20 hour difference it will be between the two jobs.  It's like I have said before, they are nothing but a bunch of crooks!  When SEA Marine took ours out and put it back in in March, they were on the boat maybe a total of eight to ten hours.  No where near the 27 they hit Great Lakes Power for.  Fred and Tom loaded it up and off it went to the shop.  They are going to run it tonight and repair it tomorrow and put it back in on Friday!!

We've reserved an Enterprise car for tomorrow and will be off running errands all over LA.  Another mini economics stimulus package. 

Day 536 Photos of Catalina Island

Here are some pictures of Isthmus Cove on the north side of side of Catalina Island.  We'll be staying here for one last day and taking off for Los Angeles tomorrow to get the transmission inspected and worked on.  I've gone through two quarts of fluid in the last month.  Adding it to the reservoir and having it leak out onto the pads under it.  Not a good thing.

The shoreline as we approached Marina del Rey.  Apartments as far as the eye can see.
Blue in her normal position.  Sitting on her throne with her leg out to stabilize herself as we roll from side to side as we motored to Catalina Island.
Isthmus Cove on the North side of Catalina Island.  This is the West side of the wharf where they moor the larger boats.  The smaller ones go on the East side of the wharf.
The west beach in the cove.  Lots of kayak's coming and going all through the day.  When the tide comes in, it advances all the way to the rock wall on the left side of the picture.
The east side of the wharf at Isthmus Cove.  The smaller boats end up here so they can squeeze in more boats.
The beach on the east side of the wharf.  Sand and rocks and darn few people this late in the season.  There were lots of Boy Scouts camped on the hillsides inland.  They take the ferry back and forth regularly.
The dock and wharf in the cove.  There is a crane to get the heavy equipment they bring in off the ships that bring in supplies for the towns people.
The dingy dock.  There can be hundreds of dingys tied up here during the Summer.  You leave out a long length of line off the bow and the boats just keep tying up any where they can.  During the Summer season, they run a "taxi" service out to the boats(not free) to make it easier getting ashore.
When we went ashore, it was like going back to our time in the British Virgin Islands or Guadeloupe Island in the French West Indies.  The only difference was we saw lots of soldiers with AK 47's over their shoulders on Guadeloupe Island on the island.  They had just had a revolution the week before we got there.  Who should pull up just out side the cove-- a ship from the US Navy.  He pulled in Sunday morning and left late in the afternoon.  Not a clue what they were doing out there but no one came ashore. 

It's cloudy right now but the Sun should be out by lunch time.