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Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Readings from the Book of Chapman



That would be the Chapman Book of Piloting and Seamanship


My lovely wife and I have gone back to doing daily readings from the Book of Chapman. It’s a great way to stay up on our skills. It also gets us looking forward to getting the sailboat back in the water. 


We still have our Oday 19 sailboat. This is the same boat we once spent 10 weeks on. One winter we sailed down the west coast of Florida and crossed Florida Bay to the Keys. Good times. We really haven’t gone on any long sailing adventures with it since 2019. Like many people we were dealing with other things. 


The boat is basically in pretty decent shape still. Thanks to Spud I have a nice little Honda outboard on it. What I’d like to do is to completely rewired everything. With a boat that small it’s not really that big a job. The available switch panels don’t impress me so building one from basic components is the way to go. It also needs the shelves rebuilt. Adding more solar electric is also an option. 


The thing about boat repairs is knowing when to stop. You can spend all your time doing upgrades and never get on the water. On the other hand, the boat has to be safe and comfortable. 


This coming season I’d love to get back out on the big wilderness lakes near me. My lovely wife would like to get back out on the Hudson River, which is where she grew up. The coast of Maine is also an option. 


Right now the boat is still buried under a couple feet of snow. In the mean time, we have readings from the good book.


-Sixbears

2 comments:

  1. Make certain , that when you have let that Honda outboard sit for several months. To first check that the throttle moves freely. Sometimes the throttle butterfly in the carburetor will stick when old gas dries out.
    If it doesn't want to easily move , just spray some WD40 down the throat , then reach in and help the plate move to free it up.

    Ask me how I know this lol ? My other one of the same , didn't want to move . I just twisted harder on the handle , and the cable lever on the carb shaft broke...$100 bucks later and a new carb lol.
    Preventative maintenance tip !
    That's the only issue I've ever had with those motors, hope you get out soon and go sailing !

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