Just another day in paradise...

A quick primer on Guam,  something about boats, and a very good point being made...

Time for the pre-storm mega shop just in case.

Listening to some Elvis covers 40-years on

So it goes...

a sweet ride...

Wendig with some needful commentary/suggestions, a worthwhile cause, and here's a question you might want to ask yourself or your elected representatives...

Something very cool from Chris Morejohn.

Lots more to check out here.

Listening to White Reaper

So it goes...

Just the same old same...

John Scalzi & Josh Marshall both making good points, a Broadway review, and EBM points out we've entered the "Step up or be complicit" zone...

The other day I was in the process of servicing my winches when I had one of the bearing races self-destruct. The fact that the winch in question, a Barlow 24, is at least 48-years old makes it not all that surprising and something of a testament on just how long good gear will last if you keep up with its basic maintenance regime.

Looking at both of the 24's, I noticed that all of the races were somewhat long in the tooth and while the bearings were in perfect condition, the race bits that hold them together had seen better days. In a perfect world the races would be standard sized but the only source I know of for Barlow/Barient winch bearing races is Hutton-Arco in Australia and they are sorta/kinda expensive.

Actually expensive is a pretty relative term where boat stuff is concerned and compared to the extortionate cost of winch parts from Lewmar, Harken, or Andersen for currently in production models, the Hutton-Arco parts are downright cheap.

The words "highway robbery" jump to mind...

Just a side note but, not too long ago, I needed a spring for an Andersen winch and found it impossible to buy said spring by itself as Andersen only sells it as part of a "rebuild kit" which actually costs more than I paid for the winch. Think about that for a second of two... Anyway, I was able to buy a reasonable facsimile stainless spring at Ace Hardware for less than a dollar and, as a result, Andersen lost me as a client forever.

Back on the Barlow/Barient front... I got on eBay and found a pair of bronze Barient 24's for just $114 with free shipping. Worst case scenario is I'll be able to use them for parts/spares but I'll let you know how it all works out.

In the meantime, if anyone reading this knows of a good resource for winch bearings of the Barlow/Barient sort, I'd really appreciate hearing from you on the subject.

Listening to Venus in Furs cover the Jefferson Airplane

So it goes...

Now, where the hell can I find a moose skeleton?

A film from 1947 that is far too apt in 2017, a needful read, and something to consider for the upcoming Labor Day weekend...

This, from Sailing Anarchy, might make you smile. Either that or give you a case of terminal bowsprit envy.

Now, where the hell can I find a moose skeleton?

Listening to Hurray for the Riff Raff

So it goes...

waiting on a cunning plan...

Gonads well in hand, clueless, and this sorry state of affairs just pisses me off...

I'm currently sharing my bed with an yet uninstalled pressure vessel and membrane. The thing is, I just don't have a good idea where to install the new watermaker.

I keep waiting for a "cunning plan" to make itself apparent.

My previous not-so-cunning-plan was to set up the water maker as a portable unit and stow it in a cockpit locker. The problem (and yes dear reader there is always a problem) is that the wear and tear of unstowing, assembly, and restowing the system would be problematic as well as being an accident waiting to happen.

So, I need to install the sucker or, at least, parts of the system and all I have to do is figure out a sensible and sane place to put it.

Listening to 5 + 1 good covers

So it goes...

Brute force is seldom your friend where boats are concerned...

Penguin feathers, some depressing Gulf of Mexico news, and in the "It's way past time to be worried but if You Weren’t Worried Yet, You Can Start Now" department...

So, yesterday, I spent some time watching them try and salvage a catamaran.  It did not go well. Brute force is never the right option if there are other courses of action and resources available.

Which got me thinking (yet again) that if you're going to cruise and live on a boat you really need to be as self-sufficient as possible because, when all is said and done, most folks do not have your best interests at heart. Especially those in the marine trades.

It's your boat, your responsibility, and, as such, you really need to have a game plan for all the shit-hits-the-fan scenarios that boats and sailors fall prey to. Because if you don't, someone else will do it for you and, chances are it won't be pretty.

Do your homework.

Just something to ponder a bit...

Listening to River Whyless

So it goes...

and in the "I always expect unexpected shit to happen" department...

Something interesting about money, a bit of seriously scary reading, and 5 tips that may come in handy...

It's "H" season and I, for one, tend to keep an eye on approaching weather. Like yesterday, where the forecast was "a bit of rain and not much in the way of wind".

That said, I'm a firm believer in the adage that most shit that happens is of the "WTF where did that come from?" variety. So, when the lightning/thunder arrived, wind picked up, and a deluge of truly Biblical proportions kicked in you might say I was not exactly surprised or worried.

It rained all night, the wind blew, and the lightning was so solidly intense that it had me wondering where I'd left my sunglasses.

The worst of it, for us, is that I'll have to bail out the dinghy and put off my morning task of coating wood and painting will have to wait for another day.

The power boat next to us was not so lucky...

Not sure exactly what happened to this catamaran but I expect I'll hear about it...

Listening to Molice

So it goes...

A boat for sale...

Five stages of climate denial, a very clear signal, and a little needful situational awareness input...

One of the blogs I read regularly is "Voyage of Minimus" about a Cape Dory 25. A great read for anyone wanting to cruise to far away places on a budget.

As it happen Minimus is now in Raiatea and for sale...

A cool boat in French Polynesia...

Kind of has a nice ring to it.

Listening to Kat Myers and the Buzzards

So it goes...

A movie you may want to see...

Dorworth talks time, USCG taking a stand, and in the "But his lips were moving" department


Vanishing Sail - OFFICIAL TRAILER from Indian Creek Films on Vimeo.

Listening to Elvis Costello

So it goes...

A boat story of sorts...

G&T on capybaras/blogging, regarding some flawed economic analysis, and something you may have missed...

So, last night, a friend popped me an email with some pictures of a Bolger Lion's Paw sharpie he'd come across.

As it happens, back in the days when Loose Moose 2 was was in the "maybe we need a bigger boat?" thought process I often found myself idly perusing Lions Paw in Phil's "30 Odd Boats"...

It was a sharpie.

It was flush deck.

It had leeboards.

It was a schooner and salty as all get out.

It may not not have been a full tilt boogie love affair but I was certainly smitten.

I still really like the design but it had a couple of issues that restrained me from building it. In short, it was steel and, at the time, I perceived the general lack of headroom as problematic for someone who was 6'5".

Today, in hindsight, I've come to the conclusion that standing headroom in boats is not as advantageous as I once thought. In point of fact, I've joined the fraternity of folks who believe that excessive headroom in boats is actually a big (with a capital B) negative and one of the reasons that so many modern boats look like crap in the lines department.

As far as the whole steel thing goes... Well, I'll have to be honest and admit that dealing with rust on a daily basis is about the second least fun thing I can think of (number "1" would be working on an internal combustion engine) and, while steel has all sorts of advantages, I'm still a wood and composite kind of guy.

Sadly, I'm unaware of any Lion's Paws which actually got finished. I know of several that never got beyond the hull stage and seem to surface, from time to time, as fixer-upper projects in out-of-the-way locations. Par for the course it would seem as underlined by my friend's comments...

"It never got launched. Still sat in a farm field where he built it. He zinc sprayed it so it was surprisingly intact except for the wood deck going to total crap over the years. He'd even sewed up a Chinese junk sail for it but never put it on. He was reluctant to even talk about selling it. He also had a Bolger Black Skimmer behind his actual farm house, on a trailer.

"About a year ago I had my friend inquire if it was still there and the builder said it was "about gone now". What a waste."

What a waste indeed.

Listening to a bunch of Sly & The Family Stone covers

So it goes...