SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OR ON YOUR C-DORY TODAY??

Caryn and I just finished a nice 3-day weekend on C-Dancer. Caryn hadn't been on the boat since last September so it was nice to get out on her again. I forgot how much I love the "big boat", all 22 feet of her.

I noticed last fall and on the last trip last month that there was a lot of water in the cockpit under the floorboards. Fred from Anita Marie guessed that it was probably a loose drain plug. Ding, Ding, you're the winner Fred. I replaced the plug with a stainless t-handle plug and the cockpit was virtually dry the whole trip. Just one less thing to worry about.

The Suzuki 90hp is still purring after getting it's annual service last month. I started the Suzuki 9.9hp kicker for the first time since last September and it started right up and ran smoothly. I was commenting to Caryn that once I fill in some dings on the hull and take the buffer to some of the scratches, the boat will look practically brand new. In fact, some guys admiring the boat in Anacortes thought the boat was new. :D

As for our weekend, we stayed close but had a great time. We decided to go to the Tulip Festival events in Mount Vernon on Friday, meaning we didn't have much time to go further that day so we decided to moor in Anacortes, which is one of favorite towns and number one on our retirement choice. Saturday was really windy so we decided to stay in Anacortes one more day and ended up doing lots of shopping and hiking. In fact, we climbed through the woods almost straight up the hill of Cap Sante, something we've been wanting to do for a long time. Better now than 10 years from now. We got good use out of the camperback and am still amazed at how it opens up another "room" on the boat to just sit, read and relax. That may have been the best addition to the boat we've ever made.

On Sunday, we headed up to Bellingham on a beautiful sunny, windless day. It must have been our hiking weekend because we ended up hiking the beautiful trail they have along the waterfront of Bellingham Bay to Fairhaven, a cute restored "old town". It was quite the hike, nearly four miles from marina to Fairhaven so we rewarded ourselves with Nachos, Tacos and Margeritas!! :thup

It was a wonderful weekend and a great start to the 2010 boating season. It's so funny how there were so few people boating this past weekend with the weather we were blessed with. It seems many people boat by calendar rather than weather...
 
FINALLY got around to finishing the fuel filter replacement on the Cat. Replaced both Racor style filters/bowls and the low pressure filters on each engine under the cowl.

If you do work on the fuel system on a Suzi, follow the manual closely. You have to pressurize the system by turning the key on and off a few times after you pump the bulb up to get the air out of the system. Otherwise, you get the blinking 3-2 signal on the indicator. Had me baffled for awhile until I reread the manual. I didn't replace the high pressure filters because it said 1000 hours and we've only got about 300 on ours.

If anyone needs Suzuki style filters (Small), I have two brand new filter elements with bowls attached. They look exactly like the RT-12 filters in size and appearance but the threads are different. :amgry

The engines purr like a kitten now! :cat :love :thup

Charlie
 
Let the season begin!

Sea Angel and her crew took a spin around the Lynnhaven area of Va. Beach yesterday. For the first time in 4 years we saw a dolphin within the Broad Bay area, even if it was a lone dolphin feeding around a sandbar.

I got 2 pixs, but they are not too detailed from the distance I had; something about that sandbar between us .

The marina where we keep Sea Angel has been going through a major face lift and it is abt done. The boarding ladders for the work racks are now made of aluminum, verses steel.

They have replaced all water used with city water, :thup :thup . Now no more iron streaks to deal with from the well water used before. I can even fill the water tank without going to a different dock. The boat looks SO much better with the fresh water flushing and washing!

The gas was $2.95/gal, Thursday. I suspect there will be increases coming as the season hits here. Our prices don't change till after a delivery. The fuel tanks and pumps are also new.

I'm glad I was not the contractor that laid the first cement ramps around the 'shed'. He did not use the proper rebarb and didn't allow for proper water run-off. Soon after the first sections were in place cracks started to appear in the slabs. He ate that and a new co. came and did it right, in a faster fashion, as near as I could tell by watching- good crew team.

So all is happy at Sea Angel's home. So far they don't plan on any rent increase :) . They had a pork and beef BBQ and chicken cookout for the members ... :thup :thup :thup , last Saturday. Man was that good! I hope we can make the August cookout.

They now have some secure transit dock spaces as well.

Art
 
Spent some time in the 16 rewiring/upgrading this weekend. The previous owner had rewired it himself, using automotive terminals and fuse holders rather than good marine grade ones with heat shrink. Corrosion was highly evident. He put in one positive post and one negative post about an inch and a half apart, then stacked every electrical load in the boat on these two points. Not only were they way overloaded but the location was horrible. Right above the bilge area on the underside of the shelf, no spray cover or any means of protecting them from the elements or possibly being bridged accidentally. Yikes... Anyway I ripped all that junk out, and basically started over. I cut some leftover starboard to fit for a good mounting surface and installed a simple ON/OFF battery switch and a 6 outlet fuse box to replace some of the basic automotive fuses that were back there(nice and corroded I might add). Anyway the new location is better protected from the elements, is easier to service since it's not a jumble of criss-crossing unlabeled wires and fuses. And has room to expand for other electronic items (like the new downriggers coming shortly). Much better!

Sark
 
Took my new-to-me 22 cruiser out fishing for the second time on an exploratory trip to Neah Bay. We trailered up there for the Saturday June 5 halibut opener. It was a special day on the water with great weather and little wind. Swells were about 8 feet at 10 seconds. The boat was perfect. After joining a large group who were fishing a certain area we tired of 350 foot drops with 3 lbs of lead and too much current to stay on the bottom and went into shallower water that seemed to have less current and we were all by ourselves. Switched to 2 lb balls and got our 3 fish in about an hour. They were not huge, 30 - 40 lbs, but will eat well. We then went out around Tatoosh Island and up into the rocks in shallow water and caught lings, black rockfish, and cabezon. First time I had ever seen any of those fish. A fine time was had by all. Hope they have another opener.
 
Still was having a weird feedback on high power with the VHF type issue after rewiring the backend this last weekend, as I started to work behind the helm yesterday I found all the cabin lights were done with who knows what kind of wire, it's duplex, but definitly not marine grade or properly sized. Probably 5 different types of wire used that do not appear to be of any quality capable of a dealing with a marine environment. And the VHF and Stereo Antenna's were installed on the opposite sides of the boat than the equipment was on? The wires were all crossed and were bundled with all sorts of other stereo and power feeds, will spend the next couple rainy days on it and hopefully should be ready for the water again by friday.

Sark
 
Friday I cleaned and waxed the boat, Saturday headed to A Striper boat get together (My previous boat was a Striper) Spent a night on the boat surrounded by Stripers. The group moderator has a pic of his boat surrounded by C-Cory's from the Delta trip a few weeks ago, now I have a pic of a C-Dory surrounded by Stripers. The big difference was I gave 10 tours of the boat and it was the most talked about and cleanest boat there. And just so they would not feel bad I ate more than my share of food.
 
Today...........my friend Larry the wood turner here in Ninilchik made a new steering wheel center piece out of some kind of exotic wood with a beautiful grain. Wood is bocoue or something like that from central America. It really looks nice.

Several days ago I made an aluminum hoop to put around my Racor fuel filter to protect it from things heavy hitting it. That would put the boat out of commission if the plastic bowl were broken. The filter is mounted on the transom and is exposed to possible damage.
 
Piggybacking on the water conditions mentioned in the Langley CBGT thread, we too ran into some pretty gnarly conditions on Sunday afternoon.

It was the first real test for Barquinho (our little 16 Angler) in adverse water/weather conditions and she ran like a champ. We had to cross from Suquamish to Shilshole, which is pretty much a straight shot across Puget Sound about 5 miles? There was a stiff noreaster with the tide coming from the north so at least they weren't opposing. Still we were being hit broadside by 3-5 footers, luckily they weren't stacked up too close together although there were whitecaps. I ended up tacking across, trying to quarter the waves and Barquinho was up to the challenge. Making things even more difficult was the fact that two huge freighters decided to come down the sound while we trying to make it across, adding their huge wakes to the mix. Probably the strangest moment was when I headed into a 4-5 wave with a following sea and didn't bob up and over it but actually ran through it. Weird huh?

While we made it across no worse for wear, it really made me think about hydraulic steering because I really had to work that wheel. Oh well, the old 40 horse Johnson ran great and it was a good experience knowing that Barquinho is as seaworthy as C-Dancer is. Actually, that is no surprise since we are all aware of the seaworthiness of all these fine C-Dory boats.
 
Thanks for finally getting me into a few cutthroat trout in the big lake near my neighborhood. It was great fun fishing with you and Michael. Let's do it again soon!

Peter
 
Quote from TC Fuel Tank access thread:

"I currently have a problem with my stbd Suzi 115, will not idle, I can get it started and it'll run up to about 2500 RPM. I just replaced the low pressure fuel filter and the Racors on both side. Fuel looks good I can see it in the LP filter at the back of the engine.

No trouble lights on the tach. Going to put new plugs in both engines this afternoon and see if that is the problem.

The first time I ran it after the filter changes, it ran and idled great. Hopefully, it's the plugs. Engines have about 275 hours on them and, to my knowledge, have never had new plugs. "
*******************************************************
Got around to putting new plugs in the Stbd engine just now (too hot during the day, 95deg or so, That solved the problem.

When I bought the plugs at the Suzi repair place, the mechanic said if you have some water in your fuel (which was why I replaced the filters), the engine can get very hot and the plug ceramic part can crack and the spark will jump to the block causing the engine either not to run, miss or not idle. While I couldn't see any cracks very clearly, I think there were some there and it obviously fixed my problem.

Will do the other engine next.

The plug replacement in the water is easy on the TC. Standing on the Armstrong bracket and with the engine turned fully and tilted all the way up, it is very simple. The only plug hard to reach is the bottom one, have to slip off the cover gasket to get room to reach it and use a universal on the top of the extension. The plugs are pretty deeply in there and unless you have a plug socket with a rubber gripper (I didn't), after loosening them,you have to reach in with a pair of long needle nose and grab it pull it out.
 
In Fisheries last Friday to buy some Blue StaBil and who should be there waiting for them to bring a diesel gas can up from the warehouse but Ruth & Joe! Good to catch up with them, as always.

Warren
 
For years I've had the desire to spend the night on "Sea Shift" in Bell Harbor Marina nestled in the heart of the Seattle waterfront. (I've spent a few hours moored up there on several daytime visits in the past). (Since Carol and Jessica are in Florida visiting family, I figured I"d have my own boating fun).

On Tuesday, I cruised down from Everett secured "Sea Shift" in the marina under the towering downtown buildings amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. (I had a $10 off coupon that I received at the Seattle Boat Show, so I had my nights stay with electric for $22.50. Not bad for lodging in Seattle). On Tuesday evening I walked the waterfront revisiting the many establishments that I've enjoyed before. On Wednesday, I awakened at 0530 HRS. and commenced a several hour walk to Myrtle Edwards Park, Pikes Place Market and the waterfront again.

Flat seas made an enjoyable return to Everett in the afternoon.
 
Patty here. Well, I finally ventured into gelcoat repair. I have filled several nicks and one 4" crack and, while not perfect, I'm pretty pleased. I don't think you would know where the repairs are unless I pointed them out (which I don't think I'll do). I also removed and replaced the single handle faucet cartridge--which was leaking all over the place--and this is the second time in only 3 years. Not happy about that! I also rubbed out some major scratches, wet sanded with 200, 400, and 600, but cannot get the brilliant shine back with polishing compound and wax. I haven't decided which is worse---the scratches or the dull spots that now replace them!
 
Hi Patty,

I did the same with my scratches and nicks this past weekend. I had to work like crazy using rubbing compound and an electric buffer from Harbor Freight to get it to look shiny again. Do you have an electric buffer?

Dave,

So you were in my neighborhood (Pike Place Market) and didn't stop by and say hello? :wink

I'm glad you had a nice visit. Stop by next time. We'll do lunch.

Peter
 
Jazzmanic":2zfe73xv said:
Dave,

So you were in my neighborhood (Pike Place Market) and didn't stop by and say hello? :wink

I'm glad you had a nice visit. Stop by next time. We'll do lunch.
Peter
Click to expand...


Peter, I totally didn't remember that I was strolling about in your neighborhood. When we see each other please be sure to hand me your business card and I'll definitely look you up the next time! The atmosphere that was new to me was the early morning hours during my walk about and seeing all the joggers and bicylists on the water front and Myrtle Edwards Park and then observing all the Pikes Place Market activity as the vendors were preparing their "stands" for the day. It was fun watching the city "come to life"......something this ole country boy isn't use to. (I'm use to the morning quiet drinking a cup of coffee outside, listening to the birds and watching the deer wandering about the place). The time spent there was very enjoyable!
 
Hey Dave,

Our stay in Bell Harbor was one of the highlights of our time in Puget Sound. We really enjoyed the hustle and bustle, the early morning walks, wandering through that great downtown, Pike's Place Market, the cheese place, and down to the art park. Seattle is a great waterfront city. We totally get it.

Sometimes folks miss the local experiences that travelers passing through enjoy. Glad to hear you were able to cross that one off the list and enjoyed the experience.

Keep the stories coming.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Back
Top