Recent content by Captron

Bag It If you're like me and your cruises get farther and farther apart, there's no bottom paint/treatment that will keep the hard shelled critters away. We bag our prop. Yep, a plain old garbage bag tied off on the propshaft does the trick ... however even here in Florida, it's a cold...

A Vote for Terra Ceia Bay Hey E... Swabbies, If we still own Kismet come February (she's for sale ... sadly) I'd vote for a raft up inside Terra Ceia Bay just a marker north of the Manatee River. Quiet, peaceful, protected and if you want, there's a salty old fish shack down to the eastern...

Alternator Life Personally, I prefer to carry a spare alternator and a spare regulator. However some folks carry parts kits; (bearings and diode packs). I suppose repair kits weigh less and take up less space. I also carried a spare Delco wiring harness so I could easily adapt any old...

Gas Problems Just my HO but, I wouldn't use a stove with a rusted anything involved with the gas system. I know because I'm old enough to have rusted pipes in my system and as my wife can tell you, they're none too reliable. Gas is likely to slip out at anytime. :egrin:

Priorities The best advice I can give you is to go sailing! Forget the 'looks nice' projects and just use the boat. After 4 or 5 years of cruising, you'll have a much better sense of priorities when it comes to spending money on your boat. I'd go for a clean bottom, ice for your rum, and...

Stiffness Teardrops of old age....:esad: At my age stiffness is a relative term.

Full Fridge I'm not sure what you mean. My unit is so old that the condenser fan is not ducted or shrouded in any way. It is aimed so that ambient air is pulled through the condenser and the fan exhaust (warm air) blows over the compressor and into my starboard lazarette. (I've been thinking...

Engine Wear I think that running the engine causes engine wear. I also believe (like Maine Sail) that conservation is a key element. For power replenishment I prefer the solar panel solution over mechanical means. Just my bias. That said, a boat on an extended cruise still needs to run...

Fridge

list Thanks Steve, Most of the Coast Pilots, etc that I have read over the years are full of gems of wisdom especially when it comes to ports of call, shipping lanes, potential weather, currents, etc. A veritable wealth of information and not uninteresting. :egrin:

That was a favorite that I some how omitted ... oldtimer's disease I suspect.

Library Dang, I'm gonna need a bigger boat! :egrin:

Cruising Library Goods ones all. How about Red Dwarf (Naylor & Grant) Dune ? (Frank Herbert) Too odd? :egrin:

The question about books for cruising BC not too long ago, prompted this little idea. How about an index of books for the 'compleat' cruising library? I'll lead off the discussion by suggesting the following (not in any particular order) Chapman's Ship Captain’s Medical Guide Navigation...

Extension Depends on the motor I suppose but my Yamaha 15 works quite well with a $2 length of 1.5 inch PVC pipe. What it lacks in class it makes up for with functionality and 'I fixed it myself'. I made it as a 'temporary' a while back. The rubber grip on the Yamaha is tapered some so I...