Clausewitz on Planning

[Orvil Newton]

March 21,
2010. Seaview Marine docks at Shilshole Bay

Waiting for a tow from Captain Wendell and his Vessel Assist boat.

We hauled out on Tuesday after pulling the engine and delivering it to the
Yanmar Mechanic. I will spare you the gory details but the upshot is
that the engine has been disassembled and sent off to the machine shop
and will be finished in about ten days.

Our scheduled haul-out was to include fresh bottom paint and replacement of the through-hull
and seacock for the galley sink drain and the removal and capping off of
the sea water intake for the forward sink. Added to the list were
removing and replacing fuel and raw water filters, removing and
(Properly) reinstalling the entire exhaust system and cleaning and
re-painting the engine compartment.

The now defunct Ala Wai Marine strikes again. Not that I can blame them too much. The engine
was installed in 1994, after all, and has been relatively trouble free
until now especially considering my rather laissez faire attitude toward
engine maintenance.

The yard put us back in the water late yesterday. Laura went off to work this morning and now I am just
cleaning up and waiting to be towed back to our slip at the far end of
the marina.

We do not know yet what the bill will be but it will be close to erasing the margin of safety we require before setting off
on our next cruise. We now have to consider staying a few more months
to replenish our cruising fund. If we delay our departure until August
or September it would be far easier to winter in Mexico or Hawaii and
ride the prevailing winds north to Alaska in late spring or early
summer. We will revisit the plan after the engine is reinstalled and
the bill is paid.

What we have learned so far about planning: You can plan all you want but stuff happens anyway and if your plans
involve a boat, keep a sharp eye on the weather.

[Orvil Newton]

Oh its War Stories you want eh? Our last haul out was at Port Townsend Boat Haven. Out of the water on August 1st. Splashed December 31st. I took the mast down and re-rigged, removed and re-bedded all deck fittings. We lived aboard the whole time while removing and replacing the entire interior.

[Terri]

Awwww..come on 4 days...easy breezy!!! LOL.. head craps out..that's what buckets and empty gatorade bottles for...would be the least of worries... it's them pesky engines that scare the beejeebers outta me. I say look for volunteers and sail her up! Would be a nice trip!

[Fat Cat Anna ~~~ \\^^// ~~~]

Yes, I'm in agreement with you there Terri that it's a good thing the engine didn't go "cough, cough" during the middle of your voyage. We just purchased an '84 Catalina 30 - which after inspection appears to be in pristine condition (inspector said it seems like they never sailed in), engine looks well maintained, but since it's on the hard, we won't know until we plunk her in the water. She's in Marblehead, MA right now, had planned on bring her back to Canada via water, but to be on the safeside, incase something goes wrong (never done ocean sailing, even tho' it would have only been 4 days - just our luck - head craps out or ....)
You just never know when the #$@! will hit the fan, and just have to have a good outlook on life and go with the flow.

[Terri]

Geez, u aint' kidding on the stuff happens! I guess it's better to be repairing the engine now instead of saying "what the #!!X!!!" in the middle of nowhere. I look forward to hearing about your next adventure and have enjoyed your videos.