Puttering, Muttering, Sputtering, Uttering And The New Old Project

So I still guarantee that I will launch by a Christmas.  I still will not venture a guess as to which one; it's too risky. I spent the week puttering about on an array of inconsequential small projects. Stops and starts, misses and hits, offs and ons, ups and downs created a bit of mumbling to myself on the joys of this project. I left the yard guys alone for a mite. There is always stuff to do, so stuff I do. It's winter around here (hahahahahahahahahahaha). We had some rain; the temperature dropped to the 40"s(!!!!!!!!!!!). Shirt sleeves one day, cold and rainy the next followed by nice again. I'm listening to Mark and Emmylou right now (Knopfler and Harris to the uninitiated). 

Rainy days create inactivity insanity assuaged by bouts of web emporium perusal and the squandering  of  monetary reserves, an unhealthy activity.  I now anticipate the arrival of a book, an outboard motor cover, software and some OK computer speakers. (mark and Emmylou sound a bit raggedy on the ones I have. 

Oh yeah, the Blog. There must be something to write about. I'll whack at it and see what transpires.

The wind generator. I was so proud that I braced it well. It wasn't going to move with that bracing. But..................................

The tiller. I hooked up the steering lines again. It wasn't going to move with that bracing! I only had an 8 foot brace and when moving the tiller to starboard, it hit the brace. I ordered a 10' length of 1" tubing. I had to buy 12'.

The new, the old. The tiller will move with that bracing. I used the same attachment point on the mast and had to relocate the point on the hull.

The new, the old. It shouldn't move with that bracing.

Fill the old holes with epoxy. I'll paint it.

I had to re-solder the wires to one of the the galley strip lights. That pile of goop is silicone. Hopefully, it will lessen the stress on the tenuous solder joint. I glued it back under the shelf.

The wind generator. it was't moving even with all the the bracing. Huh.,,,,,,,,, Crap! I recruited help.

Friend Todd helped me take the generator off the mast. I wasn't looking forward to replacing the bearings. I'm getting to be a reluctant expert on these things. He jammed a chunk of wood into the gap to keep the wires in place lest they disappear into the depths of the mast. 

I commenced the disemboweling of the machine. I moved it to a better position.

On the operating table, I took this off. I took that off. I dreaded the replacement of bearings. I wrestled the damn thing around. I heard something hit the deck. It was a nut.

That nut! It turns out that it vibrated loose and jammed between the plate and the rotating vanes and bound up the free rotation of the whole contraption. I dodged the bullet on this one. All I had to do was tighten the nut. I put thread tightening goop on all the nuts to prevent it from happening again. 

Always planning for the next catastrophe, I decided to install Anderson plugs into the grand scheme of things so I can just unplug it the next time. I reassembled the generator and I'll put it back next week.

Back to the galley switches. I finally got one switch to work. Ye professional electricians know that the depth of the box is critical. I had to do some soldering, cursing, manipulating to get this all to work. On the left, push the button and the bottom under shelf light works. in the center the fan actuates. On the right is the upper under shelf light.  That other thing on the right is my finger.

I know that all this seems like nothing. Nothing is what constitutes the grand scheme of our lives.  I am an expert on nothing.................. And well practiced!.

The Music♫: Ayub Ogada "Dicholo"

Music from Kenya. Ken ya dig it?