Summer Solstice Cruise

The Summer Solstice Cruise was a lot of fun.

Tammy got to prepare food along the way.

To some cruising/racing.

Some uninvited guests!

A lot of helm work!

An unfortunate Mayday from a charter operator under full sail hit by a party boat head on, they never saw them or heard the horn.  They flipped and sent everyone to the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, then to the hospital, with the party boat destroyed.

And some speed on the way home with 26 knot winds!!

Water tanks

Both water tanks are functioning now thanks to Tammy, I needed a tiny woman to finish the job and the last hose doesn't even leak!  I got to replace the gaskets for the inspection covers on both water tanks; big score though from Corpus Christi Gasket Company all I paid was this nice comment for them!!!

Rudder Post Packing not needed....burp...

SV Living and Loving Life doesn't need the rudder post packing done, she must have a hollow post that allows water up it, so were having a plastic cap added to stop the symptom; till the next dive he can look; at least it only happens going though locks or under full sail.  Burping the dripless was quick and easy.  Coastal Bend Yacht Services trained me to do this every time the diver comes out now, thanks Matt!

Marinebeam.com LED's!

I'm updating the Boat Battery app on my iPhone to reflect the change to LED for the tricolor on a full day and night sail. It cut the 2 hours and 6 minutes of engine runtime, for charging the batteries, to 1 hour and 38 minutes almost a full half hour a day off of the total runtime which spells fuel savings!  Which with all incandescent bulbs replaced with LED's has taken over an hour and a half off of engine runtime to charge the batteries, now on to solar to reduce even more.

Up the mast with me.

Once again up the mast; under an hour this time; with the correct Tricolor LED and PB Blaster to free up the wind direction indicator......oh and John this time a halyard hitch is in place, great catch, thank you!

Main Halyard

Commodore says to me, "I can fix this if you want me too?"  I say sure, he whips out a knife, cuts it and ties a bowline in it and done in 2 minutes.....I've been contemplating about what to do for several months, meanwhile I think I've sucked every penny possible out of the main halyard end.  What cha think?  I know, I know already....lol!

SSB / Ham Radio IC-M710RT installed and functional

I had blogged back on 4/13/14 of installing the SSB (single side band) / Ham radio, little did I know how much was needed from myself to learn about how to use it.....  I have successfully completed the Technician Amatuer radio license and upgraded it to the General Amatuer radio license.  A lot of studying and learning what my grandfather was trying to teach me years ago for fun.  I now have successfully talked over 1400 miles away.  I can receive voice weather over the radio.  I can receive weather faxes from the USCG New Orleans, 555 miles, away via HF (high frequency) by plugging into my iPhone using a patch cord (I made) to HF Fax app, very clear!  I can successfully check in to The Maritime Mobile Service Network, they will log my whereabouts for family or friends to check online.  Or be able to call for assistance to the USCG or other boaters, if the need ever arose, I sure hope not!  I didn't know however how much fun this will be!  I've reprogrammed, via DOS, the radio to open it up for Amatuer radio transmissions, keyed in current relevant frequencies.

The Bay Yacht Club members have also been very encouraging and very helpful, thank you!

Now back to my regularly scheduled maintenance projects.......oh wait just after this broadcast......KG5BXM this is Chris how do you hear?