The Blue View - A Good Stopping Point

 

The fridge redo project is on hold while I rejoin Marcie in the U.S. The project has exceeded my most pessimistic time projections and still has a ways to go. I typically run over my time projections using the formula: expected time x 2, but I think I may have set a new record this time.

At least the project was at a good stopping point. The major part of the reconstruction is complete. I still have to paint the hatches and door interiors and varnish the exterior surfaces. The cold plate is getting cold, but the gas pressures aren't right and I think I will need to replace the dryer in the refrigeration line on my return.

Beyond that, I only have to replace a couple of counter-tops and the associated teak trim. Then I will re-varnish the entire galley area. A piece of cake - a week or two should do it (times 2 for my formula and then times 2 again for Marcie's formula).

I certainly did learn a lot doing the project. There are a number of shortcuts that could have saved time and all sorts of missteps that could have been avoided. So the next time I do this project I should be much closer to meeting the schedule. That will be when …

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Earth Day

Celebrated throughout the world, Earth Day's 2013 theme is the changing climate.

April Showers Day

Don't moan the showers; they bring May flowers. Really!

The Blue View - Tools of the Trade

 

When we first “Sold Up and Sailed Off”, I parted with a lot of tools. Some clearly had no place on a sailboat, like the radial arm saw and drill press, but some were hard decisions. Just how much use would I get out of a router on a boat? The router and all the expensive bits I had collected over the years were reluctantly sold. I pared my tool set down to the bare minimum – maybe a couple hundred pounds of only the most “essential” tools.

As with most things, there are lots of differing philosophies as to how many tools one should have aboard. I met one cruiser who was crossing the Pacific with nothing more than a $39 K-Mart handyman tool set. I carry more tools than that on a long dinghy ride. On the other hand, I know a cruiser who converted a cabin into a workshop, complete with lathe, drill press and welding equipment. He's a single-hander – which is what I would probably become if I converted our forward cabin into a workshop.

Over the years, I have acquired enough tools beyond what we started with to measurably raise the water line. I have a rather large toolbox with tools just for keeping the boat running. I have lots of specialized tools that were purchased for a particular use, like the 15/16” deep well socket that fits the rear port side engine mount or the 28mm spanner that fits the nut on the front of the engine. I have tools for all of the various systems aboard – carpentry, carving, plumbing, electrical, electronic, refrigeration, metal working, fiberglass, engine repair, rigging, etc. Sometimes I acquire a new tool that is essential in making a repair. Most times it's cheaper to buy the tools to do a job than it is to hire a service technician.

A large number of my tools found their way out of their hiding places for the refrigeration redo. Three of the power tools in particular have really gotten a workout. The first is my Makita saber saw. It is one of the tools that was in the “essential” category and came with us when we first moved aboard. It has gotten a lot of use over the years and on this project especially.

The second most used tool on this project is my Ryobi Multi-tool. The cutting attachment was invaluable for removing the teak trim with minimal damage, and I used it for most of the demolition work. The sanding attachment also saw many hours of use in faring and shaping the new hatches and frames.

The third most used power tool is my router and laminate trimmer. That old router that I painfully parted with all those years ago, and which I thought would never get used aboard Nine of Cups, has been replaced. The new one is much smaller and more compact than the old one. It and the necessary attachments cost far less than the original, so replacing it wasn't actually all that painful.

One final comment about tools and I'll get back to work. Clamps – you can never have too many clamps.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Newspaper Columnists Day

This day is celebrated in memory of Ernie Pyle. Have you got a favorite? Dave Barry, Rona Barrett, Dear Abby? Learn more here.

Animal Cracker Day

The first animal "biscuits" originated in England and were introduced in the US in 1902 as Barnum's Animal Crackers. The most recent animal addition to the 37 animals in the cracker's history? The Koala.

The Blue View - In My Mind's Eye

 

When I was a boy – maybe six or seven – I decided to build an airplane. This was not a model airplane, but a full scale small airliner. It would have two engines, all kinds of instruments, and plush upholstered seats. It would be a thing of beauty and carry me to all those exotic places the world had to offer.

There was an appliance store a few blocks away, and they were more than happy to let me cart off as many packing boxes and crates as I wanted. I used my grandfather's hand saw and hammer and lots of nails, and spent the summer building it. (I was undoubtedly way behind schedule even then.)

When I was finished, I'm sure I saw it for what it was – a cobbled together melange of cardboard and packing crates, but in my mind's eye, it turned out to be just as beautiful as I imagined. I had many a great adventure flying that sleek, shiny plane to Polynesia, the jungles of Peru and Australia.

The refrigeration project that has been consuming all my time for the last six or eight weeks is nowhere near as grandiose and elaborate as my airplane, but it has certainly taken longer to complete. I've made any number of mistakes and missteps that have delayed the project. For example, despite thinking about it and measuring everything half a dozen times, the cold plate ended up being about 1/2” too high and interfered with the lower seal of the freezer hatch. To lower the cold plate would require disconnecting all the wiring, cutting the refrigerant tubing and removing the entire inner compartment. The alternative was to shorten the frame and hatch I had just spent several days fabricating.

Now, as it is getting close to completion, I'm seeing all the little things that aren't as perfect as I would like. I wanted the edge of the laminate to align perfectly with the edge of the hatch frame, but there is a small gap on one side – maybe only 1/16 of an inch, but still noticeable.

One end of the teak trim doesn't quite abut against the bulkhead perfectly. The mortise around the latch is slightly oversized and a bit ragged. Most people probably won't even notice these imperfections, but I will see them every time I look at it. But in my mind's eye...

Come to think of it, I probably could have built an airplane in the time it's taken to get this refrigeration project done.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Songkran

This is the beginning of the Thai New Year (Apr 13-17). The custom is to throw water!