Sure is nice to be able to putter around on the boat again - in the water, as opposed to the side yard. I'm on a mooring now. It'll be nice too not to have to worry about backing out of a slip...
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Sure is nice to be able to putter around on the boat again - in the water, as opposed to the side yard. I'm on a mooring now. It'll be nice too not to have to worry about backing out of a slip...
Varsta Brud!
Looking Good! No one would ever guess she's forty years old.
"I'm on a mooring now"
My preference for sure especially in the river I am in.
You and your family are going to have a great summer on that beauty.
Good to see her in the water. The coamings look great. When does the mast go up??
Looks nice Mike. You need to get some weight forward though to get her rear up a bit. How about some nice chain rode in the anchor locker?
Get her in sailing shape and I'll meet you somewhere for lunch!
She's riding a lot better than last time she was in the water. One big difference is that I was able to get the lead pig out of the bilge (67 lbs). I relocated it to the chain locker in the bow. That has helped.
A couple of more things will help as well: 1. Hopefully, stepping the mast Sunday will move a bit more weight off of the stern, and 2. I need to fill my water tank in the v-berth. 3. I still need to hang my anchor off the bow pulpit. I'm not crazy about this setup, but it's what I've got for now. But that'll move more weight forward too. 4. If all of that doesn't get her to ride on her lines, I'm thinking hard about relocating the batteries forward.
An anchor chain is a good idea - for multiple reasons. But first, I suppose I'd better get and install a new hawse pipe, although I just hate the idea of drilling into the decks! :)
Meeting for lunch sounds great sometime! :D
She looks great Mike,
I would fill the water tank before you make too many other decisions about how to get the bow down. I see a fair difference between it being full and empty.
Ahhh soon, soon ours will be in the water . . . Looking good though.
Very FINE lookin vessel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike, did you put the mast up yesterday or is that happening this weekend? Also, what are your "first trip of the season" plans?
We got the mast up Sunday afternoon along with two others at the club. No major mishaps, fortunately, other than me pulling the unconnected masthead light wires into the mast when trying to secure the wires at the base for connecting later. I was so annoyed about that I forgot to connect the antenna for the radio...
Our "first trip" plans are not nearly so ambitious as yours, Tim. I'm just planning nice short day sails and work my way through the "kinks" before I head too far with the family. I'm insanely jealous of your Summer work schedule!
I worked at a yacht club as a steward and launch operator while in college at the yacht club we are now members of. It gave me a real opportunity to meet great people and observe many different life styles. There were those with the large beautiful yachts, yet they were too busy and stressed to use them as they were working too hard to pay for them. They would get used during the "planned" weekends when it was raining anyway so it was miserable for them I'm sure. Then there were those who had smaller, less polished boats that were paid for, and their work schedule allowed them to spend more time onboard. They seemed the happiest and I liked the idea of sailing a small unpolished boat that's paid for all summer, all over the place, rather than being a slave to say a $100,000 Cape Dory 36 attached to a mortgage. I looked for the best job to fit this criteria and fell into teaching. As challenging as my job is (and it is), the perk of summers off is unbelievable at times. Fortunately my wife works as an elementary school teacher in the same district so our schedule is the same which allows us to be together all summer.
We are still planning on going up to Casco Bay this summer Mike, and I would love to get our families together. I will certainly keep you updated. I'm glad you got the mast up with only a little annoyance. When we put our mast up last weekend I accidentally had the backstay passed through the space between the masthead and the spreader despite having checked everything before lifting. It wasn't until I started attaching the stays that this error was obvious. Needless to say it took some creative throwing, pulling, untwisting, etc. to work it back to where it needed to be without compromising the supports holding up the mast. I had temporary stays up as we reworked everything. It was stressful and frustrating that such a small oversight could lead to such a situation. We have ALL had interesting experiences with our boats and those experiences add to the lore that goes with owning one. Besides it makes for great beer talk down the road. I'm loaded with stories about things I screwed up, broke, lost, or put on wrong so be prepared when we do have beer talk :)
Mmmmm... Beer. :D
Keep me posted on your schedule. Weekends are pretty limited in the Summertime for us 9-5ers... And BTW, where the heck does N-I-N-E to 5 come from?? My freakin' work day starts at 8! :mad:
The shakedown sail...
...with my friend Scott. No genoa tracks installed yet, but the stanchion bases worked just fine.
The family sail...
With company of course.
Tucked in at the end of a busy day...
Glad to see you've got her out. I just came here to ask if you had been sailing yet, and I see that you have!
I sailed up to Portland yesterday and thought about heading up the river to see if you were on the boat, but decided to head up the ship channel instead.
She looks good in those pics. You must be very happy!
Too bad, we were there all day. It'd have been nice to see you. Nonetheless, it was a good call to stay out in the channel. That's basically where we had to go to find some steady wind. The Fore River was quite "flukey". We finally just motored out to Ft. Gorges where we caught a fresh and steady sea breeze coming up the harbor, then headed towards your neck of the woods on a nice beam reach. Great day! :D
I used to sail a 60 foot charter boat out of DiMillos, so I'm familiar with Flukey and Fore River being in the same sentence! That's why we decided to just head up the ship channel...
Another shot from the first weekend back in the water. I don't think I'll ever get tired of looking at these boats!
(Note: The mast is stepped, the water tank has been filled, and the lead pig relocated to the chain locker forward (67 lbs), and she's still not quite sitting on her lines... Oh well.)
Mike
she looks about right to me (A-231 sits the same way with a 288lbs inboard and an aft mounted 12 Gal. fuel tank.). Is there anything in the aft most locker? Its a long moment arm from the CG of the boat. As a rule if I store anything more than a couple life jackets and a deck hose back there the boat squats a bit....
one other question: Where are you batteries & fuel tank located?
Bill
I've only got my fenders and dock lines in the aft locker. The fuel tank is under the cockpit in front of the tiller post, which doesn't help. I think I recall reading in my Yanmar manual that the 2GM weighs in at around 225 lbs or so. (??) The batteries are at the forward end of the port cockpit locker. Those beasts are on my "someday" list to move forward. Also, I should still get some good ground tackle (chain) as Craig suggested previously.
In any event, a topsides paint job is also on my "someday" list, and I'll fix the boot stripe then. By then, hopefully, I'll have had more chance to shift things around, though I am running out of options. Not that I'm complaining by any means. It's good to be sailing!
So have you guys been out much in Periwinkle this season?
The locations of your batteries and fuel tank match A-231. I've found that storing the sail bags forward in the vee berth helps with the trim too..
been off the dock 3 or 4 times with our boat. we'll be on the edge of the tall ships parade this weekend if schedule permits... If it happens we'll post some pictures. :)
You are right..."never get tired looking at them" !!!!!!!!!!! Bonus is they sail great too;)
By that time your boat load and trim should be fairly well established, so take lots of pictures and paint the boat the way she really sits--regardless of how that compares to the "design" waterline.
Dasein's actual waterline doesn't quite match up with the scribed line either.
I think it is probably a good idea to mark on the stem and stern where the designed scribed bottom line is/was - for future reference. This could be done with #6 - 1/2" roundhead bronze wood screws.
No matter how much paint gets on them there'll aways be a bump to remind you - and to trim to if necessary.
Wow, was it a great day today!
...really great!
He didn't mind dippin' the rails at all. Now we just have to work on the women in the family...
Mike
great pictures! your crew is going to thank you when that third picture shows up in his high school year book some day...
cheers,
bill
I finally got the handrails mounted this weekend, and last week we got the traveler re-installed. But, the boat finally looks "complete".
We celebrated by inviting some guests out for a sail. Add 4 adults to this and we just may have set an Ariel record. You'll notice, however, they're not in the cockpit. :D
Bunch a cool kids there, they all look like future sailors, certainly Master Spyglass has a sailing ship in sight.
Nice job on the little details you notice in the photos. SeaGlass is a sweetie. The woman may just be a little jealous, that's all.
Here's to sailing on a Sunday afternoon with the kids!
You may now hold the record for souls on an Ariel....
but C'pete of Brightwaters has the all time for a Commander!
Press on, Mike, you done good!:D
Mike
great crew shot on the leeward rail. The most folks we've had aboard at one time is 6 adults (very crowded on the Ariel, it's probably much easier with Commander Pete's enormous 9' cockpit).
have you thought about adding lower lifelines? I'm thinking of doing the same (forward of the cockpit).
cheers,
bill@ariel231
So, I've started compiling my lists of lists of things that need doing before Spring launch, and I was struck by a thought. I've had the boat since July 2005. This will be my first entire and FULL season of sailing her! Woo hoo!
So happy be-lated New Year everyone, and here's hoping that everyone is able to get their boats' bottoms wet this year! :D
Great picture!
Don't forget about our rendezvous! If all goes as planned, we should be heading up to Maine soon after July 4th and won't come home until August. More details later, but it would be cool if we met up for a night on the hook.
BTW- I stock lots of good beer.
Cool! I'm looking forward to seeing the Fuji. ;)
Mike, we are tentatively planning on leaving Newburyport July 7 and will be returning sometime around August 7. Weather permitting, we are going to start the trip one of two ways. The first will be to bounce up the coast doing overnights at the Ilses of Shoals, York Harbor, Little Stage Island Harbor, Biddeford Pool, Jewell Island, and then The Basin. The second scenario will be to do a straight shot from the Ilses of Shoals all the way to Cape Small, then on to The Basin. From the Basin, we plan to head north into Booth Bay, Muscongus Bay, and then into Penobscot Bay. I'm not sure if we are going all the way to Acadia this year like I want to as this will be my wife and son's first long voyage (four weeks), but we'll see. As far as the return trip, it may be one where we just try to get home in three days or bounce back down the coast taking our time. Again weather will play into this as will the crew's needs. As we get closer, more details will emerge obviously, but I wanted you to have a general time frame of when I'll be in the area. I hope we can coordinate at least one night on the hook together. There is a possibility that my friend in his CD27 will be with us as well as my parents in their S2. An Ariel will make it a fleet for sure! I'll be the one in a Ketch sporting a big grin!:cool:
Hiya, Tim! Once again, I am soooo jealous! A month off?!?! Why oh why didn't I become a teacher??
My plans for this year are not nearly so ambitious. I've complicted things with the addition of a new crew member - "Teddy". I'm hoping to work up to a week long cruise sometime this Summer.
In any event, keep me posted on your schedule!
Your new crew is positively beautiful !! Will probably a great sail trimmer!
wE lyke yorr nEW cRewdoG its puRty -
moLly anD bUffeTt
thE cRewdoGs
:D
Heh! Thanks guys! I stopped short of calling him "crew dog" - that one's already taken. Besides, he has to earn that rank!
PS. Teddy sends Molly and Buffet a big "Grrrrrr.... woof!"
(Translation: "I can't wait to pee in grass instead of this white stuff or carpet!)
This is a great thread Mike. Everything from the 'survey' photos to the kids having a memorable blast. When you get the chance to read it begining to end its inspiration in a bottle for some of us. I don't know if I'll ever get that far North on the coast to bend elbows with you but South is surely in the plans. And yes, I do mean on the boat.
I just noticed in post #9 there apears to be light shining in from the cockpit lockers in the area of the foot well of the port quarter berth. Is that so or am I imaging it?
Any plans for what is going up front for ground tackle and associated equipment? Starting to finalize a sprit design here but not ruling out any other good ideas yet.
Looking forward to some new posts here.
Hiya Tony,
Long time no pics! (hint hint)
Nope, there is a hole cut through the bulkhead there - a POs mod. I intend on filling it when the time comes to better separate the cabin from the engine compartment. But, it has come in handy when dealing with the batteries. (The squirrel from last year appreciated it too...)
Nothing special at all with my ground tackle, something I'll need to address this Summer.
It was kind of fun rereading the thread. I've been in a serious funk this weekend when I finally determined my overly ambitious launch date was a bit too optimistic. But looking a year back, I'll still probably be able to get in before I did last year. :)
Launch tomorrow afternoon. Yippee!
How did it go?
Pictures?
Hey Tim. No pictures, sorry. But, launch day went very smoothly, thanks.
Yesterday was mast stepping day. I took the afternoon off and joined a couple of other sailboats at the club to do the deed. We waiting all afternoon for the wind to die down, and it was 6:30 PM when it was finally my turn. I took the launch out to my boat to head in to the crane. I opened to raw water seacock, turned the key and with great anticipation, pushed the button to start the engine. ...Nothing. No turning over, just nothing. It ran and started perfectly the day before. :confused:
So, instead of rigging the boat my next trip out there, I'll be bringing Nigel Calder, Don Casey and Mr. Manual to troubleshoot my starting issues. :mad:
BTW, nice looking website! (http://www.fuji32.com/page_home.html)
Good to hear the launch went smoothly. There is always that moment with me where even though I know it will float, I expect the worst.
I ran into a similar situation this spring running mine on shore. The throttle for my diesel needs to be set back to neutral in order for it to start. I would throttle down some and then turn the key off, then pull the stop cable to turn the engine off. I couldn't turn it over again unless I put the throttle back in the neutral position. I don't know exactly how it works, but it appears to reset something. Hopefully your problem is as simple solve.
Thanks for the website plug. Once I have more material it should fill right up.
Thanks for the thought Tim. I went down this weekend with your angle in mind, thinking I had missed something, but to no avail. Eventually, I DID get it going though. As a last ditch effort, before I started dismantling everything, I thumped the solenoid with a rubber hammer, powered up, pushed the button, and vroooom! Go figure. Looks like I'll be needing a solenoid.
Hopefully, the mast will go up THIS weekend...
It's the old "hit it with a hammer" trick. I have tried that on most things I work on to no avail. Glad to see it worked for you:)
BTW-Excalibur Launch date is confirmed for 6-14. There was a 6-13 spot open, but being a sailor I was too superstitious to take it! The plan is still to head north on the monday after the 4th of July with Casco bay in our sites the end of that week. You should pm me your cell number so we can do some coordination.
Nothing wrong at all with 6-13 - that's my son's b-day!
I'll be in touch...
At last the new season is here!! :D
Sweeeeeeeeettttttt... :)
Of course she's the center of attention.
THAT's a GOOD LOOKING little boat.
OK, now check out the others in the background....
Feel the same thing???
Anything at all?:p
Well, I missed out on getting the boat hauled before the docks were pulled this year, so I'm staying in until the end of October. So far, so good!
Wow! Another gift weekend for October! My son and I went to explore an old fort in the middle of Portland harbor.
It's easy to get lost in the lists of lists of things to do and jobs that need tending to. Yesterday was a nice reminder of what it's all about...
http://picasaweb.google.com/mbderr/FortGorgesOct192008#
A good day! :)
I just love these boats!
...still dreading that November winterizing though. :o
That looks like it was a great time, Mike. Truely envious here. I gotta chuckle, with a tear in my eye, 'Novermber winterizing'?! Must be nice!
Very nice MikeQuote:
Yesterday was a nice reminder of what it's all about...
Hey Mike,
On the prospective winter project list... on the chain locker cover pictured in post #11 http://pearsonariel.org/discussion/s...2&postcount=11, I can't tell from looking at it - is the panel with the anchor raised or routed out? My eyes are playing tricks on me and I can see it both ways!
Hi Kyle, I see what you mean... It's a removable panel. It's got little clip things and a cleat along the bottom on the backside so you remove it and access the chain locker. I'll be tarping this weekend and can take some pics if you're interested...
Well, after some unpleasant news in the beginning of the year at work which left me wrestling with the idea of selling Sea Glass for a couple of months, then a long and soggy Spring which seems to have no end in sight, Sea Glass is finally back in the water at her new mooring field.
The sun poked out for a moment and the wind picked up just enough to go out for a short sail. I think these guys were just happy to have some sun to dry out a bit - they didn't even try to move, just watched us slowly ghost past them...
I had a "full circle" moment as we sailed past Orca. She was the first Ariel I came across on the web a number of years back and the one that got me hooked. I even emailed the owner Ed a few years ago to see if he was selling back when I was looking for my Ariel. Now, I'm happy to have landed in the same mooring field as Orca and will see her every time I go out. Looking good Ed!
Also, a quick "thank you" to Ted Mahavier for his generosity - a little piece of Chalupa lives on (main sheet block) and will enable Sea Glass to sail the waters of Southern Maine for the forseeable future! (Hope you're enjoying your spacious CD28 Ted!)
Mike, I know what you mean on news from work, Who gets GOOD news from work any more? I would guess only the people who work the printing presses making money for this Gov'ment.
Boat looks great. Ted M. is a very generous man indeed, I got a couple of much needed parts as well,
Have a great sailing season.
Thanks Carl - we're trying to get out between rain storms!
Here's Sea Glass at her new mooring, and Orca just beyond. Nice to have another Ariel for company. :)
Well, it's been a short but fun Summer. Sea Glass and crew spent the last couple of weekends at Chebeague Island in Casco Bay. Just a few hour sail and we're at the Chebeague Island Boatyard, but it feels worlds away.
I felt quite at home with all the Alberg hulls in the mooring field. Ensigns are everywhere, they've got a huge fleet there.
#1 - an Electra
#2 - Oops! I stand corrected. One much more knowledgeable than myself pointed out this is a Sea Sprite 27, not a CD 27. That means it's not an Alberg hull - but it's still pretty nice... :o
#3 - one evening, a Triton pulled in and anchored at Crow Island, just across the way. To the right, you can see an Ensign, just behind it, the recently purchased Commander 126, then some non-Alberg to the left...
Chebeague Island is a very special place. One day we hiked out to Deer Point, on the SE tip of the island.
#1 - Deer Point looking West to Little Chebeague Island
#2 - Deer Point South towards the Atlantic
Cheers everyone, enjoy the rest of the season! Fall is here in New England. :o
Maine...the best cruising ground on Earth!!! I know what you're feeling inside when you take your kids to these magical places. We're doing our kids right Mike.
Sailing off the mooring...
Pretty decent Sunday afternoon view of Portland harbor from the mooring...
Back on the mooring...
Mike
That companionway looks great! I may have to add one of those to periwinkle ;)
Cheers
bill@ariel231
Spring has sprung! Hopefully I'll be putting her on my mooring sometime this weekend.
Picture courtesy of the Chebeague Island Boatyard webcam...
Congrats, Mike!
She looks great out there. That is probably the best use of a webcam I've seen yet!
I must confess, through the winter months I go to the St. John Island Spice webcam that look out onto Cruz Bay Ferry dock. Whew! That was cathartic. Thank you, Mike.
So I headed out to the island this weekend to bring Sea Glass to her home mooring. The forecast was for 70's and sunny with a nice breeze picking up in the afternoon, thanks to a high camped offshore for a few days.
Sunday morning, my wife took me up the the ferry landing and this...
Here comes the ferry...
I'm not complaining. It did clear up somewhat once I got out there, and at least it wasn't hot. The item in the foreground, however, was a harbinger of things to come...
The Yanmar ran for about 5 minutes then abruptly stopped. I have never been a fan of where a PO place the fuel fill - on the floor of the cockpit. A curious decision to say the least.
After finding lots of water and algae in the fuel, I diagnosed a failed rubber ring on the fuel cap. As much as I like my Yanmar, it is not a hydrogen fuel cell and algae is the wrong kind of "bio" for the diesel.
The sail home will have to wait. So I put the main sail on and called it a day.
There are certainly worse ways to spend your day...
Apart from the fact that you have Sea Glass moored in a Impressionist painting....
Mike,
that fuel tank situation sounds like a disaster!
Visited a site called Diesel.com where I learned you have 28% degradation of diesel after 28 days storage in the tank.
To keep a diesel happy it's like the guy who has to keep the plates spinning, running from one to the other constantly!
What does one do with fouled fuel? How do you get the solids out?
How do you get the slime out, clean the tank, clean the lines? Can you afford changing the filters constantly?
Is the station where you buy the diesel selling you good stuff?
Man!
Just gonna say you can always go sailing! But looking at how tite and tidy and skinny the blue cover is on your boom... have you checked your mainsail recently?
Wish mine was in the water!
Hope it's not as complicated as it sounds, nor as expensive.
Mike,
I know this may be long winded but..... Once Algae is in your tank you have one of two choices, kill it or starve it.
Kill it, you have to treat with a biocide, this stuff is very dangerous for you to use, think totally suited up and don't get any of this on your skin or breathe it either. This difficult for an individual to purchase.
Starve it, All the water moisture has to be removed from the fuel and kept out long enough to starve the algae, I can't tell you how long that is , it depends on the algae, probably 3 or 4 weeks ( although forever would be good) Go to a NAPA type parts store and buy fuel additive that removes moisture, in ME anyone that sells diesel will have the stuff, my favorite brand is HOWES but any will work. Drain the water out if you can ,replace filters and run engine. You may want to consider a fuel/water seperator for your boat if you don't already have one. Keep your fuel tank full and use the correct amount of fuel conditioner for several weeks and your problem will be solved.
I might add here a test for algae or simply sludge, drain some out of the filter and smear on a cloth. spray this gunk with a degreaser or starting fluid. If it dissolves it is just gunk, if the cleaner does nothing to it , it is algae.:(
That's my "short" answer!!
Carl thanks for the reply! Also, I was just assuming all the black floaties in the watery fuel I was draining was algae. I'll certainly take your advice for future use, but this time around, being that the boat is still at the boatyard out on an island and difficult to get to, I elected to go the "call the boatyard" route. I've been pleased with their responsiveness and have no doubt they'll do it properly. I'm just worried, as Ebb mentioned above, what the final invoice will look like...
Sorry to hear of the troubles Mike. I'll be putting in around June 9 and bringing her over to the mooring that weekend. Ed
Mike,
Sorry for your troubles.
This is a common problem, the internal tanks are usually way too big and you can never burn through a tank in a year. the fuel gets treated in the fall, a gallon or two are added in the spring, on and on. pretty soon the mean average age of the fuel in the tank is five years.
What I like to do is ditch the inboard tank completely and add a 3 gallon outboard tank complete with squeeze bulb. you do need to add a fuel return line by installing a brass barbed fitting from the hardware store or better yet another fuel quick disconnect. The squeeze bulb helps with bleeding the engine after filter changes etc. With this tank you can take it home with you to fill it, easily inspect the fuel and ditch any remaining fuel at the end of the year. The whole set up will run ya about $75.00. On a long voyage, just bring more tanks.
Mike
C227
Carl, that is a fantastic idea! I've been intending to do the squeeze bulb thing, but had never heard/thought of the portable tank. It'd help with my trim issues too. Very clever. Thanks!
Ed - hope to see you out there soon!
Today I'm on the fence with the portable tank idea. It certainly has some merits, but so does a well cared for (eh hem!) permanent installation...
Saturday the 29th looked like good weather to bring her home. The weather report said 10 MPH winds from the South in the afternoon, and the boatyard cleaned the fuel system and pronounced Sea Glass 'ready'.
...but the winds didn't materialize and as soon as I put the motor into gear and gave it throttle I started belching a black cloud of exhaust and trailing soot in the water. But the fuel was quite clean. The boatyard had just closed, so I made the decision to just get her to my mooring already where she was closer. Halfway home, the engine finally just quit. But the wind did pick up enough to have a nice quiet sail home where I tucked her in for the day.
It is high time for some TLC and proper care and feeding of the Yanmar anyway, which I'll deal with this season. Fortunately, I don't really need an engine where I'm located.
I was glad to have her close by and back home, and was rewarded Monday with a very nice and breezy sail out and around one of the islands. :)
Sea Glass at her mooring...
Mike,
That looks like one of the Ariel's big sister ship Triton that you are moored next too. Do you know the owner or the hull number?
BTW, beautiful pictures!
Ray
Triton 106 "Blossom"
Alameda, California