Launched and Rigged (mostly)

[rfrance0718]

I dragged the Oday to the Lake on Tuesday. After a 12:00 arrival I splashed the boat, as I usually do, with mast down. It's a quick motor up the channel to the marina, and once there I feel that I can take lots of time raising the mast, rigging the boom, and setting up the Bimini.

I did run into a snag when I realized that the hard rubber thingy laying on the cockpit sole was part of my gooseneck, and that a second part was nowhere to be found. The missing part is just a 2 inch long, 1 inch diameter cylinder with a hole drilled through to accommodate the gooseneck pin. The part I did have would have been more difficult to reproduce, so I was pretty lucky. It did delay getting the boom on and the Bimini setup until the morning, and hastened, of course, the beer drinking and enjoyment of the setting.

It was a windy evening and one of the boats on the next dock howls like a jet engine. I can't imagine what it is that growls so much, there isn't a wind turbine, but it sure is annoying. I had to listen to it all the next day. I was thinking of going over and figuring out which boat it was and maybe leaving a note. I didn't and I'm sure that their dock neighbors will notify them soon enough.

I won't get a chance to go sailing until next week. Tami and I are heading out to San Diego to visit her son, who is based at Coronado. We'll be back on Tuesday and I'll go up for a couple of days and do a little 2 or 3 day circuit around the islands. All good.

[Timm R Oday25]

As long as you were on the water ,I would consider the day well spent . How difficult is it going to be to replace the missing part ?

[rfrance0718]

I waas able to make one quickly with some 1" aluminum tubing. I needed 2" of the 36", that I bought, for $10.00,so  now I can make a better version. I'll fill the cylinder with epoxy before I use a drill press to drill a proper straight hole, and I'll do a little finish work with a file, and maybe even paint it black to match the rest of the components. A new one from Isomat costs $29.00 plus tax and shipping.

But, looking up Isomat and finding their parts waas a godsend. I had lost the mast gate about 5 years ago and I had gone to their web site and I couldn't find the gate and nobody answered their phone.

This time, besides finding the gooseneck part,I also found the gate. It is a piece that I had tried to make without success, a piece that I hate being without, and a piece that I am willing to pay for, even at the ridiculous price of $89.00. It's also good to know that I can get other parts, like the sheeves which never last forever.

Life is funny.