something from nothing

[JusDreaming]

The most exciting thing that has happened is, I ran over the painter (line on dingy), with the boat, which immediately wrapped around the prop shaft. Luckily Diane killed the engine quickly, but not before it did some damage. It wound around the shaft and manage to pull the engine almost off it mounts, it did in fact shear one mount’s bolt in half. Which then allowed the engine to move out of alignment, and it started leaking a bit from the “dripless” seal on the shaft.
Well I get the small leak fixed, (first priority keep water outside the boat), then I start removing the broken mount. With a quick ask for advice on VHF, “Mane Bris” came back and told me he had a complete workshop on his boat. So I remove the mount and head for “Mane Bris”!
The thread on the mount is metric thread, and no metric bolts around that size. We have a glass of rum, and then Hal says, “I wonder”! he gets up and grabs a C-clamp laying on the work bench. It looks like the same thread, it is made in China, and so it’s metric. I grab a hack saw and harvest the screw shaft, then I remember I need another nut, so more hacksaw work and now I have a nut and bolt, and Voila new engine mount. Gotta love making something from nothing! Sailors are good at making chicken salad out of chicken crap. J Remember the definition of cruising is working on your boat in exotic places!!!!!!!!!!

[Pura Vida]

Good story

ncdd, good story. Just goes to show what a little ingenuity can accomplish.

[Lynx]

Are you getting a new painter that floats and replace it every 6 months?

[N.M.I.ke]

Pardon my newbness, but I can see why you would want a painter that floats, but why would you want/need to replace it every six months?

[ssullivan]

Good story! Wow. I'm amazed that guy has a working shop like that on his boat. MacGyver lives on.

Good jury rigging - I think that's one of my favorite parts of bad situations.

I found a nice line to use as a dinghy painter last season. It was a water ski rope that washed up on shore. About 50' of it. It's all purple and yellow and crazy colors, but it floats and it's worn (or not worn at all) very well.

I cut it in half and have 2x50', so when it comes time to change, I'll have another. Who said walking the beach you can't still find treasure!?

[Alan Wheeler]

Hey ncdd, you need one of these.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...n-99304680.htm

[Lynx]

A line that floats will not get into the prop, well, almost all the time. I have one and I have yet to get it caught in the prop.

This is usually a polly line and in the Tropical sun will decay in 6 months easily. If not replaced you can loose your dinghy when towing.

[N.M.I.ke]

Thanks for the reply. I live in the tropics and didn't figure the degradation was that rapid. Then again, I imagine that with something as important as a dinghy is to cruisers, you would want to be extra cautious and swap out painters before it is needed.

[Chief Engineer]

The ability to Improvise, Overcome, Adapt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldYachtie]

The Coast Guard requires that inspected vessels (passenger carrying vessels) have a dark colored floating line connected to life rings. Apparently, dark line is more UV resistant.

[rebel heart]

That's a good story. A lot of people would have fired off flares and been sitting in a yard for two weeks waiting for the parts to show up from WM. I should bring along a couple spare engine mounts; just in case. Cheap as hell to pick up, but boy oh boy are you in trouble if you don't have them when you need them.

Good on you!

[Saildoggie]

Originally Posted by Kai Nui

ncdd, good story. Just goes to show what a little ingenuity can accomplish.

It was the RUM, don't you get it??

[Entlie]

Hi Denny, sounds like you and Dianne are having some hard won adventures - batteries, dinghy motor mounts, etc. I think JusDreaming has been talking to Sunspot Baby. But Sunspot Baby has promised to be good now, we are heading south tomorrow (knock on fiberglass).

Hope to see you out there.

Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby

[never monday]

I'm guessing those motors arn't as tired as you thought? glad I got to teach you how to extract them and realign.