When my
engine installer told me what the
bilge looked like..(thick tar like substance) I questioned him how long he thought it was leaking like that. His response was something like, "It's a
Perkins... When was it put in?" I responded, "1978". His reply was, "Well....with the best of care they didn't leak until 6 years old. So.... 1982 till 2012." I do wish I could have gotten some of the SuperFund clean up $$'s.
I have a lot of respect for the Columbia River Bar...
A couple years ago I set out from the West Basin heading for Ilwaco. Winds here brisk at about 20 knts and the seas were a bit choppy in the 4 to 5' range. Not quite at low tide yet I was going with the flow under full sail in the
shipping lanes about 20 degrees off the wind. Approaching the edge of the bar the winds shifted
head on. Made the rest of the trip across under bare poles into a 40 knt headwind and 8 to 10' waves. My boat got a good
deck washing and the bottom got really clean as kept launching off the waves and piercing thru the next. Totally awesome crossing that day.
Docking in Ilwaco is always a thrill... If it wasn't for the SeaGull crap on the guest docks they would probably float away. (Seagull crap the glue that binds). The docks are usually empty so I drop the fenders...go to the middle of the two slips and let the wind position me.
Two days later I had one of the best sailing experiences of my life. Left Ilwaco under partly cloudy skies. 10 knt breeze at about 120 degrees. Incoming tide with 12' swells at 16 sec following seas. Surfing a 10,500 lb sailboat was incredible. Watching as the swells built behind me. I would swear they would join me in the
cockpit and about that time the stern would
lift and away I would go. Surfing/Sailing the swell as long as I could and then finding myself back in the trough. Over and over played the same
game for about 5 hours. I wish I had had my Go-Pro back then.