Permission to come aboard!

[Rock-Head]

Howdy folks, I've been lurking here over the past few months while my sweetie & I shopped for our "new to us" home on the water. While she has zero sailing experience, she's eager to learn. I cut my teeth way back in the day, with a SCUBA charter out of Miami. We'd head east on week long trips on a 65' sloop to the Eastern Caribbean. I started out as deckhand and ended up as the ship's cook bangin out three squares a day to 25 passenger & crew. I worked there for about a year and a half and I consider the experience to be one of the finest of my life.


So fast forward 23 years and I’m back on a boat! We just picked up a ragtag 1978 Lancer 30 in need of some serious love but we’re looking forward to putting her back together piece by piece, bit by bit. First order of business is repairing the inboard (SB12 with a blown head gasket, been catching hell finding a gasket BTW), removing the raggedy a$$ headliner ~and giving her a thorough scrubbing inside & out.



You folks have been a treasure trove of knowledge (and a bit of good natured ribbing here and there) and I look forward to contributing to the community, though it will be several years before we’re in a position to cruise more than a few hundred miles from home, I hope we fit in. Or maybe not.

[sparrowhawk1]

Welcome aboard

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum Rock-Head. Some of us here have a pretty good sense of humor. I hope you do too.

[crazyoldboatguy]

Rule #1 - keep the Admiral happy. The boat is blessed if the crew is happy. If you have known your sweetie for a long time, buy her some sailing lessons. It can be a challenge if you try to teach her yourself. Remember rule #1.

If you haven't known your sweetie for long, buy her some sailing lessons anyway. Rule #1 applies.

Welcome aboard!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy Rockhead (and Mate) and welcome aboard the forum!

Your previous job as cook on a big sloop for diving sounds like a very interesting time.

I think I would have enjoyed that too.

Have fun on the forum, and share what you can when you can!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Rock-Head.

[Rock-Head]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

Rule #1 - keep the Admiral happy. The boat is blessed if the crew is happy. If you have known your sweetie for a long time, buy her some sailing lessons. It can be a challenge if you try to teach her yourself. Remember rule #1.

If you haven't known your sweetie for long, buy her some sailing lessons anyway. Rule #1 applies.

Welcome aboard!

"The Admiral"... that's awesome... I had been telling her she would be the First Mate but I think she just got her new nickname. I knew going into this that she would need to be 100% on board (literally and figuratively) so I made sure she played a huge part in finding the right boat for us.

I've had my eye on the local ASA school here and the 101 course is a priority for her. We've been together for several years and while we get along famously, I can certainly understand how "teaching" her could get dicey


Oh, and I finally found that blasted head gasket today. After a solid week, 30 or so websites, about 20 phone calls to at least 5 different states, I found three gaskets. They were at a local marine supply, 5 minutes from the house. It's always the last place ya look.


Thanks for the warm welcome folks!

[brownoarsman]

Head gasket would be complicated, but if any of your simpler gaskets are blown, you can make your own, if it helps. Welcome aboard!


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[Rock-Head]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Your previous job as cook on a big sloop for diving sounds like a very interesting time.

I think I would have enjoyed that too.

Oh it was an awesome experience. One I carry with me to this day. Hell I still remember her name (the boat, not the other kind of "her". There were lots of the other kind but I'll be damned if I can recall any of their names) It was the Morning Star. I met & recreated with many, many interesting folks and learned to sail & scuba "OJT style".... Good times fer sure.... oftentimes I wonder how life would have turned out had I stayed on the boat instead of joining the Army. Water under the bridge!

[Rock-Head]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

Head gasket would be complicated, but if any of your simpler gaskets are blown, you can make your own, if it helps. Welcome aboard!

Oh yes sir, I've got a handle on that. I've been wrenchin on Chevy's & Jeeps for years. Heck, my last thought before finding these gaskets were to pull the old gasket, take it a machine shop & try to mill a metal gasket out of some "close to appropriate" material. O' course I've since had a qualified diesel mechanic tell me it probably wouldn't work~ but I'd give that a shot before committing to a full repower.

[brownoarsman]

haha, nice! I'm lucky in that the Home Depot in marathon is full of former mechanics' mates from the navy. It's the best marine store I've ever been to! And of course it's nice not having to wait for a gasket to get shipped


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[Jubilee39]

In many countries, Ecuador, Columbia, Philippines and the like head gaskets are often made in a local shop quite satisfactorily. In the disposable societies like the US no market for these skills so more difficult to fing

[Rock-Head]

Originally Posted by Jubilee39

In many countries, Ecuador, Columbia, Philippines and the like head gaskets are often made in a local shop quite satisfactorily. In the disposable societies like the US no market for these skills so more difficult to fing

I thought using thin gauge aluminum, cut on a CNC table even, was a great idea.

I've always preferred refurbish/repair over replacement. Especially arbitrary replacement. Just because somethings old doesn't meant it isn't good. Hell, I find most things manufactured over 50 years ago lasts a lot longer than anything made within the last 20 years. I imagine it would take a healthy measure of that attitude to successfully take on an old boat... unless you've got more $$$$$$$ than you know what to do with.

[brownoarsman]

In my case it was more like spending a dollar to save a penny! I just didn't want to wait for the gaskets or go through the hassle of ordering parts. So I got a hundred dollars' worth of near tools from Home Depot and went to town!


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[Rock-Head]

Hmmm, fair enough. I reckon that custom gasket woulda ran me close to a hundred bucks, lol.