There Ought to be a Law
This project, like so many others, just didn’t go as planned.
A surveyor had pointed out the need to replace a failing exhaust hose on Second Star, the 1993 Sabre 362 I’d just bought. Complying with that recommendation had consumed my day. At first the work progressed as I’d hoped, both ends of the hose were easily accessible and within a few minutes I’d disconnected the hose and clipped the wire ties securing it. But then the battle began, with me losing at several attempts to remove the hose.
V-Belt Tensioning the Easy Way
A version of this article originally appeared in the June 2017 issue of the Good Old Boat Newsletter. A follow up article is also available in the August issue with another take on the same idea submitted by GOB Reader Jim Shell.
Edit (12/1/2018): Rod Collins of Compass Marine recently published an exhaustive article about alternator mounting and belt tension. Far more exhaustive than this article, it is worth reading. Here's a direct link to the article: Marine Alternator Installation – Tips & Tricks RC gives tirelessly of his time and knowledge to help DIY boaters, he deserves our support. Be sure to visit his store!
As the story goes a kingdom was lost for the want of a nail. A sailor’s lament might be a vessel was lost for the want of a v-belt. Many systems on a modern sailboat are dependent on a functioning inboard engine, electricity, refrigeration, hydraulic pumps, and cooling the engine. Yet v-belt maintenance is often avoided.
Deal On!
“Hey, Dave, I finished Whisper’s survey yesterday. Did you notice the rudder?” Well, of course I noticed the rudder. I won’t claim to have a surveyor’s eye, but I know enough to make sure the rudder turns smoothly and the bearings are tight.
“Yes, Shawn, I checked the bearings, looked fine to me.”
“Did you notice the crack on the trailing edge?”
“Say what????”
“The broker didn’t notice it either.”
Whisper
September. A month possessed of an uncertain identity. Today a reminder of summer, tomorrow hints of winter chill and damp are ushered on its shoulders. The whims of September make planning a challenge. With a warm southerly wind on a September Saturday, sailing is the order of the day. With a winter chill thoughts turn to staying warm and sailing southern waters. It was fitting that I headed to Buffalo, on a gray drizzly day.
A Place Where Dreams are Born
There is a time and place where a dream is born. Sometimes it is a small and fleeting place, one that escapes into memory and curiosity. Such was the case with this dream. The dream in its generic form is one that is shared by many; sail away to distant lands, azure waters, white sands, and sun filled skies. Magazine photos of sailboats at anchor, beating across tropic seas have an allure unto themselves.