Oxnard - Day 28

There is days like that. Days you should forget. I had high hopes to be sailing on the holiday week-end we have in US, "Labor Day". The yard was overloaded with boats wanted to go in the water for this occasion, and I was on the waiting list to put back my prop, shaft, coupling, etc... I cannot really complain, so far, they do not make me pay for all those "Lay Day" as we are waiting for parts.

Usually a day on the "Hard" is around 80$. Note that I would prefer to be on the water, as now, most of my remaining repairs I can do them in the Marina.

Anyway, I started early, I still need to fix my bilge pump if we want to put the boat back in the water, specially if I screwed up my Through-Hulls. Just kidding, no pump can keep up with  hole in your boat.

Or not for long.

Heat Shrink connections for the bilge

They are really expensive, but the work is super neat.

Not sure If you remember but they used Household connectors for the bilge, which is really humid. Corrosion at its most. Correct connections are made with waterproof butt connectors like those. And the water switch was broken too. Hop, a new one.

Cleanup, and ordered.

Reorganized the electrical and hoses in it too. Neat.

3 Holes, 5 broken Drills
Backing Plate: 1, Me : 0

I said last time I wanted to reinforce the transom. Got the plates, now, I need some holes. For my stern backing plates, I asked a shop to do it. 5$ the hole. But at that time, I did not have my real drill. I brought it from home last time. 

Now, I can  try it myself.

Obviously, it started pretty bad. Burned drill, noise and pain. I am getting nowhere. 7 Holes to go and already 20$ in drills.

I give up for now.

4.25", Right ?

Now the fun part of the day.
The yard finally decide to work on my boat. They get ready. And pretty fast, we all realize the coupler does not fit. WTF ? How a metal shop can do a mistake of 1" for a diameter ?

3.25", Right ?

I cried, and finally laugh a bit. Another lesson learned the hard way. Double check everything, all the time.
Isn't a rule of sailing ? Redundancy ?

Best Movie Ever ?
Excluding Star Wars which is from another galaxy.

I could not help to think about Spinal tap and their "stones edges" of 15" of height.
At least my coupler was not 5' of diameter.
In any case, I will be grounded for this week-end.
Again.