Wow…what a day.
The Winches: Redux
As you know, we’ve been trying to get the winches unfrozen for months. More specifically, the aluminum winch drums, which clung to what I’d call the “spindle” like a cruiser unto his wallet.
So finally, Our Friend Jim got hold of a gear puller. And a propane torch.
Actually, Jim had these things before I even got back to the boat, and indeed had been working on the starboard winch: Pulling. Hammering with a rubber mallet. Heating. Trying not to singe his eyebrows off.
But the heating didn’t work. And the problem with the gear puller was that, while promising, the three legs of the thing kept coming off due to the diagonal flare at the top of the drum.
However, with the help of some non-stretch lineman’s webbing to keep the puller feet from coming off, we managed to get both drums off! (The “banging” sound you hear in the accompanying audio is actually the sound of the drum coming loose.)
Peter, Paul, James, and the Wonderful Gifts
And if that wasn’t enough success, we had a lovely HowNotToSailer meetup at Chattaway, and managed not to melt.
I got to meet HowNotToSailer Paul, who brought an incredible gift for The Admiral…namely these custom laser-etched sailboat earrings!
(And if THAT wasn’t cool enough, Paul later dropped off these custom-made coasters showing Jacie Sails’ elevation plan, along with the boat name and hailing port…in a custom wooden rack. SUPER cool!)
Needless to say, we had such a good time at Chattaway that I forgot to take any photos until only Peter, Paul and I were left…but not until Peter had given an impromptu tailgate concert in the Chattaway parking lot. (You can hear a hint of that in the attached audio above…and I’ll be sharing the complete songs with the How Not To Sail Patreon Crew and any meetup attendees who’d like a mimento. Hit me up!)
So after such a successful sequence of events, I suppose there’s only one question left to ask:
What could possibly go wrong?
I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.
