Thursday 1 September 2011

Any body still reading this?

Ok, im back from the summer recess, the one in which I turned 40 and spent a few weeks reflecting and sulking on the enormity of such a milestone. Maybe I just over did life in the preceding year and needed time to spend day dreaming, reading and generally doing nothing. Ive felt like ive been 19 for as many years as I can remember but now ive graduated to being 20. After all, 40 is the new 30 or whatever number you wish to call yourself, so its no big deal realy untill I see the wrinkles I didnt have 10 years ago. Isnt it funny how we spend the first 21 years wishing we were older and then spend the remaining years wishing we were younger. Anyway, enough about age. I feel awfully guilty that I havent done much boat stuff this summer but should I be rushing ahead so quickly? I hate doing things twice and thats the danger when you rush ahead. One example is the aft water tank. Ive had to move it to make room for the generator I bought back in February. I originally had a petrol genny which was going to live in a room sealed box cut into the side of the wheelhouse but petrol isnt the way to generate electric and fitting it in was going to be a compromise on space and quality of finish so I bought this Lister Petter 5KVA air cooled Diesel on fleabay. Having owned one in the past, I know them to be perfect long running economical reliable machines. I had looked at the more modern Chinese made ones in sound proofed boxes but the whole package is too big to fit in the engine room and it kind of defeats the purpose of the box if I had to start modifying it, besides, the Cheap and nasty Chinese replica engines dont last long. The only down side to the Lister is that its a hand start. The first one I had was an easy starter but this one is a real pig. There is a decompresion lever on the cylinder head which needs to be held down whilst swinging the starter handle with the other hand, Its so hard to keep enough momentum going once the lever is released and once im out of breath its game over. There is an electric start conversion available but when I enquired of the price I was shocked. More than twice what I paid for the genny. So........not one to be beaten, I move the goal posts and solve the problem. Miss Fixit wins again.

14 comments:

  1. Miss Fixit Rules! Welcome back Amy. We're still here waiting for updates. Standing by....

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  2. Hurray, you're back. Just so you know, I check on your site everyday. It's part of the morning coffee ritual.

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  3. Sorry to keep you guys waiting, I hope its worth it

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  4. Glad to see you posting again. I live in the heart of hurricane country and most people buy large generators that feed off natural gas. Of course wouldn't apply in your case but with the price and inefficiency of petrol diesel is the way to go. Keep at it.

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  5. Yeh, I'm still reading it, waiting patiently. Nice to see you posting again.

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  6. Still here too... nice job. What did you decide on calling her in the end?

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  7. Been waiting patiently Ames,
    only just got back from my Hundred Day away in the little fisher.

    If you are bored one day you can read the blog. Managed to get round the Shetlands for the longest day.

    The barge has had some mods despite all the research but most has stayed the same. A few niggles to sort but not much, and you did spend a long time thinking about you build so I wouldn't expect you will have to redo much.

    glad to have you back,

    billy

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  8. Oops, forgot the link.

    It is in with the others from the mudclub so it can be a tad tedious to find.

    http://mudclubber.blogspot.com/

    billy

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  9. Amy,
    I have just read your blog front to back and did not see anything about putting the engine in.

    Could you by chance tell me what month that post is in?

    Thank You

    Bill Kelleher

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  10. Billy, - I will have a read laters

    Bill K,- long story but, I took my engine to the M&D yard so they would have the dimensions to make up the bearers, and I left it there, so when the boat was almost finished, and they had once again run out gas/steel one afternoon, despite my instructions to the contrary, they dropped the engine in the hole and bolted it down.

    Needless to say, ive since had to unbolt it and move well over 1 inch to Sbd to align with the propshaft. Just remember the definition of 'Expert'
    Ex is something that was
    Spurt is a drip under pressure.

    M&D were and still are drips under pressure, in other words, a waste of a life.

    Ive got a few problems to resolve with the stern tube at present, thanks to the drips, so will post more when I get it sorted out.

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  11. Hi Amy:
    Can't post under my name for this blog but am Charlie from CF. Glad your back. Hope my prodding didn't bother you too much.

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  12. Wondered were you had been and missed the updates, but good to have a break from the boat for a while. Best wishes, Pete

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  13. Hi Amy.....
    No actually I wasn't reading it,
    because I didn't know it was there..
    But I will try to drop by again
    Sadly my memory is what it is though !
    CU
    Cornish Dragon
    x

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