To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.

Team Red Cruising

  • Parting Gifts

    The folks I used to work with (back when I had a day job) gave me a parting gift. Burgees.

    545261FE-9129-4F38-93B8-1F67C995FC45 1 105 c
    545261FE-9129-4F38-93B8-1F67C995FC45 1 105 c

    We had a stack of three we'd use for festive occasions:

    • The Whitby-Brewer pennant.

    • The SSCA pennant.

    • The West River Sailing Club pennant.

    Now we have …


  • The Aging Marine Sanitation Device

    We had two lovely Wilcox-Crittenden Imperial 51 MSD's on Red Ranger. We took out one to install a composting head back in 2012 (see "Painful Head-ectomy.")

    8AA24096-EED1-412D-9D7D-FB67AE36E77D 1 105 c
    8AA24096-EED1-412D-9D7D-FB67AE36E77D 1 105 c

    We've kept the other working pretty well considering it's something like 37 years old at this point. It's a heavy …


  • The Hard Dodger

    Here's a temporary hack. I think it will work for a few years. We'll see.

    We have a custom-built "Wave Stopper" hard-topped dodger. See, for example, "Annapolis VI: ‘Done'" for some information on this. It was (7 years ago) a wonderful thing. Sturdy. Dry. Clear windows. Hand-holds. Really nice. For …


  • Sacrifice

    The ocean is a battery. Salt water conducts. The various metal parts of the boat conduct.

    And this means some parts are being galvanized. Other parts are giving up atoms to support the galvanization.

    Since it's inevitable, and unstoppable, the solution is sacrificial anodes that can give up metal and …


  • A Gift

    Let's begin with the assumption that the port-side water tank leaked. There was ample evidence to support that hypothesis. A leak means we have to replace the tank. (It's essentially impossible to make a repair through the tiny inspection ports.) Replacing the tank takes money and time.

    And saw blades …


  • New Sails

    Here's the new main.

    Our hull number is 188. But the sail maker felt we needed something. So the "42 W" is for Whitby 42.

    5BFCC903-1C17-44BA-AD34-04D013F54FFD 1 105 c
    5BFCC903-1C17-44BA-AD34-04D013F54FFD 1 105 c

    I'm tying in the 3rd batten.

    Since CA is taking the picture, they're not helping.

    Below this batten, I have to …


  • The To-Do List

    How do you keep your to-do list?

    Paper? iOS Reminders app? A spreadsheet?

    What's on it? Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul? Anything else?

    I've been using Toodledo for years. Well over 10 years now. It has an iOS app as well as a web app. It has a kajillion features with folders …


  • Bladder Emptying and Hand-Washing

    A Bladder Cleanser sounds like a special cranberry juice drink. But really, the job isn't over until the hand-washing afterwords.

    0382724F-7444-485E-951E-8D5F44F03226 1 105 c
    0382724F-7444-485E-951E-8D5F44F03226 1 105 c

    Yes this is a picture of soapy water in the galley sink.

    We put a little dish soap in the tank. Ran in some water. And …


  • Bladder Test

    It sounds so medical. It's not. It's technical.

    FE4C40E7-00A5-4659-B65E-2097BB367178 1 105 c
    FE4C40E7-00A5-4659-B65E-2097BB367178 1 105 c

    Here's some parts.

    This immensely complex T-fitting with appropriate hose barbs all around.

    It's wonderfully Byzantine.

    The deck filler has a bushing to narrow it from the default 1½″ to 1″. This is actually good because the tiny …


  • The Old Bronze God

    This was what we use to help fill the water bladder in the dinghy. It must weigh well over a pound. Solid bronze (mostly) with a shiny brass part.

    736E46D1-97F4-4A4F-B05B-9C230D90470F 1 105 c
    736E46D1-97F4-4A4F-B05B-9C230D90470F 1 105 c

    There's a pair of bushings at the bottom to reduce a 1¼″ threaded pipe down to ¾ …


  • New Start

    Today involves a bunch of new things.

    • A new year in the blog. Things are rearranged and reorganized.

    • No more day jobs for either of us. We're fully retired.

    • We started bending on sails now that winter has passed us by.

    • I finished fixing the outboard bracket. This involved a …


  • Vacations: Vegas, LA and the Bahamas

    Ahh. Vacation. Seems a little odd when we live on a boat. But time off the boat makes the time on the boat all the sweeter. You can play, too. We're thinking more seriously about the "Guests in the Bahamas" alternatives.

    We visited our kids for the pan-holiday celebration: Thanksgiving …


  • One of those little solutions

    The problem is stuff that's loose in the head when we're under way. In the ICW, a few things rolling around the counter tops don't count for much. But on an offshore passage, loose bits wind up getting scattered around the head, making life unpleasant.

    IMG_2176
    IMG_2176

    The commodore saw a …


  • Departures

    Three Whitbys left the Ortega River this morning, heading for slack tide at the railroad bridge.

    IMG_2153
    IMG_2153 "*Joie de Vivre*"
    IMG_2157
    IMG_2157 "*Creola*"
    IMG_2165
    IMG_2165 "*Hold Fast*"
    IMG_2162
    IMG_2162 "*Joie de Vivre* and *Creola*"

    We're so jealous.


  • That Smell

    We had a kind of a smell the other day on Red Ranger. A new and unpleasant smell.

    Found the cause.

    IMG_2136
    IMG_2136

    Not happy about that.

    It was a Samlex/Cotek ST1500-112 Pure Sine wave inverter with a 30A transfer switch and a 30A circuit breaker.

    Emphasis on the was …


  • Whitby Rendezvous — JAX

    The BIG rendezvous has traditionally been in October in the Chesapeake.

    However, since CA is now the president of the rendezvous for this year, she'd like to see more rendezvous in more places.

    Voyager II, Creola, Red Ranger, Joie de Vivre, Hold Fast
    Voyager II, Creola, Red Ranger, Joie de Vivre, Hold Fast

    What are the key ingredients? Whitby/Brewer …


  • Propane Problem: Pressure but no Flow

    Here are the symptoms: full pressure and no flow.

    Pressure gauge reads 80 psi just like normal.

    Propane solenoid clicks just like normal.

    And.

    No gas. Zero. Nothing flowing.

    Here's the secret: turn the gas off at the cylinder. Disconnect it. Wait for the gas to hiss out. Reconnect it …


  • New Year Jobs

    New Years Eve: Red Ranger, Creola, Joie de Vivre and Voyager II. Pizza, a little champagne. Whitby 42 talk. I waved the camera around, but didn't even get half the group. Rick got some better pictures, I'll try to post them.

    IMG_0774
    IMG_0774

    CA has washed just about the entire deck …



  • Entertainment

    Not related to safety or sailing, but still a priority for Red Ranger. Also, it's something we'd like to do while we've got a few weeks with West Marine and Radio Shack less than ½ mile away.

    We have a doddering old marine cassette player. Cassette. It has an auxiliary …


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