Why Name a Boat "Forever"

We had a far more romantic reason for naming our boat "Forever". But.... "Forever" has come to mean...... We are Forever working on her!!!

We started in earnest last July 2008, working on getting the "last few things" ship shape for our departure next month, February 2009. Well a "few things" led to "a few more things" discovered. Seems everything needs a second look.

For those of you that are not boat owners, it's not a bitch, it's a fact. Boats, old boats, need a lot of TLC, some say it's a labor of love, some say it's boating fun. Whatever it is it beats cutting grass.

A word to the wise. If you are going to do major refitting, you should not be living aboard at the time. Why, you might ask.... To live aboard you have to put things away, you have to move things, things that you may never find until you've purchased another, used it or dropped it overboard from the top of the mast. Funny how items dropped from any distance will bounce off the deck into the water, and while in sight move in slow motion. Or it seems!

We've replaced motor mounts and had to sacrifice an oil sending unit in the process. Replacing the leaking connectors on a hot water tank led to a crushed rubber drain hose. ( I leaned against it while admiring my work. ) Running power cables for new macerator pumps ( garbage dispolal for the tolet ) I found green corrosion on old terminal blocks. Cleaning the motor... well let's just say...... sometimes cleaning uncovers a lot of ills!! Then there is the lines that raise the sails, funny they seem fine until you are up the mast and can see them up close and personal. Especially if the line is holding your butt 60 feet in the air.

But the good news is that we've found it here at a dock and not 300 miles off shore.

West Marine and Garmin have become personal "best friends". They should, by this time, be calling me to see how we're doing. A good thing to know about West Marine is that they will match any price you can find on the internet or other stores.

One last thing for this posting. Plastic tie wraps, you love them and hate them. It all depends if you are pulling cable or putting it in!

Above Deck

While I'm working below deck, in that little engine room, I'm also working above deck with a rigger from True North Sailing Service, Rob Mundell. We've checked the shrouds ( the cables holding the mast in place, think of a radio tower with those steel cables holding it up and you've got the picture ) and the roller furling ( the device that allows us to roll up the sails instead of raising or lowering them ). Seems it's time to replace the shrouds, all 10 of them! After 29 years of service it's time. The good news... the connecting hardware is good and does not need to be replaced. I bet they don't make parts like that anymore!

The new shrouds hold the Flag proud, not to mention the mast. The roller furling by ProFurl still works fine after all those years.

If only "Forever" could talk, what an adventure story she could tell. Her logs show that before we got her she had sailed the Greek Isles, Spain, England, Scotland, Iceland, Canada and from Main to South America. She's may be a little worn but she's a fine ship. She'll be ready when we are.

Parts are Parts

There are times when sailing that you need to engage the engine. Some that come to mind are: Storms, running against the wind through a cut with a rocky bottom, or just docking in a tight harbor. So before we sail it's down to the engine room. Now for those who don't know, engine rooms on most sailboats are small... very small. In fact they even get smaller at sea, so it's better to get things done tied to the dock. The good thing about our CSY 44 is that her engine room is just the right size for a 5' 8", 145 lb sailor. But..... unless Gail does all the work ( now that's a thought) at last count I'm a little larger than that. Oh, and another thing, it's hot, really hot in there. And for some reason when I get really hot I sweat! Not just a little, a LOT! The real problem comes when the sweat gets into my eyes. It seems to prefer my right eye. Then it runs onto my glasses, I wipe it off with..... a dirty, greasy hand! So then it's, crawl out of the engine room, wash my hands, clean the glasses, wipe the sweat off my head and return to the belly of the beast. By the way did I say that my sweat has an extremely high salt content. So you know how salt in the eyes feels, right!





So what did I find in that little room?

Having taken the raw water connection off things looked ok for a 1979 Perkins 4-154 original to the boat. However, once I took off the water elbow it was a different story. Can you say; restricted flow, something growing in here! I wonder how water even got through here.

Replacement Parts.... Flange $197.00, Elbow $ 239.00, Gasket $ 2.40





Raw water filter for the engine intake. Should be brass colored. Hmmm... The green is what happens to brass when it comes into contact with salt water. After checking I found the intake valve would not completely shut off the flow when checking the filter. Not a big problem except the valve was leaking into the bilge. A slow leak.

Problem: Loose valve control fitting. Tightened



So what do we have here. Looks like a bulge in a rubber hose. Nah... not that easy. It's just a short connector between the heat exchanger and the thermostat housing. The only problem here is how to remove it so I can check the thermostat.

Thermostat for a Perkins...... $ 97.00 OCH!
Gasket $ 2.00
Charge for cursing part $$$$$$$$$$!!!!

So as you can see there is a lot to be checked and done. The good news is that I've got time here at the dock to do it. Then when I'm done I'll know ever inch of that little engine room and maybe loose a little weight.

Countdown to Points South

Countdown to Points South

We decided to cut the dock lines and point Forever south. People ask, "Where are you going?" Our reply "Sailing." We do not have a time frame to be anywhere or for that matter to return. We are going with the wind. Blue waters, blue skies, and good winds that all we ask. That's all every sailor ask. Right?

But first it's... Get Forever sea worthy. Check the rigging, repair the main, replace the motor mounts. The Perkins 4-154 is a good diesel but she needs TLC and lots of it. And who knew that diesel fuel craves attention or it'll fall apart and return to tar! Then there's the pricey matter of Radar, GPS, Auto Pilot, and weather fax. Just to list a few....

Good First Mates are hard to find. I got the best! She's everyready to lend a hand.

First just a little about Forever.

Forever, is a 44' CSY (Caribbean Sailing Yacht) cutter rigged, center cockpit, walkover. She was build in Tampa FL in 1979. Outfitted for the Caribbean and used in the barefoot sailing fleet. Reading her owners manual, she was fitted with the convinces, the power and safety features required by the demanding sailor. As the 1979 manual stated... The modern head works with ease, when flushing be kind to your neighbour, should they be swimming. Holding tanks have since been added!

Home Port

Our home port is the Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach, FL. Nice safe harbor off the inter coastal (west side), floating docks, nice live aboard neighbors. Like... Helen of "I-Dock", Shits and Giggles, Walt the Wizard, Mic the Dingy Man, Saddie, Sassy, Maggie (Australian Sheep Dogs) & their Mom.. Vicky, Jimn'I, and then least we forget the "Mayor". All have their stories, but that's for another blog.

NASCAR founder Bill Franks river home. Just across from Halifax Harbor Marina.