Five days to launch!

Liberty44140

Yea and #10 is still there, the hinge pin and the pointed pin above the float. Thanks guys!

LaRea

She's in, and yesterday was a spectacular day for a cruise!  (Sorry @raybo3).  Sunny, 55 degrees, and the Potomac was as flat as glass.  

The only drama happened at the marina where I'm having canvas installed.  When I came down off plane, the float switch in one of the drive lube reservoirs got stuck, setting off the "low gear lube" alarm.  After I verified that the reservoir was full, I had to do the "dock of shame," and tie up with the alarm blaring.  

Today I cleaned out both reservoirs to remove some ugly sludge that had built up.  Problem solved.  

The canvas guy said "You cruised here straight off the blocks, and that's the only problem you had?  Go buy lottery tickets."

Handymans342

Did they weigh your boat by chance??

Cableguy Greg

Sounds like it was a great day. Glad you got the boat in. We have another month or so up here in Pittsburgh. That pesky sludge in the drive lube reservoir. I cleaned mine out last year. It was nasty.

Liberty44140

Looks great! What did you use to clean out the lube tanks? Just wipe them out or is it brake cleaner?

LaRea

The lift at Fort Belvoir is about 100 years old.  It doesn't have any fancy technology like scales.  Every time they manage to start that wheezing old engine, I wonder if it will be the last.  

For the reservoirs, all I did was add a few ounces of fresh drive lube and give it a vigorous shake to dislodge any remaining crud.  Then I poured it out and called it done.  I didn't have time to completely remove the reservoirs for a thorough cleaning.  

Cableguy Greg

Mineral spirits is what I used to clean mine out. Worked like a charm.

Willhound

You're killin' me! At least another month here as well.

Handymans342

Always ready to launch here

randy56

Rain changing to snow here today. No boating in my neighborhood for some time. 

Dream_Inn

That is great @LaRea !!  I clean out my drive reservoir thoroughly ever fall when I change out my gear lube.  I'll be drinking my first drink (and overnighter) on her this St. Patty's Day! (& it'll be a good one since I haven't had a drink in over 6 weeks!! )

LaRea

Ohhh yeahhh, big time on the Dream this weekend!  Tell the gang I said hello.

LaRea

Here's a little trinket that I removed from one of the reservoirs.  Looks like a red nozzle tip from a bottle of gear lube.  No telling how long it has been there.

 

randy56

Geeeez

reneechris14

That does not belong the there,just saying.lol

Dream_Inn

LaRea said:

Here's a little trinket that I removed from one of the reservoirs.  Looks like a red nozzle tip from a bottle of gear lube.  No telling how long it has been there.

 

LOL!  I bet Al (PO for those that don't know) wondered where that went!

rasbury

If you clean it with spirits, I'd think you would have to remove it from the system...would not want that stuff in the lower unit I'd think! I messed up my reservoir trying to remove it to the same. Not sure how that goes together, thought it was a nut on the bottom- it is not. Still have to fix that...if anyone knows please pass it on!

raybo3

Dream_Inn said:

LaRea said:

Here's a little trinket that I removed from one of the reservoirs.  Looks like a red nozzle tip from a bottle of gear lube.  No telling how long it has been there.

 

LOL!  I bet Al (PO for those that don't know) wondered where that went!

Not sure what size that is but could it be a cap off of a battery post?? Just say'n

LaRea

Nah, it's only 1/4" diameter. 

Dream_Inn

Well, I decided this morning to hold off again another week!   The upcoming rain/snow next Tuesday/Wednesday makes me think it's not worth uncovering my clean boat just to get an inch of rain and maybe a couple inches of snow on it.  I have next Friday off, so I'll uncover then!

Stodge

I still have over 3 inches of ice in my canal. 

Willhound

We were "blessed" with a couple if inches of white stuff this morning...

Stodge

Sometimes I think those windmills you guys have all over Ontario are actually cooling fans.

goalie59

Those wind mills are a menace. I used to love the coast of Lake Erie.Thanks to the Liberal government for those eye sores. don't get me started.

Handymans342

Upstate NY is loaded with them too

aero3113

This was one of my scariest flights when I was with the team. No visibility except for the other aircraft in formation and hundreds of windmills below. Every once in a while when the clouds would clear you could see the hilly landscape with windmills all over (This Flight was over Pennsylvania). Sorry, the video is posting as a picture for some reason.

Cableguy Greg

rasbury said:

If you clean it with spirits, I'd think you would have to remove it from the system...would not want that stuff in the lower unit I'd think! I messed up my reservoir trying to remove it to the same. Not sure how that goes together, thought it was a nut on the bottom- it is not. Still have to fix that...if anyone knows please pass it on!

Yes, remove the bottle from the system. Best time to clean the bottle is when the drive has been drained of lube. I wouldn't want the mineral spirits mixed with the drive lube either. The good thing is the mineral spirits evaporates quickly.

Willhound

Pic at a local ramp this morning. Below freezing at night and not much better day time temps forecasted for the next couple of weeks. It's gonna be awhile......

LaRea

Oy vey.  And we're looking at 3-6 inches of snow here tomorrow, but I'm sure spring will get here soon!

summerx

I think we are gonna see significantly more than 3-6 tomorrow, especially for those of us a little further north towards the baltimore area.  Some local areas are probably going to see 15-18" bw today and tomorrow.  And another potential storm next Sun/Mon.  Winter had its chance, now it's springs turn!!