READY FOR THE OCEAN AGAIN ......................................

In and out in two days ......................Now that's a record for us ...........We were fortunate enough to be able to be hauled out under the auspices of the right contractor, in this case Robert Lemire, who runs the propeller machine shop in the boatyard at PUERTO DEL REY MARINA.....................You have to have an appointed contractor to oversee the work being done here................ As it turned out, once ARITA was out of the water, the cutless bearing was found to be completely loose and spinning freely................ A 'cutless bearing' is a bronze collar that is rubber-lined and supports the stainless steel propeller shaft at the outward end .......... The propellor shaft runs inside a bronze stern tube and there is a water-tight seal at the inward end ............ This keeps the ocean out.............How are we doing so far ...............So 'Bobby' was the perfect man for the job ....................In next to no time a new cutless bearing was acquired and the spacer collar was machined (see photo below) to fit the stern tube that houses the propeller shaft ................. Our prop was also investigated, and flattened in order to give it more drive ...............Our propeller was what is called 'cupped' ..... Meaning that the tip of the three blades bend slightly inward thereby hanging on to the water a little longer .................This gives you a great 'bite' like a tug boat, but doesn't exactly move you along with any great speed ................We think we have fixed that problem .................. They do some incredible work here and the propellers we saw in the "prop shop" put our little 19 inch one to shame ................. Measurements are all computer controlled, so as to ensure identical weight and balanced props, on twin engined vessels ........... ........................Learned a bunch of stuff myself ..............



But at the end of a day, there is nothing like a home-cooked meal of sweet golden Canadian salmon, pan-fried to perfection in butter, warm on the outside and a little less so in the middle, served on a bed of crisp lettuce with bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices, and a sprinkle of salad dressing, and surround by slivers of smoked cheese ......... Delicately prepared by the "Queen" of Everything ................Even if you no longer have the strength to climb the ladder twelve feet in the air to get on board after showering.

And as for showers ................ Well that's a cold water affair, half a mile away, using soap, degreaser and a wash cloth laced with mineral spirits and a dash of lacquer thinners, and of course, the proverbial hull-cleaning scrubbing brush. ................. You don't sing in the shower, you simply whelp in pain ...............

But then again, tomorrow at 8 AM they're coming to get us and gently put us back in the water.............................