July 1-8 -- It's The Second Half of the Year with Light Wind, High Heat and Eight Days of Boating Activity

It amazes me how quickly the first half of 2019 has gotten past us; whoosh! It has been quite hot here, with light wind. But four of the eight were sailing days. In each case we rarely achieved five knots, but being out on the water underway made it cooler than on land.
First, was with Tom and Marie, friends who Lene and I met on a bus tour of National Parks out west a few years ago. Dinner at Artie's because the Club restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

Second, was with the Old Salts. I was one of fourteen, probably not a record number but I can't recall that many folks.  I sailed aboard Ohana and I suggested that the jib halyard be raised two inches to get the wrinkles out of the headsail's luff and tightened the lines holding the dink on its davits to snug it against the rear pulpit to prevent potentially dangerous swinging. Refreshments were aboard Deuce of hearts.

Third, was with Mendy. I taught him the location, color, purpose of proper handling of all of ILENE's 19 sail control lines. I had never counted them up before. And at the end I drew diagrams for home study. Photos would be better. We got a mile past the Whitestone Bridge before heading back. Mendy  had the helm most of the way. And after our return me met Lene at the subway and drove with Mendy to Bennett and Harriet's house for a BBQ. Mendy's Dad, Ken, joined us there in admiring the koi pond, swimming in the pool and playing ping pong before dinner and a board game after.

Fourth, was with Lene, her actress friend Sacha ( who has sailed with us before) and Sacha's mother, Irina, a first time sailor.  My error, no harm done, was inattentiveness while auto steered. We passed, by only about fifteen feet, past a floating fishing boat. Way too close. "Where did HE come from?!" All told, about 15.5 hours off the mooring, and not exciting sailing due to the lack of wind, but good times with friends.
And three work days, for a total of 14.5 hours. The first, was mostly a trip to the City Island fuel dock, about 90 percent of the way around the island counterclockwise, for 35 gallons of diesel in the starboard fill (empty) fuel tank. The biggest bill I ever paid at a gas station at $4.11 per gallon. I did put out the small jib on the way back for a while, but I can't count this as a sailing day. And I poured almost half a gallon of distilled water into the 24 ports of ILENE's seven batteries to top them off.
The third work day involved three primary tasks.
1. Changing the zinc in the refrigerator's salt water cooled condenser. I wasted a lot of time looking for the replacement zinc in the life-raft locker but found two rusty tools there that I cleaned up, oiled and stored in plastic, and cleaned out the dust and dirt that had accumulated in that locker. (The zinc was in the second place I looked, a small drawer in the aft compartment.) I have to remember, for next year, that the zinc change should be done with Lene's help. That way I could have avoided squeezing myself into the awkward space aft of the engine -- four times. She could have taken the yogurt containers full of seawater that drain from the condenser once the sea cock is shut off and the zinc removed, and brought me the plumbers tape which I forgot.
2.  I motored port side to the Club's dock, and used the recently recharged electric drill to drill out the bolt holding the port aft-gate stanchion in place. This picture shows the significant bend just above where the stanchion goes into the base.

Nothing is ever easy and I used the dentists pick and the miniature curved needle nose pliers to get the head of the broken bit and the remnant of the bolt out of the hole. And the old bolt and its hole were 1/4" diameter while, when I shop for the new one, it has to be 5/8". But now with the help of Bob and Pat, we will get the port lifeline back into place. Pat suggested using JB Weld, a glue that hardens like steel, to fill the 5/8" hole and then drilling out a new clean 1/4" hole through it. This shows the toe rail with the stanchion that was broken off removed from the base to the right and the base removed on the left.

3. And at the dock, I both pumped the port fresh water tank dry and refilled it, and gave ILENE her first bath of the season.
The eighth day was the Club's annual Fourth of July BBQ, with all the trimmings. Mendy went with me. It is an all you can eat affair and I fear that Anne, our caterer, did not make a profit on him.

In about three weeks our cruise to Rhode Island will begin. That state has 27 anchorages and ports with water deep enough (and located seaward of low bridges) that ILENE can visit and I have only been to ten of them - so far. A challenge!