Fixing the Outboard. Again.

Fixing the Outboard. Again.

Why won't the bleeping outboard just stay fixed? This is the second time we've had to fix our Johnson 15 this week. First it was the water pump, and that took two days. Now it's the starter cord, and it's looking like that's going to take two days too. Yesterday we went into Mahon to do some last-minute provisioning. We were using the Johnson to do a long-range test. We got there perfectly well, if a little bit wet because of the waves. We got our shopping done, and then tried to start the motor. On the fourth or fifth pull, Dad pulled the starter cord right out of the housing. On examination, we saw that the cord had frayed and broken. Dad got out the spare line that we keep in case of this sort of emergency and wrapped it around the flywheel. He pulled the line right off the flywheel, and the engine purred to life without a single cough or sputter. We were amazed. The engine had never started on one pull before. Then again, he had pulled it several times before the cord broke. We got a good deal of the way back before the motor died. Then we got it running again, only to have it die only 20 feet upwind of the boat. We decided to just drift down onto the boat, even though we were on the wrong side. So ended our adventure with the starter rope.
--Orion Date
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Check-in/OK message from S/Y Juno SPOT Messenger

S/Y Juno
Latitude:39.92511
Longitude:3.89446
GPS location Date/Time:08/30/2010 14:56:12 GMT

Message:Juno's latest position:

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3NMml/39.92511/3.89446

If the above link does not work, try this link:
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S/Y Juno

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Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
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Check-in/OK message from S/Y Juno SPOT Messenger

S/Y Juno
Latitude:39.80809
Longitude:4.23233
GPS location Date/Time:08/30/2010 09:59:46 GMT

Message:Juno's latest position:

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/3NI9D/39.80809/4.23233

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=39.80809,4.23233&ll=39.80809,4.23233&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

S/Y Juno

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Meeting other American

Children in the anchorage. . . . And absconding with their kayak.
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A Dark Adventure

A Dark Adventure

I never dreamed of the possibility of driving the dinghy at night. Granted, I knew that I could and might have to if Dad couldn't, and we planned for that contingency, but I didn't think it would actually happen. It did last night. Our correspondents on Time Warp arrived in this anchorage yesterday, and we decided to join them on their boat for a movie night. We got to watch Master and Commander again, and it was a lot of fun. Then we realized that it had gotten dark, and Dad hadn't come with us. We said good night and carefully got aboard the dinghy. Then we set out. I drove carefully towards Juno with Rigel in the bow. Luckily there was a full moon, and our anchor light had come on, but we were coming in on the non-moonlit side of the boat. We came up to the side carefully, and then I saw it: the swim ladder was down! Our swim ladder is mounted on the side, and it can swing up on deck for storage. Someone had left it down after we finished swimming. I swung the tiller to the side in time to miss the ladder, then came up hard against the side. Rigel pulled us forward and hooked us on, then I killed the engine. Dad came up and helped us aboard, then we went below for the night. I once had a dinghy solo before, but it was in broad daylight in Sibari, which has a totally enclosed marina. This was at ten-o-clock in the evening, with only the moon to see by. Still, it was a fun trip, and I'm glad to meet Will, who I'd only talked to before by e-mail.
-- Orion Date
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Checking out our neighbor, the classic schooner

Participating in the Copa del Rey race tomorrow.
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Annoying!

This is a rather good description of the instructions for our autopilot. You see, the autopilot has a watch alarm on it, so you know when to check the horizon when on watch. Not much of a problem right? WRONG! The problem is that the darn thing is set for FOUR MINUTES! At first we couldn't find the manual so we could know how to reset it. Then we found it, but it was missing the right page. When we went online to find the manual there, it was missing pages too. Now, do you understand why I want to vent so much?


-- By Rigel
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