Das Boot

Last post, I wrote at the very end that the boat was broke. A shaft was what I suspected at that time. It turned out to be a close guess but not quite. The Mercruiser Alpha One Outdrive is driven off the back of the engine by a plate that is bolted to the flywheel. The plate has a splined receptacle (a hole with grooves running the length of the hole) which receives a splined shaft from the top of the outdrive. The shaft is made of hardened steel, and the plate and receptacle are of aluminum, a slightly softer material. The reason for this is so that if you hit something, like a log, the receptacle will shear its grooves, saving the crankshaft of the engine.

Unfortunately, the plate is a bit difficult to replace. The outdrive must be dropped (the easy part) and then the engine must be unmounted and slid forward so that the bell housing can be removed, exposing the flywheel and the plate. Then the plate is replaced (part cost approx $200) and it all goes back together again. Labor cost was about $200 also.

I also had them clean the hull, as it was growing a lot of green fuzzy stuff. They scraped it all down, and then washed the hull with Muriatic Acid. That removed the staining. I took it out for a test drive afterwards, and was quite pleasantly surprised. The boat came up on plane much quicker, and went quite a bit faster than it had ever done before. The hull must have been dirty from when I got it. Less drag means more speed, and easier cruising.

The guys at the marina did the work, and I must say, they did a nice job. The boat runs great. I am gradually getting everything sorted out, and when this oppressive heat wave calms down at the end of next week (hopefully) we can start to enjoy the water again.

A second trip to Wisconsin this year

We had a great time a month ago or so, and decided to return for a couple weeks. We left TN on Friday July 27, and headed to southeastern Indiana. We spent the weekend with our friends Joe & Joyce. They have a really neat set up for weekend camping: their very own campsite with a travel trailer, utility shed, gazebo, etc. in a park set up for just that purpose. It is located near the Brookville Reservoir, a man-made lake that is quite large with fishing, skiing, and water sports in general. We also met Joe's brother, and had a great relaxing weekend. The picture shows Joe & Joyce on the porch of their camper, and the other is a shot of the mill at Metamora, a restored village from the turn of the century. Thanks, Joe!!

On Sunday afternoon, we meandered to Milwaukee, via Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. A traffic mistake, but quite lovely despite the traffic jam. Our main mission was to install some wood laminate flooring in the mother-in-law's house which we had ordered a couple weeks prior from Lumber Liquidators. The flooring didn't make it until the following Saturday, so we tried to find ways to keep occupied until then. The Wisconsin State Fair opened, and I went to that. The roasted corn-on-the-cob, bratwurst, cream puffs, and beer were just as good as my memories of them from 30 years prior. The people were great, happy, friendly, and the music was much better than I remembered.

Saturday, Sunday, and into Monday, we labored on the floor. It turned out very nice, and many thanks to my lovely wife, sister-in-law, and her husband for their help. Also, a tip: Buy a good set of knee-pads. The investment is well worth it. My knees and legs actually felt okay after the job was complete. Here's a section of the finished floor:

I also had a chance to see my brother a few times. Most notably on Wednesday evening at Conway's Bar on 23rd and Wells Street. He plays at a blues jam session there regularly, and it was a good evening for the music. Three of my army buddies accompanied me to this evening, very nice because the four of us were all drafted the same day in February 1969, and experienced basic training together under the harsh tutelage of Sergeant Spangler.

We had a picnic one day on Lake Michigan, the picture shows a couple little girls playing on the beach under a roof made of driftwood. I checked with their mother before taking the picture. You can't be too careful these days.

And it wouldn't have been a complete report without a picture from the mother-in-law's garden. Click on any picture to see it larger.

So life returned to normal when we got back. Its hot here in TN, and very dry. I had to mow the lawn, and catch back up on a few tasks. The boat sheared a shaft somewhere in the outdrive today, so that's going to get fixed in the next few days. Oh well.....