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Our Sailing Hideaway Blog and YouTube videos will remain active. Join the HideAways as we tell, through blog stories and videos, what life really is like on a small, 23' Com Pac sailboat. We'll show the joys, thrills and chills of the sailing life, but also what it takes to maintain a boat, trailer and truck. You are just as likely to learn how not to do something correctly as to do it right. That's important too! New! The Hideaways take to the road! Follow Traveling Hideaway: Winds of Wanderlust Transitioning from Sailing Hideaway to Traveling Hideaways as sailors learn to travel without heeling, well, not much, anyway. The Paint Wasters Society unlocks the art of paint squandering with sheer delight, free from the shackles of remorse or guilt. Trust me, a century down the line, nobody's going to bat an eyelash, so why not indulge in some paint splattering shenanigans today? Let's turn those pricey pigments into a canvas of laughter and joy.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

The HideAways Sail the Third of the Fourth- Compac 23 Sailboat Gulfport Fl



Join the HideAways as they sneak in a sail between the storms of summer-

An 8 hp Hot Headed Evinrude Outboard - Mr E Lost His A-- In This Edition of The Adventures of the HideAways

Mr.  E  A 16 Year Old Hot Headed Evinrude


We last left Mr. E. leaking oil and spouting steam.

The oil leak needed to be handled anyway and the water pump was high on the suspect list along with the dreaded possibility of clogged water passages in the cylinder head.

Exploratory surgery would be next on the long road to outboard motor bliss.


There are three bolts holding the gear case on to the extender. The bolts are only 3/8 inch, two of which are inconveniently located on the zinc under a fin and one very long one at the front of the Evinrude, each salt encrusted.

The instruction books all tell you to “remove the bolt” or some such, as if this were the easiest part of the job. 

Ha! It could take days to remove just one bolt or seconds to break one of the buggers off.  The HideAway's luck held with all bolts successfully if not easily removed.

 
A Crack in the Plastic Gear Case Cover caused the Oil Leak



Evinrude, in it's infinite wisdom, uses a plastic gear box cover. Plastic!  (See the crack between the two forward bolts)

Not to worry you can get a new one for $60.00 to $90.00. 

Plastic!
Makes you wonder what the pistons are made of doesn't it?




Some good news!  All but two of the impeller vanes were broken with one of them barely hanging on.

Good News - Four of the six pump vanes were broken!!




But where were the the missing four?




FOUND 'EM!

All of them were found clogging the water uptake to the engine- Right side of photo.  Whew!

 Since all four vanes were recovered in large pieces and an obvious oil leak found, the HideAways are fairly confident both the oil leak and the over heating problems are resolved.  'Course we're still waiting for the El Cheapo gear cover casing to arrive. Plastic!


Can the HideAways make the repairs before the Labor Day


Stay Tuned. . . .



Recommended Vendor
Boats.net    They have reasonable prices and ship quickly and accurately

Not Recommended
Maximo Marine - St Petersburg Fl  They don't

Sunday, August 22, 2010

It's Always Something with these Evinrude Outboard Motors!

Can't really complain though - not much anyway Mr E just turned 16 so I suppose it really is time for some maintenance to be done.   He's leaking oil now from the water intake.  'bout time for some surgery -- Parts on the way -- Again

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Motor's Busted Can't Sail - What to Do? - Watch the Staghorn Dance of Course!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

A Hot Headed Evinrude Outboard Motor - Mr E Has A Fever

No sooner than his ignition system was cured of some malaise Mr. E our 16 year old 8hp Evinrude outboard motor developed a fever. The Capt most likely would have blamed it on an unfortunate snort of sand and prescribed a deep flush after removing a nylon fitting from the head for a more through enema. It had been a successful prescription in a past life.


Upon breaking said fitting off and the unsuccessful removal of the remains of said fitting the Capt had no other choice but to remove the exhaust plate from which it came.

The white channel on the left was completely blocked
After two days of struggling with the six bolts holding the plate to the engine block it was revealed that Mr. E had developed hardening of his cooling arteries which explains his hot headed tendencies of late. The HideAways have never been engine flushing zealots; however they were shocked at the amount of gunk clogging the channels.

To be continued . . ..

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Adventures of the HideAways: How To Install and Use a Throwable Life Ring - Compac 23 Sailboat

Adventures of the HideAways: How To Install and Use a Throwable Life Ring - Compac 23 Sailboat

How To Install and Use a Throwable Life Ring - Compac 23 Sailboat

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Steamy Summer Sailing

The very best time to trim a palm tree on an August day in Florida is just after sunrise.

 “OK – That’s it, I’m done”

“Wait a minute, you only cut down five dead palm fronds!”


“Yeah but the sun came out and I’m soaked through and shaky”

“Break time?”

“Break Time” confirmed the Capt.

The HideAways beat a hasty retreat to air conditioning and a cold beverage enjoyed on the overstuffed recliners. Whimp City in Florida always involves mechanical air conditioning.

The natural version, a shade tree or a summer shower, is only used when no other choice can be found. Either kind though has magical powers as the HideAways noticed on a sultry sunny Saturday recently.

“So, ya wanna go sailing this afternoon?” The Capt mused sipping on his cold beverage and stretching out on his recliner in the aforementioned mechanical air conditioning.

“Whaaaa…?” The Admiral objected “You couldn’t even cut six palm fronds down in this heat and now you want to go sailing??? Ha!”

“Well you know …” excused the Capt “we’ve got to test the motor and fix the bimini and repair the sails…..”

“Ok, hot shot- Let’s review the situation here” the Admiral reasoned;

“It’s 8:00 am and it’s already 85”

“Right”

“The humidity is 81%

“Check”

“The heat index will be 110 this afternoon”

“Yep”

“The water temp is 92.6”

“Aaaa … yeah….. so?”

“Look at the trees—There’s NO WIND”

“Well … suppos’d to….”

“Maybe in Gulfport….Hmmmmm

“Could catch a sea breeze…….

".........Let’s go then!”


The real risk from mechanical air conditioning is it prevents adventure. Yes the trailer tongue was painfully hot to the touch without gloves and yeah the water temp equaled the air temperature and no the HideAways didn’t actually sail anywhere.

But the motor is fixed (waaaahooooo) the bimini is up and the sails repaired. We had a nice swim, practiced throwing our new safety ring, sat around listening to Prairie Home Companion, had a brew or two and headed back in under power as the sunset blazed the evening in the sky.

Not a bad way to spend a steamy summer Saturday in Florida.


“Wanna go......?”

Film at 11