CARVER OWNERS CLUB
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January 2006
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Stories
What Is It??

I received the following note and photo asking for some assistance.  Here's the note:  The attached picture is of a device (there were two of them) which I received when I purchased a 1990 3607 aft-cabin. A few years later I purchased a 1988 42' aft cabin. And, again, I received a pair of these with the boat. Do you know or can you ask the membership if anyone knows what these are for?

[Each piece is] about 9-11" long. There's a slot in the "fatter" end which probably fits onto something and the screw knob tightens and holds whatever is in the slot, in place.  I agree that it looks like something that would be used to hold a shelf in place. But the fact that both boats came with them makes me think that they were part of the boats' original equipment and I can't find anywhere that they would fit.  Tom.

Here's the photo

I suggested that they were part of a fish cleaning shelf or grill, but Tom thinks otherwise since they were on both boats.  I have one other idea - the pot holders for the Princess stove.  Send your ideas along to webdude@carverownersclub.com. 

 
Oregon Ice Storm
In January of 2004, the Portland Oregon area had an ice storm. We had 4 days of 22 to 25 degree temperatures and freezing rain. The owners of boats and moorages struggled to remove the ice and snow from the metal roofs. On the 4th day, about 100 ft of the roof over my section of the moorage collapsed on 25 to 29 boats, 3 sank. My 1973 28 foot Carver Monterey was under the roof for a week. 
When the salvage crew got to my section and retrieved it, I found that the fly bridge had been pushed down through the cockpit cover and all the canvas had been ripped.

This was a very discouraging time as the damage was very close to insurance maximum and I had the decision as to whether to fix it or bail out (no pun intended). I almost decided to look for a 33’ Monterey but I recovered from 5 foot it is. There was no water intrusion into the hull and I had just gone through the engine room with a rebuilt starboard engine (complete rebuild of the reverse rotation engine) and wheels, bottom paint, etc.
So I decided to take the boat and the insurance settlement and have at it. I moved it to anew moorage and found a local craftsman who would take on the job, (reasonably priced).

 

 
As the project progressed, I found myself compelled by the boater’s curse of “while it is open to this stage why don’t we”. While the work progressed I upgraded some of the wiring, steering, installed a second depth meter and so on! I fear I pushed my by then friend and craftsman a bit by stepping in every time he got bogged down with something. I did a lot of legwork finding wood, parts, and ordering the windows. 
When a lot of boats are damaged at the same time, things like stainless rails, rail fittings, canvas, glass are in short supply. It takes some legwork to find them, order them and encourage those that bend, sew, and cut to pay attention to your boat needs in a timely fashion. Sometimes standing in the shop, face to face, is an encouragement. Of course, politeness and courtesy at this time goes a long way, too!!
It took from January 2004 to Thanksgiving to complete the work. For me, the decision to keep the boat and repair it was the right thing to do. I had the time and the incentive to work on the project and to see it through. I see other boats that were damaged at the same time that have not been fixed yet, and with some, no work has even been started.

 
The Judi Lee today.

I ended up with a boat that was stronger, updated, and more useful than it had been. I also learned much more about the mechanics of my boat and became a more knowledgeable boater!

I realize that this rebuild story seems rather small compared with the devastation of Katrina but it can be done and you can end up with things a little better than when you started.

 

 
Boat Hunting 

Patsy and I are searching for our next boat after losing Cygnet to an electrical fire.  Looking for a boat, especially in Florida, has been an, uh, interesting experience.  I can't decide if I like the broker who refused to meet with us on a Saturday afternoon because he "just couldn't work after 2 on a Saturday" or the one with dyed black hair in tight short shorts.  I thought he was pretty cute, but Patsy refused to try to negotiate a discount.

Then we went to Nashville Tennessee to look at boats on the Cumberland River with a broker named Larry Mathes (cell phone 615-530-2700).  Larry met us at the airport, took us to see four or six boats (including his own, a 1971 41' Chris Craft that is extensively reworked), and offered to drop us anywhere to wait for our plane home.  We saw Eddie Arnold's boat, for those of you who know who Eddie Arnold is.  While in the airport, we asked to go to a bar-b-que restaurant nearby.  A limo driver dropped us (at no charge) at Bar-B-Cutie where we feasted on ribs, pulled pork, and brisket.  People couldn't have been nicer.  A taxi took us back to the airport and our driver, a recent arrival from Ethiopia, was waiting for his big break as a country music star.  He was hilarious.  I hope he makes it.  We didn't buy a boat in Nashville, but I sure do wish we could have.

 
Ozone Generators

We received no responses to the last note.

 
Cleon's Cleaning Tips

We have two cleaning tips this month.  The first one is not from Cleon, but it seems like a good tip.  If you have ever tried to clean up a fender/bumper/inflatable thing that you hang off the side of your boat, you know how hard it is to get the black streaks and gunk off of them without making the plastic soft.  One member swears by a product called Clorox Outdoors.  It is a mixture of soap and Clorox that you dilute, spray on the fender, wait a few minutes, and rinse off.  It does a great job of cleaning.  Use caution when using this product because it is an eye and skin irritant,  will rot cloth immediately, and can cause other damage.  Use away from the boat.

Cleon's tip involves a product developed for the aerospace industry.  You should not use a metal polish, such as Flitz or Brasso on your windlass.  It can damage the windlass operation.  Instead, clean the windlass with a toothbrush dipped in diesel fuel and wipe dry.  Then add a waterproof lubricant.  Cleon recommends BOESHIELD T-9, available from West Marine.  Make sure you avoid the clutches in the windlass or you may be in for a long day getting the anchor up.

 
Dave's Silly Tip of the Month

Patsy and I anchor out most of the time, rather than go into a marina.  We tell everyone that we like anchoring because of the freedom it gives you, but, in reality, we're just cheap.  Because I'm cheap, I hate to run the generator unless I'm making her majesty's coffee.  If we use the lights too much, the batteries go down and we have to charge them by running the generator.

We use two different types of lanterns to avoid using the 12 volt lights on the boat.  The first one is from Garrity.  It's a LED lantern with battery life of about 200 hours on three C batteries online at about $30).  It's great for ambiance lighting.  This lantern also makes a great emergency anchor light.  The second lantern is a Energizer with fluorescent tubes (Home Depot, about $13). The battery life on four D batteries is about 40 hours.  This is  a great lantern to read by, or actually do stuff where you need to be able to see.  We also use this lantern in the bilge to see what we are working on, but NEVER around moving or spinning equipment.

 

 
Upcoming Events

Let me explain my terminology.  A Saturday Night Out (SNO) is a gathering of Club Members and others (you do not have to be a club member to attend).  We typically have drinks, followed by dinner.  Each couple or group is responsible for their charges.  You may cancel your reservation at any time without penalty.  A Rendezvous is a sponsored event with a flat fee charged to cover the extended weekend.  You must be a Club Member or approved guest to attend the Rendezvous.  Fees are paid when the reservation is made and there is a restrictive cancellation policy.  A cruise is a disorganized lurching from one destination to another, based on weather, mood, and supplies.  It is either a lot of fun or a nightmare, depending on your level of discomfort with chaos.  While we do not pay people to participate in our cruises, we probably should.

  • February 18 - Amelia's Bistro in Jersey City, NJ hosted by Diane and Joe Lipowski.  Starts with drinks at 6:30.  This was one of our largest SNO's last year.  This year, we are adding a weekend out with special hotel rates for Friday and/or Saturday night in mid-town Manhattan and/or a Broadway show.  So, if you want a New York City weekend, or just want to attend the New York SNO, email webdude@carverownersclub.com.  Please indicate the number of people in your party.
  • February 25 - Peppercorns in Oxford, PA Saturday Night Out hosted by Scott Gundaker.  Starts 3 pm. This is a BYOB restaurant with no corkage fee.  Email webdude@carverownersclub.com if you would like to attend and indicate the number of people who will join you.
  • March 11 - Wilmington, DE Saturday Night Out hosted by Sarah and Gary Willoughby at their home in Centreville.  This is a catered event, so the club will charge a fee with the reservation.  Again, BYOB. Email webdude@carverownersclub.com and the number of people attending.  This event is limited to 30 people, unless you would like to buy Sarah and Gary a larger home.
  • April 8 - Upper Chesapeake Bay Saturday Night Out at Harbor House. 
  • May 15 - 16 - Skills Building Weekend at Fairlee Creek.  This is a great way to learn more about boating with an emphasis on anchoring out.  We'll cover anchoring your boat, star rafting techniques (the only safe way to raft), GPS basics, and other skills topics.  Again, this is fairly limited to the number of people we can accommodate.  Single boaters can use this weekend to build their confidence in boat handling.
  • June 9 - 11 - Sixth Annual Chesapeake Bay Rendezvous, site TBD
  • June 11 - 18  - Second Annual Chesapeake Bay Cruise, up the Potomac to Washington, DC. Two days up, two days in DC area, and two days down, with one day to home port.
  • July 2 - 5  - Cruise/Rendezvous at Utsch's marina, Cape May NJ.  Here is a description - Utsch's marina is a beautiful marina, reasonably priced with all of the essentials without the extras: clean bathrooms, clean showers, new facilities, excellent ship's store, reasonable fuel prices. Their web site is: http://www.capemayharbor.com. There is an incredible restaurant (not theirs) and fish market right next door. So, boat owners can go buy fresh fish right there and barbeque it right on the shore by their boats.  Space is extremely limited.  If you are interested, email webdude@carverownersclub.com or call 800-540-2926.  This event is limited to Club members.  We plan to convoy from the Chesapeake Bay to Cape May on Sunday, July 2.
Featured Boat

This month's featured boat is Sudden Comfort, a 1986 4207 that will not last long.  Here is the link to the featured sale boat: http://www.carverownersclub.com/boatSales/detail.php?boatAd=179