Linnea
This site is about sailing a 36 ft junk rigged boat. And finish it.
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Stupid me
Posted on October 14th, 2007 No commentsI would like to think I know a thing or two about boats. The problem is, as the years go by, people who know stuff tend to become a bit rigid in their beliefs. But not me, you see. I don’t only know a lot about boats. I have also found a way to keep modest and continue to learn. I simply mess up big time, once in a while.
Yesterday we were going to take off the mast. In the plans it clearly states that the mast foot should have limber holes. But I didn’t put them there. I figured that could wait, since we were only going to make a few sail trials and not sail the big seas this year. We wouldn’t have big waves rolling over the deck. I mean, what could happen?
If you don’t put limber holes in the mast foot the mast swells. And it is difficult to remove a swollen mast. The mast crane was able to lift the boat quite high out of the water, though, pulling the mast top.
Now I have learnt something. Feels great.
8 responses to “Stupid me”
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Did you get any photo’s? That’s something that I would like to see!
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Unfortunately, my mobile phone went flat just as we mored to the crane.
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Ricard October 16th, 2007 at 01:38
So with your recently aquired vast experience- how did you get it out?
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Well, we are thinking of filling the boat with that stuff that is in small bags when you buy electronic equipment. Don’t remember what it is called. silica?
I drilled the limber holes, though./m
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Not sure of the name, but I have got some super sized packets of it, which I retrieved one day taking imported cars out of shipping containers at work. They had a couple in each car, about 13cm x 200cm. I’m not sure if they import/export cars in containers in Sweden, but you could try talking to someone at a container port to see if they can get you some.
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Thanks.
The peasants in the area also use it for something, so their stores sell big bags.
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Ricard October 20th, 2007 at 19:42
Museums use silica gel pellets in huge amounts as they dry out display cases which contain metal objects. I’m sure there is some industrial supplier of it somewhere. The cool thing with it is that supposedly you can dry the little thingies in the oven an d re- use them.
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Yes, that’s it, Silica Gel.
The farmers use it for something as well. Probably when it rains too much.Anyway. Today I could see that the swollen food had shrunk due to the new limber holes and a heater in the boat. We bought a dehumidifier as well.
The swelling is actually a good thing, since I was a bit afraid that a swollen mast foot could actually crack the mast step. The Egyptians are supposed to have used wooden wedges to split stones; put in a wedge, pour on some water and…
Anyway. We can wait until mid November if we wish until we bring her up.
/m
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Stuart Crawford October 14th, 2007 at 20:20