| Author | Message | ||
     David Sheriff Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 164 Registered: 01-2004 |
Forget all the license plate stuff and park where it looks good to park. I got over-prepared and the dockmaster was much more relaxed about parking. I have the new acrylic forward hatch and have fabricated mounting pads for the hinges and glued them on. It should not be too difficult to get the hatch mounted Thursday during the day. I can temporarily mount the center hatch. I still need to extract some frozen stainless fasteners from the aluminum frame. The British Seagull Featherweight appears to be in running condition after I worked on the throttle linkage and changed the oil in the gearbox. The gearbox oil combines with seawater to form an emulsion. It still lubricates, as that is how the motor is designed to work, but I think it's worth freshening up after a few years of sitting around. I bought gas today so I'll fire it up tomorrow. The new Seagull is a long shaft which probably will not do as well on the dinghy. Also, the previous owner was running it on 50:1 gas to oil when it should have been 25:1 or possibly even 10:1. It appears to have a compression issue, possibly from excessive wear, which I would rather not experiment with on the trip. It also takes SAE 140 in the gearbox which is not that easy to find. Lord only knows what's in there now. The Featherweight has been around Santa Barbara probably a half-dozen times, the last trip being the ill fated one where we needed to be rescued. I got quite a lot more insulation pellets blown in around the icebox Sunday. I'll throw some ice in Thursday to cool it down. With another 20 pounds we should be fine. I have charcoal and all needed for the grill. Please pass the word to John to bring at least a half-gallon of milk. If we're having oatmeal I'd rather not spoil your breakfast by having only evaporated milk, which has a taste you need to get used to and you might not care for it at all. There should be no problem re-splicing the compass light wires. I'll rig a dimming LED for the galley with any luck. | ||
| David Sheriff Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 160 Registered: 01-2004 |
Please email me a description and license plate number of the vehicle you intend to park (more than one if you are not sure) and I will make arrangements with the marine office. I doubt you will be hassled in any event as people sometimes park campers in the area I have indicated and stay the night with no difficulty. There are also cars in the parking lot that have faded "move this vehicle or we will tow it" signs posted on them that have been there for months. So the level of rigor about enforcing parking restrictions is low. However, telling the office you will be parking is procedure and may get the guards to keep an eye on your vehicles. I think the risk to your vehicles is very close to zero as there are both nicer and less nice cars in the lot at any given time than what you are likely to bring, provided it is not a late model Ferrari, and I think we actually have one of those. | ||
| David Sheriff Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 159 Registered: 01-2004 |
This is a Google Earth shot of the marina. Following earlier instructions, you will be coming down the road that runs from upper right to lower left. I have rather crudely marked a "good place to park" which hardly ever gets used, the gate to use marked "entrance" and the nearly exact location of the boat, although this does not look like my boat, so maybe I am one slip off.  | ||
| David Sheriff Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 158 Registered: 01-2004 |
I will be prepping the boat on Sunday August 3 and Thursday August 7th. As it looks like I may be teaching the Saddleback electronic navigation course this fall, with very limited time to prepare, I have ordered an AIS receiver and computer navigation software. So it looks like this will be even more of a tech trip than I had anticipated. With a bit of luck, the hardware and software will be delivered Wednesday, the day before we leave, so there may be a little en route rigging. I have acquired another outboard motor for the dinghy, so Reggie's outboard will not be required. It is possible we will regret this decision, but I don't think so. The motor is another British Seagull so you're all in for an additional treat. Also, my reputation for using antique outboard motors will remain intact. I have not taken delivery of the new acrylic forward hatch, so I am planning to make some kind of repair to the existing wooden hatch To ensure that we do not depart hatchless. My plan is to spend Saturday night on the boat to get an early start Sunday. You're welcome to join me either day. Getting the boat's sound system up and operating may not happen given the rest of the last-minute preparation. I plan to bring the spinnaker but whether we use it will depend on conditions. | ||
| David Sheriff Board Administrator Username: admin Post Number: 153 Registered: 01-2004 |
For the location of the marina check out 2600 Miner St, San Pedro, CA. On Google maps the pin show a location at the intersection with S Adams that is 1000 feet short of the marina, but as S Adams street no longer exists you will hardly notice. From South OC the path is the 5 north to the 405, south on the 110 and turn right on Harbor. Harbor turns into Miner just when you think you have gone into a 1930's time warp and everyone else is turning right toward the lights and civilization. Go straight past the very large warehouse on your left. The road is asphalt but pretty bumpy. You will cross railroad tracks twice, but they have not seen trains in years. Lighting is good in the parking lot but quite subdued in the marina beyond the high chain link fence. You might imagine running into Humphrey Bogart coming the other way, as the marina was almost the same in the late 1930s, but with less security. You might get challenged by a resident as we all keep a pretty tight lid on things and unfamiliar people don't go unchallenged very long. Explain you are guests on a cruise and things will be fine. Once through the gate either I or one of the earlier arriving students will escort you. Twenty years ago the marina was full of transients and drug dealers but it's clean as a whistle now, hence the security. I would say it could be 2 hours from Dana Point, although I think I've made it in little over an hour with good conditions and a lead foot. The 73 is a shortcut past some of the 405. Please allow yourself plenty of time considering time of day and traffic. There is an alternate down the 710 and across terminal island which takes you over the Vincent Thomas Bridge with a very quick exit to the right at the west end of the bridge, so do not speed at that point. The road through the Long Beach harbor has been improved to a limited access freeway and will be fine that time of day. This tends to be faster if the 405 is jammed. I think the scenery is better too if you like looking at ships and cranes. If you just keep going south on the 710 to the end it gives you no choice but to turn right and cross Terminal Island, so it's easy. The departure time from San Pedro has not been established, but for now consider the schedule the same as from Dana Point. It may be later, in which case we can get the boat all stowed away before departure or we will modify the schedule. Be clear that I am not going to miss the rendezvous with the rest of the fleet whether you are on board or not. Time and tide and all that. I will post an aerial shot showing where to park. I will give you all my cell phone to call to get you through the gate. Security is probably tighter here than at Dana point with a guard patrolling the docks 24/7. |
