two things... #1 a member of a FB Mac site put this pic up and asked if anyone knew the owner...I told her I did and would post the pic here for you...apparently you went past them
#2 I was in Key west area Dec 28th - 1st and as we were heading down Highway 1 an X went right by us heading north, and I Swear I thought it was you...were you headed out about that time?
Anyway here is the pic another sailing member took of you
Hey, thanks for posting the picture. We can't exactly recall the date or location, but Sandy did mention a boat passing us and taking our picture. It looks like this was that encounter, since she's looking right at the photographer. Regarding the sighting on December 28 near Key West, it couldn't have been us, since we flew home to Washington on Dec. 15 for a holiday break, and didn't return to Florida until Jan. 7. We are heavily loaded, and so the boat does sit a bit lower in the water than usual, and we tend to be low in the stern because of things like folding bicycles, extra food, and charts/cruising guides for a 6000 mile voyage, all being stowed deep in the king berth. Also, we have 15 gallons of gas in plastic jugs stowed under the steering seat and on the stern platform. I recently repositioned the bicycles to help balance things out better. I originally had them both on the port side, and now they're side by side in the king berth.
Sorry to hear about those engine troubles the last few days. Besides a hole in the boat, that's probably the trouble you least want to have. Hope it gets worked out, my fingers are crossed for you.
Good news on the repair front. With some invaluable and timely help from Todd at BWY, I managed to get things right on my third try. I feel I'm now a qualified expert on disassembling and reassembling the Suzuki throttle case, having now made just about every mistake possible in the process. I've learned that it does some pretty weird things when parts aren't in their precise locations. And, I'll be thankful every time I insert the key and successfully start the engine. Tomorrow we shove off early, hoping to cross over into North Carolina, which will be our 12th state on this cruise. It will feel good to make some good miles once again.
[quote="..........I feel I'm now a qualified expert on disassembling and reassembling the Suzuki throttle case, .........[/quote]
Wow this brought back my nightmare from a couple years ago. I have a Tohatsu, which I think uses the same throttle assemble...............
My switch was not working well, and ended up not working at all. Didn't think it would be an issue, so I ordered a new starter switch. It was all plug and play and appeared simple to install. So the Admiral and I dived into the project, and within 30 minutes, had swapped out the starter switch. Then the fun began................
Trying to get the throttle and shift linkages lined up, as well as the idle lever and neutral start switch all lined up took more than our combined four hands, a lot of sweating and cussing. We tried about a dozen times over two days with no success. We'd get it together, hit the switch, NOTHING.
Gave up and got in line for the local Tohatsu dealer. Three weeks later, their mechanics came to our slip, took it apart, hummed and hawed, put it back together (with as much effort as we had endured), did not work. After a couple of repeats, they took it apart and studied the innerds more. Turns out the neutral start switch case was cracked, probably as a result of our improper assembly one or more times.
So, off to the shop they went to order a new part. SIX weeks later, the part came in---yep, wrong part from Japan. And the right part was backordered for several more months.
In desperation of losing the whole sailing season, I begged the dealer to put it back together bypassing the neutral switch until they could get the right part. Surprised, they said ok.
But when they came out to do that, they had stopped at a Susuki dealer nearby and rummaging through his box of spare junk electrical stuff, they found a neutral switch. After testing, they thought it might work. So $500 and 8 weeks later, my motor worked properly again. The switch was about $30, rest was labor. And our club caretaker said I got off CHEAP--he said those mechanics were out there 3 or 4 times messing with it.
Yup, you had just about the same experience we did, except it took a lot longer for you to get it fixed. I had visions of being stuck for weeks at Barefoot Landing, but thanks to some timely help and advice from Todd at BWY I finally succeeded. I learned way more than I ever really wanted to know about throttle assemblies. By the way, I still have a cracked neutral switch, which could fail at any time. If it does, I'll simply cut it out and butt splice the wires. Of course, that means I'll have to open that darned case once again.
The only picture the dealer had of the control box was of it fully assembled! I found an online parts explosion of it, but it was so hard to see/understand, it was mostly worthless as well.
Hey Chinook, see that you are in Leavenworth WA--we have a dear friend who owns a 'country place' north of Cashmere. It is way remote--only about 1/2 mile from a forest or preserve area. Beautiful country there!
Sometimes as I look at my 26X sitting on its trailer, where it has spent most of its life, I wonder about its longevity and where it will be in 10 years. Sometimes when I am sailing or motoring and I stress a certain part, rub against the dock, or slam off a wave, I worry that I am putting a beating on a "weak" boat. I worry about breaking the rudder brackets, snapping the centerboard, gouging the fiberglass, and having the mast snap in two.
Then I read the log of the Chinook and realize that Chinook takes more of a pounding in a week than mine has taken in its entire life.
After an experience like the last couple of days of Chinook's trip, if my admiral was flying home in the middle of that trip, I don't think she'd be coming back.
Got to meet them when they passed through Mobile. Both of them are wonderful. Sandy is really something. It floored me when she told me she didn't really consider the loop to be "an adventure". Then, she described some of their past adventures. I had a bad case of "newbie" intimidation mixed with envy. They have really pulled a lot of life out of 26 feet of fiberglass! And yes, she is definitely a keeper.
. I raised mine 1 1/2 inches and it is still about underwater...
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