Hi everyone,
Repairs to Fred are now well on the way. After a great deal of thought about the broken casting and why it failed, I came up with a plan to strenthen the support frame. This I have now completed and after a talk with the owner of the local machine shop a design to connect the 2 struts to the frame has been descussed, and today I will make a template so he can manufacture the parts required. Mounting these struts has been very hard to come up with the solution, trying to imagine were the forces from the rudder are transmitted to the 2 supports, with twisting, compression and stretching forces, but feel this latest mod will do the trick at last.
If I get a better internet conn I will post some pic's of this later.
Roy
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Update from St Thomas
Hi everyone,
well it became obvious I wasn't going to suceed fixing 'Fred' at anchor, far to difficult. I made up my mind then to do all the small jobs I coudn't afford to do in the shipyard, or even on a dock there (US $55 a day). While doing this I looked for a private local dock, it took a couple of weeks, but in the end I found one at a very reasonable fee. I have been moored up here now for 2 weeks, Chris the landlord has been very good to me. most of the outside small jobs have been finished, and I am starting 'Fred' next. I figured I carn't really plan a trip just yet because of the tropical storms we keep getting here, Katia formed here and 'Marie' too, is only now disapearing, but as I write, a thunderstorm will hit us soon. There is also so many facilities here it would be silly to go elsewhere just now. Internet is not so good, it was much better at anchor, as I have to sit in the cockpit to get a signal. I have again met so many local characters and have many new friends, Patric and Gabrella to name just 2, Patric helped me set my anchors before Irene hit us, also I have become aquainted with St Thomas as an Island. Many places to see and things to do, and of course learning the local way they do things here.
I'll post next when I have started the repair to fred
Roy
well it became obvious I wasn't going to suceed fixing 'Fred' at anchor, far to difficult. I made up my mind then to do all the small jobs I coudn't afford to do in the shipyard, or even on a dock there (US $55 a day). While doing this I looked for a private local dock, it took a couple of weeks, but in the end I found one at a very reasonable fee. I have been moored up here now for 2 weeks, Chris the landlord has been very good to me. most of the outside small jobs have been finished, and I am starting 'Fred' next. I figured I carn't really plan a trip just yet because of the tropical storms we keep getting here, Katia formed here and 'Marie' too, is only now disapearing, but as I write, a thunderstorm will hit us soon. There is also so many facilities here it would be silly to go elsewhere just now. Internet is not so good, it was much better at anchor, as I have to sit in the cockpit to get a signal. I have again met so many local characters and have many new friends, Patric and Gabrella to name just 2, Patric helped me set my anchors before Irene hit us, also I have become aquainted with St Thomas as an Island. Many places to see and things to do, and of course learning the local way they do things here.
I'll post next when I have started the repair to fred
Roy
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