I would like to blame Rob but...

[Joli]

It's a much bigger issue then just natural gas supply.

https://medium.com/@therichardmyers/americas-hidden-energy-crisis-e0c6541281e8#.9809fzxtz

[Rob McAlpine]

Blame me anyways. I thrive on abuse.

But not as much as Tim. I text him insults on a regular basis, because he's one of my favorite sailors. I'm sure you guys understand. Just the other day I called him a queefbubble, twatwaffle, fartblossom and a shitmuffin. Pretty high praise, indeed. The guy is total calm and function on the pointy end in snot. Put him on one end of the boat and Larry on the other, and you're OK. Gawd I love sailing with people from this site.

I produce fuel, not electricity.

Sorry about the drift, most of the bottle is gone at this point. I thought I was an empty nester, the bride, always trying to save the world, has decided we're going to be foster parents to some kids who have never had a chance. I really can't complain, without her, I never would have had a chance.

[Anomaly]

Thread drift?

I don't think that is possible on Scantlings....

Anyway, great post Rob.

Fun to read what you guys get up to on here after a day pondering a sinking mast step.

[kimbottles]

Thread drift?

I don't think that is possible on Scantlings....

Anyway, great post Rob.

Fun to read what you guys get up to on here after a day pondering a sinking mast step.

Shims Seth, shims.

[Anomaly]

Thread drift?

I don't think that is possible on Scantlings....

Anyway, great post Rob.

Fun to read what you guys get up to on here after a day pondering a sinking mast step.

Shims Seth, shims.

Not so simple. My mast is deck stepped. The problem in this case is that the "compression post" is the corner wall of the head that takes the load down to a fiberglass web structure that carries the load to the keel but doesn't actually go straight to the keel-- the web bridges athwartships to bear on both sides of the heavily laid up keel flange. Over 40+ years, the floor in the saloon near said supporting corner has sagged. Just a bit. Not sure it is even moving now but compared to 40 years ago, it has sagged a bit. My shipyard tutors tell me that what WON'T work is to use a hydraulic jack sitting on the top of the keel to jack up the floor and then rebuild the web. They say that just jacks the keel down and the the only thing to do is to add a true compression post with flanges at the bottom (resting on the top of the keel) and at the top (directly under the mast step on the coachroof. I still have travel on my shroud turnbuckles but I think this is somethng I should address sooner rather than later.

[kdh]

You think you have problems, Seth. Here I am trying to decide between Endura and T900 for my halyards. All you have to do is worry about your mast standing up without crushing the boat.

[Anomaly]

You think you have problems, Seth. Here I am trying to decide between Endura and T900 for my halyards. All you have to do is worry about your mast standing up without crushing the boat.

Yeah, I feel for you Keith. The Ferrari probably doesn't start up quite the same on the sub-freezing mornings either. It's a tough life, but you handle it gracefully.

As for my woes, I found a picture I took when I first found the boat for sale in Florida (2010) and it seems the deflection in the cabin sole at the position of the construction that serves as the compression post is exactly the same as today so perhaps I am worrying over nothing. I may just block up the the area in question so that there is a direct connection from the keel up.

Oh, and it just occurred to me that if I put your old halyards on my boat, we would probably both be upgrading.

[kdh]

Yeah, I've been stuck driving the Porsche these days as the Ferrari waits for better weather.

My halyards are 12 years old. Tucky has newer ones...

[Tucky]

Twelve years old? I've got five year old 5/16 poly covered dyneema halyards available- I swap on a 5 year schedule.

Thanks for the electricity read- our prices here in Maine illustrate the problem- from low to high and back again, and there is an oil fired plant in Casco Bay idling away except when needed.

[Anomaly]

Yeah, I've been stuck driving the Porsche these days as the Ferrari waits for better weather.

My halyards are 12 years old. Tucky has newer ones...

"I've been stuck driving the Porsche…." Hang in there Keith. Your ship will come in. The sun will come out tomorrow….

Tucky, DON'T throw those out! I'll be right up. Well, maybe summer 2018…. (but they would be a considerable upgrade for me)

[Tim Ford]

Blame me anyways. I thrive on abuse.

But not as much as Tim. I text him insults on a regular basis, because he's one of my favorite sailors. I'm sure you guys understand. Just the other day I called him a queefbubble, twatwaffle, fartblossom and a shitmuffin. Pretty high praise, indeed.

I have to humor, Rob.

I suspect his daughter, who is a formidable insulter in her own right (she of the famous "Cap'n Dickweed" quip) felt like her father, rapidly approaching his dotage, could no longer keep up with the modern, vituperative lexicon. And, he's also apparently unable to find the "Urban Dictionary" anywhere on the interwebs (though it's right here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/)...thus blunting his verbal rapier, so to speak.

So she went to Sharper Image and bought him a Random Insult Generator. This gizmo combines an emission from any of the numerous human body parts and a fruit, flower or food to generate a snappy and original sounding barb suitable for texting or using on-line, as in a forum.

He's obviously having fun with it, so the best strategy is for us to just ride with it and let it play out...I'm sure he'd be the first to agree that pay-backs are hell and he has to spend a considerable amount of time with us at sea in a few months. And sooner or later, he'll have to sleep.

He'll have to.