My new blog:
http://captnjoe.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 5, 2007
All good things must come to an end...
Alas, my friends, there will be no new posts regarding the Lockley. After briefly considering keeping it in addition to my "new" boat, I decided it best to sell it and to turn my focus to the big boat. I sold it today to a very nice couple from the Columbus, OH area and they seem very happy with it. I will be leaving my previous postings on the Lockley here as a reference to others as well as a nostaligic look back for myself!
In the meantime, I will be moving forward on the purchase of my "new" boat this week. It's a 1972 Columbia 26 MKII. I will be keeping the boat docked in Sandusky, OH on Lake Erie (quite a bit bigger that Cowan Lake)! You can check out some photos below.
I will also be starting a new blog on the Columbia's adventures, likely at a new address. So keep posted and soon I will post the link on this page.
Happy sailing, and here's to the new owners! May they get as much enjoyment out of the Lockley as I have.
-Joe
The Columbia:
In the meantime, I will be moving forward on the purchase of my "new" boat this week. It's a 1972 Columbia 26 MKII. I will be keeping the boat docked in Sandusky, OH on Lake Erie (quite a bit bigger that Cowan Lake)! You can check out some photos below.
I will also be starting a new blog on the Columbia's adventures, likely at a new address. So keep posted and soon I will post the link on this page.
Happy sailing, and here's to the new owners! May they get as much enjoyment out of the Lockley as I have.
-Joe
The Columbia:




Monday, July 9, 2007
For Sail?
Greetings all!
I am looking to possibly sell the Surprise in order to upgrade to a cruiser. The sale includes boat, sails, motor, trailer and all the CG equipment. If you're interested let me know.
- Joe
I am looking to possibly sell the Surprise in order to upgrade to a cruiser. The sale includes boat, sails, motor, trailer and all the CG equipment. If you're interested let me know.
- Joe
Monday, June 25, 2007
Motor Update
The motor seems to be runing much better! We took the boat to Cowan this weekend and did some extended motoring. It did stall once, but this was after a long run at full throttle (I think I ran it a bit too hard and it overheated). Looks like the fuel mix and the gas cap were the culprits!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Ol' Outboard

When I was given the boat in fall of 2006 I immediately started thinking of secondary propulsion (even on a 14 footer). The Surprise was build to handle a small outboard, with a reinforced transom and a strip of teak to protect the fiberglass. My first thought was a trolling motor. They are clean (no emissions) and inexpensive and can be found at almost any sporting goods store. The disadvantage is the need to accommodate a large battery (the only storage on the Surprise is a small storage cuddy forward of the mast), and the need to keep it charged. There is also no easy way to measure how much "fuel" you have left. Nothing like staring down the barrel of a t-storm with a dead battery! Finally, I figured that the environmental impact of disposing of a dead battery would be the same (if not worse) than the infrequent use of a gas-powered outboard so I found my Gamefisher on ebay and bought it for the same price as a new trolling motor.
And so the saga begins...
After the nightmare on Norris lake (and a second outing to Cowan) I started researching the motor online. Chris found some articles on line as well.I knew that the motor was made by Tanaka, and was sold under 3 names (Tanaka, Gamefisher and AquaBug). The starup process consists of:
1- Unscrew the vent on the top of the gas cap
2- Turn the fuel valve to the "ON" position (straight down)
3- Turn the choke on
4- Place the throttle lever to the "Start" position
5- Pull cord feverishly until the flesh pulls away from your hands
The motor would fire up and run for all of a minute or two and suddenly shut down (it features a built-in sesor that triggers the shut-down procedure at proper intervals; ie in a harbor surrounded by $1M boats, when the wind dies or when staring down the hulls of 3 Cigarette Boats). We deduced that the trouble could be one of two things: the oil mixture or the fuel ventilation.
When I bought the outboard I went into normal "boater" mode, buying marine-grade 2-cycle oil from Quicksilver (The Mercruiser guys). However, the motor is air-cooled (it's basically a chansaw motor with a propeller) and we learned that marine oil is too thick for these types of motors. I went down to my local Wally World and bought a few 2-cycle bottles (from the lawn and garden section) and mixed up a new batch of fuel. The engine ran better, but still sputtered and died shortly after starting. On to the fuel vent.
The fuel cap has a threaded knob on top that is to be unscrewed to allow air to mix into the fuel tank while running. Unfortunately mine appeared to be stripped out and was no longer opening. I read an article on a website where someone had been having the same problem until one day they accidentally dropped their gas cap overboard. They ordered a new gas cap from Tanaka and had no more problems! So off I went to Tanaka's website got the part number and was able to order it from Sears for the grand total of $14.95. The new vent featured a nylon, 4-spoked fuel valve (vs the old cap which featued a metal, grooved valve). With one short turn the valve opened up as it was supposed to. This may be it!
I took the boat up to Cowan earlier this week for a leisurely evening sail and decided to test out the outboard. I didn't have much time so I only ran it for about 5-10 minutes at varying speeds. However, it ran like a champ! No stalling at all! Problem solved? Later this week I will be at Cowan again and plan on an extended test. I'll keep you posted.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Norris Lake 2007

After months of planning and dreaming, our weekend trip to Norris Lake was finally upon us! Kirsten and I, along with Chris (my boating/sailing buddy), his girlfriend Sarah, our friend Jesse (a boat owner in waiting) and his wife Leslie rented a house near Sequoia Marina. After a 4 hour drive from Cincinnati, we arrived at the lake (just outside of Knoxville). The house was beautiful! Running water, 3 bedrooms, AC, firepit, docks and a swimming platform.
Upon arrival, Chris and I wandered down to the lake to access the docking situation. The lake was beautiful! The water was a deep shade of turquoise and crystal clear! Originally our plan was to put Chris' 25' Mariah into a covered slip and dock the Surprise on the side of the swimming platform. However, the slip was too narrow for Chris' boat so we decided to put his where the Surprise was going to go and keep my boat on the beach.
With our plan in place we first went to launch Chris' boat. No sweat, I backed him in (I give myself a 10 on launching) and off he went. Then it was time to launch the Surprise. Again, no problem. The winds were non-existent (typical heavy, Tennessee summer air) so I elected not to break out the sails and motor my way to the beach. However, after only a few minutes the motor sputtered and died inthe middle of the marina (near some very expensive hardware). I drifted over to an empty dock and tied up as I fought to get the motor started again. After many minutes of pulling the cord and fiddling with the throttle and choke, it started up again. I cast off my line and headed out into the lake. Then again in the middle of the lake my motor came to a hault. I frantically tried to start the engine as Cigarette boats warmed up on the shore across the way. It was then that I remembered how I asked either Chris or Jesse to come with and they had declined and said something about drinking (assholes). The only thing to do was to grab the paddle and start the slow trip to the beach (approx a 1/2 mile away). After many minutes I decided to give the motor anotehr try. I was able to start it, but couldn't open the throttle very far and had to run on full choke. My hands were torn up from repeated cord tugs and paddling. Finally I arrived at the beach at dusk. Chris came down to see me in and asked "how did it go?'

The next day there was still no wind and it was very humid, so we went out for a day of sightseeing and tubing in Chris' boat. Unfortunately I had let the events of the previous day get to me and I spent the day moping. Fortunately Chris helped drag me out of my funk and soon I was enjoying myself again. When we came back a storm was on its way, and ahead of it was some decent winds! Finally a break! So Chris, Jesse (on his first sail) and I jumped in and sailed for about 30 minutes before lightning appeared on the horizon. We sailed in and I began to upt the sails away as rain fell from the sky. Fortunately it didn't last long. After more sightseeing (and being pelted in the face by more rain) we had dinner and settled in around the campfire.





Monday, May 21, 2007
Cowan Lake-May 07






Well, in a little over a week we'll be heading to Norris Lake in TN for an extended weekend! Now my wife will finally be able to experience the boat again! Stay tuned for photos and updates. Chris is bringing his Mariah as well so we should get some excellent shots of the Surprise under sail!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)