Reliability can be a double edged sword as I recently found out. I've had a Honda 2000i generator on board for as long as BIANKA has used electric propulsion which is going on five years. It is used for a number of things on board. Because BIANKA no longer has a diesel engine and therefore no alternator the generator comes in useful in assisting the electric windlass in raising the anchor so the 12 volt battery bank is not depleted. It is also useful in charging the 48 volt propulsion bank especially the all important bulk phase for charging before letting the wind and solar take over at anchor or on the mooring. It can also move the boat along nicely at three knots without draining the battery bank as an economical hybrid propulsion system. It also powers some of the 120 volt power tools I sometimes use on board too. For five years the Honda has been a reliable workhorse when needed.
So when I noticed the pull cord was starting to look a little frayed a few weeks ago I bought a replacement. After five years it was to be expected. It was still starting the engine but, I figured it was only a matter of time before I would have to change it. I was about to head out on a two week plus cruise with an extended stay at a dock in New York where I thought I'd replace the pull cord. The boat was fully provisioned up and I motored out to the mooring where I was about use the generator and my electric hookah dive setup to do a quick clean of the hull before catching a favoring current to start the cruise. I grabbed the pull cord and it suddenly broke.
Oh well, I thought no problem I've already got the replacement cord. I had the service manual for the generator which involved taking the covers off and removing the fuel tank to get access to the recoil starter to replace the pull cord. Not too involved I'd just depart a little later than planned or wait until tomorrow. The problem was because the Honda had been so reliable for the past five years I never had any reason to remove the covers before and because it was operating in a marine environment a number of the screws had seized up tightly.
I then spent two days trying to remove them using various methods from
PB Blaster
,
screw extractors and finally ended up drilling some of them out.
I also used my
Dremel Rotary Tool 
to make slots in some of the screws turning some of the phillips head screws into slotted ones:
To make matters worse some of these screws were "special" items according to the service manual. Needless to say I did not start out on that cruise and am currently waiting for parts including some of the "special" screws to arrive.
CAPT. MIKES'S TIP: If you are using a generator like the Honda 2000 or some other make on board. Take some time when you first get it to coat the cover screws with some of anti corrosion product like
Tef-Gel 
. It will save a lot of time and aggravation later. One thing is for sure when I re install the screws each will get a nice coat of
Tef-Gel so in five years when I need to replace the pull cord again it will be a much easier and faster job.
. I've been using two Evercoat epoxy mixing cups for years now. They are durable won't shatter like glass and are perfect for use in the galley. I have them labeled with a Brother P Touch labels
for galley use only:
to work. I sat in the cockpit thinking about the lack of the days productivity. Then I noticed an older couple on the shore rigging up a Sunfish to go for a sail. It was blowing hard because the area was squeezed between hurricane Leslie passing to the east and high pressure moving in from the west. Winds were 15 to 20 gusting to 27 knots. I saw the older gent start to sail. A few minutes later I saw the boat had capsized. The guy eventually was able to right it but, obviously he had had enough. He lowered the sail but, the winds were still driving him and the boat out further into the harbor. He was having a difficult time removing the mast as the boat continued to drift. Then I noticed the woman on the shore had jumped into the water and was now swimming to toward the man and the drifting Sunfish. After she reached it both she and the man were hanging on to a nearby sailboat to avoid drifting further out into the harbor. This was not looking good. So I got on the radio and called the Harbor Master who luckily was still around. I let them know about the situation and directed them to the scene and a few minutes later had rescued the couple and got them and their boat to the shore. So it turned out it was not such an unproductive day after all and I felt pretty good.
along with a muffin or perhaps a Granola bar. But, there was an added urgency this morning. The winds were currently 7 to 10 knots out of the south but, they were expected to pick up to 15 to 20 with higher gusts as a cold front approaches. I wanted to be off the dock before they pinned me to the dock if I could help it. So I skipped my wake up coffee. In the cockpit I planned my approach to tie up to the face dock of the marina. I even took into account the falling tide and wanted the bow to face the current as I docked. I thought about the logistics and which side to put the fenders on. I took out my dock lines and fenders and rigged them up on the side that I was sure was my plan. After they were rigged I went forward to drop off the mooring and then realized that everything was rigged on the wrong side for my plan. So I had to re position everything again.
coming from one of the other ships in the harbor. For me it's was one of those special evenings that elude those on land or get off their boats after a short day sail. It also made me imagine what it must have been like that evening in that harbor in New England back in the 1840'S. Just another magical evening on board the BIANKA.
tells me this is not so. Still millions of people believe it and so make a mad crowded traffic filled dash to enjoy it. That goes for those on the water too! Where many harbors and anchorages are very crowded with boaters trying to squeeze in some boating during the last three day holiday weekend of the summer:
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