FJowners.com

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: big r on December 24, 2013, 06:30:58 PM

Title: ABS non fj related
Post by: big r on December 24, 2013, 06:30:58 PM
Just spent 6 hrs. working on the lights on my logging trailer. Had a dead short that would affect the brake lights and the signals. Completely rewired the back end of the trailer and could not get B/L to work. The frickin abs system had a short in it and was feeding back through the brake lights. Sometimes I really hate modern technology. If I would have known that was problem I could have had it done in 5 mins. Well it is time for a couple of rum and eggnogs. Everybody have a great Christmas and a happy New year. Big R
Title: Re: ABS non fj related
Post by: FJmonkey on December 24, 2013, 06:45:39 PM
Better than getting shipped off to to Mexico for 4 weeks to program a welding robot and seeing your job slip away... Good luck with your repairs.....

On the lighter side Ray, Merry Christmas and happy new year. Things will start looking up. 
Title: Re: ABS non fj related
Post by: Capn Ron on December 25, 2013, 12:06:05 AM
Chasing electrical gremlins and getting shipped off to Mexico is right up there with sanding the bottom paint off the sailboat on Christmas eve.  I hauled the boat out yesterday:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_24_12_13_11_59_38_0.jpeg)

All the sanding is done...It's a brutal job where you basically run a sander overhead until complete muscle failure...then you realize there's still more to do:

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_24_12_13_11_59_39_1.jpeg)

my Christmas day is looking like masking, painting (first coat) and servicing the six thru-hulls.  Then more paint on Thursday...maybe resplash the boat on Friday.  Not my idea of a perfect Christmas week, but it's sunny and well into the 70's all week and I just couldn't pass it up!

(http://fjowners.com/gallery/6/697_24_12_13_11_59_39_2.jpeg)

Merry Christmas all!

Cap'n Ron. . .
Title: Re: ABS non fj related
Post by: FJmonkey on December 25, 2013, 09:59:05 AM
I remember those days when I would drive to the docks, find where my sail boat was parked, throw a wad of money at it, then drive home....
Title: Re: ABS non fj related
Post by: Harvy on December 25, 2013, 03:36:53 PM
Ron, lookin at that last pic, surely among all those masts you could have picked one that didn't need all that work........ :lol: :flag_of_truce:

Harvy
Title: Re: ABS non fj related
Post by: Capn Ron on December 25, 2013, 10:18:03 PM
Quote from: Harvy on December 25, 2013, 03:36:53 PM
Ron, lookin at that last pic, surely among all those masts you could have picked one that didn't need all that work........ :lol: :flag_of_truce:

Harvy

You'd think so!   :biggrin:  I've had this boat (Catalina 30) for 16 years...turns out you need to do bottom paint pretty frequently as the boat is in salt water year-round.  Most suggest every season...well that's if you pay a boatyard to spread a 1/2 gallon of poor quality paint thinly over the boat for about $1,000 USD.  If you get a good boatyard, they'll use a whole gallon of the cheap stuff and you can get two...maybe three seasons out of it for around $1500.

I do things myself for a lot of control over the results (much like the FJ).  I use TWO full gallons of top-end ablative paint (Pettit SR-60 @ $250/gallon) and do all the prep work and painting myself.  I look for off-season boat yard specials on hauling and lay-days.  If I get on it, I can get back in the water, owing the yard around $650 for a total job cost of under $1,200 and easily get six years out of the paint.

Each time I do this, somewhere in the midst of grinding I swear I'll never do this again.  Six years go by and I seem to forget how tough a job it is and have at it!!

First gallon is done today!!!  I just have to apply the second gallon tomorrow and re-launch on Friday!   :yahoo:

Cap'n Ron. . .