Victory Beer!

I knew it was going to be a good day when I awoke to this sunrise.

My mood tends to follow the weather.  I thought this sunrise was so nice I even left the crane barge in it.  I think it adds something to the composition.   Anyway, after a shower and breakfast, I got these loads off the couch.  Who wants to go to the dog park?

That got them to at least open their eyes.   I stayed at the park for a good hour and a half.   They played with all their doggie friends, although Ruby has been kind of mopey since Pam left for Texas and didn't have her usual spunk.  She really misses her mom!

After the park, I stopped by work which is in the marina next to the park.  I had put the seized up hoist motor in the truck (see yesterday's blog) the day before thinking I might have one of the guys look at it, but I was feeling good about today.  I took it to the shop workbench and put the shaft in the vice.  I grabbed the motor and turned for all I was worth.  The shaft slipped in the vice.  I cranked down harder on the vice and turned the motor again.  Again, the shaft slipped in the vice.   I REALLY cranked down on the vice and gave it one more shot.  The shaft slipped a little, but... did the motor turn a bit more?   Suddenly, the motor gave way and it spun easily!   It's free!  Or broken, in which case it's $400 for a replacement motor.   I took it out of the vice and plugged it in and hit the "run" button.   I spun!   It spun so good it spun right off the workbench.  Luckily, I had a good grip on the control box and so I kept it from hitting the floor.

I got back to the truck and drove back to the boat.   I reinstalled the motor and the gearbox cover plate, plugged it in, and hit the run button.  Down the cable came.  I switched it to the "in" position and hit run, and it picked up the cable.  YES!  It works!   I put some motor oil in the gearbox to check for leaks and had none.   This is a two-fer! 

Since I was on a roll, I also decided to start both of Drift Away's engines.   I had tried a month or so ago and got the starboard engine to fire, but the port would not.   Today, the port cranked for quite awhile but finally caught.  The starboard engine started easily, as it always does.  So it looks like we can actually use our floating house as a boat this season and make a few trips. 

And that, my friend, is what I call a good day, and worthy of a victory beer.