Making Your Own Parts

 I needed a winch feeder block so that I could cross sheet for certain operations. Specifically, reefing on port tack requires two operations on one winch.

 I had a large low friction ring I didn't need. I had some 1-inch thick HDPE sheet. I have a metal lathe.  

 Works perfectly, VERY high load. The HDPE was turned to make a top, bottom, and core for the LFR to run on. The oversized LFR allows for a wide range of in and out angles, and the large core provides friction as low as ball bearings. he full story is in Practical sailor.  

 

 

This could be made on a 3-D printer. For me, the lathe was faster and I could use solid HDPE. A printer would be faster if you were making more than one.

 

I need more boat machining projects.

 

Mark it down. Trump pardons Ghislaine Maxwell as one of his last acts as President, shortening her sentence by 15 years.

 A deal is being struck right now. 

 I'm not a conspiracy theory guy, but his is ... obvious. His guy is doing the interviewing. Really.

 ----

But no matter your politics, and even when he does something I think might be smart, I know he's a creep (casinos for starters) and a horn dog. So there isn't likely to be any real news here. Is he's creepier than we thought? Maybe. But that won't change the landscape. You either know this or you've been living under a rock, and you either think it matters or you don't.

 Trump knew what was going on. Kind of obvious. That does not mean he was involved. But he knew. That was the fun.

Why Did I Sell My PDQ, Why Am I Downsizing?

This was a while ago (about 7 years), but I never posted it. 

 

November 2020 

I've been asked this question dozens of times by friends, family members, and fellow sailors.  And although I was certain sometime ago it was the right thing to do, it took me a long time to understand and get comfortable with the reasons. It's many things, of course. So will apply to other people, some only to me, I supose:

Kids Grown

• My daughter is finishing grad school, so we just don't do the same family and friends cruising that we started when she was about 8.
• I've done the cruising I wanted to do with that boat. Been everyplace I like multiple times.

Down Sizing

• Financial. There is a small money aspect, but it's not about cash flow. First, I really hate waste (read "Keeping a Cruising Boat for Pennies") and I didn't feel like I would be using the boat enough. I like the idea of house, car, and well, life that fits my actual needs. Nothing excess or superfluous.

Simplify

The Need to Keep Learning

• I'm not learning anymore from the boat. Handling the boat has become as familiar as pulling on my shoes, and it is the learning process I enjoy. That is why I am always testing things.
• I've tweaked this boat as far as I want to. I like to study a boat and then decide how to upgrade her in subtle ways, always endeavoring to maintain a factory look and feel. Nothing should look pasted on and the changes should work with the original design (which in the case of the PDQ 32 is pretty darn good). Though I could probably point out 100 small changes, the most important ones were revised settee bunks, winterization fittings, inside genoa tracks, Heat, AC, modified keels, and 2' transom extensions. A lot of this is on my blog, but some has also been reserved for Practical Sailor or Good Old Boat. If you want to tweak a boat sensibly, you should subscribe to both of these. They both good search functions, particularly PS.

My Sports Car

• I like the feel of the wind. I like a boat that tacks on a dime and that one person can throw about in tight harbors. A bicycle will always be more fun to drive than a Winnebago. You only need the Winnebago when you are cruising; for a day sail it feel ridiculous.

I am in no way satisfied with the PDQ 32 and Shoal Survivor specifically. If I wanted a cruising cat for where and how I sail, I would be looking to buy exactly this boat. She's fast, durable, roomy, seaworthy in a blow, and easy to singlehand. She's tweaked exactly the way I want her. I don't think there is another cruising cat that would make me happier, and I'm including some pretty fancy rides. I trust her to go anywhere, any time.

I will be getting another boat and soon. It will back to my performance multihull roots. I see myself a little bit as the older Englishman in the flat hat and the open top sports car. I sold my SUV and bought a Mazda 3 (zoom). The focus will be daysailing with a few solo overnights. Yup, I'll tweaking it. Speed will be one thing, but this time I will be more interested in nimble handling for the singlehander. I want something "fun." Unfortunately, this means giving up a meaningful cabin and (gasp) a real toilet. Damn. I've got a dry suit for winter.

------

I have no intention of leaving this forum. I have too many friends here. I will maintain my blog. After all, it started when I have Stiletto 27. I will maintain some PDQ stuff like the Word version of the owner's manual. But the way I see it, a new boat should help invigorate my writing, opening up some new topics. An who knows. In 10 years I might be looking for a PDQ again. Sailing is sailing.

But I'm not going to be one of those sad sailors that has a boat at the dock that doesn't get used but a few times a year. If I'm not sailing her every week or two, year round, it's time for someone else to love her and for me to find another boat to love. I could never stand to see a boat just sit.

I thought the PDQ was going to be my retirement boat. I really did. Good quality and would do everything I wanted. However, I have owned three boats, each for 10 years, and I think I think that is simply my nature. Thankfully, I do not feel that way about my wife, which is my constant.

Grok Goes on a Rant

(From "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein, for those of you that are young or do not read science fiction. A Martian word that means I understand you deeply.)

 

xAI has apologized for Grok's "horrific behavior" and said that new instructions caused the AI chatbot to prioritize engagement, even if that meant reflecting "extremist views" from user posts on X.

 Put more simply, the AI is dumb enough to read from social media and believe it. And so are people.

 I'm scared for what social media can do to society. Maybe I'm part of that too. Read Socrates: learn to question everything, to look at everything from several perspectives, to evaluated things for yourself, and finally to recognize that virtue, morals, and even "truth" change with time. Not as easy as listening to sound bites, is it?

Federal Debt vs. Party

 I'm not trying to say which is worse. Just sayin' politicians know that they get re-elelcted if they spend more than they tax.

 

 

 OK, I didn't want to say it ... but it's kind of obvious. As a young man I voted Republican and believed they must be more financially conservative. We didn't have good access to the real numbers. Now I can see the terrifying reality.

 It's up to about $50,000 per person, and  nearly $200,000 per family. Ouch. At some point this can be sustainable. Fewer kids. More seniors. Not sayin' when. I'll probably be dead. I guess that's what everyone keeps saying and hoping. Just pass the bag along.