It's Alive!!!! 2020

[joe_db]

List your first start for the year here.
Yesterday was a nice day for it, the engine was a bit tough to get fired up at first because I used a lot of fogging oil in December. Once that cleared out and the smoke died off she settled into a very nice idle
Today is fill the water tanks and clear the pink antifreeze out day.

[Marian Claire]

The MC was only asleep for about 6 weeks. I winterized just after Xmas. My January was booked up and I was not sure when I would return. Being FW cooled it is just a matter of pulling about 1/2 gallon of pink/RV antifreeze thru the RW side and pumping the very simple domestic fresh water system dry.
I returned and started the A-4 on February 8th. She fired right up, ran fine, revved up and was smooth in gear at the dock. On the 9th I planed to head out sailing for a few days but when I fired her up she was hard to start, would not throttle up, would bog down and die if put in gear. Happened in but forward and reverse. Sounded like a fuel delivery system issue and I suspected the main jet. I have a early, 1965, A-4 and it has the adjustable main jet. This jet/needle valve assembly can get a bit of debris in it and cause issues. Been there done that. I was reaching to check the adjustment and just touched the T to make sure it was still snug. It was and the A-4 began to run smoother so I just let it idle. Things improved and after a few minutes she was back to her normal well running self. What ever it was must of cleared itself.
I ran her for a couple of hours at 1800 RPM, I have the 2 to 1 reduction gear, on the first day of the trip and she was smooth as could be then and for the remainder of the trip.
Heading down again in the next week or so and hoping for a smooth restart.

Dan
S/V Marian Claire

[ronstory]

For me it was Feb 1st. In the PNW the temperature gets to freezing but not much more so no drama as it's FWC. It was just open the petcock, close the raw water inlet, pull the choke and crank about 10 secs... Life! Oh, and open the raw water.

Then turn the heater on.

I never winterize, but the water get to 46F at the coldest I'm ever measured.

[toddster]

January 1. NYD sail. While sometimes the marina ices over, there was very little "winter" this year. I never did winterize anything. February was more like a normal April.

[toddster]

I never winterize, but the water get to 46F at the coldest I'm ever measured.

Really? It's still 42 upstream in The Gorge. High school sailing started last week - they look cold, but seem to be having fun!

[sastanley]

Yup, time to go get a new set of Autolite 437's and fire her up! I think mine was winterized about 7 weeks, but I did run the engine on Dec 30 in the event of a NYD sail, but we ended up going on another boat, so I re-winterized just the motor again in early Jan in the event of a cold snap. I am ready to put the sails back on!

[Sam]

Wow, here in Chicago the A4 sleeps for about 6 - 7 months?

[GregH]

Wow, here in Chicago the A4 sleeps for about 6 - 7 months?

Yep. At month #5 here.

[ronstory]

Really? It's still 42 upstream in The Gorge. High school sailing started last week - they look cold, but seem to be having fun!

The Gorge gets a lot colder than Gig Harbor, it's that pesky east wind thing.

From https://www.seatemperature.org/north...or-january.htm

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 7.5 7.4 7.6 7.6 8.1 8.6 10.3 11.7 11.7 10.5 9.1 8.1
°F 45.5 45.3 45.7 45.7 46.6 47.5 50.5 53.1 53.1 50.9 48.4 46.6

... and I grew up in Astoria. But sailing there was tricky will all the sand bars, most of which appear on no charts. Local knowledge was all important.

[joe_db]

Yep. At month #5 here.

Yikes! I am always impressed by what people will do to get out on the water.

[toddster]

The Gorge gets a lot colder than Gig Harbor, it's that pesky east wind thing.

From https://www.seatemperature.org/north...or-january.htm

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 7.5 7.4 7.6 7.6 8.1 8.6 10.3 11.7 11.7 10.5 9.1 8.1
°F 45.5 45.3 45.7 45.7 46.6 47.5 50.5 53.1 53.1 50.9 48.4 46.6

... and I grew up in Astoria. But sailing there was tricky will all the sand bars, most of which appear on no charts. Local knowledge was all important.

Oh sorry, thought I saw Portlandia on your post. Yeah, I always wanted to take my Hobie 16 down to Astoria and explore some of those forbidden zones, but I never did. OTOH, we used to scuba dive 12 months a year up in the Salish sea. Way before we could afford dry suits. I never ran out of air. Just ended the dive when I turned blue...

[Aj@yknot]

I'm seriously not expecting to hit my first start till mid to late june, but thats up here in the frozen north + 5 weeks of lockdown for Coronavirus. Otherwise I *might* have started her last weekend.

[sastanley]

I started the engine in Mid-March, just before Maryland lockdown and we did a little cruise around the creek. The official season started this past week when Hogan began lifting recreational boating restrictions. I took the boat for a haulout on Monday 5/11, (obviously I cleaned the prop), buffed the hull & spot filled bottom paint, and re-launched on Friday 5/15. We went sailing on 5/16!! As you can see, the trip to the travel lift took a while, but the payoff was worth it (5.8 kts upwind).

[Sam]

similar here in Chicago. The powers to be are estimating the harbor and lakefront parks could open July 1 due to our Covid numbers. Most pull out mid Oct making for a short season and many [maybe me] not bothering to launch this year. More concerning is that the current social distancing rules limit 2 persons to a boat, docked, sailing, motoring or fishing. This hampers an old guy like me with all female crew!

[Surcouf]

I started the engine in Mid-March, just before Maryland lockdown and we did a little cruise around the creek. The official season started this past week when Hogan began lifting recreational boating restrictions. I took the boat for a haulout on Monday 5/11, (obviously I cleaned the prop), buffed the hull & spot filled bottom paint, and re-launched on Friday 5/15. We went sailing on 5/16!! As you can see, the trip to the travel lift took a while, but the payoff was worth it (5.8 kts upwind).

great looking boat: a few questions:
- your hull paint looks amazing; you had it re-done?
- your cokpit paint looks very clean too. Original?
- have you remove the 2 wood handrails on your roof?

Thank you!
I have a 27 from 79, and the exterior appeal is nowhere close to your boat...