Graymarine Phantom Six - replacing the old engine

Remember, said Garrison Keillor, when you could take the cover off, look inside, and see how things work.  Old engines are like that.  They have grease and gears and valves and hoses and pumps, sparks and circuits you can follow with your eye.  No USB ports, no algorithms.   You'll never put penetrating oil on your hard drive and you'll never have to put any muscle into your laptop.

Fraternal twins

Today - at Jeff's Marine - we pulled out of my 1955 Lyman runabout Grace the old, seized up Graymarine flathead six cylinder 100 and put in a very mint-looking Graymarine Phantom Six - 112.   Very Jersey Shore, as in Bruce's "we're fuel-injected and we're stepping out over the line".  But it has dual carburetors, not fuel injection.   We swapped some parts from old to new and made some adjustments, but mostly the Phantom Six fit right into the bed and connections of the old one.  The drive shaft lines up (almost), the mechanical gear shift linkage fits, the throttle hose  needs some work, and some shimming and grappling remains.  More fun for Jeff and 
Brian. 
Update: it runs!
(click images to enlarge)[more pix HERE]

Jeff getting down

Brian

dropping  the Phantom 6 into the Lyman

Sunset - Back River - Christmas Week 2010

Our tree 2010

Our tree 2010

Snowbirds - heading north to escape the blizzard

Last year Washington D.C. and Philadelphia got more snow than Boston and Maine.  Maybe this winter it's New York's turn.  We headed north just ahead of the blizzard. Friendship is 380 miles 45 degrees north east of the George Washington Bridge.  We got 12 inches of snow while New York got - well, our apartment got snow inside the windows, and the streets? fuhgeddaboutit. (pix by Taisy)

our apartment

Alex Rose Place - West 185 Street and Cabrini Blvd.

Camel traders? Yes, thousands of them - the Pushkar Camel Fair

Lee Gilchrist is traveling through India.  One stop was the Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan.  Lots more pictures HERE

Pushkar camel fair, 2010, Rajasthan, India. Image by Lee Gilchrist

Rockland, Maine: Lobster Trap Christmas Trees

It's an art form that developed when plastic-wrapped wire traps replaced the iconic wooden lobster traps.  They stack high - and green is one of the common colors used.  This one in Rockland was featured on the Discovery Channel.  You see some on lawns too.  Like this one at a fisherman's house on Main Street in Friendship.
(click images to enlarge)

Another BB 14 - Eastern LI

This boat - built in 2006 - was listed for $36,500 on Yachtworld.  Looks to be very nicely done.  North River 2, of course, is 25 years old and has got some bumps and bruises.  But L Francis Herreshoff included it in his Sensible Cruising Designs collection.  And I have certainly cruised it - seven years on the Hudson - with two trips a year to City Island beginning and end), lots of sailing down to NY harbor from its George Washington Bridge marinas.  Plenty of hours under sail and lots under power pushing back up against a 3 knot ebb - almost all of it diligently recorded in the log books

Issuma - frozen ice boating

The Food Court Allelujah Chorus

Mendelssohn would be delighted, don't you think?

Pescadotes: Buzzards Bay 12 1/2

My Herreshoff obsession began in 1995 when I first saw a couple of 12 1/2's bobbing in the harbor at Pleasant Point Gut, Cushing.  That led to my purchase of North River - which I was told by Sterling Yachts (now deservedly out of business) was a 12 1/2.  It wasn't.  Close - but not the right measurements.  Excellent boat but no pedigree.


Now, of course, I have North River 2 - a Buzzards Bay 14, designed by L. Francis Herreshoff (no doubt about NR 2's provenance).  I call it a stretch 12 1/2.  14' on the waterline rather than 12 1/2', same 5' 9" beam, same 700+ ballast.
water color by Joe Warren at Pescadotes