A fin time was had by all

Today I finished my shore-based activities and was able to get out to Cyclops for a few hours this afternoon.

The primary goal was to install a fin on the outboard. It’s supposed to help the dinghy get up on plane quicker, and it is supposed to add stability. The installation was straightforward but was complicated by two factors. The first is that it wasn’t easy to drill straight into the cavitation plate because the prop and motor were in the way. I managed fine but the holes are a little sloppier than I would prefer.

The first step was trimming the fin so it fit the outboard.

The second issue was far more troubling. I don’t like quick release chucks for drills. They wobble more than traditional three jaw chucks, and the drills are weak at the hexagonal bases. My concerns were realized today when the bit snapped at the base and the stub got stuck (is still stuck) in the drill. What a hassle. Fortunately I have a regular drill aboard as well and used it to finish the installation.

With the new fin, the dinghy definitely planes quicker with just me aboard, and it is much more stable and less darty when steering at high speed. However it doesn't really seem to get on plane any faster with two people. (Ellen came out for a test once it was all installed.)

I also cleaned and oiled some of the teak. And I affixed the dinghy’s registration numbers and stickers. They look sharp but will probably fall off by the end of the summer – they didn’t seem too eager to stay attached, but we will see. For now everything is looking pretty ship shape.

Cleaned and oiled the teak around the dashboard. I think it looks mighty fine.

The boat is still not sitting level, she’s down on the port side. That issue will be easily resolved – once the boat is fully loaded I’ll just remove lead from the lead box until I’m satisfied with the trim. But she is also down at the stern. A week ago I took 50’ of chain off the second spare anchor setup. It was too heavy to manage 125’ of chain and it was too much weight so far aft. This afternoon I moved all the boat’s spare fluids from the aft lazarette to the starboard side of the engine. That moved the weight out of the stern and closer to the centerline. We’ve got about seven gallons of oil for the engine and generator, six gallons of coolant, and another couple of gallons of transmission oil. Ready for business.