Micheal Esta Theobald - 1978-2012

2010 Disaster Recap

I had a short visit with Esta today and we decided to pull out a list we made last year of some of the things that went wrong in the beginning of our experiment. Luckily it was still in the back of his car where we had left it several months ago.

Saltwater

http://www.seashellsandsuch.com/articles/seawaterlikeblood.php

Here's some light reading on the similarities of saltwater, blood and dog torture.

So...

The sailing season is over and Cincinnati saw its first snowfall today. It's no wonder there's been a lack of posts this month what with the lack of pertinent news. However, the winter months often seem well suited for reflection and meditation. With that in mind, I'd like to comment on how wonderful this past summer has been. To be specific- how the acquisition of the boat has changed my life in a way I never could have expected.

Originally meant to be an escape from reality and life in general, I see now that it was so much more. The small, simple glimpses of freedom and pure enjoyment sparked a flame of heightened passion and acted as a catalyst to something greater. Pre-boat, the latter was something that could only be accomplished through some grand world-altering gesture. Now, I feel the term "greater" is in fact only truly realized though its inverse "less." The less you have the less you have to lose, the less you have to worry about and the more you're grateful for what you do have. In my current state of mind this means less needless complication; which in turn allows more time and energy to be spent on what I consider important. When all the excess is gone the things that are left are precisely what deserve my passion.

It's been surprisingly easy reprogramming my mind to appreciate things I've learned to take for granted and also to understand that some things are out of my control. Every single day there are a million opportunities to overcomplicate the simple act of living and to find countless reasons to complain about the way things are. Both being fantastic ways to waste valuable resources in contemplation.

Reading back on this, it all seems so simple. I assumed that these were skills I had mastered long ago, when in reality I never really understood what they meant. At the risk of sounding preachy, please pause for a moment and really think on this... I realize simplicity isn't (and shouldn't be) everyone's ultimate goal in life, however most would admit to some amount of excess and needless complication. Think of the things and people that are important to you and question if you're offering all the attention they deserve. The next time you get upset over something you have no direct influence on, ask if your reaction is beneficial or just feeding your contempt. These all are issues I will continually struggle with yet due to the whole S. S. Sailboat Experiment, feel I have gained a more lucid awareness of.

On a lighter note, expect some more videos, pictures and stories of our adventures this past summer over the next handful of chilly months. There has also been some discussion of a musical incentive to boost the non-existent PayPal donations.

Esta, The Good Samaritan

A couple of weekends ago we arrived at the boat launch to find a man and his son in a predicament. The water was a bit lower then usual and apparently he had misjudged where the ramp ended. This resulted in the wheels of his trailer catching on the bottom edge of the ramp. Without a second thought Esta changed into his "wet" pants and climbed into the water to help. I added commentary, filmed the event and even pulled a little. Unfortunately the triumphant release of the trailer was not caught on tape but I assure you it was achieved. The following clip shows some highlights from the event.

FJ40 Radiator Repair Part II, and General Trailer Maintenance

So, the radiator saga began with a breakdown only 30 miles from home on the way back from Pittsburgh. Due to the rain and my general weariness I opted for the easy tow home, which was facilitated by an eager tow truck driver who happened to spot the exciting and billowing smoke that poured forth.

The Fj40 was modified with a Chevy small block and an electric fan system which was mounted directly to the radiator via plastic ties through the fins.

When Erick and I endeavored to install the replacement radiator, we ended up breaking some fins on the new radiator which led to a trip down to D & R Radiator repair to have the brand new one fixed. (Another lesson learned, I suppose...)
The gentleman at the radiator shop was kind enough to cut and weld a proper bracket to mount the fan, so that future radiator ruining incidents could thusly be avoided. After I implored the gentleman to make said bracket, he replied that I should simply not mention it to his boss, and when I tried to offer him some cash, he said one of those nice, sort of mid-western like things, "Well, if you can't be of no help to anybody, then what good are you?"
This all took place in something of a hurry as a lead up to our camp/sail trip from two weekends ago; the first trip with a crew of four. We had three dogs in our company, so we were going to sail in shifts, but I was able to talk a group of young gentleman at the campground into watching the dogs while we all went out. Very nice of them, indeed.
After returning home we realized that the bow stop on the trailer had succumbed to dry rot and split on the side. This prompted a need for a replacement, which Erick was able to order and have delivered before this past weekends' trip.
The new one installed appears to be a sturdy, and fitting, improvement.

Another great day out on the lake.

First Time Sailing With A Crew of Four

It was an unseasonably warm and clear weekend here in Cincinnati. Taking full advantage of some of the last beautiful days of the year we grabbed our gear and headed north for an evening of camping and a day of sailing. Esta and I were fortunate enough to have two guests, Tara Pittsburgh and Rebecca Neighbor (pictured below), as well as a small army of dogs join us on this particular trip.


It was dark by the time we arrived and therefore had to set up camp by lantern. But soon the palette of bonfire wood we purchased roadside and transported in a Chevy HHR was burning brightly. We made some food, had some drinks, took a walk to the dock and spent some time practicing sailing technique with a crew of four. This was to be the first time we attempted any more then one extra passenger.

The next morning Rebecca and I took the boat out while Tara and Esta broke down camp and tried to figure out what to do with the dogs. As usual there were minor difficulties launching.


While the two of us were out we met a grumpy gasser who cut me off, and then complained that I ran over his fishing line. We also had a brief chat with a couple of very nice fellow Rebel owners. These exchanges supported my hypothesis regarding the general attitude of sail versus motor boaters. About and hour later we came back to shore, picked up the rest of the crew and headed for the far side of the lake. As it turns out the anxiety we experienced of sailing with four was somewhat unfounded. Sure there was less room to move around as the boat heeled and one more head to be worried about smacking with the boom while coming about. But in the end it was not much different then sailing with two or three. I'm proud to say the only head whacked was my own. It was a nice calm day at the lake. The kind of wind that lent itself to leisurely sailing, yet still enough power to get the blood pumping with an exciting run. We ran into our new buddies with the 1950's Rebel and played an odd game of follow the leader, where we unknowingly seemed to be the leaders.




We had to head back a bit early due to a prior engagement so we tacked our way back to the campground boat launch. When we arrived, there was little time to spare which quickly turned into tardiness as boat after boat lined up to get in or out of the water. We dropped the sails and drifted for a while until we realized that aggressiveness alone would be the only thing that would get us to dry land.





We finally made it out and brought the rigging down in record time. Good times, good company and another first checked off the list.

How to fix and/or break a radiator in your FJ40, and/or try to slice your finger off..

So, here is Erick with his head (noggin) all upside down in the fj40. I ordered the new radiator from the Radiator Barn and it arrived in a timely, professional fashion without incident, that is, until we got ahold of it. It immediately started pissing fluids all about, I presume as a result of the ridiculous mounting of the electric fan that we tried to copy from the previous owners' work. We did get it to quit that sort of nonsense, after a spot of time, with some type of stop leak product. Tomorrow I shall give it the real acid test by driving it harder than it should be, and then evaluate the viability of driving the boat up to the lake.

So, my brother gave me this excellent knife for my birthday, and I wanted to see if I could cut my finger off, but I only got this far. Pretty weak, I know...

32

So, yesterday I turned 32, but sometimes 32 turns you. I was able to go pick up the sail from Sailors' Tailor in the morning (they also make excellent bean bag chairs, should you need one, or like to give, as a gift, a comfortable place for a loved one to sit) due, primarily, to the generous allowance, by my sister, of the usage of her car, which is the color of the inside of a lime. Generally speaking, all is well. I spoke, via the internets, with my friend RR (Double R), and if you are ever in Tucson, Arizona you should go have breakfast at the Blue Willow. So, on the way back from Tara's in Pittsburgh, the FJ40 had a radiator meltdown, and the one I ordered from the Radiator Barn on Sunday just arrived in the mail, and looks great; all I have to do is install it. I arrived home in a tow truck on Saturday, having missed the Reggae Run 5k I was supposed to run in. Now, though, we have a masterfully patched sail (for only $91), and Nabokov's "brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness," with which we shall do who knows what? Sail? Let us not be the prisoners of time! From Tara I also received Chuck Klosterman's Killing Yourself To Live (the book that has been following me, or I it), the well recommended Requiem For a Paper Bag, and - most enthusiastically - a lego set of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.