Mast Rainwater!

I just heard from the Motion Picture Academy that my film ( https://vimeo.com/200417317 ) will not be eligible this year, either. They say it is not long enough to be a movie, and is too short to be a short. One member of the board called it "little more than a photograph with an attitude." Another said it brought on a migraine, and the movie critic for a French cinema blog deemed it "pretentious in its lack of apparent pretension, and morally outside the hermeneutics of the canon."

But I am sustained by the forum in believing my work to be of value, and I shall continue to break the barriers erected by the academy--by all academies!--and to continue our researches into the phenomenology of the bilge.

And, David, no, I didn't figure out anything smart to stop the drips. Except local advice that when it rains here, drink it.

Reviews

Rex reed did call it “....amazing”

Filkee said:

Rex reed did call it “....amazing”

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I found the problem with the story is with the introduction, rain falling on deck and the painful switch to the bilge pump operating. I think more footage of the slow drip followed and, after several hours, of sun breaking through the clouds could have achieved the required Zen like quality required for an award.

I did see the folks on Ran Sailing tackle a similar problem by filling the bottom of the mast with an expanding foam and drilling a small limber hole above it. I don't think I like this solution.

A perversely more appealing solution (specifically for boats stored on the hard with no power hook-up) is to replace the pair of group 27 batteries with the Lithium equivalent. Since these batteries only loose a few percentage charge per month they would be great to keep the bilge pumps working all through the rainy season. Do think I could sell this expense to my wife?

Of course, it's moot here in San Francisco as the "winter season" is July to October and it does not rain then anyway.

Thanks for all of the commentary! The Ericson manual states that this is normal then I'll let it be! I would get the $7k worth of lithium batteries but I'm saving my money for Christians motion picture award ceremony. Gee I hope it doesn't get rained out!

Christian Williams said:

I just heard from the Motion Picture Academy that my film ( https://vimeo.com/200417317 ) will not be eligible this year, either. They say it is not long enough to be a movie, and is too short to be a short. One member of the board called it "little more than a photograph with an attitude." Another said it brought on a migraine, and the movie critic for a French cinema blog deemed it "pretentious in its lack of apparent pretension, and morally outside the hermeneutics of the canon."

But I am sustained by the forum in believing my work to be of value, and I shall continue to break the barriers erected by the academy--by all academies!--and to continue our researches into the phenomenology of the bilge.

And, David, no, I didn't figure out anything smart to stop the drips. Except local advice that when it rains here, drink it.

Click to expand...

Christian, you’re such a rebel.

It Never Rains In Southern California

The manufacturers must have assumed that the bulk of their fleet would reside between Coronado Island and Point Conception and thus would only have to contend with rain once or twice a year.

For years I had water always weeping from that limber hole in the bottom of the mast. And when I say always I do mean always - it was never dry. I pulled my hair trying to come up with a sensible explanation - from "it is very humid in Houston, it is just condensate" to "oh my god, the boat is sinking". Recently curiosity got the better of me and I poked it with a stiff wire. Lo and behold - a little geyser came to life and spewed several gallons of water into the bilge. So, if your mast step is always wet, it is likely caused by a clogged limber hole gradually releasing the latest rainfall into the bilge.

On Silver Maiden as I mentioned in another thread I get h2o down around the lighting wires and the COAX. Last time the mast was off I sealed the hell out of both of them and it is much reduced, but I am still getting water around deck hardware that needs rebedding and down the bolts for the grab rails on the cabin top. Oh and the windows too!

I think the weep holes in the mast step and mast have also helped.