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"The big problem with this plan is what to with the boat in tropical storm season."
We have summered our boat for several years in the village of San Carlos near Guaymas, inside the Sea of Cortez on the mainland side. There are two large marinas with huge dry storage facilities. www.marinasancarlos.com will connect you with one of them that just enlarged theirs and should have plenty of room. This is north of the zone that most insurance companys won't cover during the season. It is about 250 miles to go to the US for parts and supplies if needed, with absolutely superb buss service on luxury busses on a 4 lane hwy. You wouldn't want to sail right past this beautiful body of water on the way south anyway. It is well worth the little side trip. Stop by and visit us on "EZDUZIT" in Puerto Escondido on your way up the sea. That is now our home port. It has a nice hotel and restrauant within walking distance of the dingy dock where Stu and Jon can buy you a nice dinner just for coming up with the idea. There, that takes care of the first year.
Bruce

OK John Nixon, how about a detailed description of how to do the "Back and Fill". I did a search, and could not find anything.

So we did the veg oil thing to lubricate. If a little is good a lot should be better right? So I left it in there several days. Now we have a strange smell when we flush. Not crappy, just strange. Anyone ever been that dumb? If so were you able to get rid of the dead vegetable oil smell? Omygodwhatnext!
Bruce

Once again stuck in Mexico with a US question. I called Adler Barbour and found they are now owned by Dometic, and do not have the specks for my old sorta reliable Cold Machine. I have the gear to change the freon, but need to know the proper low pressure. 1986 boat, but not sure the year of the Machine. Probably nearly that old. Can anyone help. I did search the spreadsheet, but didn't get this answered.
Thanks, Bruce

Thank you all for your ideas. Next season I am going to rebuild the guts in the pump, and try John's idea with the lanolin. That really sounds like it will work. As for the rest of this season, I think we will go with once a week veg oil, and a bit if vinegar each night. Shouldn't hurt anything, and don't cost much.

When at sea and not using the holding tank what is recommended for maintenance and how often?  Vinegar and vegetable oil have been recommended.  What portions and how often?

Thanks again guys!
I ordered the bolts. The $35.00 for four skinny bolts made my eyes water  , but I will probably rejoyce the next time I need to romove them. 

Thanks Stu, that is a big help. I will get them from Beckson.

Thanks all, and especially Mike. That post is a great manual for the job at hand. I had my pedestal and binnacle all apart last winter, so things should come apart ok. I used never seize wherever practical. Catalina yachts did carry the cable, and seemed to know what the right length for by boat is. Now on to the next problem trying to find the correct gaskets for our portlights.

Can anyone tell me if all the port lights were the same brand on 1986 models, and if so what brand? I need to take some new screens along when I make the long trip to our boat next month.

Thanks Stu. That knowledge base is a wonderful tool. I already had the article printed off to take with me. I will try Catalina.

My boat is just down the street 1600 miles. I'm heading that way soon, and would like to take a spare transmission cable with me when I go. It's a 1986, hull 203. Can anyone tell me where I can be sure to get the correct cable, and perhaps the correct length. After reading some of the old posts and tech notes I am in fear. It's a long swim back.
Bruce

I use and love a 35lb Delta on 150 feet of 5/16 BB chain and 100 feet of 5/8 nylon. In two years of cruising in the Sea of Cortez it has never moved more then a few feet in some difficult conditions. It has been in sand and some mud, and some shallow sand on top of shale. We had a night of 40 to 50 knot gusts coming straight into an ancorage, with about 3 to 4 feet of chop. Waves almost breaking over the bow at anchor, and a rock wall behind us. We decided to move to a safer place, but in the mean time the anchor held. We have experenced the famous "La Paz Waltz", with 4 or 5 knots of current running one way, and 20 to 30 knots of wind running 180 degrees to that, and then the tide changes and you go the other way with the wind. Here I think the anchor moved a few feet when it reset, but we were in tight quarters for three days, and we would have noticed any lengthy drift. I have seen a lot of boats down here with both a Bruce and a Delta on the bow, but I am not sure what kind of bottoms each anchor is preffered in.

We have an electric windless, but I have weighed it by hand in 35 feet of water just to make sure I could do it if the windless gives out. If I had a lot of time I would rig up to use a sheet winch, but in a rush I can to it, although I am probably in better shape then the average 65 year old.

Well, now you guys have tweeked my interest. Mine is an 86 model, wich I bought two years ago. It has a 9" cleat 1/2 inch off center, beside the bow roller frame, that I can get a 7/8 nylon mooring line on. Then I have two 7" cleats on both sides just even with the front edge of the anchor locker, that take 1/2 inch dock lines with ease. My question is are these origonal or has something been added on?

Jon,

I don't know how it was done either, but I can sure see the composit tube inside the fiberglass housing. The gap was between the bushing and the housing. The leak was persistant, and salt water. Unfortunatly the picture I took did not turn out well enough to see the bushing, and I didn't look at it on the computer screen untill after I had put the rudder back in. The good news is I have been back in the wate for a few days, and it is dry as a bone. Now we will see how long the sekaflex holds up. I will be pulling the boat again in March, and if it starts leaking again before that, I won't worry about it, as I at least now know where it is getting in, and I know it can't get too big too fast, unless I clobber something with the rudder, and that is usually avoidable.