[Public-list] re: "let me race?"was another outboard discussion

[J Bergquist]

George,

Right you are, and I will definitely admit that my racing participation has
been abysmal this year. Beyond abysmal, in fact. I have participated in not
a single race. And the person in the world who is most disappointed about
that is me. 

I'm not going to make excuses. 

But a well-functioning, reliable AUXILIARY propulsion system will be a big
factor in helping me get out to the race course next season. 

And I don't want to repower in such a way that would preclude me from racing
in the future! But I also don't want to break the bank. 

As I said before, if I'm going to go to the trouble of hauling the boat out
of the water and investing my winter in a repower job, I want to make sure
that I get a system which will work reliably. I'm sorry but a $1000 Atom
Bomb just doesn't sound like a reliable solution. I DON'T WANT to spend my
available free time wrenching around with the motor. I have done it for 3
years and I have HAD IT. I am sick of those stupid motors and I want
something that will run well, start every time, and serve its purpose as an
AUXILIARY rather than the thing I spend all my time working on. 

I like going sailing. If I had wanted a motorboat, I would have bought a
Chris Craft. 

I hate motors. I just want them to work. That's it. It's that simple. I want
something cheap and easy that will work every time. Such things exist.
They're called 4-stroke outboards. And when they're busted, you unbolt them,
take them home, fix them, and bolt them back on. Nice, simple, clean, not
smelly, and very effective. 

Maybe I'll come to my senses by tomorrow. Maybe not. The fact is I am sick
of disagreeing with people about this. Why can't you people just understand
that this is not an unreasonable thing to want to do. The world is full of
sailboats powered by outboard auxiliaries. I have had at least 15 friends
say to me "why don't you just get an outboard?" 

Finally, I said to myself...why DON'T I just get an outboard? 

Sheesh,

J

-----Original Message-----
From: gdinwiddie at alberg30.org [mailto:gdinwiddie at alberg30.org] 
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 5:24 PM
To: j at ship.saic.com; Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
Subject: Re: [Public-list] re: "let me race?"was another outboard discussion

J Bergquist wrote:
> I told Tim Williams this morning that there's much more difference between
> my results and Towney's than a couple of hundred pounds displacement and a
> missing propeller. The winners win chiefly because they're good sailors,
not
> because their equipment is advantageous. At least, that's my opinion. 

You're right.  No one will protest you until you beat them.  ;-)  But 
isn't this all a bit academic?  Or have you been out racing?

Anyway, you can always leave a nonfunctional engine in place.

  - George

P.S. When you come to your senses, you'll realize that you can re-power 
with an Atomic 4 for a lot less than $4K.  Don Moyer's prices are on the 
top end of the scale--probably worth it for an essentially brand new 
engine.  You can pick up a running Atomic 4 for around $1k, I think, and 
probably less if you're in the right place at the right time.

For that matter, I've got a very rusty and jerry-rigged Atomic 4 in the 
boat that runs like a top, and another in better shape in the basement 
that needs rebuilding.  If I can get that swap made this winter, I'll 
give you the old one.

-- 
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   When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
   I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
   So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
   So many I love were not yet born.
                                             'The Middle' by Ogden Nash
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