[Public-List] Spring....

[Gordon Laco via Public-List]

So, there I was…

 

Having crowed to all and sundry about my projected launch of SURPRISE on Saturday, including my good friend Janice who has an Alberg, but gets me in trouble regularly by rebuffing suggestions that she join the association by commenting that she doesn’t have to because of my willingness to help her occasionally…who I’d beat into the water by a full week and a half… 

 

The engine wouldn’t start when tested pre-launch.

 

Saturday was a sh*tty day; cold, blowing hard from the north west… I didn’t want to suffer the ignomy and possible damage being dragged out of the travel lift slip by the marina’s tender due to engine no-start.

 

So I tried checking over everything I could think of.  I removed, disassembled and cleaned the carb twice; once carelessly (I wasn’t at all surprised when the engine still wouldn’t fire) and a second time in which I removed a shameful amount of crud from the float bowl and jets.  I remembered the only other time this had happened, when a wire from the coil had fallen off… I know that damned wire and it as in place.  I dumped new fuel and anti-water fluid into the tank.  I confirmed fuel getting to the carb, and through it.  I pulled a plug and turned the engine over.. no spark.  NO SPARK? But the points are good, current is getting through the coil, I’ve cleaned the good points…

 

I installed new spark plugs.  I opened the distributor and cleaned the one year old points.  No joy. I told the marina I wouldn’t be ready at 11am, and texted my generous professional mechanic/crewmember Clint appealing for his help.   He offered to come but couldn’t for a few hours.

 

I endured the friendly condescension of friends and strangers who complemented SURPRISE’s looks and slyly asked why we hadn’t launched at 11.

 

Then a different sort of friend strolled by and asked what was up.  At this point, about mid afternoon, I had tried everything I knew.   After listening to me he said “what grit of sand paper did you use on the points?”  I showed him.  He said “I’ll have her going in four minutes.”  He took a piece of much finer emery cloth out of his pocket and after opening the distributor, rubbed the folded emory cloth between the opened points a few strokes.  Then he took a folded piece of note paper, and ran that back and forth between the points.  He put the distributor cap back on and started leaving.  He said over his shoulder “try it now.”  I did and of course it started right up like usual.  I shouted to him “WHAT KIND OF RUM DO YOU LIKE?”   He replied “anything dark…”   So tomorrow I’m buying him a bottle of Newfoundland Screech.

 

Ya, I knew all about everything he did, but I went at the job not expecting to win.  He went at it saying “the Atomic IV is one of the most reliable engines ever built.  If there’s spark, fuel, air, it has to run”.  And of course it did.

 

Was I relieved?  Oh yes.  Did I launch?  No.  I looked at the howling wind, considered that I was frozen from being out in it all day improperly dressed (it was hot here the day before)  and decided I’d wait.  She’s going in Tuesday; still before Janice, so I’m happy.

 

Gord, #426 Surprise