August 21, 2009
Forgive me internet, for I have sinned… It’s been 4 months since my last blog post.
I’ve just been so busy trying to get the dive boat ready. I moved it from Saint Augustine back to Jacksonville. I have it back in the same marina again. Things seem to have quieted down since I was here last.
I’ve just been steadily trying to get things going. I can’t believe how homesick I’ve been lately. I really miss Panama.
She’s starting to look good. I moved the cockpit forward and made the cabin smaller. Depending on hurricanes, I’m trying to be back in Panama in December.
I’ve seen dolphins and manatees in the marina, but not turtles. This looks to be a baby green sea turtle. It was busy chomping down on the growth on the lines in the water. Nice to see some wildlife in the water.
I’ll try to keep up with the blog a bit more often. I’ve just been so focused on getting back to Panama, I’ve forgotten about everything else. I haven’t even shot any pictures in a while…
Capn Scott
April 28, 2009
Sooooo… I thought that moving the boat out of the water and onto dry land would give me some peace and time to work on the boat. There was an expression by George Will, it went something like this… “Aren’t you glad you’re not getting as much government as you’re paying for”… At this point I feel that I’m getting far more government than I have paid for… One of the neighbors complained to the zoning board. And everything in the yard got evicted… including me…
Soooo… I’m now in Saint Augustine. Hopefully this town will be better. I’m in a corner of a very secluded yard of my friend. And… I’m a half hour closer to Panama. The ocean-going barge didn’t make it. I had no place to put her and absolutely no money in her. I cut my loses… literally… Now I have $50 in her through sawzall blades and she is in dumpster sized pieces… I’ll find another along the way. I really need to focus on getting the dive boat ready. It’s so easy to get distracted.
I’ve been working on the dive boat and making good progress. Hopefully, I can have her back in the water in a couple of months. Just in time for hurricane season. I’ve been documenting this conversion project from being a Dodge pickup truck motor to a dive boat motor.
This website is documenting all of the necessary changes and the method for converting a pickup truck cummins 6bt to a marine engine. Also, I have links for parts, and have actually found some manufacturers that will sell to me directly, that I can remarket through the site…
We’ll see how this goes… Oh… by the way, this process also applies to the Cummins 6ct and the Cummins 4bt.
Capn Scott
April 10, 2009
Finally got the engine and transmission bolted together.
I removed all of the items that aren’t necessary, pressure washed the motor and taped up the spots that I didn’t want painted. Then bolted up everything and painted the whole thing assembled.
Progress is slow… but it is moving forward…
Capn Scott
April 3, 2009
More progress on the new dive boat…
I have the engine and transmission over at the transmission shop.
We have the transmission torn down into all of it’s pieces. We’ve checked the bearings…
And, we’ve changed the gearing ratio from being a 2 to 1 to a 1.5 to 1. This will give me better power and a more reasonable propellor pitch.
We found 2 plates that needed to be replaced, but everything else was in pretty good shape.
Doesn’t look like much, when you break it down into it’s little pieces. But a good transmission is as important as a good diesel. This is a commercial grade Twin Disc 502-1.
Though, there are alot of tiny pieces involved inside of the box.
The engine is a Cummins 6BT. I’m reconditioning it and marinizing it. More on it later. Time to button up the transmission and finish painting it…
Capn Scott
March 21, 2009
I pulled the dive boat out this morning. It was a bit earlier (one week) than I wanted, but the situation at the marina prompted this. I’ve finally paid off the new transmission and have the engine over at the shop being connected to it. Then I’ll set up the stringers and line everything up and install them…
The Fleet… the new dive boat and the barge…
Wow… I’m so excited to be at this stage. Getting the engine in, modifying the looks… new paint… Hopefully, in a couple of months, I can put her back in the water and begin working on the barge and getting her ready…
About the situation at the marina…
A week ago, the sheriffs office sent the boats over to the marina and they boarded many of the customers on the dock, with ticket book in hand. I was warned before I got onto the dock about the situation and stayed in the parking lot until they were done. Then, the next day, U.S. Customs and Border patrol came on the dock in force with the drug dogs and did the same. Three days later at 4:30 P.M. the sheriffs office arrived in 5 pickup trucks and entered the dock with ticket books in hand, giving out citations again. I almost got off the dock before I was held for questioning and possible detention in a jail cell… I wasn’t being cooperative enough… Fortunately, my paperwork was unquestionable and they went for bigger game… They then returned at 9:30 PM… for more boardings… and then… They returned at 5AM for another round… At 10:30AM we were graced again with U.S. Customs…..
What the hell happened when I was away in South America??? These officers didn’t knock, ask permission to board, ask questions or anything. They just boarded the boats, opened the doors and walked in unannounced…
Land of the Free??? What happened to our civil liberties? After the ordeal where I almost went to jail, I felt violated… ALL OF MY RIGHTS were violated!!! When did I become a criminal? I sure was treated like one…
Time to return to South/Central America permanently…
Capn Scott
