Full Service Marina

Green Turtle Bay is a 5 star marina on the Great Cirlce Loop and can easily make any needed repairs to recreational watercraft---in or out of the water.  I photographed one of the two lifts during a recent weekend and did the cha-cha for a potential anaglyph. 

 

Favorite Feline

I initially thought some students had gone a bit overboard with school spirit after seeing the first multi-hued mascot but it turned out not to be the case.  There are literally dozens of these colorful cats (we're talking the statue not the casually posed littlest princess), each with a different palette, spread throughout the University of Memphis campus.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alumniassociation/sets/72157627672160750/

The rare and elusive Canoe Tree spotted in southern Nevada

I didn't get the story behind the sculpture "The Edge" but it does make for an interesting centerpiece between the Vdara and Cosmopolitan hotels.

Fluid Power

A Caterpillar hydraulic shovel is shown reaching over a 777 (100 ton) haul truck.

Hitachi is one of the main players in hydraulic shovels.

CAT knows locomotives too

Caterpillar even brought one of their locomotives to the show....just because they could.

Competition at the top of the food chain

Caterpillar isn't the only company that makes Ultra, or near Ultra-class trucks



Komatsu (360 tons)

Liebnerr (400 tons)

Hitachi (326 tons)

Beasts of Burden

From front to back---a Caterpillar 797 (400 ton), 795 (345 ton) and the "little baby" 793 (250 ton).

And back to front........

https://mining.cat.com/products/surface-mining/mining-trucks

Big Shovel Fulls

This scoop hold 70 cubic yards and needs the big Letourneau rubber tired loader to heft it into the haul trucks.  Just some truly serious heavy metal.

Steamship in Cottage Country

Spent some time touring the lake(s) around Muskoka, Ontario this past week on an actual steamship, the R.M.S Segwun which is celebrating 125 years of service this year.

http://www.segwun.com/

Dawn over Cottage Country

Spent the last week at a conference a couple of hours north of Toronto in Muskoka---affectionately known as "cottage country" by the locals. 

Mac and the Cat named Tom

Successful trip to the University of Memphis today which included a lengthy visit talking with the Confucious Institute about their International Studies program.

St. James park and Cathedral

Looking out the window this morning I realized my room overlooked St. James cathedral and the associated park---with a population of black squirrels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Church_of_St._James_(Toronto)

The Love of Younger Siblings

Throughout the years the two youngest siblings have shown a special fondness for their older sister no matter where their travels have taken them which has been lovingly captured in these cherished photos.

At sea level on Treasure Island...

And greater than a mile high at Clingmans Dome.

Brings back fond memories :)

World Geography

Once upon a time.....showing the crew my next trip during my stint with a previous employer.  From the pins I'd say I was traveling to the Tri-cities of Washington state to visit an aluminum plant that was making tubes for baseball bats and F-22 Raptors.  Little did I know I'd have to add many more pins in the years to come.

Marine Maintenance Weekly Challenge

This week's challenge....the Forward Head!

We've got a complete new replacement pump assembly!

Just in case it has simple, no frills, view on which model heads it replaces---yep, does them all.

Even includes detailed instructions.  Of course if you have a Man Card then these are not necessary.  Certain young and wayward nephews may be allowed to view the complicated procedure if they have a sponsor from a certified Man Card holder :)

We'll be using the Stanley All-in-One Socket and Ratchet kit today...sans the 7/16" combination wrench which it's loss is a truly sad nautical tale best told over a mug of grog.

From previous experience we've liberally applied an excess of bleach---and continued to use it as needed throughout the process.

First step is to dis-assemble the hosing.

Due to a leaky (though minor) bowl gasket we'll be disassembling this as well as replacing the valve.  Notice that just one nut holding down the bowl has been removed----I found out I need to get to both sides in order to split the bowl and base.  Certainly a design defect in design in my book.

Here is the probable culprit we're after today---a pinch valve that is not quite "pinching".

Looks like the stainless screws are not quite stainless--typical of foreign made (read China) metals over the last couple of decades.

Completed removal of the entire head.

Here is the bowl base showing the results of the weeping gasket.  Note the expert grip applied from the gifted Craftsman Robo-grips!

Here is the bottom of the base showing the reason why you have to remove the base along with the porcelain bowl.  No capture mechanism for the through-bolts.

 

The spiffy clean base ready to install. 

The base has been cleaned and is ready as well.

A long time favorite---111 Silicone Grease!

And the part we've been waiting for. 

All assembled and ready to go!!!