It was a miracle.
The neighbor's mobile home fire started only about
half an hour after the wife and her younger sister
had been out to get the last of the contents of
trailer.
The insurance was to run out in just a couple of days.
The miracle was that many of the items reported as
being lost in the fire miraculously appeared in their
new home. Glory be.

The Rapid Robert is pictured on the site where the trailer
sat 20 odd years ago. We were able to add 4 1/2 acres
to our estate. (Boat Storage)

Pat



--- In MessaboutW@y..., pateson@c... wrote:

John,
I have no life.
I had a dream last night about you trying to start your Gray.
It was kind of a cross between starting an engine and trying
to set off cannon. Lots of sparks and fire. In the dream
you finally got it going.
I'm very ignorant about the history and workings of internal
combustion engines. That book sounds great. I'll have to see
if I can can find it in our system.
The Brooks show was my first exposure to those engines.
And what an exposure. I think I could have spent hours
watching just one of them, trying to figure out how they
do all the amazing things they do.
Very cool.
"Cummins figures the IC engine reached maturity by then, further
development has just been refinement!"
That was what I told one of my fellow oglers at the show.
All the basics are there, just been refinements.
Wish I could put that book in "My library" but at $50, might
have to stick with the public library version for a while.
Only other brush with old engines was an antique John Deere
crawler tractor I borrowed to clear an old burned out mobile
home on our propery. (Previous owner's mobile home. Burned right
after they moved, and the insurance ran out. Pretty exciting
night.)
About D-2 size. It had only flyweel start. The guy that owned
it was a log truck driver, and strong as an ox, but I was sore
for days ater having to start it. Starters are one of the
"Refinements" I appreciate.

I accidentally ran into Roger Fletcher in the parking lot of the
Molalla Sentry Market. He was taking his Brand New Double
Ender home from Ray's. I could tell right away it was a
"Ray's" boat. He can build beautiful boats and this one is
exceptionally beautiful. I waited for Roger to come out, and
we had a long talk about boats. I went home and started following
the links on his page, and I think it was through one of them
I found your big page. Small world.

My wife Kay is an expert bailer. We lost our drain plug in
our 20' Rienell cabin boat on Detroit, and when I looked back
there was a foot of water in the back of the cockpit. She
grabbed a 5 gallon bucket, and we did not sink, but it was
pretty much the end of the old Volvo.
(Wanta buy another boat cheap? Pics in background of
Rapid Robert shots.)

Boats !#%*!

Pat Patteson
Molalla, Oregon




--- In MessaboutW@y..., jhkohnen@b... wrote:

Bryn-

I've got the original Int'l Marine edition of Old Marine Engines,

is your

the newer one from Devereux Books? I wonder if there's any

difference.

Grayson has written a two volume book about the history of marine

engines

(of all sizes) that looks like a good read, too bad it's so

expensive. :o(

http://www.devereuxbooks.com/html/marine_stationary_engines.html

An excellent book about the mechanics of old engines is Internal

Fire by

Lyle Cummins (of the Diesel Cumminses), printed by Carnot Press,

Lake

Oswego, 1976 (there should be a copy at the Eugene Library). It's

a

history

of the IC engine from 1673 to 1900 (Cummins figures the IC engine

reached

maturity by then, further development has just been refinement!).
One-lungers like my Gray, and the Atlantics and Acadias that were

built

until just a few years ago, are essentially 1890s technology, not

even

refined, though the Gray's jump spark ignition is pretty modern

for

1906

(when it was first built). BTW, it looks like Devereux Books has

reissued

Internal Fire! And also some other books by Cummins, including a

bio of his

dad, Clessie.

I got the plans for my shop into the city Tuesday, a very helpful

lady

there walked me through the process of applying for a permit. I

was

pleasantly surprised! The shop will have an open ceiling and I'll

be able

to store long lengths of wood on the beams. <g> The pitch of the

roof is

low though, so I won't be able to pile too much stuff up there.

I'm

getting excited about having a warm, dry place to work in the

winter, with

room to move around.

I should have a messbout when I first try the old launch in the

water, just

so I'll have lots of hands to bail! <g>

On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 22:22:15 -0700, Bryn wrote:

...
I finished reading the one-lunger book, "Old Marine Engines" by

Stan

Grayson, It's a very interseting read, a bit long-winded when

it

comes to

specific histories of each company, and a bit thin on the

actual

mechanics

of the engine, but nonetheless, a very interesting treatise on

the

one-lunger.
...
Don't we all wish we had more storage space.
Can you imagine a shop with all the wood and fasteners just

waiting to be

used, no lines at Jerry's, no driving here and there. Ok so I

dream.

--
John <jkohnen@b...>
http://www.boat-links.com/
Many a man has fallen in love with a girl in light so

dim

he would not have chosen a suit by it. <Maurice

Chevalier>