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Thursday, September 6, 2007
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   Thursday, September 6, 2007

Read this Before Buying a Bike Helmet
A lot of kids love to ride their bicycles at the local park or just around their neighborhood. Teenagers also love this activity and they take longer rides because their parents no longer supervise them. Some people take solo rides when they want to clear their mind or just to take in the sights.
Parents would often insist that their children wear protective head gears in the event of any accident. This requirement is reasonable as many a serious injury can be avoided by wearing a bike helmet. The design of bicycle helmets for kids is different than those that are worn by adults. Children's helmets are usually decorated with lots of fun designs, colors, and cartoon character decals.
Young girls often choose from designs like the Disney Princess collection. On the other hand, boys favor a bike helmet that has a more masculine type of decoration and colors. These helmets are adorned with cartoon characters most appealing to boys, like Power Rangers.
Getting the right size is important when it comes to purchasing a bike helmet for a child. Helmets than can fit children from toddlers to age 12 are available on the market. The bike helmet box informs the costumers what age group it will fit. It is important that parent’s try the bike helmet on their child before making a purchase.
In contrast to helmets for children, adult helmets have fewer decorative designs. However, adults would often personalize their helmet with stickers, or even paint the entire helmet with the design of their choice. It is important for any bike helmet to have secure adjustable straps that hook together underneath the chin.
There are two basic styles of bike helmet for adults. The first one is the helmet that has a pointed back and the second has a completely round design. The sleek, pointed back style is quite popular today. Its aerodynamic features allow an increase on the biker’s speed.
About the Author:
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Bike Helmet. Visit our site for more helpful information about Bike Helmet and other similar topics.


Wooden Boat Restoration, Ed Monk Ketch
Restorations work on Madwenowe continues . . .
After a long hot summer and our usual retreat to Martha's Vineyard to escape the heat of San Carlos we returned home to continue the work on Madwenowe, our 42' Ed Monk design ketch.
Madwenowe is currently on mooring #4 in the bahia at Marina San Carlos, in the State of Sonora, Mexico. Working and living fulltime on the boat has its advantages and disadvantages.
On the down side, things take a little more time because of having to unpack tools (generator, sanders, cords, etc.) at the beginning of the day, then cleaning up at days end.
On the plus side, a clean work environment, and living quarters takes the edge off of not having the clutter as well as the dust from sanding and scraping. The galley and living quarters are always presentable at the end of the day.
This makes it very relaxing when sitting topside watching the morning sunrise, drinking a hot cup of coffee or in the evening watching the seals, dolphins, pelicans, fish, the dance of the sailboats and their reflection on the water and the beautiful Sea of Cortez sunsets with Tetakawi as a backdrop.
Another big plus living fulltime on a sailboat is No Yard Work!
That being said, the few weeks spent away from the boat allows you to reassess priorities and plan of action.
First and foremost was the attempt to get the old 1975 Volvo Penta MD3B running again. Two years before I bought the boat, the injection pump, and various parts had been disassembled so the engine was in bad condition. Rust and corrosion had covered everything.
Before the summer began I had the engine hauled out and the plan was to rebuild. An overhaul was done. New rings, bearings, valve job, starter and alternator rebuilt, injection pump and injectors cleaned and tested. Then had it hoisted back into the bilge.
Once the engine was again in place it took several more weeks to get it started. Due to existing problems with the injector pump and injectors I decided to give it up. It just was not going to be dependable enough for me. I made the decision to purchase a new Yanmar Diesel 3JH-E 38 hp engine. Madwenowe was hauled back to the marina and the old Volvo was hauled out for the final time.
I had the new Yanmar shipped from Wisconsin, USA, to Tucson, Arizona. From Tucson I hauled it down to San Carlos in the back of my pickup. The decision to replace the engine is one that I should have made when I first purchased the boat. Having contentment and peace of mind is worth every dollar spent for a reliable engine. When you turn the key it must start. It could mean the difference between life and death. (to see pics of work in progress, visit: webtiller.com)
Second plan of action is to continue on the woodworking. Much sanding and scraping still had to be done on the deck, rails, cabin top and trim. In fact the entire topside of the boat needed to be completely stripped.
(to see pics of work in progress, visit: webtiller.com)
The deck had been painted over 3 times prior. Thus I removed 3 coats of paint, 1 coat of primer, and a very thick and hard layer of old varnish. I used several packs of 80 grit sandpaper and some paint stripper only when necessary.
I now have the majority of old paint and varnish removed. Once I replace a couple of pieces of weathered mahogany I will be ready for final sanding before applying paint, oil and varnish. A very handy tool to have available is a paint scraper. Once you learn the technique it makes the job much easier. It allows you to get into tight corners and edges and looks very tidy once cleaned.
This tool saves a tremendous amount of time. I use it to take off the majority of old paint and varnish. Then I finished up with the sanding. Without it I would have spent many days and hours trying to sand off old layers of paint and varnish. I highly recommend it.
Prior to all this, the living quarters needed to be put in order. When we first bought the boat, below deck needed much work. The former owners lived aboard for about three years. They were heavy smokers and had a dog and cat. I'm not saying that you can't live aboard with pets. I know many who do and have no problem with it. In this case however, combination of stale tobacco smoke, tobacco stain, dog and cat odor and stains made it necessary to gut the inside, clean and refinish.
(to see pics of work in progress, visit: webtiller.com)
This gave us the opportunity to do some needed modifications in the galley. The galley sink was located over the doghouse (a term many used to describe the compartment that houses the engine) so access to the engine compartment was very limited. Only the front panel could be removed,so working on the engine was almost impossible.
(to see pics of work in progress, visit: webtiller.com)
From past experience, when something breaks or doesn't start, conditions are never favorable. It's either very cold, very hot, very dark, very rough seas, very wet, etc. so accessibility to the engine is a must. With this in mind I relocated the sink to the port side of the galley. This eliminated the plumbing that was running down over the engine and I re-designed the top and side panels to be removed for easy access to the engine compartment, battery banks, filter systems, bilge pumps and water valves.
Another modification that I did with great hesitation is to cut out a portion of the interior portside bulkhead. I used a jigsaw to cut out the panel. Doing this opened up the area between the galley and living area. This allows more natural lighting to the galley and living area and improved ventilation throughout the interior. I used the mahogany piece that I cut out to built a cabinet and storage area. This added another foot of counter space to the galley
For a power source I installed an 80-watt solar panel and 3 deep cell marine batteries, a 1200 dc/ac converter to run our laptops and printer. This will also power the navigation equipment once installed. Between the solar panel, engine and the almost year round sunshine that we get in this area of the Sea of Cortez, we should have a sufficient energy supply. I will have photos and details on this when I complete this phase.
Since our return from the Vineyard (October 2006) and while waiting for parts etc. I began work to redo the topside of the cabin. It had to remove various old coats of paint and some bondo that someone had used to patch several holes and soft spots. The old top was too weathered to repair or patch so I decided to tear off the old fiberglass laminate down to the original plywood top.
Aside from once owning an "85" Corvette, this was my first experience in working with fiberglass. Because of age and condition of the old material it took about ten minutes total for both sections to be stripped to the original wood. A much easier task than I anticipated. The original top is 1” laminated plywood.
I then cleaned and prepped the wood using 80-grit sandpaper. I cleaned out all of the soft spots and use a plastic bondo to fill in the holes and low areas.
Once the wood was finally prepped I used West System Epoxy 105/205 along with 6-mil fiberglass cloth to reinforce the top.
Before applying the West Systems I cleaned the wood top using a clean paint brush and a solvent we have here in Mexico called thinner (pronounced teener). I applied a coating of West System, let set to a tacky touch, then applied the 6-mil fiberglass cloth. All together I applied 3 more coats of epoxy. (Note to self: never again do this on a windy day. The feeling of sticky fiberglass and epoxy hugging my face, attempting to mummify me was an embarrassing experience. I hope no one was watching.)
For the final sanding of the top I again used 80-grit sandpaper.
This will allowed the paint to adhere properly. Because of heat and the UV factor here in Mexico I will use white Topside non-skid paint for the final finish.
Lessons Learned:
We have had Madwenowe since February 2006 and have made a considerable amount of progress. Finding materials takes longer than usual. The Internet is a great resource for research and purchasing materials. This past summer Marina San Carlos opened a chandlery called Star Marine. This makes finding materials much easier, especially when it comes to locating stainless steel nuts, bolts and other needed hardware.
When I first mentioned to sailing friends that I was considering buying an old wooden hull sailboat, their first words were, “It’s a lot of work”. While it is true, it is a lot of work, my reply to that is “I’m not afraid of hard work.” As of yet I have not grown tired or have any regrets of our owning the boat.
Both my wife and I are enjoying the many benefits of fulltime living on Madwenowe. The wonderful experience of sailing and living on board, being outside the majority of the day and night has added years to our life and health. The physical work has also kept me great condition for a man of 57.
As of December 20, 2006 this is a journal of the work thus far completed on Madwenowe. If you have question or comments, feel free to email me at: webtiller@yahoo.com. I will be happy to respond.
(to see pics of work in progress, visit: webtiller.com)


How To Successfully Choose Bass Fishing Lures (Part 2 of 2)
We continue our journey through the most comman bass fishing lures.
Next up is...

When To Use Plastic Worms
Most anglers' favorite lure is the plastic worm. But it's not a simple stalk of colored plastic that it used to be. Now you have straight worms, snake worms, plastic lizards, curly tail worms, j-tail worms, and worms with holes, dimples, air pockets molded in, bumps and nubs and flavorings.
Then you have the colors. Probably no other category of lure comes in as many colors as plastic worms. But if your just beginning to stock your tackle box, here's some simple advice. You'll need two basic styles: a straight worm for flipping and a worm with an action tail for more open water fishing.
The j-tail and snake worms provide tantalizing motion in the water and they give off vibrations that draw fishes' interest, but they also can catch on small sticks, weeds and twigs and foul up an angler's presentation when he's flipping. As far as colors go, stock worms in black, blue, grape, and motor oil. And perhaps a metal flake variety in electric blue or motor oil.
When To Use Jigs
They are great for flipping shallow cover or casting to deep structure. They are best fished when they are in close proximity to under water cover. There are two basic varieties:
The open-hooked plain jigs dressed with marabou or plastic grubs and the bass-style jigs with a snag guard and a rubber or rubber and hair skirt. These often are tipped with a plastic worm or pork rind trailer to add bouyancy and action. You can fish plastic worms and jigs in much the same way. You should keep the lure in close contact with the bottom as much as possible, twitching it in short hops.
The jig-n-pig is a top choice when the water is still cold in the spring. It is meant to imitate a crawfish, which is one of the bass' favorite foods. Many fishermen switch over to plastic worms when the water begins to warm around spawning season, but the jig-n-pig will produce fish all summer long for those who stick with it.
Toss either a plastic worm or jig-n-pig into a pocket in a weed bed, next to the shady side of a stump or leaning tree, under a boat dock, next to a submerged rock, along riprap and near boat ramps and points.

When To Use Topwater Baits
The topwater bait is broken down in two categories: slow moving and fast topwater lures. Examples of slow movers are Zara Spook, Rapala floating minnows, chuggers and poppers. Fast baits are Jitterbugs, buzzbaits, and various propeller lures.
Surface lures begin to draw interest just before the bass move onto the spawning beds and they'll continue to be hot until the water cools down in October or November. In the spring, try buzzbaits and the Zara Spook or Rapala near stumps or standing timber on shallow banks.
During the summer, work topwater lures early and late in the day, or when the clouds are heavy and the wind is calm. Bass will move a long way to hit a topwater under such conditions. In the fall, try a surface lure near points and cover in bays made by creeks that feed a lake or reservoir.
Buzzbaits work best when retrieved with a fairly quick pace. Allow them to bump the objects in the water just as you would with a spinnerbait. With a Spook or Rapala, however, a different approach is necessary.
Cast one out and let it set until all the ripples from the splash-down are gone. Then twitch the lure slightly. Often the strike will occur then, but repeat the stop and twitch throughout the retrieve.
Sometimes the strike will occur well away from the cover; sometimes it'll be right next to the boat. With a Zara Spook, each twitch should be made on a slack line. When you jerk the Spook, it'll dance right to left and stay within a small area for a long time. That give a bass plenty of time to get angry at the intruder. A strike under those conditions is a moment to remember!
Johns website help beginners and advanced bass fishermen to catch a boat load of fish. Please visit the site for more info...Bass Fishing Lure