well this was unexpected

So 7 days ago and two days out of Boston enroute to Bath, Maine I came down with a nasty ear infection. It seems I popped my eardrum again descending into either Seattle or Newark airport and when water got into it up in the rigging, it became infected. I tried to recuperate down in the bunks, which are in the hold of the ship but the hot and damp environment made the infection much worse, causing the infection to spread to my eye. I stayed in my bunk about 20 hours and when we docked in Bath, Maine at the Maine Maritime Museum, a really nice museum volunteer named Peter drove me out to the local hospital where I was admitted to the emergency room. Kick the infection or lose your hearing. Get a graft for the eardrum or the infection will return as soon as I get more water into it. No more ship until I can get the surgery. The doctor tried to keep me there in the sterile room so I could kick the infection in a clean environment but without insurance, that was a no-go. I left the hospital and checked into the Rodeway Inn across the street. 36 hours in bed at the Rodeway Inn and Tony and Maryann from Hidecore make the 3 hour trip from Penobscot, Maine to pick me up and get me out of that 89.00 a night nightmare. Made the drive and pulled into their beautiful compound that you can see at http://www.bayviewhomesale.blogspot.com/ I felt good enough to get out for a walk today and was picked up about a mile from the house by a woman who could tell I was lost. I was looking for a trail to the ocean but the road that I was walking on did not allow crossing over by foot...all private property. She let me jump in and she drove me to her house about two miles up the road. The video shows how beautiful her place is. She just dropped me off in the yard and told me to enjoy myself and that she would pick me up and drive me back if she saw me on the road later. I spent about 3 hours in a hammock overlooking the ocean, thinking about my crappy turn of events. I have come to terms with not crossing the Atlantic now and am trying to figure out the best way to get this eardrum fixed with no insurance. (and limited $) I can always hop aboard next year now that I have my Coast Guard Certification. Until then, I am here with my good friends in a warm and positive environment and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my adventure. We just got back from the grocery and are making a big pot of Maine fish chowder.

some photos of town and the bel espoit docked beside us

It's the 4th of July and I woke up at 6 a.m to take a leak and decided to get another entry in before we sail. Tonight there will be two fire boats beside us shooting fireworks off. I thought we would be out sailing around but it looks like we are docked for the night. I was hoping to be sailing around the Statue of Liberty but no go. Here's a photo of Lucky at the bar the night before I left, one of me painting in the galley, the crew, a little v-twin engine on the dock, some photos taken while walking from Union Square to Times Square and a photo of The Bounty's deck in the morning and the French ship tied up beside us, the Bel Espoit. Yesterday I walked back to Times Square with Dan, Svetta, Andrew the Brit to see if there was an acoustic/electric there. I found a 199.00 model but it was a round plastic backed guitar. The sound was great but I thought it was a bit expensive. I did get a really small waterproof video camera from one of the little shops along Times Square. I had a good time negotiating with the guy. The people in New York are cool once you corner them. Other than that they seem like they are really stressed or in a hurry. This city is really cramped. I look forward to Boston and Maine.

I arrived on the ship and now it's work nonstop

I arrived on The Bounty the 29th at about 5pm. It's just about at the full complement of crew now, which is 20. My previous berth, which was a top bunk and totally show and large was taken since I was gone so long so I am relegated to a bottom bunk with plastic bags nailed up all over. When the ship is heeled one way or another when we are underway, the bilge water sloshes from side to side and comes up into the bunk thru the cracks. Did I mention that the bunk also leaks from above? I'll fix all of that here in a day or so. I'll have the most kick-ass bottom bunk on the ship. That I promise. I'll start by pulling all of that plastic down and filling all holes and seams with a sealant of some sort. I'll then make a mattress extension since the berth hooks to the left. That will make it so I can lean up against the hull for reading or whatever. I'll also buy some air freshener because the 4 man berth I am in smells like a 4 month old cast dunked in toilet water. Not much air circulation down there, unfortunately. I will say that I am surrounded by great people that are teaching me how to be a competent sailor, which is what I am here to learn. My friend Svetta is here. She and I took the Coast Guard Certification together last month. Adam, Sara, Gabe the younger are here. Caleb and Rebecca, who I first met in San Pedro are here for the night. They are on vacation but will be joining us in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The last few days had the crew sanding and varnishing brightwork, recieving and stowing 6 months worth of food for a crew of 20, and this afternoon in the pouring rain I mastered 'seizing'. That is where you take a length of twine 1 and 1/2 your outstretched arms length and use it to securely tie two lengths of line together. Today we secured the shrouds, which had been tightened up for our voyage. That keeps the masts from moving around. I have a bit of a sore throat but hope to be well enough to go to Time Square in Downtown NYC to visit the Sam Ash Superstore. I want to buy an acoustic-electric guitar. Caleb left his beautiful Takamine on board, which I found out this afternoon when they arrived. They had it stashed in their closed-up cabin. I would like on that is electric, though. Yesterday after our work was completed and dinner was over I walked to a Guitar Center at Union Square, which had no good deals. I then walked to the Sam Ash at Time Square but they had closed. Toys R Us was across the street so I went there looking for the Tony Hawk Helmet Cam but it was discontinued a few months back. The computer in Customer Service noted that there was one on the floor so of course I took an hour and a half looking everywhere for it. No dice. They finally kicked me out and I walked back. I walked almost 6 miles and all I got were some batteries and some cookies. Oh yeah. So I left Pier 66 on this journey and it was humid so I took off my shirt and started walking. I noticed that nobody else here had no shirt on but I didn't really care. I hooked a right at 8th ave and two or three blocks down and I'm in the middle of gay new york city. All the bars on the ave are open to the street and I'm getting fully harassed by dudes hanging out the windows. I put on my shirt and high stepped it out of that zoo. Those guys are nuts! That happened to me in San Francisco about 10 years ago but they gave me walking directions to the bar where I was to meet my friends at and they sent me straight thru the castro district. Bastards. I'm off to plan my bunk renovations.

Seattle enroute to Manhattan to meet The Bounty

I was able to stop off at my parent's house on the Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington overnight before coming out to the ship. Here is a video of the front yard and a photo of the logs which come up near the house during storms.

Two all-nighters and I fired the pan first kick. And THAT feels good.

Shoot. Two nights ago I attempted to wire the bike off of a Robinson drawing but crossed something up and when I turned the key, one of the wires started smoking and then turned cherry red along the center downtube! AAAAHH! Thanks to Syd's quick thinking of throwing oily rags on it, we got it out without any damage but a hurt ego. I pulled all the wiring and consulted Rodney when he showed up the next day. He tried to talk me out of it but I refused to split and had him draw me a diagram for the wiring before he went home. I stayed up all night and knocked out the wiring, all the while referring to all the things Ralph at Mesa Cycle has said over the years about doing show wiring. One main line along the top tube. Hide all zips. Cover all ends with shrink so no wire shows at all. I got it done and filled the fluids. Slept on a cement floor and went at it three hours later. Rodney figured out the brake and we pulled it off of the lift. I twisted the wick a time or two and it fired first kick. That was a proud moment for me. That means that I get to go to Japan with my good friends Roland and Drews and Cole and Kutty and we get to party our asses off with Mochi and Gaku and all the NFK guys. I am so stoked. Keith Coffin is here at the house now with the Moloch brothers from Norcal and alot of my friends are coming over tonight to check out the bike and see me off. I fly out tomorrow at 11:30AM for Seattle and day after that to Newark, where I will make my way to The Bounty in Manhattan for the beginning of my adventure across the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy my trip. It's gonna be crazy.

I was too busy to bring in the camera last night...

So I got the petcock and a single plug from Scott Craig after driving all the way out to L.A. downtown and on the way back, picked up the other missing plug from Candy so my tank is now fitted, installed, and ready for fluids. Oil bag is mounted, plumbed, and ready for fluid also. I began on the electrical  by wiring the headlights back and the taillight forward. I ran the generator wire to the battery. The key switch with one side to all accessories and one to the battery positive. Ran the other side of the coil to the distributor. Zip ties hidden. Shrink tubing in all the right places. Turn the key! Oh SHIT! Smoke! That wire is turning CHERRY RED! AAAh. Pull the positive on the battery. Pull out the offending wire as it's burning hot. Check the paint. No damage. Just some smoke and  buzzed up nerves. The wire that ran from the key to the positive on the battery was toast as well as one of the two headlight wires. Hmmph. Where's Rodney?  Sick. He would know. I'll try again this afternoon. 

controls and whatever else. just a little bit more to go but only 72 hours left!

Thanks to Ralph at Mesa Cycle for the advice and to John at Banzai Machine for dropping everything when I walk in to tap or turn down something holding me up. Rodney and Stretch are always standing there to lend a hand or pull off some fabrication miracle. Mason hooked me up with some banjo adaptors for the police oil bag. He had them sitting right there on the bench like he knew I was coming over for them or something. Here's a few shots of my progress today. You think I'm stressing? Never. Back to the shop. This will be an all-nighter. 

John Candy working on the paint and a sneaker of the finished product

I'm on the home stretch but damn! The little things kill ya'. It took all day to hunt down the correct belt drive components since the primo stuff isn't interchangeable 64 to 48. Rivera discontinued the front tapered shaft pulley I needed so instead of just buying a pulley for 40 bucks, I had to buy the whole 400 dollar pulley-basket-belt updated system. I'll just go get that money out of the bushes here. Just a sec. Candy did a great job on the oil bag and fender. I took some shots of him working and here's a good one. Vid is a quickie of the parts together. 

some photos of the ship I will be sailing on across the Atlantic Ocean

Stretchy Stretch, in his search for obscure photos, has come across these gems. Here are studio shots from 62' when the Bounty was built for the movie Mutiny on the Bounty, starring the late, great Marlon Brando. This is the actual ship I will be on as we make our way across the pond to the land of red hair and freckles. Check them out! 

jun odashima dealing with the clutch basket

Jun and I dealt with the transfer of the Kill Yourself clutch basket and belt drive to the panhead. Here's a photo of Jun looking for the odd bolt to make the puller pull. Thanks for the hand Jun.

here's a mock-up photo

Here's the panhead at The Kennedy's shop the day I made the sissybar and cut down the bars. Pokey helped me figure out the hidden fender and tank mounts. Gettin' there.

Certification for international ocean voyage completed

I'm back from San Diego where, on the Navy Base, I took the Coast Guard Certification course that allows me to sail into International waters. It was a five day course that covered firefighting, emergency medical, disaster at sea, abandoning ship, etc. Let's hope I never have to use this stuff. I also got to go onto the Star of India, which is docked in the bay. It is an incredible square rigger from the 1800's. A "cape horner" some would call her. She is the oldest working ship of her kind. I wish I were born back when those ships ruled the seas! Brutal! Also, I threw in a video of my sleeping quarters for the last week. I drove the 1947 Chevy Panel Truck from Huntington Beach to San Diego and back. Not a problem whatsoever. This truck is a trooper! Comfortable, too!

Close-up of master cylinder and video of Rodney's contraption

I wanted to eliminate the stock master cylinder commonly used on Harleys and I wanted it to be as small as possible but still stop the P.M. 4 piston caliper that Roland gave me. I have never liked the fact that the front down tube and part of the cam cover is covered by this part. Those frames are so cool looking. I wanted to open that up. Rodney suggested we go with something off of a sportbike so we checked out a couple laying around the shop and went with this. I think it came of a GSXR. I could be wrong. What is not wrong is the placement of this thing. Sideways and tucked under the transmission. Is that ruling or what? Also, here is a video of this crazy contraption that Rodney built. It is battery powered and you use a toggle to direct it where to go. Pshhht. 

Setting the motor into the frame.

Sheesh. Had to take the motor to the shop in the 34 today with no way to tie it down. Hang on! Literally. So these aluminum rocker boxes are a bit bigger than the stock pan covers and I tried to put the motor right into the cradle but no-go. I took off the front head...no-go. I took off the rear head and it fit right in. Cock the rear head a bit and it slid onto the barrel. Slide the front on and uh-oh. The third mount for the stock gas tanks between the front legs is in the way! Shoot. So out comes the cut-off wheel. Slice and on it goes. A little semi-gloss and good as new. Took all day but the motor is in the frame. Get everything cinched up on the motor tomorrow and put the inner primary on and hopefully get the brake sorted out. Got to get it moving. Only a week of working time left. UPDATE: I got the bike over to Rodney's shop, The Nest yesterday to sort out the engineering of the brake and clutch arms I bent up. We put a sportbike master cylinder under the trans so we had to work out a cable and attach it to the arm. There's a photo of Father Stretch installing the exhaust and of Rodney in contemplation over the brake assembly. Also a photo of Pat checking out the finished product. I'm off to San Diego for a weeks worth of Coast Guard Certification so when I get back we'll get this bike started. Just need to install the throttle cable, clutch basket and pulley, wiring and oil bag, fender, and oil bag mounting bracket...and oil lines...and fix all the stuff that is going to go wrong, right? I'm off to San Diego in the 47'. 44 mph down the 5fwy. HA. Sad but true.

Rocker boxes back from Tay

Here are pics of my rocker boxes before I bolt them on and set the engine and driveline. Again, Tay did incredible work. The lids were the finned aluminum but I had John at Banzai Machine face them so I could throw some engraving on 'em. The Klan image is by muralist Thomas Hart Benton. It was part of a mural done for the 1933 Chicago Exposition in the Indiana Pavilion. The title of the mural is 'Parks, The Circus, The Klan, The Press'. I added it because it reflects the lack of minority representation in the club.

Video of Harpoon blasting off.

Here's Harpoon on his Pan doing what he does best. He is out every night crushing the pavement till all hours. Splittin' lanes and takin' names! Do it Poon!

Picked up cam cover from Tay today.

Here is the cam cover for the Panhead. It has elements of The Heathens stories from the documentary slipped in here and there. Tay Herrera is the best engraver out there and I didn't have to sit there and try to explain the whole thing. I drew out some ideas, told him what elements I wanted and he just got it. My most important request was that it be traditional colt/remington gun style engraving, which he has 20 years of experience at. My Pan lids are still there with him and he will be done with them tomorrow. The craftsmanship speaks for itself. Between Tony and Maryann at Hidecore Leather and Tay Herrera's engraving, my head is going to explode just from the great artwork on this machine!