Kerm here
Well, I overcame my fear of changing the fuel filters. For those that don't know diesel engines you just don't change the filters and all is done. The fuel system has to be bled and the consequences of not doing it right are poor starting, not starting or random shut downs. Bad deal with the big currents here on the ICW. The primary filter was very, very dirty and it was a good thing that I changed it and the two on the engine seemed to be heavy as if they were also doing their job. After bleeding, the engine started right away but I will bleed once more before we push off.
I also changed the engine oil, the day before yesterday. 12 quarts had to be sucked out and yea I didn't spill a drop. Today, I'll change the oil in the fuel injector pump and bleed the air out of the closed cooling system. I didn't even know the cooling system had to be bled but it's amazing what you can learn from reading the manuals. This has to be done because I had to drain the water system when I cleaned out the mud after our grounding the other day. Note to self, I should read the whole manual to see what else I should do.
It looks like I'm going to have to do the fuel and oil maintenance once a month when we are on the move as 200 hours is the recommended interval.
For those that may want to do the loop in the future, boat maintenance is a daily task and must be budgeted for both financially and time wise.
Today, I'm also realigning the engine to the prop shaft. When we had the new shaft and shaft bushings installed at Tarpon Springs, FL the rear motor mounts were also replaced. I was told that the new ones settle a bit and alignment will need to be checked and adjustments made accordingly. Nuts, the mounts are metric and will have to get new 23mm wrenches to do the job. Who would have thought that the mounts on a Lehman Ford would be metric.
The marine VHF radios and one of the depth meters go crazy ALWAYS at the worst possible moments. I'm having difficulty in finding the source of the problem but suspect RFI (radio frequency interference). I did take off the alternator and had it checked at Bubba's Pretty Good Alternator Shop and all tested OK, although a surprisingly small capacity alternator was noted for the application. Bubba did add an additional RFI thingy so we'll see what happens. I would have popped for a new bigger alternator but had a 'cheap attack'. If this doesn't work I'm thinking that maybe one of the old VHF radios may be going bad and this is causing the problem. Anybody? Anybody? When the radios go crazy they go click, click, click like an open mic and I can't send.
Nuff for now. I think I'll cruise the manuals for awhile.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Jekyll Island Nastiness and a Bad Night Out
Thursday, 3/24
Weather still windy and overcast. We decided to leave Jekyll Island and head north. We were up and ready to go at 8:00am but a local salt called 'Strider' told us to wait for an hour and a half so we could make it over the shallows and get lift from the rising tide. We took his advice. Said goodbye and shoved off at 9:38am.
About four navigation markers along, at Red "19" it got very shallow and we ran aground. It was muddy..not a rocky bottom so no scrapes or damage to the hull. However, the engine started to overheat and Kerm shut it down immediately. The overheating indicated that the 'Belle' had sucked mud into her innards. We needed assistance to get back to the marina so we called TowBoat US (for non-boaters that's like AAA for cars). They said they could be out in 30 minutes so an hour later the tow boat turned up. He was a good sport, handling the rescue mission efficiently and with good grace. But we still had to endure the 'Tow of Shame' back to the same marina we had just left.
Thank goodness we had towing coverage it would have been very expensive without the insurance.
We spent the rest of the day on the dock, washing out mud that had become packed into some of the Belle's innards. Our fellow boaters were understanding and kind, they stopped and commiserated with us. They all wanted to know exactly where this happened so they could steer well clear.
As were we doing this. I again admired Kerm's mechanical skills. We were finished in five hours. A regular repair facility probably would have taken two days and lots of dollars to do the same job. When we fired her up again, she ran well...even a little cooler than before. Hooray for us.
Friday, 3/25
The day dawned with very little wind, a nice change from the previous gusty days. We hooked up with two other boats going north, Sunset II and Negotiator. We all waited until 11:00am to leave. We let the boat with the deeper draft go first...everyone cleared Red "19" with no trouble.
Negotiator is owned by a couple from Michigan who are doing the Loop with their 3 children. They left 7 months ago on this adventure and all of them seem to be having a wonderful time. What an experience to share. Sunset II is solo-captained by Jack whose wife prefers horses to boats. He's going to put his boat 'on the hard' pretty soon and go play with the horses for couple of months.
We were moving slower than the others so we eventually lost track of them with hopes that we'd meet up again somewhere down the line. Today's travels took us through mile after mile of marshy lowlands, winding back and forth with the rivers. No sign of civilization...a good place for birds. Even when we were crossing the St. Simon, Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo and St. Catherine Sounds (entrances to the Atlantic Ocean) it was very isolated.
At 2:00am the anchor drag alarm went off. We donned our life jackets (a rule if you are going out of the cabin after dark). We made sure that we didn't swing into another boat that had moored in the same area or into the banks of the river. It was cold, buggy and pretty miserable. Kerm took the brunt of the torment...he sent me to bed after setting another anchor and took anchor watch for the rest of the night. The no see 'ums were ferocious. We were glad to get out of Wahoo River as soon as the sun rose.
Anchoring out can be tricky in these waters because of the seven foot difference between high and low tides and due to the speed of the current. Kerm said that he learned some good lessons for next time. Please note that Warren is not in sight during any of this... I think he's a fair weather parrot!!
Saturday, 3/26
We need an easy day and some down time. We decided to go to Isle of Hope Marina, which is outside of Savannah and less than 40 miles from the Wahoo. The marina is said to be a nice one so we made reservations and steamed there with no delay, arriving at 1:50pm. We had just finished securing all our lines when who should show up??? Sunset II and Negotiator.
Rest and relaxation is on tap for now.
Love to all friends and family,
Christie
Weather still windy and overcast. We decided to leave Jekyll Island and head north. We were up and ready to go at 8:00am but a local salt called 'Strider' told us to wait for an hour and a half so we could make it over the shallows and get lift from the rising tide. We took his advice. Said goodbye and shoved off at 9:38am.
About four navigation markers along, at Red "19" it got very shallow and we ran aground. It was muddy..not a rocky bottom so no scrapes or damage to the hull. However, the engine started to overheat and Kerm shut it down immediately. The overheating indicated that the 'Belle' had sucked mud into her innards. We needed assistance to get back to the marina so we called TowBoat US (for non-boaters that's like AAA for cars). They said they could be out in 30 minutes so an hour later the tow boat turned up. He was a good sport, handling the rescue mission efficiently and with good grace. But we still had to endure the 'Tow of Shame' back to the same marina we had just left.
Thank goodness we had towing coverage it would have been very expensive without the insurance.
We spent the rest of the day on the dock, washing out mud that had become packed into some of the Belle's innards. Our fellow boaters were understanding and kind, they stopped and commiserated with us. They all wanted to know exactly where this happened so they could steer well clear.
As were we doing this. I again admired Kerm's mechanical skills. We were finished in five hours. A regular repair facility probably would have taken two days and lots of dollars to do the same job. When we fired her up again, she ran well...even a little cooler than before. Hooray for us.
Friday, 3/25
The day dawned with very little wind, a nice change from the previous gusty days. We hooked up with two other boats going north, Sunset II and Negotiator. We all waited until 11:00am to leave. We let the boat with the deeper draft go first...everyone cleared Red "19" with no trouble.
Negotiator is owned by a couple from Michigan who are doing the Loop with their 3 children. They left 7 months ago on this adventure and all of them seem to be having a wonderful time. What an experience to share. Sunset II is solo-captained by Jack whose wife prefers horses to boats. He's going to put his boat 'on the hard' pretty soon and go play with the horses for couple of months.
We were moving slower than the others so we eventually lost track of them with hopes that we'd meet up again somewhere down the line. Today's travels took us through mile after mile of marshy lowlands, winding back and forth with the rivers. No sign of civilization...a good place for birds. Even when we were crossing the St. Simon, Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo and St. Catherine Sounds (entrances to the Atlantic Ocean) it was very isolated.
We realized that we were going to have to anchor out for the night since no marinas were within range. We consulted the trusty Skipper Bob's guide to anchorages along the ICW and located a suitable spot about two miles up the Wahoo River. We set two anchors and went to bed after a good dinner.
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| Kerm appreciating the sunset on the Wahoo |
Anchoring out can be tricky in these waters because of the seven foot difference between high and low tides and due to the speed of the current. Kerm said that he learned some good lessons for next time. Please note that Warren is not in sight during any of this... I think he's a fair weather parrot!!
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| Anchor watch is not pretty |
Saturday, 3/26
We need an easy day and some down time. We decided to go to Isle of Hope Marina, which is outside of Savannah and less than 40 miles from the Wahoo. The marina is said to be a nice one so we made reservations and steamed there with no delay, arriving at 1:50pm. We had just finished securing all our lines when who should show up??? Sunset II and Negotiator.
Rest and relaxation is on tap for now.
Love to all friends and family,
Christie
Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Great Florida 'Bugout'
A 'bugout' is a military slang term for a quick pack up and departure from one location to another. Since the State of Florida denied our request for an extension on our tax exempt status we were forced to 'bugout' of Florida waters ASAP. During the actual "bugout' we were putting in very long tiring days on the boat so I didn't blog at all. Now, I can share some of what happened as we went from Hudson, Florida (on the Gulf of Mexico) all the way to Jekyll Island, Georgia (on the Atlantic) using the Okeechobee waterway across the state of Florida.
Day before Departure, Saturday, March 12
After loading the boat with provisions from CostCo and packing up all of our personal items, I took a moment to take a few snaps of Port Hudson Marina which had been our home since we bought the boat in December.
Monday, 3/14 Bugout Day #2
We woke up early and prepared the boat to depart. There was a very strong current pushing us against the dock. Kerm had to use some fancy boat handling skills to get us away safely. I was a little befuddled but the captain was performing well!
We decided to use the Gulf InterCoastal Waterway rather than the open Gulf of Mexico to be on the safe side. We are new to this boat and we haven't seen the sights to the south of Tampa Bay, anyway.
We crossed Tampa Bay and saw the Sunshine Skyway bridge marking the furthest Kerm and I have been on the water in Florida. After this, it's all new!!
We passed Anna Maria Bay, Sarasota Bay, Siesta and Casey Cays. Beautiful blue waters, lots of dolphins and cool homes and boats to look at along this stretch.
After logging 10 hours of Hobbs time (time the diesel engine is actually running) we pulled in to The Palm Harbor Marina for the night. Kerm did a spectacular job of docking so the day ended well.
Tuesday, 3/15 Bugout Day #3
Slept well and got an early start. Many dolphins again and I saw a flying sting ray...my first ever.
We have been enjoying the great weather, sunny and warm. Seas fair. Cleared Captiva pass and entered the Okeechobee Waterway by 2pm. Arrived at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin at 4pm. for our overnight after an eight hour passage.
Wednesday, 3/16 Bugout day #4
Thursday, 3/17 Bugout day #5
Breakfasts have been peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,easy and nutritious. Same again this morning. Cleared the Moore Haven Lock at 8:00am and entered Lake Okeechobee by 8:30. Crossing the Lake took 4.5 hours and the seas kicked up to 2-3 feet with small white caps for much of the passage. Okeechobee is similar to Mille Lacs in Minnesota in that it is shallow and can be very wavy. We cleared the Mayaca Lock on the eastern side of Okeechobee at 1:30pm
Less than an hour later I saw an eight to ten foot alligator on the starboard shore...very cool. Kerm didn't see it, but at 4:09 he saw an even bigger one and pointed it out to me. We weren't fast enough to get a photo.
We cleared the last lock of the Okeechobee Waterway, the St Lucie Lock, at 5:30pm. We wanted to meet up with friends, Dick and Nancy, from the St Croix Sailing Club who are wintering in Fort Pierce. They were kind enough to drive all the way to Stuart to meet us. After very briefly running aground, we grabbed a mooring ball in the Sunset Anchorage at Stuart and rowed the new dinghy ashore (it worked great). We had a wonderful time with Dick and Nancy. We enjoyed the camaraderie and good advice they shared since they are experienced cruisers and they know so much.
Friday, 3/18 Bugout Day #6
Dropped the mooring ball at 7:15 and started off again. By 8:40 we reached the end of the Okeechobee Waterway and joined up with the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) heading NORTH!! Passed Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Malabar and stopped at Melbourne Harbor for the night at 5:40pm. Long day, ten hours...but we feel the tax man on our heels. The deadline for us to be out of Florida waters is March 20 and we don't think we can make it. Kerm says he thinks John Cacciatore is going to be hanging off one of the buoys waving affidavits at us as we go by!!
Saturday, 3/19 Bugout day #7
Out by 8:00am and steaming northwards past Eau Gallie, Merritt Island, JFK Space Center Bridge, Titusville. We could see the Vehicle Launch Buildings for the Space Shuttle in the distance on the starboard side for a long time...huge. As well as dolphins, we began seeing round, cantloupe-size jellyfish all over.
Our engine stopped twice today and had to be restarted...worrisome.
Made it to New Smyrna Beach Marina at 5:49 pm after 9.7 hours and 71.8 miles.
Sunday, 3/20 Bugout day# 8
Monday, 3/21 Bugout day #9
Since we are already over our deadline we figure we'd better just take a little time to diagnose the engine problem and take a breath ourselves. While Kerm did his thing, I went shopping on foot in St Augustine. It was delightful. Found a great little bakery tucked away in an alley and chatted with the baker about the special selection of Spanish cheeses they offer. He gave me free coffee with my order, which was wonderful because I hadn't made any for days.
We added some fuel to the tanks along with Marvel's Mystery Oil and an algae-eating additive. By the time we shoved off it was after 11:00am. Sometime after a late lunch, I tried giving Kerm a heart attack by going around a buoy on the wrong side...oops. (I still had 14 feet of water under me but I know it's bad form). On the ICW the usual 'red right returning' maxim doesn't apply so you can get confused if you're not careful. We couldn't find a great place to stay so we ended up at Morningstar Marina on the St John's River. The tides were running really fast and big boats were heading out to sea so it was a pretty bumpy night...expensive marina and they didn't even have restrooms. I was not impressed. However, the dock boys were cute and nice.
Tuesday, 3/22 Bugout day #10
Woke up to yet another sunny day, we have been very lucky with the weather. Left the marina at 7:52am heading for Sister's Creek. Cleared Nassau Sound by 9:45 and entered the Amelia River.
At 11:48 we entered Georgia waters when we passed the green "23" marker. To our relief, Cacciatore was not staked out at the buoy waiting for our arrival.
Not too many places to stay after St. Mary's so we pushed on to Jekyll Island. We safely crossed St. Andrew's Sound and landed at the Jekyll Harbor Marina at 3:49pm. It was quite windy but docking was okay. Decided to stay two nights and tour the island by bicycle.
Wednesday, 3/23
Toured the Island by bike, did some shopping, checked oil, water and fuel levels...all okay. Very, very windy. Waves pinning us to the dock and bouncing us around. We are going to leave tomorrow morning and head a little further north...maybe to Savannah.
Stay tuned
Day before Departure, Saturday, March 12
After loading the boat with provisions from CostCo and packing up all of our personal items, I took a moment to take a few snaps of Port Hudson Marina which had been our home since we bought the boat in December.
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| Here is Warren, our boat mascot. He's named after the broker we worked with on "The Belle". Both are full of hot air but our Warren smiles. We found him floating in the canal in front of our apartment and it seems he is in for a longer tour than he may have initially expected. |
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| Jamie, the great guy at Port Hudson who was always willing to assist us and always had a great smile. |
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| Kerm resting up before we shove off |
There was a birthday party at Jake and Debbie's house on Saturday night so we had a chance to say some goodbyes to friends and neighbors before our early morning departure.
Sunday, 3/13 Bugout Day #1
Left Port Hudson Marina early in sunny weather, calm seas. Some dolphins played in our bow wake to wish us bon voyage. Went all the way down to Pass-a-Grill on the outside and saw the Don Cesar Hotel (ornate, pink resort hotel) from the sea. Turned in to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway and found a berth for the night at the Tierra Verde Marina. Went 48 nautical miles on our first day.
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| I am going to try to get a picture of all the places we overnight. Here's the first one. Not too fancy but a safe, cheap place to stop. |
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| Kerm and Warren before we leave Tierra Verde |
Monday, 3/14 Bugout Day #2
We woke up early and prepared the boat to depart. There was a very strong current pushing us against the dock. Kerm had to use some fancy boat handling skills to get us away safely. I was a little befuddled but the captain was performing well!
We decided to use the Gulf InterCoastal Waterway rather than the open Gulf of Mexico to be on the safe side. We are new to this boat and we haven't seen the sights to the south of Tampa Bay, anyway.
We crossed Tampa Bay and saw the Sunshine Skyway bridge marking the furthest Kerm and I have been on the water in Florida. After this, it's all new!!
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The Sunshine Skyway Bridge from Tampa Bay. |
After logging 10 hours of Hobbs time (time the diesel engine is actually running) we pulled in to The Palm Harbor Marina for the night. Kerm did a spectacular job of docking so the day ended well.
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| Kind of a ritzy place |
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| Warren enjoying the pool while Kerm and I clean the boat and make dinner. |
Tuesday, 3/15 Bugout Day #3
Slept well and got an early start. Many dolphins again and I saw a flying sting ray...my first ever.
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| A house Kerm liked |
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| another view |
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| Fort Myers Yacht Basin from our Flying Bridge. |
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| Warren trying out our new dinghy, which finally caught up with us in Fort Myers after a shipping snafu from the dealer in Clearwater. |
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| boat owie |
Set off early and traveled the Caloosahatchee River which is part of the Okeeckobee Waterway that crosses Florida from Fort Myers in the west to Stuart in the east. It is a system of rivers, canals, five locks and one really big lake.
Cleared the Franklin Lock at 11:20am and the Ortona Lock at 3:15pm. Proceeded to the Municipal docks at Moore Haven by 5:20pm for the night. Cheap and quiet. Traveled 66 statute miles today and we are tired.
Thursday, 3/17 Bugout day #5
Breakfasts have been peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,easy and nutritious. Same again this morning. Cleared the Moore Haven Lock at 8:00am and entered Lake Okeechobee by 8:30. Crossing the Lake took 4.5 hours and the seas kicked up to 2-3 feet with small white caps for much of the passage. Okeechobee is similar to Mille Lacs in Minnesota in that it is shallow and can be very wavy. We cleared the Mayaca Lock on the eastern side of Okeechobee at 1:30pm
Less than an hour later I saw an eight to ten foot alligator on the starboard shore...very cool. Kerm didn't see it, but at 4:09 he saw an even bigger one and pointed it out to me. We weren't fast enough to get a photo.
We cleared the last lock of the Okeechobee Waterway, the St Lucie Lock, at 5:30pm. We wanted to meet up with friends, Dick and Nancy, from the St Croix Sailing Club who are wintering in Fort Pierce. They were kind enough to drive all the way to Stuart to meet us. After very briefly running aground, we grabbed a mooring ball in the Sunset Anchorage at Stuart and rowed the new dinghy ashore (it worked great). We had a wonderful time with Dick and Nancy. We enjoyed the camaraderie and good advice they shared since they are experienced cruisers and they know so much.
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| The Sunset Anchorage from our flybridge |
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| Warren perusing the boats at anchor |
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| Having a good time |
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| trying out the dinghy for the first time |
Friday, 3/18 Bugout Day #6
Dropped the mooring ball at 7:15 and started off again. By 8:40 we reached the end of the Okeechobee Waterway and joined up with the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) heading NORTH!! Passed Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Malabar and stopped at Melbourne Harbor for the night at 5:40pm. Long day, ten hours...but we feel the tax man on our heels. The deadline for us to be out of Florida waters is March 20 and we don't think we can make it. Kerm says he thinks John Cacciatore is going to be hanging off one of the buoys waving affidavits at us as we go by!!
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| Warren playing in the bushes, oblivious to our bugout problems |
Out by 8:00am and steaming northwards past Eau Gallie, Merritt Island, JFK Space Center Bridge, Titusville. We could see the Vehicle Launch Buildings for the Space Shuttle in the distance on the starboard side for a long time...huge. As well as dolphins, we began seeing round, cantloupe-size jellyfish all over.
Our engine stopped twice today and had to be restarted...worrisome.
Made it to New Smyrna Beach Marina at 5:49 pm after 9.7 hours and 71.8 miles.
Sunday, 3/20 Bugout day# 8
Had to get pumped out so that held us up a little and we didn't leave until 8:36am. Went by Port Orange, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Flagler Beach and Crescent Beach. Engine stopped again once. I told Kerm it was because she's an old boat and she doesn't like getting pushed along so fast. Stopped for the night at St. Augustine at 5:45pm after travelling about 70 statute miles.
Monday, 3/21 Bugout day #9
Since we are already over our deadline we figure we'd better just take a little time to diagnose the engine problem and take a breath ourselves. While Kerm did his thing, I went shopping on foot in St Augustine. It was delightful. Found a great little bakery tucked away in an alley and chatted with the baker about the special selection of Spanish cheeses they offer. He gave me free coffee with my order, which was wonderful because I hadn't made any for days.
We added some fuel to the tanks along with Marvel's Mystery Oil and an algae-eating additive. By the time we shoved off it was after 11:00am. Sometime after a late lunch, I tried giving Kerm a heart attack by going around a buoy on the wrong side...oops. (I still had 14 feet of water under me but I know it's bad form). On the ICW the usual 'red right returning' maxim doesn't apply so you can get confused if you're not careful. We couldn't find a great place to stay so we ended up at Morningstar Marina on the St John's River. The tides were running really fast and big boats were heading out to sea so it was a pretty bumpy night...expensive marina and they didn't even have restrooms. I was not impressed. However, the dock boys were cute and nice.
Tuesday, 3/22 Bugout day #10
Woke up to yet another sunny day, we have been very lucky with the weather. Left the marina at 7:52am heading for Sister's Creek. Cleared Nassau Sound by 9:45 and entered the Amelia River.
At 11:48 we entered Georgia waters when we passed the green "23" marker. To our relief, Cacciatore was not staked out at the buoy waiting for our arrival.
Not too many places to stay after St. Mary's so we pushed on to Jekyll Island. We safely crossed St. Andrew's Sound and landed at the Jekyll Harbor Marina at 3:49pm. It was quite windy but docking was okay. Decided to stay two nights and tour the island by bicycle.
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| Here's Warren in Georgia |
Toured the Island by bike, did some shopping, checked oil, water and fuel levels...all okay. Very, very windy. Waves pinning us to the dock and bouncing us around. We are going to leave tomorrow morning and head a little further north...maybe to Savannah.
Stay tuned
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| Pictures don't do it justice...loud and bumpy |
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Georgia on my mind
Well we escaped Florida. Jekyll Island is our first stop and we are staying at a nice marina right on the island. Beer is 14 bucks a 12 pack so it should be obvious that this is a tourist destination. The tidal range is 8' + with 6 knot + mixed up currents. With any kind of wind against the current at all the water really gets whipped up. At 1500 rpm our speed range is 3.5 to 11.
We have not anchored out for a night yet as I am spooked by the currents and tides. We are now looking for a cost effective mooring buoy field to relax for a few days but they seem pretty thin here in GA. We have also noticed that there seem to be fewer boats anchored out in this area. Well, with the exception of smaller or rat sailboats. With way too much invested in new windlass, anchor and rode I suppose I'm going to have to bite the bullet at some point. It should be noted that I have NEVER liked anchoring out. Perhaps it's a phobia and there is a hot line or an encounter group I can join...
The boat is running well with oil consumption down to zero now that we are using the recommended Marvelous Mystery Oil in the engine and fuel. Dan would call it PFM. The engine quit once the day before yesterday and twice the day before that but restarted. At the time we were pushing the RPM's to between 1750 and 1900 to combat currents. I have no idea what it could be. We'll keep an eye on it. Fuel consumption over the last two days is 2.8 gallons per hour. We pushed hard the day before yesterday so I believe that it will get better now that the pressure is off to get out Florida.
I like boating but with boats in the past I would get bored easily while at the helm within minutes. One of my concerns before the trip was, will I go nuts with boredom. Nope. I can drive for hours. Chris and I do switch off tho as we both like the navigation part of the trip. Time, speed and distance. Where are we going today? How long will it take to get there? Are we on track? What are the currents and will they help or hurt? A common situation is that we ride a tidal current down to an inlet and then get hit as we battle the current on the other side of the inlet.
Dan will be visiting us this weekend and he will be driving back to FL from Atlanta where he has been in training for his job at Global / World Airlines in Tampa. It's a land based job but he is pleased to be working and found a company where there appear to be opportunities for advancement. He's already looking for a live aboard boat for the Tampa area. Like father like son I guess.
500 miles behind us, wow.
We have not anchored out for a night yet as I am spooked by the currents and tides. We are now looking for a cost effective mooring buoy field to relax for a few days but they seem pretty thin here in GA. We have also noticed that there seem to be fewer boats anchored out in this area. Well, with the exception of smaller or rat sailboats. With way too much invested in new windlass, anchor and rode I suppose I'm going to have to bite the bullet at some point. It should be noted that I have NEVER liked anchoring out. Perhaps it's a phobia and there is a hot line or an encounter group I can join...
The boat is running well with oil consumption down to zero now that we are using the recommended Marvelous Mystery Oil in the engine and fuel. Dan would call it PFM. The engine quit once the day before yesterday and twice the day before that but restarted. At the time we were pushing the RPM's to between 1750 and 1900 to combat currents. I have no idea what it could be. We'll keep an eye on it. Fuel consumption over the last two days is 2.8 gallons per hour. We pushed hard the day before yesterday so I believe that it will get better now that the pressure is off to get out Florida.
I like boating but with boats in the past I would get bored easily while at the helm within minutes. One of my concerns before the trip was, will I go nuts with boredom. Nope. I can drive for hours. Chris and I do switch off tho as we both like the navigation part of the trip. Time, speed and distance. Where are we going today? How long will it take to get there? Are we on track? What are the currents and will they help or hurt? A common situation is that we ride a tidal current down to an inlet and then get hit as we battle the current on the other side of the inlet.
Dan will be visiting us this weekend and he will be driving back to FL from Atlanta where he has been in training for his job at Global / World Airlines in Tampa. It's a land based job but he is pleased to be working and found a company where there appear to be opportunities for advancement. He's already looking for a live aboard boat for the Tampa area. Like father like son I guess.
500 miles behind us, wow.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day 6
We turned the corner and are headed north as of about 9:00 this morning. We had a mooring ball in Port St. Lucie and slept well. We had dinner last night with Dick and Nancy Snyder. They are refurbishing their sailboat after a few years of cruising and are looking to get the boat off the 'hard' next fall. To those that don't know the Snyders, they are from St. Croix beach near Chris's sister Linda and are members of the St. Croix Sailing Club.
The boat has been needing constant TLC and would enjoy it more if I could get at least one project ahead but the cruisers tell us that this is normal. We have put in nearly 50 hours since we left Hudson which is about what an active boater does in a season so I guess that I also have to put in a season of maintenance each week. I had to replace one battery last week and now the second one is growing weaker. The are the 125 pound big boys so will need to have someone from a marina help me put it in. The last thing I want to do is tear out may back right now. This is the starting battery so cannot delay. On newer boats a person can switch to the house battery in an emergency but this is not a newer boat. At some point I will have to rewire it the new way or at least put in an emergency bypass with a solenoid so at least the engine will start if there is a problem. Hmmmm, gotta think about that.
I finally got the windlass working right. Maybe. The instructions from the Italian manufacturer assumes that you have had one of these before so I went for trial and error. Mostly error.
Each day brings new challenges and after a couple of mishaps in a lock yesterday I'm sure Chris thought about decking me. (My mistakes but took it out on the crew). Mom always told me that I never learned to keep my big mouth shut. Maybe she was right but I'm working hard at it as this is tight quarters and she's a saint.
We have been spending long days on the water and look forward GA where we will take a week or two to unwind, catch up on our to do list and perhaps have a couple of days with cousin John and his wife Cheryl from Atlanta. John, the cribbage boat is at the ready.
The boat has been needing constant TLC and would enjoy it more if I could get at least one project ahead but the cruisers tell us that this is normal. We have put in nearly 50 hours since we left Hudson which is about what an active boater does in a season so I guess that I also have to put in a season of maintenance each week. I had to replace one battery last week and now the second one is growing weaker. The are the 125 pound big boys so will need to have someone from a marina help me put it in. The last thing I want to do is tear out may back right now. This is the starting battery so cannot delay. On newer boats a person can switch to the house battery in an emergency but this is not a newer boat. At some point I will have to rewire it the new way or at least put in an emergency bypass with a solenoid so at least the engine will start if there is a problem. Hmmmm, gotta think about that.
I finally got the windlass working right. Maybe. The instructions from the Italian manufacturer assumes that you have had one of these before so I went for trial and error. Mostly error.
Each day brings new challenges and after a couple of mishaps in a lock yesterday I'm sure Chris thought about decking me. (My mistakes but took it out on the crew). Mom always told me that I never learned to keep my big mouth shut. Maybe she was right but I'm working hard at it as this is tight quarters and she's a saint.
We have been spending long days on the water and look forward GA where we will take a week or two to unwind, catch up on our to do list and perhaps have a couple of days with cousin John and his wife Cheryl from Atlanta. John, the cribbage boat is at the ready.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Okay...more changes
entry by cw
I want to know when the margaritas start flowing. Right now, this life is remarkably similar to hard labor. Kerm has been working very hard to get the final mechanical things done such as installing a windlass on the bowsprit to assist with lowering and raising the anchor. I've been running for him and taking care of all the little odds and ends. We both have been waiting patiently for the state of Florida to okay our 90 day extension. SURPRISE!!! They denied it yesterday and we have to be out of Florida waters asap. ARGGGGG!!!
So no Florida Keys, no lobsters, no conch calls at sunset. No, no, noooo. We get Okeechobee insects, nasty alligators and racing surreptiously to get to Georgia before the rotten 'revenuers' cotten onto the fact that we are still here. You would think that Florida would like the prospect of us spending more money in their state...silly idea.
Anyway, we are leaving early Sunday morning. We are both tired of getting ready to go and just want to be gone. Our new dinghy is being delivered on Saturday, so that is the final thing...put that lil' beggar on deck and leave on the next high tide.
I still want my margarita but it might be enjoyed across the border in Georgia.
Love to all family and friends,
Christie
I want to know when the margaritas start flowing. Right now, this life is remarkably similar to hard labor. Kerm has been working very hard to get the final mechanical things done such as installing a windlass on the bowsprit to assist with lowering and raising the anchor. I've been running for him and taking care of all the little odds and ends. We both have been waiting patiently for the state of Florida to okay our 90 day extension. SURPRISE!!! They denied it yesterday and we have to be out of Florida waters asap. ARGGGGG!!!
So no Florida Keys, no lobsters, no conch calls at sunset. No, no, noooo. We get Okeechobee insects, nasty alligators and racing surreptiously to get to Georgia before the rotten 'revenuers' cotten onto the fact that we are still here. You would think that Florida would like the prospect of us spending more money in their state...silly idea.
Anyway, we are leaving early Sunday morning. We are both tired of getting ready to go and just want to be gone. Our new dinghy is being delivered on Saturday, so that is the final thing...put that lil' beggar on deck and leave on the next high tide.
I still want my margarita but it might be enjoyed across the border in Georgia.
Love to all family and friends,
Christie
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Oh, Happy Day
We picked up 'The Belle' today from Tarpon Springs and everything is fixed! The engine is smooth as silk and even runs a bit faster. We picked her up this morning and bid our farewells to the have the guys at the boat yard. They really were a great bunch and did a wonderful job. Here are some pictures
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| Doug Bruce he fixed our broken strut and then did all the fiberglass work on the shaft replacement. |
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| Doug's magic shop |
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| Pitman Yacht Service |
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| David-manager of the yard |
Kerm was anxious about docking in the heavy wind but he did very well. Dan would have been proud!
Although the problems we encountered were unfortunate, we are pleased that we discovered them in a timely manner and in a place where we could get them tended to with people we trusted.
As often happens when you get lemons there are ways of making some lemonade out of the situation. We have decided to get an extension of 90 days on our Florida sales tax exemption so we don't have to rush to get out of Florida waters. Because of the extra time we have, we are going to explore the Florida Keys and Key West. We are excited about this change in plans. We will meander down the Gulf coast and take our time looking around. The Keys are supposed to be beautiful. Kerm spent some time in Key West years ago but I have never been there.
We have to stock up 'the belle' and clean up the apartment. Then we should be good to go. Our landlord (and friend) Mike Parker says we can leave but we have to promise to come back. Here's a picture of him pontificating at our kitchen table. He's an old Special Forces veteran so he has some pretty good stories.
By the way, Dan is in Atlanta for a month of training in connection with his new job. He said all's well so far.
That's all for now. Hope all is well with family and friends.
Christie
PS to Mari and Jim...we are going to leave.
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