A Simple Easy Move Addendum

I fear family members or friends may be hesitant to hitch a ride on Simba after reading my report of the recent trip.  But don't be!  I was remiss, for I left out some important facts.

First, I approached the trip much more casually than normal because the trip was not for pleasure.  In addition, it was to be a short hop of 36 nautical miles.  I fault myself for not taking it more seriously – anytime you go to sea you had better be well prepared…and I wasn’t.

When the port engine went down early on, I could have aborted the trip but chose not to.  I could also which, after crossing it five years ago, I labeled "very shoal, to be attempted only at high have run down the intracoastal.  I didn't because there is a shallow area on the route tide".  Having been aground on the ICW more times than I would like to count, I choose to go "outside" whenever possible.  In hindsight, I should have done the ICW.

The diesel generator set was out as I was waiting for parts to install.  True, I had the big 110 volt generator driven by the port engine, but it sure would have been nice to have backup on this trip!  Without either generator, after four hours the battery bank supplying 110 volt power through the inverter became exhausted so our computer-supplied electronic chart went down.  We had paper charts of course, and backup GPS sources, but it would have been helpful.

The paravane system, proven many times to cut roll by about 85%, was inoperable in my opinion because four years of airborne salt and grime (from adjacent paper mill) had stiffened the deployment and recovery lines.  I feared that the massive booms might become stuck in a semi-deployed position and thereby become more of a threat than any following waves.

I did not secure the boat for an open water passage, especially the saloon.  Yes, I tied the flat screen TV on its highly flexible mount to the wall, but had not stowed below the three crates of files and boxes of pneumatic hose and equipment from Harbor Freight, table lamp (grrrr), stereo, etc.  I had focused on items of greater concern like the steering system and not delayed the trip for another week to completely put things “shipshape”.  Mea culpa.  Oh, what’s that about the table lamp?  It was a cheap thing and for ballast the hollow base contained a concrete-type casting which proved to be easily shattered upon impact.  I imagine I will still be vacuuming heavy gray sand and dust and picking up pebbles weeks hence!  When added to the contents of the several boxes, table fan, printer, stereo, chairs, throw pillows, etc., etc., an unsightly (and noisy) slurry was created.  The lamp base grit also managed to scratch the sole extensively (grrrr).

Ocean passages in a capable vessel like Simba are usually pleasant and comfortable providing the weather is favorable and vessel and its equipment adequately prepared and in working order.  Stay tuned for the tale of the next passage – it will be different!

A Simple, Easy Boat Move Oct 29, 2010 St. Marys,GA

It’s 20 hours and 26 minutes (8:26PM to you landlubbers:-), and I am sitting in the saloon typing under a work light only as there is a glitch in the temporary wiring setup so I had to plug the frig, microwave and work light into a dockside extension cord this afternoon.  Speaking of glitches, I met a few yesterday when moving Simba from Brunswick,GA 36 nautical miles down to little St. Marys which sits on the St. Marys River, the border between GA and FL in the eastern portions of the states.

I had been checking systems on the boat in anticipation of the trip for a coupla weeks and, although I had been away from the boat up north all summer, was fairly certain Simba was mechanically sound.  Two friends of mine were to make the trip with me.  One, my perennial tennis opponent Juergen Christman, the other Glen Reigel whose sailboat is docked on the same pier.  Both are a few years younger that I and due to arrive dockside before cast off at 0700.

I rolled off my berth at 0445, mind racing with the remaining tasks to perform preparing for departure.  I checked my Email and found a message from the boatyard, received at 5:15 the night before which advised that the boatyard manager required proof of insurance before the boat could be hauled out.   I found the advisory a bit late, especially because Boat US’ Seaworthy Insurance arm (higher risk) would not insure the boat for liability until a survey of mechanical equipment was performed and an ultrasound examination of the hull performed.  Both were scheduled to be performed next Monday at the yard once I was hauled.  This conundrum appeared to be of the cart before the horse genus.  Fifeen minutes before scheduled departure time, at 0645 hours, I called the yard accountant/secretary to so advise.  I then called the manager to raise the same gripe.  He said that he believed the insurer would issue the policy with a rider that it was subject to favorable survey and ultrasound.  With that “in hand” he would haul the boat.  This meant I would have to anchor out off the yard or sit at their small dock until early next week for I would not have a chance to talk to the insurance clerks and arrange for the issuance of the policy until Monday.  No problem;  I was not about to cancel the day’s trip.!

We severed connections with land then, motored past the other 13 marina piers out onto Brunswick’s East River.  As we needed 120 volt AC power to run the fridge and keep the 12 volt battery bank up so the instruments could function, I went below, idled the engines and engaged the port enging power takeoff which powered the massive 120 volt AC generator.  As engine noise in the engine room is deafening, requiring ear protectors, I didn’t learn ‘til I went topside that the port engine was out.  I returned to the engine room, disconnected the PTO, and tried to start the engine.  No joy!

So we continued on one engine, making about 4 knots against the incoming tide, compared to our customary 7.5–8. We traveled six nautical miles to the start of the St. Simons channel entering the ocean, making slower and slower progress as the sea became more lively.  We headed east,out the sea channel, another six miles, doing no more than 2.5 knots as the seas roughened significantly, driven by 15-20 knot winds out of the north.  We finally turned south towards the St. Marys sea channel after 2.5 hours.  Now the waves which had been abeam (sideways to) the vessel, were of the stern port quarter, catching us in the worst possible spot and producing a significant roll of the boat.  We immediately heard bang, smash, boom as objects inside careened, slid, rolled, smashed about.  Prior to departing I had secured the flat screen tv on it’s highly movable wall mount, and placed the printer on the saloon sole (floor) where there were already three file boxes, plastic crates, and cartons of books and whatnot.  Now they were soon joined by the Samsung entertainment center, a table lamp, etc.  What a chaotic slurry they made!

However, I never saw this mess for three plus hours as I had my hands full at the wheel.  The waves built to 5-10 ft.  When they caught us at a sharp angle on our port (left) stern quarter, they rolled us severely.  The night before I had determined we needed to make a course of 190 degrees (almost due south) to keep us off shallow areas that extended miles from the coast.  But that course created the worst possible angle to the waves and on it we rolled severely. 

What we had to now do was to try to average a course of 190 degrees, steering

 170-180 degrees until an especially large wave approached from astern. Juergen stood to my left with a ready eye astern.  He told me when he saw a threatening wave, or set of such waves approaching, and I would swing the wheel hard to the right to try to turn us directly stern to the waves to mitigate the ensuing roll.  At first Juergen would say “I believe I see a big wave coming”, but I quickly had him shorten it to simply “WAVE”, as with only one motor, and such rough seas, the boat was slow to respond to the helm so I needed to begin spinning the wheel as early as possible.

And so it went for almost four hours.  I had no chance to make my customary hourly engine room check to see if engine water temps and oil pressure readings were normal, no smoke from overheated exhaust hose, etc.  I couldn’t even pee, my body fortunately adjusting to the situation putting survival over comfort.  At last we spotted the St. Marys inlet sea channel buoys, entered the channel, and entered the St. Marys River.

It was now less than an hour to sunset.  Rather than ducking into Fernandina Beach where we could safely dock for the night, we decided to continue on to the narrow North River and up it to the boatyard, still at least two hours away.  When we reached the river mouth it was full night and no moon.  We had three miles to go.  We ran aground in soft mud (no Maine granite ledges here!) almost immediately, but were able to back off and continued, taking the many bends wide and avoiding the shoal areas shown on the 30 year old chart while realizing it’s veracity was now suspect.  We made it to within a half mile of the yard when we found ourselves again aground, but this time for a likely six hours until a high tide could lift us free from the gook.

We locked the boat, donned pfd’s, and continued on in the small dinghy, powered by an indomitable,  always-eager Juergen (he’s that way as very youthful, being some two years younger than I:-).  We somehow made it to the yard dock without capsizing and set off for Brunswick in my Suburban.  To keep their spirits high out on those punishing seas, I had promised the crew a lavish dinner at their restaurant of choice.  They had opted for Outback Steakhouse but when we climbed in the car it was past 2100 hrs. (nine) and non-fast food eateries were closed.  But when we reached Brunswick we hit McDonalds where Glen downed a Double Burger and Juergen and I attacked $1 sundaes.

I dropped the crew off at Brunswick Landing Marina.  They had been solid bricks throughout the journey, never complaining, always helpful.  They both said they expected me to call in the morning and would return to the boat to help me bring it into the yard dock on tomorrow’s high tide in the afternoon.  Dog-tired, I remained in the car and slept for three hours.  I was not eager to then make the trip back down to St. Marys, but decided I could not sleep any longer in the uncomfortable car seat so I then drove back to St. Marys where I could then continue sleeping in the car.  I got to St. Marys at about two, and then decided the queen size berth on Simba was beckoning so rowed back out the half mile to the boat, now blessed with the wattage of a half moon (I only ran into marsh grass once, and could have avoided that if I had rowed backwards, while looking forward, but found that much to slow-going.

Simba was now riding high and proud once again.  I let out more anchor rode to ease any strain on the anchor, and headed for that inviting berth down below.  However the Protestant ethic part of me once again took control.  Why not just run down that stretch of the river, make the final turn, head out into the wide, inviting area off the yard, and just drop the hook, get the job finally done?  In almost no time it seemed, I executed that plan and made it to bed.  Simba was in it’s new home, to soon be hauled, sand-blasted and painted.  Hooray! (mumbled weakly but happily as I drifted off to sleep).

Green Cove Springs, FL May 23, 2006

   http://greencovesprings.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_LOC&SEC={6FD72B38-0242-420F-A5BE-045A4C3ECEFD}

Arrived this evening at Reynolds Park Yacht Center, Green Cove Springs, FL, about 40 miles south of Jacksonville.  The yacht center occupies one of twelve huge 1500 ft. long piers, the others are leased by various maritime concerns for docking freighters, barges, tugs, some in obviously poor condition.  I have been told that after WWII the government bought 1500 acres of land here, and water rights extending out a third of a mile, for the famous navy "mothball fleet".  The docks were built plus infrastructure like big ship hauling facilities, and quarters for a large corp of seamen.  A naval air station lay adjacent. Here is a picture of the facility taken in 1947.

http://www.desausa.org/images5/ships_mouthballed_green_cove_springs_fl_2.htm

Then, when LBJ got in office, I am told he decided his home state could use the revenues generated by such a sizeable installation, got the pentagon to close the facility and moved much portion of the fleet to Texas.  The closed facility was deeded over to the town.  An heir to the Reynolds Aluminum fortune subsequently bought the facility from the city for $900,000 and a daughter of his now owns the place (plus lots of other FL real estate.  She has big plans for this place including expanding the marina to adjacent docks as folks are hard-pressed to find boat slips because the condo craze is gobbling up marinas rapidly.  There are about twenty yachts tied up along this particular dock.

Paravanes Save Our Butts Hawksbill to Nassau May 16, 2006

We are running to Nassau today.  The paravanes saved our butts this morning as we are in a 3-5 foot following sea which will roll us at any opportunity.  Tomorrow serious squalls along a cold front are predicted and that well-protected harbor is very appealing.  Thursday and Friday we will sail up to West End on Grand Bahama Island.  We shall wait there for weather appropriate for crossing the Gulf Stream.  Then we head north for Jacksonville and our summer slip on the St. John’s River.

I should note that I must always use both Raster and Vector electronic charts in the Bahamas, checking to see which is best for the particular location. 

Editor's Note: The paravanes require care in deploying them correctly and a fair amount of physical exertion.  They also can be dangerous if the heavy 30 ft poles are not secure or a "bird" snags a submerged object  The poles must be secured with fore and aft guys and the birds should be raised out of the water before entering shoal areas or attempting to pass through a cut in a reef.

That being said, I don't want to "leave home without 'em"!  Witness our recent short but ugly passage from Brunswick to the St. Marys River.

Hawksbill Cay - A Bahamas Jewel Sun May 14, 2006

Sailed 7 miles from Shroud to Hawksbill Cay.  While Shroud was mostly flat and uninteresting visually, Hawksbill excites the eye, here on the west side.  A beautiful beach embraces rock outcroppings that rise abruptly forty or more feet.  In between the mounts one can catch glimpses of flatland with heavy vegetation.  A sparkling stream cuts through the beach and quickly disappears behind a mount but not before it hints at the existence of a blue lagoon and pink flamingos just out of sight.  The mounts created tiny coves and pristine private beaches off which we swam yesterday, floated and cooled off to then sprawl superbly idle, soaking in the rays.  While reluctant to leave the wonderful coves today, the lure of the unknown interior was overpowering.  I scaled a mount on a recon mission and saw enough to get us moving. We found that the stream led into a gorgeous lagoon containing a small crescent shaped sand island.  We named it our Secret Lagoon as it is not visible from the beaches.  The creek feeding the lagoon meanders to the east, doing a couple of lazy “8’s” before petering out at the ridge on the eastern side of the island, behind which lies the Atlantic.  South of the lagoon lie sand and mud flats which clearly are flooded at times.  Crisscrossing the flats are rows of half foot twigs or sticks, which are rooted and show slight signs of life.  The rows have varied patterns but a figure eight seems most prevalent.  The seedlings are most likely mangroves and have been likely planted by Exuma Park employees or volunteers.  At the edge of the flats, in rocks at the foot of a mount, we found a fresh water well mentioned in Pavlidis” guide book.  It is easy to imagine pirates or ordinary seamen putting ashore here to partake of the cool fresh water and bathe in our Secret Lagoon.

Shroud Cay A Cruising Tradition Or A Junkyard? May 13, 2006

I found this small, uninhabited cay remarkable for two reasons.  First, it was a great place for exercise.  We ran Cub up a small creek to explore the island, but the creek soon shoaled and I had to pull the dinghy, mit passenger, through very thin water for many hundreds of yards.  Heck of a workout!

Second, on high ground bordering the eastern shore is located what I can only term a "dump".  The cruising guide said it is a tradition for yachties to place here memorabilia -- of what exactly, I don't know.  Perhaps themselves and their adventures.  There were a few efforts at creative humor with painted toilets, etc., but yuck --  it was nothing but an island junkyard!

Normans Cay – A Drug Lord's Private Isle May 8, 2006

Normans Cay – A Drug Lord's Private Isle     May 8, 2006

Sailed to Norman’s Cay, eight miles to the south.  Feeling of deja vous here as I flew into the small airstrip in my Cessna 182 Webba a few years ago and spent the night at McDuff’s, a two-cottage resort just off the runway.  I think the small but beautiful resort was named after the dog belonging to the former owners, whose names I forget. They were characters!  Lots of fun to schmooze (and booze) with. He kept a Bonanza in a rusted hangar.  I hear they now have a biz in Belize.

I also anchored my trimaran off the beach here on my ill-fated trip to The Saints.

The jailed drug lord Carlos Lehder owned much of the island back two decades ago. (Google him for videos of the island.) At that time we sailors knew we had to give the island a wide berth as it was rumoured that its beaches were patrolled with men with machine guns.  Probably true!

 As I had done before on the flying trip, we walked about Lehder’s “estate”, exploring its several concrete buildings, docks, and the airstrip.

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Talked to Stefan, 40, whose grandparents once owned Norman’s Cay.  He was educated in Canada.  Now caretaking MacDuff’s which may open in a month.  Two men bought it.  They and associates hope to buy Lehder's property from the government but Stefan said Lehder was very sharp property-wise  with bizantine property deeding, etc.  While the land has been tied up for 10 years, Stefan believes it will be another 10 before property rightgs are finally settled.  I wonder...

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Today in three dinghies we journeyed north on Norman’s.   With Mike and Brenda of Scarlet and Vernon and Pat of Dancing Dolphin, we left the beach on the west side and went east to cross the “harbor” and then head north on the Exuma Sound side just inside a few barrier islands.  We were searching for the “pond” we knew was inside the island.  We finally found the entrance to it which was very shoal and narrow.  It opened to reveal a beautiful, virtually land-locked lake a mile or two long and a half wide, with depths as  much as 15 feet.  We lunched on a small beach and then returned near the entrance channel.  We stopped 100 yards short to haul the boats onto a sand bar/island which was fast disappearing as the tide came in.  And was it coming in!  We swam and dove like kids in the very warm water that was coming in across sun-warmed flats and rushing through our private channel/jacuzi.  We found two Gemini catamarans and a few power boats on moorings, with a road cut from the island's shore through a high coral ridge to the lake.  One house was visible situated facing the lake, and a couple of roofs of others on the ocean could be seen.

 Steve and Sara McCoy keep their boat up at Highborne but would love to buy property and build here.  Perhaps they are not on a fool's errand and know more than Stefan.

Highborne Cay, Bahamas May 7, 2006

Saturday, May 6,2006   Highborne Cay

A calm day so I hauled the damaged 110 lb.Bruce anchor, dropped it into the Cub, detached it from the chain and hoisted it onto the promenade deck with the boom and rigging.  Then it was a simple matter to separate the 60 lb. Bruce from its mostly rope rode and attach the chain rode.  I find I sleep better when the anchor is healthy.

Sunday, May 07, 2006 

Highborne Cay has a small marina (full of expensive yachts) and a guest house.  Last night we went ashore to the marina for a barbeque and met some nice folks – we went because Marnie said it was my birthday celebration and I had to go.  She had talked to Barbara, the island manager and a good friend of Sara McCoy’s, and got her permission to attend the fest.  Marnie told Barbara it was my birthday and I simply had to have this treat.

Stomatolite Beach, named after its rare and ancient coral formations, borders the east side.  It is about a mile long and has incredible white sand, crystal clear turquoise water, and nobody on it – incredible.  We walked the beach today and skinny dipped, as we did yesterday also.  When we returned to the small beach next to the marina where we had the Cub hauled up and tied to a stake, we found the Cub swamped.  Marnie went off and, in her enterprising way, recruited some young men to help us.  During our day at the beach the tide had come in, small waves had flooded the boat, and then the tide retreated leaving Cub swamped yet now far from the retreated water.  Using pails, pans, whatever, we managed to bail out the boat and then drag it down to the water.  Somehow the motor started, albeit with a pull start rather than battery, and off we went out to Simba which is anchored out a bit from the island.  Just another adventure on Simba.

Cruise Ships and "Crashing" Pools Nassau, Bahamas Apr 18, 2006

Cruise Ships & "Crashing" Pools   Nassau, Bahamas  April 18, 2006

Our stay in Nassau was very pleasant.  We were anchored on the edge of the large harbor where cruise ships came and went almost daily.  Our favorite ship was Disney Wonder.  She is much less boxy than many others, with an elegant design.  She is painted black and white with generous dabs of gold and red.  When about to depart, or announcing her arrival, she toots a mighty first seven notes of “When you wish upon a star”.  A rendering of Mickey Mouse at the wheel of a ship is painted on the bow. Wonder's hawsers look to be pure gold.  We noticed many children amongst the passengers and one family told us they had spent three days at Orlando’s Disneyland and were presently on a four day cruise to Nassau, then to an island Disney owns, and back to Canaveral.

Marnie loves to crash hotel pools, and prided herself that she had never been denied access to one.  However, when we visited the Hotel Atlantis here, she saw that the security was too tight to allow her trespass --  what a blow!  We swam on a nearby Paradise Island beach and visited the famed Cable Beach nearby on the island of New Providence.   We saw a bit of Sid who appears about my age and sails a trimaran he keeps on Staniel Cay in the Exumas.  Sid has spent the past six summers in Stonington, Maine, near Islesboro, where he works to save $3000 which gets him through the year.  It is no wonder Sid refused to start his outboard to get through Nassau’s East Channel when the wind died, with gas at $4.20 a gallon here.

Steel Bent Out of Shape & Bone Broken Again April 18, 2006

Rose at 0700.  Wanted to clear customs at Lucaya.  Attempted to start the Cub’s (dinghy's) motor but large swells threatened to smash it under swim platform.  Although we hung three fenders off the platform, it was impossible to keep them in position.  Even attempting to clean the outboard's battery terminals was impossible under these conditions.  In fact it was downright dangerous.  I had the dinghy's large hinged fiberglass seat  swung back so I could access the battery, when a swell caused the seat to suddenly close on my right shoulder – OUCH!  I found out later I had re-broken my shoulder bone.

Giving up, we hauled the Cub back up on the davits.  We then reeled in the anchor chain, deciding to clear customs at Nassau instead of Lucaya.  Oh,oh: another proglem. The anchor was hung up on what had to be coral (absolutely unmovable).  I worked the boat around the anchor, attempting to break it free in the large swells without making a bad situation worse, and eventually retrieved it -- with bent shank and fluke.

 

Marnie is cooking fish for dinner, ready in a half hour, so as we  are  now on the banks in 50 ft. instead of 1500, we’ll drop a hook shortly and dine (tough life here on Simba!).

This afternoon in beam seas we “flew” the starboard paravane bird several times.  And while skipper napped, Marnie entertained a handsome feathered bird who seemed enamored of the pilot house.

An ACL Company RORO (roll on-roll off) small freighter just passed.  It was the one whose entire bow is hinged.  It is quite a sight to see the bow slowly lift up and back, like the opening of a prehistoric beast's mighty jaw, and then from the ship's maw see trucks pour out.  (In rough seas it must surely suffer from upset stomach :-)  This boat is one of three that I often saw at Ft. Pierce, FL when anchored there.  ACL created the RORO freighter several decades ago, according to Google, and it was good to see this old friend, the Caribe Girl.  Subsequently we regularly saw Tropical Company boats, such as Tropic Mist, that evidently run between Nassau and West Palm Beach, where we often saw them being loaded and unloaded at a hugh container terminal close by Cracker Boy Boatworks.

The Bahamas At Last! (Email to family) April 18, 200

Yesterday we sailed again for the Bahamas…and made it this time!  We sailed 12 hours, anchoring at 2 AM off Grand Bahama Island.  The depth sounder showed we had 15 feet under the keel and chart plotter showed no reefs nearby.  However, upon attempting to weigh anchor the next day, now down to short chain, a wave started to lift the bow when BANG! and a shudder through the ship told me we were caught up short.  Clearly, the anchor was set in something more solid than sand -- something like coral!

I eventually freed the anchor by releasing more chain and moving the boat about, but not without paying the price in a bent anchor shank and fluke.  Coral exacted a similar penalty a decade or two ago on sailboat Simba, off of Concepcion Isle. (Is there some lesson to be learned here?:-)

Today we are sailing onto the Great Bahama Bank and will anchor shortly (it’s 7 PM).  My email for the next month will be wdc3404@wloradio.com.  Please send only text messages, and do send them pleaseJ  We’re headed for the Exuma island chain which contains a host of lightly populated or unpopulated cays.  By June 1 we will be docked on the St. Johns River south of Jacksonville for the summer, or if that’s unavailable, at a marina in Brunswick, GA.  I will fly up to Maine and then the Long Island Sound area where I hope I can persuade one or more of you to put up with me for a couple of weeks or so.  I plan to return to retrieve Simba in October.

I hope I can get this message to you over the airwaves.  I love you and am looking forward to seeing you shortly.

Dad/T2

Bahamas Bound Again!

Bahamas  Bound again!    May 8, 2006

We “splashed” at Cracker Boy Boat Works and were underway at 1430 (2:30 PM).  Forecast for crossing the Gulf Stream excellent, meaning smallish waves, winds no higher than 10-15 knots from the west.  We are psyched!  (What one doesn't want are north winds which, blowing toward the south, can raise a nasty sea as they collide with the north-flowing Gulf Stream.  When it's blowing from the north, or forecast to do so, cruising boats are often backed up along the Florida east coast waiting for the wind to change.  Even more so than normal, the leading topic of conversation for cruisers is the weather and when they should dare to set sail.

 

2300 hours: Loom of Grand Bahama Island ahead as we have made 45 nautical miles and have only 25 to go to the area of Lucaya  which we should reach in about three hours, two AM.  We will anchor there in the lee of the island.  Wind is now from the northwest, directly behind us producing a following sea and 8+ knots of speed over the ground.   Until an hour ago we had wind from the south creating 2-4 foot waves and a squirrelly ride, quite bouncy and rolly.  Now we have a pleasant following sea causing us to slalom from side to side.

Starboard transmission fixed by Mr. Woods and removed and re-installed by John Brown, is working fine.  The PTO is now quiet thanks to John’s suggestion to tie the rattling shifter lever in place, which "Mr. Bungee" accommodated.  John Brown found that the mounts supporting the marine gear were not appropriate and allowed for only two bolts to hold the gear fast, rather than four, as is the case with the port gear.  John thinks the bolts were over-stressed and worked loose, causing the catastrophe.  I concur.  John will be searching for the correct mounts at marine flea markets.  Meanwhile I will check that the two bolts are firmly in place every 200 hours of operation.

I see the lighthouse at Freeport at eleven o’clock.  When sailing at night I normally have the radar on to help monitor other vessels.  However, we have not had any sightings for several hours so the radar is off.  But I shall turn it back on because we are approaching land and a major port so there may be traffic.

Our email for the next month will be provided over high frequency radio, WDC3404@wloradio.com.

I just realized I need to take some more ibuprofen.  Four days ago I was riding my bike to locate some hardware in a rain shower and took a dive onto the concrete when crossing a railroad track: ouch!  My helmet served me well, but I should have been wearing knee and shoulder pads as well.

Anchored 0200 hrs in 28 ft. off of Lucaya, Grand Bahama in sizable swells as no cove or harbor for shelter.

A Crack-up at Cracker Boys March 22, 2006

Since March 22nd we have been living on Simba "on the hard", high and dry at a boatyard in West Palm Beach, FL named Cracker Boys.  We access the boat via ladders, eat aboard and use the boatyard bathroom. The starboard marine gear was replaced, port rudder post bearing and strut repaired, and we painted the bottom and topsides up to the railings.  The painting started when I discovered that the expensive sand blasting and painting of the bottom performed by Damrach in Mobile less than two years before, was poorly executed.  Water blisters over raw steel were everywhere evident.  It was clear I had to re-prime and then cover it with anti-fouling paint again.  Marnie energetically pitched in.  We had time to burn while the mechanical repairs were underway, so we kept on painting right up to the rails.  Simba now looks pretty spiffy.

My work was slowed by a minor hitch.  I found out that raw steel can be slippery when wet.  A few days before we left FL I was riding my bike in light rain when I crossed a railroad spur that ran across the concrete street on a sharp angle.  In a flash I went down.  My helmet was split (as it was in Maine) and my shoulder was numb.  I completed my errand and went back to work.  At first I ignored the sore shoulder, of course, and went on scraping & painting, etc., but in the course of loading some gear I put a bit of strain on the shoulder and it began to get my attention.  I went to a clinic here in Nassau and x-rays showed I had a messy break of my right collarbone.  The doc wanted to strap the darn arm to my chest for weeks.  (Imagine me hauling the anchor or raising the heavy dinghy with one arm!)  A light disagreement ensued and I settled for wearing a sling (which I soon slung away).

Port Washington to West Palm Beach

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Departed Port Washington 1415 hrs. (2:15 PM) in light winds and bright sunshine.  Descended East River at twilight to view Statue of Liberty silhouetted agains rosy sunset.  Radar temporarily (one hopes) disabled so avoiding NY harbor large ship buoys required wide open eyes to pick out their flashing lights.  Arrived area of Sandy Hook in the lower harbor and anchored at 1830 hrs. (6:30PM) in flat seas.

Monday, 11/21

Up at 0500 to check engines, etc., and underway before 0600.  Sea calm.  Caught glimpse of sunrise before clouds moved in.  Forecast along New Jersey coast: storm over Wilmington,NC due to arrive after midnight.  Rain predicted in afternoon with visibility to be seriously impaired.  Near-freezing weather predicted for NY area following the storm which is why we departed yesterday and are getting early start to run the 100 plus nautical miles down the NJ coast to the safe harbor of Cape May at Deleware River juncture with Atlantic.

Rain began early afternoon but remained light; winds built.  Atlantic City magnificent (who would have thunk it?) in the dark with a number of tall bldgs. well lit with lighted names in red plus other colors.  Low and ominous black cloud ceiling hovered just above the city.  About 2000 hours (8PM) waves built and wind shifted rolling the boat at times quite vigorously with accompanying sounds of canned goods banging about and furniture in saloon and pilot house performed enthusiastic dances.  Stabilizing birds not deployed as difficult and dangerous to attempt to do so in the dark.  Entered the channel into Cap May Harbor at 2230 (10:30PM).  Visibility now limited due to driving rain.  Harbor channel very narrow as both sides quickly shoal to 2 feet (!) .

Tuesday 11/22

Due high winds and waves it was clear we would not be hoisting the anchor and attempting to enter a marina today.  In later morning I saw we were moving down on the boat anchored astern of us and had to start the engines to stay clear.  I was not surprised as in the lousy visibility and hullabaloo of late last night I did not see the chain markers (wire ties) which mark every 60 feet (one fathom) of chain let out.  I knew the amount of chain run out was minimal but could not let out more as we had other boats close behind.   Now, under the weather conditions we were experiencing, it was difficult to hold the boat steady to retrieve the chain.  Finally I just bulled the boat ahead, dragging the anchor and some chain with us.  We moved the boat out into the channel and let out 240 feet of chain which, in this shallow water, was plenty for high winds and waves.

Early in morning ran generator to warm cabins up.  Checked engine room an hour or so later and was greeted by smoke and acrid fumes.  No sign of fire, however.  Killed generator immediately and fled.  After airing engine room out I discovered the generator exhaust hose, which runs the length of the room, was softer to touch than usual, and appeared distorted.  Further checking indicated the small stream of sea water which normally was directed into the exhaust hose to cool it, had ceased causing the rubber to heat up to the point it had melted in portions creating the smoke and fumes.  The sea water strainer was full of mud which cut off the water flow.  I cleaned the strainer but water still did not flow out of the injection hose into the exhaust.  The water pump’s impeller had been damaged when running dry.

I had to get ashore to buy a new exhaust hose and pump impeller.   But there was a small problem with that idea…we were aground and unable to move.  Next high tide was many hours off…at 1AM Wednesday.   To stay warm in forty degree temps with winds blowing 25-30 and gusting higher, I ran the port engine which drives a 110 volt AC generator as well as its propeller, when underway.  As we were clearly not underway anywhere for hours, I disconnected the linkage to the transmission.  Normally I retrieve and deploy the anchor with a 110 volt windlass which is supplied by electricity from the Kohler generator which has it’s own motor.  With the Kohler out, I must use the port engine to drive the other generator, meaning I shall have only the starboard engine available when attempting to wind in the anchor chain in these high winds.  Should be interesting.

I was able to free the boat from the mud at about 2200 hrs. (10PM) and wound in as much as half of the 240 ft. I had out, which brought me up to the edge of the channel and deeper water.  I did not dare lift all the chain and the anchor, setting the boat free, as I was afraid that with only one engine I would not be able to ably maneuver the boat in those wave and wind conditions so as to avoid hitting the other boats.  I also would have to reset the anchor in deeper water as I was unwilling to chance trying to enter a marina in these weather conditions, with the one engine and in the dark.  I hoped I was now close enough to the channel to get to it when day broke.  I also took a chance the anchor might pull in these conditions, but tested it with a shortened chain and knew it was now very well set.

Wed., 11/23

Entered South Jersey Marina, a haven for sport fisherman and their large boats with outriggers pointing to the heavens.  I found the exhaust hose at one fishing trawler supply house, and the impeller at another marine supply store.  Installed both parts, water flowed from the pump through its hose to the exhaust hose fitting…and out a crack in a pipe fitting.  Darn!  I tried to remove the pieces of large pipe attached to the leaking elbow, but twenty-five or more years of heat and water had welded the pieces tightly together.  I went to the marina office and called the dozen plumbers listed in the yellow pages.  I knew no one would work the next day (Thanksgiving) but hoped to get someone for Friday.  I got one hit when one man called me Wed. evening.  He is due to come Friday morning to see if he wants to attack the job.  I am crossing my fingers, but realize that even if the man tries to help me, if he is lacking one of the 4-5 pipe fittings required, I will be here until Monday as no plumbing supply house in the area will be open Friday.  We’ll see.

Thursday 11/24

I worked on stuff then we had long 2 hour walk into Cape May city and got lost!  Philadelphia folks took sympathy and drove us back to marina area.  Marnie started turkey but stove wouldn’t rise above 250 – it dawned on me that with three heaters going, perhaps we were maxed out on the 50 amps of marina shore power.  I was right, so killed two heaters and we were fine.  Nice turkey dinner.

Friday, 11/25

Harry Sundstrom and probable grandson arrived 0830 hrs. and broke apart the pipe juncture.  The ace hardware was open and they bought new 1 ¼ elbow, etc., and put it all together.  Harry recommended I buy 24 and 18 inch pipe wrenches as my 12’s too small for this job and future opportunities for fun J  Upon generator startup I found gen. muffler slowly leaking seawater from cracks created in the high heat of the cooling water cessation.  I jogged a mile into town to buy galvanized pipe at Ace to replace the muffler.  Works great, not much increase in exhaust sound except small backfire burps now just audible.  Because windlass is providing me with a bit too much exercise running down and back from engine room to reset circuit breakers frequently while attempting to deploy or retrieve chain, I followed Bert’s suggestion of replacing the breakers so ran/walked back down to Ace for breakers, taking one of them with me as sample.  Turned out they carried several brands of breakers but none with negative terminal posts, evidently only used on MARINE breakers.  Well, at least more good exercise back to the boat.

Sat. 11/26/05

Wanted to fill water tanks last night (saw fellow hosing his boat in the afternoon and marveled at the ice on his decks later – should have realized water would probably be turned off shortly.  It was.

Underway at 0730 thru Cape May Harbor and the canal to Delaware Bay.  Sunny, no wind to speak of, bay quite flat.  1.1 kt. current against us so doing only 6 kts.  Autopilot misbehaving so handsteering by noon.  Engines running smoothly and cool; nice to have both rebuilt now as was not great fun to run up from North Carolina with only one last spring.  I suspect a new diesel genset is not far off.  At this rate, within another year I’ll have an all-new (or rebuilt) boat  -- (then what do I do?) J  Anchored 1600 hrs. (4 PM) just north of Salem Nuclear Plant which is on large artificial point that conveniently subdues the waves that were becoming annoying as they were rolling us a bit in a following sea.

Within 20 minutes Peter Sittler of  Amityville rounded the point in his 34 ft. Mainship trawler.  Marnie met Peter yesterday in

Cape May which he had bussed to from a nearby port on the intracoastal where he had anchored the night before.  Peter is retired from ATT long lines dept.  This past summer he served as yacht club manager, sailing school teacher, and general maintenance major domo.  Peter is very pleasant and stands tall at 6’6”.  Peter rafted up with us and joined us for drinks and dinner.  Good fun.  Peter is on his way to New Orleans to volunteer to help rebuild needed housing, etc.  He has messed around with boats all his life and is traveling without GPS, charts, etc. – quite a relaxed boater!  Peter departed for a marina seven miles away on the Chesepeake-Delaware Canal.  His generator exhaust is giving him problems (join the club!) so he doesn’t run it and consequently can’t power his two electric heaters so must plug in to marina power.

Sunday, 11/27/05

Today Peter is sailing to Annapolis (51 nautical miles from the marina) and I hope we stay in contact on the way south.  Auto Pilot has been acting contrary during day but now at 1330 hrs. and calm seas it is behaving itself permitting me to do chores, install second hot air vent in pilot house (feels so good!).  Even in the past few days of freezing temps we can sleep without heat sparing the generator from running all night.   The staterooms, particularly the master, occupy hull space that is below the waterline so perhaps the water, which is well above freezing of course, “warms” the hull and therefore the staterooms.

Mechanical note – the windlass with its tendency to pop the circuit breakers for no apparent reason, has behaved better since I removed and re-installed the breakers.  Looks like threats of replacement work their wonders with mechanical things also.  Also, good news this morning and evening in that Kohler genset not puffing white clouds anymore so maybe some good hours left in the old girl after all.

Anchored 1500 hrs. in Selby Bay, VA, off of Southern River just south of the Severn (Annapolis).  Total calm (good!) J

Monday, 11/28/05

Plan: Heading to Tilghman Island, MD, across the bay and south 20 nautical miles to pick up mail, etc. at Ginny’s, then plan to head back across the bay to anchor in the Patuxent River.

Actual: Calm night.  Took 30 mins to raise hook this morning as had to wash muddy chain shooting water from new “fire hose” nozzle sparingly.  Off to Tilghman on Chesapeake marina; talked on cell to Ron (Paul Davis off today) and got permission to dock for hour or so.  Retrieved large bike from hold under foc’sle and assembled it; I’ll ride it down to Fairbanks at southern end of Tilghman to Ginny’s to pick up packages and mail.  Passed four men in camouflage outfits setting out duck decoys from lobster boat. 

At 1145 were 20 yards off Tilghman on Chesapeake’s marina wave-breaker float making the turn to dock portside-to, when we ran aground.  At marina attendant Ron’s hollered and gesticulated suggestion, we backed down and came unstuck.  We continued backing around 90 degrees to port and docked stern first, portside-to.

Ron said we’d better not stay long as tide was dropping.  Although my Nobeltec electronic mapping program indicated high tide was not until after 1300 (1PM), Ron apparently had been eyeing familiar watermarks on the pilings and could know best, so I agreed to hurry.  Ron was so concerned about time that he loaned Marnie his car for a very short run to the store to reprovision essentials while I pedaled down to Fairbanks.  We were off the dock by 1230.   

On turning into Patuxent River a large flock of PELLICANS was roosting on the poles and nets of a fish trap.   Great fun to see two dozen gracefully soaring off in all directions;  they remind me of the old Pan Am Clipper Flying boats which also looked ponderous and awkward on the water, but became svelt and graceful once aloft.

At 1700 hrs. anchored near Drum Pt. in Patuxent River adjacent to Solomon’s Island.  Protected in all directions, especially nice as it’s due to blow a bit tonight and tomorrow.  Tangier Island lies some 35 nautical miles to the south.  It is supposed to be very quaint, set back in time -- a must-see reports Paul Clancy.  Water is thin there, like Tilghman (and many other spots on the bay) so it won’t be a boring visit.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Short trip today of some 45 miles so did non-pressing yet important chores like changing generator fuel filter, inventorying general filter supply and lube oil, etc.  Gog hook up at 0830.  Peter of Champagne Two called.  He is next door at Solomons Island for heart checkup last night and shopping this morning.  He’ll be going down to Tangier Isle also.  I called back and left message to effect that forecast for some wind (20kt, gust to 30) this afternoon and he had better get his boat in gear soon.  His Mainship is only 32 ft. and has shallow draft so is not very sea-kindly.

AP behaving very well past two days.

1300 – 3-5 footers on nose cutting speed to 5 from normal 7kts.  Hobby-horsing down the bay.  I LOVE every one of Simba’s 52 feet (must remember that next time I pay a marina bill.  In Cape May seasonal rate is $2.75 per ft.; I paid the off-season $2.25 for total c.$125 a day with taxes.

Heading to Tangier Isle only because sister Smith Isle looks virtually impossible for Simba to enter at low tide, 0400, and that’s our approx arrival time in the area.  Paul Clancy also suggests Onancock on the Onancock R. nearby so that’s a backup destination as well as an additional port to visit if time allows.

1600 hours: Approaching Tangier Sound light from the north, the charts showed the bottom shoaling to 10-12 feet as we drew close, but my sounder was steadily reading 20 feet or more so I was relaxed when I felt the boat seem to bottom on something.  I saw the sounder still read over 20 feet and wondered if I had been mistaken when again, we bumped a bit harder and the boat slowed.  Oh, oh, we’re in for trouble, I thought, continuing straight ahead where in a quarter mile or so the chart plotter showed 80 ft. depths.  I double-checked our location visually, and the mark indicating where the shallow waters of less than our depth were, was 2-3 hundred yards to port.  Nevertheless, our trouble grew as we began hitting bottom with every  wave that we were taking off the starboard bow.  The force of the blows was strong, causing objects aboard to become airborne.  Our speed dropped to about a knot, sometimes even less, as each contact impeded our progress.  Powerless, I watched us heel to port almost 45 degrees as we attempted to climb over a ridge.  Everything not firmly secured grew wings, producing unpleasant sounds which were even louder than the roar of the engines.  The waves tried to push the boat to port, toward the Tangier Sound light where unappealing hard obstructions were sure to be, and the ridges and hillocks of the bottom forced the boat where they wanted to take it, rendering steering an unrewarding task.

I kept the engines running steadily at about 2000 rpm. Our keel  pounded on the hard pan bottom with almost every passing wave, jarring the boat repeatedly.  A bar apparently blocked our way to the deeper water; each time we attempted to cross it the boat slewed to port or starboard and heeled over again.  With the engines driving forcefully, I spun the wheel first one way and then the other to keep us away from the light and headed in the one direction I felt meant escape from this trap. The boat never came to a dead stop but forged ahead very slowly.  Then the port engine alarm sounded.  I turned the key off to turn off the alarm and thought I had shut the engine off.  A few minutes later, when we were out of trouble, I noticed the engine was not off, as I had thought, but idling.  I checked the oil pressure and saw it was virtually zero.  I shut the engine down completely.

Now close to dark, we headed northeast up the eastern coast of Tangier Island to the channel which ran westerly into the harbor.  Because it was low tide I knew we were not out of trouble, although the possible problems ahead should be limited to running slowly aground in soft sand or mud and, if unable to extricate ourselves, then sentenced only to waiting a few hours for the next tide to set us free.  Turning into the channel, we slowed to about three knots as if one runs aground it is vital to be able to reverse course immediately in order to back out of the shallows.  Marnie used the portable spotlight to pick up the red and green marks.  Keeping an eye on each one as it came forward out of the darkness, I used the chart plotter with its GPS-generated image of the boat to keep us centered in the channel between marks.  This is imperative because assuming you are in the channel when you spot the next mark can be a mistake.  Open water is rarely still, but rather moving one way or another.  So, while we are moving through it in a certain direction, the water is generally moving in another.  Consequently, one must constantly keep the mark immediately behind in view, and in mind, as well as the one coming up, and steer to keep them both in line.  The plotter is of invaluable assistance in this effort. 

About half way down the channel we bottomed out and the boat slid slowly toward a red mark to starboard.  I reversed the single engine, stopping our slide, and brought us back to the center of the channel.  The current was strong and slowly turned us to face back out the channel.  As I was a bit tuckered out I did not accept the currents bidding but turned the wheel to port and edged the throttle forward.  Gradually we contered the current’s thrust and the boat turned

Back toward the harbor.  Not wishing to perform the slide into third base again, I oversteered so we crossed the channel to the other side, where hopefully the water was a bit deeper, and we managed to squeek by this thin stretch.  And actually, the water remained “thin” the rest of the way to the harbor as I could feel us dragging bottom all the way.

The “harbor” was a broadening of the channel lined with floats and small docks supporting traps and gear shacks.  We spotted some tall pilings directly across the harbor and with the aid of the spotlight saw a dark figure waving a flashlight.  We heard an aerosol horn as well.  As the slip next to the pilings seemed open, we slowly entered it and quickly got lines around the pilings to counter the strong north wind.

The dark figure turned out to be a simple man of few words who had seen our lights and wondered who we were.  We thanked him for his visual and aural assistance and told him we were tired sailors happy to have reached port. 

In a few minutes, Rudy Thomas dropped by to check us out.  He is sixth generation mailboat business owner.  We chatted a bit and he pointed out his Maine downeast lobster-style yacht, gleaming with chrome and freshly-waxed fiberglass.  Rudy said we were welcome to use his slip tonight, and even tomorrow night if we wished.

Wednesday November 30, 2005

Did walkabout of Tangier Town.  No vacation villas visible, only working-class small wood frame homes and some trailers and modular homes.  Crabbing sustains the economy.  The crab launches are sleek and sensous, to my eye, even with large steel mesh rake appendages mounted on the stern like a wide rooster tail.

The crabbers (a pejorative?) store their undeployed traps on floats which also support small, neat cabins to store gear, (party away from watchful eyes?), etc.

At 1020 we backed out of the slip, turned and headed out the channel.  High tide was 1039 so we were timely.  Our sounder soon read the minimum, 6.5 feet (that’s our draft), but we never touched bottom enough to feel it.

Apprehensive that damage might have been done to the recently rebuilt port engine, I visited the engine server times to check on oil pressure and found it almost normal – relief.  The alarm which signals either low oil pressure or overheating, would not turn off until I reved the engine up to nor rpm’s of 1800, which I attributed to a quirk in the alarm gauges.   Shortly after 1100 I went below to check the engine room again and was met by a cloud of steam when I opened the steel door.  The steam was pouring out of the radiator overflow hose, located under the steel floor plates and difficult to pinpoint immediately.  In any case, I immediately shut down the engine.

1200 deployed the outriggers and birds of the paravane stabilizer system.  The lively rollers off our starboard stern quarter had begun to roll us a bit; the flopper-stoppers did their job, cutting roll down by at least 80 percent.

1400 added six gallons of antifreeze and water mix to port engine.  Engine will not turn over even when jumped from house battery bank.  Small amount of white vapor escaping at times from intake which appears to be steam although would have though engine now too cool to produce it.  Vapor does not appear to be exhaust.

Just talked to Frank Persico of Offshore Diesel.  He and son Bobby rebuilt the engine this past summer.  Frank said see if oil is higher than full – it is, which means I “cooked” the engine when I ran it this  morning.  The cooling water which I replaced with six gallons of radiator mix was much too much to have evaporated, Frank felt, and he was correct.  My error was in thinking I had an oil pump problem, which occurred when I saw a very low oil pressure reading at idle,  when I should have focused on the adjacent temperature guage which must have been giving a high reading and been the alarm trigger.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Rose at 0600 (had been awake much earlier pondering the electric problem) to prepare for the arrival of Mike Montieth and partner Dave Jeffries.  Paul recommend them as expert mechanics and is a good friend of Mike’s.  Both arrived at 0730.  They concluded the motor repair could take three days or longer, in part due to just-in-time inventory control now widely practiced, and needed to discuss among themselves the feasibility of taking on my project.  As they were departing I said I also had a problem with my shore power connection.  After over an hour of check wiring resistance readings they could find no problem in the boat’s wiring or switches.  Particularly puzzling was the fact the boats genset could easily connect to the boats distribution system while shore power could not.  Mike called later.  He had consulted with a master marine electrician who said he would have run the same tests that Mike did.  However, he did say that perhaps the problem lay with the marina’s power supply stanchion on the dock.  He knew the marina’s stantions had been recently rewired.  If they had been re-wired incorrectly in a certain way, boats with modern panels could automatically correct the error while my older panel might not.  I presented the marina dockmaster with this theory, but he said he doubted its veracity and refused to call in an electrician.  I returned to the boat, still pondering the problem.  I realized we had only used the 50 amp shore power service so, using several wiring pigtails I had made up last year, I reconnected the boat using the marina stantions 30 amp outlet.  Bingo, the stantion breaker did not pop!  Feeling a small measure of relief and satisfaction, I turned on only one of our six heating units and also turned on the charger for Simba’s large 12 volt battery bank.  All went well…for about five minutes.  Then the breaker popped again.  It came down to the fact we could only run a small portable electric heater – not others, and not charger.  So the stantion could supply far less than 30 amps, perhaps 8-10.  We’re out of here in a couple of days, so we’ll live with the situation (and besides, temps are due to rise beginning tomorrow J

We are moving because Mike called again to say he could not do the engine job but had found a good man who could, and that the work could not be performed in this city marina because of work rules and lack of adequate parking.  We will move to a marina about two miles away – across the river and inconvenient to the downtown area.  We’ll just have to rent a car and hang that additional expense and the forthcoming repair cost.  It’s a boat, right?!  And life is to be lived! (endured at times, one might sayJ

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Life is good.  This morning I told a dock attendant that our boat’s wiring had been proven healthy with my successful, but weak, connection to the 30 amp power socket.  He knew about our struggles with the marina power system, and quickly produced a wiring pigtail which enable us to plug into two sockets, measurably increasing our available amps.  What a joy to now have one of our powerful heater/AC units functioning – we could even finally shuck our coats!  Tonight we went to a movie, P & Prejudice, then dined with Paul and Barbara Clancy.  Afterward dinner, the C’s drove us to a supermarket and then to Waterside and the boat.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

After waiting to hear from Mike Montieth’s recommended mechanic Bobby Rowe all day Sat., Sunday evening he called to say his mechanic associate would be at Tidewater Yacht Marina, across the Elizabeth River from us, on Monday.  No word from mechanic on Monday but pulled in here Tuesday and of course no mechanic.  Tuesday evening the mechanic, Billy Thompson, called to say he’d be here Wed. morning sharp.

Philip Landmeier, the electrician, computer whiz, etc., and the man who rewired the boat, exchanged several emails with  me regarding the problem.  He wonders if my floating ground might cause stanchion breakers to trip if they are GFI.  Points out I only need the hot leads, red and black, as I am only 2 wire, 240 until the transformers convert it to 120 V and a ground is added.  I disassembled stbd shore power receptacle and wiring looks kosher.  Stanchion 50A socket checks out okay as well.  Scooted across the Elizabeth River to Tidewater Yacht Marina.  Backing into slip with north wind and one engine a piece a cake (suspect if only had the port engine, backing to port would have been more difficult).

Wed and Thurs, Dec. 7&8, 2005

Marnie took paddle wheel ferry across E. river to swim at the Hilton on Wed. and the prepared dinner for Thursday evening visit from Paul and Barbara Clancy.  Both days I rode my bike to North Chesapeake to get new printer and check valve for head sink/shower sump.  Dinner with P&B was great fun.  Marnie had festooned a wreath with boat models and dories, and it and the fireplace made the saloon very cozy and festive.

Friday, December 09, 2005

At 5PM Barbara C. will pick us up to take us to the Newport News Maritime museum where Paul is moderating a discussion of the Monitor recovery.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Phil and I discussed the wiring situation…and found the problem.  I had a neutral running from the boat’s shore power receptacles through most of the distribution box and on to the transformers.  Phil theorized that because of that neutral lead, the transformers were likely to attempt to correct any imbalance on the 120Volt legs of the marina 240V system.  Such an imbalance would call for huge amounts of electricity to surge to the boat…and trip the stanchion breaker.  Solution, I removed the neutral wire from a post in the box…and problem resolved.  This morning I routed the neutral to an unused switch in the distribution box so that I can allow neutral to flow if the shore power supply is 120V which requires a neutral, or cut off the neutral when the supply is 240V so the balancing process can never occur.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The event at the museum was a fantastic success.  Paul moderated a discussion of the raising of the Monitor two years ago, and the panel included a NOAA official directly responsible for the raising and a retired remale navy captain who managed the team of 150 divers on the job.  Paul and the three on the panel signed Paul’s new book, Ironside, 100 plus copies.  Paul felt very good.  I could have spent a couple of hours in the museum as it was fascinating seeing the artifacts of the Monitor and learning about it’s battles with the southern ironclad, the Virginia (known to most of us northerners as the Marrimac (sp?)-don’t have time to check it now J

Paul and Barbara loaned us a car for the weekend and we used it for provisioning on Saturday and then drove to Colonial Williamsburg on Sunday.  Good fun.  Barbara recalled babysitting for Jeff Barca-Hall in Richmond while Corrie and I visited C. Williamsburg…he had to be about two, I should imagine.  She said he as a cutie and very well behaved (of course J

Our port motor overhaul should be complete tomorrow noon.  If so, we will be off for points south and try to get below the several waterway bridges before evening rush hour when they won’t lift due to auto traffic demand.  Going to see the Lion King tonight at the Chrysler Art Museum auditorium in Norfolk.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Lion King was a bust – nothing like what Marnie saw years ago.  It is a kid’s show, very cartoon-like, not for us.

Mechanic Bill Thompson said he would have us ready for seatrialing he port engine by noon, and here it is 5PM and he’s still down there putting parts back together.

No  matter, because I went up to the Promenade Deck (Flying Bridge) to add hydraulic fluid to the steering system reservoir as I found the upper station out of order a coupla weeks back in Cape May.  I only use it this time of year to get in or out of a tight slip, but thought I had better fix it for future need.  Well, I added a quart of fluid and tested the wheel – it still spun without budging the rudder.  I went down to the wheel house and found that it’s wheel now did not work as well.  Durn, it’s surely a boat!  Mike Montieth says he’ll stop by to give me a hand tomorrow morning.  Meantime, I have read the Wagner steering manual which offers no directions on bleeding the system.  Have take a few stabs at opening fittings to assist bleeding, but it’s been a frustrating afternoon, but no big deal.

Hey, Marnie and I learned about the old movie house here in Portsmouth and their dinner movie deals.  We knew King Kong was opening tonight but had no idea what the reviews were, and didn’t much care.  However, Paul Clancy called to see if we were still in town, and started to suggest we all go have dinner at the theatre.  Great idea, I told him, and rode the bike down to get tickets so we surely could make it.  Hope it’s a better show and experience than last nights Lion King (I kept cringing when the young prince was referred to as Simba, his proper nameJ

Thursday, Dec 15, 2005

Bill the Mike and a pal stopped by to help get the steering working, but when I went to spin the pilot houser wheel – it didn’t spin but instead worked as it should, with some resistance as the rudders are turned!  Looks like it just took overnight for any air bubbles in the lines to work their way up to the fly bridge reservoir clearing the way for the the hydraulic fluid to fill the lines.  I told Mike he was a genius for just his presence cowed the hydraulic steering system into submission, meaning  proper operation.

The engine mechanic never came today as the manifold elbow which was cracked could not be found close by; he said later that his boss Bobby Rowe found one in Newport News and that they would be down “early tomorrow, about 10AM.  I tried to call Bobby but, as a week ago, only got his voicemail.  I call Bill again to tell him if Bobby and he were not on the boat by 8AM I would stop payment on the check I foolishly gave Bobby yesterday when it seemed the job was virtually completed.   We’ll see.

Friday December 16, 2005

Bobby and Bill on board by 0830 working on port engine.  Looking good.  Bobby thinks cracked manifold water fitting the cause of water loss and overheating, but thinks crack looked old.

I boarded Palmetto, a 38 foot “Deadrise” clammer/yacht owned and partially built by Kip from Rescue,VA.  Wood fiberglassed over, customary method of building clammers.  Virtually no deadrise in stern enables boat to carry 4 tons of gear.  With single Cat he cruises 16 kts at c. 2000 rpm (I’m not sure I correctly recall these figures).

Sea trailed rebuilt port engine for hour and half; pressure tested engine water system.  Bobby Rowe thinks the cracked elbow on manifold was probably engine lost water and overheated, especially as it was in or near the head of the motor where most damage occurred.

Mechanical scraping noise at power takeoff upon shutdown of port engine during sea trial.  May have been due to lack of lubrication – pumped grease into all four fittings – we’ll have to see.

Departed Portsmouth 1415 hrs.  Tied up south of Great Bridge bridge at 1710 hrs.  Very good to be moving south once again.  No more tides for some time and already seems warmer.  Went ashore to shop for curtain ribbon and backup firewood (can never have enough, even on the waterJ  Fireplace throws out enough heat to get by in the evening without heaters.

Saturday December 17, 2005

Off at 0800.  Good day traveling with only one bottom scraping where a spoil area was close to the channel – until at 1700, a mile from anchorage goal, in narrow cut at  mouth of the Aligator River, we ran hard aground.  After an hour of attempting to get off,  dropped anchor at crew’s request (worried we wouldn’t sleep well), against skipper’s better judgement, as I feared it could complicate getting off tomorrow.  Sadly, I was right.  (If anything, I should have dropped light anchor with rope, not regular anchor with heavy chain rode, very difficult to retrieve unless in the normal manner with electric windlass.)

Sunday, December 18, 2005

O200  Another failed attempt to get off.

0730 Anchor now under boat, pinning us broadside to waves which have kicked up due NE wind 20Kts.

0830 Wave helping us move backwards…I let out chain as we inch back.

0935 Rudder now pegged to port, wont budge.  Visit engine room to check on it and greeted by now familiar scene: smell of burnt rubber and smoke emanating from generator exhaust hose.  New hose is severed from the heat.  Examine generator, sea strainer clean…but find small hole in top of the sea water pump which cools the exhaust, and water is pouring out even with generator now turned off.

Remainder of day not much fun as waves broadside to us, and heeled over as we are, they have their way with Simba.

Monday, December 19, 2005

As radiator hose broke near the end, I was able to re-attach it by removing slack and reducing amount of hose on the fitting at other end.  Used head of pencil eraser to plug the hole with wood shim over it held fast by wire.  Pump still not working.  Removed back and the new impeller was fine.  However found impeller could not turn because it was jammed with a piece of tough plastic which appeared to have been attached to a fastener once protruding through the hole I blocked.  Put pump together…no luck.  Assuming another piece of that plastic was blocking the inlet, outlet, or the hoses, disassembled all…and found nothing.  Darn!

Attacked problem of the jammed steering quadrant.  Detached the linkage between the two rudders.  Found the starboard rudder turned normally.  Took a sledge to the port rudder attachment arm – scarcely budged.  Laid off on the heavy blows as fearful I would break the arm.  Examined the large nuts on the rudder post stuffing box.  I don’t have large stuffing nut wrenches…and should have bought the 18” and 24” wrenches the Cape May plumber recommended, as they might have sufficed.  Late in the day, after backing down countless times attempting to free the boat, I checked the port rudder and found it had moved back the few degrees I had “persuaded” it to rotate, and added quite a few more.  This I read to mean it is not as frozen as I had feared.  We’ll see…

I called Sea Tow yesterday.  Very expensive proposition: 200/hr. portal to portal plus 10 per ft. for first half hour of actual towing and then 25 per ft. for next, and even higher thereafter.  Called Tow Boats US today and found rates somewhat more reasonable.  Their nearest boat operator, Harry, is 30 miles distant.  He will come in morning with his larger boat (a 40 ft. ex-coast guard vessel) as I told him I doubted his smaller one could budge Simba.

In preparation for Harry’s arrival, I tied a float on the end of the anchor chain and deep sixed it.  Now I am free to move the boat in any direction as I continue to free it, and was able this evening to turn it 180 degrees so it it now facing the deeper water and Harry will be able to attach a towing harness to the bow.  I will try again tonight to break free.   After watching a bad movie, tried and failed.  Woke at midnight to boat bumping on the bottom, which I found irritating.  Dozed a bit then jumped up realizing that boat was now floating enough to be hobby horsing, presenting a new hope.  Climbed to the pilot house and looked outside.   Lights looked different – we must have moved down the broad river half a mile or more, so we’re free!  But no, when I started the computer and Nobeltec came up with its now so familiar chart showing our little green boat and the red and green flashing marks nearby,  we hadn’t moved and inch, and now I recognized and accepted the fact.  But hope still poured up out of my guts as it seemed we must be bobbing in the water and just hitting bottom with those bumps.  Alas, disappointment again -- but maybe a little later…

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Harry and Mike arrived 0920 hrs.  Mike serving as crew, is one of 15 children whose family own schrimpers.  Their towing arrangement did not allow them to pull me from the most advantageous point, the waterline, where I have a welded eye for the anchor rode snubber line.  Instead, they tied a heavy line onto a bridle I rigged at the anchor pulpit, some 10 feet or more higher than the towing bit on the towboat so they were pulling us down as well as ahead.  Oh, well, can’t always expect the ideal, I guessJ  As we were pointed in the correct direction, Harry powered ahead for ten minutes to start cutting a valley through the bar.  Then he told me to go ahead with light power, so I selected 1000 RPM.  After some ten minutes I stepped it up to 1200 and a few minutes later to 1500, knowing if I broke free he would forge ahead in sync with me and it was unlikely I would run him down.  After some 20 minutes or so Simba  broke free.

Next, as Harry said, we faced a more difficult task, that of retrieving 340 feet of heavy 7/16 chain and a 120 pound Bruce anchor…and in water so shoal we might run Harry’s boat aground, even with it’s relatively shallow 4 foot draft.  Indeed, as we slowly approached the floating fenders I had tied to the end of the chain, we started dragging and the depth sounder read 2 ½ feet.  I then had serious doubts we would have success.  We edged up to the floats and brought the end of the chain over the side.  Harry was nervous we might damage his boat and asked us to keep above the gunnel as we brought it in, and that we feed it out onto a large line he had furled like my grandmother’s braided rugs.  At first we could not pull the chain in, which meant hauling the boat along, because we remained aground – Mike pointed out that the rudder posts were bobbing as we bounced  on the bottom.   Mike and I then took the chain forward and this managed to turn the boat’s bow in the direction of the chain.  Mike and I then pulled chain aboard until, with still some 30 feet to go, it refused to come off the bottom.  Harry and Mike thought we were then over the anchor, but I told them no, than the chain must be buried in the clay/sand at that point.  We passed the chain through a chock and cleated it off.  Harry then powered several feet forward, freeing the chain.  Mike and I hauled in the 4 or 5 feet of chain that was willing to give itself to us, and we cleated it off so Harry could pull another few feet free.  We repeated this process until we finally were over the anchor; a powerful push forward by Harry broke it free.  All three of us managed to pull the Bruce aboard and we powered slowly back to Simba which I boarded.  Mike passed me the line fastened to the chain end, and I used the windlass to bring the 340 feet aboard and down a pipe into the chain locker.  Victory at last!  A truly phyric one as it was costly financially and timewise, but a victory nevertheless.  Harry waited around to be sure I had steering, then we went our opposite ways.

Anchored stature mile marker 135 in Alligator River.

Sea Tow Quote: 200/hr portal to portal plus 10/ft for first ½ hr, then 25/ft next, etc.

TowBoats US: contract signed with Harry: 150/hr portal to portal plus

11/ft first hour.  Harry 252-473-3858.

Harry arrived at marks 0940.

0952 hrs:                                                         35 56.528   75 59.447     

My large yellow page shows towing  began 1000 hrs

1000: Towing began

1010: Simba in gear 1000 rpm                       35 56.523   75 59.452

1013: increased rpm to 1200 from 1000.

1020: increased to 1400

1040 :       (moving)                                         35 56.518    75 59.440

1041:         (moving faster)                                       .509             .419

After free, then went for chain and anchor.  Anchor aboard and motoring away at 1200 hrs.  Mineo 30 miles away, said Harry. 

Lessons learned:

Use paper and electronic charts with caution.  Charts are fallible, primarily because what they depict is dated.  Buoys may have disappeared or been moved since publication.  Sand bars like that at south end of Tangier Island may not be charted and recent shoaling at ocean inlets and river mouths is commonplace and, as in the case of Ol’ Alligator River, will have you for breakfast.

When passing through a spot where shoaling appears possible, slow the boat down so that if we do run aground we can back off before getting solidly hooked).

At the first sensing of an encounter with the bottom, pull both throttles to neutral and prepare to reverse.  Pay no attention to depth sounder as it is not near bow so won’t show true depth until too late.  Full reverse if a second touch occurs.  Deeper water is behind -- ahead may lie days of delay and big expenses.

Be extra alert when sailing in off-channel areas;  is this short cut worth the risk?

Never put out an anchor when aground… but if you do, use lunch hook or at most the lighter bow anchor with its rope rode. 

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Smaller hook held well in 15 kts.  Swells.  Noticed stbd propeller shaft vibrating more than normal and stuffing box dripping at higher rate – damage to prop when aground?  Anchored South River 1730.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

0800 Underway.  0820 heard crash in engine room – power takeoff-driven generator fell off its mounting table onto the motor.  The exhaust pipe kept it from going all the way to the sole.  Four bolts sheared off, belt ruined.  Now not PT generator and no genset (Kohler generator with its own Perkins motor).   Kept on to Beaufort, NC, but not to the town docks as planned but to Jerrett Bay Boatworks, recommended yesterday by Mike, Harry’s crew who has taken shrimpers into Jarrett Bay for repairs.  That’s the place to go, clearly.  1100 arrived Jarrett Bay.  Within an hour Jody Powell and two of his welders were in the engine room with me.  Seems Mike Herring used stainless steel bolts for the adjustable legs on which the PT generator sat.  Jody and his men were quick to point out that stainless is brittle and can’t take vibration, like that created by my Detroit Diesel 453’s.  Schedule 8 carbon steel is evidently more tensile and will tolerate vibration.  While Jody’s men worked on the PT generator, he took me to two automotive and marine supply stores searching for a new belt and the water pump for the Kohler genset.  I ordered the pump (FedX but probably won’t arrive until next Tuesday, day after Xmas.   I called the Phil, Kittrell’s CarQuest , man an hour later but he reported he had three “rubber men” searching for the belt with no luck so far.  Tomorrow AM I will call Mike Herring and Dog River Marina in Mobile to see if they can research the source of the belt.  Reward dinner out for crew who is pretty fed up with mechanical breakdowns and groundings (two more short ones on way into Beaufort with one insight of the town docks)  Oh, forgot to report that while waiting for the Beaufort highway bridge in town to open at 1800 (6PM), the computer died taking the GPS map with it.  This due to no electricity generated for 25 hours so batteries ran low.  No real problem as I had paper charts and also the image of the holding area before the bridge clearly in my mind.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Finally underway at noon.  Two days ago the pulleys (shives), bushings and four matched belts arrived from Grainger.  I installed the gear on the port engine power takeoff and the generator mounted above the engine on a “table”.  I gave the belts a half inch of play but left the guard off for now so I can  monitor the system and make any needed adjustments in belt tension.  I gave it an in-place test run and it looked good – we’ll see how it goes once we are underway.

Yesterday a new water pump for the genset wet exhaust arrived.  I mounted my trusty bike and rode to the shopping center Ace Hardware for new plumbing fittings for it (I have used the bike daily for trips into Beaufort, Atlantic Beach and Morehead City trying to buy the pump, windlass circuit breaker and generator belt drive items locally.  The holidays put the kabash to making a short order of things so in the end I had two items delivered from away and Blue Sea shipped the breaker to West Marine in Charleston which we will reach one of these days…or weeksJ.

I would have liked to head for Charleston offshore as it is only about 28 hours away, and could have finessed the shallow ICW in these parts.  But I decided to be conservative and sea trial the two generator systems first, so into the ditch we waddled.  Of course we ran aground while still in Beaufort, but got off easily.  After running four hours we were almost in hailing distance of the town of Swansboro where we planned to anchor, when we took a green buoy to starboard, contrary to the rules, because the Nobeltec chart indicated this course of action.  Immediately we grounded.  I reached over and pulled back the throttles but we couldn’t back off.  We still had two hours to high tide so that might have lifted us off, but as I am now the proud owner of a TowBoatsUS total towing insurance package, I reached for the mike and gave them a call.  Turns out they have a boat in Swansboro and Tim arrived on the scene in ten minutes.  And it took less than 10 minutes for him to tie alongside us, run his twin outboards fairly hard, and get us back into the channel which we had strayed from because of the incorrect position shown on the chart plotter.  Tim said it was a bread and butter error for him – folks did it all the time.

Tim was great – he led us at trawler speed up to the town and into the harbor, like a mother hen with one of her chicks.  Easy anchoring and nice sunset.  Genset is on driving the heaters and the stove – life is good, it’s great to be moving again (LOVE that towing insurance!)

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Departed Swansboro 0730, a bit early because the tide was falling and we had a shallow spot (I should say a shallower spot) to get through a few miles ahead.  We also had three bridges between us and Wrightsville Beach, our goal for the day.  The bridges were spread out over 15  miles and two only opened on the hour so we needed time on our side.  We missed the first bridge by five minutes so had to wait 55 minutes for the next opening.  We passed under the Wrightsville Beach bridge at 1600 hours, took Shinn Creek into the town.  The charts indicated little water in it but we enjoyed a deep channel of some 17 feet which was undoubtedly scoured out by the Masonboro Inlet which the creek entered after we turned east up Banks Channel into town.  We anchored opposite the town’s water tank in 23 feet. 

We had hoped to go further, but the bridges slowed us and when we realized we had no champagne aboard it we decided to at least stop at a marina’s fuel dock to run into a liquor store.  No fuel dock space was available so we gave up on the champagne and decided to simply anchor out once we learned from the local TowBoatsUS operator that Shinn Creek was deep enough.  Once anchored, the gallant captain decided to go to the effort of lowering the launch from the “promenade deck” and take a stab at starting the balky outboard engine.  The launch was launched, the motor started, and the town had convenient dinghy docks.  Champagne was procured and an onboard party ensued.

Sunday, January 1, 2006

Fun day.  Cleaned boat, engine room floor plates, etc.  Then picknicked at town park point on the inlet channel.  Unaccostumed to departing Simba other than by foot at a marina, captain neglected to take an anchor and line along in the launch so we had to secure the painter to a rock borrowed from nearby jetty.  The tide was very low (for us) so the rock was used to prevent the launch from floating away on the incoming tide.  To our surprise and amusement, the launch was not in danger of parting, but was instead high and dry now, some ten feet from the water.  We had to take picture of this, yet another grounding!  We met Mike and Lisa who helped us float our boat.

It felt so good to have the freedom to anchor and yet get ashore, the dinghy now hangs from its davits, convenient to launching.  We will not venture offshore in the near future but instead enjoy and explore the ICW towns and environs. 

Monday, January 02, 2006

Hook up at 0800.  Delighted to be sailing with ooldles of feet underneath us as it was close to high tide.  As we went west the tide clock moved back to accommodate us so when we went through Snow’s Cut, a shallow channel Street (Skip) Jones warned us about, we did so at high tide there.   Had nice cruise down the Cape Fear River below Wilmington, NC.  As long as two years ago I read on the web and in sailing pubs about Lockwood’s Folly and the fact government retention of dredging funds was most evident at inlets of which Lockwood’s Folly was the worst.  Well, there were 14+ feet under our butt as we cautiously wended our way through the marks.

The antiquated pontoon bridge at Sunset Beach looked awkward and floated ponderously aside to allow us through, once the cable connecting it to the other side of the channel had slackened sufficiently.

At 1530 we arrived at Calabash Creek.  Paul and Barbara Clancy had told us of the good and different seafood restaurants in Calabash which cooked the fish “Calabash Style”, so we were eager to anchor in the creek and run the now accessible launch up the creek into town.  However, our timing was lousy as it was dead low tide.  We considered anchoring on the opposite side of the ICW in the Little River, but saw a large casino boat approaching from the ocean so we did a 180 and very slowly nudged our way into the mouth of Calabash Creek.  In a few moments we touched bottom so decided to sit there for a couple of hours when the rising tide would enable us to enter the creek.  Entered and anchored upstream of two monohulls and a trimaran.  Voyager, one of the monohulls, had also had difficulty entering at a low tide and suggested we wait and then angle into the creek from the ICW #2 toward the creeks #2, and then turn to port.  His instructions were helpful.  Anchored at 1900 hours.  A half hour later we saw what appeared to be a cruise boat behind us up the creek.  How could that be?  Then it came closer and we realized only a low embankment separated us now from the Little River which was the route of th ICW, and this apparition was actually not behind us in our Calabash Creek but rather coming down the parallel Little River.  It was bigger than the boat we had seen before and was the Sun Cruz Casino, actually partially owned by Jack Abramoff, soon to be a star witness against members of congress.  Small world…

Tuesday, January 4, 2006

Powered out the creek at 0800 with four feet of tide to help us cross the entrance bar.  Where we had not seen extensive development along the waterway to this point, after the town of Little Creek, the ICW became lined with new houses and condos.  At Myrltle Beach it became almost congested, with even an outlet mall plunked down alongside and signs inviting boaters to shop for name brands at great prices.  Some of the housing developments were extensive with one stretching several  miles.  One condo project was Spanish style and featured a 65 ft. high bridge over the waterway with bridge abutments of stuccoed concrete and red ceramic roof tiles.  Development is so intense we found two new swing bridges that were not even listed in waterway guides a year or two old.

We anchored in the harbor of Georgetown, third oldest town in South Carolina and once the center of thriving antebellum rice farming.  We took Little Simba across the 75 ft. channel to the town docks and strolled about the town until dark.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Breakfasted at Thomas’ Family Restaurant, then found scallops at the dockside fish market and walked the main residential streets, chock-a-bloc with well-maintained homes from the 18 & 19^th centuries.  Good fun.  Nice chat with Jerry and Jane, now residents of Pawley Island.

1300: hook up.  Three hour run to anchor in McClellenville near mile marker 430 in Five Fathom Creek in 18 feet.  Shrimpers running by on way out to sea make for photo ops against yellow grass and setting sun.

Thursday, January 5, 2006

0815 hook up.  At 1399 pulled in to Charleston City Marina in 75 degrees.  I remember the marina with concrete walls back in 1983.  Now those exterior walls are part of the interior structure as a new bridge built nearby caused the marina basin to silt in.  The city decided to not dredge the interior of the basin but instead expand outward and along the river.  College kids man the marina and are cheerful and helpful.  The marina van dropped us off at the city battery and we had a long and rewarding walk along the sea wall  with handsome mansions everywhere.  We found the interior of the old sector also very pleasing.  The city does not allow buildings over 75 years of age to be torn down, so the architecture is all quite uniform – fortunately it is tasteful as well.  Two story side porches with a front “privacy door” is dereguerre.

Friday, January 7, 2006

Walked into the city to breakfast at Hominy Grill then hit the visitors center and split with Marnie going to the museum, walking the old city, and provisioning.  I was eager to work on the engine room bilge pump.  Yesterday I pumped the bilge almost dry (about time!) and then removed the Par pump which ran but did not pump.  I have two and a half old spares and was confident I could create a working pump.  Tripped the breaker with one version; changed the motor but bkr still tripped.  Changed the wiring to another free breaker: ng.  However next one did the trick although at first I thought it had tripped or was bluie, but then found the float switch had bottomed out and shut the pump off.  Now I am dying to pour water into the bilge to be sure all is well.  However, I figure I won’t have to wait long for the bilges to fill some as  the genset is fond of leaking water out the rear seal and the shaft stuffing boxes produce a steady drip.  Can’t wait.

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Departed Charleston 1245 hrs.  Anchored 20 miles down the pike sm 488 at 1515 in mouth of Church Creek.   Could not go further today as no decent anchorages could be reached in daylight.  Used the snubber line with  newly-purchased chain grab hook to eliminate chain noise during the night.  Wanted to test the grab hook as rolling hitches can be a bit recalcitrant and resist their untying at times.  The snubber line, running from the bow at water line up to the pulpit when it is stowed, frequently causes a passing boat to advise us that we have a line hanging off the bow.  It’s a wonder they notice what with so many boats running with “bumpers” hanging over the side.  Speaking of seamanship, the large fid I bought a while back enabled me to put a proper new splice in the one inch anchor line I carry for the second bow anchor.  I find splicing to be very functional, satisfying, and pleasing to the eye.  And it is virtually childs’ play.

Got new style haircut aboard ship (help!) Marnie bought some used DVD’s yesterday and we watched Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Somethings Gotta Give on the home theater screen…hey, someone has to do it.

Sunday, January 08, 2006

0800 It is two hours before dead low tide (6 ft. range) and one hour from here is an ICW section reported twice recently to suffer serious shoaling.  We therefore shall wait two hours before weighing anchor in order to transit that area at least one hour after dead low.  We are only six hours from Beaufort,SC so can afford the luxury of the delay.

Gonna have a lesson in splicing now (new snubber line).

1200 hrs. entered Dawho River and backed right out when go 6.5 ft. on the sounder.  1300 made it through the skinny sections.   Anchored in Ashepoo River 1515 hrs.  Note the shipyard working on two tugs and a navy vessel at Yonges Island, south of sm 490 and north of mark 91 – might be good spot for bottom painting, etc.

Monday, January 09, 2006

0950 Weighed anchor.  1200 aground at Brickyard Pt in Brickyard Creek as strayed slightly to west of channel.  1315 floated off with wakes of passing boats (Summer Lady and Victory Lane II).  Marnie woke me from nap with the good news.  1445 anchored Beaufort,SC harbor, 3.5 days after leaving Charleston.  Launched into town and walked about.  Spanish Moss commonplace and full-bodied.  On one particular leafless type of tree which has almost no bark but a brown trunk, it appeared that they were Spanish Moss trees…but spotted a few leaves so believed otherwise.  In the area designated “historic” we saw few handsome historic homes among many of more recent vintage and lacking charm.  Even in the high rent district where we found some very handsome historic homes with large gardens and treed lawns, we found tasteless bungalows and worse.  We agreed we had been spoiled by Charleston, Beaufort, NC and Georgetown,SC.  Savored good brew in coffee  house located in old home on waterfront park which is being renovated.  We noticed a fake palm tree on afterdeck of Victory Lane when she passed us this afternoon and this evening could see the tree lit up with white trunk and bright green palm fronds way over on the far side of the town marina.  We met owners Roger and Judy Van Liew who have lived aboard six years.  They found tree on everythingnautical.com.   Hawking WiFi network adaptor picked up 6 transmitters out at anchor. 

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Walked through pretty parts of Beaufort,SC again (after breakfast on Marnie’s special pancakes of pancake mix, oatmeal, yogurt and applesauce.  Yummy!  Slipped anchor at 1200.  At 1300 engine room rattling noise caused me to shut down power takeoff generator.  What I feared is happening: the bearings, due to lack of lubrication, are shot, I am sure.  I’ll hunt for replacements when in Florida and may be able to install them myself.  1545: anchored in Bull Creek just off the ICW opposite Harbor Town with its trademark candy striped lighthouse, on Hilton Head Island.  Great anchorage as it is wide and empty, beautiful bright yellow marsh grass – and 65 degrees.  Barefoot today and short sleeves!  Tomorrow Savannah!

With the longer days down here, due to our considerable “easting”, we decided there was enough daylight left and toke the launch ashore to nearby Daufuskie Island.  We landed at the pier belonging to Haig Point, a private golf course community (oh, I suppose some of the residents fish instead of golf J).  Very manicured graceful paved roads.  Looks high-end but  fortunately most of the dozen or so houses we saw, as we walked about for an hour, were medium size – pleasant, but not southern architecture as we have come to know it.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Another glorious day out on this creek where all you can see for miles seems to be bright yellow marsh grass waving in the breeze.  Our spot in Bull Creek is so beautiful and private that we decided to be lazy and spend the day here.  We dinghied up the river from Haig Point to the wharf of the Daufuskie Island Club and Spa.  As at Haig Point, ferries are the chief means of transportation unless you have your own bathtub to paddle about.  Ferries seem to run out from Harbor Town and other locations on Hilton Head Island.  We figured out that Daufuskie Island Club maintains a facility on Hilton head where members, guests and renters park their cars and catch the ferry.  On the island, the Daufuskie club is several miles from the pier and we saw a van and bus that transport folks from the wharf to the club.  We also noted a golf cart parking lot where members can park their carts after buzzing down from their homes.  We did a fast walk and met a lovely elderly (excuse the expression) black couple at the driveway to their retirement homesite.  These folks had been born and raised on the island and attended the school which is even smaller than that on Islesboro, having 20 students and four teachers plus a principal (making it the most expensive school in SC based on cost per pupil).  Walked back to the Cooper River and the nearby Freeport Marina facility where we sandwiched.  Manager Rob told us they charged $20 a night with electric and water so we have to overnight there sometime.   The marina has been renovated over the past year by Rob whose boss owns a tugboat company.  The floating dock is new as well as the half dozen tiny cottages for rent (some on wheels!).

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Departed Bull Creek at 0830.  Had to traverse some shallow areas and the fact it was three hours before low tide did not help.  Finally entered Savannah River and fought a four knot ebb tide current all the eight miles to the city.  As we rounded the final curve a large freighter coming toward us sounded his horn and the captain said on the VHF, “Why should I have to maneuver around you – don’t you monitor the radio?”  This was a bit strange as we had the radio on to 16 and he never called us, plus Marnie, who was at the wheel, had us located well right of the centerline, just where we should have been.  I had been making a final engine room check and heard part of his comments.  I stuck my head out the wheelhouse door and gave a slow wave to the ship; I could see the captain peering at us through his binoculars which he quickly put down when I acknowledged his radio call with that hand signal.  I was not looking for a fight so did not reply on the VHF.  When faced with a professional whose life is the sea, I tend to assume he is probably in the right…but later often find the contrary to be true.  A similar event occurred a few nights later in Jekyll Creek where we were anchored in the wide channel per the guide book and a passing tug boat (cum barge) captain said, over the VHF and on his loud hailer simultaneously, something to the effect of  “You picked a fine place to anchor, pleasure boat!“  I imagine that such undeserved comments arise from commercial pilot’s accrued irritation from pleasure craft that at times cause them to alter course, and from simple hubris engendered from their professional capacity vis a vis us  mere amateurs.

Marnie had called ahead to several hotels and marinas to gather information on rates and sevices, and we decided to dock at the Hyatt because, while their rates were as exhorbitant as the other locations, they did offer a pool and fitness center.  No one answered the VHF when we hailed them to ask for docking assistance (the strong current made it advisable) and finally they answered the cell call so a young lass came out to the dock and ineptly took a line.  We didn’t like the lack of professionalism but Marnie when inside to check out the exercise facilities while I secured the boat, plugged into the power grid, and began to fill the amost empty water tank.  I moved fast because we planned to dock at the nearby municipal pier, if the Hyatt was unappealing, but the guide book reported there was neither power nor water available at that location.  Sure enough, after 15 minutes Marnie appeared shaking her head with discust because the pool was tiny and fitness equipment non-existent.  We remained dockside there another half hour taking on water and power while I reconnoitered the city facility.  I found that there was one faucet with city water located not far from the dock and 15 amps of city power available as well.  While we normally need 50 amps for fridge, heaters, battery charger, etc., 15 amps was very welcome at it will at least run the charger… which keeps the batteries up… so they can power the fridge and lights, so hooray!

We spent the next four days and nights in Savannah, and loved it.  We did museums, house tours (Marnie only) and walked through many of the numerous parks and historic neighborhoods.  The city is cited on a bluff above the river and was masterfully laid out by General Wm. Ogelthorpe in 1730.  We were docked alongside a waterfront park bordered by River Street with numerous restaurants, bars, and shops.  The riverside park was always lively with strolling couples, party-goers from River Street, and street musicians who seemed to play non-stop.  One had to climb stone stairs or narrow, steep, winding cobblestone streets to reach the city proper perched high above.  I found it reminiscent of Bonifacio, Corsica.

I had noted that, unlike other municipal marina facilities we had frequented, there were no signs stating that the ramp to the floating docks could be accessed by only boat owners and their guests.  Although we had not seen anyone else on the docks, we locked up whenever we absented the boat and at night.  At 0100 hours one night I heard noises topside, outside the cabin.  I threw on some working clothes and crept up to the pilot house where, in the quite bright light thrown down from the park, I saw two young men chatting amiably on the foredeck.  I crept around on hands and knees, attempting to light the spotlight as an attention getter and “weapon”.  I had wakened Marnie and when she climbed the stairs she was spotted by one of the interlopers who casually waved and kept on talking.  I had the cell phone in hand but concluded that the two had come on board because they thought the boat unoccupied and simply wanted a better venue for their conversation.   After a minute or so they quietly walked down the side of the boat, stepped off, mounted the gangway to the park where they continued conversing.

Friday, January 19, 2006

Anchor up at 0930 on rising tide, a good thing as very narrow and shallow miles lay ahead today.  We got through with nary a scar and anchored right off the fabled Jekyll Island, GA, once privately owned by a few enormously wealthy families such as Goulds, Rockefellers, et. al.  After WWII the state of GA bought the island for under 1MM and now leases the club, mansions, and acreage to private enterprises.  Evidently a good percentage of the island is public park with miles of paved trails which we will bike on tomorrow. Took the Cub (new name for the dinghy/launch) into the Jekyll Club wharf, walked about the historic area near the club with its 33 cottages (that’s in capital letters) a few of which reminded me of Twilight.  The former clubhouse is now a hotel and we breakfast there tomorrow, courtesy of Marnie who loves to see and dine in grand, old spaces.

Friday, January 20, 2006

We are anchored close to shore in Jekyll Creek, no more than a half mile south of the Jekyll club wharf.  Yesterday when we took the Cub in, I motored around the floating dock to the inside so the Cub would not be conspicuous (we have discovered marinas charge as much as $20 just to tie up a dinghy).  As we put putted along behind the floats the dinghy engine slowed and I finally realized we had to be running the prop along the bottom.  I was about to tied up when Marnie pointed out that if it was shallow behind the floats before low tide, the dinghy might be high and dry there when we returned to use it, so I motored around to the outside of the dock.  Good thing, for when we returned we saw a mud flat sloping down to the float and, to my discomfiture, you could see where my prop had plowed a three inch wide scar in the mud some 25 yards long.  Better the Cub than Simba, is all I could sayJ.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Marnie worked all morning on loading photos into Flicker so that our families can access them.  I had a messy morning attempting to remove two gallons of sea water from the forward water-tight compartment.  The water had drained there from the anchor locker, having entered when I retrieved the chain.  We lunched at the Jeckyll Island Club restaurant then returned to the boat where Marnine continued with the Flicker project and I took my bike ashore for a ride around the periphery of the island.  The island is remarkably bike-friendly with bike paths paralleling most of the few highways and also running cross country.  I doubt if there are more than one hundred homes on the island.  Perhaps because of the relatively undeveloped state of the island, and also maybe due to the time of the year, I found few cars on the highways making for enjoyable and safe riding on them as well as the paths.

Sunday, January 24, 2006

In trip planning, it is wise to study the day’s route and mark tricky passages where one could become confused, such as where the ICW crosses a major river.  Another concern is areas of possible shoaling or narrow channels through shallow areas.  We went ashore and bought a basket for the folding bike Marnie rides, the NY Times, and other small items as we decided to delay departure until there would be at least a half tide in the day’s route’s shallow spots.  We departed at1330 hours, cruised down the west side of Cumberland Island until we met the St. Marys river which we then took inland four  miles to the city of that name, the second oldest city in this area.  The St. Marys river forms the border between GA and FL and we are excited to finally be here.

 Monday, January 24, 2006

We took the bikes ashore in the Cub and rode leisurely about the town.  St. Marys has a few surviving antebellum (pre Civil War) buildings, and even fewer with any charm.  The town had a large privately-owned paper mill for decades, and most residents worked in it or derived their living from servicing the employees.  The owner died recently and the plant has been sold to real estate developers.  However the town has a pleasant feel.   It is laid out in a rectangular grid pattern of roomy plots and wide streets.  We chatted with locals at the kayak store and the River Front restaurant (lunch) and found them very amiable.  When Marnie’s front tire blew, a resident drove her and the bike back to the docks.  A man supervising his grandson’s fishing on the town dock, told Marnie the paper company had jilted many of the employed residents by not paying back wages and honoring pension obligations.  Many folks are suing the company.  Sad.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Underway at 0915, destination an anchorage some 35 miles distant.  Anchored 1420 in Pablo Creek, forty miles north of St. Augustine, tomorrow’s goal.  Uneventful day (only touched bottom once).

March 11, 2006

After fairly extensive provisioning and preparation, two nights ago we left Dinner Key anchorage, on the high tide, to cross Biscayne Bay and anchor in the lee of Key Biscayne so that we could slip onto the Atlantic and cross the Gulf Stream early yesterday morning.  It is approx. 50 nautical miles to North Rock, on the Bahama banks relatively shallow water, just north of Bimini, where we planned to anchor for the night.

We had waited a couple of days for the wind to come around to the southeast and the waves to lie down a bit.  Predictions were for 3-5 foot waves but we found 4-6, and some 8’s as we crossed into deep water.  The boat was handling the conditions well but the gulf stream moves north at as much as 2-3 knots so we had to steer to the south quite a bit to hold a course for Bimini.  This southerly heading caused us to have to steer into the waves which made for slow going and some hobby horsing.    At 40 miles out I dropped the birds into the briny (poles were already deployed) as we began to roll.  To do this I idled the starboard engine to reduce speed, keeping port engine at 1800 to maintain generator output of 118 volts.  When I put stbd engine back in gear, we heard several substantial bangs and thumps below.  Turns out the engine/transmission unit had come loose from its mounting bolts, causing the propeller shaft coupling bolts to shear off and rip open like a sardine can the thick mounting plate which attached the transmission to the engine.  Ugly!

We were so close to Bimini it was tempting to continue on under one engine.  For sure there are repair facilities in Nassau, a couple of day’s run further, but finding spare parts or dealing with customs did not appeal to me.  So, back we went.  While it took us only five hours to reach the turning point, now with only one engine and dragging a 28 inch four-bladed prop, we arrived back at Key Biscayne at 2230 hrs, 10.5 hours or 4 knots and less speed over the ground.  Had to hand steer as the autopilot was out since it’s hydraulic pump is powered by the starboard engine.  Long day – but they come with the jobJ

March 12, 2006

Returned to the Coconut Grove anchorage.  We considered various boatyard and mechanic possibilities and settled on Cracker Boy yard in Riviera, Palm Beach, Lake Worth.  John A. Brown is a 4^th generation mechanic who seems like practical sort and reasonable.  He was one of four  sources recommended by the yard.

March 20, 2006

Ran out to Key Biscayne to get early start tomorrow for trip up the coast to get Simba’s tranny repaired or replaced.  Deployed booms in anticipation of bird flying tomorrow.  Picked up Tiffany in the Cub Scout and brought her out for dinner.

March 21, 2006

Underway at 0800.  Birds flying at 0900 in 3-6 ft. following sea as we head almost due north up the Florida coast.  Averaged 6.5 kts.  I was geared up to make a one day 75 mile run but Marnie suggested we try to find a place to anchor closer than Lake Worth to make for a 7, rather than 11, hour day.  I wisely concurred and found Hillsboro Inlet at Pompano Beach.  The inlet looked friendly enough (sufficient depth and marks) and there was a small basin just inside where we should be able to anchor for the night.  The inlet and anchorage were fine and we dropped the hook at 1500 hrs (3PM).  After I raised the poles and secured the birds, lines and chains, we took a cruise in the Cub.  Marnie suggested that name for the launch and I have added Scout because, after rigging running lights, a million candlepower spot light, and a depth sounder, we can reconnoiter shallow waters ahead to find safe (deep enough) channels for the big boy (scout) J.  We chugged through many canals off the ICW, all lined with boats and houses behind them.   Many of the houses were McManshions but sprinkled among them were the original modest homes probably built 50 years ago.  Upon our return the sea was still up outside the inlet and small rollers entered our anchorage making for a bit bouncy transfer from the Cub to Simba.  Meatloaf and pasta dinner under the revolving beacon of the inlet lighthouse.

March 22, 2006

With only a six hour sail anticipated, along with calm seas, I was able to perform some necessary stabilizer gear and engine room chores before weighing anchor at 1015 hrs.  Presently, at noon, seas are calm with 10-15 from the west and we are doing 7+ knots on that one engine, bless it.  It is also generating 115 so I’ll be making water to top off the tank in preparation for a week or more “on the hard” (out of the water).  I will paint the bottom and anticipate the shaft will be pulled to “true” it and perhaps make a minor repair to the prop.  I believe the transmission broke free because of metal fatigue in bolts and/or mounts caused by shaft vibration.   After numerous attempts backing the boat to set it free at the Alligator River, North Carolina, I noticed that stbd shaft was not rotating quite as smoothly as port, and the stuffing box was allowing a bit more water than normal to enter the boat when underway.  Despite the steel  skegs I had installed under the props back in Mobile, I believe the running gear was damaged – that darn Alligator River took out more than just a chunk of our time!

The yard was able to haul us this afternoon instead of Friday, and the yard workers and some boat owners gathered for beer, chicken, potato salad, etc. to celebrate one worker and his fiancé.  We were invited to join the festivities.  While sitting next to a sailor of similar age, he talked non-stop about his sailboat and then pointed up at Simba, hanging in the travelift sling nearby, and said what a discusting boat that was.  He said it had emitted a foul odor and was about to say more, to my encouragement, but was interrupted unfortunately.  However, he shortly learned from someone else that Simba was mine – I wish I could have seen his face!  The foul odor referred to was due to an event I reluctantly relate.  As the boat was lifted from the water in the sling it momentarily heeled to port and a brown liquid poured out of its side.  Bystanders stepped back quickly and held their noses.  I am sure the noxious brew exited the holding tank vent pipe which can only mean the tank was full to the brim, and then some.  For several days we had noticed a slightly unpleasant, but not totally foul odor, in the hallway above the holding tank.  I had immediately checked the tank meter which registered “low” and examined the visible pipe fittings and found all tight and dry.  I concluded the odor came from the bilge below and poured some chlorine into the small pool of water there.  I subsequently purchased a new element for the vent pipe filter and will install it once we have the tank pumped or are three miles offshore and can empty it ourselves.  Meanwhile there is no odor and I hope and pray the yard workers keep the boat level when lowering it into the water again.  For the time being, the yard bathroom facilities will suffice.

March 23, 2006

Mechanic John Brown came aboard to examine the supine, wounded transmission.  He said he would be back tomorrow (Friday) and Sat. to work on it and said he thought he could have it out by sometime Monday.  I scraped the starboard hull below the waterline.  While Damrich Coatings of Mobile sandblasted the hull and told me it would not need repainting for a good number of years, other than anti-foulant, I found zillions of blisters, which when scraped, revealed the raw hull.  I even found some patches as large as a square foot where only the first prime coat (or two) was evident.  Disappointing!  As I worked away I cursed Stephen Damrich and thought I’d let him know my disappointing news and give him a piece of my mind.  However, I subsequently altered my initial impulse and emailed him to give him the news and ask what he would suggest I do to protect the raw steel.  I added I did not want to go to the expense of sandblasting again and wanted to paint the hull myself.   I have yet to hear back from himJ

March 24, 2006

Mechanic Brown did not show, but not concerned as he had told me he was completing another job and would not have a lot of time for me today.  I scraped and wire brushed the port side of the bottom.

March 25, 2006

John called to say he would be round about noon.  With initial work on the hull done, I attacked the job of disconnecting and removing the transmission…I pushed to see how much I could get done before $65-an-hour John arrived.  By noon I had the unit free to be lifted out with chain and a come-a-long.  John arrived at 1330 (1:30).  I cut two 2x4’s to add support to a hand-hold steel beam which ran across the engine room, and we hauled the unit onto the passageway between the engines.  John worked the unit down the room and into the lazarette to under the hatch in the laz. overhead.  Meanwhile I swung the “promenade deck” boom so its block and tackle fell into the lazarette, John hooked the tackle onto a chain around the transmission, and using one of Bert’s electric winches I lifted the unit up, over and down the side of the boat onto the back of John’s truck.  The entire process took only 90 minutes.

There are two large companies that deal in marine gear on the Florida east coast.  Both are good, and expensive.  John has Woody, a man “advanced in years”, (73!) who John says is masterful at restoring gears and is very reasonable to boot.  I should hear from John (and Woody) by Monday afternoon.  Oh, I have a new theory on the cause of the gear problem.  The involved prop has only a small ding in it, surprising John who said such a massive separation of the gear from the shaft and engine could only be caused by striking something like a floating log.  I found two of the four bolts which fastened the gear to the shaft, lying in the bilge unscathed.  One of the two others was still connected but almost freed,and the fourth must be somewhere under bilge water.  It could be that the two or three bolts simply worked loose placing high lateral loads on the transmission and causing it’s supporting “ears” to shear.  More on causal theories later after more evidence is gathered.

March 26, 2006

A lay day for me.  I rode the bike about 15 miles to several marine stores (yeah, got a bit lost once or twice) and then read the NY Times with Marnie in the sun on the bow.  Tomorrow I start sanding the multitude of rust infestations.

April 2, 2006

Well it’s 5:30 PM (1730 hours).  I just quit work, showered and decided to describe how work was going at Cracker Boy Boat Works on Lake Worth, FL.   Well, let’s say it’s been a grind, in more ways than one.  I am pushing to scrape, grind (I am grinding the flaky paint off with a grinder, a tool commonly used with steel, as opposed to people working on all the fiberglass hulls here (I am grossly outnumbered, but undauntedJ)  I have been forced to stretch my day from 0600 (yep) to 1900 (7PM which is so dark I cant see to work and the grinder shoots sparks like those sparklers we waved as kids on July 4^th.  However, I don’t want to attract attention so that’s why I am forced to quit.  You see, all was fine until the 30’ish kid which his racing machine, Goombay Smash, had his 16 foot, air-conditioned trailer parked between our boats the third day we were here.  I asked the authorities to have it moved as I could see it would block the erection of scaffolding on that side of the boat.  The trailor was eventually moved a few feet away from Simba II, but it was obvious to me it was still going to obstruct my work.  I appealed to the yard office again, and finally the trailer was hauled completely away.  Zowee!  The spoiled brat rich kid was thwarted.  I should add that the trailer carried an air conditioner on its roof, just about the height of the master stateroom portlites, and the kid never shut it off so all night long we either listened to the thunder of a small Niagara Falls or had to shut the portlites on that side of the boat.

When the kid appeared in the yard and saw his trailer was missing, he was not a happy camper.  And he soon struck back for the yard foreman soon showed up to tell me I must stop grinding as it produced clouds of dust…and steel sparks.  He said no one around wanted me to use the grinder unless I encased the work area in plastic sheeting or acquired a sander with a vacuum hose attached to remove the bad stuff.  Of course only one person actually complained…in retaliation.  Sheeting was out of the question because of the size of the operation and a sander with vacuum attached would be like wrestling with an angry octopus.  Hence my workday extension; I grind from 6 to 7:45AM and from 5:15 to 7.  And yesterday was Saturday so the yard closed at 2 and I was grinding by 2:15.  Today, Sunday, was all grind.  And I am finished with prep work and start priming the bottom and topsides tomorrow.

John Brown stopped by yesterday to report the transmission would be ready in a day or so.  Mr. Woods, the transmission guru, would have a used transmission casing and new innards for me at a cost of hundreds (not many thousands as quoted by the mechanic in Coconut Grove) of dollars.  John and I will install the tranny hopefully on Tuesday.  I don’t really care at this point as it will take probably at least 4 more days to paint the boat.  When Novogen hits I will have the boat completely sandblasted, then painted with several undercoats and two finish coats.  Meanwhile, this attempt at fighting the Rust Bear should suffice (so long as it’s not more than two more years…Yikes!

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Did I write about the port rudder yet?  Anyway, you may recall that at that entrance to the infamous Alligator River in North Carolina, I wrote that the port rudder became frozen in position after I backed the boat down trying to get free from the sand bar.  I used a sledge hammer on the steering quadrant gear to free it up a bit, but ever since it has taken more effort than normal to turn the wheel.  Now, out of the water, one can see that the strut running under the propeller and rudder, a ten inch wide steel channel bar, upon which sits a cutlass bearing which receives the post at the base of the rudder, is bent.   Consequently, the post cannot turn freely in the bearing, i.e. it is binding, causing increased steering effort.  Today Chip of Ramsay Marine, a bright and pleasant man of far eastern (perhaps India) origins, worked with me to determine how best correct the problem.  In the end we ended replacing a foot of the channel and Chip welded a new cutlass bearing onto it and will weld it to the rest of the I beam.  In addition, Richard Ramsay suggested Chip weld steel plates to four locations on the strut, and its sister on the starboard rudder, to beef them up.  We gonna be ready for future Alligator Rivers !

Our present location, Cracker Boy Boat Works, is not a bad place to be as boat yards go.  Now mind you, our keel sits on large wood blocks and five jack stands on each side keep us upright.  We have to climb up ladders some 12 feet or so to enter the boat.  But the location is pretty nice.  We are on the north side of the yard and our stern faces the Riviera Beach municipal marina close by.  From our vantage point we can see down the whole length of the marina, perhaps a third of a mile.  At our end of the marina small boats of 18- 30 feet are stored in and along the sides of a large shed.  The boats are placed on shelves by two large fork lifts, who also lift them off the shelves, carry them over to the waterside, and launch them.  As may as one hundred boats seem to be stored this way, very common in Florida.  A third of the way down the waterside lies a restaurant and bar, tiki hut style.  Every evening musicians play guitars and sing, with plenty of amplification to bring the music to our saloon door.  On the south side of the boatyard lies the port of Palm Beach.  Freighters carrying mostly containers arrive and depart daily.  In addition, adjacent to our yard is the slip of the Palm Beach Princess.  This 300 foot liner makes several four hour trips a day, out the Lake Worth Inlet to – nowhere, because it is a gambling ship which simply idles around a few miles offshore passengers dine, dance and -- gamble.  Marnie learned the excursion costs $20 and thinks we should take it for the buffet and dancing.  She says we can pretend we are finally sailing, and arriving, in the Bahamas!  We’ll see.  Of course I should add there are some less attractive aspects of this place, as it surely is a boatyard.  There are golf carts carrying yard staff whizzing up and down the central axis of the place, and of course there is the almost constant drone of travel lifts carrying boats of all sizes, shapes and types to and from the launching slips.  Somewhat galling is the fact yard customers have to buy paint and other materials from yard store, part of the cost of admission.  A gallon of bottom paint is $250 here yet is available at Boat Owners Warehouse, a few blocks away for only $160!  Most of the boats here have contractors performing the painting and mechanical work – I have seen few owners doing the work themselves.  Hmmm.