Hi All,
Once again I'm late in updating the blog and Facebook. So here's the story from this past weekend.
Friday, what did we do Friday? Not much but work and then spend some time with our neighbors Bryan and Cindy. Before I could ask Bryan what they were going to name their new boat, the name was on the side. Austintatious. You might be able to figure out their last name from that.
Saturday we really tried to be productive and were semi-effective. As I mentioned, last weekend our chart plotter lost its GPS fix. I did some research on Cruisers Forum ( http:\\www.cruisersforum.com) and found that the GPS receiver we have has a watch battery inside that causes some issues when it dies. It took a while but I managed to finally get the receiver apart only to find the battery was spot welded into place. The research I did forewarned me this was possible. Trying to pry the battery away from the contacts did more damage and now I'm waiting on a new GPS receiver that I've just ordered online. I'm still trying to convince myself the new receiver will be much better and more accurate because of the new technology it has that the previous one didn't. I'll let you know how my self delusion goes but at the moment I'm still feeling like a klutz for not being able to get away with fixing the thing with a $2 battery.
With the GPS receiver in pieces we began the job of figuring out how the cable got from the receiver to the chart plotter. Let me tell you, it takes a very interesting route. It took Susan and I a couple of hours to figure out the route and now the boat looks like it has been ransacked by someone looking for a stash of stolen diamonds hidden somewhere on board.
Somewhere along here we started having trouble with the shore power to the boat. There are two 30 amp lines and one of them was no longer supplying power. Just so happened the one that was no longer working is the one that was bad and had to be replaced the day we did the sea trial. You could say my confidence in the guy that was doing the maintenance work on the boat was slipping but that would imply it was higher at some point, which it was not.
After a trip to two different marine part stores we found out the power connections on our boat are actually made for RV's though some owners have converted their boats over to using them. The connections are called SmartPlug. We just made it to an RV shop at 1:30 on Saturday only to find out the parts department closed at 1. Oh well, let's just go to Galveston for the Mardi Gras festivities instead!
Bryan and Cindy had invited us to a late lunch / early dinner in Galveston with TMCA. I can't remember exactly what TMCA stands for but it's something like Texas Marine Cruisers Association. Not ones to refuse an opportunity to do something fun, we accepted. And it was fun. We met some interesting people but my favorite was Charlie. Charlie is currently the Vice Commodore of TMCA. Being the Vice Commodore he knows the four vices but is only fluent in two, Alcohol and Gambling. The conversation with him wasn't the only fun and interesting one but he topped my list.
Sunday we managed to get a fresh water line off of a connection we need to replace and managed to lose power on the other 30 amp line. More on that in just a minute. The highlight of the day was winching Susan up the mast again to put the new tractor headlight / deck light in its rightful place. Just before I sent Susan up the mast I sat in the bosun's chair and let her winch me up. It was more of a test to make sure if she needed to do that she could. OK, I went up 5 or 6 feet and knew I couldn't make it all the way to the deck light so we changed places and I winched her up. I admit it. Are you satisfied?
Back to shore power, or more accurately, having no shore power. This week I've been once again researching things on Cruisers Forum. It's a great place to ask questions and get answers. My goal was to find out what to use instead of the SmartPlugs that seemed to be causing so many problems. In my research I found that everyone that commented on SmartPlugs thought they were great. I read a review from a guy that critiqued the entire process of installing them. From that I pretty much figured out the guy that had installed them appears to have taken a shortcut or two. I'm now convinced the SmartPlug is the way to go, when it's installed properly. That goes to the top of the To Do list the next time we're at the boat.
That's it for this week. Take care.
Brian
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
A few problems
As we hoped the weather in Kemah was great this weekend so we were able to take the boat out.
Saturday morning a little twist that shouldn't have caused any problem pulled a muscle in my back. I mean really, I was picking up a towel. Ouch. Problem #1. Fortunately this didn't stop us from going out sailing but it likely would have if Allen hadn't been in Galveston and came over to go out with us. I wasn't able to move very fast and standing was about the only position that was comfortable.
We motored past the Kemah Boardwalk about 11:30 and headed out onto Galveston Bay. It was in the 60's, partly cloudy and a nice wind for sailing.We raised the sails and sailed over here and then over there, just sailing all different angles to the wind to get a feel for everything. The boat handled very well and we were able to get her up to 7.5 knots a couple of times. For a little bit there was another boat on the same tack as us off our starboard side. I doubt they knew we were racing but I certainly was! We kicked their butt! I will say that this was greatly due to Allen continually trimming the sails to get the most speed out of the boat.
About 2:30 we headed for the channel to take us back to the marina. Once me made the first marker we turned into the wind and dropped our sails. That completed, we began motoring our way in. About half way in the motor started stumbling. We made it almost all the way to the Kemah Boardwalk and it died. Problem #2. We drifted a bit and then dropped the anchor. Me, being the invalid I was, stayed above as Allen and Susan went below to see if they could figure out what was wrong. About this time we lost our GPS fix. No idea what caused that to happen. Problem #3. When there is no GPS fix, the chartplotter doesn't know where you are so it can't display an appropriate chart. So it doesn't display anything.
Susan spotted that the primer bulb in the fuel line was collapsed. Allen figured the fuel line had to be clogged so the two of them set about resolving that issue. Trying to be of some use I called BoatUS and requested a tow. Fortunately, on Friday, I had signed up for free towing with them. $158 annual fee for free towing. Another one of those things sailors all agree on, sign up for BoatUS towing if you're sailing the US coast. They gave me an estimated 35 minutes before someone would be there. 30 minutes later Allen and Susan had the fuel line unplugged and I was able to get the engine started and running smoothly. We were now well planted in the mud just outside the channel. We were able to power through the mud (there goes the new paint on the bottom of the keel), bring up the anchor and get on our way again. Yes, I called BoatUS back and informed them we were moving again and no longer needed the tow.
Still no GPS but the channel is well marked. We made it back to the marina and once again was able to dock without hitting anything. This time I used the bow thruster a bit too. Every time I used the bow thruster, the Chartplotter would lose power and then power back up. Problem #3.5.
Once we were tied up it seemed like an appropriate time for Susan to try out her new bosun's chair. There were a few things up the mast that needed to be fixed. There is a deck light about half way up that was burned out and the chord that you attach small flags to, can be fun flags or quarantine flags when you sail into a harbor of a new country, was broken. Here's a picture of Susan, half way up the mast.
Any of you that know me know there is no way I'm going up there! She thought it was fun. Good for her, she can go anytime she likes. This did draw some of our friends out to see what was going on. Dave and Kelly came down from Kona Breeze to watch. Bryan and Cindy had a good view from the cockpit of their boat. I stood under her to catch her if she fell. Yeah, right! Susan said she was going to offer her mast climbing services for $500. Don't tell her but I'd pay lots more than that to not have to go up the mast.
From Yahoo it appears the proper name for the chord one attaches flags to is a flag halyard. We have a new one of those now and I'm surprised there isn't an Atlanta Braves flag up yet, she did bring it with her. The light that is just above Susan's hand is the deck light that was out. Seems kinda funny it's a headlight for a tractor. Didn't have one to replace it at the time but we do now. I guess that means she gets to go back up the mast next weekend.
So all in all, even with 3.5 problems, it was a great weekend. We do have some work to do before we go back out though. First of all we must clean the fuel tank and "polish" (filter) the fuel. That means siphoning all the diesel out, going in through the 6" access port in the fuel tank and scrubbing and cleaning the inside of the tank and then put the fuel back in after running it through a good filter. The fuel tank should be kept full as much as possible. When it's not full condensation will form on the inner walls of the tank and then drip into the fuel. Add water to diesel fuel and you not only have water in your fuel but you create an environment where nasty stuff can grow. This is likely what caused problem #2. The boat had 1/4 of a tank of fuel when we got it, no telling how long it had been that way.
The other problem that has to be fixed before we can go back out is the GPS / Chartplotter. Not sure what the deal is here. There is an external GPS antennae but supposedly the chartplotter has its own internal one as well. Too many sunken pipelines and such to be sailing around Galveston Bay without a chartplotter.
That's all for now, fair winds.
Brian
Saturday morning a little twist that shouldn't have caused any problem pulled a muscle in my back. I mean really, I was picking up a towel. Ouch. Problem #1. Fortunately this didn't stop us from going out sailing but it likely would have if Allen hadn't been in Galveston and came over to go out with us. I wasn't able to move very fast and standing was about the only position that was comfortable.
We motored past the Kemah Boardwalk about 11:30 and headed out onto Galveston Bay. It was in the 60's, partly cloudy and a nice wind for sailing.We raised the sails and sailed over here and then over there, just sailing all different angles to the wind to get a feel for everything. The boat handled very well and we were able to get her up to 7.5 knots a couple of times. For a little bit there was another boat on the same tack as us off our starboard side. I doubt they knew we were racing but I certainly was! We kicked their butt! I will say that this was greatly due to Allen continually trimming the sails to get the most speed out of the boat.
About 2:30 we headed for the channel to take us back to the marina. Once me made the first marker we turned into the wind and dropped our sails. That completed, we began motoring our way in. About half way in the motor started stumbling. We made it almost all the way to the Kemah Boardwalk and it died. Problem #2. We drifted a bit and then dropped the anchor. Me, being the invalid I was, stayed above as Allen and Susan went below to see if they could figure out what was wrong. About this time we lost our GPS fix. No idea what caused that to happen. Problem #3. When there is no GPS fix, the chartplotter doesn't know where you are so it can't display an appropriate chart. So it doesn't display anything.
Susan spotted that the primer bulb in the fuel line was collapsed. Allen figured the fuel line had to be clogged so the two of them set about resolving that issue. Trying to be of some use I called BoatUS and requested a tow. Fortunately, on Friday, I had signed up for free towing with them. $158 annual fee for free towing. Another one of those things sailors all agree on, sign up for BoatUS towing if you're sailing the US coast. They gave me an estimated 35 minutes before someone would be there. 30 minutes later Allen and Susan had the fuel line unplugged and I was able to get the engine started and running smoothly. We were now well planted in the mud just outside the channel. We were able to power through the mud (there goes the new paint on the bottom of the keel), bring up the anchor and get on our way again. Yes, I called BoatUS back and informed them we were moving again and no longer needed the tow.
Still no GPS but the channel is well marked. We made it back to the marina and once again was able to dock without hitting anything. This time I used the bow thruster a bit too. Every time I used the bow thruster, the Chartplotter would lose power and then power back up. Problem #3.5.
Once we were tied up it seemed like an appropriate time for Susan to try out her new bosun's chair. There were a few things up the mast that needed to be fixed. There is a deck light about half way up that was burned out and the chord that you attach small flags to, can be fun flags or quarantine flags when you sail into a harbor of a new country, was broken. Here's a picture of Susan, half way up the mast.
Any of you that know me know there is no way I'm going up there! She thought it was fun. Good for her, she can go anytime she likes. This did draw some of our friends out to see what was going on. Dave and Kelly came down from Kona Breeze to watch. Bryan and Cindy had a good view from the cockpit of their boat. I stood under her to catch her if she fell. Yeah, right! Susan said she was going to offer her mast climbing services for $500. Don't tell her but I'd pay lots more than that to not have to go up the mast.
From Yahoo it appears the proper name for the chord one attaches flags to is a flag halyard. We have a new one of those now and I'm surprised there isn't an Atlanta Braves flag up yet, she did bring it with her. The light that is just above Susan's hand is the deck light that was out. Seems kinda funny it's a headlight for a tractor. Didn't have one to replace it at the time but we do now. I guess that means she gets to go back up the mast next weekend.
So all in all, even with 3.5 problems, it was a great weekend. We do have some work to do before we go back out though. First of all we must clean the fuel tank and "polish" (filter) the fuel. That means siphoning all the diesel out, going in through the 6" access port in the fuel tank and scrubbing and cleaning the inside of the tank and then put the fuel back in after running it through a good filter. The fuel tank should be kept full as much as possible. When it's not full condensation will form on the inner walls of the tank and then drip into the fuel. Add water to diesel fuel and you not only have water in your fuel but you create an environment where nasty stuff can grow. This is likely what caused problem #2. The boat had 1/4 of a tank of fuel when we got it, no telling how long it had been that way.
The other problem that has to be fixed before we can go back out is the GPS / Chartplotter. Not sure what the deal is here. There is an external GPS antennae but supposedly the chartplotter has its own internal one as well. Too many sunken pipelines and such to be sailing around Galveston Bay without a chartplotter.
That's all for now, fair winds.
Brian
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Back at the boat
After being away from the boat for two weeks it was nice to get back on her.
Saturday started off with Susan doing some serious cleaning in the galley while I went through the lazarettes cleaning them out and culling the many extra life jackets we have on board. I saved 6 adult life jackets (plus the two inflatable Mustang ones we've bought) and 5 child / infant ones. Once my ski vest makes it to the boat we'll have 14 in total. I can't imagine EVER needing that many but it's good to be prepared. That's how many I saved. We took 11 to a resale shop (more on that a bit later) and then later found two more children's jackets we gave to T and Teri. My word! This boat had 22 life jackets, three throw boat cushions, a life ring and a horseshoe collar.
A trip to West Marine after lunch to get a replacement exhaust hose for the generator and a few other small items (some stainless steel hose clamps to have as backup). The exhaust hose (hose because it carries both water and exhaust) was one of the items on the survey list that needed replacing. Before lunch we spent about an hour getting the old one off. The hose clamps were no problem but getting the hose unstuck from the exhaust manifold and muffler was no small task. There isn't much room to work there. Putting the new hose on took even longer. The hose has a metal coil running through it and the way the hose had to snake around in a very cramped space made it not one of the funnest tasks I've ever done. I said "I" but it was definitely not a one person job. Both Susan and I took turns trying to bend that hose around and both of us were sore the next day from all the contortions we'd put ourselves through. It is done now however!
We've seen and heard of a resale shop in Kemah so we took all our extra life jackets by there. What an amazing place. It was unbelievable all the stuff we saw in there. They have electronics, rudders, life rafts, scuba tanks, water skis. They have everything. We sold our life jackets for 50 cents a piece and bought some previously enjoyed stuff, like a baja filter for filtering diesel fuel when it comes with more water and trash than actual fuel. We'll be going back there to get more treasures.
Last time we were down we met Dave (Kona Breeze), a neighbor of ours. On Saturday he brought his better half, Kelly, by and we sat and talk with them for a while. On Sunday we met Bryan and Cindy, they're the couple with the new boat across the pier from us that were without a mast for a little bit. It has one now! They have sold their house and moved onto their boat. Saturday night was their first night aboard. Cindy works from home, now the boat, so hopefully they'll figure out the high speed internet thing before we need it. I hope, I hope!
We've met some really nice people that will be fun to spend some time with, swapping stories and plans. As if we didn't already look forward to getting to the boat as often as possible, our new neighbors make it even more so.
Fortunately or unfortunately we didn't have time to try out the bosun's chair. There is still a light about half way up the mast that needs to be replaced. We've been reading and studying on how to safely go up the mast but we plan to make the first excursion only about 2 or 3 feet to make sure we can get each other up and back down again without causing bodily harm. Allen has made it clear he wants to be there for our first ascent. The funny grin has me a bit worried about just why he wants to be there.
This weekend the weather is supposed to be nice so we may have to find some time between working on stuff to take the boat out into the bay. This time maybe even the sails will come out!
Sorry it took so long to get this post out, work keeps getting in the way of important stuff. :-)
Brian
Saturday started off with Susan doing some serious cleaning in the galley while I went through the lazarettes cleaning them out and culling the many extra life jackets we have on board. I saved 6 adult life jackets (plus the two inflatable Mustang ones we've bought) and 5 child / infant ones. Once my ski vest makes it to the boat we'll have 14 in total. I can't imagine EVER needing that many but it's good to be prepared. That's how many I saved. We took 11 to a resale shop (more on that a bit later) and then later found two more children's jackets we gave to T and Teri. My word! This boat had 22 life jackets, three throw boat cushions, a life ring and a horseshoe collar.
A trip to West Marine after lunch to get a replacement exhaust hose for the generator and a few other small items (some stainless steel hose clamps to have as backup). The exhaust hose (hose because it carries both water and exhaust) was one of the items on the survey list that needed replacing. Before lunch we spent about an hour getting the old one off. The hose clamps were no problem but getting the hose unstuck from the exhaust manifold and muffler was no small task. There isn't much room to work there. Putting the new hose on took even longer. The hose has a metal coil running through it and the way the hose had to snake around in a very cramped space made it not one of the funnest tasks I've ever done. I said "I" but it was definitely not a one person job. Both Susan and I took turns trying to bend that hose around and both of us were sore the next day from all the contortions we'd put ourselves through. It is done now however!
We've seen and heard of a resale shop in Kemah so we took all our extra life jackets by there. What an amazing place. It was unbelievable all the stuff we saw in there. They have electronics, rudders, life rafts, scuba tanks, water skis. They have everything. We sold our life jackets for 50 cents a piece and bought some previously enjoyed stuff, like a baja filter for filtering diesel fuel when it comes with more water and trash than actual fuel. We'll be going back there to get more treasures.
Last time we were down we met Dave (Kona Breeze), a neighbor of ours. On Saturday he brought his better half, Kelly, by and we sat and talk with them for a while. On Sunday we met Bryan and Cindy, they're the couple with the new boat across the pier from us that were without a mast for a little bit. It has one now! They have sold their house and moved onto their boat. Saturday night was their first night aboard. Cindy works from home, now the boat, so hopefully they'll figure out the high speed internet thing before we need it. I hope, I hope!
We've met some really nice people that will be fun to spend some time with, swapping stories and plans. As if we didn't already look forward to getting to the boat as often as possible, our new neighbors make it even more so.
Fortunately or unfortunately we didn't have time to try out the bosun's chair. There is still a light about half way up the mast that needs to be replaced. We've been reading and studying on how to safely go up the mast but we plan to make the first excursion only about 2 or 3 feet to make sure we can get each other up and back down again without causing bodily harm. Allen has made it clear he wants to be there for our first ascent. The funny grin has me a bit worried about just why he wants to be there.
This weekend the weather is supposed to be nice so we may have to find some time between working on stuff to take the boat out into the bay. This time maybe even the sails will come out!
Sorry it took so long to get this post out, work keeps getting in the way of important stuff. :-)
Brian
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