More Fun Than I can Stand! ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

Current Location:27'27.404N/ 080'18.251W - Fort Pierce

Yesterday(Saturday) I laid out the course for my Monday departure, weather permitting, for Melbourne and a visit with some more firends. I also ended up helping Brad finish installing his radar dome. I had to haul him and it up the mast. He fed the first wire( power cable) through the framing and into the dome no problem. The second one wouldn't go into the hole in the framing because the connector on the end was too large. This is the data cable and it has somewhere between 10 and 16 individual wires in it that come together in a type of plug. I found out from Brad that to get it down the mast(inside) he had cut off the other end and was intending to use some special stripper he had acquired to reattach a new connector/plug. Now, 30 feet in the air, he decided to do the same thing with the other end and did it. Snip!I really hope he knows what he's doing as screwing around with those cable is likely to make the radar not function properly. Then he bolted the bracket holding the dome to the mast. He complained that it wasn't square but I reminded him that everything about a boat is a compromise.

I went ashore and had dinner at a place on the beach called "Archie's." It is hard to describe. Think of the worst, most run -down beach side bar you can imaginer. Compared to ARCHIE's, it is a palace! Ithas been knocked down by hurricane a couple of times and been rebuilt . . .well, more like put back together but it still looks terrible. But it is a great place. It has a wonderful atmosphere, it's clientel runs from bikers to bankers and everyone in between. The food is good, the beer is cold and the bands are excellent. It sort of feels like a big family get together. Patty McGee, who owns and runs the place, is spectacular. If she was on Letterman once, she would be a national institution. Not the most attractive of women, she can just hold your attention. She truly is one of a kind.

Today(Sunday) I decided to change the engine oil. I figured an hour at the outside. I started at 10am and finished at 4pm. It was more fun that I could ever have imagined.

First mistake, I didn't run the engine and heat up the oil to thin it. I couldn't draw out the oil, which had the consistency of peanut butter, either with the hand pump on the front of the engine nor the portable pump running a hose through the did stick. I called Gerry and he gave me a bunch of good advice the best of which was "run the engine for 20 minutes." This I did and while waiting I taped over the connections on the hand pump less seeping air kill the pumps vacuum. After the 20 minute run, I tried the hand pump and got no joy. I push the hose from the portable pump down the dip stick hole, got to star drawing but it stopped rather quickly. Damn!

I called Gerry again and he was out So I call Chuck Wargo and he was in. He suggested I run the engine again for a little longer, pour a little oil inside the front pump on the engine - if it hadn't been used in a long time, it might need priming - and if it still didn't work, connect the portable pump the hose currently connected to the hand pump. I ran the engine for 30 minutes. I tried the hand pump, still no vacuum. I removed the hand pump but instead of attaching the portable pump, I led the hose from the hand pump, which went directly to the sump of the engine, and let gravity do the work. And it did a fine job. It emptied the engine in no time. I reconnected the hand pump to the hose.

Now all that probably sounded pretty simple and straight forward, but it also involved a lot of bolting and unbolting, moving thiongs around to get at other things, removing the ladder and putting it back again, and dropping things into the bilge which need to be fished out. It took a rather long time just to get that part of the job done. On top of that, it was also oily. No matter how careful you are, oil will escape and get in the darnedest places. It of course needs to be cleaned up.

Mistake two was in changing the oil filter. There are three filters on the engine, two for fuel one for oil. The one I though was for the oil wasn't. well, I just took it as a sign that it was time to change the fuel filters too and so I did. I also changed the oil filter which actually turned out to be a snap. I refilled the engine with oil and started it up and it didn't explode which I took as a good sign.

Doing all this work on the engine, I discovered that the stuffing box nut( the nut around the drive shaft to the prop) and was admitting too much water. The bilge pump had been working lately but I thought that it was just ice melt from the fridge. Well, corrected that problem and all seems ready for the trip to Melbourne.

Tomorrow I will do a pump and dump and fuel up and I hope to be in Melbourne tomorrow night. As much as I enjoy being here, I am wary of getting "trapped" again. Good harbors rotting ships and men and all that.I have about 980 miles to got before I hit Hospital Point(ICW Mile Marker ZERO) in Virginia. Strangely, it doesn't seem to be all that far away.

Home Again . . Sort Of

SHIP'S LOG:

Waking up this morning and having coffee at dawn in the anchorage at Ft. Pierce, why it is almost like being home . . . . sort of. After a month in Miami, Ft. Pierce seems a more neighborly place. My friend Brad is but a stone throw away, still working on his boat and this morning I rowed into Gerry's to do laundry and borrow his car so that i could go get my shear pins. I knew just where to go and what to expect. It was just like coming home.

I spent most of the day helping Brad with some repairs. He is ripping up his side decks to get rid of the rot and replace them with new wood and fiberglass. I like Brad but the man really has no plan. I would have thought that, even though things go slowly when you are working on a boat, more so than you even expect, he really hasn't done all that much since I was last here. He did finally run the data cable and power cable for his new radar, but it entail removing the connectors from both to feed them through the mast. He is counting on his ability to replace the connectors to complete the job. Still he has not yet gotten the new radar up on the mast and has not yet wired the receiver in the boat. The inside of the boat looks like someone set off a bomb in a West Marine store and tools are scattered everywhere. Now I am not "Mr. Neat" myself, but I don't know how he finds stuff in the midst of all that chaos. When we talked yesterday, I mentioned writing down a plan of what he want to accomplished today. He didn't and so we jumped from one part of a project to another getting a lot less done than we could have. He really needs a "Thinking Chair," a place to sit and think out what he is going to do next and come up with the steps, then get the tools and stuff he needs and THEN got and tackle it. I am sure that he will get it done eventually but I am not sure that he will get it done before Hurricane Season and that could not good.

I will spend part of tomorrow laying in the course to Melbourne for my visit with friends there. I will also replace the stainless steel shear pin with one of the bronze one I just bought. That was I can hit something without worrying about taking out the tranny. I will probably also help Brad a little more on his projects. Hopefully we will finish what we started today before he flies onto something else. I would really like to see his boat all done and sailing. It looks like it should really move and it is quite lovely. It would be great to see her done done up Bristol.

Being Third Can Be A Good Thing!!!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

Wednesday's Location: Hooker Cove -27'40.163N/ 081' 30.009W

Got out of Lake Worth at the crack of 9:30 to begin my relatively short trip up to Jensen Beach, north of Stuart. It was a relatively light bridge day, a mere six with three more that didn't need to be opened. It was an even split, three I made and three I missed. . . .
. . . .. . At this particular moment in time last night(Wednesday) the local water police came by and asked me to move my boat farther from the travel channel in the Okeechobee Water way. So I moved and the whole blog that I had written disappeared into the ether and I was so tired to start again, so I waited until now. . .. . .


I traveled most of the day with two other sailboats, a Island Packet 35(ISLAND MOON) and a Gemini 32 (DESTINY). It was good to travel this way for you had someone to talk to when we waited out bridge openings. Things are changing as i move north. The Spanish Hacienda/ Italian Villa architecture has been replaced for the most part by more normal styled housing though lots of it is still much too large to be useful, except as a small hotel. The concrete walls lining the ICW have also disappeared which means that when some lowlife in a powerboat speeds by, you are only shaken up by his way and not by the three or four it causes bouncing off the walls.

Among the ugliest of housing are the condos built for the retirees, at least those who lack a lot of assets. The look almost prison like, or at least like country jails. Some even have bars on the windows and all the porches are covered with screening. They seem all painted the same dreadful min green/lime green mix. They are so depressing and "the inmates" must thin k so too. They all seem to line the walkways staring out at the boats passing by, waving and seemingly desirous of rescue. It is sad. Terribly so.

Our three craft got to the bridge at Jensen beach where we all had planned to anchor. We must have read the same guides. Island Moon led the way and promptly went soft aground. He was utterly amazed as he said that he had anchored there just a few years before with a boat that had a deeper draft. I asked what he was drawing and he said 4'2" which wasmore than a foot less than ABISHAG so there was no way I could get in or even close enough to him to help him out. As he worked out, I check out another cruising guide spot a little further on and found it shoaled up as well. It was pretty clear that I wasn't anchoring here and while there were some other spots a little further on, I had no idea what there condition was, so I decided that I would head for the St. Lucie River where I anchored on the way down and where I knew IT was plenty deep. Island Moon said he would try the spots further on and took off. Destiny, which draws 2' with he boards up, anchored in a drop of dew.

It took me an hour and a half to get to Hooker Cove and I dropped the hook and steeled in and had almost finished the blog when the Police came by and asked me to move. I did, and as I said, it vanished into the ether. Got the hook up and then down in the dark and I slept the sleep of the just.

Boat Names of the day: Breaking Wind; Passing Wind; My Other Love; Dock Crasher; Sea Ya; Sea - E - O; Sea Wheels; For All The Wrong Reasons; Primerry; And The Horse You Rode In On. And I saw a PWC with a Bimini on it. That was a first!

THURSDAY March17, 2001

Left Hooker Cove at 9:30 for the run up to Ft. Pierce. Call Brad Smith, the guy who had been working on his boat when last I was up there and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled that I would be stopping by and shared all the work he expected "us" to accomplish during my stay. My stay should only be til Monday, weather permitting as I have a "visiting friends" window of the 20th thru the 30th in Melbourne.ned, til Monday, and then weather permitting, it is off to Melbourne where I have a 10 winbdo

I called Brad Smith, the guy who was working on his boat when last I anchored here and he was still there and still working. He was thrilled to hear that I would arrived and shared all the work "we" would accomplish during my stay. I only have a short stay planned and will be leaving on Monday, weather permitting, to catch a of opportunity for visiting with some friends in Melbourne. I hope to see Gerry here in Ft. Pierce and to catch a shower, do laundry and to pick up some real shear pins I have on order.

It was a beautiful run to Ft. Pierce and I had been hoping to make it a sailing day as there were no opening bridges and it was pretty much a straight course, but after weeks of south eat winds, which would have been perfect, the wind was on the nose, just slightly east of north. Oh well, at least it was sunny and warm. That hasn 't changed!

I anchored in the same spot, right next to Brad and we shot the breeze for a while as I got top see what he had accomplished on his boat. He is ripping up the deck in parts to rep[lace the underdeck which is rotted and he plans to do some glassing work and I'll help him. I love the smell of styrene in the morning. It smells like . . . . like . . . .victory!

SHIP'S LOG:

I didn't get out of Lake Worth today, rather today was spent correction a problem with my steering, or I should say, in my steering. As I mentioned yesterday, there was a "catch" every time I turned the wheel to starboard. I didn't know what it was, how serious or not, hell, I didn't even know how to get the compass off the binnacle so that I could look into the pedestal. And this was a serious matter, or could be, for I sure didn't want to loose my ability to steer the boat as I meandered up the ICW.

The first thing I did was plot and lay in a course for Jensen Beach on the off chance that unlike most boat projects, correcting this problem would be simple and swift. I also had to wait for had to wait for the EDSON people to get to work. They made the pedestal and I figured that they would know what the problem was and how to fix it. I spoke to a very nice guy named Ken who speculated on what it could be, all options sounded troublesome, complex and expensive, but insisted that before anything could be done, the compass had to be removed.And he hadn't the slightest idea on just how to do it. That meant calling RITCHIE NAVIGATION, the makers of the compass and of course, the tech support people, probably a person, was on another line and I had to leave a message and a request for a call back.

Surprisingly it came quickly and the answers sounded simple. Remove the two screws holding the lighting element and this will detach the stainless steel housing around the compass itself. Remove the four screws holding the compass to the teak spacing pad and then remove the four additional screws holding the spacing pad to the pedestal. Sounded simple, was difficult.

Getting the two screws holding the lighting element an d the stainless steel housing was simple. The four screws holding the compass itself to the teak spacing pad was difficult because no screw driver I had was short enough to fit the screws directly and they started to strip. Fearing they would and I would be stuck, I used a little Miracle Mystery Oil to sort of soften the wood around the screws. while waiting for this to happen, I remembered that I had a couple of "L" shaped screw drivers, that looked like to "L" 's, with a Phillips head on one end and a Flathead on the other.Using these and a lot of brute strength, I was able to remove the screws. I was now faced with the task of removing the four screws holding the teak pad in place.

Believe me when I tell you that no amount of effort on my part could budge even one of them a little. I used every trick, plan, stratagem I could think of and just about every tool I own and none of them moved at all. I decided to drill off the heads and leverage up the pad and replace the screws later. And this is what I did. Getting the remainder of the screws out revealed the fact that somebody had used LOCKTITE when putting the screws in the first time, never expecting that maintenance(periodic) and/or repairs might need to be performed some time in the future. But in nay event, the teak pad was off and the compass as well and I could behold the inside of the pedestal.

It was disappointing to say the least but gratifying as well as there was nothing that I could see of the chain and the gearing and the rest of the insides that indicated any "major" problem. I called Ken back and Edson and he told me what to look for and I looked and there was nothing to see . . . .except that the brakes on the wheel lock need to be replaced but I knew that. It is quite possible that it was merely a question of neglected routine, periodic maintenance that was the problem ( out of sight, out of mind) to which I plead guilty and for sure as heck whoever did this installation should do so as well.

Well, I lube the teeth, the gearing and the chain to a fare-thee-well and prayed that was the answer. Next I found four machine screws to replace those drilled out. I actually found in my "What Not" pasts locker, four screws that fit perfectly. I cleaned out the LOCKTITE and reset and screwed in the teak pad.The compass was screwed on and the housing and light and everything was back to where it was supposed to be, hopefully working better than before. It took me from 9am to 2:30pm to accomplish this rather simple project but more than enough time to rule out Jensen Beach today. So I'll got tomorrow. I'm flexible!

Lake Worth Once Again

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, I made it up to Fort Lauderdale safe and sound, and got me a spot in the Las Olas Municipal Marina. The town was celebrating Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's day, one early and one late, and the New River was completely filled. But Las Olas in right on the ICW and I got a deal so I couldn't really complain.

Bob & Olga came by with my meds and my new oar so all was right with the world. They also reminded me that the clocks jumped ahead an hour Saturday night. It probably would have been better if they had not told me as it messed up my Sunday morning. Truth be told, the daylight hours were the same, perhaps a minute or two longer but for some reason, I got all discombobulated and really wasn't ready to go at 9am( formerly 8 am) and with a long trip and a whole lot of bridges, I decided to stay an extra day. It was a good thing too as the boat next to me pulled out and was replaced by "TRUSTY III" the boat from Canada which was at the dock at Pelican Harbor Marina. Its arrival caused me to apologize in my head for all the unkind thoughts I had about them also in my head. There medical coverage was forcing them to leave the boat in Fort Lauderdale and fly back to Montreal. They would be back in July to take the boat back to Canada. Let's hear it for socialized medicine.

This morning, despite my best efforts, I got away late again, 9:33am. It was going to be a long bloody day. Of all of the bridges, I only missed three which, with the wait time, cost me about an hour and a half and put me in Lake Worth at 7:15pm. At least it was still light. The thought of anchoring in the dark was scary enough but trying to get into a marina in the dark would have been worse.

When I pull into Lake Worth, I found that "The Screamer" was still here, anchored right in the middle of the anchorage. I was stuck with the urge to go and anchor right next to him but fought it off and anchored far, far away.

I ran into Jim Ray who was anchored next to me in Miami. He is making his way to Titusville. We will probably buddy up at least til Fort Pierce. He came into Lake Worth after I did and is anchored a bit away but I'll contact him in the morning.

I've got a catch in my steering. When I turn to starboard, there is a little knock/catch that shouldn't be there. I want to remove the compass to get at it but I don't know how to do it. There are no bolts or screws holding it to the top of the steering pedestal and even Gerry can't quite figure it out. I am going to have to call the EDSON people tomorrow to see if they can. I am going to have to remove the compass sometime to change the breaks on the steering lock, but like I said, right now I can figure out how to do it. I good night's sleep will make all things seem better in the morning.

Boat names for the day: Wet Drean; de "Bait" able; Knot Again; Two Wishin' Free; Notayot . . .Yet; Toes In The Water; Reel Estate; Reel Memories; Fishin' Magician.

Northward, HO! ! ! ! !!

SHIP'S LOG:

We ll, I have started the trip northward. Made it all the way to Ft. Lauderdale, a good start of 21 miles with only 11 bridges to deal with. An easy day all told and an enjoyable one as well. I had to do a"pump & dump" so I pulled into Pelican Harbor Marina in North Miami to take care of all. It is a pretty small marina and sort of dumpy but it was on the way and I had used it on the way down so i knew where it was and how to get into it. I would have let it slide as the water around it was very shallow but the track I made in and out the first time was still in the GPS so it really presented no problems.

Truth be told, I was glad to leave Miami. I didn't much care for the attitude which everyone seemed to be sporting ( their personal feces were not oderific) and their boat handling "skills" left a lot to be desired (texting while driving a boat bin the rather slim channel of the ICW can cause one a lot of agnst!) But as I said it was a beautiful day and it was actually good to be "headed home."

Best boat names of the day were "It's Only Money" - but for that boat it was a lot of money!; "O'Fishal Business"; and "Tide The Knot".

Ft. Lauderdale chose this weekend to celebrate both Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day with a Parade and lots of partying. Getting around with Olga & Bob was a bit hectic but we had dinner and I hit the market again. My Meds and the new OAR had arrived so the worries I had on both scores were at an end. My major concern now is how to get ABISHAG out of the slip she is currently in as she backs not well at all. But I am sure that we will work it out.

I also loose an hour of time tonight and I am facing a long haul to Lake worth and a lot of bridges to deal with, 18 to be exact and it will be a long day. Depending on when I roust myself out of the sack tomorrow, I may only take a short drive up the road to the famous Lettuce Lake and anchor early and leave the real push for Monday. This will be the worst stretch for bridges and once it is behind me everything is golden.

It is a very strange feeling going back over the same "ground" since I know what is coming. I have promised myself that I will take more pictures on the way back than I did on the way down. So me of the sights are most remarkable especially the houses. There are some that you would just not believe. . . . . and lots of them are for sale if you are in the market.

After I touch base with the people in Ft. Pierce, Melbourne and St. Augustine, delays will be weather induced only. I can't risk getting chill or being cold. I have become too delicate after all these hot days down here. It is so hard this cruising life!

SO Long Miami!

SHIP'S LOG:

After "absolute assurances" from my prescription supplier that the ordered meds will be in Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow(Saturday), I will be bidding a fond "Adieu" to Miami, the 10 foot city, with its crappy cell phone coverage and even worse Internet access, and its rather very nice weather, and will be heading NORTH . . . . to Ft. Lauderdale, and beyond.

Just to keep me sane, I was heading out to the market for ice and things, using the trip to test out my new hone-brew shear pin, but the outboard refused to start! How typical.Following the wisdom of the local liveaboards - who helped me the last time - I trace the fuel line (90% of the time the problem is fuel) and found that no fuel was getting from the tank to the motor. Even pumping the little ball in the fuel line did not draw fuel into the fuel line as far as I could tell. An d"YES" there was fuel in the tank.There must be a leak somewhere but where exactly it is I wasn't able to discover. Supposedly the ethanol they put in gas in murder on hose, especially marine ones and perhaps the one the runs from the fitting on the top of the tank into the supply of fuel is "compromised" somehow. I am sure that I will find out eventually, probably by the time I get back to Connecticut!

I actually got an email ad from Isle of Hope Marina out side of Savannah where I stayed on the way down. They are offering a "deal"of I stop on the way through. I am not sure about "Marching Through Georgia" again. It might be worth the trip outside to avoid all the twists and turns but then again, what's the hurry.

I will have to get up early to lay out the course back to Ft. Lauderdale. I haven't had to do that in a while and it will be interesting to see how long it takes to get back into the "traveling routine."

It actually got sort of cold last night and this morning. I actually had to put o0n the sweatpants and a second shirt for morning coffee in the cockpit. It was, how shall I put it, distressing. It was probably a foretaste of what is to come on the trek north. I do hope you all will get to work on that weather situation up there.