When we took possession of Island Princess (IP) we used the head several times during the time we were getting her ready for the first cruise. When we initially moved the boat into our slip, I tried to pump the holding tank out and after running downtown to get the proper fitting, finally figured out that the tank was empty! Micky and I had only wee'd a couple of times in the tank before Lee Bass came down for a visit.
I figured that after a 2-day cruise to Bahia Honda with three full-grown adults aboard the tank would be nearly full. Not wanting to let the boat sit until October with that stuff in the tank, today I tried again to pump the tank.
At Boca Chica we have a fine electric disposal system on the seawall near the office and six or seven portable hand-pumped units. Rather than move the boat, we usually use the manual tanks.
Since I have never successfully pumped this boat out, i was more than a little concerned when I couldn't draw a vacuum on the tank. After two sessions of vigorous manual pumping in the heat, I had Micky give it a session. I heard a faint hissing sound, and when I broke the seal on the pumpout hose it was obvious the pump was working and the fittings did not leak.
The other requirement for a good disposal of waste is that the tank is properly vented. If you use toilet paper and allow the tank to be overfilled and waste is forced out of the vent, it can become clogged. Accessing the vent in IP required removal of the propane locker. After a good 45-minute excavation, the vent tube was able to be touched.
Sure enough, the vent was clogged with grey disgusto! Flushing the tubing with a strong stream of water and reconnecting it, I pumped with renewed vigor! The only fluids generated were my own sweat.
This boat is also equipped for direct discharge overboard via a macerator pump. I knew that the macerator had its own discharge port and that the valve for it had been left open by the last owner. I guessed that the valve was allowing the tank to vent rather than pump out, so I had checked the macerator pump for running and then closed it today.
I took the hose and shot water down the deck fitting. Through the vent I could distinctly hear the water splashing directly into the tank. That meant that the stream of water entering the tank at the BOTTOM was splashing! The tank was empty! Again! Magic!
My theory is that with the macerator valve open, all the fluids in the tank flowed out while the boat sailed. Thus an "empty" tank. Except for the "solids", of course!
I filled the tank through the deck fitting and finally managed to get 15 gallons or so pumped back out.
No more magic!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Fun and Failures!
A lot has happened since the last update.
Keys Rigging had two delays while waiting on parts to finish the new Harken ESP furler and headstay. We got the system finished and the sail re-installed just in time to have one of our favorite friends, Lee Bass, come down from Augusta. We both enjoy Lee's humor, and he enjoys sailing. We had a good first night in the motorhome and then loaded out the next day for a two-day at Bahia Honda.
Lee picked the first 'wet week' in six months to visit. With light winds out of the east, we left Boca Chica and headed into the wind close-hauled. The sails on Island Princess were horribly hooked and out of shape, bagged badly. We knew that the PO (Previous Owner) had never done much for the boat other than keeping the cosmetics in good shape. Sails were part of our plan for the summer/fall, but that changed.
About two hours was all the life left in the jib. The jib halyard tension looked loose and my crew kept telling me that the sail was flapping at the top. I had looked earlier and noted excessive twist with the resultant flogging at the head. We decided to move the travelers forward and tighten the halyard at the next tack. When we tacked the true cause of the misshapen sail revealed itself. The head of the sail had ripped its ring out and was only held up by wind pressure. I got the sail down and coralled on deck. Lee got the hatch open and took the fitting off the furling drum and we stowed the sail in the vee-berth.
The mainsail was just not an effective driver with a huge hook in the luff and the top twisted off-wind. We motor-sailed the rest of the way and anchored up in the state park for a nice evening of relaxation while Lee used the dinghy to get some great photos.
The next day was cloudy with rain shafts all around as we motored out to Looe Key Reef for a snorkel. Looe is one of the most dependable dive spots in the Keys. Sure enough once we tied up to the mooring ball at 21 and dropped in, we were greeted by two huge Goliath Groupers right under the keel. Lee was a little hesitant about the two sharks in the area, but got some good GoPro shots.
The weather led us to motor back to Boca Chica and have a good meal at the Hogfish.
The next day, after a crepes breakfast , we took the boat out for a "three-hour" cruise around Key West.
Right in front of the busiest piece of water in the area, Mallory Square, the engine RPM dropped dramatically, followed by black smoke from the cabin!
Micky is very effective and fast at getting the fire extinguisher ready to use! I was very concerned with drifting uncontrollably and gave Lee orders to limber up the main anchor while I called "PAN-PAN-PAN" on channel 16 and got the Coast Guard moving our way. We were in sight of Sector Key West and they already had two boats in the area. With a boat standing by, we secured the engine, deployed the main and limped out of the main shipping channel. Safely at anchor on the south side of Sunset Key, we began troubleshooting the problem. My first thought was a severe overheat and lack of water. The strainer was substantially clear. I went around the back of the engine and found the real culprit. The exhaust mixing elbow had broken off at the adapter and the engine was exhausting hot black smoke into the engine box!
TowBoatUS arrived twenty minutes after the radio call and we were under way around two minutes later. Two hours later, the tow operator slid us into our slip and we were secured.
If you have to break down, Key West is as good as anyplace in the world for boat parts and services. The next day, a trip to see Mark DeJong resulted in a new exhaust system and gaskets with a raw water pump on order.
I decided to check the heat exchanger and clean up the rust at the back of the engine. The mixing elbow had probably been leaking for a while and spraying salt water in that area. On the survey, we had found the clamps missing from the wet exhaust hose and a lot of rust in the area. Cleaning the area up, led me to try to remove the end caps from the exchanger to clean then up and inspect for garbage in the tubing. The front cap came off easily once the alternator was shifted. The rear cap was severely corroded and the socketed screws were rusted. The old song "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" does not apply to screws holding things on! Unable to budge that bottom screw, I decided to remove the entire heat exchanger. Six bolts later, and a couple of hoses and the "box" was out.
Drilling and extracting the screw went much easier with it "on the bench". Cleaned of debris and corrosion, primed and painted, both the heat exchanger and the raw water pump are ready for installation after a couple of fresh gaskets.
Cruising is just boat maintenance in exotic places!
Keys Rigging had two delays while waiting on parts to finish the new Harken ESP furler and headstay. We got the system finished and the sail re-installed just in time to have one of our favorite friends, Lee Bass, come down from Augusta. We both enjoy Lee's humor, and he enjoys sailing. We had a good first night in the motorhome and then loaded out the next day for a two-day at Bahia Honda.
Lee picked the first 'wet week' in six months to visit. With light winds out of the east, we left Boca Chica and headed into the wind close-hauled. The sails on Island Princess were horribly hooked and out of shape, bagged badly. We knew that the PO (Previous Owner) had never done much for the boat other than keeping the cosmetics in good shape. Sails were part of our plan for the summer/fall, but that changed.
About two hours was all the life left in the jib. The jib halyard tension looked loose and my crew kept telling me that the sail was flapping at the top. I had looked earlier and noted excessive twist with the resultant flogging at the head. We decided to move the travelers forward and tighten the halyard at the next tack. When we tacked the true cause of the misshapen sail revealed itself. The head of the sail had ripped its ring out and was only held up by wind pressure. I got the sail down and coralled on deck. Lee got the hatch open and took the fitting off the furling drum and we stowed the sail in the vee-berth.
The mainsail was just not an effective driver with a huge hook in the luff and the top twisted off-wind. We motor-sailed the rest of the way and anchored up in the state park for a nice evening of relaxation while Lee used the dinghy to get some great photos.
The next day was cloudy with rain shafts all around as we motored out to Looe Key Reef for a snorkel. Looe is one of the most dependable dive spots in the Keys. Sure enough once we tied up to the mooring ball at 21 and dropped in, we were greeted by two huge Goliath Groupers right under the keel. Lee was a little hesitant about the two sharks in the area, but got some good GoPro shots.
The weather led us to motor back to Boca Chica and have a good meal at the Hogfish.
The next day, after a crepes breakfast , we took the boat out for a "three-hour" cruise around Key West.
Right in front of the busiest piece of water in the area, Mallory Square, the engine RPM dropped dramatically, followed by black smoke from the cabin!
Micky is very effective and fast at getting the fire extinguisher ready to use! I was very concerned with drifting uncontrollably and gave Lee orders to limber up the main anchor while I called "PAN-PAN-PAN" on channel 16 and got the Coast Guard moving our way. We were in sight of Sector Key West and they already had two boats in the area. With a boat standing by, we secured the engine, deployed the main and limped out of the main shipping channel. Safely at anchor on the south side of Sunset Key, we began troubleshooting the problem. My first thought was a severe overheat and lack of water. The strainer was substantially clear. I went around the back of the engine and found the real culprit. The exhaust mixing elbow had broken off at the adapter and the engine was exhausting hot black smoke into the engine box!
TowBoatUS arrived twenty minutes after the radio call and we were under way around two minutes later. Two hours later, the tow operator slid us into our slip and we were secured.
If you have to break down, Key West is as good as anyplace in the world for boat parts and services. The next day, a trip to see Mark DeJong resulted in a new exhaust system and gaskets with a raw water pump on order.
I decided to check the heat exchanger and clean up the rust at the back of the engine. The mixing elbow had probably been leaking for a while and spraying salt water in that area. On the survey, we had found the clamps missing from the wet exhaust hose and a lot of rust in the area. Cleaning the area up, led me to try to remove the end caps from the exchanger to clean then up and inspect for garbage in the tubing. The front cap came off easily once the alternator was shifted. The rear cap was severely corroded and the socketed screws were rusted. The old song "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" does not apply to screws holding things on! Unable to budge that bottom screw, I decided to remove the entire heat exchanger. Six bolts later, and a couple of hoses and the "box" was out.
Drilling and extracting the screw went much easier with it "on the bench". Cleaned of debris and corrosion, primed and painted, both the heat exchanger and the raw water pump are ready for installation after a couple of fresh gaskets.
Cruising is just boat maintenance in exotic places!
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Busy Week
Since I last posted, a lot has happened to the "princess". The riggers from Keys Rigging tried to install the new Harken ESP furler. There were major parts missing from the shipment. The best thing that happened was that they got the sail down without damage. The swivel would not pass the broken extrusion. If I had tried to lower the sail myself, it would have jammed.
Since I couldn't sail the boat, I had the riggers set the boat up for motoring so I could take the boat out and calibrate the compass on the autopilot.
Micky and I had pulled all the wires for the electronics upgrades and I installed the Autopilot computer and sensor boxes in the huge port lazarette. Getting the cables from the lazarette to the pedestal and then the NavPod was not that easy. The factory had run the wiring inside the port pedestal guard tubing. That route was completely full. Going up through the pedestal itself was not going to happen since the top plate was secured with stainless screws into the aluminum pedestal. The resulting dissimilar metal corrosion had seized the screws. My solution was to create a new wire run external to the pedestal guard using woven nylon "snakeskin". This worked out very well and the new runs under the deck will last the life of the boat.
All the cushions have been cleaned using the Bissel Spot Bot. The shower hardware is new. The air conditioner is new and the strainer for the water pump has been replaced and does not leak. I previously replaced the bilge pump. The shower sump pump was not working. Put in the new pump and it would not run either. Found that the switch in the vanity was corroded along with the wiring at the switch. The switches are modular units from Italy. It took some time to research them and find a source, but an outfit named Yachtworld was able to supply them. In the mean time, I needed to test the sump pump. I managed to disassemble the switch clean the contact surfaces and put it back together. The system worked fine.
I moved the dinghy from the dock to its new home behind the boat. It's amazing how foul the motor and bottom have gotten with just a month in the water. The davits are plenty strong and the lift system is a 4-part block. The problem was they were reeved (strung with rope) all wrong and the lines were twisted. This made it very stiff and hard to pull the load. One solution is to reverse the lines so that the twisting is relieved and then reeve the lines properly so that the lines are straight and do not 'rub' against their sheaves.
With the lines straightened out, the engine swung off the boat and transferred to the motor lift easily. The dinghy itself, although large and heavy, is easy to handle.
The PO (previous owner) had only used one shore power cable although two were onboard. After reading several forum threads about overloaded circuits when using the AC and appliances on the same line, I dug out the other cables and cleaned up their plugs. Now we run two 30 amp lines and have little chance of overload.
Since I couldn't sail the boat, I had the riggers set the boat up for motoring so I could take the boat out and calibrate the compass on the autopilot.
Micky and I had pulled all the wires for the electronics upgrades and I installed the Autopilot computer and sensor boxes in the huge port lazarette. Getting the cables from the lazarette to the pedestal and then the NavPod was not that easy. The factory had run the wiring inside the port pedestal guard tubing. That route was completely full. Going up through the pedestal itself was not going to happen since the top plate was secured with stainless screws into the aluminum pedestal. The resulting dissimilar metal corrosion had seized the screws. My solution was to create a new wire run external to the pedestal guard using woven nylon "snakeskin". This worked out very well and the new runs under the deck will last the life of the boat.
All the cushions have been cleaned using the Bissel Spot Bot. The shower hardware is new. The air conditioner is new and the strainer for the water pump has been replaced and does not leak. I previously replaced the bilge pump. The shower sump pump was not working. Put in the new pump and it would not run either. Found that the switch in the vanity was corroded along with the wiring at the switch. The switches are modular units from Italy. It took some time to research them and find a source, but an outfit named Yachtworld was able to supply them. In the mean time, I needed to test the sump pump. I managed to disassemble the switch clean the contact surfaces and put it back together. The system worked fine.
I moved the dinghy from the dock to its new home behind the boat. It's amazing how foul the motor and bottom have gotten with just a month in the water. The davits are plenty strong and the lift system is a 4-part block. The problem was they were reeved (strung with rope) all wrong and the lines were twisted. This made it very stiff and hard to pull the load. One solution is to reverse the lines so that the twisting is relieved and then reeve the lines properly so that the lines are straight and do not 'rub' against their sheaves.
With the lines straightened out, the engine swung off the boat and transferred to the motor lift easily. The dinghy itself, although large and heavy, is easy to handle.
The PO (previous owner) had only used one shore power cable although two were onboard. After reading several forum threads about overloaded circuits when using the AC and appliances on the same line, I dug out the other cables and cleaned up their plugs. Now we run two 30 amp lines and have little chance of overload.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
More stuff and fun!
This morning, we went kayaking at Geiger Key with Sally Botelho, the MWR social director, and two other couples from the park. The wind was up, but the trip was fun. We had one poor fellow out on his first kayak trip. Probably his last. His seat back wouldn't adjust and he couldn't sit up straight. Picture trying to paddle while lying halfway back. Wore the poor guy out!
The past six days have been fun for me, but ,I fear, boring for Micky. We decided to make a few upgrades while we await the repair of the furler. Some things were necessary fixes and few were surprises.
The surprise was the failure of the bilge pump and how fast a small drip at a intake strainer can put water in the bilge. It's a situation where the leak makes the interior of the boat humid and the humidity increases the condensate that drains into the bilge. The result is a lot of water!
We checked the bilge when we went aboard late one evening and the new pump switch was underwater. After finding and repairing a bad splice, the pump motor ran! The impeller didn't turn,so no water was removed. The bilge was only half full and none of the marine supply stores were open, So I decided that since the boat had a 3000 gallon per hour pump and high water alarm mounted higher in the bilge, that it would be safe overnight. Went home and crashed.
Something kept bugging me about the problem and waking me up. About 2:30 in the morning I woke up and remembered that "Island Princess" had a manual bilge pump installed. Adding that knowledge made my wakefulness worse. I had visions of the never-used upper pump being clogged or otherwise in failure and causing the boat to flood and damage the floors. At three, I woke Micky and after a small disagreement over the need to go right then, I drove to the marina and pumped a disturbing amount of water out in a really short time.
The next morning, we went to the "big" West Marine on Caroline Street in the oldest section of Key West shortly after they opened. Bigger is always better if you can get it to fit. I bought the biggest pump I could get and an automatic one to boot. The Rule-matic 2000 gph automatic unit is oblong, fits and pumps much more water.
The previous owners had obviously gone through three or four pumps before I got the boat. I base that assumption on the number of abandoned splices I found stacked into the wiring. I knew the wiring was a rat's nest, but had deferred the clean-up. Now it was a necessity.
The result was a better than factory-new wiring job with sealed wiring. Using the water hose I filled, cleaned and tested the bilge pump.
Now, the attack was against the source of the water. I'd ordered a new strainer from Jamestown Distributors earlier in the week and installation was straight-forward.
Next problem was the shower sump pump. Unlike the gravity-plumbing systems in a home or RV, the boat needs a pump to flush the gray water from the shower overboard. We don't think about it, but the water from our showers is loaded with dead skin and oils from our bodies and hair. Even with soap, the stuff we sluice off our bodies tends to ferment and stink if you mix it with salt water and let it sit in 85-degree heat. Much better to pump it all overboard. New pump on order from Amazon.
I've saved the best for last. The new Garmin 741xs is installed in the Nav Pod along with the P70 controller for the EV-100 autopilot on the wheel. I removed the cover over the steering gear and not only found the wire route, but also discovered that the previous owner's wife had long brunette hair. I discovered that last fact by the clog of hair blocking water from flowing past the wire bundle.
I will have to create a notch in the quadrant cover and a bung in the cockpit to pass wires. The Amplifier Control Unit will go in the huge lazarette along with the EV-1 Attitude Heading Reference Source. The VHF-300 Radio/AIS receiver is installed along with an auxiliary circuit breaker/switch panel. The backbone for the NMEA 2000 is neatly installed on the back wall of the radio box next to the "black box" for the VHF-300 AIS.
And along the way, I scrubbed that huge lazarette clean.
The past six days have been fun for me, but ,I fear, boring for Micky. We decided to make a few upgrades while we await the repair of the furler. Some things were necessary fixes and few were surprises.
The surprise was the failure of the bilge pump and how fast a small drip at a intake strainer can put water in the bilge. It's a situation where the leak makes the interior of the boat humid and the humidity increases the condensate that drains into the bilge. The result is a lot of water!
We checked the bilge when we went aboard late one evening and the new pump switch was underwater. After finding and repairing a bad splice, the pump motor ran! The impeller didn't turn,so no water was removed. The bilge was only half full and none of the marine supply stores were open, So I decided that since the boat had a 3000 gallon per hour pump and high water alarm mounted higher in the bilge, that it would be safe overnight. Went home and crashed.
Something kept bugging me about the problem and waking me up. About 2:30 in the morning I woke up and remembered that "Island Princess" had a manual bilge pump installed. Adding that knowledge made my wakefulness worse. I had visions of the never-used upper pump being clogged or otherwise in failure and causing the boat to flood and damage the floors. At three, I woke Micky and after a small disagreement over the need to go right then, I drove to the marina and pumped a disturbing amount of water out in a really short time.
The next morning, we went to the "big" West Marine on Caroline Street in the oldest section of Key West shortly after they opened. Bigger is always better if you can get it to fit. I bought the biggest pump I could get and an automatic one to boot. The Rule-matic 2000 gph automatic unit is oblong, fits and pumps much more water.
The previous owners had obviously gone through three or four pumps before I got the boat. I base that assumption on the number of abandoned splices I found stacked into the wiring. I knew the wiring was a rat's nest, but had deferred the clean-up. Now it was a necessity.
The result was a better than factory-new wiring job with sealed wiring. Using the water hose I filled, cleaned and tested the bilge pump.
Now, the attack was against the source of the water. I'd ordered a new strainer from Jamestown Distributors earlier in the week and installation was straight-forward.
Next problem was the shower sump pump. Unlike the gravity-plumbing systems in a home or RV, the boat needs a pump to flush the gray water from the shower overboard. We don't think about it, but the water from our showers is loaded with dead skin and oils from our bodies and hair. Even with soap, the stuff we sluice off our bodies tends to ferment and stink if you mix it with salt water and let it sit in 85-degree heat. Much better to pump it all overboard. New pump on order from Amazon.
I've saved the best for last. The new Garmin 741xs is installed in the Nav Pod along with the P70 controller for the EV-100 autopilot on the wheel. I removed the cover over the steering gear and not only found the wire route, but also discovered that the previous owner's wife had long brunette hair. I discovered that last fact by the clog of hair blocking water from flowing past the wire bundle.
I will have to create a notch in the quadrant cover and a bung in the cockpit to pass wires. The Amplifier Control Unit will go in the huge lazarette along with the EV-1 Attitude Heading Reference Source. The VHF-300 Radio/AIS receiver is installed along with an auxiliary circuit breaker/switch panel. The backbone for the NMEA 2000 is neatly installed on the back wall of the radio box next to the "black box" for the VHF-300 AIS.
And along the way, I scrubbed that huge lazarette clean.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
A good week for Fixin' Stuff!
This first week back has been a very good one for getting things done. It's hard to believe that just last Monday we were in Patrick AFB driving down to the Keys.
We set Tuesday aside for the Cinco de Mayo party at the marina with our Missouri friends Justin and Athena Albright. I guess the old saw that says it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed is true. I was little concerned when I saw Athena dressed in a cute short frilly dress, full make-up and open-toed wedgies that she would enjoy climbing up on ISLAND PRINCESS nor wading sand for a beach party, but she's a trooper! She climbed the boarding ladder and swung over the forward rail with no squawks!
The party was huge success with Tequila Jello-Shots by Jay, Roast Pig (the whole thing), Goat on the grill, and a beef brisket. Micky made Mexican-Danish-Italian-Swedish Wedding cookies from scratch. We all had a fine time!
Wednesday was move-the-boat day. After relocating the Coach to our semi-permanent spot on the waterfront in the Rock Pile, we moved IP from the seawall to A dock and got her tied down. The windlass gearbox was the wrong part! We hooked up power, started discovering the boat, turned the AC on and left for the night.
Thursday was commissary in the morning and then out to the boat. Before leaving I emailed pictures to John in Scotland about the problem with the windlass. He replied promptly, will take the incorrect part back and recognized the part we needed. I ordered it at 0952 EST.
The boat was hot! Spent the rest of the morning reading the manual, troubleshooting and finally giving up! Called Dwight Engelhard of Safe Harbor Diesel (he's on the official list for the base) and he said he could come right then!
The Cruisair STX-16 we had was installed in 2010 and Mark Tobin had just had Dwight out to "recharge" it in March. I was not surprised when he found that the controller was bad and the unit needed refrigerant. He explained that the new unit used 410a at a much higher pressure and that the unit we had was one of the first and prone to leaks.
Micky and I think that IP will be the last boat we ever buy. That means we intend to enjoy this boat and will upgrade and fix as necessary. We had Dwight order a replacement unit. The surprise is that the new unit will be here the next day and installed in two hours. Yay!
Friday morning was spent on the internet researching and pricing new electronics and mounts. Friday afternoon, Dwight called and would meet us at the gate with the new AC! I went to the PX and checked our mailbox and the new motor/gearbox for the windlass was already there! I love Fedex! Scotland to Key West in less than 24 hours and delivered in 30 hours! The new AC went right in and started cooling the boat down. Micky and I went out that evening and made Reflectix covers for hatches and ports to cut the sun.
Saturday, the boat was cool, the parts were in hand and the windlass was cleaned and ready to install.
The windlass is a heavy-duty winch for anchor chain. Consequently, is is just plain heavy! The deck unit weighs around 25 pounds while the motor and gearbox add another 30 pounds below deck. I removed the vee berth ceiling and scoped out the wiring. I sealed the deck unit with 3M 4200 and dropped it in the holes. Micky started the nuts on the studs while I held the heavy gearbox assembly against the ceiling. Good job, Micky! Wiring was straight-forward and the testing was good! Closed the ceiling and done!
Next major job was the bilge pump switch. IP has three bilge pumps. A smallish 1100 gallons-per-hour (gph) for everyday casual water like the condensate from the AC, then a major 3000 gph unit mounted higher with a high water alarm including a remote in the cockpit and finally a Whale manual unit with a handle in the cockpit for no power situations. The 'Sure Bail' switch had failed and was running the pump constantly. Mark had clipped the ground lead to stop it ( A favorite trick of his).
I bought a new switch and reinstalled it in the bilge correctly.
I also found both CO alarms in the staterooms disabled the same way. Since the wire ends were never taped or insulated (even the freezer lugs) I'd guess that Mark thought the ground removal meant no power ever! Replaced both CO alarms with battery units and capped the wiring.
The Princess is shaping right up!
We set Tuesday aside for the Cinco de Mayo party at the marina with our Missouri friends Justin and Athena Albright. I guess the old saw that says it's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed is true. I was little concerned when I saw Athena dressed in a cute short frilly dress, full make-up and open-toed wedgies that she would enjoy climbing up on ISLAND PRINCESS nor wading sand for a beach party, but she's a trooper! She climbed the boarding ladder and swung over the forward rail with no squawks!
The party was huge success with Tequila Jello-Shots by Jay, Roast Pig (the whole thing), Goat on the grill, and a beef brisket. Micky made Mexican-Danish-Italian-Swedish Wedding cookies from scratch. We all had a fine time!
Wednesday was move-the-boat day. After relocating the Coach to our semi-permanent spot on the waterfront in the Rock Pile, we moved IP from the seawall to A dock and got her tied down. The windlass gearbox was the wrong part! We hooked up power, started discovering the boat, turned the AC on and left for the night.
Thursday was commissary in the morning and then out to the boat. Before leaving I emailed pictures to John in Scotland about the problem with the windlass. He replied promptly, will take the incorrect part back and recognized the part we needed. I ordered it at 0952 EST.
The boat was hot! Spent the rest of the morning reading the manual, troubleshooting and finally giving up! Called Dwight Engelhard of Safe Harbor Diesel (he's on the official list for the base) and he said he could come right then!
The Cruisair STX-16 we had was installed in 2010 and Mark Tobin had just had Dwight out to "recharge" it in March. I was not surprised when he found that the controller was bad and the unit needed refrigerant. He explained that the new unit used 410a at a much higher pressure and that the unit we had was one of the first and prone to leaks.
Micky and I think that IP will be the last boat we ever buy. That means we intend to enjoy this boat and will upgrade and fix as necessary. We had Dwight order a replacement unit. The surprise is that the new unit will be here the next day and installed in two hours. Yay!
Friday morning was spent on the internet researching and pricing new electronics and mounts. Friday afternoon, Dwight called and would meet us at the gate with the new AC! I went to the PX and checked our mailbox and the new motor/gearbox for the windlass was already there! I love Fedex! Scotland to Key West in less than 24 hours and delivered in 30 hours! The new AC went right in and started cooling the boat down. Micky and I went out that evening and made Reflectix covers for hatches and ports to cut the sun.
Saturday, the boat was cool, the parts were in hand and the windlass was cleaned and ready to install.
The windlass is a heavy-duty winch for anchor chain. Consequently, is is just plain heavy! The deck unit weighs around 25 pounds while the motor and gearbox add another 30 pounds below deck. I removed the vee berth ceiling and scoped out the wiring. I sealed the deck unit with 3M 4200 and dropped it in the holes. Micky started the nuts on the studs while I held the heavy gearbox assembly against the ceiling. Good job, Micky! Wiring was straight-forward and the testing was good! Closed the ceiling and done!
Next major job was the bilge pump switch. IP has three bilge pumps. A smallish 1100 gallons-per-hour (gph) for everyday casual water like the condensate from the AC, then a major 3000 gph unit mounted higher with a high water alarm including a remote in the cockpit and finally a Whale manual unit with a handle in the cockpit for no power situations. The 'Sure Bail' switch had failed and was running the pump constantly. Mark had clipped the ground lead to stop it ( A favorite trick of his).
I bought a new switch and reinstalled it in the bilge correctly.
I also found both CO alarms in the staterooms disabled the same way. Since the wire ends were never taped or insulated (even the freezer lugs) I'd guess that Mark thought the ground removal meant no power ever! Replaced both CO alarms with battery units and capped the wiring.
The Princess is shaping right up!
Monday, April 27, 2015
Goodbye to JAZZ
With TANGO launched and secure in her berth, it was time to prepare JAZZ for transfer to Brian Keoughan.
Saturday morning I met Brian and Linda at B Dock and we began the arduous process of aligning the prop shaft. Finishing that work and testing it in the straps, we decided to check it "out There". Captain Ron was right, the failures are all "Out There"! Cranking the engine and motoring out , I was regaling them with my expert wisdom on all the electronic gimcracks on the boat when I noticed that the just-adjusted idle speed was causing the engine to shut-off at idle. Unusual, but it cranked right back up. Then it did it again and would not restart. Shucks! I unfurled the jib and got us back under way and headed for the dock.
Tony and Brenda Coy had been following us out in their new skiff. I raised Brenda via cellphone and arranged a tow. Pete Vagovic caught us at eh dock and after nearly destroying the power pedestal, we settled back in to the berth.
I tried the normal bleeding and didn't like the smell of the fuel. I had some left from fueling TANGO and added around 3 gallons to make sure the tank gauge wasn't lying. Still no run. We adjourned for the night with a plan to dump all fuel, check filters and try again in the morning.
Sunday, I arrived with 15 fresh gallons and three empty cans. Using a Moeller Vacuum pot we drained around 8 gallons out and then sucked all the fuel out of the tank. The filter was clean as evidenced by the rate of fuel flow into the pot through the fuel line. I changed the engine filter and then refilled the tank.
Bleeding went normally until I tried to bleed the injectors. I really wasn't getting fuel properly. I'd get little at first and then nothing. Throttle position didn't matter. After several attempts, I declared to Brian and Linda that, "I'm going nuclear on this thing!"
I determined to remove the input to the injector pump and found good flow. Removing the output piping at the injector pump showed a little fuel when first spun then nothing.
Fearing a governor spring failure, I removed the throttle arm and side plate and felt into that dark little hole for the governor arm. It was free and seemed to have the spring tensions I remembered.
I asked Linda to start the engine while I manipulated the governor manually. The engine started and I could control it manually.
I reassembled the side plate and when I put the throttle arm on I found my mistake. Last summer I had reinstalled the throttle arm cocked on the shaft. Nut tension was enough to run the engine and hold it in place for a while, then it slipped, loosened and allowed the fuel governor to slip all the way to cutoff.
I reinstalled the throttle arm correctly, and everything is perfect! I had Brian take her out and we motored for around an hour.
Today, I went with them to their Credit Union and signed JAZZ over. She is a wonderful and lovely boat! Fair Winds and Flat Seas! (Did you ever sail in following seas? It sucks!)
Saturday morning I met Brian and Linda at B Dock and we began the arduous process of aligning the prop shaft. Finishing that work and testing it in the straps, we decided to check it "out There". Captain Ron was right, the failures are all "Out There"! Cranking the engine and motoring out , I was regaling them with my expert wisdom on all the electronic gimcracks on the boat when I noticed that the just-adjusted idle speed was causing the engine to shut-off at idle. Unusual, but it cranked right back up. Then it did it again and would not restart. Shucks! I unfurled the jib and got us back under way and headed for the dock.
Tony and Brenda Coy had been following us out in their new skiff. I raised Brenda via cellphone and arranged a tow. Pete Vagovic caught us at eh dock and after nearly destroying the power pedestal, we settled back in to the berth.
I tried the normal bleeding and didn't like the smell of the fuel. I had some left from fueling TANGO and added around 3 gallons to make sure the tank gauge wasn't lying. Still no run. We adjourned for the night with a plan to dump all fuel, check filters and try again in the morning.
Sunday, I arrived with 15 fresh gallons and three empty cans. Using a Moeller Vacuum pot we drained around 8 gallons out and then sucked all the fuel out of the tank. The filter was clean as evidenced by the rate of fuel flow into the pot through the fuel line. I changed the engine filter and then refilled the tank.
Bleeding went normally until I tried to bleed the injectors. I really wasn't getting fuel properly. I'd get little at first and then nothing. Throttle position didn't matter. After several attempts, I declared to Brian and Linda that, "I'm going nuclear on this thing!"
I determined to remove the input to the injector pump and found good flow. Removing the output piping at the injector pump showed a little fuel when first spun then nothing.
Fearing a governor spring failure, I removed the throttle arm and side plate and felt into that dark little hole for the governor arm. It was free and seemed to have the spring tensions I remembered.
I asked Linda to start the engine while I manipulated the governor manually. The engine started and I could control it manually.
I reassembled the side plate and when I put the throttle arm on I found my mistake. Last summer I had reinstalled the throttle arm cocked on the shaft. Nut tension was enough to run the engine and hold it in place for a while, then it slipped, loosened and allowed the fuel governor to slip all the way to cutoff.
I reinstalled the throttle arm correctly, and everything is perfect! I had Brian take her out and we motored for around an hour.
Today, I went with them to their Credit Union and signed JAZZ over. She is a wonderful and lovely boat! Fair Winds and Flat Seas! (Did you ever sail in following seas? It sucks!)
Arrival at Clark's Hill Lake
Okay I followed my own advice and had everything and every one lined up. The driver lost a tire 18 miles from the ramp and delayed us by 45 minutes. He got there, the crane got there and everything just went faster!
Many hands made unpacking the mast a breeze. Dan West helped me to pack it and remembered how to put it together. I got John Gill, who had worked with on the thru-hulls in Key West, to replace the defective transducer. Greg Hatcher is a construction superintendent, crane signaling was easy for him. I just ran around checking and fetching tools and supplies. Everybody else filled in and lent a hand where needed. Clyde and Audie Wood were first-timers and agog at how fast it all went. Tom Renard was the inside guy for the mast wiring. Earl Robinson was everywhere. Brian Keoughan was on deck rigging while Dale Demyan and other helped wrangle the mast during the lift.
The one man who knew what he was doing all the time was my driver for The Boat Exchange in Irmo, SC, Rick Bracanovich. He's done this so many times, including several transfers at the ASC, and his advice and methods were always sound.
After several attempts to remember which hole the furler was pinned to the second hole forward and the backstay was secured. The rig is loose, but stands!
The rest of the launch was clockwork. No Leaks!
Many hands made unpacking the mast a breeze. Dan West helped me to pack it and remembered how to put it together. I got John Gill, who had worked with on the thru-hulls in Key West, to replace the defective transducer. Greg Hatcher is a construction superintendent, crane signaling was easy for him. I just ran around checking and fetching tools and supplies. Everybody else filled in and lent a hand where needed. Clyde and Audie Wood were first-timers and agog at how fast it all went. Tom Renard was the inside guy for the mast wiring. Earl Robinson was everywhere. Brian Keoughan was on deck rigging while Dale Demyan and other helped wrangle the mast during the lift.
The one man who knew what he was doing all the time was my driver for The Boat Exchange in Irmo, SC, Rick Bracanovich. He's done this so many times, including several transfers at the ASC, and his advice and methods were always sound.
After several attempts to remember which hole the furler was pinned to the second hole forward and the backstay was secured. The rig is loose, but stands!
The rest of the launch was clockwork. No Leaks!
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