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!
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