tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24727134962762772682024-02-07T00:14:23.098-05:00Adventures of the Sailing Yacht Jo BethBill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-38913179199315289682018-10-09T18:06:00.000-04:002018-10-09T18:07:20.199-04:00Time to Change the Bookmarks...The time has come to say "goodbye" to Blogger!<br />
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Our new website is live; however, it is also still 'under construction.' We're working diligently to get it finished, and we hope you will continue to follow us and Jo Beth as we take a look at our planetary home from the deck of a small sailing yacht.<br />
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In addition to the continuance of our blog, we'll be adding video and lots more photography of our cruises and travels. The site will also host our offerings of other cruising and sailing related services and information. Growing pains will abound for sure, and we greatly appreciate your patience and encouragement!<br />
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So, get those bookmarks changed: <a href="http://www.svjobeth.com/">www.svjobeth.com</a><br />
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Let's go sailing!Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-62100349808990790982018-08-01T10:02:00.001-04:002018-08-01T10:02:09.620-04:00On the Downhill Slide<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The road to repair has been a long road, unfortunately longer than necessary
for a variety of reasons, most of which have been beyond anyone’s control. Now,
the proverbial light is visible at the end of the tunnel. Best of all, the light is
getting brighter and does not appear to be a runaway freight train. If nothing
else, we are closer to being finished than we were yesterday. Or the day
before. One day at a time, repairs are nearing completion. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Fiberglass repairs to the big gouge on the starboard hull sides</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’ve passed three important milestones on the repair
timeline: the first is the completion of the fiberglass repairs to the hull structures above the waterline. The second is the repainting of the hull, and the third is the installation
of the replacement caprail. Also, the new bow and stern railings have been fitted and the chainplates replaced. (<i>Chainplates are metal straps to which the rigging that supports the mast connect to the hull.</i>) Several pieces of hardware which weren’t damaged in the hurricane but
required removal so that repairs could be done, such as sail tracks, chocks, etc.,
have been reinstalled. One of those delays we've experienced is the completion and
delivery of the new boarding gates and stanchion posts from Pacific Seacraft.
Once those are in place, it really is a matter of bolting all the various fittings and
hardware back onto the boat.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Following that, JO BETH will leave the relative security (<i>and
shade!</i>) of the rigging shed at the Savannah Hinckley Yacht Services yard. She’s mostly been inside the shed since November of last year.
I say ‘mostly,’ as the hull structural and cosmetic fiberglass repair work was done
outside. Once she’s outside again, the fiberglass repairs to her keel will be
made, the mast and rigging stepped, (<i>‘stepped,’ or ‘stepping,’ is the nautical
term for the installation of a mast and rigging</i>), electrical work completed, and
her bottom painted with antifouling paint. When that’s done, she will be
launched. Once she’s floating again, we’ll begin testing and bringing all of her
systems – mechanical, plumbing, air-conditioning/heating, electronic and
navigational - back online. Her sails will be bent (<i>another nautical term –
sails are ‘bent’ on or off a boat</i>) back on and then, best of all, we can move
back aboard our home. Once all those things are done, sea trials will begin.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>JO BETH being primed and prepped for her new paint</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These past few months have been somewhat stressful, and not without
their hiccups. Lisa and I have moved into a small and quiet but funky bungalow in Savannah for the remainder of the repair process.
We left our leased apartment on Wilmington Island in mid-July and spent two
weeks living in a friend’s attic space, (finished of course!), and served as
house and pet sitters for four nutty cats and one needy and high maintenance
dog.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps the biggest hiccup we’ve had with JO BETH’s repairs
was at the start of the replacement caprail installation. In late April, Lisa
and I drove to Washington, NC, where Pacific Seacraft is located, to pick up
the freshly milled teak caprail pieces. Fourteen lovely, golden, beautifully
curved and shaped teak planks were loaded into the back of my car. (<i>FYI, that’s
$11,000.00 in teak lumber – including the labor to mill, cut, and rough shape it –
that fit into the back of my car!</i>) We enjoyed a fantastic dinner in Washington’s
quaint downtown with Steve Brodie, the owner of Pacific Seacraft, and Thumper
Brooks – his real name – who is the operations manager at Pacific Seacraft. We
made a long weekend out of the trip, spending a night in Oriental, NC. Oriental
is another pretty coastal North Carolina town nestled on the banks of the
Neuse River. While there, we ran into sailing friends we knew from our days in
Brunswick, GA. A true sailor’s town.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The caprail is a vital part of JO BETH's hull structure, reinforcing the hull and deck joint, perhaps the most critical structural component of any boat. It is, of course, beautiful to look at and provides a solid mounting surface for sailing hardware, cleats, railings, etc. More importantly though, it provides significant stiffness and strength to the hull and deck joint. Suffice to say, JO BETH cannot be without it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few weeks later, on a damp and overcast Monday afternoon in the latter days
of May, just as the coastal Georgia heat and humidity begin to think of a shift into high gear, the
caprail installation began. Later that day, I received a call from Greg
Johnson, our lead guy at the Hinckley yard. I happened to be
on a sea trial of a motor yacht which had been repaired at another Savannah
boat yard, Thunderbolt Marine, Inc. With the rush of 24 knots of wind on the motor
yacht’s flybridge in my ears and cool drizzle stinging my skin, he told me, “something’s
not right. The caprail boards? They’re not fitting.” As soon as we returned to Thunderbolt
Marine and the motor yacht was docked and secured, I sped off to the Hinckley
yard. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The new caprail sections, laid out on the rigging shed floor</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(<i>Note: for whatever reason the type in the next two paragraphs insists on being this size and font. I am unable to change it. On behalf of the Blogger platform, I extend my apologies.)</i> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The caprail sections for JO BETH are in 14 pieces. The sections are numbered from left to right, starting at the bow. Sections one and two, which are large, flat, plates of teak fit fine at their location at the extreme forward end of the bow, also called the ‘stem.’ The next two sections, numbers three and four, fit fine at the forward end, where they joined sections one and two, but not at the aft, or back, end of the planks. Seeing this, it was clear that sections five and six were not going to fit. In fact, the after ends of planks five and six would be at least 10” – nearly a foot – away from the hull. Planks seven and eight would barely touch the boat at all.<br /><br />I called Thumper and explained to him what we were seeing. “Bill,” he said, “the pieces aren’t going to fit exactly. Each boat is a little different. The boards, they need shaping, you know, they gotta be finessed a bit, to get the fit.” I explained to him we all understood that, and that we weren’t expecting a perfect fit from the start. “I know,” I told him, “we expected the boards to be off by a few inches, and that some shaping and fine tuning would be needed. We know that.” There was a pause. “But Thumper," I continued, "we’re off by ten inches at least. Maybe more. No amount of shaping and finessing will fix that.” Thumper said he would get with his carpenters and go over things.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next two days were spent sending pictures to Pacific
Seacraft, measuring and remeasuring the boat and the boards, flipping the boards and swapping sides, and on numerous conference calls. However, no solution offered was working. My initial feeling was that somehow, the carpenters
at Pacific Seacraft had used the wrong jigs to form the boards. Jo Beth is a
34’ Pacific Seacraft, and her beam – the widest part of her hull – is exactly
10 feet. The measurements of the caprail sections, when laid out on the rigging
shed floor, were the correct length, but had a width of 10’ 10”. The beam of
the Pacific Seacraft 37 is exactly 10’10”. Regardless, these boards, as they were, were not going to work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Late on Wednesday
afternoon, Steve called and told me he had ordered his carpenters to “figure
out the problem, and not to do anything else until they had.” He promised a
call to me by 8:30 the next morning with a solution.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Steve and his crew delivered, and did so 15 minutes early. At 8:15, I
received a cryptic text with a sequence of numbers, followed by a call from
Steve. Fortunately, a profoundly simple mistake had been made. Turns out, the measurement of a 10’ 10” beam with our caprail
sections was a wild coincidence. What had actually happened was the Pacific
Seacraft carpenters had numbered the board placement sequence incorrectly. Once the right
sequence was laid out – the numbers in Steve’s cryptic text message - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the rails fit. And Thumper was correct, of
course. In the end, some ‘finessing’ was indeed needed – an average of 3/4” over
the entire length of the boat.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Once the issues were resolved, the caprail fits beautifully</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For a variety of reasons, the incorrectly numbered boards
among them, the caprail installation took longer than first estimated. The
fiberglass repairs to the hull and deck joint which is beneath the caprail were
more extensive than originally thought, and the drilling and routing of joints
in the new wooden rail took more time. The caprail is now fully
installed and has 11 coats of Epifanes high-gloss varnish over it; enough
to protect the wood and give Lisa and I solid footing to keep it maintained. It
is beautiful.</span></span></div>
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<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>First coats of varnish being applied on the new caprail</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those projects Lisa and I are doing independent of the storm repairs are
also progressing well. This includes the installation of a Monitor Self-Steering
Windvane system, (<i>click <a href="https://www.scanmarinternational.com/copy-of-auto-helm" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more about the Monitor</i>) and new
stern navigation lamp; and the modification of the stern propane locker to accommodate
the stern anchor cable. We’re also installing a backstay flag halyard. This
will allow us to fly our United States ensign from the backstay, which is the
rear wire that supports the mast. We’ve had new cockpit cushions made, and are
implementing changes to where and how critical safety gear is stowed on board.
The fire extinguishers, emergency distress beacons, and crew-overboard systems
have been inspected, tested, and re-certified; all of the visual distress
signaling devices have been replaced with new units.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re hopeful to have JO BETH out of the rigging shed and being
made ready for her mast stepping and launching during the next two weeks or so. We are
very hopeful to move back aboard in about three or three and a half weeks. Things
are looking-up!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In slightly different news, I will be changing the
hosting platform for this blog to a platform better suited to photography and video, and of
course, storytelling. The Blogspot platform has served us well for a decade or
more. Lately, it has become a pain - the two paragraphs above which insist they will be a different font and type as an example. It’s time for change.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As always, thanks for sticking with us. Thanks too, for
checking on us and asking how we’re doing. We appreciate it much and will soon
be home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please stay in touch. </span></span></div>
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</style> Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-47715747353006475632018-04-02T13:48:00.005-04:002018-04-03T22:03:50.696-04:00Hurricane Irma<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Preface - That's Unusual for a Blog Post!</b></div>
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This will be a long post. It is long for the simple fact
that we’ve been quite distracted, and because we have been distracted, there
have been no real updates here in a long while.</div>
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The post prior to my recent and quick update was in April,
last year. Know that, up until Hurricane Irma, our summer was passing
uneventfully. We planned a cruise to the Dry Tortugas, an island group about
80 miles west of Key West but didn’t go due to an engine exhaust problem. The
repair took most of the summer, largely because the Keys are the Keys. Other
than that, and our bitter disappointment with the end of Stone Crab season when our supply of delicious claws was cut off,
there wasn’t much to be updated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came Irma.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you don’t want to know, or aren’t interested in, the
details of our Hurricane Irma experience, here’s the short version:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hurricane Irma made landfall in the lower middle portion of
the Florida Keys on Sunday, September 10, 2017, as a strong Category 4
Hurricane. JO BETH was secured on a mooring in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL,
and was blown into the mangroves which ring the northern shore of Boot Key
Harbor in Marathon, FL when the pennant of the mooring she was secured to
failed. She was the outermost boat in a pile of five. She is now being repaired
at Hinckley Yacht Services, Savannah, GA.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the gist of things. However, if you would like to
know of our experiences of this storm, my eighth and Lisa's fifth,
then please read on. Perhaps what we share will be helpful for other sailors
and anyone who may find themselves in the path of one of these storms, to plan
and prepare.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hurricane Irma has caused us tremendous inconvenience, but
little more. It has been much worse for so many others. Many of our friends,
fellow live aboard sailors and cruisers, lost their boats in the storm. For
many their boat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> their home, just
as JO BETH is ours. Others have been left nearly destitute and stranded. Our
home was significantly damaged. It was not lost. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew roared across the extreme southern
portion of the Florida peninsula. Lisa and I lived ashore at the time, in the
far southern reaches of Miami. In the area of Dade County where our modest
ranch home was located, sustained winds reached nearly 180mph. Gusts were
recorded in excess of 210mph. The friend’s home to which we had evacuated, a
significant distance inland from ours, was literally torn apart around us. We
wound up huddled in the central hallway, the doors to all the rooms nailed
shut, while the storm screamed in our ears. There were 10 adults and two kids;
three dogs, two cats and one parrot. We sat in ankle deep water, in stifling
heat, waiting for it to stop. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was awful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In that storm, we lost our home and almost everything else. Entire
trees were missing from our yard. Pieces of our house lay in the street. We
were fed by the Red Cross. We were fed by the Army. We sheltered for a few days
at a friend’s home in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Soon after, I went to work for one of
my clients and was put up in a hotel in downtown Miami. Lisa chose to return to
the house to try and save what could be saved. She told me later she would lay
awake at night, while staying with neighbors in their semi-wrecked house, listening to gunfire
in the distance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that we are
fortunate. We also know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we will recover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1tQMri7URYpZbbmZ0zKL55mAYicUHE6eHqJoxf7UgKTvGB-W-Loj6jchhphWBsPnE20gZcl5Gn5xiocByqk1goNpmcYDo_Y9byLK-BeBn2EzHKl9jzCdrBxKy4FxZUuc-EF7NptA96jH/s1600/20170929_101053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1tQMri7URYpZbbmZ0zKL55mAYicUHE6eHqJoxf7UgKTvGB-W-Loj6jchhphWBsPnE20gZcl5Gn5xiocByqk1goNpmcYDo_Y9byLK-BeBn2EzHKl9jzCdrBxKy4FxZUuc-EF7NptA96jH/s400/20170929_101053.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As bad as Irma was for us and for JO BETH, it was infinitely worse for others; this wreck was once someone's dream of sailing into the sunset</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Just as You Start to
Relax...</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the evening of August 31, 2017, with JO BETH secured in
her slip at Bonefish Marina, Marathon, Florida, Lisa and I lay down in our berth, retiring for the night. I was asleep before her, as she often reads late. She may have had the Atlanta Braves game on the satellite
radio. I’m not sure. What I was sure of, was that Category 5 Hurricane
Irma, a monstrous giant of a storm, was going to miss us. The last forecast I read before turning in, the hum
of the air conditioner filling the cabin with a soft, white noise, was that Irma was forecast to make a sharp turn to the north, missing the
north coast of the Dominican Republic and Bahamas. The predictions were she would pass just east of the eastern most Bahamas, perhaps making a side swipe
against Bermuda with her eastern fringes. Eventually, the cyclone was expected to curve into
the cold North Atlantic waters where she would likely be absorbed by another
weather system sweeping from Canada towards Iceland and Scandinavia. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was a relief to read. Hurricanes make me nervous. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had just watched Harvey inundate the Texas coast. Our
friends Ken and Carrie Philbrick, from Port Aransas, TX - also Pacific Seacraft
sailors - were anchored in the harbor of Luperon, on the northern coast of the
Dominican Republic. We would later learn they had ridden out Irma aboard their
Pacific Seacraft 37 named GRIFFIN while anchored and tied into the mangroves
surrounding the harbor. In a FaceBook post, Carrie had said they experienced
strong Category 2 hurricane conditions for several hours, and tropical storm
conditions for several hours more, but were fine. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Ken and Carrie would later ride out Maria in the same location, with
few issues. They’re now sailing in the British Virgin Islands.) </i>There was no
damage to GRIFFIN or any of the boats they knew. For the first time in several
days, I fell into sleep thinking of something other than an impending storm.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I was asleep before Lisa, I was also awake before
her. Summer mornings in the Keys are gloriously beautiful, cool though humid.
When skies are clear, the stars are still visible in the pre-dawn light. In the
distance, puffy clouds hovering over the warm Gulf-Stream waters dot the
horizon. I had the morning habit of walking a circuit of the marina. Bonefish
Marina was shaped like the letter U, only inverted. At one corner of the U was
the ‘clubhouse’ which housed the marina office and the laundry and shower
facilities upstairs. On the ground level were a workshop, and the ‘Man-Cave;’ an
area furnished with a long table and chairs, a small kitchen and bar area, and
a large flat screen television. As I made the turn at the top of the U, I saw
the television flicker off and go to black. The long, tall
figure of George Ipock stood from one of the chairs. George and his wife Nancy
live on a big green steel hulled ketch-rigged sailboat in the marina basin. He
turned and took a step towards me, the coffee steaming from the mug he held.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Morning, George,” I said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah, mornin’” he answered. “You seen the weather?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I looked up at the sky. Venus shone brightly, low on the
west horizon. I could see Jupiter and still make out Saturn. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, I just got up. We don’t have a TV. I checked last
night. Irma’s still supposed to make that turn,” I said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George snorted and took a long draw from his mug. “Oh, she’s
still gonna turn awright. Go watch,” he said, brushing past me and nodding
towards the man-cave.<br />
“There’s coffee.”<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOYkl8nkv1Spc14OcBQGGmTH8jb_t2NzRH18rCREGJWw7oaWCIKH7Ijhw1JKyKEhckQJRPXRxeTRq4IyICeBbXqD8WVrlV-xW65ftkWLWgIS2B7ls4TNNRJBF8sg_xx_mdr5oFG7u3sdP/s1600/Hurricane+Irma+makes+landfall+in+Keys20170910135704_10575667_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOYkl8nkv1Spc14OcBQGGmTH8jb_t2NzRH18rCREGJWw7oaWCIKH7Ijhw1JKyKEhckQJRPXRxeTRq4IyICeBbXqD8WVrlV-xW65ftkWLWgIS2B7ls4TNNRJBF8sg_xx_mdr5oFG7u3sdP/s320/Hurricane+Irma+makes+landfall+in+Keys20170910135704_10575667_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hurricane Irma's landfall in the Florida Keys</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Once in the man cave, I looked at the remote for the big
screen television; it was also the remote for the DVD player and some other
connected device. I tossed it back on the table. Upstairs, with the bathrooms
and washing machines, was a simple TV I could operate. I passed on George’s
coffee and climbed the stairs to the upper floor. I eventually located the
remote under the pile of mail and magazines on the small round table and turned
on the television. I found the cable channel guide and tuned it to a Miami station
- and my heart stopped.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George was right, Irma was still forecast to make the turn
north. However, the turn north, which last night had been forecast to be
approximately 400 miles to our east, had shifted approximately 400 miles to the
west. Irma was now forecast to skirt the northern coast of Cuba, then turn and
pass directly over the middle Florida Keys as a Category 5 Hurricane. The
lovely television meteorologist said all of this with an unbroken smile, even while
warning “all who can hear my voice need to begin preparations now."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I switched to another Miami station. More of the same. Even
the cable network news stations were talking about Irma. I turned the TV off.
Outside the picture window, I could see the eastern sky glowing softly in
purples and reds. I went back downstairs to the dock and walked to the southeastern
corner of the marina, past friend’s boats, their air conditioning discharges
flowing into the marina basin. I stopped on a small point of land which
protruded into the Key Colony Harbor channel. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To the south, the Atlantic spread out before me. On the
horizon, a brightly lit ship was slowly moving west; probably a cruise ship
out of Miami, bound for Key West and then Cancun. I sat on one of the chairs
under the small tiki hut and gazed across the marina basin at JO BETH, snug in
her slip, Lisa snug in the V-Berth below decks. A small group of Pelicans
wheeled overhead, headed out from their mangrove roosts to fish. A silhouetted lobster
boat rounded the bend in the channel, heading out to tend their pots, her red
and green navigation lamps dim against her bright deck lights, the voices of
the crew, a murmur over the grumble of the diesel engine. Soon, the charter
fishing boats and the snorkel-dive boats with loads of tourists would follow.
In the light breeze that had begun to blow, the coconut palms whispered. I
stood and I realized I was sweating.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We didn’t have television on the boat, but we have our
laptops and, in the marina, there was excellent Wi-Fi. I went back to JO BETH
and began to read the forecasts and forecast discussions and watch the latest
graphical forecast model runs. The forecast was essentially the same as it had
been the days prior with regard to intensity and the predicted northern turn.
What had changed was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">where</i> that
northern turn would happen. And in that, there was still some degree of
uncertainty. Irma was a large and impressive storm. It was clear that even if
the Keys didn’t get the brunt of a landfall, there would be some significant
effects felt throughout the island chain. There was also a chance Irma would
decrease in intensity as well. Monster hurricanes, the Category 4 or 5 beasts,
are actually quite fragile. The slightest degradation in environmental
conditions can weaken them, sometimes rapidly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa’s not a morning person. I sat for a moment in the saloon, listening to her steady breathing. I decided not to wake her and
went back out to walk some more. Walking for me is a meditative experience. I
can walk all day, with no destination. As I rounded the corner of the U on our
side of the marina, I saw the man cave TV was back on. George had returned. I
pulled up a chair and sat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“There’s coffee,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I looked at the TV. “What’s your plan?” I asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Shark River,” he answered.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I steadied my gaze on the TV and thought for a moment. Shark River is a long, narrow, and moderately deep tidal
river that penetrates some 40 or more miles into the Florida Everglades from
the Gulf of Mexico. The river entrance was approximately 50 miles north and
slightly west of Marathon. Shark River had been one of our alternatives to go to in a storm; in
fact, Shark River seemed to be every sailor’s ‘hurricane hole.’ It can be well protected
and a safe haven in hurricanes, provided the hurricane tracks far enough east
or west of the region. Ancient, old growth mangrove forests line the river
banks.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, it is extremely remote. Cell phones don’t work there,
and the only persons who might hear any calls for assistance on VHF
transceivers would be those other sailors anchored close by – provided their
radios were turned on or still operational - and they may or may not be able to
help. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More dire warnings came from the TV meteorologist. “Prepare
now. Don’t wait. This is the real deal, folks.” Video from past hurricanes,
including Andrew, Katrina and Wilma flashed across the screen to drive home the point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George turned in his chair to look at me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What about y’all,” he asked. “What’s your plan.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be honest, our plan was to not be in a hurricane. I
sighed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We haven’t decided anything yet. We’ve talked about Shark
River, but that’s about it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
George turned back to the TV. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Either way, it’s lookin’ like it’s gonna be bad. Don’t seem
it’ll matter much where we go,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I slid my chair back from the table and stood.<br />
“Pretty much
George,” I agreed. “Pretty much.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George lifted his mug
in the direction of the kitchen.<br />
“There’s coffee.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I looked at the TV. The forecast storm track was menacing.<br />
“I
know. Thanks.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I turned and walked back into the dawn.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa and I had discussed Shark River as a safe haven, and as
noon approached, we were discussing it again. The fly in Shark River’s ointment
for me is the fact that hurricanes ‘wobble.’ As they move along, steered by
upper level winds and air currents, they frequently lean one direction or
another, a kind of drift. The intense part of a hurricane is around the eye
wall, particularly the northern and eastern portions of the eyewall. As
distance from the eye, or the center of the storm’s circulation, increases the
severity lessens, often exponentially. Very strong hurricanes tend to have
very small eyes, and very thin eye walls. The frightening and screaming winds, those
emphasized in forecasts, rarely extend more than a few miles from the eye. At
the time, Irma’s eye was roughly 25 miles across. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A small wobble would make a big difference; it could put us,
wherever we were, in the less intense western and southern quadrants of the
storm. Or, a wobble might put us in the more intense northern and eastern quadrants
of the storm. Lisa felt Shark River was still a good option to be considered
but at the same time, agreed on the ‘worry of the wobble.’</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another factor in our thinking was the size of the storm.
The storm was so big, that by the time it was close enough to be confident the
wobble effect may have been minimized, we would already be feeling the effects.
JO BETH moves at 7mph in the most ideal conditions. The trip to the entrance of
Shark River would take us at least eight hours. Then, we had another four or
five hours to run up river and get secured. If we were going to go, we would
have to leave in two days, three at the very latest. Once there, we were there,
regardless of what Irma decided to do. Accordingly, we decided the Shark River
option was not a good one for us. We had no idea how accurate that decision
would turn out to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa was more concerned about the time it could take us to
move. We began to look at the charts of the east and Gulf coasts of Florida,
and for a brief moment, discussed going to Cuba. However, my passport had
expired long ago. We turned our attention back to Florida. After poring over
the charts and cruising guides, we decided to table the issue for that day. We
would begin getting JO BETH ready and give Irma one more day to maybe change
her mind. It’s happened before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prepare for the Worst; Hope for the Best...</b></div>
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We spent much of that Friday afternoon chatting with our
dock neighbors. Everyone wanted to know everyone else’s ‘plan.’ On Saturday morning,
little had changed. Irma was still following the same forecast track, with no indication she would shift away. I had the gnawing feeling that one
more day in which we could have moved was slipping by. I also began to
understand that if we did decide to move, we would not escape the storm. All of
Florida would feel it, some places more than others, but very few in the
Sunshine State would escape Irma. Of that, I was certain. As the pretty lady
with her pretty smile had said, “all who can hear my voice need to begin
preparations now.”</div>
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I spent many more hours on the computer, watching forecast
model runs and reading forecast discussions and updates as they were released.
Lisa and I were still discussing a run north towards Naples or Marco Island,
possibly as far as Sanibel or Sarasota. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale seemed to be
less viable options. They were already overcrowded, and the dozens and dozens
of bridges there would be a significant problem. </div>
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We did not want to stay in our marina slip for the storm. We
have weathered multiple tropical storms with JO BETH while in a slip. A strong
hurricane is something altogether different. The marina basin at Bonefish is open only on one end, which meant any storm surge would likely magnify
itself within the basin as it flooded in, with no easy escape. Some of the boats
stayed; George and Nancy decided against going to Shark River and stayed on their steel hulled sailboat and our
friends Paul and Deb Silverstein stayed on MOMMA GOOSE, their 45’ trawler
yacht. Both boats were damaged, though not severely. JO BETH’s slip was damaged. David Bell and Brenda Collins, who lived on WIND SPIRIT were in a slip next to JO BETH. Their slip was more heavily damaged. Our other dock neighbors, Ron and
Fran Olson on QUESTERIA were touring the western states in their RV and
visiting family. They and a couple of other owners in the marina had pre-paid
one of two local boat yards offering hurricane haul outs and hired local
captains to move their boats in their absence. </div>
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While it is possible our damages might have been less had we
stayed, we had no way of knowing one way or another. Indeed, they may have been
worse. During the hurricane, a large Hatteras motor yacht docked in Bonefish Marina broke
her lines. She drifted about the marina basin, colliding with multiple other boats. One boat sank and two others were badly damaged, including
the Viking Sportfisherman GOLDEN EAGLE, which belonged to our dock neighbors and
friends Mark and Angela Mundy. The drifting Hatteras was also damaged. She was
eventually blown out of the marina basin and grounded in the Key Colony Harbor
entrance channel. Given the location of our slip relative to the location of
the Hatteras’s slip, chances are good she would have struck JO BETH.</div>
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I am convinced the safest place for a boat in a hurricane is
hauled out of the water and blocked ashore in a boat yard. The higher the
ground of that boat yard is above sea level, the better. This has been borne
out time and again in all of the hurricanes I’ve been through and those with
which I’ve been involved in my work. JO BETH rode out Hurricane Matthew in 2016
in the Hinckley Yacht Services yard where she was already hauled for the
completion of work below the waterline. No boats which had been hauled and
blocked in the Hinckley yard were damaged during Matthew.</div>
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Of course, boats which are hauled can be damaged. Anything
which can catch the wind should be removed, including sails, canvas, etc. A
sail coming loose in the wind can prove disastrous to a boat hauled ashore, and
to those near her. Floating debris can dislodge the stands beneath a boat,
causing it to fall. Still, the vast majority of boats hauled for a storm tend
to do much better than the majority of boats left in a marina slip or alongside
a seawall or bulkhead. </div>
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Lisa and I arrived in Marathon in
February, 2017. One of the first things I did was to check with the local boat yards about hauling for hurricanes. Unfortunately,
the boat yards in Marathon, as well as the rest of the Keys which have enough
water depth for us to access were either fully reserved for storm related haulouts, or they were refusing to haul boats
for hurricanes. The refusal to haul boats for a storm is understandable, and
not uncommon. The hurricane haulout can have unintended consequences for the
boat yard and boat owner. In many instances after Irma, boats which were hauled
could not be relaunched because boat yard equipment or service docks had
sustained damages. In other situations, the boats fortunate enough to haul for
the storm had no dock or marina to which they could return. It can be a
Catch-22 situation.</div>
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Soon, it became clear our best option would be to move JO
BETH to the Marathon City Marina mooring field and secure her on a mooring. On
the Sunday before Labor Day, we began to remove loose gear from her decks and
around the docks, stowing it away in marina dock boxes. On Labor Day, we unbent
the mainsail from the boom and lowered the jib along with a few other jobs. Early Tuesday morning, in the company of Tim Meuting and Christine Petit
aboard SERENITY, and John Waterloo and Susan Seifert aboard JEZEBEL, we powered
away from Bonefish Marina into the calm Atlantic and turned southwest-west for the
entrance to Boot Key Harbor. Our friends and dock neighbors, David Bell and
Brenda Collins aboard WIND SPIRIT, returned from an upstate camping trip to
make their preparations. They powered over to Boot Key Harbor later that
afternoon.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyZaP0IhEU8mJHOxo8pUaPcULx92N7WcBuBQAcNhLUyJF5oAVZCYSOcwF4EHPwC8vsJAzLyYQL08NW4LOs0GH4mifnRDp_VgAdDsA9YNbNzY80ymGO83z6ZoO77-P7hUFkDaT5I1wEi2R/s1600/20170906_065044-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyZaP0IhEU8mJHOxo8pUaPcULx92N7WcBuBQAcNhLUyJF5oAVZCYSOcwF4EHPwC8vsJAzLyYQL08NW4LOs0GH4mifnRDp_VgAdDsA9YNbNzY80ymGO83z6ZoO77-P7hUFkDaT5I1wEi2R/s400/20170906_065044-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL; JEZEBEL is in the foreground</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While we were underway to the harbor, I noticed our
batteries weren’t being charged. Just as the alternator in a car charges the
car’s battery when the engine is running, the alternator on a boat engine does
the same. The battery charge state was good and I didn’t much worry about it.
I had been doing work on the engine exhaust system. I concluded
I must have knocked something loose. I would take a look once we were on the
mooring.</div>
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The trip proceeded without event until we were in the harbor
channel. I called the City Marina on the VHF radio to request a mooring ball
assignment. There was no reply. I tried again; again, no reply. I called
JEZEBEL and SERENITY; no reply. I switched to the handheld radio, which is
powered by an internal set of batteries and hailed the marina office once
again. They answered promptly and we were told to go to mooring ball C-10.
Jezebel was assigned mooring ball C-9 and SERENITY, D-3. The battery charging
issue was puzzling and with the VHF radio not operating, I presumed I had
disturbed a ground wire. </div>
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We were soon
secured on our mooring. Things only got more bizarre from there. When I pressed the electric stop for the engine,
nothing happened. I tried again, with more pressure; again, nothing. Clearly,
we had an electrical gremlin in the system. I turned the fuel supply valve off
to starve the engine of fuel. The fuel line is tiny, approximately ¼”, and fuel
consumption of the engine at idle is so low, that after thirty minutes the engine
was still purring along. Finally, I opened the engine compartment hatch and
smothered the engine air intake with my flip-flop sole. The engine sputtered and stopped.</div>
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We had to shuttle ourselves back to Bonefish Marina to get
cars. We also needed to stop and take a look at the place where we intended to
shelter on island. I decided to investigate the battery issue when we returned
to the boat in the afternoon. After our last trip to Bonefish to secure what we
could at the slip there, we returned to JO BETH. I confidentially announced to
Lisa I was going to sort out the electrical issues, and I did. The moment I
turned the battery switches to the 'OFF' position, the plastic switches crumbled
to dusty fragments in my hands, their insides falling into the abyss of the bilges with
little tinkling and clacking sounds.</div>
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We were now, officially, screwed.</div>
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We launched the dinghy and made a panicked run to the local
West Marine. The store was a mob scene with people buying last minute items for
their own preparations. Our battery switches weren’t in stock. However, one of
the associates gave us the phone number of an electrician who lived on his boat
in the mooring field. I called Alex with Sea Tek Marine, and two hours later, Alex had jury rigged
our system so that we could function and charge the batteries. </div>
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Had we gone to Shark River, we would have really been
screwed. </div>
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I mentioned earlier that Lisa and I were planning to shelter
during the storm on the island. Lisa attended St. Columba Episcopal Church in
Marathon. The church had recently bought a building with an upper floor, which
was rated for Category 5 hurricane conditions. It consisted of a large common room, with
bathrooms and a kitchen. Windows were few and small, and there were a couple of
small utility rooms. Knowing we lived aboard JO BETH, the church offered the
building to us and anyone we knew who was planning to stay in Marathon. After
getting our boats secured in the mooring field all of us – Tim and Christine,
John and Susan, Lisa and I – went to check the place out. Lisa and I took our
mainsail into one of the storage rooms and stuffed it away. We stashed our extra fresh water jugs in the bathrooms. All agreed it would
be good for a few days, until we could go home.</div>
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Later that day, we changed our mind. The storm surge
forecasts had been released, predicting a surge of at least 10 feet throughout the middle and lower Keys, with as
much as 15 feet possible in the Marathon area. The forecast also predicted wave heights on the barrier reef, just five or so miles south of the island shores, to be 20'-30'. The island on which Marathon sits, Vaca
Key, is roughly four feet above sea level. We feared that if we stayed we would
be cut off. Road washouts were a certainty. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Road washouts did
occur: two sections of the Overseas Highway were removed by Irma’s storm surge
near Long Key and on one of the smaller, lower middle Keys.)</i></div>
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With the setting of the sun, our little group from Bonefish
Marina met in SERENITY’s cockpit to discuss the situation. The decision didn’t take
long. In the span of 15 minutes, all of us decided to evacuate. Lisa and I knew
from our experiences in Hurricane Andrew, also a Category 5 storm, that we
needed to be as far from the sea as we could be. Lisa reached out to friends in
Gainesville, FL, to ask for their accommodation. We are forever grateful they
said yes. Hurricanes have taught us one thing: wind is scary, water is scarier.
The old axiom, “run from the water, hide from wind,” had proven true to us time
and again. Tim and Christine went to a friend’s place near Tampa; John and
Susan went to stay with family in the Daytona Beach area.</div>
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The decision to evacuate meant we added tasks to our list.
Since we wouldn’t be aboard the boat until the last possible minute, the
refrigerator-freezer would have to be emptied. We would also have to pack more
clothes. And, since we wanted to avoid the crush of a mass departure from the
Keys, as formal evacuations were to start at 6pm the following day, Wednesday, we were
under the gun to get things done. </div>
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We completed our preparations for JO BETH on Wednesday
morning. All of her canvas was removed, her tiller lashed amidships, and her
vents and hawse pipes sealed. The engine was run one last time to top off the
charge on the batteries, then a wooden plug was hammered into the engine
exhaust discharge outlet and secured with duct tape. This was done to keep
water from being pushed into the engine exhaust system and possibly, into the
engine itself. Our storm mooring bridle and chafe gear was double checked. The
wind powered battery charger was secured and the internal brake set. We closed
all of the below waterline seacocks, valves which allow seawater to enter the
boat for cooling, toilet use, etc. JO BETH’s electric bilge and sump pumps were
set to ‘automatic.’ We walked the boat a dozen times. The cabin was so full of
gear, that we were walking on top of things. We notified our insurance company
of our preparations. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQlz8hSfscTZyOlgbAMyRn1MKl4XSTzXzAgx5wOpINWb2ea16tzwz_tFF54gr46nGLN4x76XNHj4nUkS8O3IHCr6zRMXld525yMJcutHDfQ7hsxa5-Fzbgz1mfVxQib1HH_On6M3BB_HD/s1600/20170906_120251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="879" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQlz8hSfscTZyOlgbAMyRn1MKl4XSTzXzAgx5wOpINWb2ea16tzwz_tFF54gr46nGLN4x76XNHj4nUkS8O3IHCr6zRMXld525yMJcutHDfQ7hsxa5-Fzbgz1mfVxQib1HH_On6M3BB_HD/s400/20170906_120251.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our last view of JO BETH for several days</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We launched the dinghy and, after taking a few more pictures
of JO BETH, motored to the marina dinghy area. We pulled the outboard motor off
and deflated the dinghy, placing it inside the storage and workshop area of the
main building. We affixed the ownership tags provided by the marina office as
directed. Tim and Christine, Susan and John had left already. Apparently, ours
was the last dinghy and motor to go in. The marina staff began locking down
before we were in the parking lot. I cast one more look over the harbor. We had
done all we could do for JO BETH; she would have to tend to herself from here
on out. We got into our cars, Lisa in hers and me in mine, and left the Keys.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I'm Sorry, but we Really Must be Going...</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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We decided to drive to Miami and spend the night with our
former neighbor, Maurice Poirier. Visiting with Maurice was a silver lining in
the cloud of Irma. The next morning, we would leave for Gainesville. On the
way to Miami, it became apparent people weren’t waiting for the order to leave, they
were leaving. Fuel shortages were already happening. In fact, we were unable to
find fuel anywhere in Miami. We left Maurice’s early the next morning and began our
drive across the Everglades to Naples, where we would take I-75 north to
Gainesville. The formal evacuation order for the Florida Keys had been given to
start at 6pm that same day and the evacuation order for mainland areas of Florida was set to begin at 6pm the following day.</div>
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Lisa’s car is much more fuel efficient than mine. Halfway
across the Everglades, I began to worry. Then, at Everglades City, we happened
upon a Marathon Gas station. There were no cars there, but it was open. We
stopped and checked the pumps. They seemed operational. The clerk in the store
said they were open for business. We filled up both cars and got on our way. By
the time we left, cars were lined up at each pump.</div>
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The drive to Gainesville went smoothly until we were about
50 miles from David and Mandy’s house, where we hit the ‘wall of evacuees.’ Evacuation orders were now expanding to include the
entire southern half of the state of Florida, for both Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Normally the drive between Miami and Gainesville takes around five hours total. Ours took 12. At roughly 7pm, we
arrived. It had been a long day.</div>
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That evening, we spoke with Brenda and David on WIND SPIRIT.
They were nearly finished securing their boat and were planning to leave the
Keys with their two cats, Tiller and Rudder at some point the next day. We
later learned that they were delayed in leaving and wound up riding out the
storm in a friend’s house right on the southern shore of Boot Key Harbor.</div>
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The next few days were spent helping our hosts prepare for
Irma. In Gainesville, storm surge or flooding was not necessarily the prime concern, though river flooding
later proved to be the larger issue for the city from the storm. Most were concerned about tornadoes and prolonged power outages. We donated our share of groceries and
batteries. Lisa and I tried to distract ourselves with work, but still paid
close attention to the forecasts. Even in Gainesville, it was hard to find fuel. I finally found an open gas station and waited
in long lines before being able to top off the tanks in both cars. Lisa and I made one last grocery
run and returned to our friend’s house. It was now Saturday evening. Irma was
expected to make landfall somewhere in the middle to lower Florida Keys Sunday
morning.</div>
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We were glued to the Weather Channel and to various
websites, including Mike’s Weather Page and
FaceBook. Soon, our worst fears were realized. The center of Irma was clearly
going to track to the west of Marathon. This would place the landfall of Irma’s
eye near Big Pine Key or Summerland Key – and that placed Marathon squarely in
the northern and eastern storm quadrants. In the northern hemisphere, the
northern and eastern sides of a cyclonic storm are typically the most intense sectors
of the storm, and the sector in which the storm surge is the most severe. We
were texting back and forth with our friends David and Brenda, still in
Marathon, and with Tim and Christine and John and Susan, all of whom made it to
their safe spots. We later connected with Mark and Angela Mundy. They had
originally decided to stay with friends on Ramrod Key, west of Marathon, but at the last minute, evacuated to
Stuart, FL.</div>
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Around 7pm, Brenda reported via text that conditions in the
harbor were very rough, and a couple of boats had already broken loose from
their moorings in the western section. Brenda and David have cruised aboard WIND
SPIRIT extensively along the east coast of the US and throughout the Bahamas,
Caribbean, and South America. She said she had never seen conditions such as
they were experiencing. We didn’t hear from her again until three days after
the storm had passed. </div>
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On Sunday, September 10, 2018, at 9:10am, Hurricane Irma
made landfall at Cudjoe Key, a small island with a shallow horseshoe
shaped bay, 31 miles west of Marathon. The news reports we were seeing on
television and the reports being posted on FaceBook from those who had stayed were
not good. </div>
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The rumor mill was at full grind on FaceBook and Twitter. The
common thread we were hearing was Boot Key Harbor was very bad. There were 226
moorings in the harbor, all full, prior to Irma. After Irma passed, less than 40
boats were said to be afloat and secured in the harbor, the majority of those in
the eastern side of the mooring field. The western side of the mooring field,
where David and Brenda’s WIND SPIRIT had been secured, was said to have been
destroyed. </div>
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<br /></div>
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For nearly three days, we had no idea of how JO BETH or our
friends had fared. The TV news aerial footage, being shot from military and law
enforcement aircraft was maddening as they all stopped short of the harbor area
– again and again and again. We finally stopped watching. We put our phones
down and logged out of FaceBook. JO BETH is a heavy built and well-designed
boat, made for crossing oceans. We felt she would survive, but also knew she
could be damaged. Of course, we held onto the hope that she was one of the few
still on her mooring. Our concern for our friends was palpable. </div>
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Finally, on Wednesday, September 13, 2017, we received a
text from Brenda. They were all fine. The home they had stayed in was fine.
They had no power and there were no services on the island. Cell service worked
intermittently and they were well stocked with food and water. Unfortunately,
WIND SPIRIT had been badly damaged. She lost both of her masts and all of her
rigging and railings. Her bowsprit was gone. She was still afloat but would
require major repair. Their insurance company eventually declared her a total
loss.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgVLulPF_znbLKMtOVYEoLaw8XpSmSxkqA1Q0q8vRezGoE0N8t1UNL8V-WmjK8oKy_YblQaqJCUv1op4T6aU6cKj3ARXXopyIi7SffABOADHBRbp9oksp3UGqDjMh5kVUnJ_sfW_erEOO/s1600/IMG_3317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgVLulPF_znbLKMtOVYEoLaw8XpSmSxkqA1Q0q8vRezGoE0N8t1UNL8V-WmjK8oKy_YblQaqJCUv1op4T6aU6cKj3ARXXopyIi7SffABOADHBRbp9oksp3UGqDjMh5kVUnJ_sfW_erEOO/s400/IMG_3317.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our first view of JO BETH following Irma - thanks to David Bell and Brenda Collins</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Texting with Brenda in those few moments was a roller
coaster ride. We were happy they were safe but saddened for the loss of WIND
SPIRIT, their home for 28 years. However, our mood was lifted immensely when
Brenda said they had spotted JO BETH in the mangroves. She was soon able to
text us a few pictures. The following day, NOAA released aerial photographs of
Marathon and Boot Key Harbor. Based on Brenda’s description of where they had
seen JO BETH along with the photographs they sent, we were able to pinpoint her
exact location on the NOAA images. Though she may have been damaged, she had
not sunk. </div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk5aDjTSQuxtNYK1iaBLo65563VGTgVjw00wdSatFPcuXYAOlNgEyRBaBq3kP5YUtq6nRUOB0NftlhpzIDWuUVSUF1QrQHBUZHFCLs7ZtQewPqfIC-zPolIUDuwtj8iicEvn5p1wRybDx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-09-13+at+6.59.44+AM+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk5aDjTSQuxtNYK1iaBLo65563VGTgVjw00wdSatFPcuXYAOlNgEyRBaBq3kP5YUtq6nRUOB0NftlhpzIDWuUVSUF1QrQHBUZHFCLs7ZtQewPqfIC-zPolIUDuwtj8iicEvn5p1wRybDx/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-09-13+at+6.59.44+AM+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>NOAA aerial photograph; the red arrow indicates JO BETH</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Thursday morning, September 14, 2018, Lisa and I filed
our insurance claim with JO BETH’s underwriters. We packed and left Mandy and
David’s home in Gainesville, FL and began the long drive back to Miami where we
would stay in hotels until we would be permitted to return to the Keys. It
would be nearly 10 days before we would actually see JO BETH for ourselves.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Thank you again,
David, Mandy, and family, for your hospitality; and, also, thanks to your kind
neighbors who took us in as friends and plied us with food and drink!) </i></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Getting Back to Where We Started...</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the hazards of evacuating for a hurricane is being
held back from returning to your home. As frustrating as this can be, we
understand the reasons; damaged or destroyed infrastructure, including
hospitals and medical facilities; no functional utilities; washed out or
otherwise compromised roads, bridges, buildings; and so on. Lisa and I didn’t
evacuate for Hurricane Andrew. We do now for any serious storm. Living in a
disaster zone is not a good thing. It is toxic, emotionally and physically, and
it is dangerous. It is very easy to get hurt. In the wasted and trashed
environment, even a minor injury can become serious in no time. This was something
we had to force ourselves to remember in that evening discussion in SERENITY’s cockpit
when the decision to leave was made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brenda and David kept an eye on JO BETH until we could get
to her. Another friend of ours, Jimmy LaValley had stayed for Irma. Jimmy
kayaked out to JO BETH and JEZEBEL a couple of times. He also sent photographs
and kept an eye our boats until we were permitted reentry. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon, roughly 15 days after
the storm, David and Brenda took us in their dinghy through the destroyed
harbor. Winding through the shallow and still murky water, we made our way
towards the spot where JO BETH had nested in amongst the mangrove trees. We
passed over all manner of storm debris: lost anchors, rope and lines, fragments
and pieces of various structures. We were finally able to get close enough so I
could scramble through the broken and twisted mangrove branches and climb on to
her bow. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JO BETH had landed on the outer edge of a pile of five other
sailboats, most of which were badly damaged. She lay at an angle of 15<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">°</span></span> to starboard and was bow
down by the same amount. Her deck drains were choked with mangrove leaves and limbs.
Stagnant water stood on her starboard side deck. There were items of clothing scattered
about, apparently from one of the other boats in the pile; shorts, t-shirts, a
single tennis shoe. A bra was entwined through the limbs pressed into JO BETH’s
hull. The mangrove leaves had left red, ruddy stains on her foredeck and cabin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JfQ0EHo56ZSRsA_cbTjsfr8OVJS6gXQInpFec2tY4HID2ueDGrnZZn01yDQJv3FTYdqPRG0JbDgxn-q2ejMqRHBnm8TYQm8Iu_9XaamhysgPcBhvN7LIMMvQdV6cBe5n-U2CMd1mIYYL/s1600/IMG_3348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JfQ0EHo56ZSRsA_cbTjsfr8OVJS6gXQInpFec2tY4HID2ueDGrnZZn01yDQJv3FTYdqPRG0JbDgxn-q2ejMqRHBnm8TYQm8Iu_9XaamhysgPcBhvN7LIMMvQdV6cBe5n-U2CMd1mIYYL/s400/IMG_3348.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the pile of boats</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She lay against two other sailboats, one of which was a 33’
Morgan Out Island. The wire lifelines and deck railings were bent and broken.
The starboard side stays and shrouds, wires which support the mast, were
deflected inward in excess of a foot. The starboard side chainplates, to which
the wire stays attach, were visibly bent and twisted. The forces exerted on the
mast and rigging had also distorted the chainplates and stays on the forward,
aft, and port sides. The mast and boom, aside from a lot of scratches and scrapes
in the paint, seem to have fared well.<br />
<br />
JO BETH's hull was covered in deep scratches and gouges, and there were multiple places on the forward starboard bows which were very badly gouged. One of the worst areas was on the starboard side, at the hull to deck joint just forward of amidships. We were very concerned the critical joint may have been compromised. The teak caprails, which cover the hull to deck joint and surround the decked areas, were badly damaged on both sides. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The radar mast which had been stepped on JO BETH’s stern and
held the radar and wind powered electrical generator was gone. The cabling for
the instruments trailed over the battered stern and into the muck beneath the
hull. The aluminum mast and its stainless-steel support struts did significant
damage to the stern area as they departed the boat. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JO BETH’s cockpit area was filled with storm debris and
mangrove branches. Remarkably, the drains were still clear, so little standing
water had accumulated. Equally as remarkable, the plastic compass cover and
chartplotter covers were still in place! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cabin lock was in place and did not look to have been
bothered. I turned the combination to the correct sequence of numbers and
pushed the hatch open. Inside, the cabin was an absolute mess, but dry. No water had gotten in
below decks, save a bit of spray from the tiny joints and gaps in the companionway doors and
the overhead sliding hatch. All of the gear we had stowed below, as well as our
things which were always kept below, had been tossed everywhere. Some lockers
had opened and spilled their contents all over.<br />
<br />
Her cockpit lockers and their
contents were dry, as was the engine compartment. Her batteries were nearly
fully discharged, but indicated the electrical system was serviceable. We could
only see a small area of the rear port side of the bottom, as well as the
rudder and propeller, and saw no serious damages there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I took a few more pictures, locked the cabin, and climbed
back through the tangle of mangrove branches into the dinghy. No one said
anything; I had been giving a running report of conditions as I moved around JO
BETH. Lisa took my hand in hers. David started the dinghy outboard motor and we
made our way through the shallows back into the harbor. Brenda gave Lisa a
quick hug. As we glided out of the shallow mud flats and into the deeper water
of the harbor, I watched the ghostly outline of a sailboat, sunk and on its
side, pass beneath us. A few yards west of where JO BETH sat, the mast of another
lost sailboat was visible just above the water. We were one of the fortunate
ones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JEZEBEL, the Pearson 424 sailboat belonging to our friends
Susan and John, had been pushed far into the mangroves about a half-mile east of
JO BETH. She had more damage than JO BETH and was declared a total loss by her
insurers. SERENITY was extremely lucky. During Irma, she had drifted down onto
the wreck of a sailboat which had sunk on its mooring behind her, her keel
entangling in the mast and rigging of the wreck. She was held fast throughout
Irma’s fury. Remarkably, no other boats struck her. She escaped with some minor
damage to her keel and rigging.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What? Me Worry?</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Salvage is dangerous. Salvage is an indelicate process,
even when all goes according to plan. There have been many instances where an
otherwise lightly damaged vessel has been destroyed in the process of its
recovery from some difficult situation. In my work I’ve planned, arranged, and
supervised the salvage of hundreds of vessels. Salvage still makes me nervous.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
JO BETH’s position on the outside edge of the boat pile was
to her advantage, as was the fact she remained dry inside. As the salvors and I
saw it, there were two primary options for her recovery. The first was to
position a barge with a crane as close as was possible to her; strap her, lift
her, and swing her so that she could be placed in deep water and taken under
tow. The second was to build a sling around the hull and lay down ‘skidding
materials’ – usually sheets of plywood or old mattresses - to create a
makeshift path. Then, she would be pulled by winch onto her port side, with her
bows turned towards the ‘path’ as much as possible, and drug to deeper water. As
she entered deeper water, air bags would be placed under her to be sure she
didn’t stay on her side and swamp. Regardless of the method, either would have
to be done at high tide. Clearly, the former was the preferred route to take.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3LZkJlx0DvWYSSJK9ymq3YAmRJdXGuYaYWNofU_wTMUsgHUR5jtsXt7JRDFRPeEBaPpZtAp28tUS5qQum3ETRwQWBkrvFl_2Ha3EpvjMD2vPnh6aapnYouGBK6PNtVsS4i1gPDiwlX9H/s1600/20170928_154803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3LZkJlx0DvWYSSJK9ymq3YAmRJdXGuYaYWNofU_wTMUsgHUR5jtsXt7JRDFRPeEBaPpZtAp28tUS5qQum3ETRwQWBkrvFl_2Ha3EpvjMD2vPnh6aapnYouGBK6PNtVsS4i1gPDiwlX9H/s400/20170928_154803.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Preparing for salvage; note the diver under the boat</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a function of my job, I had been out with salvage crews early
in the recovery process, not only to show them JO BETH, but several other
vessels which were insured by my client. Salvage began in earnest and boats
were moving out of the mangroves and from under bridges, etc. at a decent pace.
When JO BETH’s turn came, one Thursday afternoon, I was caught completely off guard.
I had not been given any indication the salvage was to proceed that day, or
even that week. Tidal conditions were good, but on this day the high tide had
just passed and the salvage crews were only beginning to set up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I called Lisa to let her know things were moving. She, along
with Brenda and David, drove over to the City Marina Parking lot; from there,
JO BETH was partially visible through the tangle of mangrove branches. I
hitched a ride on one of the local Tow BOAT/US boats with which I had been
working the past few weeks. When we arrived, the salvage crews were just
starting to position the heavy nylon lifting straps around her hull. A diver
was in the water – mangrove muck, really - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>positioning a strap at the bow. A deckhand was
on her deck, waiting to take the strap and pull it around the hull. A strap was
already fixed at her stern. Glancing down, I noticed mangrove leaves on the water’s
surface floating towards the harbor. Winds were light. The tide was going out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crane rumbled to life. Two of the barge deckhands took
hold of tag lines, one at JO BETH’s bow, the other at her stern, to minimize
any spinning she may do as she was lifted. Then the lift began. Once the
suction of the mangrove muck released its hold on JO BETH’s keel, she slowly
rose. Then, with the loud pop and snap of a few stubborn branches, she was swung
out of the mangroves and over the mud flat shallows. The physical lift had taken almost an hour, but after nearly 20 days in the mangroves, JO BETH was freed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFovJ9VDlxPpWR01e5Qd7DfjJ97WIYq9PJJy9dkyEPngHSOGgdj_6D0blwDMob2fAsLuCHAVFnDqIYwcM4OVYxVW9_8-q_LHfTbr75lb7dWIywDasiqEqUSyVSE_x_1jw5b9E6RaV1jOg3/s1600/20170928_170207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFovJ9VDlxPpWR01e5Qd7DfjJ97WIYq9PJJy9dkyEPngHSOGgdj_6D0blwDMob2fAsLuCHAVFnDqIYwcM4OVYxVW9_8-q_LHfTbr75lb7dWIywDasiqEqUSyVSE_x_1jw5b9E6RaV1jOg3/s400/20170928_170207.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>JO BETH is lifted free of the mangroves</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
JO BETH needs a minimum of five feet of water in which to
float. More accurately, she needs a minimum of 5.01 feet of water to float; any
less and she is aground. The tide had been running out for the time it had
taken to lift JO BETH. Now, with her weight fully on the forward edge of the
barge, the bows of the barge sank into the soft mud bottom. The barge’s boat crew
throttled up their 700HP of reverse pull, but nothing was moving. Jared Frank, the Tow Boat/US tow boat captain, quickly
swung the tow boat around and moved to an outboard corner of the barge. One of the tow boat crew passed a tow line to the
barge crew, who secured it to a cleat on the barge deck. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pull to deep water began in earnest. After about 30 minutes,
the barge was floating. The tow boat disengaged and the barge, with JO BETH
hanging from the crane boom, continued to deeper water. Once the water depth
measured seven feet, JO BETH was lowered until she was floating.
A check for incoming water by the salvage crew revealed a dry boat. The towing line was made fast to a bow cleat on her foredeck and before the sun set, JO
BETH was made fast to the western seawall at Marathon Boat Yard. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had thought the radar and wind powered generator, as well
as the radar mast, was in the mangroves beneath the boat. Once the salvage was
complete, we realized this was not the case. The cables were broken with
nothing attached to their ends. The mast, with the radar and generator, lay
somewhere in the muck of the harbor bottom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two days later, on a humid and cloudy Saturday morning, Lisa and I
met with our insurance company surveyor, Steve Mason, from Annapolis, Maryland.
Now that JO BETH was out of the mangroves, it was clear the damages were more
extensive than we had initially realized. Steve completed his survey and damage
assessment with the understanding that another survey and assessment would be
made when she was hauled from the water and moved to a repair facility. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Git 'R Done...</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was unfortunate but unavoidable: JO BETH would have to
leave the Florida Keys in order to be repaired. It’s not that Key's repair facilities
there weren’t up to the task. Certainly, there are some which we would never
set foot in; that can be the case most anywhere. There were more than a few
capable of doing the work had they not been overwhelmed and damaged themselves.
An important factor for us is that JO BETH is also our home. The repairs needed
to be done properly of course, but they also need to be completed as quickly as
possible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After lengthy discussion, we felt our best choice was to
return to the Hinckley Yacht Services facility in Savannah, GA where we had
just finished our refit several months earlier. We contacted the facility and
advised them of our decision; they were delighted and ready to receive JO BETH.
Thumper Brooks, the operations manager at Pacific Seacraft, recommended the
marine trucking company Deep Water Transport out of Washington, NC, which
specialized in the hauling of sailboats. I spoke with Judith at the Deep Water office on
the same day and made arrangements for JO BETH to be taken to Hinckley. On the
Tuesday afternoon following her extraction from the mangroves, we watched as
she was loaded onto the truck trailer and left Marathon Boat Yard, the truck and trailer turning east onto the Overseas
Highway. Lisa and I found it amusing and almost ironic that the preparation instructions from Deep Water Transport warned us repeatedly to "prepare your vessel for hurricane force winds."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwFcKpgq_uBrdMEKAQVDPcvo0yyIWDi0IopbTQAMQIx_6AzBl9QPcdCX6Zi888bC25nOCE-UDcTfmZc10W86JE79cWrV9Cyn3XwBpPKOqWH9KqH5h_4mPYeeRZ5_ALHzWxCnD2z0a15nk/s1600/IMG_3993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOwFcKpgq_uBrdMEKAQVDPcvo0yyIWDi0IopbTQAMQIx_6AzBl9QPcdCX6Zi888bC25nOCE-UDcTfmZc10W86JE79cWrV9Cyn3XwBpPKOqWH9KqH5h_4mPYeeRZ5_ALHzWxCnD2z0a15nk/s400/IMG_3993.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>JO BETH being loaded for transport to Savannah</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our small inflatable dinghy fared well enough in the storage
building at the City Marina. Apparently, it floated around as the building flooded,
even though it was deflated. The outboard motor was not as fortunate as it was
fully submerged. By the time we were able to get to it, it was damaged beyond
reasonable repair. We gave it to another sailor who lived aboard his boat in
the mooring field to use for parts. His name was Michael; I don’t recall ever knowing
his last name. Michael looked like Captain Jack Sparrow in the flesh, beads in
the beard and all. He even walked like the movie character. He’s one of the
many individuals that make Boot Key Harbor the special and unique place that it
is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa left Marathon the day after JO BETH for Savannah. Our
friends Justin and Christa Taylor live in Savannah and were about to leave on a
week-long vacation. They needed cat sitters; Lisa needed a place to stay. Since
we like cats, the deal was struck. JO BETH arrived at Hinckley on schedule and
was blocked in the repair yard. I stayed in Marathon to continue working for
another 12 days and then departed for Savannah. Shortly after I arrived, Lisa and
I moved into a small, one-bedroom apartment on Wilmington Island, one of the
barrier islands east of Savannah proper. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the next week, we moved ourselves off of JO BETH. Once
she was emptied, we gave her interior a thorough wipe down with a dilution of
water and vinegar to stave off any mold and mildew growth and placed Damp Rid
around the cabin and berthing areas. We stacked our mattresses, cushions, and
all manner of boat gear in every nook and cranny of our new apartment. We then
did at least 20 loads of laundry, perhaps more. We were surprised to only have
to discard a couple of t-shirts and one set of sheets due to mildew.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After multiple additional assessments by the Hinckley
service manager and trade foremen, we believe we have a good handle on the
damages. Boat yards often move slowly, as can the processes of insurance
claims, but repairs are now well underway. The major fiberglass repairs have
been completed and JO BETH is being readied for painting. Thankfully, in spite of the damage to the hull, the hull to deck joint was not compromised. However, additional damages were found once she was at the Hinckley yard; all of her
deck railings were bent and some had broken and fractured; the standing rigging
for the mast is to be replaced, and we found significant, but non-structural, damages
to the keel and bottom. The total repair charges will be just under $80,000.00.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLoI-RZjy9_LqHvP0Kp_79lIF3juSabnPKfth4smZDDB6HCyyhLiog98i3dFSFI36xPSjBkVSXuMiKnZUVlwWctZJDHXVSjpea1MjbWPNR7CA5PrzGI510p4s1zqGaLEqq0dNVb3ZTYaY/s1600/2017122795123120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="1172" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLoI-RZjy9_LqHvP0Kp_79lIF3juSabnPKfth4smZDDB6HCyyhLiog98i3dFSFI36xPSjBkVSXuMiKnZUVlwWctZJDHXVSjpea1MjbWPNR7CA5PrzGI510p4s1zqGaLEqq0dNVb3ZTYaY/s400/2017122795123120.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The down and dirty business begins</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We’re also taking this time to complete a few personal
projects while in the boat yard; things such as the installation of a Monitor Windvane
self-steering system, which is essentially an autopilot which uses the wind instead of electricity
to steer the boat. We’re modifying the stern propane locker to accommodate a
stern anchor cable system and adding an additional battery to the electrical
system. And of course, there are a few maintenance related jobs to complete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re anticipating – and hoping – for repairs to be completed
by mid-summer. At that time, we’ll move back on board, then spend the next few
months in a safe harbor until hurricane season is finished. Our cruising plans
are to return to the Keys for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and in the
spring, spend some time in the Bahamas. After that, we’re considering sailing
to New England for the summer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>There are So Many Others...</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of the Caribbean Islands are still in recovery and will be for years to come, as will the Florida Keys. Puerto
Rico is getting a lot of attention, but it's still not enough. Smaller island nations, Barbuda and Dominica specifically,
were literally smashed. And many people in the Keys, and Boot Key Harbor in
particular, who chose to stay on their boats and in their homes during Irma,
did so at the expense of their lives. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whenever we think things become difficult and
frustrating for us, we remember them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>From Us to You...</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> </b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks for sticking with us. Thanks for checking on us and
asking how we’re doing. We appreciate it much. I’m back into my posting routine
and have plans to expand things with the blog once we’re sailing again. In the
meantime, I’ll continue to update our progress with JO BETH’s repairs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Please stay in touch. </div>
<br />
Links to those companies and businesses referenced in this post:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.spaghettimodels.com/">www.spaghettimodels.com</a> - Mike's Weather Page - tons of weather information and data<br />
<a href="http://www.boatus.com/">www.boatus.com</a> - Tow Boat/US on the water towing service<br />
<a href="http://www.deepwatertransport.com/">www.deepwatertransport.com</a> - Boat transport/hauling<br />
<a href="http://www.marathonboatyard.com/">www.marathonboatyard.com</a> - Marathon Marine Center & Boat Yard<br />
<a href="http://www.hinckleyyachts.com/location/savannah-georgia/">www.hinckleyyachts.com/location/savannah-georgia/</a> - Hinckley Yacht Services, Savannah, GABill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-80744050730223675472018-03-07T14:51:00.001-05:002018-03-07T17:27:36.785-05:00Long Overdue...Hello everyone,<br />
<br />
Just a quick update to let all of you know what's happening. For those who follow us and don't know, Jo Beth was damaged in Hurricane Irma last September while in Marathon, Florida. She's now back in Savannah, GA at the Hinckley Yacht Services repair facility undergoing repairs from damages caused by the hurricane.<br />
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I'm sure you all can understand the lack of updates. We are doing well, living in a tiny and expensive one bedroom apartment. (Lisa calls it our 'compartment.') We hope to be back aboard our floating home by midsummer.<br />
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I'll have a more comprehensive update soon. In the interim, here are a few pictures. Thanks for sticking with us!<br />
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<i>JO BETH in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon, FL. This was one of our last looks at her as we prepared to evacuate the Florida Keys and head to Ganiesville, FL...thanks again Mandy and family</i><br />
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<i>Thanks to Brenda Collins and David Bell for sending this picture; this was our first indication of how she had fared, and came four days after the storm</i><br />
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<i>Repairs are underway at the Hinckley Yacht Services facility, Savannah, GA</i></div>
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<br />Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-60360807520173625042017-04-29T14:18:00.001-04:002017-04-29T18:18:47.579-04:00Boat Life, Dock Life<style>
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Yet again, I’ve been slow and slack in my posts here. The
truth is, there’s simply not too many things going on that might make for
interesting updates. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say, that nothing
particularly exciting is going on for us. Lisa and I are adjusted to life in
the Keys, quite well, I should add. We are enjoying ourselves immensely and we
look forward to the next year or so we have remaining here.</div>
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<i><b>Conch Ceviche and stone crab claws - it's what's for dinner</b></i></div>
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We have been getting out to new restaurants on occasion, but
often find ourselves gravitating back to certain ones. As those who follow us
on FaceBook know, one of our favorite meals is stone crab claws and conch
ceviche. Stone crab season ends on May 15, so I expect we’ll be spending lots
of time at Keys Fisheries in the coming days. Grouper and dolphin season come
on the heels of stone crab season. For the seafood lover in us, there’s always
something to look forward to. And for the uninitiated, ‘dolphin’ in this case
refers to the fish called dorado in the Caribbean and is most likely known to
most of you as mahi-mahi, it’s Pacific region name. </div>
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We’ve also found a few little Cuban treasures too, roadside
hole in the wall sort of places where the pork roast is marinated in delicious
potions of citrus and garlic then slow roasted for hours until it is melt in
your mouth tender. Then, of course, there are the black beans and rice and if that wasn't enough, there are the
sweet and sticky fried plantains. Yum!</div>
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Unfortunately, JO BETH has not left the slip since we
arrived in February. We’ve had lovely sunny and warm weather, accompanied by
weeks and weeks of howling winds. Remember our deck awning, which I wrote about
in the last post? We took it down in advance of some squally weather a week or
so after we put it up, and it’s been stowed away since. </div>
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<b><i>Spring squall over Hawk Channel</i></b></div>
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Lisa and I are both working as well which occupies most of
our weekdays. We have had friends pass through Marathon on their way to the Bahamas and
islands south who’ve been stuck here for days. Our friends Ken and Carrie
aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">GRIFFIN</i>, also a Pacific
Seacraft, arrived in Marathon after a rough ten day crossing of the Gulf of
Mexico from Port Aransas, TX. They were here for nearly a month, making minor
repairs to sails, etc., but primarily waiting for a weather window to continue
on. That window finally came for them last Tuesday and they left on a favorable
wind for South Bimini in the Bahamas. They arrived Wednesday afternoon and are
now very likely pinned down once again by the same winds which are keeping us
in place. Things will ease as summer approaches, and Lisa and I are planning
some early summer cruises around the Keys.</div>
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<b><i>S/V GRIFFIN, now sailing in the central Bahamas</i></b></div>
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Part of the sailing life is meeting and saying goodbye to
friends. Bruce and Rhonda, aboard their catamaran <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LILA JANE</i> left Marathon yesterday and are working their way north
for the summer. We went to dinner and spent a few hours in their cockpit
Thursday evening, discussing how the departure of friends is one part of this
life many people can’t relate to, and how it not only affects the people
staying put, but the people leaving. Most of us don’t live in a situation where
our home moves with us, wherever we may be. And after you’ve been in one place
for months or longer, leaving that place can be a bit odd. For me, the odd bit
is experiencing the realization we won’t be coming back this way again, or at
least not for a while. I remember that when we left Brunswick, GA bound for the
Keys, the reality that we were indeed leaving didn’t sink in until the next morning when we left
our first anchorage behind Cumberland Island and didn’t turn back north, but
continued heading south. </div>
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The cruising population of Marathon is dwindling, as boats
move north for the coming summer and hurricane season. It’s easy to forget that
Marathon is a small town when the snowbirds are here. There’s one McDonald’s, a
Burger King and a couple of other fast food places. Shopping is limited to
Beall’s and the strangest K-Mart we’ve ever been inside of. There are two
grocery stores, a Winn-Dixie and Publix, both miniature versions of their
cousins in Miami. The nearest Starbucks are 35 miles east in Islamorada and 45
miles west in Key West. Marathon does have a great little coffee loft, situated
on the upper floors over a potter’s and glass arts studio. Amazon has become a
major resource for our shopping, even for groceries.</div>
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<b><i>Tiller, cat left and Rudder, cat right live aboard S/V WIND SPIRIT but spend time aboard JO BETH on occasion - particularly if that occasion involves food</i></b></div>
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Boat life is boat life. Lisa and I are quite content aboard
our little home. We’ve been pseudo adopted by our neighbor’s cats, Tiller and
Rudder. And even dockside, boat things still break. We’ve spent time replacing
cracked or broken fittings on tanks and repairing various hinges, cleaning
strainers, etc. We’re continually resolving stowage issues and still removing
little-used gear from the boat. In the evenings, we're entertained by tarpon hunting mullet in the marina basin, and on a few early mornings, have awakened to find a manatee scratching it's back on our hull.</div>
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<b><i>Sunset over the Atlantic</i></b></div>
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All in all, boat life is dock life, and together they make up our water life – and that’s a good
life!</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-74098366071549079672017-02-19T15:14:00.003-05:002017-02-19T15:14:48.430-05:00Getting Settled...<div class="MsoNormal">
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This will be a short update. Not too much has been
happening; as with most arrival stories, we’ve arrived and are slowly settling
into a routine, getting back to work, and wrapping up the more urgent post
voyage boat projects and repairs.</div>
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<i>Key Colony Harbor entrance, looking out to Hawk Channel and the Atlantic Ocean; though we say we're in Marathon, we are technically in Key Colony Beach</i></div>
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One of the bigger projects we were saving to do until we
were here in the Keys was the fitting of our sun awning. The awning keeps the
sun off of the boat and on warm and sunny days while at anchor, it can keep the
cabin a good bit cooler than it otherwise might be. We can roll up or lower
flaps to adjust for the angle of the sun, and in a light shower, we can leave
hatches open to keep ventilation flowing. The benefits of it at the dock are
somewhat reduced, as the breezes typical in an anchorage are reduced by the
protection of a sheltered marina. Still it was an essential task.
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This particular awning has something of a history. When we
began our refit, we had specified a full sun awning to be built. During the bid
process, we came across an opportunity to purchase this particular awning. The
catch however, was that it was not built for our boat, but for the 37’ model
also built by Pacific Seacraft. The awning had been built for the owners of a
brand new 37, but because of the awning’s size and weight, they decided not to
accept it. Instead, they left it with Pacific Seacraft and instructions to sell
it to someone who’d give it a good home. </div>
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That someone turned out to be us, and the owners of the
awning made us an offer which we couldn’t pass up. Still, it was a puzzle of
sorts, especially since it had not been made for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH.</i> Though the 37’ and 34’ models of our boat are quite
similar, there are enough differences to make things a little confusing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq3V0kw78cKsAfenlkeJt1YANA4C6fSNkndpvfBN6by8Rtgxp8FN98R6elQJLE4SkHMGxwjhBBgQOPLm0qQeZi5YFHKXGGF4MIKvDiHUkJRyBaVb9v0TrkCtKZtS549_Tkgp9ZDyn6VYw/s1600/20170218_175139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq3V0kw78cKsAfenlkeJt1YANA4C6fSNkndpvfBN6by8Rtgxp8FN98R6elQJLE4SkHMGxwjhBBgQOPLm0qQeZi5YFHKXGGF4MIKvDiHUkJRyBaVb9v0TrkCtKZtS549_Tkgp9ZDyn6VYw/s320/20170218_175139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>JO BETH, sporting her 'new' sun awning</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i></div>
Within a few hours, we had the awning up and secured. We
also had help from a couple of passing fisherman vacationing here from
Michigan. They seemed quite taken with the novelty of our lifestyle, and joined
us under the shelter of the awning in the cockpit for a beer and conversation.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1zQUfAbteq8SvnwYmLzQf5sSDolP2lkhyphenhyphenb5U7JUGOYK8_NtaG4305Vlnhxt-RZLyWtq9HQFHG8Jb9ZirJ-tkHUkmXCok4YIW-AV0uxQ68PslkllQZshfy_vhfejitqh4K5im7nnC3ohG/s1600/20170218_175731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1zQUfAbteq8SvnwYmLzQf5sSDolP2lkhyphenhyphenb5U7JUGOYK8_NtaG4305Vlnhxt-RZLyWtq9HQFHG8Jb9ZirJ-tkHUkmXCok4YIW-AV0uxQ68PslkllQZshfy_vhfejitqh4K5im7nnC3ohG/s320/20170218_175731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The awning from astern - please forgive the 'cell phone zoom effect'</i></div>
<br />
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We’re also exploring the islands and getting reacquainted
with the Keys. When we lived in Miami, we kept our first little sailboat in
Marathon for a few months, behind a friend’s canal house at their private dock.
After a year or so there, we moved it to another private slip in Islamorada, in
the upper Keys. That was 20+ years ago, and the changes which have swept
through the Keys in our absence are quite astounding.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More to follow!</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-72070767633825351052017-02-07T19:06:00.002-05:002017-02-07T20:05:07.813-05:00Marathon!<style>
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<br />
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It was when Lisa and I were dating that I introduced her to
the idea of sailing the world aboard a small sailing yacht. At the time, Lisa’s
primary sailing experience had been aboard tall ships – specifically, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">R/V WESTWARD</i>, a part of the Sea
Education Association. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WESTWARD</i>
was a topsail-schooner – at 100’ in length, she was a far cry from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH. </i>Nonetheless, I persisted,
peddling off books for her to read written by the legends of world cruising of the time;
Eric and Susan Hiscock and their multiple trips around the world in their
wooden yacht <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WANDERER</i> and their
subsequent wood and steel boats of the ‘Wanderer’ name; Hal and Margret Roth
aboard their 36’ yacht <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WHISPER</i>, and
Larry and Lin Pardey, aboard their wooden and engineless 24’ cutter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SERAFFYN</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIkRB_vOjzwYrfeQohQn-gYZ-Pt6T7wXdj0UI8i4tpwzyEwQyu_fqjtC8xpJADRPOftgozak2jIHXcPscmzdVs56JY7lFUYsqxk_uvMKhVeZdBJ96ITr7J_Rgvv_8H1fcu-Tfpah9naMn/s1600/20170201_135906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjIkRB_vOjzwYrfeQohQn-gYZ-Pt6T7wXdj0UI8i4tpwzyEwQyu_fqjtC8xpJADRPOftgozak2jIHXcPscmzdVs56JY7lFUYsqxk_uvMKhVeZdBJ96ITr7J_Rgvv_8H1fcu-Tfpah9naMn/s320/20170201_135906.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Leaving Ft. Pierce, Florida</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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On one of our weekend trips to the Georgia coast to sail in
our first little sailboat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SEA SCHELL</i>,
Lisa said as we began the drive from Atlanta, “all these people do is struggle
to get somewhere, then fix everything that broke when they get there.” I looked
at her for a long moment. “Yeah,” I finally said, “that’s true. But it’s better
than life in a cubicle, right?”
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is an unfortunate fact that on our first full day in
Marathon, my time was spent replacing the shower sump pump, repairing a cracked
fitting in the waste holding tank vent line, and trying to puzzle out why the
aft water tank refuses to fill to capacity. By the end of the day, I was tired,
hot, stiff, and very tired of banging my head and scraping my knuckles.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We left Ft. Pierce on a brilliant and warm Wednesday
afternoon, motoring out the inlet channel, and pointing the bow south into the
blue Atlantic, we set the sails. The winds were light and no sooner than not,
we were motor-sailing so as to hold our course and direction. As the sun
dropped below the western horizon, we changed into warmer clothes, and once
past the St. Lucie Inlet, we settled into the night routine of an offshore
coastal passage. Shortly before 9pm, we rolled in the headsail as the winds had
shifted a bit more to the east and south, making it difficult to keep the sail filled.
A persistent two knot current against us also made things a tad frustrating. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxdLF0MvXNsR2cXh9o2zQrY-Taa0h789Q63M6zgjYzrbRmS1FJokFJ8YK_Dhiv2g0C4fX-kzg9Q3InUfXpGKKvv5exJFA_rLCOhtA6pmdgfTa0F-xob9GV3A9mTVz1kostiUyw0B8-IJG/s1600/20170201_143112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxdLF0MvXNsR2cXh9o2zQrY-Taa0h789Q63M6zgjYzrbRmS1FJokFJ8YK_Dhiv2g0C4fX-kzg9Q3InUfXpGKKvv5exJFA_rLCOhtA6pmdgfTa0F-xob9GV3A9mTVz1kostiUyw0B8-IJG/s320/20170201_143112.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Atlantic Blue Water!</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The night passed quietly with both of us keeping watch until
midnight. Then Lisa went below for a two-hour sleep as we continued south. At
2am, I woke her and we changed the watch. She cheated a little and didn’t wake
me at 4am, but I awoke at about 4:45. I went on deck as we were approaching Ft.
Lauderdale and a traffic jam. There was a container ship about 8 miles east of
us going south; our AIS system identified her as the <i>WASHINGTON EXPRESS,</i> and<i> </i>reported she was going to the Port of Houston,
Texas. Three cruise ships were in-bound to Ft. Lauderdale, and our courses were
going to cross. However, the big wrench in all of this was the U. S. Navy. They
were conducting ‘surface operations’ in the channel entrance to Ft. Lauderdale.
We’re not 100% sure as to what was going on, but essentially, there was a Navy
submarine, on the surface, running a prescribed course. It was interesting to
hear the Navy and cruise ship captains discuss right of way issues over the radio. We drew
little attention and only had to talk to one cruise ship to clarify our
intentions as to where we were going in relation to where they were going.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxCxhXtz9ichl4fRuPtb0jebRSlbd_NYt2XCMaPnrP427eNnIvPRkoy1f3gI_p4p5taIEO0tXdl-8H4TXjMOriG_6HbyujBQx50lW5hSY3yNeBfW6bigBOhtpNL8kHomNiKFvdD28v5ZR/s1600/20170202_074148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxCxhXtz9ichl4fRuPtb0jebRSlbd_NYt2XCMaPnrP427eNnIvPRkoy1f3gI_p4p5taIEO0tXdl-8H4TXjMOriG_6HbyujBQx50lW5hSY3yNeBfW6bigBOhtpNL8kHomNiKFvdD28v5ZR/s320/20170202_074148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sunrise off of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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By 11am the following morning, we passed through the Port of
Miami and soon we turned south into the broad and shallow waters of Biscayne Bay. After refueling
at a local marina on the mainland side of the bay, we headed east across the
bay to anchor for the night in a protected cove behind Key Biscayne. In many ways, this was something of a homecoming for us. Lisa and I lived in Miami for many years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Our plans had been to take the Biscayne Channel out of the bay
and into Hawk Channel and then continue south to the area of Plantation Key in the upper portion of the Keys island chain. We
couldn’t make the run from Miami to Marathon in one day in Hawk Channel; the
distance is too great and with the proliferation of coral reefs surrounding the
channel, running at night is ill advised. Going on the offshore side of the
reef wasn’t an option either, as the western edge of the powerful Gulf Stream
current, which flows northward at close to 4mph or more, was very close to the reef. (The exact location
of the Gulf Stream changes frequently. It's like a river flowing within the ocean.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55FcTXzlwnImXyOSeWEmJOqumRFZzEXDErJfyacjuDsOSXNTNAn_a0mkol-9sWSeYjBzUsznqELZKSxbovPUAhuexTG8lrdVcLYoAfD4bgnI1TC2cH2g7iHsPHpInl4Rp6WDxvWGidJy2/s1600/20170202_175625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55FcTXzlwnImXyOSeWEmJOqumRFZzEXDErJfyacjuDsOSXNTNAn_a0mkol-9sWSeYjBzUsznqELZKSxbovPUAhuexTG8lrdVcLYoAfD4bgnI1TC2cH2g7iHsPHpInl4Rp6WDxvWGidJy2/s320/20170202_175625.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Anchored in Key Biscayne Bight with a few other vessels</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A listen to the weather forecast was discouraging. Winds
were forecast to fill in from the north, then become northeast then east, and
approach 20 knots. Anchorages in Hawk Channel are few and far between, and this
weather forecast essentially made each and every one of them dangerous. If we had trouble getting
our anchor to set and hold, we would risk being driven onto the rocks and hard packed
sand flats of the upper Keys.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We re-evaluated our plans and decided to take the inside
route to near Islamorada in the upper-middle Keys, then cross over to the ocean
side and Hawk Channel via Channel #5, a deep and well marked channel. The first day went well enough, passing through many
shallow areas, but with no problems, aside from discourteous fisherman passing us far too fast and too close at times in the shallow waters of Florida Bay. By sunset, we settled into Cowpens Anchorage behind
Plantation Key as the forecast filled in and the wind blew hard from the
northeast and east. After a dinner of black bean and quinoa salad, it was
lights out for us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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We woke early the next morning to discover a crack had
formed in the vent line fitting of the waste holding tank. This was a repair
that had to wait until we were at our new slip, but it did mandate some changes
in the use of the head aboard. Soon we were underway in a strong easterly
breeze of about 18 knots. Getting in to Cowpens was easier than getting out, as
we bumped bottom several times. Once out of the anchorage and back into the
channel, things got worse.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClkfdYBTnfog4f4DGzB-vp2WafjBIqQ9b65IV6HdWetcvr8Ve4eYkzdX4eJDpqgz-VTeeMNbJZQoYC0IEzTI8hBX1WBb8N15pcajgugLVdiNVnazgvYm54TApaMa-sk9M7FCDlJu1Rqj_/s1600/20170203_180642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgClkfdYBTnfog4f4DGzB-vp2WafjBIqQ9b65IV6HdWetcvr8Ve4eYkzdX4eJDpqgz-VTeeMNbJZQoYC0IEzTI8hBX1WBb8N15pcajgugLVdiNVnazgvYm54TApaMa-sk9M7FCDlJu1Rqj_/s320/20170203_180642.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sunset in Cowpens Anchorage, Plantation Key, Florida</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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The water in this part of Florida Bay is extremely shallow.
We grounded hard in mid-channel, twice, and it was here that the strong breeze
became our benefactor. The force of the wind on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> pushed us over far enough so that the keel slid off of the
bottom. Going aground is a helpless feeling, but soon enough we were underway,
and within an hour we were back in Florida Bay’s ‘deep’ waters of seven and eight feet.
I was very happy to pass through Channel #5 and back into Hawk Channel’s
relatively deeper waters of 20 and 25 feet.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By this time the breeze had lightened and shifted north. We rolled out the
headsail as we pushed west through the blue-green Atlantic waters toward
Marathon. Shortly before 2pm we made our approach to the Coco Plum Harbor
entrance channel and into Bonefish Marina, our new home. By 2:30pm, we were
secured in our slip with help from our new neighbors Ron and Fran aboard the
37’ yacht <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">QUESTERIA</i>. The marina here
is lovely. It’s very quiet and laid-back, with showers and laundry facilities,
an outdoor bar/lounge area, a small workshop and facilities to dispose of oil
and other pollutants. The water in the basin is tested regularly to make sure
that no boats illegally discharge sewage overboard and the marina requires all
boats to have their waste holding tanks pumped twice per week. There’s a small
beach within a mile’s walk and we can take our dinghy to two or three
waterfront bars and grills. The town of Marathon is a short bike ride away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCXA8orne6g2_s4wxNTcU_cuMVTGL2QLXqdL8qqmOC0J0OLfVsaSuDRP51yT7N4uTh1Q1fiBlz8wnfPBmvKvRzOZFHuGX-jWY48MfO7_VywRF4bCPX7ZzlZhva22l2ps85Geqz_DHvNXj/s1600/20170205_090150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCXA8orne6g2_s4wxNTcU_cuMVTGL2QLXqdL8qqmOC0J0OLfVsaSuDRP51yT7N4uTh1Q1fiBlz8wnfPBmvKvRzOZFHuGX-jWY48MfO7_VywRF4bCPX7ZzlZhva22l2ps85Geqz_DHvNXj/s320/20170205_090150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>JO BETH secured in her new home base, Bonefish Marina, Marathon, Florida</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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We showered and went into town with a very expensive Uber
ride for a dinner of fried conch fritters. It turns out that our Uber driver
also drives for a local cab company and that calling him through the cab
service is much cheaper. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome to the Keys!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiD4l03_gzjN1mnRXXFbVE4aNKn6MVM6HrkMBfpVA3J6PVXcbw9Dav0lbIpyq0BGt5Upy715Fmg0_Yhbclhh9iYQVJcp-XbxLqYJUtpn_RuXPmii4YYZfLzsveUnoASM06CZxagAeyTdK/s1600/20170206_070947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiD4l03_gzjN1mnRXXFbVE4aNKn6MVM6HrkMBfpVA3J6PVXcbw9Dav0lbIpyq0BGt5Upy715Fmg0_Yhbclhh9iYQVJcp-XbxLqYJUtpn_RuXPmii4YYZfLzsveUnoASM06CZxagAeyTdK/s320/20170206_070947.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Marathon sunrise</i></div>
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<br /></div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-17883564549685814432017-01-30T18:41:00.002-05:002017-01-30T18:49:54.878-05:00Dodging Cold Fronts and Ducking Drawbridges<style>
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We’ve been in Ft. Pierce, Florida, in the Ft. Pierce City
Marina since this past Saturday. We came in to wait out yet another passing
cold front and to take a few days’ rest from the Atlantic Intracoastal
Waterway, or ‘ICW,’ aka ‘the ditch.’ </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjxz9IK3ziMMaLJVr0CxUYLglRZOKS9QxZk-goP2VJj8cZS4d1-JdYFyeMAFgr89pbsgE47bqWPxu3bwXXfZbPdQENZot1atqb-q33QHi-dheuBvYRzeUU4-PVYWf1Vcp8ZwROww1pjr3/s1600/20170124_083015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjxz9IK3ziMMaLJVr0CxUYLglRZOKS9QxZk-goP2VJj8cZS4d1-JdYFyeMAFgr89pbsgE47bqWPxu3bwXXfZbPdQENZot1atqb-q33QHi-dheuBvYRzeUU4-PVYWf1Vcp8ZwROww1pjr3/s320/20170124_083015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, aka 'The Ditch'</i></div>
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We left Brunswick Landing Marina on January 19<sup>th</sup>
and spent our first night in the ditch at anchor behind Cumberland Island.
Typically, on a trip like this, we’d prefer to sail offshore. However, as Lisa
and I had both been quite sick with the crud, we decided it best to not subject
ourselves to the rigors of offshore sailing in the cold weather until we were
further south. The decision was made to travel down the ditch until
Jacksonville, FL, then hop offshore at the St. Johns River. We have sailing
friends in Jacksonville and planned to stay in a marina to meet with them. The
idea was to move offshore the following day.
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Mother nature had other plans. We ended up sitting in
Jacksonville for the next three days as a strong cold front moved over us. This
was the same weather system which brought tornadoes to many southern states. Fortunately, we had no tornadoes but we did have winds of 30-40mph and a fair amount of rain.
After the weather system had passed and on the following Tuesday, the winds
offshore were coming from the south – the exact direction which we want to go.
Once again, we took to the ditch and pushed daily to make miles, averaging
around 50 miles per day. Palm Coast, New Smyrna Beach, Titusville, Melbourne,
and now Ft. Pierce. Good anchorages are slim along these stretches and we spent
our nights in marinas secured to a dock. </div>
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The waterway is beautiful along much of the US eastern and
Gulf coasts. It is wild and undeveloped in Georgia and much of South Carolina, but
Florida south of Palm Coast is largely urban sprawl. It can be stressful too,
as the waterway is treacherously shallow in spots. By law, the ICW is supposed
to be maintained at a minimum depth of 12’ at the lowest level of tide. It
isn’t. There are many stretches in Georgia where the waterway is simply not
passable at low tide. Places along the waterway in Florida are approaching the
same situation. The issue is how the funds for maintenance of the channels are
appropriated: funding for maintaining the waterway is based upon the amount of
commerce moving on the waterway. But when the shoals build up and moving cargo
and commodities on the ICW becomes problematic, the movement of cargo upon the
waterway slows or even stops altogether. With no commerce moving, there’s no
funding to maintain the depths and the rest of the waterway infrastructure. It’s
the original Catch-22. Recreational boats, such as ours, who make up the vast
majority of waterway users don’t count in the figures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n7orVian4jkkUSlgwANOfpQ4ltWceK95diErhrjiIdo5UvIywBxoIsm7a0hNQxnREtZoaIGKg_qGRUHmBvllPE0CTk4qauYPYV8Y7TuoD_1c0GIYIWCXEuWO2vRPk_bNdXMNk4V3S9xL/s1600/20170127_120658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9n7orVian4jkkUSlgwANOfpQ4ltWceK95diErhrjiIdo5UvIywBxoIsm7a0hNQxnREtZoaIGKg_qGRUHmBvllPE0CTk4qauYPYV8Y7TuoD_1c0GIYIWCXEuWO2vRPk_bNdXMNk4V3S9xL/s320/20170127_120658.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>On the wide but frightfully shallow Indian River; the average depth we saw was 8.5'; one of the many drawbridges we passed through can be seen in the distance</i></div>
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Also, we couldn’t easily sail on the waterway as it’s too
narrow in most places. All of our miles were made under diesel power. This
isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as diesel engines in sail boats are often
woefully neglected.
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Our own set of minor waterway troubles caught up with us,
when on our way to our stop in New Smyrna Beach, we went aground just south of
Ponce de Leon Inlet. We swung too wide on one navigational mark and hit the
sandy, muddy, bottom which was shaped like a ridged potato chip. We went over
the first hump in the muck only to ride up on another. As the tide rose and we
attempted to extricate ourselves, we repeated this same action three different
times. At one point, we were almost centered directly between the channel marks
and still fast aground. Eventually, we called a tow boat and once he arrived,
we were off in less than 90 seconds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO
BETH</i> is fine, as are we, but it was not a super fun couple of hours. We saw
a good number of boats aground on shallow spots that same day.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(For our fellow
boaters and sailors out there; make sure your boat insurance policy includes
towing coverage. If it doesn’t, you can get it through associations such as
Boat/US or SeaTow. How much was the bill for the ‘un-grounding’ you ask? Nearly
$1,000.00. Fortunately, we are covered at fraction of that cost for the entire
year.)</i></div>
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And then there are the bridges which crisscross the
waterway. Most of them are the large spans fixed at a height of 65’ which we
can easily pass beneath, but a few of them are drawbridges. There’s a protocol
for passing through a drawbridge; first, we hail the bridge tender on VHF
radio. We identify ourselves, and even though in most cases we were the only
boat approaching, we had to formally request that the bridge be opened. Some bridges
open on request, others are on a schedule of opening on the hour and half hour and/or
upon request, and some are locked down during high traffic times. Bridge
tenders are known to be a temperamental lot, (there’s one in south Florida
known for only responding to hails when the full formal name of the bridge is
used), but the ones we dealt with over the last week were courteous and
professional.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwSMvTevwf7FvDUo1gNLkmE0zYpddn-zHxFszpVFt-DC__rzGsvVSQ6a3z0EzBb9hDH9NKyf0N7r1ytoxPy7YlPoeGO3Sk894R1zH8911eYWfr3v4Pa0VXxHGgYLQIYXJ2ETtxX6JGLnG/s1600/20170124_113114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwSMvTevwf7FvDUo1gNLkmE0zYpddn-zHxFszpVFt-DC__rzGsvVSQ6a3z0EzBb9hDH9NKyf0N7r1ytoxPy7YlPoeGO3Sk894R1zH8911eYWfr3v4Pa0VXxHGgYLQIYXJ2ETtxX6JGLnG/s320/20170124_113114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Approaching The Bridge of Lions on our passage through St. Augustine, Florida</i></div>
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Needless to say, we’re looking forward to sailing in the
ocean once again and putting the waterway behind us for a while. The changes
coming south have been fun to watch. The water has shifted from a gray muddy
brown to a blue green and is clear enough to actually see the dolphins swimming
beside us before they break the surface. We have manatees around the boat at
night and tides are a reasonable two or three feet instead of eight to ten
feet. Palm and Sea Grape trees dot the waterfront, and the shores are built up
by mangroves and not marshes. All signs we’re making it south. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrBgyZbXCbn0Z36mmc547Re8AA8L9mDGi6a5E_7S9cs72UFWVbug5EQ4cZ0OY1Gym32xhe8P1N5qNp1qf2H22jqQgOs7aRyMvCrB9qQkAUIEjYeygbAgHVfFFk2w3CGFW7VOQjjtzSmhyphenhyphen/s1600/20170128_131407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrBgyZbXCbn0Z36mmc547Re8AA8L9mDGi6a5E_7S9cs72UFWVbug5EQ4cZ0OY1Gym32xhe8P1N5qNp1qf2H22jqQgOs7aRyMvCrB9qQkAUIEjYeygbAgHVfFFk2w3CGFW7VOQjjtzSmhyphenhyphen/s320/20170128_131407.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The water is getting lovely; the red and green intracoastal waterway markers through which we've just passed can be seen</i></div>
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Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-39995531510196500342017-01-16T13:13:00.000-05:002017-01-16T20:26:20.123-05:002016: The Year That Was<style>
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It’s the New Year, and my oh my, what a send-off 2016 gave
us all! </div>
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For us and since the last update of this blog, 2016 was a
boiling hot summer which brought record high temperatures, leaving us and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> afloat in water which resembled
spoiled chocolate milk and smelled worse. Hurricane Hermine passed over us on
September 2, as a strong tropical storm, bringing 60+mph winds and drenching
rains which helped to clear out the nasty marina basin water. While a benign
storm for us, Hermine caused catastrophic damage at one St. Simons Island
marina, sinking four yachts there. One of those sunk was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MASTER FOX</i>, belonging to friends Kevin
and Jane. At Brunswick Landing Marina, Docks One & Two were damaged, and
one navigational aid was destroyed. Other than that, Hermine wasn’t as bad as
she could have been. </div>
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Less than 10 days later, Tropical Storm Julia passed east of
Brunswick, staying offshore. However, she was close enough to bring blustery
winds and rain by the bucketful. </div>
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Then, there was Hurricane Matthew.</div>
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On Sunday September 19, Lisa and I left Brunswick Landing
Marina for the Hinckley Yacht Services yard in Savannah. We were accompanied by
friends Jim and Maryann aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA</i>,
their 49’ steel hulled ketch rigged sailboat, which was going to the
Thunderbolt Marine yard in Savannah for routine work and maintenance. We
decided to sail together overnight and offshore as the trip is short, just
under 80 miles. ‘Sailing together’ is a bit of an inaccuracy; we actually spent
most of the night ten or so miles apart. We left at 3:30 in the afternoon and chatted
with one another throughout the night via VHF radio. Since there was no wind to
speak of, we were under motor power the entire way. It was still quite warm and
Lisa and I took our off-watch time in the cockpit as the engine had warmed the
cabin significantly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQULey8vJwWxHmpZE7K2Jl-r-4GRP0_0n6bVWUXQ0TmZticJd8NHTLij0_Wq1Myl6oDiwNkOEPB2lLRC1y8ARLTN0d4bUnziziPeI6WPDVi8kXbCPHNR6kpabc-b2wdEqAitQPz1Z2Y3Ar/s1600/Copy+of+20160919_070947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQULey8vJwWxHmpZE7K2Jl-r-4GRP0_0n6bVWUXQ0TmZticJd8NHTLij0_Wq1Myl6oDiwNkOEPB2lLRC1y8ARLTN0d4bUnziziPeI6WPDVi8kXbCPHNR6kpabc-b2wdEqAitQPz1Z2Y3Ar/s400/Copy+of+20160919_070947.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Sunrise Over the Atlantic</i></div>
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We arrived at the entrance to Wassaw Sound and the
Wilmington River at approximately 4am, and did a series of long and wide
figure-eight courses as we waited for sunrise and daylight to head in. We were
also waiting to follow <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA</i> in
through the shifting, dog-leg channel as she had updated charts of the Wassaw
Sound channel and we did not.</div>
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Our trip to Hinckley was to finish up the next-to-last of
the ‘big’, i.e. ‘expensive’ tasks on our refit list. Most of you will recall
that Lisa and I had based ourselves in Brunswick to be close to her mom who was
suffering from a rare neurological disease similar to Parkinson’s. Sadly,
Elizabeth passed away during the summer, early on the morning of July 2. Some
weeks after the funeral, when Lisa and I had returned to Brunswick from Atlanta
and having finalized her mom’s affairs, we were having dinner in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH’s</i> saloon. Lisa looked at me from
across the table and simply said, “we can go now. We don’t have to stay.” We
decided that night to head south and spend the upcoming winter in the Florida
Keys, specifically in Marathon. So, we began our plans to finalize the remaining
work to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i>.</div>
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<i>SHAMBALA, in the Wilmington River</i></div>
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After powering through the Wilmington River for a couple of
hours during that sunny September morning, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO
BETH</i> was snuggly secured at Hinckley’s north service dock. Overnight trips
are tough; neither of us slept well as there’s not enough time to fall into the
‘on-watch, off-watch’ routine of offshore sailing. Plus, as we were only about 10
miles off the beach, we had to be watchful for local fishing and shrimping
boats. We were tired and had to drive back to Brunswick that same day to
retrieve our car. After a good night’s rest dockside, the real work began; budgetary
meetings were had, estimates were presented, reviewed, and revised. Within the
week, work to remove the old and defunct navigational electronics was going
strong. </div>
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A big part of the sailing life is awareness; staying aware
of what your boat is doing, staying aware of what your mate is doing, and staying
aware of what the weather is doing. Even when we’re marina bound, getting the
weather forecast is my very first task of the day. It’s all very Zen like. It
came as no surprise then, that the weather predictions began to worry us. </div>
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We watched as newly formed and rapidly intensifying
Hurricane Matthew made the forecast turn to the north after tracking
steadfastly east across the Atlantic and into the Caribbean, passing near
Jamaica; we watched as it battered Haiti, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas; and we
watched as it began its knife-edge scrape along Florida’s east coast. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> and scores of other vessels had
been hauled and blocked ashore at the Hinckley boatyard in preparation for the
possibility Matthew <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">might</i> come too
close for comfort. All the boats which were at Hinckley for work and could be
hauled were hauled, and more arrived from the surrounding areas. Soon there was
barely enough room to drive a car through the yard. The yard was cleared of any
debris that could float, drift, or be tossed around in the wind. I also went to
Isle of Hope Marina where our friend Kirby keeps his boat, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RAVEN</i>, a 1987 Pearson 31 sloop, (Kirby lives in Atlanta), and
helped him secure her for the coming blow. </div>
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We can’t stay aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO
BETH</i> under these circumstances, and so we began to look for other
accommodations until Matthew passed over. Our friend Shannon had decided to
evacuate Savannah and shelter with her family in Atlanta. Shannon and her two
cats live in a lovely, old restored house near Savannah’s Victorian district,
just south of downtown. We eagerly accepted her offer to stay in her home and take
care of kitties Max and Brie while watching the house during the storm. </div>
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By 7am on Friday October 7, rain began to fall steadily and
didn’t stop for 30 hours. By 5pm winds were gusting up into the 50mph range as
Matthew pushed closer. Jim and Maryann, on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA</i>
and afloat in a slip at Thunderbolt Marina called to inform us that the low
tide had not happened. Marinas in this region consist of floating docks which
can rise and fall with the tides. “There’s one and a half feet of the piling
left above the dock,” Jim told us in a calm and collected voice. “The forecasts
are now predicting a 12-foot storm surge, on top of the normal high tide and its
low tide right now. If it happens, the entire marina will float free. I’m concerned
we could lose <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA</i> and find
ourselves in serious trouble.” In a spur of the moment decision, we invited Jim
and Maryann to come stay with us. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(This
was not something we anticipated or expected; again, we want to send our heartfelt
thanks to Shannon for her hospitality and her generous and compassionate
response to the situation. Thank you!)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6XpmSwCZNUQLfsHoIljC6brR4W2Xq_TYc-wj9gJtgX0v6pTXPoEB9o-CxYYFBCYrwf4MWZ1b-O31R7CRsRfuv75AdQk5I-t8RqZzOoDm03dccftpzgrvMpCeA5QmYAICs8hf5WcKQKpA/s1600/10-7-matthew-satellite-1030jpg-bc75d26bc59a1a51.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO6XpmSwCZNUQLfsHoIljC6brR4W2Xq_TYc-wj9gJtgX0v6pTXPoEB9o-CxYYFBCYrwf4MWZ1b-O31R7CRsRfuv75AdQk5I-t8RqZzOoDm03dccftpzgrvMpCeA5QmYAICs8hf5WcKQKpA/s400/10-7-matthew-satellite-1030jpg-bc75d26bc59a1a51.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Infrared Image of Hurricane Matthew</i>, <i>too close along the Georgia coast</i></div>
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By 2am, winds were exceeding 70mph and rain was flooding
down from the skies. At 5am, the center of Matthew made its closest approach to
Savannah and the winds spun up into the 95-100mph range. By 8am, things were
calming down and the rain began slacking. By 2pm, the skies were clearing, but
20-30mph winds persisted. And as is typical after a hurricane has passed, the
weather was beautiful. When all was said and done, Savannah had received rainfall
totals estimated at 18”. The predicted 12’ storm surge fortunately never
materialized, but came in at just under eight feet; however, because the storm
passed Savannah just at the time of the high tide, the high tide level reached
nearly 13’. That’s nearly four feet above a typical spring tide, which is
already three feet above a normal tide!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In our temporary neighborhood, chainsaws soon became the
dominating sound. Many of Savannah’s beautiful old oaks lay in ruin and the
smell of fresh pine filled the air. Remarkably, in that beautiful old house of
Shannon’s, we never lost power, never lost cable or Wi-Fi, and had not one drop
of water come in from anywhere. We know that many others were not so fortunate.
Matthew was my fifth hurricane, and I know from experience that as bad as it
was for some, it could have been infinitely worse for all. We are grateful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thunderbolt Marina sustained some damages to its docks, but
remained intact.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>Hinckley Yacht
Services didn’t fare as well. All of the boats which were hauled were fine,
though some sustained minor damages to canvas and sails. The Hinckley boatyard however,
took a punishing blow. The north service dock vanished during the storm. The
south service dock was broken up, but remained connected to shore by the
plumbing lines and electrical cables. The office, bathrooms and showers, carpenter’s
shop, stock room, and mechanical shop were washed through by the storm surge
and coated with a layer of stinking mud and debris. The yard was without
electrical service and water for several days. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-P7QXe9ZQEr380AGrIGQhcyayIqe9yuenByP1PXjMm5TxhqSj2rOK0GixeA5ux3g1YAAiucAKRnyYaCzEtKRtJACUhQQwk62g6GtfgRqRPJg6N_WloyuD3qRDWfbua-BfAYzftkAvdbI/s1600/Copy+of+20161005_130658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-P7QXe9ZQEr380AGrIGQhcyayIqe9yuenByP1PXjMm5TxhqSj2rOK0GixeA5ux3g1YAAiucAKRnyYaCzEtKRtJACUhQQwk62g6GtfgRqRPJg6N_WloyuD3qRDWfbua-BfAYzftkAvdbI/s400/Copy+of+20161005_130658.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>JO BETH, secured shore at Hinckley Yacht Services the day before Matthew's approach; the storm surge level was almost high enough to float the ice machine over the railing</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA </i>seem to have shrugged Matthew
off. We were delighted to find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i>
to be bone dry inside. Outside, she was intact just as we had left her. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHAMBALA</i> soon left Savannah and is now
in Jacksonville, completing minor repairs to the engine fuel system and contemplating
a trip to the Bahamas or other points south.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our original plan was to be in Marathon by mid-December. With
the Hinckley boatyard down, it was clear our timetable to finish the refit work
and sail south to the Keys would be delayed. Additionally, we were now without
a home, and would be for several weeks at least. Our friend Kirby offered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">RAVEN</i> for our use and so Isle of Hope Marina
became our home once again. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(JO BETH was
docked at Isle of Hope from 2004 through 2008.)</i> By November, the Hinckley
yard was operational and shortly before Thanksgiving, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> was launched and secured afloat alongside the partially
restored south service dock. The work was completed and sea trials were conducted
in mid-December. The week between Christmas and New Year’s, we moved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> to Isle of Hope Marina for a few
days to complete our preparations to make the short run back to Brunswick.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Then I was struck with a case of the dreaded, debilitating,
cold/crud/flu junk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Djj_GjfvcVT6sdYRTske3uLmPy3ju_baQnKWfwF6VNJKP3ecCirV3ZwZJgXU_UGbneINZTMg_PgfWpwZgy7Qd6nRkGHe_8424dNR4J_KGaXuFKo0m84IyjxJLyuhzFqB3C2LlZlnd5PX/s1600/Copy+of+20161118_065403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Djj_GjfvcVT6sdYRTske3uLmPy3ju_baQnKWfwF6VNJKP3ecCirV3ZwZJgXU_UGbneINZTMg_PgfWpwZgy7Qd6nRkGHe_8424dNR4J_KGaXuFKo0m84IyjxJLyuhzFqB3C2LlZlnd5PX/s400/Copy+of+20161118_065403.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>December fog at Isle of Hope Marina</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was early on a windless and frigid New Year’s Eve morning
that Lisa and I set off from Isle of Hope Marina and traveled south in the
Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to Brunswick Landing Marina. The day was
absolutely freezing, but otherwise windless and calm. The surface of the rivers
and sounds we crossed reflected the overcast skies so perfectly that where
there were no islands or no shoreline, there was no horizon. Hot tea in insulated
mugs kept us warmed. By 4:30 in the afternoon, under a weak and setting sun,
our anchor was buried deep in the muddy bottom of the Duplin River, near Sapelo
Island’s southern-most point. Lisa whipped up a steaming pot of bison chili. Neither of us stayed awake to usher in the New Year.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH </i>lay quietly
through the night, swinging with the currents as the tide ebbed and flooded,
and saw the New Year arrive on our behalf. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On New Year’s morning, I was awake at 6am and went on deck. It
was misty and already warmer than it had been all day Saturday. In the still
darkness, I could hear dolphins nearby, and marsh hens stirring on the shore. I
stood at the bow and watched the soft luminesce glow of plankton and other
micro-critters as the incoming tide swept them through and around our anchor
chain. New Year’s Day was sunnier and warmer, and by 2pm we were in our
assigned slip at Brunswick Landing Marina.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had planned to stay in Brunswick for a week or so, to
finish organizing the boat after leaving the orchestrated chaos of the
boatyard, take care of banking and other personal business, etc. I also went to
the doctor as my crud just wasn’t leaving. After 24 hours with antibiotics, I
was feeling very much on the mend, and we began looking at departure days to
move south. We had lovely forecasts and warm weather as a send-off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then Lisa was struck with a case of the dreaded,
debilitating, cold/crud/flu junk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sent Lisa to the doc pronto, and she’s slowly getting
through it. We’re hopeful for a departure middle of this week to continue our
trip to Marathon. Unfortunately, southerly winds dominate the forecast for the
next several days for an offshore (ocean run) south – that is to say, winds are
forecast to be coming from the direction in which we want to go. Beating to
windward, or sailing close to the direction from which the wind is blowing, is
tough on the boat and the crew, and not something we want to do for prolonged
periods of time if there are other options. This especially true as we’re both
getting over being sick. For now, it seems as if the bulk of this leg towards
the Keys will be made in the Intracoastal Waterway under motor power. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa and I prefer the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.
Having to power south in the waterway is not only a bummer for us, it’s slower.
Offshore, we can sail for 24 hours at a time. In the waterway, we need to anchor
or stop at a marina for the night due to the many navigational hazards the
waterway presents; narrow channels and shoals, unlit and often dark colored crab
trap markers, unlit and unmarked structures near the channels, etc. The other
side of this is, that in bad weather, we can continue to move south in the
waterway whereas in the ocean we’d be forced to sail a different course,
possibly away from where we want to go, or otherwise seek some sort of shelter.
It’s a trade off, and while it’s not our preferred option, the waterway is the
best other option to keep moving south.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigb9yrhCRMo6upYBMpdyg1TvMAYC_1WA5WjbiG3jqIgQbeZxsMdodC1GIJzV-b5mq9oodZBPn7hxUk8McxupVrmGBL36IPtyxzf8rdeBw6lCuNV7yy2JjjtUyLrEtFdQ6XRwiHiTgtD2T/s1600/Copy+of+20161202_132755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigb9yrhCRMo6upYBMpdyg1TvMAYC_1WA5WjbiG3jqIgQbeZxsMdodC1GIJzV-b5mq9oodZBPn7hxUk8McxupVrmGBL36IPtyxzf8rdeBw6lCuNV7yy2JjjtUyLrEtFdQ6XRwiHiTgtD2T/s400/Copy+of+20161202_132755.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Hinckley Yacht Services rigger Greg Johnson finishing rigging work </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good news is, all of the major work we wanted to finish
aboard <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> has been done. We now
have functional navigational electronics, including a new GPS/Chartplotter,
RADAR, AIS, wind, depth, and speed instruments, autopilot, as well as repeaters
for all of the critical systems. AIS, which is ‘Automated Identification
System’, allows <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i> to be
identifiable to other vessels with AIS receivers. All large commercial ships
are required to carry AIS transponders and receivers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AIS is the marine equivalent of a transponder in an
airplane; at approximately one minute intervals, it broadcasts our position,
our course, and our speed. It can even broadcast our starting point and
destination, our ETA, and a host of other tidbits if we desire – and we receive
the same information from other AIS equipped vessels many miles away. It is an
excellent tool for collision avoidance. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN7MhvnGbQ6EIDr8BMGttYosfGw4HHLh77aSUSDsEvV5EoUPlf9Jjx7oQ-BqIgRR0tfJPLasBRhN_ElfyPgm8bbwaiROqUTXwhnssqHaTWdIFEmICgFEhfY9xxmaV3WUh8VvK6XM6PkND/s1600/20170116_102029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrN7MhvnGbQ6EIDr8BMGttYosfGw4HHLh77aSUSDsEvV5EoUPlf9Jjx7oQ-BqIgRR0tfJPLasBRhN_ElfyPgm8bbwaiROqUTXwhnssqHaTWdIFEmICgFEhfY9xxmaV3WUh8VvK6XM6PkND/s400/20170116_102029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKdLsYApBwMsrpqwMw86WRR6ZEFyahLQkFSbn8tGVv3jYyoMDGQHfeJhQdhS-WnfW7GVcWlJKxWwBRoDs_fv5rCyYxw7RCH7O8Yx32oj4T1yZ5lu91cybn1BSa_ytIgrTNIfcHEJ9Y8Wt/s1600/20170116_101806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKdLsYApBwMsrpqwMw86WRR6ZEFyahLQkFSbn8tGVv3jYyoMDGQHfeJhQdhS-WnfW7GVcWlJKxWwBRoDs_fv5rCyYxw7RCH7O8Yx32oj4T1yZ5lu91cybn1BSa_ytIgrTNIfcHEJ9Y8Wt/s400/20170116_101806.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>JO BETH's new GPS/chartplotter, top picture, and multi-display readout, bottom pictire</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
AIS also allows us to be tracked by various websites and
mobile apps. Marine Traffic - <a href="http://www.marinetraffic.com/">www.marinetraffic.com</a>
- is one of these; just put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH</i>
in the search box. Another is <a href="http://www.vesselfinder.com/">www.vesselfinder.com</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(It’s important to
note, that many of these sites are updated via shore stations and occasionally,
by a cooperating ship at sea. Our position may not be updated when we’re out of
range of one of these stations, moving between stations, or if we’re not moving
for a prolonged period of time, or if we have AIS shut off while we’re docked.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During our stopover in Brunswick, we discovered a minor
glitch in the new electronics. We use an iPad Pro to ‘repeat’ the
GPS/Chartplotter information, which includes data such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">JO BETH’s</i> position, speed, and course. This allows us to see what’s
going on from anywhere on the boat via the iPad, without having to be in the
cockpit. However, for some reason the iPad and plotter aren’t fully ‘shaking
hands and chatting.’ We can control the plotter from the iPad, but cannot see
the plotter display mirrored on the iPad. Its one more reminder that boats are a
continuing work in progress, and refits, projects, etc., are never really
completed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other work we finished was to the sailing rig; we’re once
again a cutter rig instead of a sloop rig, which essentially means we carry a
second and smaller headsail forward of the mast and the mainsail. We also
completed some tasks to the interior, deck, and sail control systems, such as installing
new reading lights, fitting lashing boards on deck to secure extra water and
fuel containers, adding rope clutches to make sail and line handling easier, etc.
We also performed the required annual services on our safety equipment and had
a full survey of the vessel done, out of the water and in, to keep our
insurance coverage up to date.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More to follow as we’re back on track now and finally
beginning our voyaging lives. Thanks for sticking with us!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-4834425916846906972016-05-03T17:26:00.000-04:002016-05-03T17:50:23.780-04:00Livin' and Learnin'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->Someone recently asked me what's it like to live on board our
sailboat. It didn’t take long for the answer to form in my mind. “It’s like
living in a tiny house,” I said, “only it's tinier and always moving. Plus, there's a chance
of drowning.” That ‘chance of drowning’ bit, I admit, was added for flair. Lisa
and I are very safe and very comfortable aboard Jo Beth.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobvXj2cS30c0Yxh0_TsgDhka3WvuGnonFA50a2lgxPa61aFFZ9x55c1n-wo1sR9rRTFdPu8D4J3161ILgODIfIEbklgGtofdQ51pvwzzL1Hh3QSjEHa1wysZAaUro3Yn1Y1UOtK2IsI2N/s1600/20160320_194832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobvXj2cS30c0Yxh0_TsgDhka3WvuGnonFA50a2lgxPa61aFFZ9x55c1n-wo1sR9rRTFdPu8D4J3161ILgODIfIEbklgGtofdQ51pvwzzL1Hh3QSjEHa1wysZAaUro3Yn1Y1UOtK2IsI2N/s320/20160320_194832.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Jo Beth in her slip at Brunswick Landing Marina</i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But make no mistake, the transition from life in a modest
brick and mortar house in a nice neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia, to a small
and ever moving ‘mobile’ home is a continuous work in progress. There are lots
of changes to deal with; some obvious, and some not so obvious. Not only do the
physical realities of such a move have to be addressed, but the emotional and
mental muscles will be flexed and exercised as well. And once in a while,
bruises happen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The physical aspects of our transition are clearly apparent.
Our house in Savannah measured just under 2,000 square feet, and was a
considerable downsize from our four bedroom, two and a half bath home with two
car garage where we lived in Atlanta. There isn’t the same amount of space. Not
even close. We’ve calculated the useable living space aboard Jo Beth – which
includes storage spaces in drawers, cabinets, (called ‘lockers’ on a boat),
refrigeration and freezer spaces, etc., to be approximately 250 square feet. In
the cabin, the actual space where we can stand is probably less than 40 square
feet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everything aboard Jo Beth has a home, and there is a home
for everything. Clutter can quickly get out of hand, and if we’re sailing can
actually become a hazard. It takes lots of energy from both of us to keep the
clutter under control. Surprisingly, the worst ‘clutter’ offender is paper. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since we’re both still working and aren’t (yet) able to
cruise and stay in warmer weather year-round, we need to maintain an inventory
of warm and cool weather clothes. We rent a climate controlled storage unit in
town and ‘swap’ our clothes with the seasons. The storage locker also serves as
an ‘office’ where we store our important records and papers, and holds an
inventory of boat equipment, which we either don’t need aboard at the moment or
will be selling at upcoming nautical garage sales.<br />
<br />
These matters are obvious when it comes to drastically
downsizing and living in a small space. However, yacht living is unique. There’s
much you don’t ever think about until you’re confronted with having to do something
or solve a problem not considered. We’ve been aboard Jo Beth for almost one
full year. Here is what has stood out for us:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>You’re going to Bump Your Head </u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot. And your knees, elbows, and ankles. Those of you that
know Lisa and I know how short we are – and for those of which we’ve not yet
had the pleasure of knowing, we’re short: I’m 5’4” tall, and Lisa is 5’ 2 ¾”
tall. Jo Beth’s head room is just over 6’. It’s not the ceiling (called ‘the
overhead’, on a boat) height that’s the problem but things like the latches on
the windows (called ‘ports’ or ‘portlights’) and the rounded corners of lockers
that get us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>You’re going to Knock Things Over</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jo Beth measures 10’ 6” at her widest part, or her ‘beam.’ In
the cabin interior, much of that ten and a half feet is reduced by seats,
(settees), lockers, and shelves. It’s easy for an elbow to catch a cup of
water, a bottle of wine, or whatever…and send it splashing to the cabin sole.
(The ‘cabin sole’ is the ‘floor’ in a house.) And in this same vein, things
will fall out of lockers when you open them, no matter how carefully and
securely they were stowed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Grocery Shopping is Different</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is mostly because you can only buy groceries for a few
days at a time, at least if you want to have meals prepared from fresh and not
canned or otherwise preserved ingredients. Our total refrigerator/freezer space
is approximately four cubic feet. It’s one box, partitioned by a two piece
divider into a freezer side and refrigerator side. Lisa typically assigns items
their place inside of the reefer or freezer; she has a knack for seeing things
spatially. Sometimes though, despite the best organizational efforts, the
nature of the beast wins out. You will still have to empty the reefer to get
the butter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzkD4vs8PNz8QsY-uFdJC8qkmpBymSYbijU-n41p3BBDuYhYNvpyAsWqD0Dlzoekrj9_w_gHd3cvnj1rnoniJaDaBKSzJT0pELPBEqGjbEyb6AFEfCjtR0x4NY6O-3WvHuT1OGpQHoNxw/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzkD4vs8PNz8QsY-uFdJC8qkmpBymSYbijU-n41p3BBDuYhYNvpyAsWqD0Dlzoekrj9_w_gHd3cvnj1rnoniJaDaBKSzJT0pELPBEqGjbEyb6AFEfCjtR0x4NY6O-3WvHuT1OGpQHoNxw/s320/IMG_7325.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Reefer/Freezer...</b></i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7XMXJiYv4lBvi8LXUyQafdncYqoFeR8OvrAanpMHIePHTxBhMpwd2LKTBtzSqz-i1j_MAMy-n0cD_HGHgaZKrqT2ME8Ix6aFncdAs5NRsVWQ-vnaILrQyocR9kYy8aoaMGVIemhIHc27/s1600/IMG_7326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7XMXJiYv4lBvi8LXUyQafdncYqoFeR8OvrAanpMHIePHTxBhMpwd2LKTBtzSqz-i1j_MAMy-n0cD_HGHgaZKrqT2ME8Ix6aFncdAs5NRsVWQ-vnaILrQyocR9kYy8aoaMGVIemhIHc27/s320/IMG_7326.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>...and a Peek Inside</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b><u>Food Storage is Different</u></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, it is in some ways. Our fresh fruit resides in a
hammock hung in the galley over the sink; onions, garlic bulbs, shallots, etc.
reside in another hammock strung in the locker behind the trash can. Canned
foods, boxed soups, etc. live under the starboard side settee in the main cabin
– also called the ‘saloon’ and pronounced ‘salon.’ Crackers are stowed in
plastic boxes in the same area. Snack items, like peanuts, pretzels, etc. are
stowed in one of the overhead lockers in the galley. Most spices and condiments
do well enough, with the exception of salt. There’s not a whole lot that can be
done to keep salt from clumping. If you live on a boat which floats in salt
water, you’re going to have clumpy salt in your salt grinders or shakers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Meal Planning and Preparation is Different</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jo Beth is fitted with a three-burner propane stove and
oven. Actually, the back burner on the stove is useless because of its
proximity to the wooden cabinetry, so we never use it. The stove is on gimbals,
so it can swing level when the boat is sailing and heeled; that is to say,
pushed over to one side by the force of the wind on the sails. When we want to
prepare something in the oven, we have to preheat the oven approximately 200°
warmer than is needed, because when the oven door is opened, the temperature
drops by approximately that amount. Of course, this makes the cabin much warmer
– not so bad in winter, and not so good in the summer! Thus, we tend to prepare
‘cold’ meals in the summer. We have four dinner plates, four small bread
plates, six bowls, and six forks, knives, and spoons. Our four stainless steel cook
pots nest within one another, and the lid doubles as a skillet. Planning is
critical, as the lockers where utensils are stowed requires the cook to reach <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">across</i> the stove; even getting into the
reefer or freezer requires one to reach or lean over one corner of the stove.
And, when the stove is in use, 90% of the usable counter space disappears with
the cover.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZetAvughorl1NTQeoTnE3jyfweyEnO7hxLiE5yjfezirsGUMFHgGteoB8RxC7rpSN07RN4q1zqO9gOQHFTRl5yMz40mxoICJ2p-LNjIYjNjhns3nBFSM2MdSlYzazxBYUqgwFpUySBqAa/s1600/IMG_7327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZetAvughorl1NTQeoTnE3jyfweyEnO7hxLiE5yjfezirsGUMFHgGteoB8RxC7rpSN07RN4q1zqO9gOQHFTRl5yMz40mxoICJ2p-LNjIYjNjhns3nBFSM2MdSlYzazxBYUqgwFpUySBqAa/s320/IMG_7327.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Fruit Hammock</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>You Become Aware of Resource Consumption</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though we’re on the dock more often than not these
days, all of our water and fuel for cooking is kept aboard the boat. Our
electricity is provided from batteries, though we can plug into shore side
electrical when we’re in our marina slip. When we’re away from the dock, all we
have is what we carry until we can replenish. We’ve become much more aware of
how much water we use to wash dishes, how much we use to cook, and even how
much we use brushing our teeth. We have to stay alert as to how much
electricity we’re using from the batteries, and so on. We have a wind powered
generator which can help reduce the load on our batteries when we’re sailing or
at anchor, and we can also use the engine to charge them. Still, electricity,
water, fuel, etc. are commodities – even at the dock.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Doing Laundry is Different</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or, it might be like it was in your college dorm or first
apartment. Gone are the days of separating clothes by dark colors and light
colors; of heavy loads or delicate loads. Most marinas have shared laundry
facilities and the facilities in our marina are provided as a part of the fees
we pay. We get in and get out as a courtesy to other sailors waiting to use the
machines. And, your clothes have to be dried until they are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dry.</i> Damp clothes brought back to the
boat will remain damp. In the worst case, they can become a moldy, smelly,
mess.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>You’re going to Lose Things</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a boat, and a small one at that, right? Where can you
possibly lose anything? Trust me, it will happen with regularity, and to all
manner of items: earrings, glasses, medicines, and so on. On one short, but rough
ocean passage, I could not find a pair of glasses I knew I had put in a locker
in the saloon before leaving. When I did find them, after nearly a half hour of
scouring the cabin, they were on the other side of the boat and ten feet away
from where they had started. You’re going to lose things to Neptune as well.
Earlier this year, my cell phone went into the drink when I was removing a
towel (hung up to dry!) from one of the railings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>You Become Hyper-Aware of Sounds</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People new to boats, especially those spending the night
aboard a small boat for the first time, often find the amount of noise surprising,
if not unsettling. The ocean is alive and as water is denser than air, it
carries sound waves much more efficiently. Almost everyone notices the constant
but low ‘rice-crispies-crackling’ sound made by shrimp, crabs, and other small
shellfish. The wind in the rigging often makes whistling sounds, and in stormy
weather, that whistle can become a roar. Then, there are noises the boat makes
– the tinkling of glasses jostling together when the boat rocks in the wind;
things in lockers rattling; the groaning of docklines rubbing in the chocks
when the wind shifts the boat; even the rush of water passing the hull in a
ripping tidal current. A loose soup can rolling in the bilge can make you
crazy. Then, there are the mechanical sounds; a bilge pump cycling on and off;
the fresh water pump in the galley cycling to maintain pressure in the plumbing
lines; the clicking of the propane fuel system solenoid engaging or disengaging.
Every time the air conditioning system starts, I listen for the overboard
discharge of cooling water from the pump, and make sure the condensation sump
pump runs once in a while. Each sound means something and you become keenly
aware of what it is and why it’s happening.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SC1rIkjSMjPuhCqA4wFsak_mrMCI-QibuZGbAAXBiR-2Lbu9jgpRujomPhP_biVaMtmtKkeFjvJ7zueET4j51mz_3yo2Aj5rQRNUdcZAI2a3z3-xcOQuemuNEEYe2Wu-rdBFaBz7E6tM/s1600/IMG_7328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SC1rIkjSMjPuhCqA4wFsak_mrMCI-QibuZGbAAXBiR-2Lbu9jgpRujomPhP_biVaMtmtKkeFjvJ7zueET4j51mz_3yo2Aj5rQRNUdcZAI2a3z3-xcOQuemuNEEYe2Wu-rdBFaBz7E6tM/s320/IMG_7328.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The VHF Radio can Provide Weather and Tide Information 24/7</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Weather and Tide are at the Core of Every Decision</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of what we’re planning for a given day, be it
leaving the dock for a day-long sail or a weekend trip, maintaining the
exterior wood on the boat, or simply moving gear or groceries onto the boat, the
weather and tides are given consideration. In the marina, we walk most
everywhere we go and fortunately, our docks are not the hundreds of yards long
docks we’ve encountered in many places. Still, carrying freshly washed and
dried laundry from the laundry room in a downpour is best avoided. At low tide
the dock ramps can take a steep angle of 15° or so, and in spring tide cycles,
during the full and new moons, the angle can be as much as 25°. That’s not the
time to be hoofing gear or groceries about. Summertime thunderstorms, with
their tropical storm force winds and lightning, are always a concern. You want
to avoid storms, trust me on that. We never leave the dock in bad weather. But,
if we’re underway and are set upon by a squall, we always try to be prepared.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those are a few of our observations. Both Lisa and I are reasonably experienced sailors. Lisa has sailed
as crew on tall ships during deep ocean passages, most recently on the 130’
Brigantine <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CORWITH CRAMER</i> out of
Bermuda. My experience has been gleaned in inshore coastal and near coastal
ocean waters; I singled handed my first tiny sailboat, (she was 19’), all
around the coasts of Georgia and Florida, and together with Lisa, we sailed her
throughout the Florida Keys. We’ve both sailed as crew on a variety of
different small sailing yachts. Until June of 2015, neither of us had lived
aboard together full time. However, we have spent days and weeks aboard many
boats, independent of one another and as a couple. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why are we here? Why are we doing this? To be honest, I’m
not sure how to answer either of those questions. What I can tell you is that
when we see Jo Beth, we feel the same sense of pride that many of my childhood
friends feel when they gaze of their perfectly landscaped lawns, or their dream
car, or take that long awaited trip to a mystical destination. And, we want
adventure in our lives. That’s why I began skydiving when I was 16. It’s why
I’ve hiked long distances alone, and single handed my small and fragile sailboat
through the coastal waters of these Southern United States. I think I’ve
mentioned before that my mother once said to me, ‘you always want to be where
you’re not.’ Lisa and I can move our home and almost all of our stuff anywhere
in the world, on any ocean in the world. It is a simpler way of living, of
learning more about who we are and where we want to go in life. Not everyone
could do this, or would want to. We understand that. If nothing else, we find
it to be incredibly appealing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iWSWBFBS2HTFUMgZFt855BZwaWnRsHg8zyuMY_pAnJ44y2uw2QMowWbvfB3bnQOXKicZUFPJkEOPNYRGdH0-lg134cX6LJJ3wxWB_b-mkYH_q2YfNnD2aIxohRme7MJxi84-mFcnzh_T/s1600/20160423_160827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iWSWBFBS2HTFUMgZFt855BZwaWnRsHg8zyuMY_pAnJ44y2uw2QMowWbvfB3bnQOXKicZUFPJkEOPNYRGdH0-lg134cX6LJJ3wxWB_b-mkYH_q2YfNnD2aIxohRme7MJxi84-mFcnzh_T/s320/20160423_160827.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Inbound from the Sea, St. Simons Sound</b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We and Jo Beth will continue to be a work in progress. Evolving
and adapting to one another will never end. But even after a year, you’d
suppose we should be ‘used’ to this, at least a little, for lack of a better
phrase. Or so you would think. For a month now, I’ve been looking for a box of
bronze wood screws.</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-30990729237253078942016-03-20T09:47:00.001-04:002016-03-20T09:47:55.770-04:00We Are Here...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA_68rNUcnNfFd5L8_gJWa8cJrGW1J0P4XC9Z63V9vMmEQisRHdsGleXCxSfkyNRo7xMqWpJgcj2ADHHCBbT7x4yuleQK3XBAhgdKYkjvuBtgOd1MvFUC1JF3NxTbedE9bzELF4EUuCyg/s1600/12369165_929419263773607_3844686270208215784_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRA_68rNUcnNfFd5L8_gJWa8cJrGW1J0P4XC9Z63V9vMmEQisRHdsGleXCxSfkyNRo7xMqWpJgcj2ADHHCBbT7x4yuleQK3XBAhgdKYkjvuBtgOd1MvFUC1JF3NxTbedE9bzELF4EUuCyg/s320/12369165_929419263773607_3844686270208215784_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Hinckley rigger Greg Johnson snapped this shot as Jo Beth Left the Hinckley Yacht Services Docks</i></div>
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Once again,
much time has passed since my last post in this blog. I began that last post,
some 10 or so months ago, with those same words. And just as last time, I’ll
follow with more same words – sort of: “and in that time, a lot of work aboard
Jo Beth has been completed, or brought closer to its finish.” The ‘sort of’ is
that the work associated with the refit at Hinckley Yacht Services is now
finished. Well, sort of. </div>
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That last
‘sort of’ is there to reiterate a commonality of the boating life: the boat is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finished.</i> A lot
has happened – a lot – since the last post in May, 2015. To put it all down in
details would result in a long and tedious tale. Instead, I’ll share some of
the highlights.</div>
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Lisa and I
fully transitioned to living aboard on May 31, 2015. Actually, it was just me. Lisa
happened to be out of town, starting work for a new client. The first week was
a juggling act of tasks, much as any other move would be. Work by the boatyard
was continuing, and it wasn’t uncommon for one or more of the Hinckley crew to
be working on deck, in the rigging, in the engine compartment, or in the cabin
during the time I was settling in. Truth is, this routine carried on well into
December. One very important and newly installed piece of equipment was working
beautifully – the reverse cycling air conditioning system. It kept the cabin at
a comfortable 70° during the often 100°+ days. The reverse cycling unit can also
be used to provide heating, a good thing as we remained at the yard into winter.
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The
refrigeration and freezer unit, bought second hand from another sailor, was and
still is working beautifully as well. We have an ice-maker attachment for the
freezer unit and now have ice cubes – huge two square inch ice cubes – on
demand!</div>
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After Lisa’s
return, we worked together getting things organized and finding ‘homes’ for
everything we have aboard. We’ve estimated the livable/useable square footage
on the boat to be less than 300 square feet. That’s the total useable space,
which includes the forward cabin where we sleep, the galley where we cook, and
the saloon where we live and work. The actual square footage where we can stand
– the space which our feet can occupy when we walk in and through the cabin –
is probably around 50 square feet. </div>
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Getting
organized is an on-going project. Things are constantly being taken off the
boat. They’re not always replaced unless it’s with something which can do the
same job more efficiently. We look for equipment with multiple utility, and are
always adjusting to improve efficiency. When people ask me what it’s like to
live on Jo Beth, I tell them it’s like living in a tiny house, only tinier, and
with a chance of drowning. Actually, we are quite safe, comfortable, happy, and
content aboard our little floating home.</div>
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In early
August, we conducted the first of several sea trials. This first one was under
power in the Wilmington River. This was an important step, as when Jo Beth’s
diesel fuel system was being serviced, we found a significant amount of water
had gotten into the fuel. The fuel in the tank was at least three years old,
and the plan had been to dispose of it and clean the tank anyway. The presence
of water in the fuel reinforced the need to follow through. The source was
determined to be a failed O-ring on the fuel fill cap. Once the tank was
cleaned, dried, and filled with fresh fuel the sea trial was conducted and went
flawlessly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWekLE626O6me3ouiFSoMgBPwY4xvDDfxpbDH_jzhxS7e5dNN7CiiovlUi_sXJ_hQ-tWTtbcvD_P-lChjCVx9uGsU3mHlUnGqW7rVbwQrttKg6pHQcBKYrIBGXbKI3QIRICjtvepl8zbA/s1600/11825223_10153658520345209_194915420135423582_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWekLE626O6me3ouiFSoMgBPwY4xvDDfxpbDH_jzhxS7e5dNN7CiiovlUi_sXJ_hQ-tWTtbcvD_P-lChjCVx9uGsU3mHlUnGqW7rVbwQrttKg6pHQcBKYrIBGXbKI3QIRICjtvepl8zbA/s320/11825223_10153658520345209_194915420135423582_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Rigger Greg Johnson and the new headsail</i></div>
<br />
In middle
August, our new sails arrived. They were built by Ullman Sails, in the
Deltaville, VA loft. Jo Beth’s normal ‘suit’ is of a mainsail, a headsail, and
a staysail. Right now, we have her rigged as a sloop; that is, she carries only
the headsail and the mainsail. The staysail isn’t an efficient sail for sailing
close to shore on inland coastal waters where a lot of maneuvering is required;
it’s a small and rugged sail, which we’ll use when sailing in the open ocean or
on longer coastal passages. Once we’re rigged with the staysail, Jo Beth will
magically transition from being a sloop to being a cutter. To get the sails and
their associated rigging in place took the better part of a week, some of which
was taken up by Savannah’s almost daily dance with afternoon thunderstorms. On
September 14, 2015, we took Jo Beth on her first sailing sea trials.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYkpje1rJ3k2zBfujMFZN1a4kKRw8MeWxYPij7djD0hdWRshl4tg6Lty5yuzGvNIkYEk1Us4tj2ROnWsRNjxpfMiRsmQxx8WoVQwNgfENJbpJdMY19qsLoe9dZKS1OGmBK32IV9sgzonS/s1600/20150914_143812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYkpje1rJ3k2zBfujMFZN1a4kKRw8MeWxYPij7djD0hdWRshl4tg6Lty5yuzGvNIkYEk1Us4tj2ROnWsRNjxpfMiRsmQxx8WoVQwNgfENJbpJdMY19qsLoe9dZKS1OGmBK32IV9sgzonS/s320/20150914_143812.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Sailing Trials in the Wilmington River</i></span></span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
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We proceeded
east-southeast on the Wilmington River towards Wassaw Sound on a warm and sunny
afternoon. With winds at nearly 20 knots, we couldn’t have asked for more
favorable conditions. Lisa and I were on board and were accompanied by Hinckley
general manager Dustin Hartley and rigger Greg Johnson. Jo Beth performed beautifully,
blasting through the waters at a solid 6 knots, flinging spray aside and occasionally
over the decks. To be sure we could get the best idea of her performance, we
had stowed as much of our everyday gear on board, and had the fuel and water
tanks filled to capacity. It was a fantastic sail on a lovely afternoon.
However, once back at the dock, we made an interesting discovery. </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Jo Beth's new mainsail and headsail, filled and drawing nicely</i></span></div>
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One of the
on-board systems which we’ve had persistent issues with is the plumbing system,
our potable water supply. What we found was that the aft water tank, according
to the new tank monitoring system, was down to 70%. This meant that during our
romp under sail in the river and sound, we lost roughly 30-35% of the water which
was in our aft water tank, approximately 12-15 gallons. This may not sound like
a lot, but it’s important to remember that Jo Beth’s two water tanks have a
combined total capacity of 80 gallons. This is water we use for drinking,
cooking, bathing, etc. The forward water tank remained at 100%, as did the
diesel fuel tank, thankfully. There was no water in the bilges, so we know the
bilge pumping system worked to pump out most of what had leaked. We did find
some standing water in a couple of our interior storage lockers, including the
cockpit locker under which the aft water tank is situated.
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After
investigation and testing, the source of the leak was found to be a fracture in
the inboard side of the tank structure, very near the top of the tank on the
forward end. This was repaired and the tank tested by pressurizing it with air.
Unfortunately, the amount of air introduced into the tank was too much, and
burst the seal between the tank lid and the tank. The lid would have to be
removed, cleaned, and refitted – and this meant that a bulkhead which had been
installed earlier in the project also had to be removed. It was to be a messy
project. Lisa and I moved off the boat for a week and stayed with friends on
Hilton Head Island while the work was done. Thank you again, and again, to
Keith and Julie!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>Jo Beth is blessed by Father Kelly</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Prior to the
work beginning on the aft water tank, Lisa and I had Jo Beth blessed by the
Episcopal Priest from her church in Savannah. It was a lovely ceremony attended
by friends and fellow sailors, as well as several of the boatyard crew from
Hinckley. </div>
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At this
point, we were well into October. The tank repairs and most of the other big
projects were now behind us. The bulk of the work now being done were small and
quickly completed jobs. Lisa and I began to really think about permanent
stowage for our safety equipment, and other gear which we hoped to have to
never reach for except to have it serviced and maintained. With some excitement
we began to consider our departure date. </div>
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The last of
the jobs were completed the week prior to Thanksgiving. Given the weather at
the time, and the necessities and duties the holiday placed upon us, we chose
the Friday after Thanksgiving as our ‘go’ day. We would be motoring south on
the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway as opposed to sailing offshore, for which
conditions were not ideal – nearly windless days and nights, but sunny and
relatively warm. Plus, Jo Beth was essentially a new boat with a lot of
equipment with which we weren’t yet familiar. We shuttled a car from the
boatyard in Savannah to our marina home, Brunswick Landing Marina in Brunswick,
GA.</div>
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A collective
‘gasp’ from fellow sailors went up when our planned Friday departure was
announced. One of the oldest sailor’s superstitions is to never – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> - begin a voyage on a Friday. It’s
said to be bad luck, and to lead to a troubled passage. Many of the Hinckley
crew mentioned this to us, and with surprisingly genuine concern. I reasoned
that we weren’t really ‘beginning’ the voyage; that the voyage had actually
began in 2013 when Jo Beth arrived at the yard on a cool and rainy Tuesday
morning, and had started her journey to the boatyard on the Monday before. Our
departure from the yard was a continuation – a closing of the loop. Whether
they bought into my reasoning or not, I don’t know, but it didn’t matter.
Friday came, and we left early morning on a nearly high and flooding tide. </div>
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We made it
less than 2 miles.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Marine engines
in small yachts use seawater for heat exchanging, or cooling the engine. The
seawater is sucked in as the boat moves through the water, and is circulated
through a box called a heat exchanger. Inside the heat exchanger is a network
of tubes through which the engine coolant – the anti-freeze – flows. As the
seawater circulates around these tubes, it absorbs the heat from the engine
coolant thus, cooling the engine. The seawater is then mixed with the dry
engine exhaust gases and ejected with the exhaust over the side.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As we were
motoring along, I noticed a sudden change in the ‘pitch’ of the engine. I
throttled the engine to idle and shifted from forward to neutral. Lisa was
sitting near the back of the cockpit, a puzzled expression on her face. I asked
her if water was pumping water out with the engine exhaust. She looked and her
answer was a distressed and resounding “no!” We shut the engine down
immediately and began drifting. I went into the cabin and lifted up a small
engine compartment access hatch, carefully and slowly. A dirty and wet cloud of
acrid diesel exhaust and steam billowed into the cabin. I dropped that hatch
closed and went to the foredeck to ready the anchor. Lisa had been steering as
we coasted and then drifted slowly backwards in the still incoming tide. The
anchor, another new piece of equipment, set quickly into the river mud and we
came to a stop.
</div>
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I went back
into the cabin and Lisa was already there, opening the ports. I looked again
into the engine compartment with a flashlight and quickly saw what had
happened. The ‘mixing elbow,’ that portion of the engine exhaust system where
the exhaust gases and cooling seawater are mixed together, had broken apart.
This allowed the mixture of the engine exhaust and seawater to be ejected
directly into the engine compartment. Every surface glistened with salty water.
The bilge pumps were discharging the excess water back to the river.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fzxRvBK-SrOzU3RfTCnlMXBZ435jXnuDCXX2V0hgQuR9V0W7WxtZjxIuzyhQeRlsEJrOFPFPiF2zmN22u_xh3vVC09DGiRE8Zn5JL_Kj_U1lFr56u7nPDokYu_lXWoPo5p4NsOuZbivr/s1600/12342410_10153906663875209_8255251735145191608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fzxRvBK-SrOzU3RfTCnlMXBZ435jXnuDCXX2V0hgQuR9V0W7WxtZjxIuzyhQeRlsEJrOFPFPiF2zmN22u_xh3vVC09DGiRE8Zn5JL_Kj_U1lFr56u7nPDokYu_lXWoPo5p4NsOuZbivr/s320/12342410_10153906663875209_8255251735145191608_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The failed exhaust mixing elbow, above; the photo below shows replacement components installed</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mGtTwHEyEo1JQcc41dBsC-vm24BB0dMduAuL-1SkCWS-Hu2oO_YFEZxu_dnVsFKe5liE7rRl8VMjB-F5l6WSR2GNvCzyUe0keE2ySf83QZA-pH1-b6VEM-VJA2KQIBD_U7QC82epzoMe/s1600/12373227_10153906663925209_6193093620768448606_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mGtTwHEyEo1JQcc41dBsC-vm24BB0dMduAuL-1SkCWS-Hu2oO_YFEZxu_dnVsFKe5liE7rRl8VMjB-F5l6WSR2GNvCzyUe0keE2ySf83QZA-pH1-b6VEM-VJA2KQIBD_U7QC82epzoMe/s320/12373227_10153906663925209_6193093620768448606_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Years of hot
engine exhaust and seawater had taken their toll on the metal components. I had
gambled on replacing them, against the advice of a trusted mechanic and friend
in the Hinckley yard.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anchoring in
a navigable channel is a big no-no; illegal, actually. I picked up our VHF
radio microphone and began transmitting a warning to whomever was listening. I
gave our position, and that we had broken down and were anchored awaiting a
tow. I then picked up my cell phone and called for a tow boat to assist. Within
two hours of leaving the Hinckley Yacht Services docks, we were back, tied
alongside. The next day, when we should have been arriving at our marina home,
we went to retrieve the car we had just shuttled down.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was early
December now, and we were more than anxious to be underway. The necessary exhaust
system parts had been ordered and installed. We set our second departure date,
this time a Sunday. The boat was provisioned and ready. The car shuttle was
done again. We unplugged the yellow electrical shore power cord and stowed it
away. The engine was running and purring along, the new exhaust system
components performing wonderfully. Lisa was at the helm, and I released the
stern dock line – then the forward spring dock line. Just as I was removing the
bow line from its cleat, the engine oil pressure alarm sounded. We shut the
engine down and checked the oil level. It looked fine. We decided to wait an
hour, let the engine cool, and check it again. An hour later, the oil level was
still good. We restarted the engine, and again the oil pressure alarm sounded.
We shut it down.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Monday
morning, Hinckley mechanics Bob King and Steve Puckett determined the oil
pressure switch had failed. The part was ordered, expedited delivery, and the
waiting began. As the part was to arrive quickly, we didn’t go and retrieve
Lisa’s car a second time. Wednesday came and went, and on Thursday, the small
switch was still not received. Investigation by Hinckley parts manager Cheri
revealed the switch had been sent by mistake to another Hinckley repair yard.
Cheri reordered the switch and had it sent via overnight delivery. </div>
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By Friday
afternoon, the oil pressure switch was in and another sea trial completed. All
was well. However, we had a less than desirable weather for the weekend and
first portion of the following week. By mid-week the forecast was much better.
On an overcast and muggy Thursday morning, December 16, 2015, we finally left
the Hinckley Yacht Services docks, underway by 8AM.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally, we
were moving south. The miles ticked off uneventfully. Dolphins swam close
alongside Jo Beth as we transited from the Wilmington River to the Skidaway
River, and we marked familiar landmarks as they passed: Isle of Hope Marina
followed by the new Skidaway Narrows Bridge; Green Island Sound and Vernon
View; the entrance to Delegal Creek, etc. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh1sJtIBQs4zNkMxuvHzvR_zZ3GUiYxy9TAQVG-oEjnOmkfmRDdg42DD-29ez4glYkSgrtUUDZsBiZF3HvfKcFEew3ODl80Rn5-wpbuV9MMWqyGTUPx0mwU_XQ7EjQp_uGQjnaHRstYbY/s1600/thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqh1sJtIBQs4zNkMxuvHzvR_zZ3GUiYxy9TAQVG-oEjnOmkfmRDdg42DD-29ez4glYkSgrtUUDZsBiZF3HvfKcFEew3ODl80Rn5-wpbuV9MMWqyGTUPx0mwU_XQ7EjQp_uGQjnaHRstYbY/s320/thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Kilkenny Creek</i></div>
<br />
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At noon we
entered Hell Gate, a narrow land-cut which funnels water in and out of Green
Island Sound and Ossabaw Sound into the Atlantic Ocean with each tidal cycle.
Currents can be challenging here, and our plan to be in the Gate at noon, which
was high tide and slack water, worked beautifully. Soon we were in the Florida
Passage and then into wide and deep Kilkenny Creek. We crossed a calm St.
Catherines Sound and by late afternoon had the anchor down in Cattle Pen Creek,
a wonderful anchorage situated towards the southern end of St. Catherines
Island. A delicious pot of chili finished the day nicely and we slept soundly
in Jo Beth’s cozy cabin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdINpCCTbhRFTijtPgYgugyrr5mRM3fZZAWgkf3TOAgLcgbLQuaCzrcOT3OWGMIUfMp7GaTvcz0hk_3GT4bQmpQwXe4rojxrSocpAV6YM2gp2aQs3KoJlHRdm4xSclcxzlKLdKfd857Uh-/s1600/20151216_171344-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdINpCCTbhRFTijtPgYgugyrr5mRM3fZZAWgkf3TOAgLcgbLQuaCzrcOT3OWGMIUfMp7GaTvcz0hk_3GT4bQmpQwXe4rojxrSocpAV6YM2gp2aQs3KoJlHRdm4xSclcxzlKLdKfd857Uh-/s320/20151216_171344-01.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cattle Pen Creek Sunset</i></div>
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We woke the
next morning to find ourselves in a flat calm under a heavy and wet blanket of
fog. The densest fog seemed to lie eastward. As our course in the Intracoastal
Waterway would take us south and a little west, we decided to go ahead and get
underway. We had a good start, and as we motored out of Cattle Pen Creek and
back into the main waterway channel, the fog seemed to be thinning. But after
less than two miles along, we were in it thicker than ever and had a ghost ship
chasing us! A lovely ketch rigged sailing yacht, she played hide and seek with
us for a few hours, appearing veiled and shadowy for moments at a time, behind
us and slowly gaining. Once we were in Sapelo Sound, she materialized on our
port side, a half a mile or so to the east. Then she disappeared, not to be
seen again until we sailed out from behind the foggy curtain and found
ourselves in bright sun under blue skies, the ghost ship now nearly a mile in
front.
</div>
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We had one
more shallow water passage to make, this one through the aptly named Little Mud
River. We arrived with perfect timing for the high tide, and transited the
narrow and shallow stretch with room to spare beneath our keel. The skies were
clouding up again and by the time we entered St. Simons Sound and our home
waters, rain was falling. We arrived in our slip in Brunswick Landing Marina at
4:30PM on December 17th in a steady rain shower.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB3Kfblww-dR3B2UeV6hpZ9dOSex7RvItz0raXu9FeR-1KFhXQoI_emn_s-X6V-zuguD5TKng3BTmV0hzgBPZzwzFjWdmBMzP3rklC8Xv9i4uGPAOMRaLEOuE5vz6LDKNZymATqIsDuk3/s1600/12366380_10153917269615209_1141217740283567421_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRB3Kfblww-dR3B2UeV6hpZ9dOSex7RvItz0raXu9FeR-1KFhXQoI_emn_s-X6V-zuguD5TKng3BTmV0hzgBPZzwzFjWdmBMzP3rklC8Xv9i4uGPAOMRaLEOuE5vz6LDKNZymATqIsDuk3/s320/12366380_10153917269615209_1141217740283567421_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>Approaching the Torras Causeway Bridge and St. Simons Sound</i> </div>
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The next few
days are a blur; we shuttled back to Savannah to retrieve our other car from
the boatyard and worked to get Lisa’s mom moved into her new apartment in
Brunswick. The following week, which was the week of Christmas, we both became
ill with a ghastly and incredibly long lasting stomach bug of some sort. By New
Year’s we were finally feeling better and getting settled in and accustomed to
life in our new marina home.
</div>
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The last
phases of Jo Beth’s refit proved more hectic and stressful than we had
anticipated. Since arriving home, we’ve been pretty much dock bound; the days
which weather was good for a sail were days we either had to work or were
otherwise obligated to be elsewhere. And while the winter was generally mild,
there were cold fronts passing one after the other. We saw gale and even tropical
storm force conditions on more than one occasion. We’ve reconnected with old
friends and made new ones, and now that winter is transitioning to spring, many
of them have left for points south – the Florida Keys, The Bahamas, the Caribbean
and other more exotic locales – we’re here and enjoying our new life. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMQc-GQ89NJiy_kwK4g2fQMsShM1Byr56zO74X6tlkfn9LImOm_zVZ2Z0mNww13sLcZCvJa08bUvhtvAU3C4M6R3Npx4v6RxrEDK1_4VcPqcAcye9Mv9L9r45LqUfCZWMHkxqm3N_RGQk/s1600/12794411_10154109461785209_8527881971297413005_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMQc-GQ89NJiy_kwK4g2fQMsShM1Byr56zO74X6tlkfn9LImOm_zVZ2Z0mNww13sLcZCvJa08bUvhtvAU3C4M6R3Npx4v6RxrEDK1_4VcPqcAcye9Mv9L9r45LqUfCZWMHkxqm3N_RGQk/s320/12794411_10154109461785209_8527881971297413005_n.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Jo Beth in Her Slip at Brunswick Landing Marina</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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Now that
things are much more settled, I plan to return to keeping the blog current and
updating with the goings on in our live aboard lives. Thanks for sticking with
us through the quiet and boring times. Here’s to hoping for more fun and
exciting adventure in your lives, as well as ours!
</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-54060148758706378952015-05-25T09:04:00.004-04:002015-05-25T13:20:21.209-04:00Launched!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarjt4SueMYjaN0PGySeRReknJTeaNK2Pj3fDmLzQ5B_NCnWE9gqHFCAjn6ridyHZCUAs4kjsPiABUoCBpNk02s59HCsLSJ4PF2wuvPoPZYujZpSkEmF5v8A9d2kId-plgNgpiTuQZ6Gca/s1600/20150430_135457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarjt4SueMYjaN0PGySeRReknJTeaNK2Pj3fDmLzQ5B_NCnWE9gqHFCAjn6ridyHZCUAs4kjsPiABUoCBpNk02s59HCsLSJ4PF2wuvPoPZYujZpSkEmF5v8A9d2kId-plgNgpiTuQZ6Gca/s320/20150430_135457.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Jo Beth</i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Much time
has passed since my last post here. And in that time, a lot of work aboard Jo
Beth has been completed, or brought closer to its finish. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The biggest
news to report is that we’re renters now and homeowners no more. Our house of
nearly 11 years (we originally intended to own it for 4-5 years), in the last
‘old’ neighborhood when heading south out of Savannah, has sold. And it sold
quickly. The house was listed for just two and a half weeks, and in those few
days it was shown no less than five times. Amazingly, we also had three offers
within that same time frame. We closed the deal on May 4 and Jo Beth was
launched on a breezy Thursday, May 7. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyyhO3Pw0OqqC1mcJIM4FyTF6CrzVPPdzDKjU4kIVM9e3sgiIPo6XuhPFbo4lSFcS5Mwsgakec2xLgEF67_kw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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Clearly, we
can’t move all of our furniture and general crap which has accumulated over the
years with us to the boat. A couple of weeks ago, we had a ‘come get our stuff’
party which turned out to be a surprisingly successful event. The things which
are left; mostly glassware, plates, linens, and the like, and a few odd pieces
of furniture are either going to Goodwill or a local auction company, as are
several pieces of my photography. Of course, we’re keeping some things and
delivered those items to our shore side storage locker yesterday. We plan to
start transitioning to being aboard Jo Beth this coming week and will be aboard
full time before the end of the month – that’s when the lease on the house runs
out!</div>
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With few
exceptions, Jo Beth doesn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">look</i> so
different. The overhead in the cabin is completed, but much of the cabin is
still in disarray. The rigging on the outside looks no different than before.
However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving. Under her skin, Jo Beth has
had lots of work done.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWtvb46dlUmMEzh5SoQjuKtTa5pH5kDokpz01soFJcUPnxtUgEGyZE-6RpzSat5ToHyuTsZVMaEKhyphenhyphenR_rDl3b3D8VV-K4QZzxtSlVTLyMmPaJxY74_B9EiyCQnY0JPICcON4XOmHnPlNf/s1600/IMG_2193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWtvb46dlUmMEzh5SoQjuKtTa5pH5kDokpz01soFJcUPnxtUgEGyZE-6RpzSat5ToHyuTsZVMaEKhyphenhyphenR_rDl3b3D8VV-K4QZzxtSlVTLyMmPaJxY74_B9EiyCQnY0JPICcON4XOmHnPlNf/s320/IMG_2193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>The finished cabin overhead</i></b></div>
</div>
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Much of the
work involved plumbing and piping; ways and means to move water from the
storage tanks to sinks and showers, or in the case of waste water, overboard or
into a holding tank for discharge and disposal at a shore-side facility. The
pumps for the fresh water, both electric pressure and foot pump, were replaced
with new. The pressure water runs through the new, pull-out faucet (matches the
new sink) and the foot pump dispenses via a new bronze spigot (replaces the old
stainless one). Hot water is available via the pressure water outlets. We also
installed a hand-pump to pump in seawater into one side of the sink for
dish washing. At sea, or on the anchor, the fresh water on board is limited to what
we can carry in our two water tanks, a total of 75 gallons. The sea water can
be used for dish washing, and even showering or bathing, provided enough
freshwater is available for a rinse. Lemon-Fresh Joy and Dawn lather
beautifully in saltwater!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Filtration
systems are also fitted on the freshwater pressure and foot pumps. We also use
a filter on the filling hose. Our fresh water supply is filtered as it goes
into the on board water tanks, then again as it’s drawn out via the pump
system. We also plan to create a system by which we can fill our water tanks
during rain storms. Every pump that draws seawater into the boat is fitted with
a strainer system as well. A tank monitoring system was installed so that we
can know at a glance how much water is in either of the two water tanks. The
system also monitors the diesel fuel level in the fuel tank and the state of
our batteries, showing charge and consumption levels at any given time.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrdOkz68dEoVs6uO6GvmtvDfJChdqhklc3P-1doseoBijWOK_0xBCoCkxrTwsLyaHve7grU0EWEjIpBgdtWsvbK8roQu40uR2Nulyx3G1eUz1j48mkmDWzob9LQ2Xdy7qNE0x_eUcem7S/s1600/IMG_2411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrdOkz68dEoVs6uO6GvmtvDfJChdqhklc3P-1doseoBijWOK_0xBCoCkxrTwsLyaHve7grU0EWEjIpBgdtWsvbK8roQu40uR2Nulyx3G1eUz1j48mkmDWzob9LQ2Xdy7qNE0x_eUcem7S/s320/IMG_2411.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Hinckley riggers Greg and Mark positioning the rudder after the replacing the worn rudder bushings with new ones</b> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In other
areas, carpentry was finished and the partition for the freezer/refrigerator
was fitted. (Lisa has concerns the freezer area is too large and doesn’t leave
enough space for fresh food storage.) The rudder was dropped and stabilizing
bushings, long worn away, were replaced. The old tiller, a wooden ‘pole’
constructed from mahogany and ash trips laminated together, and which attaches
to the rudder shaft and is used to steer Jo Beth, was replaced with a new one
from Ruddercraft (what a beauty!) and varnished. And while the rudder was out,
the propeller shaft was removed for cleaning and inspection, and the propeller
shaft bearing and seal were replaced. Hundreds of wooden bungs, small and
tapered plugs of teak covering the many screws which fasten railings to the
decks and hull, were fitted to replace those which have fallen away over the
years. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFxqFScZf5sY_BTgKaAeeS6R4ElOGIJ7HArQGktxT38mpskmy9LFL9yuZOGO4260qNFZvpptq7igYzFOo7KrhyYEIB3aEhqEO88ujlFCD3fgY1e0gPc6BWEEvL1MuE1ly2-KmqMBJz_LL/s1600/20150505_081324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFxqFScZf5sY_BTgKaAeeS6R4ElOGIJ7HArQGktxT38mpskmy9LFL9yuZOGO4260qNFZvpptq7igYzFOo7KrhyYEIB3aEhqEO88ujlFCD3fgY1e0gPc6BWEEvL1MuE1ly2-KmqMBJz_LL/s320/20150505_081324.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Hinckley mechanic Dave secures Jo Beth's propeller shaft after replacing the propeller shaft seal</i></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Work is also
being done outside of the Hinckley boatyard. Thunderbolt Marine, another
boatyard in Savannah, has an excellent in-house canvas and upholstery shop
where Jo Beth’s exterior canvas and interior cushions are being made. The new air-conditioning
and heating system and refrigeration systems, installed by Donnelly Yacht
Services, have been brought online and tested. We’re still trying to figure out
our new refrigerator/freezer controls. They also replaced the shower/waste
water sump pump with a new one when the one installed early in the refit proved
to be faulty. Jo Beth is sporting her new coats of beautiful, rich red
anti-fouling paint on her bottom and fresh new zinc anodes. (<a href="http://www.svjobeth.blogspot.com/2011/02/wasting-away.html" target="_blank">This post</a> explains
why metal fittings made of zinc are affixed to the underwater portions of the
hull.)</div>
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6h5PkGXISa7k7fKfJabr5jAsYzYz7P9S33wQWZlqDAEnozE0iQ5a7x8WevzrpBzvvpibkexBq3qIk9AXp5V91WFJc9-oVeC48lZIKyoCIftxrOjVvtQqdvEdpZ8zurTNvciRek6xXAc4/s1600/20150430_144546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6h5PkGXISa7k7fKfJabr5jAsYzYz7P9S33wQWZlqDAEnozE0iQ5a7x8WevzrpBzvvpibkexBq3qIk9AXp5V91WFJc9-oVeC48lZIKyoCIftxrOjVvtQqdvEdpZ8zurTNvciRek6xXAc4/s320/20150430_144546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> <i>Painter Marion Daughtry applies finishing touches to Jo Beth's bottom anti-fouling paint</i></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Of course,
the part of the refit we’re most looking forward to is the sea trials. Once the
rigging work is completed and the sails are ‘bent’ back onto the boom and
forestay (the forward most wire which supports the mast), it will then be time
to take her out and sail her. When this is done, the rig will be ‘tuned’, a
procedure sort of like having a car tuned up or aligned. Tuning the rig ensures
the mast is standing true and straight, and that the stresses placed on the
mast, rigging wires, etc., when the boat is sailed are divided as equally as
possible. Tuning a sailing rig is something of an art, and it will likely take
two or three tries in varying wind conditions to get it the best it can be.
It’s a critical procedure to get the most performance out of Jo Beth.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGJv8A6af5gKChh33iWcumTYZ8G9z1Z5yaAMelwKlAOGeTcR5eJuD6t3W3EsLGefw-L93BWQzVAXzsJlpsQCOlwItoYZOiSDS9MYtgILM2wnDShG4OHLemA2pHRiPtx_6cfNE_Wpo0CR_/s1600/20150511_184846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitGJv8A6af5gKChh33iWcumTYZ8G9z1Z5yaAMelwKlAOGeTcR5eJuD6t3W3EsLGefw-L93BWQzVAXzsJlpsQCOlwItoYZOiSDS9MYtgILM2wnDShG4OHLemA2pHRiPtx_6cfNE_Wpo0CR_/s320/20150511_184846.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>After a year and a half, she's floating again</i></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jo Beth will
stay on the Hinckley service docks for a few weeks longer while things are
wrapped up. We expect to be aboard full time by the first of June, to begin this
new phase of our lives. It’s been a long time coming.</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-59415717959947886152014-09-20T14:01:00.000-04:002014-09-20T18:03:09.740-04:00Big Leaps Forward, a Small Step Backward, and Another Leap Forward...Again!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->A lot has happened since the last update. The mast, boom,
and rigging are in place, and plumbing and mechanical work has restarted. We’ve
made an interesting discovery about our boat, and have run into a few small
roadblocks. Still, we’re moving ahead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Tw6QDcBFZfmY4Mzcd89KDLF648SbcR_uykWASI6gXMovVR24rIVBCyF3QFm2pN8U3j9WDmJFiD5IlQlLJdrGmLsyy5YQ7uyNgr_CDi2PeFXrE8YdHrozd0ZUBw469NO8g176jNql1oVK/s1600/20140115_143752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Tw6QDcBFZfmY4Mzcd89KDLF648SbcR_uykWASI6gXMovVR24rIVBCyF3QFm2pN8U3j9WDmJFiD5IlQlLJdrGmLsyy5YQ7uyNgr_CDi2PeFXrE8YdHrozd0ZUBw469NO8g176jNql1oVK/s1600/20140115_143752.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<i><b>The old backstay chainplate. The tape was placed on the hull to show the length of the spaces between the bolts.</b></i> </div>
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One of the roadblocks came about because of a thin, small,
and very important piece of the rigging system. It’s called the ‘backstay
chainplate.’ As I explained in an earlier post, chainplates are pieces of steel
which are bolted or otherwise mechanically fastened to the hull structure. The
rigging wires, called stays and shrouds, are attached to these chainplates and
hold the mast upright and in place. Because of the age of the existing
chainplates, we replaced them all with new ones as a part of the refit. When I
was ordering the new ones from the builder, Thumper Brooks, (yes, that’s his
real name!) the operations manager for Pacific Seacraft advised me that around
the time Jo Beth was built, the mounting configuration for the backstay
chainplate had changed slightly. I took careful measurements of the existing
backstay chainplate and forwarded them to Thumper. </div>
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So, you can guess what happened when the time came to
install the chainplate – the configuration, with regard to where the bolt holes
were cut in the chainplate and in the hull – were slightly off. Thumper had said the chances of getting an exact fit were going to be slim. The fit wasn't too far off, about 1/16 of an inch. The problems
were easily addressed; a new backing plate, to match the correct configuration
of the bolt mounting holes, has been made and the plate fitted. The mast was
stepped and the rigging fitted. The boom has been installed, the halyards
(lines which raise and lower sails) and mainsheet, (the line which controls the
mainsail), have been run. Rigger Greg Johnson will be installing other small but
important accessories on the mast and boom during the next week or
two.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUjZFRBTQnaxmht4be7Mbcvr_z6PDknqTtqpaIQ4xudPazJ-yMq08tL89fKaYIlKpb2tkxmqDP4OUT-6oyfbbNwxHrNf1dhPXWGFs23ihyW8HubqY7wzpNCScu9p8p7ObJ0dNAFaIkNQw/s1600/20140912_104933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUjZFRBTQnaxmht4be7Mbcvr_z6PDknqTtqpaIQ4xudPazJ-yMq08tL89fKaYIlKpb2tkxmqDP4OUT-6oyfbbNwxHrNf1dhPXWGFs23ihyW8HubqY7wzpNCScu9p8p7ObJ0dNAFaIkNQw/s1600/20140912_104933.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Hoisting the new mast to be stepped aboard Jo Beth</b></i><br />
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<i><b>Hinckley riggers Greg Johnson and Mark Edwards guiding the new mast on to Jo Beth</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV5AYTE9N8HfSKksuawED-eK2ajWnLEGUGpZYc-0Gs7JXL3Tcku8E0YFPexqZbbSweUpp77QseV0FIKuvNEkzPazWaNHkCNWmIoXqw-58VXOgpXBdEqKxUo1Mug2zkS1chyWK5ekquh0E/s1600/20140918_085220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXV5AYTE9N8HfSKksuawED-eK2ajWnLEGUGpZYc-0Gs7JXL3Tcku8E0YFPexqZbbSweUpp77QseV0FIKuvNEkzPazWaNHkCNWmIoXqw-58VXOgpXBdEqKxUo1Mug2zkS1chyWK5ekquh0E/s1600/20140918_085220.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a> </div>
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<i><b>Jo Beth with her new mast and boom</b></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0efqErfHpO1V0vKBUNjYvMAaqWuNlzflq88z4wOE8jFex8boyfF9KW5ACYqTvCKeu9FJ6wPqBbMWrnurSKTr7X9FL7A81YtN8ezxlqOAtmJFxHidRsdEgXMQ_GhT8ZoX0woThTvr-3i1U/s1600/20140918_085908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0efqErfHpO1V0vKBUNjYvMAaqWuNlzflq88z4wOE8jFex8boyfF9KW5ACYqTvCKeu9FJ6wPqBbMWrnurSKTr7X9FL7A81YtN8ezxlqOAtmJFxHidRsdEgXMQ_GhT8ZoX0woThTvr-3i1U/s1600/20140918_085908.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><b>The new mainsheet assembly</b></i><br />
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The final steps to convert the quarter berth to a useable
storage locker are underway. Aboard Jo Beth, there is a single large storage
locker in the cockpit on the port side of the boat. The starboard side had a
storage locker as well, but it was fitted with a shallow pan, perhaps 6 or 8 inches deep, in which we stored spare power cords, line, etc. Beneath the pan
is a quarterberth, a supposed sleeping area in the cabin. In reality, a
quarterberth is a dead space on the boat, not useful for sleeping or storage. (I described a quarterberth in <i><a href="http://www.svjobeth.blogspot.com/2014/06/refit-limbo.html" target="_blank">this post</a></i>.) We
decided to remove the pan in the starboard locker, build a bulkhead in the
cabin, and make the quarterberth a useful space. The pan is cut and the conversion
well underway.<br />
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<i><b>The locker pan is cut, opening the quarterberth space into a storage locker</b></i><br />
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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However, with the removal of the locker pan, we’ve discovered another
issue. On the inside of the edge of the locker where the pan was attached, the
fiberglass structure had only partially bonded to the deck structure. This is
something that apparently occurred during the construction of the vessel. It’s
not a serious issue by any stretch of the imagination, but it needs to be
repaired. And so, repaired it shall be – another unplanned line item to the
budget.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0waVl3yP4Izpvfm2tKrIbMa1V6wW66kP1f61MYDqG9LHbgI6mjevNtGvRSOEDdcqMnviMRQl-nkjPnEbFKPxtN5KKwxhEvMuNghFv0S8CYOF76dgW9HvMcRpUuLji0XAaj7sipsvLtNIs/s1600/20140918_085749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0waVl3yP4Izpvfm2tKrIbMa1V6wW66kP1f61MYDqG9LHbgI6mjevNtGvRSOEDdcqMnviMRQl-nkjPnEbFKPxtN5KKwxhEvMuNghFv0S8CYOF76dgW9HvMcRpUuLji0XAaj7sipsvLtNIs/s1600/20140918_085749.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>This is the area of non-bonded structure found in the starboard
cockpit locker; it can also be seen in the photograph of the water
heater, below</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzkr7xyeB1fJ0PsH5EWEyynVXbVBXGn8_hwuOS7UqfZtjofrdWjQ8oyp9urdaNXOBxCf1JQv1PqToqt54jf4B6kdaBvCablFIBzC_gEEbqdrxng_HjSRnJa_1rcv5ktHRJViyB4wYUx3t/s1600/20140919_144401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzkr7xyeB1fJ0PsH5EWEyynVXbVBXGn8_hwuOS7UqfZtjofrdWjQ8oyp9urdaNXOBxCf1JQv1PqToqt54jf4B6kdaBvCablFIBzC_gEEbqdrxng_HjSRnJa_1rcv5ktHRJViyB4wYUx3t/s1600/20140919_144401.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>The new water heater, fitted in the new cockpit locker </b></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The new lifelines, wire cables strung between stainless
steel stanchion posts which provide security for persons on deck, are fitted and
small repairs made to the boarding gates and bow railings. We’re also ordering
a stainless steel folding boarding ladder which will fit inside one of the
boarding gates and allow us to get on the boat from the water or dinghy. The
ladder will work on either side of the boat.<i><b></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdw1ls-FTVpxa-3yoKGwYmaozjQjJP_UMBhsZFzvMh7KxJ97wSBgwcz2d9-c5VzsmVh3r4DsC63izUSxlxfg7PAtQUMXvg_aPhilyE4wimr1VXpnvryjsJL-UuP7wwYkKlT-avRGsWGL6/s1600/20140915_090826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdw1ls-FTVpxa-3yoKGwYmaozjQjJP_UMBhsZFzvMh7KxJ97wSBgwcz2d9-c5VzsmVh3r4DsC63izUSxlxfg7PAtQUMXvg_aPhilyE4wimr1VXpnvryjsJL-UuP7wwYkKlT-avRGsWGL6/s1600/20140915_090826.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Repairs to the portside boarding gate; also, the new chainplates can be seen also </i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHL-KfgCKDN5C-w8CWOr3DT6h4aoee5OQ4PAiGHYx5Y-d6SAMEqQfMat-rbjNWsGN5Vdw9_5WH8LnM8E6PVxCFEbrDe5jmoFk-fj8sjREYzkNgVAAjQ7ewzlgvb5UZ9E5ieHL5U2aeryH/s1600/20140912_111721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHL-KfgCKDN5C-w8CWOr3DT6h4aoee5OQ4PAiGHYx5Y-d6SAMEqQfMat-rbjNWsGN5Vdw9_5WH8LnM8E6PVxCFEbrDe5jmoFk-fj8sjREYzkNgVAAjQ7ewzlgvb5UZ9E5ieHL5U2aeryH/s1600/20140912_111721.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Here's a test fit of the new insert made for one of the two overhead deck hatches aboard Jo Beth; finish work on the hatch inserts and battens remain to be done</b></i><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8YbK762R9B5MRV3rDQtdV_0ohrQJJVwkCv9TcuMiZZoHOfiZL7grwJyGmmd4x-a9i-8PCt4rARkFp72y7Us3K5nAaOH9rtCej4UMYtorHsj0GAUjrQL-foVv19L9KK2ga73q-lh58v_c/s1600/20140911_093858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8YbK762R9B5MRV3rDQtdV_0ohrQJJVwkCv9TcuMiZZoHOfiZL7grwJyGmmd4x-a9i-8PCt4rARkFp72y7Us3K5nAaOH9rtCej4UMYtorHsj0GAUjrQL-foVv19L9KK2ga73q-lh58v_c/s1600/20140911_093858.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>The new engine control panel box and cover</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, we’re at the stage where plumbing and mechanical
projects are underway and heading towards completion. The new canvases for the
boat exterior and interior cushions are being made. The new engine control panel box and cover, now watertight, is installed. The overhead is nearly completed. The refit is getting to the
point where, with some degree of confidence, we can start to anticipate a
completion date. Even so, much work will remain, even once Jo Beth is afloat again, but the
day when we can once again sail her into the wide waters of the Atlantic are in
sight.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-26653347359026837772014-09-07T16:52:00.001-04:002014-09-07T16:52:19.377-04:00Over the Hump<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->We’re on the downhill slide. Sort of. </div>
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<br /></div>
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There’s no engraving in a calendar somewhere which designates
a declared completion date. It’s nothing like that. Instead, what we have is an
agreement of a timeline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know that
we’d like to have such-and-such job done by such-and-such date, and so on. The
establishment of a timeline is a good thing, but the fact remains there’s still
much to be done. A single small misstep can still rock the proverbial boat.</div>
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<br /></div>
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We have made significant progress. With so much of the work
being done essentially hidden through the myriad of systems which comprise a
modern small sailing yacht, it’s exciting that we can see indications of
progress. We can actually see now the boat Jo Beth was meant to be. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wJ0UJAMLd9YAsRAtL_nhUKl7cBd8WyHIoqk9mkOnmyEp6hAX_lnvQjhV99w4brKPZ7D1DkYMTzEh6V9S9uCX2sEHkjSQHaR4XifdzNmn-suIFHKFDpjKjkIWj7ypO2P54LJ2MRRT-0au/s1600/20140905_091211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7wJ0UJAMLd9YAsRAtL_nhUKl7cBd8WyHIoqk9mkOnmyEp6hAX_lnvQjhV99w4brKPZ7D1DkYMTzEh6V9S9uCX2sEHkjSQHaR4XifdzNmn-suIFHKFDpjKjkIWj7ypO2P54LJ2MRRT-0au/s1600/20140905_091211.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Test fit of headliner panels and battens in the main saloon</i></b></div>
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The new cabin headliner is nearly finished. Test fitting and
fine tuning of the panels, trim pieces, and battens has been underway. There’s
a smidgen of electrical work left, and a fair amount of mechanical and rigging
work remains; such as the installation of the chainplates, (metal bars which attach the rigging wires to the hull), installation of a deck washdown system, installation of the galley sink and the re installation of the head (toilet), etc. There are also a couple of major parts which need to be ordered for the
sailing rig; things which couldn’t be built and installed until things started
coming together to make Jo Beth a whole boat again. And, the conversion of the quarterberth to a storage locker has to be completed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The final steps to get the mast and rigging installed are
set to begin this week, provided the weather cooperates. A weak but persistent
area of low pressure has moved into the coastal Georgia region and stalled. The
forecast calls for the system to slowly drift north and east over the coming
days. However, it has brought squally and unsettled weather to the area for much
of the past week. I remarked to Lisa how much the skies looked like those we
used to see in Miami and the Keys; skies I’d seen many a time in the Bahamas. Much
of the work on the decks and bottom will have to wait for clearer weather.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicH0WKYdOOjvOz8YKLEqqIIVB9Gt8vzswF5-oqA0UB_bO6U9mprWInJzK0SnhbzMra-fuZzZ2-BvbdkJjgg4w3U1CC4BGeOWIQmgbI9U22JakwbAS7k7XHwVJ6MvbJQgFjlL0_xgERiipH/s1600/20140904_104002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicH0WKYdOOjvOz8YKLEqqIIVB9Gt8vzswF5-oqA0UB_bO6U9mprWInJzK0SnhbzMra-fuZzZ2-BvbdkJjgg4w3U1CC4BGeOWIQmgbI9U22JakwbAS7k7XHwVJ6MvbJQgFjlL0_xgERiipH/s1600/20140904_104002.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><b>The new engine control panel cover</b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The weather did provide us some unexpected assistance. The
new engine control panel box, designed to be watertight, turned out to be not
so watertight. This is an important issue to correct. The engine control panel
is located in the cockpit just above the deck, and right at the cabin entrance.
The panel houses the ignition switch, the tachometer and temperature gauges,
and other critical instrumentation. Exposure to water, whether from rain or a
boarding sea, is not good. An early project in the refit was to relocate the
panel and instruments to the cabin interior, but the necessary rerouting and
extensions of wiring, heavy gauge battery cables, etc. proved to be too costly.
So we opted to leave the panel as it was and improve the panel’s protective
housing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Lisa and I also met last week with our canvas maker, Causa’s
Cushions, to go over the final details for the new interior cushions, order new
pieces for the canvas inventory which we carry aboard, (such as winch covers to
protect the shiny bronze winch drums), and refine the details of our new spray
dodger. A dodger is a canvas windshield of sorts. It keeps spray and rain off
of the crew in the cockpit, protects the main cabin entry companionway from the
weather, and so on. Clear vinyl windows allow for visibility. Jo Beth’s
original dodger had worn severely and while the system as a whole was functional,
it needed a redesign to better suit Lisa and me. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76lyG0EnUa0YP3nSH33nqOxywDLKDgdgBIGSBK6vC_2AWGDn1A5IbMwBMx8FOU-e9DHiYfFJGrVFjJhoZTfUPsNdjdyWrPQtJ6lsw9T99Z2YNWmZ-Vfuj7Oeq5-xSneIC9Ut2v97jTxMF/s1600/Sept.blog+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76lyG0EnUa0YP3nSH33nqOxywDLKDgdgBIGSBK6vC_2AWGDn1A5IbMwBMx8FOU-e9DHiYfFJGrVFjJhoZTfUPsNdjdyWrPQtJ6lsw9T99Z2YNWmZ-Vfuj7Oeq5-xSneIC9Ut2v97jTxMF/s1600/Sept.blog+009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>This is a shot of Jo Beth from a few years ago; the structure which resembles a canvas and clear vinyl windshield is the dodger </i></b></div>
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For those who don’t know us, Lisa and I are quite short.
When we stood on the cockpit deck and looked forward, the rear bar of the
dodger frame, called a ‘bow’, fell right across our line of sight. This meant
we were always stooping to see under the bow, or standing on tiptoes to see
over it. The replacement bow will raise the height of the dodger by 6 or so
inches and greatly enhance our ability to see what’s in front of us. The dodger
frame also lacked handholds, so we’re adding grab rails on each side and on the
back bow. All around, it will make our little future home a safer and more
comfortable place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62RDSO-wGq0ypn0ab_wLJZnuX41zdQaOeCNxEY5IkCoDfDL96CUI3hUHGWQoxXOaG4dMSd31DC60953xFDKVb0zhBvUgvrnO8EKXanelS7XYzIVVy_kJaFv3YjxvplDP5AUXQJS3VQu9v/s1600/20140813_083535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62RDSO-wGq0ypn0ab_wLJZnuX41zdQaOeCNxEY5IkCoDfDL96CUI3hUHGWQoxXOaG4dMSd31DC60953xFDKVb0zhBvUgvrnO8EKXanelS7XYzIVVy_kJaFv3YjxvplDP5AUXQJS3VQu9v/s1600/20140813_083535.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWUVV2-Zdq-HEA8Ve3JBJm0uaVAgT8_O09JObWhVEpPZOjuh44UH0V46jWv4kMOo4sRIFGrkPdmpImk1oY79wbOvsXFzsRPo_DxVZh5rvhsScV2FqbJMe_Jqg-iJpx9R3Iwd-E-E4SV5e/s1600/20140815_091429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWUVV2-Zdq-HEA8Ve3JBJm0uaVAgT8_O09JObWhVEpPZOjuh44UH0V46jWv4kMOo4sRIFGrkPdmpImk1oY79wbOvsXFzsRPo_DxVZh5rvhsScV2FqbJMe_Jqg-iJpx9R3Iwd-E-E4SV5e/s1600/20140815_091429.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Here's a before and after shot of our winches. Thirty years of patina removed with a bit of polish and elbow grease. We'll have canvas covers made to keep them nice and shiny.</i></b><br />
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</div>
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</div>
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So what’s that timeline agreement I mentioned at the start
of this post? Well, we hope to have the mast and rigging installed in a week or
so, have the boat secured and floating at the marina service dock by early
October, get the sea trials conducted, and be back in our home slip in
November.</div>
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Of course, more updates are to follow.</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-43107886377824386462014-08-10T15:05:00.000-04:002014-08-11T05:37:45.786-04:00Moving Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9oIVBStxtlMZYCxGpVcW7nScsLv50NeP1wVHYL9f1o4Kwp6fHuOxBwP3zYHZ2W4yWuUiZhUOHM2qP9G4Ocpx2UqkDhGHzy9Agv1KXSeLmxVrARBYDT67wStD_tmy0HiIwtPRaoY-TfbC/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9oIVBStxtlMZYCxGpVcW7nScsLv50NeP1wVHYL9f1o4Kwp6fHuOxBwP3zYHZ2W4yWuUiZhUOHM2qP9G4Ocpx2UqkDhGHzy9Agv1KXSeLmxVrARBYDT67wStD_tmy0HiIwtPRaoY-TfbC/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_kWQe-Qu-nOleMh4gv1MpagzJeThyphenhyphen2YP2BIv4XeSW8H0cHemBBIP3HIzcbi1YNFg1xt5_tjuPbdjPqDjkyKw_Ni9qwHz7e3GTXd2wqRBxwIb5IHlTM9ZVKHkuE65dR6Oy2ahvrqk7pS4/s1600/IMG_5388.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Jo Beth showing off in Oyster White and Flag Blue</b></i></div>
<br />
It's been a wet, hot, and humid summer in Savannah. Fortunately, the stretch of time Jo Beth was in for paint, the weather was dry. The environment in the paint shed, which is in reality a tent, is controlled by positive pressure - meaning the air pressure inside the tent is slightly higher than it is outside the tent - and while it remains hot (the paint shop guys at Hinckley refer to the paint tent as the 'easy bake oven') the humidity and dust is controlled. The hull is painted and she's out of the paint tent now, being washed by daily rain showers. <br />
<br />
Lisa and I went over the remaining jobs on our refit list. Many of the big and scary jobs, both in scope and cost, are finishing up. What's left is a myriad of smaller but equally important jobs to be done; cleats to be installed; pumps to be wired and plumbing to be run; the assembly of all of the hardware on the new mast & boom; and so on. Lots and lots still to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw_Kr1nPeX0VG09gW7UidBzBAPTJiGKbSFxqGOu4hpQh6kSv1KM7F_4xfceAi6mSFFneV7k5nC0ns5mEH7xxEwYNHmDjqcf5i_oCCXQb_XbxgPpUx3hmpDS8l_MGmuJpOC0tfwNjgdMtr/s1600/IMG_5394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPw_Kr1nPeX0VG09gW7UidBzBAPTJiGKbSFxqGOu4hpQh6kSv1KM7F_4xfceAi6mSFFneV7k5nC0ns5mEH7xxEwYNHmDjqcf5i_oCCXQb_XbxgPpUx3hmpDS8l_MGmuJpOC0tfwNjgdMtr/s1600/IMG_5394.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK5nP-OqaEsvSEGDzPyaRZ7DyNB45YKSJbOaKqsDjVaGIEKcxTFnaiICh6Xi91M7Jfi_-7tNaNscIMHm0UYhtQfm9ufkqSdL4_XjQJvB2bpJum0SeyHvO3vxZke3s_yG3mZ8wPySYXZKV/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLK5nP-OqaEsvSEGDzPyaRZ7DyNB45YKSJbOaKqsDjVaGIEKcxTFnaiICh6Xi91M7Jfi_-7tNaNscIMHm0UYhtQfm9ufkqSdL4_XjQJvB2bpJum0SeyHvO3vxZke3s_yG3mZ8wPySYXZKV/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>The detail work in the grid for the new cabin overhead is coming together</i>; <i>the battens which will support the panels were under foot when I was aboard to get this shot</i></b></div>
<br />
As large as the scale of this job has been, a humbling fact I should mention is that this isn't a final wrap up of the 'to-do' list. In earlier posts, I mentioned some of the jobs we're delaying until later. These include the purchase of new sails, the installation of a wind-vane self- steering system, (a non electronic autopilot of sorts), and the replacement of our navigational electronics. With the exception of a first generation GPS unit, which never worked properly for us and stopped working altogether a few years ago, all of Jo Beth's navigational electronics are functional. I say 'all' when in truth, the only original instrument aboard the boat, after the death of the GPS, is the radar. We removed the non-functioning single side band radio system when we bought her and updated our VHF radio at the same time. And, in this refit, we've replaced the VHF again with a more powerful and expandable model.<br />
<br />
Marine navigational systems have pretty much gone the way of the wireless telephone. The smartphones the vast majority of us carry now are so much more than a telephone. So it is with marine electronic instruments. As recently as 15 years ago, the GPS, autopilot, radar, depth and speed instruments, etc., were all stand alone components. The navigation station on a moderate cruising yacht looked like the command center of a navy destroyer. Now the functions of the GPS, radar, depth, wind, and speed are integrated into one or two components. Our new VHF radio is AIS capable. AIS is 'Automated Identification System.' All oceangoing ships and a great many yachts are equipped with AIS. It works more or less like a transponder in an aircraft. Each ship or yacht has a unique code assigned to it. When two ships equipped with AIS approach one another, their data regarding the name of the vessel, its speed, course, etc. is shared instantly between the vessels. AIS is a huge boon for safety.<br />
<br />
Enter the smartphone and tablet. Navigational software has long been available for the PC. Computer based navigation works well. The big difference is that a tablet or smartphone offers connectivity options for the weather, satellite data, and other information we sailors crave in a near real-time structure, provided a network connection is available. In fact, the delivery captain we hired to move Jo Beth from her slip in Brunswick to the boatyard in Savannah used only his i-Phone and i-Pad for navigation on the trip. Thus far, the available navigation apps for smartphones and tablets perform mostly charting functions - basically map reading and plotting of positions, courses, speed, etc. Needless to say, we still have to do a lot of research on the matter.<br />
<br />
We're past the halfway point now in the refit, so we're optimistic things will progress relatively quickly. More pictures and refit news to follow. <br />
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Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-9481160501112036922014-07-20T10:53:00.001-04:002014-07-20T11:46:33.112-04:00White it is!Oyster White, actually.<br />
<br />
Spending a few minutes with Hinckley paint foreman John Lancaster hammered home once again, white ain't white. As with many things, our initial call on the color proved to be the right one. But, a little checking and comparison under a hot Savannah sun got us on the right track. We didn't drag the boom out of the rigging shop as originally planned when we realized the new mast spreaders, also painted with Sterling Off-White, are the same color as the mast and boom. Plus, they're much smaller and lighter. So, mast spreader and color card in hand, off we went.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXixnOcr6EvQJvbOwJjNaT6SM-TF7SWx50KQfjAmUh3V7uUdqN8imm6WTwWcWp5IV9LTvy4dJgyhrr6QqKc0kT4V2CLW1vUjLrok4wYepOS8cgK8Jpqyne9ey5J9ioRoGypivtmIoLj-1y/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXixnOcr6EvQJvbOwJjNaT6SM-TF7SWx50KQfjAmUh3V7uUdqN8imm6WTwWcWp5IV9LTvy4dJgyhrr6QqKc0kT4V2CLW1vUjLrok4wYepOS8cgK8Jpqyne9ey5J9ioRoGypivtmIoLj-1y/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jo Beth In the Paint Shed</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Even though we understood white ain't white, the range of differences in the color tones took us aback. Many of the white color chips, ranging from bright white and cream colored when inside, exhibited significant gray and blue tones in sunlight. And when compared to the spreader, some were almost beige or tan. It was quite surprising.<br />
<br />
Another fact we had to consider in making our hull color decision was the color of the cabin house and deck. We aren't painting the deck or the house, and decades in tropical and semi-tropical sun has bleached them to a bright white. The deck and house will have minor cosmetic repairs done and then be polished, which is going to result in them being a bit brighter still. The original color of the house and deck was a very warm toned and creamy white; easy on the eyes in bright sun, which sun-bleached, bright white surfaces won't be. That's why we wear our fancy and expensive Costa shades, right?<br />
<br />
Eventually, after comparing the color chips to the spreader and in one or two instances, to actual smears of Awlgrip paint, Oyster White was our best choice. It's not an exact match to the color of the mast and boom, but it's very close.<br />
<br />
Jo Beth has now made it into the paint shed. The final bit of guide coat was being dealt with when I snapped the picture above. Actual painting of the hull should begin this week.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGYCEOGQeIa0KmEwjMF89aqIuObpLATNyz3R_0Sa9MJsW-hMIJJO1C-2MmY1qOpZn16PSpcV7czdAI3e96i8XLP_XzjDVWWzAbq4tj95Tole4RU2zbuUmWAN-zk3q8TQAExU6RVii17Lk/s1600/IMG_4991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGYCEOGQeIa0KmEwjMF89aqIuObpLATNyz3R_0Sa9MJsW-hMIJJO1C-2MmY1qOpZn16PSpcV7czdAI3e96i8XLP_XzjDVWWzAbq4tj95Tole4RU2zbuUmWAN-zk3q8TQAExU6RVii17Lk/s1600/IMG_4991.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Groco KH Manual Rebuilt Pump</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The rebuilt toilet pump from Groco Marine arrived this week, looking sleek and brand-new. Of course, it's not been put to use yet, but my confidence in the rebuild is high. The cost of the complete rebuild, plus the gasket kit needed to marry the pump and bowl, was less than $250.00, without shipping. The pump is heavy, cast bronze, so shipping isn't cheap. Overall, it seems well worth it. I didn't snap any photos of the pump prior to the rebuild. It was a smelly and dirty white speckled chunk of bronze with a heavy green patina. You'll have to trust me that the transformation is quite impressive.<br />
<br />
Otherwise, back-ordered winch parts finally arrived from Lewmar and work continued on the interior overhead and a few other carpentry and electrical projects. We now have new batteries on board and the new battery control panel and main electrical system control panels will make life a bit easier.<br />
<br />
Work on the mast and rigging should begin soon. Shortly after she's out of the paint shed, the mast and rigging are set to be installed back on board, or in nautical parlance, 'stepped.' She should soon start to look like the cruising yacht she is. <br />
<br />
Jo Beth is once again buttoned up tight as of Friday afternoon in anticipation of continuing paint prep and later this week, shooting of the first coat. Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-7722281255873069742014-07-03T19:43:00.001-04:002014-07-03T19:43:52.140-04:00Shall We Paint Her White…or…White?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->At this stage in the refit, there’s simply not enough happening
to write about. Dealing with paint means dealing with physics and chemistry,
and it also means doing battle with Savannah’s summertime and the heat and
humidity it brings. The yacht DULCINEA should be exiting the paint shed early
next week. JO BETH will move from the prep shed into the paint shed accordingly.
With that in mind, it occurred to me this morning that we’ve not chosen the
specific color for the hull paint. My conversation with paint shop foreman John
Lancaster and his question "what color?" was the key reminder.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b>Which Color of White is That...?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-udrW5BrJkumdBM2SwOD0OKh9bNnOOpTWB-37uOik70Kjbq6NLx0F9WXKjlCm0DMitbja5Y8fP2Xz_JdwZ4_0mo-irKtFvGbVsrVkaWM5fYCWGreNI4i2RlC4ULq0C8RnEY-YfYDSVgR/s1600/20140703_192851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik-udrW5BrJkumdBM2SwOD0OKh9bNnOOpTWB-37uOik70Kjbq6NLx0F9WXKjlCm0DMitbja5Y8fP2Xz_JdwZ4_0mo-irKtFvGbVsrVkaWM5fYCWGreNI4i2RlC4ULq0C8RnEY-YfYDSVgR/s1600/20140703_192851.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A Portion of the Awlgrip Color Card</i></div>
<br />
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We know we want the hull color to match the paint on the new
mast and boom as closely as possible, and the stripe color will remain Awlgrip’s
‘Flag Blue,’ a dark, deep blue. But, the mast and boom were painted with
Sterling Paint ‘Off-White’ and the Awlgrip ‘Off-White’ is not an exact match. So,
color cards in hand, we’ve narrowed it down to the Awlgrip colors of either ‘Oyster-White’
or ‘Egg Shell White’ though at first glance, the Egg Shell White seems too
warm. One day next week, we’ll haul the new boom out of the rigging shed and
into the sun to make our decision. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way it won’t match the deck which has
long since bleached out. For the deck and exterior parts of the cabin, we’re making
minor gelcoat repairs and having a hard-core buff and polish done to restore the
finish.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q5iNnHxnMUl1VtIvWYiL3c_3s3CJLQcxGpvHc8dlyR_8kiaBmdVlPBFm-ZJ8GEvqRVjsBx1GQCzxRUvsnZ26mIJRxnu4uRHIJ34oTBP1hM5FTi_o-ylc4WI8G-RiIcdE9YBbp489iLSf/s1600/20140703_090943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q5iNnHxnMUl1VtIvWYiL3c_3s3CJLQcxGpvHc8dlyR_8kiaBmdVlPBFm-ZJ8GEvqRVjsBx1GQCzxRUvsnZ26mIJRxnu4uRHIJ34oTBP1hM5FTi_o-ylc4WI8G-RiIcdE9YBbp489iLSf/s1600/20140703_090943.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Reinforcing Grid Structure for the New Cabin Overhead</i></div>
<br />
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Otherwise, work has continued on the installation of the new
overhead and the new quarterberth bulkhead. However, once JO BETH is in the paint
shed, paint work will be the only work happening and will likely take the
remainder of the month. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What the Heck is That thing For...?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that in mind, I’ll go ahead and issue a ‘boat-geek’
warning: while JO BETH receives her new topcoat and striping, I’ll write a bit
about how we plan to equip her for living aboard and future voyaging, the equipment choices we're making and why, etc. I’ll also
talk about the way Lisa and I are approaching the transition from living in a
space of 2,000 sq/ft to less than 350 sq/ft.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We both wish everyone a happy and safe 4<sup>th</sup> of
July holiday! </div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-13100054308582894722014-06-21T11:28:00.002-04:002014-06-22T10:23:54.604-04:00Refit Limbo<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiNH7WX-bP9Mg-v3jfkGkcZ2ntFO7QIwVrhQOMPLq7shVZEpgD5BJ2TrW3RgrsZPPo2ZIkIogaDXQFdQ8D6XwiyAV5RWYHuzKKq2xUWfxiG3u6PLTej-1UkFWiW7Pk4N89aa99F1A3hYT/s1600/20140621_074755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiNH7WX-bP9Mg-v3jfkGkcZ2ntFO7QIwVrhQOMPLq7shVZEpgD5BJ2TrW3RgrsZPPo2ZIkIogaDXQFdQ8D6XwiyAV5RWYHuzKKq2xUWfxiG3u6PLTej-1UkFWiW7Pk4N89aa99F1A3hYT/s1600/20140621_074755.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><i>JO BETH in a state of 'Refit Limbo'</i></b> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
JO BETH is
in a state of ‘refit limbo.’ The primer and prep for the hull painting are
essentially done. But until DULCINEA, an early 1980’s vintage Tartan 37 sailboat, leaves
the paint shed JO BETH will remain in her spot. However,
because of the delay, work is resuming on the interior and electrical systems. </div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Subdivisions</b></div>
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One of the
larger projects, not so much in scale but in complexity, is the conversion of the
saloon quarterberth into a cockpit storage locker. The ubiquitous
quarterberth came about as a result of naval architects and designers getting
creative with ways to cram more bodies into boat interiors. Pick up just about any sailing
magazine and look at the specifications shown on the new boat ads; chances are there will be
one or more indications of how many people the boat's designer says can sleep aboard. Of course, this is
in theory only. Space aboard a small sailing yacht is at a premium and the competition for it is brutal. All of
those sleeping aboard must be well at ease with a severe lack of privacy and
do well functioning in close, cramped, and often hot and damp quarters. A boat
advertised as ‘sleeping six’ is in reality, uncomfortably cozy with four.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
quarterberth is fitted in the aft or rear section of the hull and to one side.
Aboard JO BETH, it’s on the starboard side. On the design drawings, it seems a good idea. One
demand most every sailor places on the space and equipment which finds its way aboard a small boat is that of multiple utility, and the theory behind the
quarterberth fits the bill nicely: a space that can function either as a berth
or a place for storage. The problem is it does neither well. As a berth,
it is cramped and hot, and difficult to get into or out of without doing contortions
which could win one a starring role in a Cirque De Soleil act. It also fails as
a stowage area. With access only on one end, it tends to become an unorganized catch
all for odd shaped and bulky bits of gear which inevitably wind up in tangled piles. I’m certain the word ‘quarterberth’ is itself derived from a
long unused phrase meaning ‘place to toss things.’ </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedpiOzQ1wSgVQtxdpDX6kC94ntRQV3LtK4O0Ezj-dEy5D_0Swxr_Ky75Vx7-X6jl4GwTB2sr1GsCO_1ZvkBsu4r-fiLPOCnV0D9JqalpXB9PIbtwiBct5SjhSjxyLyR5QjuZ6fGzPAWSd/s1600/Jo+Beth+Blog+Pics+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedpiOzQ1wSgVQtxdpDX6kC94ntRQV3LtK4O0Ezj-dEy5D_0Swxr_Ky75Vx7-X6jl4GwTB2sr1GsCO_1ZvkBsu4r-fiLPOCnV0D9JqalpXB9PIbtwiBct5SjhSjxyLyR5QjuZ6fGzPAWSd/s1600/Jo+Beth+Blog+Pics+021.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i> Here's a view of the quarterberth as it looks pre-conversion; it's the space where the large white squares, our cockpit cushions, and the edge of the blue seat cushion can be seen</i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
Aboard JO
BETH, our quarterberth had certainly become a catch all. Lisa and I were long
dissatisfied with it; frustrated by the non-functionality of what constitutes a large chunk of interior
real estate. JO BETH is fitted with a deep storage locker on the port side of the
cockpit. When we began to discuss the refit and create a task list of the jobs
we wanted done, we hit upon the idea of converting the quarterberth to a
useable and functional storage locker, which would be accessible from the cockpit - a second deep cockpit locker. There is a locker on the starboard side of
the cockpit, (both port and starboard lockers are accessed by lifting a hinged lid which serves as part of the cockpit
seats), but it’s fitted with a shallow pan which is the overhead portion of the quarterberth. It can only accommodate things such
as electrical shower-power cords, winch handles, and the like. Removing this
pan and fitting a bulkhead inside the cabin at the front of the quarterberth
would give us a second functional storage locker which we could access from the cockpit.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9C0k6GxEEr37mM-uAFE78JpXnSi8BNcDU861bDgjE20K_9qJJy2CI2_vUQxPnniM4Mg4-kD4C9YyGd_dYLiFv8EpYUpWTGF0q2u92_yl1GiAF6VUrO0j2C5B-bXoEUQtmPAGQvJUo75R/s1600/20140621_074541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9C0k6GxEEr37mM-uAFE78JpXnSi8BNcDU861bDgjE20K_9qJJy2CI2_vUQxPnniM4Mg4-kD4C9YyGd_dYLiFv8EpYUpWTGF0q2u92_yl1GiAF6VUrO0j2C5B-bXoEUQtmPAGQvJUo75R/s1600/20140621_074541.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>The new bulkhead rough-in; the finished bulkhead will be veneered and stained to match the rest of the interior joinery</i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It sounds
simple enough, but in reality the design and installation of the new bulkhead
has required a surprising amount of engineering. First, the bulkhead will cover
part of the aft water tank lid. Because of this, the bulkhead has to be installed
so that it could be removed if it ever became necessary to remove the water
tank lid. Also, the placement of the bulkhead had to accommodate the forward
inspection and cleaning port on the water tank lid. And, because of the shape
of the hull sides, the bulkhead had to be fitted in two pieces. The project is
coming along nicely, and the roughed in bulkhead is now in place. Next will
follow the removal of the locker pan and the installation of a protective
gasket around the edges where the pan is cut. Then, the new locker will be cleaned
and the finished bulkhead installed.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A lot of
forward stowage space was sacrificed with the installation of the air conditioning
and heating system. We’re very excited about having a new and functional storage
locker aft. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Easing the “Head” Ache</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Perhaps I should preface this with ‘Boat Geek
Moment Alert.’ I’m sure this
will be exciting news for everyone: we’ve made a decision
regarding the head (toilet). After discussing the La Vac option mentioned in the <a href="http://www.svjobeth.blogspot.com/2014/06/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> with Hinckley Manager Dustin
Hartley, we came to the realization the additional plumbing, pumps, and wiring
required to fit the La Vac would increase our refit costs by approximately
$2,000. Lisa and I both readily agreed that was not acceptable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We continued
to shop for a replacement Groco Marine KH Manual toilet, the same which we had
bought and been forced to return, but with no success. Then, while researching
other options, I came across a posting on a sailor’s bulletin board about a
factory rebuild program for the old Groco Marine KH Manual toilet pumps. The pump is
the heart of the system, and really the only part of our system, aside from
hoses, which needed to be replaced; with a bit of polishing, the old bowl will
be fine. (The seat needs to be replaced if I’m honest.) So much for Lisa’s feet
touching the deck while seated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a
quick call to Groco Marine in Maryland, I tore down the pump, boxed it up and
shipped it back to the factory for a full rebuild and servicing. Based upon my
conversation with the engineers at Groco, we should get a full working life out
of the rebuilt pump – easily 10 or more years, with proper maintenance. These pumps are
beefy and robust solid bronze piston pumps; simple, powerful, and effective. The
estimated rebuild cost is approximately $350; compared to nearly $1,500 for a
new pump assembly, we’re glad to have found this option. As a curious and
humorous aside, it turns out the parent company under which Groco Marine
operates is called…Gross Industries.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Getting Electrified</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most of the
big electrical jobs aboard are done. The new and consolidated AC/DC system control
panel, a thing of beauty, is in place, as is the new battery control panel. The
monitoring panels for the water and fuel tanks, batteries, and battery charging
are fitted and working. The new VHF radio transceiver and stereo are fitted and
the Sirius XM tuner and antenna have been installed. Mostly what remains for
the electrician to do are the lights and instruments for the mast when the mast
and rigging are reinstalled and stepped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcdBsRElvnUaVkpoRHNnjBF1ZvHmXgHcg-zizHyCz5h4siMTqrlL0S6u-wYuWMkUADhrKDR4e_ZT1vtN-CKyylrMaixgi7-eS3ifzSMqtE7nklme7NlXECISoXk_mNfraWHOQqo1y5Gnb/s1600/Jo+Beth+Blog+Pics+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcdBsRElvnUaVkpoRHNnjBF1ZvHmXgHcg-zizHyCz5h4siMTqrlL0S6u-wYuWMkUADhrKDR4e_ZT1vtN-CKyylrMaixgi7-eS3ifzSMqtE7nklme7NlXECISoXk_mNfraWHOQqo1y5Gnb/s1600/Jo+Beth+Blog+Pics+024.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Here's a before shot of our 'modular' electrical system control panels; two DC control panels, separated by a stand alone AC panel - not the best arrangement</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dwlJWU4rMHXw3eEGQcP37eZV0CpikQCcEzj6XaxMphKml4E-4qfcpo1bh9k5y4YrSqYhSI6KumXXLTvB9k5VIoJ9qqQUkFjob8fZTyCB_Wm-M90tjbNaenMA8CYS75RZdqBDu-XHBhTq/s1600/20140619_102651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dwlJWU4rMHXw3eEGQcP37eZV0CpikQCcEzj6XaxMphKml4E-4qfcpo1bh9k5y4YrSqYhSI6KumXXLTvB9k5VIoJ9qqQUkFjob8fZTyCB_Wm-M90tjbNaenMA8CYS75RZdqBDu-XHBhTq/s1600/20140619_102651.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>And here is our new, larger, and consolidated electrical system control panel; below it are the monitor panels which allow us to manage our electrical energy and fuel and water tanks</i></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Progress
will be slow until JO BETH is painted and out of the shed. We’re still hopeful to see her afloat
again by late July. Lisa and I want to send our heartfelt 'thanks' to
all of you for sticking with us. We appreciate your interest, comments, and questions! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-91756257023991783302014-06-07T14:51:00.000-04:002014-06-07T21:05:26.365-04:00And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Updates...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgYikcAIpe9SsH0-eA_yr5pOvRzqaxH40oi64uTBWG6XlWNVTEeSSmlq7_pMv35Vurw9_0ja5EkK5FnYm-zWve9SwG3CHxoEz7SV3yLfWwDqiBFTA-biVQOcO4-am_gUZlb4esnM_4Zfd/s1600/20140524_132444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgYikcAIpe9SsH0-eA_yr5pOvRzqaxH40oi64uTBWG6XlWNVTEeSSmlq7_pMv35Vurw9_0ja5EkK5FnYm-zWve9SwG3CHxoEz7SV3yLfWwDqiBFTA-biVQOcO4-am_gUZlb4esnM_4Zfd/s1600/20140524_132444.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Scraping the remains of the caprail varnish on a hot Savannah Saturday</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s been a
while since the last update here – a little more than three months – so today’s
post is going to be a game of catch up. It’s likely to get a little long as
well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For those who would prefer a condensed version, here’s an
update of the last three months in one paragraph: the wayward mast and boom
finally arrived, more electrical work has been completed, the water tank and
waste holding tank lids have been removed, the tanks cleaned/repaired, and new
lids fitted. The bottom was sandblasted, more joinery jobs were completed, and
JO BETH is being prepped for her hull topsides painting. Lisa and I have
finished removing the majority of the old and degraded varnish and pulled off
the anchors and chain for maintenance. That’s it in the proverbial nut shell.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Reading that
paragraph will tell you what has happened in the past three months, but much is
lost without the details. A good portion of that time has been extraordinarily
stressful, easily the most worrisome times we’ve had in this entire process.
The bulk of this stress was centered on the delivery of our new mast and boom
from the manufacturer in California - more on that in a moment – but the
discovery of new work necessary to be done, the expansion of projects already
underway, and unexpected material acquisition issues added to the mix.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the
painting of the hull now beginning, the portion of the refit in which the
visible transformation of JO BETH will become apparent is underway. Once the
paint work is completed, she’ll be fitted with her new mast and rigging, the interior
work will be completed, and her new canvas and cushions will be delivered. Make
no mistake though, that is still a lot of work to be done. Stress is to be expected
in a job of the magnitude and depth with which we are doing. We were hoping for
a launch date of the end of this month, and to be back in our home marina by
August. Now, it’s looking more like the fall before we’re aboard full time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmxrcApAq4FBx8QHpsiNRhgBcTBKDFstFtVgkoYY7duesOvA2PQ6Z4hOnCHVm7adE7ILCPlsrASGZvdz2cSd6DuvcYB8lE1JyMqHo_QOph3n0MKSXwMMCOrdBiY5EDPuGCrQ4Y_ZCPf0j/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmxrcApAq4FBx8QHpsiNRhgBcTBKDFstFtVgkoYY7duesOvA2PQ6Z4hOnCHVm7adE7ILCPlsrASGZvdz2cSd6DuvcYB8lE1JyMqHo_QOph3n0MKSXwMMCOrdBiY5EDPuGCrQ4Y_ZCPf0j/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Our new mast, nestled in amongst other masts, in the Hinckley rigging shop</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spar Delivery</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you’ve read
this far, then I’m presuming you’re interested enough in knowing the details of
the past few months. The obvious starting place is the mast and boom. I’ve
written in previous posts about the damages and wear on the boom. After much
consideration, we decided that putting a 30 year old mast in the midst of a
brand new boom and rigging just didn’t make sense. So we bit the bullet and had
the spar builder, LeFiell Manufacturing in Santa Fe Springs, California, build
a new mast. In hindsight, that was the easy part. Shipping the mast and boom,
which are essentially long and skinny aluminum tubes, from California to Georgia
proved to be a huge challenge. Every boat hauler we spoke with didn’t want to
handle just the mast and boom – they wanted to move the entire boat. We
considered shipping the spars on a LTL basis – less than trailer load – on a
flatbed carrier. Basically, the driver will bring the spars on a flatbed for a
minimal charge, provided there’s room to do it safely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We thought
this was in the bag – LeFiell had located a driver they’ve used before for LTL
carriage who happened to have a run to the east coast – and he agreed to bring
the spars. Unfortunately, when the driver arrived to pick up the spars, there
wasn’t enough room on the trailer. Back to square one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
After doing
some research on my own and getting some recommendations from others, I located
a driver. He agreed to move the spars for the LTL rate, which was a bargain, as
the per-mile charge was ½ of what we were expecting to pay for a dedicated
load, meaning our spars were the only freight being carried. We agreed on a
delivery time and date, and the deal was done.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or so we
thought.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The mast and
boom were picked up in California as arranged. Then, they and our driver
disappeared. Aside from one or two text message exchanges, he was AWOL. For
nearly 8 weeks, we had no idea of the whereabouts of our mast and boom, despite
our repeated efforts to find our spars, locate the driver, and secure the
delivery of the mast and boom. We only had brief and evasive replies by text
messages. Eventually, we were forced to involve our insurance company and law
enforcement. Then, out of the blue, the driver appeared at the Hinckley
facility in Savannah. Mast and boom delivered, only slightly worse for wear,
but with no explanation or apologies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The driver
we hired is a man named Daniel Steadley. His company is Big Dog Marine Transport,
based in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Steadley came highly recommended, from
people I trust and have done business with. I researched him before contracting
with him for the delivery, and found only a few negative comments spaced out
over a few years. Nothing very alarming popped up. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As time wore on, I did my own checking into
Mr. Steadley and Big Dog Marine. The company business address in Charleston turned
out to be a UPS Store mailbox. When all was said and done, the delivery of the
mast was six weeks overdue. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But,
delivered they were, and mostly none the worse for wear. There were a few paint
abrasions on both of the spars and one or two deep scratches on the mast,
perhaps because the packing tubes sealed by the factory were disassembled and
resealed with an inferior tape for reasons only the driver could explain, but
he didn’t. A cleat was pulled free from the boom. Some touch up paint and
reattachment of the cleat, and things will be good. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOzTSnkJG0fd4ilk5aT5zmPI3jbC1JQz8H9HQT9VkR6ajaZ8ouHJHeywteC5aHKoNtYrv6fOpReMxBfGSgZfRsM9hzKwTRLytQjo9GizARxaqPHpYkd6kHnGMRIoJiGKyHRV04aZFcIyo/s1600/20140602_085208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOzTSnkJG0fd4ilk5aT5zmPI3jbC1JQz8H9HQT9VkR6ajaZ8ouHJHeywteC5aHKoNtYrv6fOpReMxBfGSgZfRsM9hzKwTRLytQjo9GizARxaqPHpYkd6kHnGMRIoJiGKyHRV04aZFcIyo/s1600/20140602_085208.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Our LED steaming and foredeck light, newly installed on the mast</i></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The arrival
of the spars meant that work could continue. The Hinckley electrician began
dressing the mast with navigation lamps, wind instruments, and cabling for the
VHF radio transceiver. The joinery shop is making pads for the halyard (lines
used to raise and lower the sails) winches to be attached to the mast. The pads
will be made of teak and prevent the aluminum mast and bronze winches from contacting
one another, thereby causing corrosion. More work on the task list.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6HlyXxskm8nzoF0YB4m6gpvJcuuizRsbpAIGxTmg1HdriVd-oSd46EJx2pXdR9mquB__Bhuk0_JxkNYfhyGqvL3iP_xKyo1uTFaLVhLYXYx-XjHQRunXt6ooLG8aISC1Mcz7t2RF4Nh3/s1600/20140512_094256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6HlyXxskm8nzoF0YB4m6gpvJcuuizRsbpAIGxTmg1HdriVd-oSd46EJx2pXdR9mquB__Bhuk0_JxkNYfhyGqvL3iP_xKyo1uTFaLVhLYXYx-XjHQRunXt6ooLG8aISC1Mcz7t2RF4Nh3/s1600/20140512_094256.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Two views of our aft water tank; above is the tank before cleaning and re-coating; below is how it looks after repair and re-coating </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlbs-JZHQPX6VU3flj-CD5F7OW-TNvEIh7_xWRdSIXnYV5POXt5Qv3JlR3QRYZXgoZV6MbLUt6gWfD9SQlaBkFlTZCkwkuCtCYK_5KpMmK1mLOPtO98Wtt_OHWo8IMfXoTNIwUns6W5Ol/s1600/20140515_084659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlbs-JZHQPX6VU3flj-CD5F7OW-TNvEIh7_xWRdSIXnYV5POXt5Qv3JlR3QRYZXgoZV6MbLUt6gWfD9SQlaBkFlTZCkwkuCtCYK_5KpMmK1mLOPtO98Wtt_OHWo8IMfXoTNIwUns6W5Ol/s1600/20140515_084659.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Interior “Head” Aches</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our water
tanks, long contaminated and unusable, have been refurbished now, and the new
lids fitted. The old lids were wooden, coated on their undersides in an epoxy
coating, and as they deteriorated from age and wear were the primary cause of
the tank contamination. The new lids from Pacific Seacraft are fiberglass and fit
the tanks perfectly. We also discovered two cracks in the forward water tank. The
tank interiors have been refurbished, the cracks repaired, and the interiors completely re-coated and sealed. The same was done with the black water/waste holding tank.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then there’s
the head (toilet). In an earlier post, I wrote about how we decided to replace
the entire system, bowl and pump assembly, since it only cost $100 or so more
than a new pump alone. When we received the new head the interior and rim of
the bowl were unglazed. Everyone was dumbfounded as to how this could get by
two QC checks (one at the porcelain factory and one at the head manufacturer).
The on-line dealer, of course, offered an exchange for no extra shipping, so we
sent it back. Weeks later, after having received a full refund, we are notified
that the manufacturer is “experiencing supplier issues” and the dealer has
discontinued the item indefinitely. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just
buy it from someone else, you say? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
just so happens we got this one on sale at a really good price. Having to pay
almost half again as much caused us to rethink our choice of head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Several
years ago we had discussed changing the whole system to a La Vac, which uses a vacuum
created by a pump to empty out the toilet bowl. Hydrodynamic physics, plain and
simple. The theoretical advantage is fewer moving parts to break and clog. I’ve
now done some research and found an electric La Vac with manual pump back-up
can be had for less than the price we had paid for our unglazed replacement
head. Also, Lisa has confessed she would like the toilet seat to be a little
lower to the sole (floor) of the head since her feet don’t touch when she is
seated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A La Vac would definitely be
lower than our original head. I’ve also placed a call to Pacific Seacraft to
see if they can help us find the original head and or pump for a reasonable
price. A final decision has yet to be made.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Much of the
interior electrical work is finished, or nearly finished. The electrician was
impressed with one of our favorite boat show purchases, the light over the
galley sink that uses touch to turn on. Swipe it one way and the white lights
come on; swipe it the opposite and you get red to protect night vision. There
is plumbing work still to be done, along with mechanical work and joinery
projects. The canvas work is just now getting started. A good portion of the
work remaining can’t be done until the boat is off the ground and back in the
water. Even then, we will be conducting sea trials to test new systems. There is
still much to do. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCDhgwqUCvVLAyD3EojV6Dlwqqe740ViZJv_-SqgEjavtBymKL-1xEbhRdDHnQHD1Q2ptul7A4iWGMV7L36MNjuiaurlaHyaKbeZJt3OzYgd7tNVhpe7PEQizWStc58rESNb3tdwOUjnQ/s1600/20140602_084653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCDhgwqUCvVLAyD3EojV6Dlwqqe740ViZJv_-SqgEjavtBymKL-1xEbhRdDHnQHD1Q2ptul7A4iWGMV7L36MNjuiaurlaHyaKbeZJt3OzYgd7tNVhpe7PEQizWStc58rESNb3tdwOUjnQ/s1600/20140602_084653.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cover & protect materials going on in preparation for painting</i></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sandblasting and Painting</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lisa and I
also decided to sandblast the old layers of the anti-fouling bottom paint from
the hull bottom. The paint build up was noticeably thick, and was getting to
the point where additional coatings would not likely adhere. The boatyard has
no sandblasting equipment in house, but had rented a unit to do the same thing
to another boat’s bottom. Originally, we were going to put this off until the
next haulout for maintenance. In the end, it may sense to do the sandblasting
now, might as well, so we did. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Better
now than with the new hull paint. The sandblasting opened up some minor
blemishes in the hull which have to be repaired as well. While many of these
jobs weren’t planned or budgeted, they did need to be done, whether now or
later. The bulk of them will not likely have to be done again for as long as we
sail JO BETH.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif77Ba6zyE6iNtmKMZH_V2WR0sDUno1UVylXl9CY042t1kn8c3kfloAge_ZI4OlYFUOhMkIZfdMtuQvDoiqaxnt0Mpvj-fjgQ-Wb1hH-K8NJLVsgk8-tBqqUXjcshB3Lmtxm1Dq_6bP1cm/s1600/IMG_2626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif77Ba6zyE6iNtmKMZH_V2WR0sDUno1UVylXl9CY042t1kn8c3kfloAge_ZI4OlYFUOhMkIZfdMtuQvDoiqaxnt0Mpvj-fjgQ-Wb1hH-K8NJLVsgk8-tBqqUXjcshB3Lmtxm1Dq_6bP1cm/s1600/IMG_2626.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>JO BETH before her bottom paint was sandblasted away, above...</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZNd3dxVKRnA-No2u2z_ohhBVtp5H-zsCyk5URUK4hk5ZdriZqq9XxaC9dOwL1Tx-NOnxb38Z2cLrhNCcUQ23X9QiCvZ3DzWbGgHvtCthba8-JMmkQ_R7-P_cXsJHtf9EsMGqVGADYTF8/s1600/20140501_145211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZNd3dxVKRnA-No2u2z_ohhBVtp5H-zsCyk5URUK4hk5ZdriZqq9XxaC9dOwL1Tx-NOnxb38Z2cLrhNCcUQ23X9QiCvZ3DzWbGgHvtCthba8-JMmkQ_R7-P_cXsJHtf9EsMGqVGADYTF8/s1600/20140501_145211.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> ...and after; her new bottom color will be a deep, brick red</i></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The painting
of the hull is a big milestone. This represents a huge transformation of the
boat. We are using the paint color cards, trying to determine whether we want
Oyster White, Off White, or Eggshell White as the hull color. Then there’s the
striping. Navy Blue or Flag Blue? Dark Blue or Aristo Blue? Decisions!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbozXy5_Dc0bwujqSX65pskzNuZItY4PodUXIEniZ1BJjileIAZQk_H3U2n7mlYL5ouCRmktP5x9fu8YRYB7T5cCo0wfXLEU7_iJjzwF0v64dMMnKE_vMej_88Bdps6IhU5FqY8AAJhpui/s1600/IMG_3841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbozXy5_Dc0bwujqSX65pskzNuZItY4PodUXIEniZ1BJjileIAZQk_H3U2n7mlYL5ouCRmktP5x9fu8YRYB7T5cCo0wfXLEU7_iJjzwF0v64dMMnKE_vMej_88Bdps6IhU5FqY8AAJhpui/s1600/IMG_3841.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The first of many steps to prep the hull for primer and paint</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of our
future projects is the installation of a windvane self-steering system on the
rear section, or stern, of the boat. We have an electric autopilot, which
consumes a lot of power when in use, and on long passages can be a detriment.
The windvane system uses the wind. However, to install it, we have to remove
our boarding ladder. Removing the ladder before painting was another “might as
well” decision. We’re now shopping for a side installed ladder, which will fold
up and stow when not in use. One we are considering is made by a company called
<a href="http://www.mysticstainless.com/foldaway.html" target="_blank">Mystic Stainless& Aluminum</a>, of Mystic, Connecticut.This is how budgets get blown
away. And as I said, decisions!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFichGlK22r6IqzG52WRBV-BCFvUsP1ZU0SoIx7_AXGUyQS1TfHde_hoqhm72MSd_oHw3ZBT6dm3sCyDTmubAVy66Vyxp7No5V3oIwDj5UWVmzknPnBb4fRhH1DNXIhmQ8s6ZkG7wU71H/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFichGlK22r6IqzG52WRBV-BCFvUsP1ZU0SoIx7_AXGUyQS1TfHde_hoqhm72MSd_oHw3ZBT6dm3sCyDTmubAVy66Vyxp7No5V3oIwDj5UWVmzknPnBb4fRhH1DNXIhmQ8s6ZkG7wU71H/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>As the work to remove oxidation, contaminants, etc., from JO BETH's hull progressed, her former name, PUFFIN, emerged</i> </div>
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Progress
will begin to move rapidly once <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JO BETH
leaves the paint shed in a month or so. Still, countless decisions remain to be
made. But, by middle or late July, with fingers crossed, JO BETH will be afloat
once again. Stay tuned!
</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-48007268179150537412014-03-22T16:43:00.000-04:002014-03-22T16:43:50.568-04:00Getting in Deep<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Djho0bEfTN6juVkLKsqjQAqua_x4D3rPNfsIUMtXSG1gpDBhjyeojz23MQv3uMD7Fvl5-IS5P2YuFY96C-hDfYqWXccUt4789TGMX-X38_hQeUhyx99OuMvxk_Lr3148M_8xUme3kR4D/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Djho0bEfTN6juVkLKsqjQAqua_x4D3rPNfsIUMtXSG1gpDBhjyeojz23MQv3uMD7Fvl5-IS5P2YuFY96C-hDfYqWXccUt4789TGMX-X38_hQeUhyx99OuMvxk_Lr3148M_8xUme3kR4D/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo Beth at Hinckley Yacht Services, Savannah, GA</td></tr>
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A little more time has passed than I’d planned for between
these refit updates. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it means the work
by Hinckley is really moving along now. Nearly all of the ordered materials
have arrived, decisions regarding fabrics and colors for the interior have been
made, and the weather is (finally!) warming. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We do have the occasional issue arise when some new piece of
equipment doesn’t fit exactly right, or there’s a question as to how new wiring
should be routed, and so on. Quick and simple things mostly, and so far, all
easily resolved.</div>
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<br /></div>
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One decision we did make was to replace our mast. I wrote
about the extensive corrosion and fatigue damages to our boom, and once the
decision was made to replace it, along with the standing rigging and
chainplates – the wires that hold up the mast and the hardware they attach to –
it didn’t make sense to put all of those new things on an old mast.
Fortunately, we were able to get one ordered in time for it to ship with the
new boom. They are somewhere between Georgia and California, hopefully closer
than further, and should arrive by middle of the week next week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFkiGCd7XRUYEi_2WZ2UPhp4RhAg1Gn1y5e6FjewqpLF2LsTSCMmoPktJvt2G1KoX_c5ynQb1rakzDzgati8RJQhjQ8smmEor2EGxcmrQ8GI7eG4LIePf2UQVADiZ5zBWLScXjFplKGn2/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFkiGCd7XRUYEi_2WZ2UPhp4RhAg1Gn1y5e6FjewqpLF2LsTSCMmoPktJvt2G1KoX_c5ynQb1rakzDzgati8RJQhjQ8smmEor2EGxcmrQ8GI7eG4LIePf2UQVADiZ5zBWLScXjFplKGn2/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the dozen or so fatigue cracks found in our old boom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another big decision we made was to replace the through hull
fittings and seacocks. These are the fittings and valves which control the flow
of seawater into the hull and allow water to be drained from the decks or
discharged from inside the hull. Seawater is drawn in from outside the boat is
used aboard the boat for a variety of reasons: engine cooling; flushing the head
(known as a ‘toilet’ on land); deck wash-down and cleaning; dishwashing, etc.
The seacocks are constructed of a bronze housing with a stainless steel ball valve
within it. The stainless steel ball is attached to a handle and has a hole
through its center; when the hole is in line with the opening in the hull,
water can flow in or our through the valve. When the valve is closed, the ball
is turned so the hole is no longer in line with the through hull fitting
opening. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVwvYAr240DYZRtbzY-f7RHB1O_vAOWdH9zrb8bdMUhBoeU4d_BF8awJKNb55WFi3FLMDT23IBn5CZl43EGz7FIO2fzViiOOCthDe-1j7RJetyLYRkc5aUs8_FIowDPbUEvrtCLTqL-jD/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVwvYAr240DYZRtbzY-f7RHB1O_vAOWdH9zrb8bdMUhBoeU4d_BF8awJKNb55WFi3FLMDT23IBn5CZl43EGz7FIO2fzViiOOCthDe-1j7RJetyLYRkc5aUs8_FIowDPbUEvrtCLTqL-jD/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thruough hull fittings...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSTwFwunF0TCi09TDLjpRYfXzPDeFIBQ4tnFdXSoe5mKqQxHX0qMd37ddBdn8V3nTzzSI-zdzs9Mz4N7gXCCljKzYjIgCogCR68d3VVwHtXi8uIs0XhpoZLagWnWdMszIN8G7GgmAeSWq/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrSTwFwunF0TCi09TDLjpRYfXzPDeFIBQ4tnFdXSoe5mKqQxHX0qMd37ddBdn8V3nTzzSI-zdzs9Mz4N7gXCCljKzYjIgCogCR68d3VVwHtXi8uIs0XhpoZLagWnWdMszIN8G7GgmAeSWq/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and a seacock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seacocks are generally maintainable, but after thirty plus
years of service, ours were very tired and worn. It goes without saying that
keeping the water outside of the boat is vital to our success – hence, the
decision to replace them. All of the seacocks and through hull fittings on the
bottom have been addressed. Those for the deck drains and pump discharges will
be done a little later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest job in the works at the moment is that of
replacing the cabin overhead liner. Pacific Seacraft boats are built with a
stitched vinyl headliner fitted with zippers to allow access behind the
headliner for repairs. It’s a good idea in theory, and works well if all the
nuts and wiring one needs to get at any given time are in close proximity to
the zipper location. In practice however, it didn’t always work so well. The
single biggest issue we had with the overhead was with the zippers. On Jo Beth,
they were metal and tended to corrode and get stuck. Plus, the headliner was
looking dingy with its age. It was time for it to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The new headliner will be a paneled system, secured in place
by wooden strips, or battens. The grid for the system is in place now. This new
system will markedly improve our access to fittings, wiring, etc. and make
maintenance much easier. It does reduce the headroom in the cabin by about an
inch and a half; fortunately, not a problem for Lisa and me!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up at the grid structure for the new batten and panel cabin overhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two of the more challenging tasks crossed off the list were
the choice of a fabric for new interior cushions and the replacement sink and
fixtures for the galley. Lisa wanted to create a cozy, homey environment for
the two of us aboard Jo Beth, just as she did in the rebuild of our home in
Miami following hurricane Andrew in 1992. Boat fabrics require different
considerations for those in a house, and must be able to stand up to sun, sea,
and salt. After perusing countless fabric swatch books and placing dozens of
sample swatches around the boat, she finally decided on Sunbrella Cannes
Parchment. While she had hoped to bring in some warm colors similar to the
upholstered furniture in our house, it was decided a neutral pallet would be
more versatile, enhanced with colorful accent pillows.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglTD4hTUDoBmx9nU3xwQ56O8ef1eUbvZLs3hVpefQzX0ZacXVMNBKe0GbTRvt751zwn19PdiKbkdywNulvthKMmszz1YeMbHt5NL7k0P8yfUUwsS1expigkLgNXg-Drb8kvHP1aIzKXs1/s1600/IMG_2650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiglTD4hTUDoBmx9nU3xwQ56O8ef1eUbvZLs3hVpefQzX0ZacXVMNBKe0GbTRvt751zwn19PdiKbkdywNulvthKMmszz1YeMbHt5NL7k0P8yfUUwsS1expigkLgNXg-Drb8kvHP1aIzKXs1/s1600/IMG_2650.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunbrella Cannes-Parchment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The difficulty of finding a replacement galley sink
surprised both of us. The existing dual bowl stainless steel sink has seen
better days, and while it’s plenty deep to contain things such as glasses,
plates, etc. in rough conditions, it was too small to put a pot in on either
side. Our choices were to either replace or refurbish it. The costs for doing
either were the same, surprisingly. So began the search.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’ve heard me say it a thousand times: space on a small
cruising yacht is limited. So it was with the space allocated for the sink. The
structure of the cabin interior allows no room to move, either front to back or
side to side. Every ready-made sink we found fit in one dimension but not the
other – without fail. Eventually, after visiting dozens of websites, consulting
with restaurant supply companies, and visiting a couple of interior design
firms, Lisa found a sink online which will work. It’s a granite composite sink.
Very heavy duty, and very durable, it is a residential bar prep sink, made from
a mix of 80% granite dust in an epoxy resin. A little bit of trim work around
the flanges and we will have a beautiful and much more functional sink installation. She even found a
pull out spray head faucet in a matching color! Pictures will follow once the installation is started.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxZYgvNgpJHCeNPRPjxzbXuX8IScZkwwdK8F8JCgkx-WcWZZCzdelzAoWqOgbZzq36klaQ4q62h1IohJGJcSa8tnWh3vKDoLXDKvhNNCXi6tAF38H-33MWeZ-Um71Oy4lBVmnp_rtkROV/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxZYgvNgpJHCeNPRPjxzbXuX8IScZkwwdK8F8JCgkx-WcWZZCzdelzAoWqOgbZzq36klaQ4q62h1IohJGJcSa8tnWh3vKDoLXDKvhNNCXi6tAF38H-33MWeZ-Um71Oy4lBVmnp_rtkROV/s1600/IMG_2630.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electrical work in progress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jo Beth’s electrical system is another area where a fairly
large job is underway. We’re not rewiring the boat, but we are removing old and
unused wires and replacing our aged electrical control panels and breakers.
We’re adding a battery management panel, (batteries are our electrical lifeline
when we’re at sea), and with it a monitoring panel for tank levels and
electrical consumption, as well as consolidating switch locations and the
system layout.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFDaVRxFB8S3XGTDllJgB4fPIWDBz4gAXYyEOJ53TaqGAckdHW2-vKFw4qD3gvaPr_FGifcioM66FcB33bJOY4FAwTLVrMoC7CRWyfcaVqyNXiKmB5Ri8el89Aae_EhWUaHUceSqCuxi/s1600/IMG_2646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqFDaVRxFB8S3XGTDllJgB4fPIWDBz4gAXYyEOJ53TaqGAckdHW2-vKFw4qD3gvaPr_FGifcioM66FcB33bJOY4FAwTLVrMoC7CRWyfcaVqyNXiKmB5Ri8el89Aae_EhWUaHUceSqCuxi/s1600/IMG_2646.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo Beth's new dual filter fuel filtering system</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re hopeful for a launch date sometime in early June and
to be done with sea trials and the like by the end of June. Mechanical, carpentry, and electrical work are continuing and rigging and paint work will begin soon. More updates will
follow as things move ahead. Stay tuned!
</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-64609925311358561942014-02-16T09:24:00.000-05:002014-02-16T09:32:40.286-05:00The Miami International Boat Show!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb0fBQcJa7iEtpk0Lc359g5iNj3vJHFJAYl_fTBQxa6_fYoDNVceMNoAEy4C0yIz-t0XuiVhILxDBeIXMi1KCvEf6jVEcv8nwXkIYRvheexRKjq6sJBlYHsatRdswGrdWiNpuNe3Dzx5V/s1600/20140214_105020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMb0fBQcJa7iEtpk0Lc359g5iNj3vJHFJAYl_fTBQxa6_fYoDNVceMNoAEy4C0yIz-t0XuiVhILxDBeIXMi1KCvEf6jVEcv8nwXkIYRvheexRKjq6sJBlYHsatRdswGrdWiNpuNe3Dzx5V/s1600/20140214_105020.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strictly Sail, Miami International Boat Show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the past few days, Lisa and I have been in Miami at the Miami Boat Show and the Strictly Sail sailboat portion of the show. Sponsored by NMMA (National Marine Manufacturer's Association) and Progressive Insurance, it's one of the largest shows around. It covers three venues; two marinas and the sprawling Miami Beach Convention Center. It was a good show. We were able to make a lot of the critical equipment purchases for our refit over two days spent between the sailboat location and convention center, see some old friends, and enjoy some really good Caribbean and Cuban cuisine.<br />
<br />
The show did come with it's quirks, as much in this fun and diverse city always does. Snafus in shuttle services between the venues and parking left us stranded once and standing in long lines frequently, but such is the nature of the event. Regardless, for anyone searching for equipment, shows like this are the ticket - we were given some amazing deals, and negotiated even better ones from an array of vendors. I highly recommend it. Just be prepared to reset your clocks to 'island time'.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVKOsiljftZgbkhgGv6uFH1j6cgw9h8ZyFtot67xlAHdHMLP6Q5xAheKcHZcGtYSmKXBadpLexDfcGtX4OcHptYyS6D3kZRIDnIvsr2tmHN5X_P2X7msRcYdMZHPQUfpLwe-ALTw-ksFJ/s1600/20140214_145429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVKOsiljftZgbkhgGv6uFH1j6cgw9h8ZyFtot67xlAHdHMLP6Q5xAheKcHZcGtYSmKXBadpLexDfcGtX4OcHptYyS6D3kZRIDnIvsr2tmHN5X_P2X7msRcYdMZHPQUfpLwe-ALTw-ksFJ/s1600/20140214_145429.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be Prepared to Stand in Long Lines for Shuttle Services</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Today, we're going to our old neighborhood to see how things have changed and who's still around. We lived here for about 10 years, and left in '98.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP6rVzfOeX83f6YDi873e63VolISVTOUijANoE32Q7ZhDs6ywiP26yo7So974Np0GoJ_OimEyi2zCTXdbYVnVwIWWcp8MH5Ic4DtmrxtdfV3Ff0cCZaA8GsSXeInCA9nR8RVJhgL4p9gB/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWP6rVzfOeX83f6YDi873e63VolISVTOUijANoE32Q7ZhDs6ywiP26yo7So974Np0GoJ_OimEyi2zCTXdbYVnVwIWWcp8MH5Ic4DtmrxtdfV3Ff0cCZaA8GsSXeInCA9nR8RVJhgL4p9gB/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test Fitting the New Reverse Cycling A/C System</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The refit itself is progressing. When we left for Miami, the A/C and heating system and new refrigerator and freezer installs were nearly finished. A quick call from LeFiell Marine in California confirmed our new mast and boom are nearing completion and materials we've ordered through Jo Beth's builder, Pacific Seacraft are getting ready to ship. I expect the pace of things to really pick up over the next few weeks. Exciting!Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-44702472792322161652014-01-26T14:42:00.000-05:002014-01-26T14:42:11.130-05:00Ressurection<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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The last entry on our blog was in January 2012 – two years,
almost to the date. Much has happened in those two years, and most of it isn’t
related to Jo Beth or sailing. In fact, for the vast majority of that time, Jo
Beth sat afloat in her slip; forlorn but not forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patience pays, and now things are on the move
once again, both for Jo Beth and for us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lisa was in Atlanta for those two years, dealing with her
mother’s changes in health. I was in Savannah, working, and experiencing a boom
in business. Now, Lisa’s mother has moved to St. Simons Island, GA and lives in
a lovely senior community on the northeast end of the island, very close to Ft.
Frederica National Monument. My business is still doing well, Lisa is now home
and working with me handling administrative tasks, and Jo Beth is at Hinckley
Yacht Services in Savannah, undergoing the beginnings of a much needed refit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAkveGweXqAbVjJ_3jExNEK3e9GepoZgNe6uUXrn72VmNl18pjoI4bgSWk-sMWx2EOH0nSRTxTccauR1C__zDYC-gMURaWmF9OpIkiYs4-AKkBK9esdDs_IV2-HlaeFZ2QJHzZHLyZIQP/s1600/IMG_0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAkveGweXqAbVjJ_3jExNEK3e9GepoZgNe6uUXrn72VmNl18pjoI4bgSWk-sMWx2EOH0nSRTxTccauR1C__zDYC-gMURaWmF9OpIkiYs4-AKkBK9esdDs_IV2-HlaeFZ2QJHzZHLyZIQP/s1600/IMG_0800.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Jo Beth being prepared for hauling at Hinckley Yacht Services, Savannah, GA</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Refits on yachts are complicated. If you’ve ever remodeled
or rebuilt a house, you have some inkling of how it works; decisions on what
goes where; choosing colors, patterns, and styles of fabrics and furnishings;
and managing the budget and the project. Add to that, the complexities of a
small sailing yacht: small, cramped spaces, exposure to salt water; dual power
systems, (12vDC and 120vAC); mechanical systems; and you have the makings for
endless hours spent in the boat and the boatyard offices with trades persons,
poring over catalogs and equipment websites and sailing forums. But, I gotta
confess that I’m having a good time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jo Beth is more than a weekender sailboat, or a vacation
home. She’ll be our permanent (or at least, long term) home, our cocoon that
will shelter and protect us from an environment in which, without her, we’d
most certainly perish. We’ve rebuilt homes after hurricanes, and remodeled
homes bought, lived in, and sold. However, none of those projects were done with
the thought in mind that we’re dependent on the house for our very lives, that
without it, our lives would be in very real danger. Refitting a yacht requires
a different perspective.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, perhaps you want to ask what exactly is involved in the
refit of a yacht. It depends. Just as with a house, a refit can be minor or
major, both in scale and cost. I’ll cut to the chase and say: Jo Beth is
undergoing a major refit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re updating her electrical and mechanical system
controls, and installing an air conditioning and heating system, as well as replacing
our ancient water cooled refrigeration/freezer system with a modern, air-cooled
one. The auxiliary diesel engine fuel system is being updated with new lines
and filtering systems. New fresh water lines will be installed and the water
system pump replaced. We’ll be getting sails repaired and perhaps replaced, more
efficient sail handling systems fitted, new rigging, and the mast, boom, and
hull painted. Pumps will be replaced and rebuilt, the toilet will be replaced
with a new one along with new plumbing, and the water storage and waste tanks
are getting a thorough cleaning and will be capped with new lids and inspection
ports. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQOUsBNKBKTo-NzRkKs3ohq7AmCFt6-2XOcB_T4zxbIz6oLPf2vxu3Mk92BYNOrB0FBhQvHeXEcwu1_RAbLp1qyKlqRnCgOStiqO5bV_ErGfJqpRFpuIQgNaMn46CviwwhhEu0YL0LQVX/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQOUsBNKBKTo-NzRkKs3ohq7AmCFt6-2XOcB_T4zxbIz6oLPf2vxu3Mk92BYNOrB0FBhQvHeXEcwu1_RAbLp1qyKlqRnCgOStiqO5bV_ErGfJqpRFpuIQgNaMn46CviwwhhEu0YL0LQVX/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Jo Beth in the slings</i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
New mooring cleats will be fitted on deck, and the sheet and
halyard winches which control the sail handling lines will be rebuilt or
otherwise serviced. The anchor windlass will be served and new railings and
lifelines are to be fitted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exterior
canvas coverings are all being replaced with a new color, and will be modified
to better fit my and Lisa’s sailing style. New navigation lamps, low power
consuming LED’s, will be fitted on the mast and the remaining exterior and
interior lights will be updated with LED bulbs. The cabin overhead material is to be replaced.<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And these are the major tasks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The work is underway, but progressing slowly. The recent
holidays followed by persistent and unusually cold weather have slowed our
progress. We remain optimistic and hopeful, to begin moving aboard in early
summer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why are we doing this? Because it’s what we want and it’s
who we are. Lisa and I met at a marina where I kept my first small sailboat. We
started sailing together on that little boat, making short weekend trips along
the Georgia and northern Florida coasts and were married 51 weeks later. To
live aboard and sail on our own boat, capable of taking us wherever in the
world we want to go, has been our one persistent dream. I’ve never thought of
myself as a patient person, but I must be more than I’m aware. Jo Beth is not
just any boat however; she’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the </i>boat.
We knew, from our early days together on boats, that a Pacific Seacraft was the
boat we wanted. We’ve owned her for nearly 11 years now. Her time – and ours –
has come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll be much better about keeping current with our news
here. I suppose I’d be hard pressed to do worse! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
******************************************************************</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned in the last blog entry I was moving this blog to
WordPress. That may happen still; however, the Blogger interface seems somewhat
better since Blogger became a part of Google. For now, we’ll stay put.</div>
Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-52007886409781755962012-01-17T14:41:00.009-05:002012-01-17T15:08:01.808-05:00A Traveler's Tale, Part II<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFgMVrPxCKhFWus7gTv4OX64mSHTk-jW8bJJnmXqOFHD1kmzPis_RFLbyhS4UDHq3dZJeYkPoehptTmfrTj1-Wr60nz9ytArdjYvd2P-qq9VqpaGUX8V3QBCKuVC7pKMWJYjJrhi-vCCa/s1600/Post+4.11+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFgMVrPxCKhFWus7gTv4OX64mSHTk-jW8bJJnmXqOFHD1kmzPis_RFLbyhS4UDHq3dZJeYkPoehptTmfrTj1-Wr60nz9ytArdjYvd2P-qq9VqpaGUX8V3QBCKuVC7pKMWJYjJrhi-vCCa/s400/Post+4.11+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698688524583577986" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The old traveler assembly<br /></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While Jo Beth was hauled at Tiger Point Marina & Boatyard in Fernandina Beach, Florida, we took care of a few projects that needed doing. Repainting the bottom and the below waterline fittings with anti-fouling paint was one job. Changing the sacrificial zinc anodes was one more, and another was the replacement of the propeller shaft seal and the cutlass bearing. The propeller shaft seal is just that; a seal that prevents water from entering the hull through the hole where the propeller shaft exits the hull. The cutlass bearing is a bronze tube with a slotted rubber sleeve and fits into the tube the propeller shaft fits in where it exits the hull. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <p class="MsoNormal">The job of the cutlass bearing is to cool the shaft. The shaft is made of stainless steel and as it spins in the shaft tube, it creates a tremendous amount of friction and heat. The slotted rubber sleeve inside the bronze tune of the cutlass bearing allows seawater to surround the propeller shaft, cooling it as it spins. It also allows seawater to reach the propeller shaft seal for the same purpose.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another job was the installation of a galvanic isolator in the boat’s shore side electrical system. Last year, I wrote about a corrosion issue we were having on board. (Click <a href="http://svjobeth.blogspot.com/2011/02/wasting-away.html">here</a> to read that post.) After months of continuing searching and testing, I finally made the decision to install the isolator. So far, so good; we had a diver go down just before Christmas to check the condition of the propeller shaft zinc. Jo Beth had been re-launched two and a half months earlier. If the isolator wasn’t working properly, the propeller shaft zinc would be severely deteriorated. I’m happy to say the diver reported the zinc looked brand-new.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The other jobs done in the yard fell under the heading of routine maintenance: an oil change; cleaning and re-filtering (called ‘polishing’) the diesel fuel tank and fuel; and the replacement of the engine to tank fuel return line. Of course, the bigger jobs awaited us back home and those are the jobs associated with the traveler and running rigging, and the work which needs to be finished before we can fully transition to living aboard Jo Beth on a permanent basis.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1Y2X-dhn_Ae60s4jsMHDUs8OFUMZekv1NogAkuGrKopL-l2nENIFcQyTmWqHakTn3ir-3iLrmjRKod88UOl17X0ITG9aNbSvWPCzSlmuzUeXKShrYqcH0WD4juBQLTkZCEsFbg2B3jt2/s1600/Post+4.11+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1Y2X-dhn_Ae60s4jsMHDUs8OFUMZekv1NogAkuGrKopL-l2nENIFcQyTmWqHakTn3ir-3iLrmjRKod88UOl17X0ITG9aNbSvWPCzSlmuzUeXKShrYqcH0WD4juBQLTkZCEsFbg2B3jt2/s400/Post+4.11+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698689693361034706" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">The bolts attaching the traveler to the deck are removed with little difficulty</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Back in her slip at Brunswick Landing, we tackled the job of removing the old traveler. This began with an exchange of telephone calls and emails with the service folks at Pacific Seacraft. The traveler, along with the other deck fittings on Jo Beth, is mounted through the deck. In order to provide access to these fittings and fasteners, the headliner in the cabin is zippered panels of vinyl, the idea being the zippers can be opened to gain access to deck fittings, wiring runs, etc. Unfortunately, 27 years exposure to the humid and salty ocean environment had taken their toll on some of the zippers, one of which we needed to open in order to remove the traveler assembly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So began a cycle of several days soaking the zippers and external bolts and screws in the traveler with a variety of solvents. For the most part, the solvents did their job. Unfortunately, the one stuck zipper refused to budge and finally crumbled into pieces. Reluctantly, Lisa grabbed her X-Acto knife and cut the zipper tape. Another project added to the list.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">With full access, we began the process of removing the traveler assembly. The traveler track and car are mounted to an arched aluminum piece which was through bolted to the cabin roof. The first bolts to be removed were those securing the aluminum arch to the deck. With Lisa below holding a socket on the nut and me on deck, turning the large slotted blot heads, these were out within thirty minutes. The aged bedding material let go easily and quite frankly, I was alarmed at how little of it remained – and how easily it released.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnC9xHoZnH3zHHT4W4DX7174Usk5eUZHLwk6uTJW6oJOWBtRSk7ff8ZIHBN-DCW4GZ-9SPtvdOghbNxzVnS3rW6z46hnINkhqPCrgZv6LqPBq8ggZy6IjsUf_tgwAn7aHFRuxS6U1Hhgk/s1600/Post+4.11+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnC9xHoZnH3zHHT4W4DX7174Usk5eUZHLwk6uTJW6oJOWBtRSk7ff8ZIHBN-DCW4GZ-9SPtvdOghbNxzVnS3rW6z46hnINkhqPCrgZv6LqPBq8ggZy6IjsUf_tgwAn7aHFRuxS6U1Hhgk/s400/Post+4.11+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698689698681372498" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tools of the trade...</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> </p><p class="MsoNormal">With the traveler and support beam off, we carried it up off of the dock to the marina parking lot. Years of working on and around boats has taught me to do this whenever possible if what you’re working on is too large or unwieldy to be carried below. As one old-timer I worked for once told me, “when you pull whatever apart, put all the parts and pieces in a coffee can or jar,” he said. Confident, I added “so you don’t lose them.” He looked at me hard for a second and finally said, “yeah, there’s that. But mostly it’ll drive ya crazy to lose things one at a time overboard. This way, they all go at once.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9e5nc2itX7CysQ75rVQtS4iKKs8puzYno-insyx6iuueBNLLc5XKjlNCHgwzvVlkDSOxU6BMYTpIMiIREa2qI7p14D4MvlDnnoKD5qn2k0iWNq-MWetmooQrjZ_NeSZuMNJSFhjBZHpC/s1600/Post+4.11+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9e5nc2itX7CysQ75rVQtS4iKKs8puzYno-insyx6iuueBNLLc5XKjlNCHgwzvVlkDSOxU6BMYTpIMiIREa2qI7p14D4MvlDnnoKD5qn2k0iWNq-MWetmooQrjZ_NeSZuMNJSFhjBZHpC/s400/Post+4.11+024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698689710768055586" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">One small bolt proved stubborn...</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9e5nc2itX7CysQ75rVQtS4iKKs8puzYno-insyx6iuueBNLLc5XKjlNCHgwzvVlkDSOxU6BMYTpIMiIREa2qI7p14D4MvlDnnoKD5qn2k0iWNq-MWetmooQrjZ_NeSZuMNJSFhjBZHpC/s1600/Post+4.11+024.jpg"></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We spread out an old bed sheet on the concrete and laid out our tools: screw drivers, sockets, a spray can of solvent, P.B. Blaster, a four pound mallet, and a manual impact driver. I sprayed each bolt head on the traveler track with the Blaster and one by one, we worked the nuts off and the screws out. Amazingly, we only had to use the impact driver on one bolt to break it free. All the others were wonderfully cooperative. The entire job was finished in an hour.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV-1bF0c936d-S-ckqta4gtWDsGjyb_sg0ZX5A2dIG4Kc3DznFC1CC5anvbXr0pPDMGnykl3EosM9QL0rYonazLE-1zacZ7YOq75p69i_RoHZ1FIlNdlDfncDzDuZf-bbo-XkfsPQ7_SO/s1600/Post+4.11+025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV-1bF0c936d-S-ckqta4gtWDsGjyb_sg0ZX5A2dIG4Kc3DznFC1CC5anvbXr0pPDMGnykl3EosM9QL0rYonazLE-1zacZ7YOq75p69i_RoHZ1FIlNdlDfncDzDuZf-bbo-XkfsPQ7_SO/s400/Post+4.11+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698689716415769826" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Finished!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All that was left was to clean the old bedding from around the holes on deck and fill them with caulking, (we used 3M 4000), and get the new components ordered. This included replacement blocks for the entire mainsheet assembly and in addition, a set of lazy jacks and new bails for the boom.</p> </div><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div>**********************************************************<br /><br />I've made the decision to move this blog to WordPress. Putting it nicely, the Blogger interface is just too cumbersome and difficult. The next post will be the final one for Blogger, and will include the new address for Jo Beth's blog. please stay tuned and get ready to change those bookmarks!Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-54129549944180418292011-11-26T07:29:00.026-05:002011-11-26T10:34:14.560-05:00A Traveler's Tale, Part I<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDkltli7yo25V7qg0i0pu1HhrLcS-BS77c3c0kkYMJbcq-L8nGiAG_RyB3qQPFWjRxfIVxq062TD0qJQDkYWuvWto78q7lRVEQOpuz6upkiA93WTHqeyYQbC6ARhDVgRFmSgu3FL1BNV0/s1600/jobethhaul11+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDkltli7yo25V7qg0i0pu1HhrLcS-BS77c3c0kkYMJbcq-L8nGiAG_RyB3qQPFWjRxfIVxq062TD0qJQDkYWuvWto78q7lRVEQOpuz6upkiA93WTHqeyYQbC6ARhDVgRFmSgu3FL1BNV0/s400/jobethhaul11+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679285169635254818" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jo Beth, hauled and blocked ashore at<br />Tiger Point Marina and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Boatworks</span>,<br />Fernandina Beach, Florida</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">*********************************************************<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hello everyone. Once again, I apologize for so much time passing between posts. I'm hopeful such long pauses are behind me. What follows is part one of my 'catch-up' story; where Jo Beth is now, where we are with her, and what's in store for the future. Thank you for sticking with us.<br /><br />Bill Ballard<br />11/26/2011<br /><br />*********************************************************<br /></span></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">On a balmy Sunday evening in middle August, as hurricane Irene lumbered through the northwestern Caribbean, approaching the islands of the Turks and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Caicos</span>, and southern Bahamas, I watched with a mix of interest and growing concern. I take hurricanes very seriously; having endured three of the damn things, Andrew among them, I am wary.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The southeastern coast of the US, including all of Georgia, a smattering of northeast Florida, and plenty of South Carolina had been contained within the forecast track of the storm, aptly called “The Cone of Uncertainty,” for several days. Dead center, with little variation for these several days, was the region surrounding Savannah, including Hilton Head Island and Beaufort, South Carolina. The track of the storm wobbled from day to day, but remained relatively consistent. Hurricanes which maintain consistent and persistent tracks are worrisome.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We had planned to haul Jo Beth for bottom painting and other minor maintenance in September or October at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Hinckley</span> Yacht Services in Savannah. As I watched Irene remain steadfastly on course, I decided Jo Beth needed to be hauled much sooner. Savannah lay 75 miles due north from our marina slip in Brunswick, as the crow flies. As the boat sails, the distance was closer to 100 miles. There was always the chance the storm would pass us by.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Between our slip in Brunswick and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hinckley</span> Service dock in Savannah, lay 100 miles of Atlantic Ocean, salt water marshes, and brackish rivers. With a large cyclonic storm approaching the area, swells would be building and winds would be steadily clocking around to the northeast. A beat for sure, or a motor sail directly into the wind. The swell would be rising as well. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ICW</span> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Intracoastal</span> Waterway) was another option, but due to a lack of maintenance and dredging, Jo Beth with her 5’ draft would surely touch bottom in a couple of spots. Sailing on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ICW</span> is limited as well; any engine trouble or a grounding, and my problems would grow exponentially.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Tiger Point Marina and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Boatworks</span> lay to the south in Fernandina Beach, Florida. This is much closer to our home marina -- approximately 40 miles total from slip to service dock. The run outside would be easier as well; out St. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Simons</span> channel, turn south, sail to and enter the St. Marys channel. The distance from sea buoy to sea buoy was a scant 24 miles. With expected north easterlies, it would be a fun and fast downwind ride.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As Sunday morphed into Monday, Irene continued on her track unwaveringly. I called Tiger Point at 8:00 a.m. and scheduled the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">haulout</span>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, I needed crew. Lisa had taken a consulting job in Atlanta some months before and would not be able to join me. After confirming the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">haulout</span> for Tuesday afternoon, I called our friend James Baldwin. James is a veteran cruising sailor, friend, and excellent yacht repairer and re-fitter. I asked if he could make the trip; he could. I began to relax. Boats don’t do well in the water during hurricanes. If Irene paid a visit, Jo Beth would be safely ashore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were originally hauling for routine maintenance and a few odd jobs; among them were bottom painting; the replacement of the cutlass bearing and the propeller shaft seal; and the installation of a galvanic isolator. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The galvanic isolator was being installed to resolve our issue with electrolysis discussed in the previous post, <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://svjobeth.blogspot.com/2011/02/wasting-away.html">'Wasting Away.'</a> Even after extensive testing by two very competent marine electricians, we were not able to isolate the problem.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Thus, we decided to install the isolator during the yard period.) </span>Boats being boats, there are always a multitude of jobs that need doing, but for us, these were most pressing. The trip to the boat yard changed all that, somewhat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Those jobs were still done, but the off-shore passage to the boatyard revealed much more that needed doing, particularly to the running rigging. ‘Running rigging’ refers to the general network of ropes, lines, blocks, and cleats that are necessary for proper and efficient sail handling and control.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Prior to the trip I was very aware that a good deal of the running rigging aboard Jo Beth was ready for replacement. As James and I sailed out into St. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Simons</span> Sound, setting the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">yankee</span> and mainsail, much was revealed. Initially, the forecast was for light easterly winds of 5 to 10 knots, increasing and backing to the east-northeast at 15 knots by afternoon. What we actually had in the sound was a stiff easterly breeze of 15 knots. As we entered the St. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Simons</span> Bar Channel and headed offshore the winds increased to 20 knots and shifted to the east-southeast.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One of the running rigging components most in need of replacement was the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">mainsheet</span> traveler. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">mainsheet</span> traveler is a slightly curved track which is fitted across the cabin roof. A car slides on the track from left to right, controlling the position of the boom and mainsail relative to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">centerline</span> of the boat. Attached to this car, through a network of blocks, is the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">mainsheet</span>, the line which controls the mainsail. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Long before reaching the terminus of the channel, with James at the tiller, I put a single reef in the mainsail. Reefing is the same as shortening the sail; it reduces the amount of sail surface exposed to the wind, thus reducing the loading and strain on the entire boat. The easterly winds were in opposition to the outgoing tide and had created short, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">blocky</span>, and steep waves. As Jo Beth pounded headlong into the short but solid walls of water, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">mainsheet</span> would jerk on the traveler car, lifting it nearly free of the track. Reefing the sail helped ease the loading on the traveler, but still, to see the small car dancing about the track, rising and falling with the swell, was unnerving. If it failed, we would not be able to control the mainsail.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">James and I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">didn</span>’t say anything for several long seconds. Finally, he asked “has your traveler always been that loose?” I watched it snap up and down. “It needs to be replaced," I admitted sheepishly. He glanced towards me, looking slightly pensive, countering the motion of the boat with the tiller. “Yes,” he finally said in his usual flat tone, “I think you should replace your traveler. Soon.” The traveler car continued its dance. "Actually," I began, "there's lots that needs to be done with the running rigging." James smiled slightly. "Yes," he agreed, "there is."<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As we turned south so did the wind, putting itself nearly on the nose. It increased in velocity as well, to 25 knots with the occasional gust likely exceeding 30 knots. In order to hold our course, we put a second reef in the mainsail and turned on the motor, motor-sailing and beating into the seas and wind. Remarkably, the seas <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">didn</span>’t increase much beyond the four foot average, though frequently a six footer would roll under us. Occasionally, one or two eight footers would hit us on the nose too. Each time they did, Jo Beth would effectively stop, fall into the trough and then gathering herself, step out and build her speed once again.</p><p class="MsoNormal">James is an accomplished sailor, with two and a half circumnavigations of the globe in a 28’ Pearson Triton under his belt. He is completely immune to seasickness. I am not and after the second reef was in, I was stricken. I spent the rest of the trip lying prone in the cockpit, the exception being two 10 minute feed-the-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">fishies</span> sessions. Soon thereafter, we made our turn and entered the St. Marys channel - in near flat calm conditions – having used that double reefed sail nearly the whole way in. (Actually, James shook out the second reef at some point during the run. I’m presuming it was one of the times my head was over the side.) As we entered the channel at mid point, the wind simply vanished. Less than seven hours after leaving our slip at Brunswick Landing Marina, Jo Beth was being blocked ashore at Tiger Point Marina.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The yard period was completed without a hitch. Jo Beth was relaunched, and on a nearly windless Saturday in mid-October, Lisa and I motored north to Brunswick in a nearly flat calm sea. Upon arrival, we topped off her fuel tank and secured her in her slip, knowing we would be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">dockbound</span> for the next several months.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hurricane Irene eventually did bypass Savannah and the immediate coasts of Florida and South Carolina, but only by 275 miles. That’s not far in the world of hurricanes; had Irene been a more symmetrically shaped storm, or slipped her course a mere 1/2 of one degree to the west, Savannah and Hilton Head would have likely fared a bit worse than just the few hours of near gale conditions and moderate beach erosion they experienced.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">One pleasant surprise was the discovery that our insurance company, Boat/US, would cover half of the cost of our <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">haulout</span>. A provision in our policy provides reimbursement for one-half the cost of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">haulout</span> when an area where an insured vessel is located is actively threatened by an approaching storm. Yet one more reason to insure your vessel with a dedicated marine insurer.</p><p class="MsoNormal">*********************************************************</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">'A Traveler's Tale, Part II'</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">will be posted next weekend. See you then!</span><br /></p>Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2472713496276277268.post-29775515432415662802011-02-12T11:40:00.007-05:002011-02-20T12:07:00.311-05:00Wasting Away...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->Sitting warm and snug in Jo Beth’s cozy cabin, I'd much rather avoid the topic of this post. But sailing isn’t all trade-winds and paradise. I almost want to twist the old Navy recruiting slogan and apply it to the rigors of owning a cruising sailboat: “It’s Not an Adventure, It’s a Job.” <p class="MsoNormal">Don’t get me wrong; we love Jo Beth. We love her dearly. Perhaps that’s why we put up with her issues. That’s why we continue to nurture her and support her, and look after her. After all, we expect the same from her.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is a whole laundry list of tasks, large and small, cheap and expensive, that need doing. However, the issue of the utmost importance to resolve is one of electrolytic corrosion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our shaft zincs – protective collars made of zinc that fit snugly on the propeller shaft – are degrading fast. Very fast. Faster than they should.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaVvjxoER31bJk9YY4q7BHJhXDNnPGfIi2tMvPdx-cj0t2mjkJwAp7JJnfqDYZp6fge4Mj9CNW_kLkSvgYEzSX2IBbV6hVp0TxlNQ7C_yRgplB5s3LIc6Bs1vhud2BxrxUrCsMqsEwFnV/s1600/zincs+002.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaVvjxoER31bJk9YY4q7BHJhXDNnPGfIi2tMvPdx-cj0t2mjkJwAp7JJnfqDYZp6fge4Mj9CNW_kLkSvgYEzSX2IBbV6hVp0TxlNQ7C_yRgplB5s3LIc6Bs1vhud2BxrxUrCsMqsEwFnV/s320/zincs+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572845113604680178" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">A new shaft collar zinc is shown on the right. The zinc on the left is what remains of a new one installed on Jo Beth's propeller shaft after less than two months in the water. </span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For the non-sailor, or non-boat owner, I’ll explain. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Seawater is an electrolyte, or an element capable of carrying an electric current. When two dissimilar metals are immersed in an electrolyte – seawater – an electric current will flow between them. This creates a very elemental battery. Now these currents are very small; mere millivolts, but the greater and damaging effect is that one metal will sacrifice it’s electrons to the other. This is known as electrolytic corrosion. Every metal and metal alloy has a place on the Galvanic Series Chart, from the most active (anodic, or least-noble) to the least active (cathodic, or most-noble), and a metal’s position on this chart determines how active or inactive it will be when immersed in an electrolyte or otherwise subjected to electric current. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Metals commonly used on boats below the waterline are aluminum, stainless steel, and bronze. In the case of Jo Beth, the only metals in contact with the seawater are stainless steel (the propeller shaft) and bronze (the propeller, through hull fittings, and rudder fittings). Because bronze is lower than stainless steel on the Galvanic Series Chart that means that Jo Beth’s bronze propeller is sacrificing itself to the stainless steel propeller shaft. Left unchecked, the propeller would eventually, given enough time, disappear. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Because bronze propellers are expensive, and we don’t want to have to replace ours again and again and again, we place fittings made of zinc in the proximity of the two active metals. Zinc is very low on the Galvanic Series Chart and will sacrifice it’s electrons to nearly every other metal when immersed in an electrolyte. So a small collar made of zinc resides on our propeller shaft solely to be sacrificed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The problem is our propeller shaft zinc is giving itself up too rapidly. It’s important that we find out why, as rapidly deteriorating zincs are often symptomatic of other problems. Typically, those problems are within the on-board electrical system, but they can sometimes be brought about by other boats in close proximity, or the dockside electrical system.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Electrical grounding on a boat can be tricky. Mostly, this is because there are two electrical systems aboard: DC and AC. DC, or Direct Current is the electricity supplied by batteries. AC, or Alternating Current, is the stuff you buy from your local electric company.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Often, electrolytic corrosion is referred to as ‘stray current corrosion.’ This is because a faulty ground on the AC system aboard a boat can ‘leak’ current to the DC system. The AC current will attempt to seek a path to ground and the resulting stray current will cause electrolytic corrosion. Boats in close proximity can also be the source of a stray current.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The real rub is finding the leak, or the problem within the system. Every grounded circuit on the boat, of which there can be hundreds, is suspect. Improperly grounded radios have destroyed engines because of electrolytic corrosion. Testing must be done, and I’m off to get some basic tests made. I’ll discuss what I find in the next entry.</p>Bill Ballardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08735148220617685922noreply@blogger.com