SV Orion - Annapolis, MD
dieters@sv-orion.com
  • Home
  • About
  • Logs
    • Current
    • Past Logs >
      • 2017
      • 2016
      • 2015
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • Older Logs >
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006 >
          • 2006 Getting Ready
          • 2006 Chesapeake Bay
          • 2006 ICW
        • 2005
        • 2004
  • Galleries
    • Orion
    • Orion Jr
    • RV Orion
  • Specifications
    • Orion >
      • Specifications - Overview
      • Specifications - Navigation
      • Specifications - Ground Tackle
      • Specification - Electrical Power
      • Specification - Engine
    • Orion Jr.
  • Favorites
  • Dist'n List
  • Contact

June - Coming in like a lion and going out like a . . . lion

6/30/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
The Hampton Public Piers make repairs after the tornado.
We started June with a tornado and ended it with a violent thunderstorm that brought 70 knot winds through downtown Hampton.  And it’s only June.  Isn’t the worst summer weather due in July and August?  At any rate, when we’re not dodging storms, we’re spending our time getting some technical upgrades done.  We’ve bought a new PC and have finally left the cell phone dark ages and bought a smart phone.   


Picture
Dave shows Steve a new app on his smart phone
Crossing the Technical Divide

Staying connected on the boat is something that makes our travels possible.  Knowing we can contact family, check e-mail, monitor our bank accounts, and update the website lets us travel to remote places without worrying that we are too out of touch.   With this in mind, before we started cruising, we chose a cell phone carrier that had the most coverage even in remote places.  Also, our carrier had a data plan that allowed us to use our cell phone tethered to the PC as a modem, consuming only minutes to make the connection, with no additional airtime fees.  So, with our cell phones, a laptop capable of picking up WiFi signals as well as a USB port to accept the cell phone tether, we were usually in good shape, able to stay connected in some remote places. 

However, technology doesn’t stand still.  

Not long after we started cruising, our wireless carrier stopped offering the data plan that we were using.  We were told that if we changed phones, we would lose the plan.  In researching alternatives, we were less than thrilled with the incredible expense of the data plans, so we have been simply been replacing our older model phone with reconditioned ones from eBay for the past 6 years, ensuring that we have a secure connection to the internet for sensitive transactions and harbors without WiFi.  But we knew we were on borrowed time.  Each time we upgraded our computer, we held our breath that the connection would still work.  When our current laptop started showing signs that its time had passed (the touchpad mouse failed; USB ports were unreliable), its replacement arrived with the latest Windows 7 operating system.  After several attempts to install the cell phone modem software on the new computer and despite long conversations with technical support, we came to the conclusion that we needed to find another way to connect. 

Enter the smart phone. 

We decided to upgrade to 2 new phones: one smart phone to provide our internet connection and one more traditional flip phone.  We found Straight Talk offered the best deal.  We opted for an unlimited plan for the smart phone and a 1000 minutes and text messages per month for the flip phone.  This would give us a secure connection to the internet via the smart phone when we needed it.   Dave has been immersing himself in the apps available for the phone and managed to limit himself to a manageable few that provide services we thought were essential.  It quickly became apparent that managing the internal memory on the phone was critical.  Some of the apps he chose are listed below:

Phone operation

  • Lookout – provides virus protection, in addition to allowing you to locate your phone using its GPS and emit a “scream” to make it easy to find.
  • Onavo Count / Monitor Data – keeps track of usage to monitor the space available in memory and to show minutes and data usage
  • Toggle Settings/Profile Lite – allows us to establish a rule that enables different profiles if the phone is charging, not charging, “nighttime”, etc.  This is valuable in managing battery life, which will be important when we are underway.

Marine applications

  • Marine Navigator Lite – acts as a back-up for our chartplotter, showing our position in real-time on downloaded raster charts, showing speed and course over ground.
  • The Weather Channel – gets weather forecasts and issues severe weather alerts to phone
  • Marine Weather – provides access to marine forecasts and live buoy data
  • Marine Traffic – AIS data (ship’s names, positions, course, speed) on marine charts
  • NOAA Smart Buoys - provides live data from NOAA Chesapeake Bay buoys, giving current conditions  

As with any new technology, it will take some time to fully exploit the possibilities, but we’re trying to make a leap out of the age of the dinosaurs.  Now, if we can just figure out how to answer a phone call . . .

Fixing Up


After the tornado, Cathy got our her sewing machine to re-attach zippers on the bimini and fix the enclosure panel.  She managed to purchase a strataglass scrap at a nearby canvas shop and then carefully fitted it over the damaged glass.  After sewing the sunbrella back in place over both layers, she cut away the damaged glass and the repaired panel was ready to re-hang. 

Dave put his efforts into waxing the hull.  This is a little tricky when the boat is in the water.  Using a raft available for this purpose in the marina, Dave worked his way around the boat, managing to use one hand to keep him steady and close to the boat and the other to apply and remove the wax.   

Cathy was able to make a long-delayed repair to replace a portlight “key” that had broken on the portlight above the stove in the galley.  After purchasing a replacement kit from West Marine, it was a simple job to pop off the plug over the screw, unscrew the old one, screw in the new one and pop the new plug in place.  It looks great. 

Finally, we extended the life of our camera, a Canon Powershot A590 that had been giving us false “low battery” signals frequently enough that we started looking to replace it.  In the process, Cathy learned of a simple fix to the battery sensor.  After making the simple adjustment, the false “low battery” messages stopped appearing. 

Picture
Columbia's tall ship, Gloria, joins OpSail
Sailing the Harbor

We were lucky to be in Hampton for the arrival of OpSail 2012 Virginia, a year-long celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, which brought together a fleet of tall ships to the Hampton Roads harbor.  The day of the official opening, we took a ride out on Steve’s boat, Bay Dreamer, to watch the parade of ships entering the harbor.  It was a picture-perfect day, and hundreds of boats were in the harbor to watch the ships arrive.  


Picture
Boats docked at Portsmouth for the Cock Island race
A couple of weeks later, on an unusually blustery Friday afternoon, Dave joined Steve on a sail over to Portsmouth to reposition Bay Dreamer for the 25th annual Cock Island Race.  It was a fast downwind sail on a furled headsail, and an exciting docking, as Steve had to raft to a line of boats in the crowded Portsmouth basin north of the Renaissance Hotel with winds gusting to 25 knots.  Afterward, we joined him for the “before race” party.  On Sunday, Dave joined Steve for a calmer sail back to Hampton.  


Picture
A crane replaces pilings at the Public piers
Hampton Fixes Up


The repairs have been on-going since the tornado came through on the 1st of June.  Not too long afterward, a barge with a crane appeared to make repairs to the roofless Amory Seafood and install a myriad of new pilings to the docks along the river.  We watched it work on the public piers as it fixed the pilings right across from us. 

 


1 Comment

Late May / Early June - Tornado in Hampton

6/3/2012

0 Comments

 
As May ended, this was going to be a pretty short, uneventful update.  But June started with a bang.  
Picture
The black line indicates the tornado's path through Hampton
“It’s coming right for us !”

Standing shoulder to shoulder with a dozen other people in a small bathroom, we heard those words from the last to enter our crowded refuge before it hit.  Only moments before, we had been warned of an approaching funnel cloud.  Unbelievably, we were about to have our first close encounter with a tornado.   

It was just before sunset Friday evening, June 1st, when the tornado crossed the James River and entered the Hampton River heading for downtown Hampton.  We had enough warning (boats sounding the 5 blast “danger” warning and a timely call from Steve) to get to shore and take cover in the bathroom.  We saw the funnel cloud and then the debris flying around within it before we took cover. The building rattled and we could hear debris flying, but we emerged only a few minutes later to find most things at the marina OK. One boat’s bimini ended up flying off onto our friend Steve’s boat, but no damage was done to Bay Dreamer as a result. We were fine, and Orion suffered only minor damage (eg. a D-ring snapped on the bimini and a couple of zippers ripped out when something punched through one of the enclosure panels.  Cathy will have the sewing machine out soon to fix those.)

Unfortunately, the other side of the river was not so fortunate. A couple of boats on the public piers and at anchor were dismasted. The Pride of Baltimore II is on the dock and seems to have done well, but she heeled dramatically as the tornado passed by. They also lost power on the other side of the river. The Hampton Yacht Club and Custom House Marina were in the most direct path of the storm, along with Amory Seafood, a working seafood processing plant, which had its tin roof ripped off.  (Pieces landed everywhere, including at our marina).  The most dramatic boat damage was among those on shore at the yacht club, which toppled over as a result of the impact. The tents for the Blackbeard Pirate Festival were already set up and were universally flattened.  (Luckily, all the pirates were inside at the ball at the time.)  However, there were no deaths or even any serious injuries, even though there was little warning of the storm’s approach.  The lack of notice was partly due to the nature of this kind of storm, but was exacerbated by a problem with the National Weather Service emergency broadcast system.  The local NOAA weather channel was off the air and couldn’t activate the emergency broadcast system because a cable had been cut. 

Since darkness fell soon after the tornado passed, it wasn’t until the next day that we understood the full extent of the damage, which you can see in the pictures below.  However, in the true spirit of the festival, the “pirates” were out at first light cleaning up and setting things right.  By 3pm, all the venues that weren’t too damaged were open and the festival was underway. 
It appears that the tornado that passed through was an F-1, and our observation was the wind strength seemed to be enough to break limbs off trees, throw boats around in their slips, tear off canvas and pull down tents.  The more serious damage was caused by the falling trees, boats slamming into something or flying debris.  If any structure was weak at all, the tornado exposed that weakness.   In an ironic twist of fate, one of our neighbors here at Joy’s Marina, Beau Soleil, moved over to the Hampton Public Piers for the weekend, and ended up having a seriously bent bow pulpit and stanchions as a result, whereas no one at Joy’s had that kind of damage.

Now, we’ve experienced an earthquake, a hurricane and a tornado during our time in Hampton over the past year.  It’s a little scary to think about what could be next. 

The following links are videos taken of the tornado’s approach from locations on the other side of the river:
Tornado approaches from Crowne Plaza restaurant, Oyster Alley
Tornado approaches from Parking Garage behind Pride of Baltimore II


Boat Marketing 101
So, after talking about such drama, almost everything else is a letdown.  However, we were doing other projects during the last 2 weeks.  One of these was finding new ways to promote Orion.  In that vein, we created a video showing a virtual tour of Orion that we posted on YouTube.  Taking recent pictures of a freshly scrubbed interior and exterior, we pieced these together into slideshow.  You can check it out on Orion's For Sale website.

Picture
Changes in the Neighborhood

We were sad to say goodbye to our friend Sue, who moved her boat, Daisy Sue, to another nearby marina on the same day the tornado passed through.  (Lucky choice.)  We helped her pass her Coast Guard inspection, which included sending her and another friend up her mast to fix her anchoring light before she departed.  Dave joined her as crew to help reposition the boat and Cathy met them on the other end with Sue’s car. 

On a brighter note, Steve returned from an extended trip to the west coast, and Dave spent some time helping him with a few projects on Bay Dreamer, including a trip across the bay to Little Creek to haul the boat and bottom paint it.  It wasn’t all work, though.  We joined him for a couple of sails on the bay and for a picnic on Memorial Day. 

Pirate Festival

This was our 6th year enjoying the pirate festival, and the first with all of our grandchildren together.  The kids had a good time despite the late start and were in full pirate regalia.  


0 Comments

Early May - Odd Jobs

5/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
With the bigger jobs taken care of, the work on Orion has slowed quite a bit.  We’re getting a few small tasks done, though.

New Latches
Over time, the marine environment has taken a toll on the lazarette latches, making them difficult to open and, sometimes, equally difficult to close.  In looking up the Southco part number online, we found some replacement latches on Ebay.  Once they arrived, it was a pretty simple job to pop out the old ones and install the new ones.  Now, they work great and also look so much better.

Picture
Picture
More refinishing?

Perhaps once you get started, you just can’t stop.  Or maybe the wood that’s not been recently stripped and re-finished starts to look shabby in comparison to its gleaming counterparts.  At any rate, after Cathy had declared her woodwork done, we started looking at the hatch boards and decided it was time to strip and re-finish them.  Needless to say, they look much better.

Other Boat Stuff
  
So, when we’re not working on Orion, we’re on one of the neighboring boats on the dock: Daisy Sue needs a coat of polyurethane, Bay Dreamer needs a new bilge pump, Marjorie Grace needs to have her dock lines marked before a sea trial, and so forth.  And Dave is answering questions of prospective buyers and looking for new ways to market Orion.  Cathy is digging further into Orion’s hidden corners and cleaning them out.  Not as busy as working on Orion Jr, but it’s keeping us out of trouble.

 


0 Comments

Late April - Fixing Up Orion

4/30/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Orion is officially on the market after a couple of weeks cleaning her up and taking care of some cosmetic work to make her look her best.  In between boat projects, we got back to swimming and got to visit with the grandkids for a bit as well.


Picture
Cleaning up the Caprail
There was only one major project to be done on Orion before we put her on the market.  The teak around the forward and mid-cleat on the starboard caprail needed to be replaced since it had split due to the problem with the cleat installation typical of Beneteaus (i.e., an stainless steel cleat in a aluminum sleeve that expands and contracts due to the dissimilar metals in the saltwater environment).  While we were considering our options, we discussed the problem with a recent arrival on the dock at Joy’s Marina.  Dan had some woodworking skills and offered to do the job for a very good price.  So, we just needed to marshal the supplies and the work could begin.


Picture
We had already purchased the teak and new cleats from Beneteau last summer.  Since the teak has to come from France, which takes about 12 weeks, we wanted to get it in while we were in one place and could arrange for its shipment.  The teak comes in sections.  We purchased the forward section for the starboard side.  We would cut this to fit both the forward cleat and the mid-cleat.  The final supplies were more easily acquired:  Maritime teak caulk some ½” teak plugs, some Tef-gel and epoxy.  


Once the supplies were assembled and the weather cleared, Dan and Dave got to work.  First, they removed the old cleat, popped the teak plugs, and removed the screws holding the forward section in place.  After making a cut in the teak which would become the new seam, the existing teak was pried off and the fiberglass underneath cleaned of the original caulk. The teak from Beneteau was pre-drilled with holes for the cleat and the screws, which made the bow cleat installation a little easier than the mid-cleat.   To prevent the split from recurring, the original metal spacer would be replaced with FRP to prevent the expansion problem.  Dave and Dan filled the pre-drilled holes with FRP, which would become the new spacer.  Once set, it was sanded and drilled to allow the cleat bolt to move smoothly through. 

After a final fitting and adjustments to ensure a smooth transition to the existing wood, Dan applied the caulk to the deck and the seam, then fitted the new board in place.  Once the new cleat was installed, the teak plugs were fitted in place, and the repair was complete.  The mid-cleat required a little more work, since the teak rail was not cut for that section of the boat.  This required more work to cut the board to fit and to ensure the cleat and screw holes lined up. 

Once both repairs were complete, Cathy took a day to strip and sand the entire rail, then re-finish with Cetol Natural Teak  -- something she’s been wanting to do for several years now.  The starboard caprail now shines like the rest of Orion’s brightwork, which now actually earns that description.

Picture
And what about the rest of Orion?

 With the caprail repair done, what else was there to do?  Nothing major, but a lot of little things that would make the boat show her best. 

Fresh Water: Since the fresh water had been winterized, we emptied, refilled it with some bleach added and then emptied and refilled it again.   The antifreeze had fouled the PurestOne filter as well, so we replaced it.  We now routinely drink the water again.

Head/Holding Tank: We put several gallons of vinegar through the head into the holding tank and let it sit for several days to eat away anything left in the lines and the holding tank.  Now the head has no odor at all. 

Bimini / Enclosure: With the sewing machine back in Hampton, Cathy took down the bimini and re-stitched all its seams and bindings.  She inspected the enclosure panels and re-stitched any that needed it.  Finally, she cleaned and polished the strataglass panels.

Coast Guard Safety Inspection:  We checked over our safety supplies and prepared for a safety inspection. We realized we had taken Orion's flares to the little boat by mistake, so we bought some more and passed our inspection with flying colors.

On Deck: Cathy stripped the swim platform, the swim ladder stairs and the cockpit drain, which were showing some more wear than the other wood.  She re-applied the Cetol to all the wood on deck and it’s looking the best it has in years.  She also waxed the deck and polished the stainless steel to add to the shine. 

Engine: Having changed oil and filters before leaving in the fall, we just had to run the antifreeze out of the engine and it was ready to go.

Bilge: We checked under the floor boards and cleaned under all of them.  The bilge pump in the aft cabin, which had been wired to run continuously when installed, was changed to switch on only when the instruments were on or the manual switch was thrown.  This will prevent it from accidentally running down the batteries.  The bilge pump in the main saloon had been inadvertently disabled when our friend cleaned out the filter and didn’t secure the cover cleanly.  Once back in place the bilge worked fine.

Bottom Cleaning: Our friend Sue cleaned the bottom and replaced the zinc.

Instruments / Electronics:  We turned on the instruments and checked out the electronics.  Some work done over the winter had jostled a connection loose under the helm that was easily restored. 

Deck Washdown: Another problem we discovered was the deck washdown fitting under the sink in the head had broken, presumably due to too much pressure being applied by items stored in the compartment.  Dave ordered a new fitting and installed it, but we were grateful we discovered it before we opened the thru-hull for the deck washdown.  Whew!

With the boat cleaned up and in shipshape, Dave began placing ads on various internet sites and posting flyers locally.  Thanks to his efforts, we’ve already had a few inquiries and have shown the boat once.  We’ll see how it goes.  


Picture
Our granddaughter, Alexis, opens a birthday gift.
So, as we spend our time in Hampton, we're enjoying our friends and family here, as well as those who keep passing through at the Public Piers across the river.  Most recently, we saw Patty and Frank on Dream Weaver, who made their first trip to Hampton this year.  We showed them the sites and after a few days said goodbye as they headed up the bay.  If you're passing through this way, stop into Hampton.  We'd love to see you. 

0 Comments

Early April - Leaving Jr Behind

4/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Orion Jr ready for the storms of summer
She’s stripped down and tied up, sitting in her freshwater slip in LaBelle.  Orion Jr is as prepared as we can make her for the coming months of her stay in central Florida.  We’ve returned north to Hampton and are back on Orion, getting her ready to put her up for sale. 


Picture
Early morning fog at Port LaBelle Marina
Getting Jr Ready

We pulled into Port Labelle Marina on a windy Thursday afternoon, stopping first at the few floating slips with power near the fuel dock.  From this location, we could wash her down, charge up the batteries, do laundry and finish any other tasks that require water or power.  We had a long list of things to do and the marathon was just beginning.  It would take us all of the next 5 days to get them all done before we got in the car and headed north.   (For an inventory of the things we did to get her ready, see the checklist we prepared.)


Picture
Charlie the turtle comes for a visit
The marina is in a rural area, about 2 miles out of the town of LaBelle.  This is what they call the real Florida.  We woke up in the morning to hear cows mooing and saw alligators and turtles swimming in the marina basin.  For most of our stay, the winds were up, keeping the bug population down, but we were sure to put screens in every night.  There are 2 basins with dozens of slips, with fixed docks in excellent shape, looking brand new.  The slips are large and the finger piers are long, giving access to the outermost pilings.  Orion Jr would be able to be centered in the slip to keep her away from the dock in large winds.  


Picture
Part way through the preparations
With the next few days forecast to be windy, we took advantage of a calmer Saturday morning to move from the floating docks to our slip on the fixed piers in the east basin.  We pulled in beside a 60ft steel-hulled sailboat, Dave making his 2nd docking with Orion Jr, backing her into her home for the next few months.  He spent the rest of the day rigging lines to the various pilings.  Cathy had made additional chafe protection and Dave supplemented the standard dock lines with some “hurricane” lines that needed to be cut and spliced before deploying.  We had delayed stowing the dinghy, which Dave employed to get to the farthest pilings.
Cathy divided her attention between the inside and outside.  She had to clean and remove the enclosure and bimini and secure the supporting arches.  The compartments below had to be cleaned and anything flammable or perishable removed.  Anything of value or that we needed on Orion needed to be pulled out and staged to be loaded in the car when we picked it up on Monday.

By Tuesday, we were getting down to the wire.  We needed to start stowing things down below, which meant we weren’t spending another night on the boat.  By the time we were done, the dinghy, the smaller outboard, the solar panels, the bimini and enclosure were all stowed below and we had removed everything we think we need on Orion.  Dave rigged the small solar panel to keep the batteries charged and we declared her “done” and ready to leave.   


Picture
Our neighbor's cat stands guard
There was just one more thing.  We were concerned that we didn’t know anyone that we could ask to check on the boat while we were gone.  However, our next door neighbor, Robert, lives on his boat year-round with his cat (who was eager to explore our boat once we arrived) and was willing to help us by keeping an eye on her and giving us a call with any concerns.  That would give us peace of mind.  By around 4pm, we were in the car and underway, feeling we had done all we could for the little boat.  We were heading north toward Orion in Hampton.


Picture
Sunrise over mooring field at Fort Myers Beach
Back on the Okeechobee Waterway

We left Fort Myers Beach early on a Wednesday morning, again trying to beat the power boat traffic, heading through Fort Myers and up the Caloosahatchie River toward LaBelle.  All was going smoothly until we approached the Franklin Lock.  When we had traveled through it westbound, the lock was on request.  However, when we called at 2pm to say we were 15 minutes out, we got the unfortunate news that the lock opened only on the odd hours.  This was because the lake levels are lower and the locks need to limit the outflow of water.  We had almost an hour to kill.  We throttled back and did large circles in the river waiting until 3pm.  These circles were made more difficult by the nearby Ranger training course where park rangers were weaving at high speeds in and out of buoys.  With relief we locked through at 3pm, alone except for the manatees who were also headed eastbound toward the Lake. 

We pulled into a slip at the park on the other side of the lock.  It was our first time on a dock since our last visit here almost 2 ½ months earlier.  Unlike our stay in January, we were accompanied by 7 other boats, most of them cruisers on their way to Glades or Turkey Creek to put their boats away for the summer. We spent some time with our neighbors who were interested in cruising advice on seeing the Chesapeake Bay.  Cathy pulled out the sewing machine and sat at the picnic table in the shelter sewing more chafe protection for our hurricane lines. 

The next day, we made a later start, using the morning hours to pull the dinghy over to the boat ramp and clean the bottom.  With winds and storms forecast for the afternoon, we were pushing to get through the 3 opening bridges as soon as possible and into LaBelle before conditions worsened.  The warmer weather was an eye-opener as the season brought out the alligators who were nowhere to be found in January.  Also, the citrus trees we passed were scenting the air with the sweet aroma of orange blossoms.  It was almost a completely different experience. 

On to Hampton

Taking 2 days to travel north, we arrived in Hampton only 1 day ahead of Pat and Fred, who had made a record run north on Marianna.  Cathy joined them for dinner, but unfortunately Dave had come down with a virus that took him out of commission for the day and he had to send his regrets.  After a weekend spent with the kids and grandkids, we’re now taking stock of Orion and finalizing her to put her on the market.  If you know of anyone who might be interested in a wonderful cruising boat, send them our way.  Orion could be the boat for them.



0 Comments

Late March - Good Times on the Gulf

3/31/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cayo Costa State Park beach
The prevailing easterly winds had been blowing with force for over a week before they finally eased up, allowing for our departure from Marathon on Friday, the 16th, setting out for a trip up the west coast toward the Little Shark River on our way to Fort Myers Beach.  Over the course of two weeks, we traveled up the west coast and spent time in new places, seeing a bit more of this new cruising ground. 


Picture
A stowaway joins us for the ride through the Everglades
Letting Go and Moving On

We were up before dawn our last morning in Marathon to check the weather and then make one last run to shore to return our shower cards, take in the trash and get our last jug of water.  It would likely be several days before we could land again for services.  As Cathy made her way back to the dinghy, she looked in confusion because it was gone.  She walked the length of the dock looking for it.  Nowhere.  She waits and looks toward the mooring field for moving lights that might be Dave.  Finally, she sees an odd procession of boats approaching – an inflatable, a portabote and a hard dinghy.  It was obvious as they came closer that Dave was in the middle of this procession.  Dave later explained that he had gone to rescue a woman in a dinghy that had run out of gas.  In the dark, Dave had inadvertently pulled the kill switch out of the engine and therefore couldn’t restart the engine, requiring yet another boat to come to the rescue.  A little excitement to start our day.  We went back to the boat and headed out as the sun rose behind us.

Behind us the Keys were enjoying clear skies and puffy clouds.  As we approached Cape Sable and the southwest corner of the Florida peninsula, we were looking at a little different weather picture.  Ahead of us the line of dark clouds spilling off the mainland kept growing and, it became apparent, was not going to pass out to sea before we reached them.  We were going to have to make our way through the storm before we could reach our refuge in the Little Shark River.  We had enjoyed hours of motorsailing across the Florida Bay, but as the clouds got closer, we decided to furl in the sail and began to prepare ourselves for the deluge.  About an hour out, it hit.  We found ourselves in our first thunderstorm.  We struggled to keep the bow into the waves as the wind slowed our progress to little over a knot.  The rains poured down and lightning and thunder sounded around us.  After about a half hour, it was over and the river entrance was off our port bow.  We made our way in and set anchor, relieved to be in for the day.

The next day we headed out again, thinking we were going to Russell Pass for the night, retracing our stops from our trip south.  However, we found we could use the wind if we aimed for Coon Key Pass just south of Goodland.  We set the headsail and motorsailed for our new destination.  If all went well, we should arrive by 6.  However, we were making 5 knots, good speed for the little boat, and our arrival time came in to 5pm.  As we made our way up the pass, we approached the no wake zone and throttled back on the engine, making our way to the anchorage a short distance away. 

And then the engine promptly died.


Picture
Dave labors over the outboard
After several attempts to restart it failed, Cathy turned it over to Dave who checked the fuel, the fuel filter and the lines to the engine, all of which looked good.  He tried to start it with the pull cord as well as the electric start, but nothing worked.  The boat was luckily drifting very little due to a fortunate mix of current and wind, but we finally decided we needed to drop the anchor, since we were at the edge of the channel, and turn our full attention to the engine.  We were repeatedly thanking our lucky stars that we were behind the no wake signs, since west coast power boaters are famous for their wakes.  Since it was approaching 5pm, we called the nearby marinas to see if they had mechanics available and if we had to be towed, whether we could stay there.  Neither marina had any help to offer and their mechanics would not be back until Monday, which would be 2 expensive nights on the dock from now.  As Dave continued to try other things with the engine, Cathy called Blake Hollings, the engine mechanic who had serviced our engines in Daytona.  It was a long shot, but maybe he would call back.

Just as we were trying to decide if we could swap the dinghy motor for the big motor, the phone rang.  It was Blake, and he didn’t hesitate to step Dave through a number of diagnostic steps to zero in on the problem.  First he checked the spark plug to ensure it was sparking.  He had to remove it from the engine, but leave it in the boot and touch it to metal while Cathy started the engine, looking for the spark.  In the late afternoon sun, it took a couple of tries, but he managed to see the spark.  No problem there. 

That meant the problem was likely in the carburetor.  Dave had to remove the cover which has 2 long bolts that hold not just the cover, but the carburetor itself.  As Dave fitted the sockets on the handle, they slipped off and fell into the cockpit floor, behind the gas can and down the small thru-hull.  (Isn’t that always the way on boats?)  We switched to another socket and Dave managed to get the cover off without losing the bolts or the carburetor.  Whew!  At that point, Blake had us spray WD 40 into the butterfly valve as we attempted to start the engine on a higher throttle setting.  After some effort, it starts with a roar and stays running.  Alright!  After shutting it down and restarting, it runs fine.  We thank Blake profusely and would highly recommend him to anyone needing outboard repairs in the Daytona area.  His phone number is 863-860-0145. 

Now, we begin getting the engine back together to move on.  Dave is still mulling over the lost tool, so he gets in the dinghy to position himself behind the thru hull, while Cathy pokes a wire down the hole to poke it out.  Sure enough, it’s still in there and he manages to grab it.  Things are definitely looking up.


Picture
Orion Jr at anchor at Goodland - - Finally!
We move the short distance to the anchorage, and by 6:30 we set anchor off Goodland. We are once again thankful to be in a good anchorage for the night.  Although one more disturbing observation comes to mind as we settle in.  Over the course of the hour while we worked on the engine, we were passed multiple times by boats small and large.  And not one stopped to ask if we needed help. It’s definitely not Marathon.


Picture
Stan's -- home of the Buzzard Lope
Goodland

When we realized we were in Goodland for a Sunday, we decided to stay put for the day.  There was supposed to be a quaint establishment called Stan’s that came to life on Sunday, when the owner performed in the afternoon.  In our minds, we pictured a small place with a couple dozen patrons and an octogenarian singing some old songs and telling a few jokes on stage.  Before we could go ashore, Ron from his nearby bright yellow trimaran, Chiquita, rowed over and gave us some tips on where to dock a dinghy and encouraged us to see the little town.


Picture
The Sunday crowd at Stan's
After making a stop at Walker’s Coon Key Marina for fuel and water, we head around to Stan’s.  We can hear the band from a distance and begin to get a first inkling that Stan’s might be a little bigger than we thoughg.  As we approach the far end of the canal, we are overwhelmed by the number of boats, several of which are rafted on the dock and the mass of humanity on shore.  This is Stan’s.  We give up trying to dock nearby and go back out to some slips by Marker 8 Restaurant.  After checking with the owner that we can leave our dinghy there, we wander over to Stan’s.  On the way the small street is lined with cars and roadside vendors selling their wares.  Parking is going for $10.  This is amazing.  At Stan’s we see a live band that has the crowd rocking.  We learn that Stan has gone home sick, but the party is not waning in the least.  After taking in the spectacle (and buying some really fresh produce at the farm stand on site), we finally retreat back to the boat.  This is a little too much.  On the way back, we meet Adam from Igloo, whom we had first met in Marathon.  He joins us later on Orion Jr for a glass of wine. 

It was definitely good to see Goodland on a Sunday.  But once was probably enough.


Picture
5th Avenue in Naples
Naples

As we moved north on Monday, we skipped Marco Island in favor of Naples, arriving mid-afternoon to pick up one of the city’s mooring balls.  Although we took the inside route north, the closer we got to Naples, the thicker the power boats got and the more intense the boat wakes.  Passing the Gordon Pass inlet the intensity of wakes hit a new threshold.  Boat after boat passed on either side, sending Jr careening side to side.  With relief, we passed the no wake zone sign as the mooring field came into sight.  Naples policy requires us to tie up to the fuel dock to “get a pump out” (which we explained wasn’t necessary) and to register for a mooring ball.  The policy also says that we can stay at most 4 consecutive nights on the ball and 8 in a month.  This is a state-imposed “punishment” that this city is required to follow due to some violations in the past, where boats were allowed to stay too long.  At any rate, we had only one other neighbor in the mooring field and were on the closest ball to the dinghy dock. 

.

Picture
Musicians play on the street in Naples
On shore, the Naples City Dock is a short walk to a small business district.  We wandered into town, checked out the nearby marine supply store and then took a longer walk past the park and down trendy 5th Avenue.  Dave was excited to find only the 2nd Abbotts Frozen Custard store we had seen outside of Rochester, so he had to do some quality control tasting.  Then we stopped into a restaurant for some wine and live music, with free hor d’ouvres to boot.  On the way back to the boat, we passed by a Jazz in the Park concert, which we enjoyed for a while until we decided to call it a day.


Picture
Power boats galore on the waterway
Over the next 3 days, we did a lot of walking the tree-lined streets -- to the beach, by the shops across the bridge to the grocery store and West Marine and back again.  One day we rode the bus all over town.  We swam in the gulf and enjoyed some time getting boat chores done (like sealing some leaking portlights and deckfittings).  On Thursday night, there was live music up and down 5th Avenue.  By the time our 4 days were up, we were considering staying longer, but the weather forecast told us we should probably move on.  So, on Friday, we made our way out of the mooring field at first light, hoping to avoid the worst of the power boats on our way out Gordon Pass.  We were largely successful, but still it was with a sense of relief that we pulled out into the Gulf and close quarters were behind us.  But Naples itself will probably draw us back for another visit.


Picture
Driftwood on Cayo Costa beach
Cayo Costa

After a brief stay in Fort Myers Beach, we headed north for Pelican Bay off Cayo Costa, a beautiful state park just south of Boca Grande.  We had heard several cruisers talk about this lovely spot, so we were anxious to see it for ourselves.  After another tedious run with boat wakes everywhere, we pulled into the protected bay and set the anchor.  We made a quick run to shore to get the lay of the land, but decided to save our more serious exploring for the next day. 


Picture
The park has about 10 slips which are free for the day, but cost $20 to stay the night.  So, we decided to stay anchored.  For a $2 park fee, the facilities ashore were ours to enjoy.  We took the tram to the beach, went shelling, swam every day in the Gulf and hiked miles of trails around the island.  We saw more wildlife here than anywhere in the Everglades, from a family of manatees in a nearby cove, an alligator in the lagoon, a wide variety of wading birds and shore birds and even a 6 foot long (non-poisonous) coach whip snake.   We visited with other boaters in the harbor and some of the campers on shore.  We were even able to arrange with another boat to pick up some gas for us in Boca Grande when they took a side trip for lunch one day.  We could take showers off the beach in the campground area and have a picnic lunch at tables in a pavilion there.  We could have stayed longer, but we needed to start making our way back.  Once again we left on a Friday at first light and manage to beat the power boaters for a few hours, arriving in Fort Myers Beach in mid-afternoon for our last stop on the west coast before heading inland.


Picture
Fort Myers Beach

This has become our hub for travel on the Florida’s west coast.  We managed to arrive just in time for a Cruiser’s Appreciation lunch with food and raffled off prizes and started making a walk and swim on the beach our daily routine.  With college Spring Break in one last burst of energy on our first stop here, we watched in amazement as the crowds thronged the beach and dozens of boats anchored in the surf just off shore, creating a horribly fascinating show as some struggled to keep their boats under control and out of the surf and other boats.   The trolley gave us easy access to groceries and the facilities here are comfortable and convenient.  But the season is winding down, as is evidenced by the increasing number of mooring balls available, and so we will be leaving here soon ourselves, making our way up to LaBelle.


0 Comments

Early March - Still in Marathon

3/15/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Our visit to Key West included a taste of some Key Lime Pie
As we approach the Ides of March, we are also nearing the end of our stay in Marathon.  The seafood festival has come and gone, and we need to work our way back north along Florida’s west coast to Orion Jr’s summer home in LaBelle.  


Picture
Varnished wood on Orion Jr
Hot Times Ahead
As we prepare to leave Orion Jr in Florida for the hot summer months (assuming Orion  back in Hampton doesn’t sell), we started reviewing things that other boaters and experts recommended.  On the exterior, the woodwork needed to be given some more protection from the sun, in the form of several more coats of varnish.  Cathy took this on, finishing off (for the 3rd time?) Dave’s repair of the split in the starboard guide rail that he had epoxied together.  She fit a teak plug and sanded it smooth once in place so the varnish layers could be applied. 


Picture
New Stainless Steel Nicro Vent
Another concern with Florida’s heat and humidity was the air circulation down below.  To help facilitate the maximum air flow, we decided to replace the Nicro solar vent in the forward hatch cover with a newer stainless steel version.  This would have a few benefits over the old model (which still worked). The stainless steel would be stronger against the sun and the abuse of people moving about on deck.  The solar-rechargeable battery included would ensure the fan ran 24 hours a day.  It also had a sleeve that could be closed in severe weather to prevent water incursion down below and an optional insect screen to keep the bugs away.  (When we removed the old fan, Dave discovered that it too had the rechargeable battery, but it was just past its useful life.  Since the fan still works, we kept it for some unknown future purpose.)  The installation was easy, since we had purchased one with the same footprint as the existing fan.  After sealing it in place, we drowned it with water and were reassured when nothing leaked.  (It is right above the bed after all.)  The literature that came with the vent allowed Dave to calculate its air circulation capacity, which suggested it was about twice the size we needed for the little boat.  


Picture
Dave cuts out vent holes in new hatch board
However, having a fan on one end of the boat was not going to be enough to ensure good air flow.  We needed another opening to allow it to pull air through the boat.  To accomplish this, Dave decided to make a new hatch board that would take the place of the 3 lower boards on the companionway.  Borrowing an idea from our Beneteau, he was going to cut 2 openings in the board that would be covered by louvered vents that would allow the air to be drawn in, while protecting them from rain.  Cathy would then install screen on the back of the openings to prevent bugs and wasps from entering the boat.  Since this was going to be a storage solution only, Dave cut the board out of plywood and with the aid of another cruiser who was a marine carpenter, routed the top to fit the existing boards.  Using 2 plastic vents purchased off Amazon, Dave cut their back openings so that they would be no thicker than the board and cut the openings in the board to match.  Cathy applied several layers of a Minwax product, Helmsman to the new (and existing) board to protect it.  Once the sealing was done, Dave could screw down the vents for a brand-new hatch board, that would allow a lot of air circulation. 



Picture
Since we won't have any power hook-ups in our slip at Port LaBelle Marina, we also needed to ensure the batteries stayed topped off.  In hot weather, they can lose as much as 3% a week.  To provide the charging capacity would not require much solar energy, so Dave found a small 5-watt panel on Amazon which should keep up with the drain.  It is small enough to be mounted in the cockpit and can be out of the way.  
There will still be plenty more work ahead before we leave the boat, but at least now there are a couple of bigger tasks behind us.

Picture
Cathy and Councilman Richard Keating cutting a case of lemons

Seafood and More Seafood
We spent most of the weekend of Marathon’s Seafood Festival in the food tent helping to bread hundreds of pounds of fish and cutting up cases of lemons.  In the process we got to know some local fisherman, a city councilman, the mayor and of course some fellow cruisers.  All the work was not without its rewards, as we were served enough fried fish, clams, potato chips, smoothies, and Key Lime pie to be pretty full by the time we headed home – tired but having enjoyed ourselves.  
It was also a bit of irony that when we introduced ourselves to a fellow worker, he said that he already recognized Dave, since he was a councilmember and Dave had spoken at 2 council meeting so far.  The long day gave us time to chat about lots of things, some of which included the concerns of the boaters in the harbor.  Richard even recognized our work at the festival after Dave addressed the next council meeting about the rates issues.  It’s a small world here in Marathon.


So, What’s all the Noise About Marathon?

Those who read this blog that are fellow cruisers may have heard the furor that’s been raised by the rate changes and anchoring restriction proposals.  The good news is that there has been some progress.  Dave’s efforts with the local media generated enough interest that an article was written about Captain Jack, a local 90+ year-old boater who has lived on the dock for several years.  As the article went to press, he was given a reprieve from the higher rates.  Finally, although we won’t be here to participate, the City Manager has agreed to a meeting with boaters at the marina before the end of March to discuss and possibly adjust the rates.  So, there is hope on that front. 

However, the anchoring restrictions are still an open question.  We’ll stay in touch after we leave and we urge those of you who care about this harbor to do the same.

Moving On

So, we’re heading out soon.  We’ve topped off the water and fuel tanks, made sure the engine still starts, cleaned the dinghy bottom and filled the icebox and freezer to the brim.  If all goes as planned, the next update will find us somewhere north, but likely still in Florida.

0 Comments

Late February - Marathon

2/29/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cathy sands companionway stairs
It’s been another couple of weeks in Marathon as the winter moves on and we’ve been busy, so the time is passing quickly.


Picture
Stairs before refinishing
Woodwork and other boat stuff

Although Cathy had made a good dent in re-finishing the woodwork down below on Orion Jr, there was still more to do.  The most visible project to be done was the companionway stairs, which made a less than favorable first impression on visitors.  Since we were going to be in one place for a while, we decided to take the time to re-finish the stairs.  The only downside was the fact that the power sander and heat gun are sitting back in Hampton.  So, with Dave’s help, we removed all hardware from the stairs, hauled it to shore, and hand-sanded all the nooks and crannies until it was ready to be varnished.  Over the next few days, Cathy put 7 coats of varnish on the stairs, and now they gleam like the other wood down below.  Doing a little bit at a time, maybe we’ll eventually get all of it done.  


Picture
Stairs after re-finishing
The other projects are more routine maintenance – cleaning the waterline, polishing the stainless steel, etc.  We also decided to purchase a couple of burgees (i.e. small flags that fly from the spreaders) to dress up the little boat.  We now fly a BOATUS and Waterway Net burgee, which give the boat a little more decoration.  


Picture
BoatUS and Waterway Net burgees
Buying and Selling
Each year in Marathon, the boaters in the harbor form a team to raise money for the American Cancer Society via Relay For Life.  This year has been no exception.  One of the events held was an auction of donated items that was held one weekend shortly after we arrived.  A boater who had been an auctioneer in a former life did an outstanding job running the show and the event raised over $2000 for the cause.  We also found a bargain in a small Fortress anchor that was just the right size for Orion Jr (and not too many other boats in the harbor). 
Picture
The next weekend, we caught a ride with some fellow Waterway Net members up to the self-described “Gigantic Nautical Flea Market” in Islamorada.  The car traffic for this event was amazing, but our drivers were savvy enough to avoid the worst of it.  This was also a fundraiser for area youth scholoarships.  Here we managed to find a good deal on another fender and 200ft of nylon line that we will turn into dock lines when we put Orion Jr in her slip before we head north.  (We have reserved a spot at Port LaBelle Marina on the Okeechobee Waterway, which is where we’ll leave her when we travel north (by car) in April to take care of big Orion.)
So we feel good about our bargains and the fact that we also were helping out some good causes.


Picture
Mike and Sue from Indecision
Friends and Politics
We have reconnected with a number of folks that we haven’t seen in a while.  We hadn’t been in the harbor more than a few hours before we hooked up with Mike and Sue on Indecision, whom we had met in Vero Beach as they made their first trip south.  Over the next few weeks, we got together a few times, including a night of 25 cent wings at The Hurricane Grill before they headed out of the harbor in late February.  Our neighbors when we picked up a mooring were Dick and Libby on Tarwathie, whom we met first on the hard in Deltaville a few years ago.  Cathy’s been taking advantage of Libby’s patience in a pine needle basket class.  We joined them for a delicious dinner one night on their boat and Dave helped them remove and install a new prop when they got short-hauled at the nearby boatyard.   Rising Tide returned to the harbor on their way up the west coast of Florida, which gave us a chance to see them and share our experiences traveling the same route before they headed out again.


Picture
Pigs breaking out of the starting gate. (Note the prize at the end is food.)
And for something completely different, we took in the National Pig Day events at the appropriately-named Stuffed Pig Restaurant across the street from the Marina.  There were pig races, music, kids’ rides, and a buffet to enjoy, all proceeds going to the local Grace Jones Community Center.  The day’s highlight was definitely the pig races, which took place in three heats: first with wild pigs, 2nd with young domestic pigs and then some very sloooowww Vietanmese Potbelly pigs.

Not surprisingly, the controversy over the recent marina rate increases and pending changes in anchoring rules has not settled down at all in the couple of weeks since we attended the City Council Meeting.  So, we made another trip to the council on the 28th, with boaters present in force.  Dave spoke to a proposed modification in the rates, and others spoke to the anchoring changes.  The results were disappointing.  The council simply referred us to the Near Shore Waters Committee, which they had failed to mention at the prior meeting.  However, they did mention that due to recent retirements, the committee no longer had a quorum and couldn’t meet until the council appointed replacements.  Seems like a Catch-22 to us.

The issues are receiving much attention in the larger boating community, which may bring pressure to bear on the decision-makers.  In the meantime, Dave continues to make the problem of rates as visible as possible.  We are especially concerned about an elderly boater (90+) who resides on the dock and has no money to pay the increased rates now that a minimum footage is in place.  He is thinking he will have to move, after spending over 50 years here, but he has no idea where he would go.  Needless to say, this issue is not just going to go away any time soon.

Parting Shots


Here are just a few snapshots of our time here to share:


0 Comments

Early February - New Routes to a Familiar Destination

2/15/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Boot Key Harbor mooring field at sunset
We arrived in Marathon on the first Sunday in February, having taken a much different route to get here.  We left Fort Myers Beach 5 days earlier and worked our way south down the west coast of Florida past the highly-developed areas of Naples and Marco Island to the other extreme of wilderness in the Everglades.  Since our arrival, we’ve taken care of some boat chores and gotten re-acquainted with a community of boaters here in the Keys.


Picture
Approaching Marco Island from Capri Pass
From Fort Myers Beach South

After studying the charts and guidebooks for Florida’s southwest coast, we came up with a plan for traveling to the Florida Keys.  Our first stop was going to be either Naples or Marco Island, a relatively short distance from each other and a reasonable day’s run from Fort Myers Beach.  To ensure enough time on the other end to change our minds, we headed out shortly after sunrise on the 1st of February and made a slow trip around the northern tip of Estero Island before powering up for the run down the coast.  There was little wind this day to help us boost our speed, so the outboard pushed us along in the flat seas. 

By mid-afternoon, we were heading into Capri Pass, which would take us up to our anchorage in Factory Bay on Marco Island and the last access to fuel and fresh water for the next 5 days.  After confirming our entrance to the anchorage by talking to another cruiser anchored there (there is a shoal in the middle of the bay with 2 entrances on either side), we set the hook and then took advantage of the local marina to top off both sets of tanks and remove trash in preparation for our foray into the Everglades. 


Picture
The Inside route from Marco Island to Coon Key Pass
Another first light departure took us around the northern side of Marco Island on the shallow “inside” route to Coon Key pass that Orion Jr’s shallower draft allowed us to travel.  This cut out several miles of travel around Cape Romano for the next leg of our journey toward Russell Pass off Everglades City.  Within minutes of pulling anchor, we had left the condos and high rises behind and were surrounded by mangroves.  Apparently Marco Island’s intense development sits in isolation surrounded by the wilderness of Rookery Bay State Park.  Other than a few fishing boats, we had this route to ourselves, until we passed the small town of Goodland, and began our transit of Coon Key Pass out to the Gulf.  


Picture
A flock of white pelicans guard the entrance to Indian Key Pass
It was a relatively short day and with little wind, we motored for only a few more hours to reach Indian Key Pass, the entrance to the long channel up to Everglades City, by early afternoon.  The entrance is guarded by a flock of white pelicans that cluster on a sandy island near the entrance.  As we made our way up to Russell Pass, we were guided by a dolphin who kept surfacing next to the cockpit to keep an eye on us.  As we set anchor, we knew the light winds were going to make for a lot of unwelcome guests as the sun set.  This is the Everglades after all, the natural home of mosquitos and no-seeums.  So Cathy rigged up some finer netting over the forward hatch and the companionway, which kept us mostly free of the little critters.  


Picture
Sunrise leaving Russell Pass in the Everglades
The next day’s trip was going to be one of our longest in our trip to the Keys, so we were underway before sun-up to retrace our steps out Indian Key Pass to the gulf.  Once outside, we had a choice to make.  We could travel a straight line to the Little Shark River entrance, which would take us further offshore, as the coastline curved in to the east, but was the shorter route.  Or we could stay closer to shore and inside the Everglades boundaries, avoiding both crab floats and the more significant waves.  With the calm conditions of our early morning departure, we decided to take a chance on the direct route.  The winds were supposed to build over the course of the day, but we were hoping we would be closer to shore by the time they did.  


Picture
Dave relaxes in the Little Shark River
It didn’t take us long to deploy the headsail, which gave us a good boost and brought out ETA into an early afternoon arrival.  We figured that was going to be too good to be true.  And it was.  As the morning hours passed, we found the easterly wind increasing in strength and along with it, the waves.  At our furthest point, we were about 7 miles off shore.  The waves were starting to take a toll on our speed, despite the advantage the wind was giving us.  We changed our course to bring our route closer to shore.  At first, we were just angled in a few degrees to port, but as the waves continued to build, we decided to make a more direct course toward the coast – and calmer seas.  As we made our way closer to shore, the waves lessened somewhat, but the winds were still strong.  Then the crab pots started to appear, requiring more than usual concentration in these rough seas.  They didn’t disappear until we were well inside the park boundary line.  Now, it was just a matter of holding our course until we made the Little Shark Entrance, which we did around 3pm.  It was with some relief that we rounded the first bend in the river to get out of the wind and find shelter.  We had 2 or 3 other boats for company, but there was plenty of room and we could finally relax from a long day’s trip.


Picture
Looking west out the entrance to the Little Shark River
The final leg of the trip to Marathon from the Little Shark River was going to be another long day.  And after being tossed around the day before, we were skeptical about the next day’s travel.  The weather forecast was for more of the same, only a little worse.  However, we decided to get up before dawn the next day and check the weather again before heading out.  To our dismay, the NOAA weather channels that had given us the forecast the night before were silent in the early morning darkness.  With no cell phone service since early the day before, we were not in an easy position to get weather.  So, we tuned into the Waterway Net and asked for the weather forecast for our area.  The Net Control was a little confused, since we should have been able to get that on VHF, but we explained we couldn’t hear anything.  Another ham pulled the forecast and relayed it to us.  As we suspected, the conditions were too rough to risk heading out.  So, it would be a lay day for us and the one other sailboat in the anchorage.  (The two power boats left, since it takes them only a couple of hours to make Marathon.) 

It was a great place to take a breather from the past few days of travel.  We took showers and tidied up the boat, then took time reading and doing some computer work.  (Yes, that means the website.)  We saw a manatee making a leisurely trip up the river and surfacing every few minutes with a snort to catch a breath before the next dive.  And then there were lots of birds.  But once again NO alligators. 

Picture
Approaching the 7-Mile bridge just west of Boot Key Harbor
Having learned our lesson, we pulled the weather at night for the following day.  It was going to be less wind, but overcast and threat of showers and thunderstorms.  We decided to head out despite the threat of rain, and our fellow sailboat, Visitor, joined us for the trip south.  Once we passed Cape Sable and left the protection of the park, we spent most of the day dodging crab pots.  But the wind was giving our speed a big boost.  We were making good time, but not good enough apparently to arrive before the storms came through.  In early afternoon, a weather alert sounded that was warning of high winds and heavy rain in our path.  We stowed everything we could in the cockpit and readied ourselves for the storm.  Luckily we made it through the 7-Mile Bridge spans before the storm hit, and then we just motored into it until it blew over.   

There was a waiting list for mooring balls in Marathon, so we bypassed the main anchorage in Boot Key Harbor and found a spot in Sisters Creek that gave us all around protection and reasonable access to the marina.  We were 23rd on the waiting list the afternoon of our arrival.  By Wednesday, we had secured a mooring ball and settled in for a while at this comfortable port in the Middle Keys.


Picture
Rudder stripped of growth before sanding
Rudderless – for a bit

Orion Jr was already freshly bottom-painted when we bought her, which we knew at the time was a mixed blessing.  No one likes to do bottom painting, so having her already done took that chore off the project list.  However, since she was outfitted as a daysailer, not a cruising boat, we knew the waterline would need to be raised once she was fully loaded.  We just didn’t know how high.  While this was just a nuisance problem on the fiberglass hull, it was a little more worrisome on the wooden rudder.   So, we took advantage of our time on the mooring ball in Marathon to pull the rudder, clean it and re-apply the bottom paint, moving the waterline up a few inches.


Picture
Pulling the rudder is relatively easy.  We (i.e. Dave) just have to lift it up, removing the pins from their sleeves and then remove the tether that keeps it from falling completely off in the event of a problem.  We used the deck washdown and some boat brushes to clean the growth and the little remaining bottom paint from each side of the rudder.  What we found underneath was a bit of a surprise.  There was a coating of epoxy over the wooden base.  Also, in many places there were remnants of some hard bottom paint.  The epoxy showed cracks in places, but was mostly in good condition.  After sanding the rudder and applying epoxy over any cracks we found, we debated whether to apply hard or ablative bottom paint.  The tie breaker was the fact that we planned to pull the rudder off when we stored the boat in the spring.  Hard paint would deteriorate quickly once out of the water, so we went with the ablative paint.  Since we only needed a small amount, we were able to borrow some from a fellow cruiser (one of the perks of being among so many boats here).  In a couple of days the rudder was back on and ready to go.   We were rudderless no more.


Picture

Other Boat Stuff

We’ve had the rainiest February in our six years of cruising, which “helped” us find some leaks that needed attention.  We re-bedded a shroud on the port side (didn’t we do all those?) which was leaking by Cathy’s head in the V-berth and applied silicone to the starboard aft portlight, which was dripping on Dave where he usually sits in the Main Saloon.  At least the leaks were democratic. 

Having used our new Garmin 535 chartplotter to travel the couple of hundred miles from Fort Myers Beach, we felt confident to rely on it, so Dave made the wiring more permanent and removed the 172C, holding it in reserve in case of emergency.    We also began to think about putting Orion for sale, so we created a “pre-sale” website Beneteau Oceanis 36cc Pre-sale to make her more visible on the search engines by the time we officially list her. 

 

Making the Rounds in Marathon
It didn’t take us long to get back in the swing of things once we pulled into the harbor.  After running around getting fuel, water and groceries, we took a breath to check out the activities in the harbor.  We re-grouped with the other Waterway Net members at the Ham luncheon in the afternoon and attended a Meet n Greet that night, where we got re-acquainted with the couple on Rising Tide, who had accompanied us from Charleston to Southport back in 2009.  (We were both on different boats now, so we didn’t actually put it together until the next day.)  We had fun watching Captain Ron ashore with other boaters, most of whom were live-aboards in the harbor.  Friends we had met in Vero, Mike and Sue on Indecision had arrived ahead of us and we spent time checking in with them.  Stan and Judy were also from Hampton, saw our hailing port and we realized over sundowners that we had many mutual acquaintances in Joy’s Marina back “home”. 

But there was an undercurrent in the harbor, which we got wind of on the Waterway Net shortly before our arrival.  The marina had made some drastic changes in the rates for boats at anchor using their facilities.  These went into effect just days before we came into the harbor.  At $22/day and $85/week to use the facilities, we managed to stay mostly away from the dock until we got a mooring assignment.  However, the full-time residents in the harbor didn’t have this luxury.  It was placing an undue burden on them and those of us waiting to get on a ball.  We decided to join a group attending the next City Council meeting to voice our concerns about the change.  At the same meeting, the discussion was starting around changes to the designated anchoring rules in the harbor.  Dave was among a handful of boaters who spoke to the council to address these issues.  Although nothing concrete was decided on the latter topic, the council agreed to re-consider the rate increases.  Only time will tell what they decide to do on either topic, but the cruisers and locals are still working to effect a reasonable compromise.  

In the meantime, we spend our time with a mix of work and fun, meeting new friends and re-connecting with old ones.

1 Comment

Late January - Heading West

1/31/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Late afternoon on Fort Myers Beach
 We finally stopped talking about heading west across Florida and actually did it.  After a stop at Vero Beach for repairs and to pick up some mail, we made our way up the St. Lucie River and into the Okeechobee Waterway.  It took us 5 days to cross the state, emerging at Fort Myers on the west coast.  We were now further west than we’ve been before by boat.  After a week at Fort Myers Beach, we made ready to move south along Florida’s west coast.


Picture
Leaving Indiantown in the early morning mist
Okeechobee Waterway

Compared to the busy waters on either end, the Okeechobee Waterway (OWW) is a quiet passageway across the middle of the state.  It connects 3 natural bodies of water – St. Lucie River on the eastern side, Lake Okeechobee in the center, and the Caloosahatchee River on the western side – via 2 manmade canals and the locks necessary to raise boats up approximately 12.5 feet to the lake’s normal level and then back down again.  We had left Vero Beach on a Friday, making it as far south as Jensen Beach (after a stop for lunch at Fort Pierce with Tom and Dau) before daylight was fading.  So, Saturday morning, we were up early to begin our trip west.  The entrance to the waterway is at the intersection of the St. Lucie River and the ICW.  This is a popular outlet to the ocean, which was in evidence on this pleasant Saturday morning.  However, we turned west, away from the activity and made our way upriver toward the first of the locks just past Stuart on the St. Lucie River.  


Picture
Our first day’s destination was Indiantown Marina, only 25 miles away.  It should be a relatively easy travel day.  We just had one opening bridge (Roosevelt Bridge at Stuart) and one lock (St. Lucie Lock) to negotiate in between.  The Roosevelt Bridge is just east of downtown Stuart and is on request, so we didn’t need to time our arrival very carefully.  However, it is positioned on a bend in the river, just west of an older opening RR bridge with a narrow opening and not much room between the 2 bridges.  So, we were grateful that the bridge tender held us up while 2 eastbound boats passed through, so we didn’t have to maneuver past them in the narrow opening

Picture
Tug and barge re-entering St Lucie Lock
The St. Lucie lock is the entrance to the eastern canal on the OWW.  It also has the highest rise, raising us 13 feet from sea level to the current lake level.  The locktender gave us instructions for positioning our fenders and said that the lock had the lines we needed.  However, just before arriving at the lock, we heard a tug call the lock for passage.  We followed up with the lockmaster, who said we would need to wait for the tug to clear the lock before we could enter.  It wasn’t until we arrived at the lock, though that the logistics became clear.  The tug was eastbound and was in the lock when we arrived.  However, what we came to understand was that, upon exiting, he was going to pick up a barge tied to the pilings just outside the lock and then turn around and go back westbound into the canal.  That meant we had to wait for the lock to empty for the eastbound tug, for the tug to pick up the barge and re-enter the lock, for the water to rise for the now-westbound tug, for the water to lower for us, and then we could enter.  With all that water to raise and lower, this lock takes about 30 minutes to pass through.  So, you can do the math.  It took us 1 hour and 45 minutes before we had cleared the lock and were headed further west.  Good thing we had planned a short day!


Picture
Tending lines in St Lucie Lock
Actually navigating the lock was pretty easy.  We just rigged our fenders on the port side, and slowed down to catch lines from the lock tender once in position on the wall.  We had a stiff tailwind that made it a little more interesting, but once we’d grabbed the lines it was just a matter of maintaining some tension as the water rose.  As the doors opened, we were now in fresh water, which would be the case until we exited the final lock on the western side.  We headed out toward Indiantown for a later arrival than planned, but managed to make it in time for a potluck barbecue that was held outside in a beautiful courtyard.  Before leaving, we took a tour of the marina’s boatyard, as we were beginning to look at options for leaving Orion Jr for the spring while we headed back up to Hampton.  This relatively protected marina was one option that we were considering.


Picture
Port Mayaca Lock open to Lake Okeechobee
The next morning we left at first light to head across Lake Okeechobee.  The winds on Sunday were forecast to be the lightest for the next several days, and we wanted benign conditions to cross this large body of water.  (The guidebooks tell you it’s the 2nd freshwater largest lake, behind Lake Michigan, fully inside the US.) We discovered that the lake’s slightly higher than normal level had an advantage.  As we approached the Port Mayaca Lock, which guards the eastern entrance to the lake, the lock tender’s response to our question about fenders seemed odd.  He told us we wouldn’t need them.  We were wondering what he meant, when the lock came into view and our questions were answered.  The lock was open at both ends.  Since the lock only raises and lowers a foot, the higher lake level meant that there was no need to operate the lock.  So, we moved on through, waving hello to the lock tender as we made our way out into the lake.  


We had heard all sorts of stories about wildlife -- alligators, manatees, white pelicans – and a profusion of little fishing boats out on the lake.  For most of our run, we saw little of anything.  A few sailboats passed us heading east.  A couple of trawlers passed us heading west, but until we reached the last mile on the western side, we saw almost no one.  And very little of the more exotic wildlife.  What we did see was water, as far as the eye could see, looking north and west.  On the western edge, we began to see lots of activity at a series of spoil islands, which offered lots of fisherman places to find their favorite catch.  

Picture
Bikers on levee north of Clewiston
On the western side of the lake, the character of the waterway changes.  All along the southern rim, a dike was built back in the 30’s to protect the towns along the lake’s edge from flooding, after devastating loss of life during a major hurricane in the 20’s.  That is why the canal system was built in the first place.  As you re-join the canal at Clewiston, you can see this impressive structure, which now has a bike path, picnic areas and boat ramps along its length.  Also, we were now in the agricultural part of Florida, with crops of sugar cane and citrus and fields with cattle lining the banks of the canal.  The skies frequently were filled with dramatic fires burning in the distance as the sugar cane was being harvested.  


Picture
Sugar cane burning before harvest
We made our way around the rim to Moore Haven, where we turned back to the southwest and re-entered the canal system via another lock.  Moore Haven is a small town that was friendly to boaters with a town dock which we took advantage of.  Dave went looking for a place to buy gas, only to learn it was much too far to walk.  Before he turned around though, someone drove up on a golf cart and offered to take him there.  It turned out he was the mayor’s father.  On the trip, Dave learned that the town had recently lost its grocery store, and the closer of 2 gas stations had closed.  We learned from a local radio station that the town had not had a doctor in residence since the 50’s.  It is very rural and very remote.  On the dock, we met Jack and Diane, a couple of our few fellow travelers on the waterway.  We joined them for cocktails after dinner to share stories about our travels.

The next morning we left a little later, since we needed to wait for the City Hall to open to pay for our dockage.  (The dockmaster didn’t manage to get there the night before.)  We were headed for LaBelle, which was not too far away, but we wanted to make a stop at Glades Boatyard on the way, another potential storage location for Orion Jr.  The winds were up, making us grateful we had crossed the lake the day before.  We got a look at Glades, an inexpensive do-it-yourself boatyard, before moving on to LaBelle.  Just before the LaBelle bridge and just after Port LaBelle Marina, Dave had found a free dock that he thought we could use.  As we approached, a sunbather was enjoying the solitude and fishing there.  We disturbed her tranquility and asked about the availability of the dock, which she said we could use.  We pulled in and chatted for a bit, but we scared her off.  It just wasn’t the same as before. 


Picture
The westernmost lock on the canal - Franklin lock
It was now getting pretty hot during the day, and the calm conditions overnight created some impressive fog in the morning.  We couldn’t clear the La Belle bridge until after 9am anyway, so we took our time getting underway.  We weren’t sure where we were headed for the day.  The Riverview Hotel in LaBelle was full, so we moved on to Franklin Lock, which has 8 slips managed by the Corps of Engineers.  In between were 3 opening bridges (one of which required the bridge tender to walk from shore to the center of the bridge to do the opening) and the Ortona lock.  With only a 3 foot change in water level, the locking was uneventful.  Even with the bridges and locks, we arrived at Franklin Lock by early afternoon.  This turned out to be a great place to stop.  The slips were associated with a campground, and the facilities included showers and laundry for both the boaters and campers.  There were also picnic shelters, grills, and a boat ramp, that we used to pull our dinghy out of the water to clean it.  (It turned out not to need it.)   Although it would have been great to stay another day, the weather for the trip to Fort Myers was going to be better if we didn’t wait.  So, we headed out for the last leg of our cross-Florida trip on Friday morning. 


Picture
Boats rounding Shell Point near Ft Myers
We first had to transit the final lock of the canal, which was another 3 foot drop.  Although we weren’t immediately entering salt water, the water would gradually shift from fresh to saltwater over the next 20 miles as started down the Caloosahatchee River.  We emerged from the tranquil wilderness into the busy Fort Myers waters in late morning.  The contrast was not surprising, but a little wearying.  As the waterway narrowed to round Shell Point, a strictly enforced no wake zone had a dozen or more of us in single file putting along.  What a difference a few hours make.  Our destination for the night was Fort Myers Beach and their town moorings.  We had to cross between the mainland and Sanibel Island, across the inlet to the Gulf to reach it.  The gusty winds from the river actually mellowed out as we passed the open water, so we had an easy transit over to Estero Island, the home of Fort Myers Beach.  We had our choice of mooring balls in the largely open field.  That situation would change over the next few days, but we were glad to be tucked in for a few days, while the winds blew.  And we had one other problem.  We had gone off the edge of our charts.  


Picture
Garmin 535 Chartplotter
“Beyond this place, there be dragons . . .”

The old mapmakers warning about all sorts of calamities befalling those who traveled off the edge of the known world really didn’t apply to us, but we were not going to go far without maps of the west coast of Florida for our chartplotter.  It’s not that Dave hadn’t been working on getting them for quite a while.  Things had just not been going our way.  When we switched to the little boat, we went back to using our Garmin 172C chartplotter.  As far as we were concerned, it was “old faithful”, having taken us thousands of miles before we upgraded Orion back in 2009.  But the older chartplotters require you to unlock regions to get maps for new cruising grounds.  Although Dave had purchased an unlock code a couple of years back, he found that he couldn’t use it when he went to unlock the west coast of Florida.  After several discussions with Cathy and with Garmin, we developed a plan. 

We would buy a refurbished Garmin 535 chartplotter, which came with the inland US charts.  These would allow us to travel much of the Great Loop and other potential future destinations.  We would then use a credit Garmin was giving us to partially offset the cost of the coast US charts, which would give us the west coast of Florida.  Since all of this came together shortly after leaving Palm Coast, we had to find a place to send the chartplotter and chip.  That place turned out to be Fort Pierce and our friends Tom and Dau.  Since the weather for crossing Lake Okeechobee arrived before the chartplotter and chip, we had to rent a car once we made it across Florida and travel back to pick them up.  In a marathon trip across the terrain we had just painstakingly traveled by boat, we drove over and back in a day with the prized possessions in hand. 

Dave quickly installed the new chartplotter and had it operational.  The bigger task was to start planning routes for our travels on the west coast. We spent all of one day just planning the route from Fort Myers Beach to Marathon.  This wasn’t just about creating the waypoints, it was researching where to go, which anchorages are options, which alternate routes should we allow for.  Also, Dave had to switch from the more familiar Mapsource software to Homeport, Garmin’s new route-planning solution for the PC.  But we managed to work through the changes and are now getting re-accustomed to the new chartplotter, whose user interface is very similar to the one we left behind on Orion.


Picture
Fort Myers Beach

1116 Cathy as pirate on Ft Myers Beach

OK, let’s face it.  Fort Myers Beach is a tourist town.  It has miles of beautiful beaches and the associated stores selling everything from ice cream to sunglasses.  Needless to say this attracts lots of people.  As we made our way around discovering this beach town, we found much to recommend it, despite the crowds.  With some chores to do and the weather kicking up, we settled into a routine for about a week on our mooring ball.  We had easy access to a trolley that took us up and down the island for 50 cents.  And this connected to a bus system on the mainland that would take us to a number of points in the greater Fort Myers area.  


Picture
Dave supervises the chicken at the cruisers BBQ
We took a number of walks around town, on the beach, around the western point of the island at Bowditch Point Park, and at the far eastern end of the trolley run at Lovers Key state park.  Our second night, we joined a local boater on his cat to pick his brain about traveling north of Fort Myers.  On Saturday, the cruisers got together on shore and shucked oysters and grilled tandoori chicken.  Dave of course found his talents put to good use. We spent our last night on the beach watching the crowds from the shade of the fishing pier before returning to Orion Jr for Dave’s birthday dinner of some fresh local shrimp.  Yep.  That’s right.  One more birthday down. 


Picture
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Archives

    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
✕