Log 173; Day 483; Sept. 16, 2009; Tidewater Marina, Baltimore, MD.

On Monday afternoon we had the boat pulled at Tidewater Yacht Service to pull the props and have them checked

In this shot, you can not only see the props, but right in front of the prop is the line cutters I have mentioned.

When we inspected the rest of the boat, we discovered an issue with the bow thruster fiberglass.

It looks like, when they installed the bow thruster (at the factory) they did not do a good job of incorporating the thruster tube, with the rest of the hull fiberglass. I have been in touch with Cruisers (the manufacturer of the boat) and we are getting an estimate to have this repaired.

After pulling the boat, and taking off the props, they pushed the boat back into a slip, and we will be here until the props are done...hopefully on Wednesday afternoon.

While we were at Tidewater Marina, we rode our bikes to a local hot spot...Nick's Fish House...great lunch

Like so many places we go for lunch, there are not a lot of folks who are there, when we get there...as soon as they open. Many times we have had lunch, and are back at the boat, before the place gets crowded.

This is a picture of a ship that left the harbor a couple of days ago, the SS John W. Brown, it was built in 1942, and is 441 feet long. It is now a floating museum.

And finally...this is a picture of some of Deb's family, with Brad and Patti (center on the bottom picture) from Salvage Crew. They stopped in Ottawa, on their way down the Illinois River, and ended up meeting many of the locals, and having a great time. We knew they would.

Log 173
Day 483
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

8:30 AM EDT
Location: Tidewater Yacht Service, Baltimore, MD.
Weather: 67 degrees, and mostly cloudy...50% chance of rain today and a high of 74

On Monday afternoon, we moved the boat about 2 miles, from Anchorage Marina, to Tidewater Marina to have the boat pulled. The problem we are having, is that since we had the props done in July, the port engine has been using about 5% more fuel, so I wanted to take them off, and send them back to the folks who did them, to check them out. They pulled the props off, and we were back floating, and in a slip at their marina, by 4 pm. The plan is to wait until the props are fixed, and then lift the boat again, and re-install the props...hopefully today (Wednesday). While I am not sure who will end up paying for this (us...or the prop shop), I will say the guy (Bob) at the prop shop has been very cooperative, and at least that part has gone well. Some would argue that it’s no big deal, to have one prop a little off, but I disagree. I want to know all systems are operating correctly. If, when we put the props back on, the port engine uses more fuel, then we have another problem to deal with.

Speaking of problems to deal with, while the boat was in the air, we also looked at around the boat, and noticed that the fiberglass around the bow thruster looked funny. The pictures tell a better story, but the bottom line is, I sent the pictures to Cruisers, and they want to get an estimate to have the fiberglass fixed. As I write this, I’m not exactly sure what we’ll end up doing, but I do think we will get it fixed while we are in the Baltimore area. I am assuming (hoping) that this fix will be covered by Cruisers. To fix this right, will not be a cheap deal.

On Tuesday, while waiting for the props to get fixed, we took a ride to lunch at a local hot spot called Nick’s Fish House. The reviews (on line) were not very flattering, but we liked the place, and had a great lunch. On the way back, we stopped at Walmart for some supplies, and later that afternoon, I took a LONG bike ride to find a post office. Thank God for those bikes. At first, I thought they were a pain to drag along. Now I love them to get around with, and actually enjoy riding them. I wonder if I will ride a bike when we live on land again?

As I finish writing this log, I just got off the phone with the prop shop. The props are done, and will be here by 10 am. And...we also have a time to pull the boat at 12:30. If all goes well, we should be back at Anchorage by mid afternoon.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 172; Day 480; Sept. 13, 2009; Anchorage Marina

As we continued to work on maintenance projects, the next thing on the list was replacing the zincs in the engines, and generator. The zinc on the left, is what they are supposed to look like (when they are new). The ones on the right are examples of how ours looked. The two on the right are completely gone. No doubt...time to change them.

Most of the zincs are not hard to change, but the one on the starboard aft requires me to crawal between the engine and the fuel tank. In order to do that, I first have to get in front of the engine

Then, after working my way around the engine (above), you have to pull yourself toward the aft, and I end up "wedged" between the fuel tank (on left) and that stainless bar you see (which holds up the salon floor)

All of that to get to one zinc, mounted on the bottom of the heat exchanger. The hard part is getting out (because you can't pull your self out)
The day on Saturday started out great. We received a "care package" from our friend Dave Armstrong...a special bottle of tequila. This will be put to good use.

After getting the tequila, we jumped on the bikes and took a nice long ride around the area. Here I am, looking at a local tavern, as a possible place to stop.

This is an historic area, not far from the boat, called Fells Point.

We ended up going all the way to downtown Baltimore, and having lunch at ESPN Zone

Part of downtown Baltimore

Sunset over Anchorage Marina

Log 172
Day 480
Sunday, September 13, 2009

7:30 AM EDT
Location: Anchorage Marina, Baltimore, MD.
Weather: 67 degrees with bright sun, and crystal clear skies...heading for 81 today

The nor’easter has blown through, and the rain and cold weather has gone with it. Friday was a miserable day (outside) with strong winds and pelting rain. Saturday was better, but it only reached a high of 65, and it was misting off, and on. As I sit on the back deck this morning, it is beautiful. The winds are light, the sun is bright, and it’s going to be a great day.

The last couple of days have been about continuing on projects. With the shower sump behind me, I needed to look at putting new zincs in the engine and generator. Zincs (or sacrificial anodes, as they are called on a boat) are there to attract any stray current in the water, and attract that current rather than have it attack other parts of the engine (or boat). They should be replaced (or inspected) at least once a year...depending on what type of waters you are cruising in. I have never replaced the engine zincs myself...but I had them replaced last winter in Fort Myers. My first job was just to inspect them, to see if they needed replacing. Imagine my surprise, when I found they were completely gone (check the picture). In some cases (I have 7 engine zincs in all) there was no zinc at all on the stud. Not good. So, by the time I read all the manuals, and found the location of the zincs, and after removing the zincs, and a few trips to West Marine to make sure I got the right ones, it took me all of Thursday to get this done. Friday morning I dove into the project, and most of it was slow going, but not to tough. The bad zinc (as in very hard to get at) I saved for last, and it was a real bear. Again, the pictures tell the story of just how hard it is to get behind the engine, and get at anything (you may remember I had to get back here to install a new air cleaner). So...after grunting; cussing; scraping by back, and belly; and banging my head, I got it installed. Then came the hard part. Getting back out of there. Let’s just say, it’s one of those jobs you feel so good about...when it’s over.

Also on Friday, (because it rained most of the day) I could check into a couple of leaks we had in the aft. The good news is, the leaks we had on the port side, are almost 100% dry now, but I still needed to get at the starboard side to try to see where they are coming from. After a couple of hours of looking, and trying everything I can think of, I have it narrowed down to the water coming in from the screws in my rub rail along side of the boat. So, the next step is to take all the screws out of the rub rail (there are probably 40 or 50 on the starboard side) and caulk each one, and put it back together. Then wait for it to rain again, and see how much better it is. If that does not work, I will have eliminated that part of the boat, and I’ll caulk something else. We also have a side window in the salon, that needs to be completely re-caulked. So that’s on the list.

On Saturday, most of the rain had stopped, and it was only a very slight drizzle, at times, so Deb and I rode our bikes from the marina to downtown Baltimore. A trip of about 5 miles (round trip). As usual, we made the trip around lunch time, and planned to stop for a burger somewhere. We ended up going to ESPN Zone, which is right in the heart of downtown. While it is certainly not for everyone, we did enjoy it, and were amazed at the size of the place; the noise; and the unbelievable amount of TV’s everywhere. Also...the beer (they had Stella) was ice cold; the fries were the best we have ever had; but the cheeseburger was not good (frozen (maybe more than once) and not much flavor, or juice). On the way back, we rode around several neighborhoods, and were amazed at how many local bars there were. Just where we rode, you could go to a different place every day, for a month, and not come close to trying them all. While we don’t plan to see them all, we did get a start, and stopped by one that looked really cool (old; dark; lots of ornate carvings in the wood; and Stella on tap). It turned out to be just ok, but I’m sure we will try several more...just to have something to compare to.

Today...it’s a weekend, so no work. I’m not sure about what Deb is doing yet, but I have a big day planned. I recorded last nights NASCAR race in Richmond, VA, so I have that to watch. Also...this is the first day of football season, so there will be games to record and watch. Finally...the Chicago Bears play on Sunday evening, so I have to see that. To top it off...Deb has made some chili, so I have that to look forward to for lunch. And, a good friend of ours sent me (what looks to be) some awesome tequila, so a margarita will be in order. Will this be a great day...or what???

Tomorrow...we plan to leave the slip about 1:30 pm and go a mile or two to Tidewater Marina, and have the boat pulled. Every since we had the props “tuned up” in July, the port engine has been using about 5% more fuel than the starboard engine, so I think they messed up the props somehow, and I have been working with the guys who did them, to get them back to them and check them out. So, they will pull the boat, pull off the props, and put us back in the water, and, using their tow boat, take us back to a slip. We will then wait for them to fix the props, and reverse the process. Hopefully, we will be back to Anchorage Marina by Wednesday or Thursday.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Log 171; Day 477; Sept. 10, 2009; Anchorage Marina; Inner Harbor, Baltimore

As we came from Summit Marina, to Inner Harbor Baltimore, we passed a tow, pulling a barge. On the rivers, you see tow boats "pushing" barges. Here they "pull" them.

I talk about how the tides (and currents) affect our travel. Here is an example: In this picture, on the right side, you can see one of the engine computers, that shows the engine rpm to be 1190, and on the left side of the picture, the chart plotter shows we are traveling at 8.2 mph (against the tide)
Later...looking at the same shot, you can see the rpm is still 1190...but the speed is 10.4 mph. A 20% increase in speed at the same rpm. You can imagine how that affects both time and fuel economy.

When we were heading down the Chesapeake (on Labor Day) there were lots of boats...and they were all going fast, and creating lots of waves.

Another shot of the Fransis Scott Bridge...looking west...with downtown Baltimore in the backround

In my log I talk about our "smart Y"...here is what it looks like. This allows us to plug the two ends into 125 volt - 30 amp power; and creat 250 volt power, which our boat needs.

Also in my log, I talk about fixing our aft shower pump. This is a picture of our bed (looking aft) and the mess I had while I was fixing it

Just aft of the bed is the hole I had to climb in (actually lean over) in order to get access to the shower sump.

This shot is looking down through the access hole. All these hoses are commected to the shower sump, and you can see the shower sump container at the bottom of the picture

This is looking down on top of the shower sump...and the new sump pump I installed. It took all of those hose clamps becasue I had to install a reducer in line to go from an 1 1/8 inch hose to a 1 1/2 inch hose.

And finally...this is the "check valve" I took out of the system. It is called a "duck bill" check valve. The water comes from the bottom, and forces open the "slit" you can see on the top. When the pump stops, the dock bill closes, and does not allow water to flow back into the bilge. One of the problems we were having (and the reason I took out the valve) is that sometimes the pump would not pump, because there was an air pocket in the line. I think it was caused because the duck bill would close too tight, and create a vapor lock. Removing it, does allow some backwash to flow back into the bilge, after the pump shuts off, but not that much, and now the pump works great.

When we got back to Baltimore, we went back to a favorite spot of ours...Nacho Mama's

This is a cool Mexican restaurant...with friendly people and great food. We first me Sean (the bartender) on our way through Baltimore. When we went back yesterday (6 weeks later) he remembered us, and ask us how our trip to Long Island was.

Log 171
Day 477
Thursday, September 10, 2009

7:30 AM EDT
Location: Anchorage Marina, Baltimore, MD.
Weather: 66 degrees and cloudy...rain and 70 forecasted for the next couple of days

We’ve been here at Anchorage Marina (at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore) for 3 days now. The weather has been overcast and misty, but it’s good to be here. Deb and I both said, it’s a little like coming home. Which is kind of interesting, because we have not been here that many times, but we do like this location.

Weather...there are actually gale warnings posted for this area, associated with a strong Northeasterly system that is coming through. Winds of 15 to 25 mph are forecasted for where we are, and up to 40 knot winds are forecasted on the Atlantic coast. Where we came from (Cape May, NJ) they predict up to 15 foot seas, with 8 to 10 foot seas on near shore. The good news is none of this will affect us in any way. We are tucked in a nice marina, with floating docks, that we are tightly secured to. I’m just glad we do not need to move for a few days. A good side affect of all of this is, we can open up the boat, and for the last few nights we have slept with the A/C off, and the windows open.

Getting here...from Summit Marina, on the C&D Canal, to Anchorage Marina, in downtown Baltimore, is a 59 mile run. We had stronger than forecast winds out of the NE, which made the Bay a little choppy. We also had a strong current against us (and against the wind) so that made for some slow going, and a strong chop. To add to that, it was Labor Day Monday, and lots of boat traffic going in all directions (all of which seemed to be in a hurry) which meant lots of boat waves. Put it all together, and it caused very “confused” seas for a good part of our trip. We like going slow, but a fair amount of the time we had to go fast in order to get “on top” of the waves, and make the ride smoother. We left Summit Marina at about 9 am...and got to Anchorage at about 3 pm. Our current plan is to stay here for about a month, and, if we do, the monthly rate will be less than $25 a night. A far cry from what we were paying on Long Island, and a good change to “catch up” on our cruising costs. Between the high cost of fuel; docking; and EVERYTHING, it will be good to head back south.

Maintenance...I have several things on my maintenance list, that I plan to get accomplished while we are here in Anchorage for a month. Early on Tuesday morning, I started to work on that list list. One of the first things I needed to tackle was the aft shower sump. The issue is...it just can’t be counted on. The way this one works is, the shower water drains into a fairly large plastic container, and as it get high, there is a pump in there that pumps the water overboard. What has happened is, that there have been times when the pump did not drain the tank. The pump runs...but it does not pump water. The short version of the fix is, I took everything out of the shower sump, and started over. This may sound a little drastic, but I hate something that can not be counted on, and I wanted to stop worrying about it, and wanted to be sure this will work for a long time to come. So...(I could explain exactly what I did, and the issues I had, but...who cares) after a few bike rides to West Marine (one to return a new pump that did not work) and a few hours of work...the aft shower sump is all new...and works great. On to the next project on the list.

A new “Smart Y”...you may remember, that, when we docked at Great Kills Yacht Club, we needed to use our “smart Y” converter (it converts two 30 amp power hook-ups to a single 50 amp hook-up) and it did not work. We now have a new one. I thought that the one we had came with a lifetime warranty, so I took it back to West Marine, and ask for a new one (I did this a few years ago, and they just gave me a new one). As it turns out, it only has a 5 year warranty, which has expired. But...after talking to a few folks at customer service at West Marine (while I was standing at the counter with the old one in my hand) they agreed, because I was such a valuable customer, to replace the one I had with a new one. The bad news was they did not have an exact replacement. The good news is, they had one better...which they gave me...at no charge. Now that, my friends, IS customer service. So, not sure when we will ever use the smart y again...but we have a new one when we do.

Our time in Baltimore...is something we have been looking forward to. As I mentioned it is a time to catch up on a few things we have been avoiding (while we were cruising up north) as well as a few normal items that just need attention. It is also a time to get things delivered to the boat, while we have an address that we will be at for more than a couple of days. So we can get our mail; I ordered, and received, a new buffer for the boat (to keep up on my waxing); Deb is sending in her camera (for the 3rd time) to see if they can finally fix it; and I just ordered some new LED bulbs for the boat. None of this would be note worthy, if we lived on land, but traveling on a boat, all of this must be planned out. Also, while we are here, we want to explore more of Baltimore. Deb has convinced me, that some of the money we are saving on slip costs, can be applied toward aquarium tickets, and things like that. She’s right.

I’ll keep you posted.

Bob

Deb's 2 cents from the C&D Canal; Bear, DE.

Deb says...

"I don't need to give a caption of each picture, but here are a few of my favorite pictures from our time on Long Island Sound"

Monday; September, 7, 2009
Summit North Marina; Bear, DE.

Hey All!
Deb here! Just a note to let you know I’m still on the trip with BK. He does such a great job on his Captain’s log; it’s hard for me to think of anything more to add! I look forward to reading his logs…just to see how much fun I had! And to see those awesome pictures! ;o)
We left Cape May Saturday morning a 6:40 am. The sun was just barely up (kinda like me). There was a heavy dew covering the boat, it was close to 70*, we had a clear sky, the wind was down (I hate the wind), and the water in the harbor was like glass. Coincidently, those are the exact kinds of conditions that I like for boating! We cruised to a marina about midway across the C & D Canal (which connects the Delaware Bay with the Chesapeake Bay). After continuing on through the C & D, we’ll spend some time on Chesapeake Bay before making our way down the ICW, crossing the Okeechobee and finally ending in Cape Coral, FL for the winter.
We spent most of August on Long Island Sound and, along with my sister Jeanie and bro-in-law Terry and also our friends Steve and Claudia, we checked out some great marinas and wonderful towns on Long Island and along the coast of Connecticut.
We picked up Jeanie & Terry at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, and after a quick tour of NYC (including an up close look at the Brooklyn Bridge) we headed into Long Island Sound. We had a great time in Essex, CT discovering an old inn/restaurant/bar that had entertainment every night and we saw a great swing group called “The Shiny Lapel Trio”…check them out on YouTube…way fun!
We went on to Mystic, CT which looked like a movie set of a typical New England town…one of my favorite stops.
Block Island was incredible. Our marina was in The Great Salt Pond that was originally a landlocked fresh water lake on the island. They opened it up to the sea, creating a huge harbor able to support many marinas. Our marina had about 90 slips that they managed to fit about 250 boats into…rafting some off as many as 5 deep! Imagine crawling over 4 other boats to get to shore. (Not a good place to be if you had to walk your dog!)
On Block Island we went to a local bike/scooter/car rental place to see if they had a car available. They said, “Sorry no…er, wait…we do have this Mustang convertible…would you be interested in that?” (Really?) So we were able to do the “Bob Koerner Whirlwind Tour” of the island in style.
We were told that Newport, RI was ‘indescribable’ and found that this was a perfect word! It’s a New England ‘village’ that has for some reason become the place to see and be seen! Huge yachts…one after another…filled the harbor that was lined along the shore with quaint cottages, old warehouses and buildings that were hundreds of years old. Very cool.
We were in Sag Harbor with Steve and Claudia and it was again, a great example of a perfect little New England town. If you looked up ‘quaint’ in the dictionary, you would find a picture of Sag Harbor!
I can’t believe we were able to cruise Long Island Sound and visit all those New England port towns that we’ve read about over the years. Even though we weren’t able to get to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket because of weather (hurricanes Bill and Danny were threats at the time), we saw so many other unbelievable places, the disappointment didn’t last long…it was a great month on the Sound!
Now we have turned around and are heading back to the Chesapeake Bay. And maybe it’s because we’re retracing our steps, but it feels like the end of something to me. Or maybe it’s just a habit…all those years of flipping the calendar over to September and starting to think of the end of summer, the start of school, and knowing that the cool days of Autumn are right around the corner.
I keep forgetting where we are! When it gets cold we will just head south and follow the sunshine and the warm weather! We get to cruise down the coast to Florida and skip another Illinois winter! We have so much more boating ahead of us! I could get used to this!