The new fresh water pump actually crapped out entirely last night. I tried to reinstall the old pump but one fitting leaked terribly. After a couple of attempts at reseating it I pulled it all apart and found that the QUEST nipple was missing. Obviously fell off and now lost in the bilge -- damn. We borrowed the courtesy car and went to Williams Hardware in Morehead City for a replacement – Great hardware store. Back on the boot the new part fixed the leak but the damn water system worked just as crappy as it has on this whole trip – Grrrrr.
We left the dock around 10 am -- not quite as graceful as my other departures but didn’t scratch anything and recovered nicely. Just as I was running down the channel from the yacht Basin the Fertilizer barge and tug showed up directly in front of me. We held our position until they docked.
We had a nice run up the ICW with a bit of adverse current and the Alternator worked this morning – go figure.
It was a nice easy run up to the Neuse and no wind on the Neuse. We had to motor all the way which was okay since that is what Temptation did best on this trip.
We eased her into the old slip number 42 and she seemed real happy. All kinds of things that were giving us fits were working on arrival – all but that damn fresh water system!!
As with all trips the feelings are bitter sweet on ending the journey. It’s good to be home but I miss the adventure of the travel. I just feel more alive when cruising.
Time to do a little maintenance and Temptation will be ready for the great fall season here on the Neuse.
More logs coming as we adventure on Temptation..
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
August 23, 2007 Outside to Beaufort, NC
Listening to the weather forecast this morning 6 – 8 knots NE and reviewing the shallow areas on the ICW even before the first bridge after leaving Wrightsville, I decided to go offshore. We left about 6:45am and headed out the Masonboro Inlet. Things looked pretty good except the wind was 10 NE instead of less.
Shortly after clearing the Sea Buoy I noticed the alternator is not putting out a charging voltage – volts on batts was 12.10 - Damn!! Should we turn back?? NO – I turned on the wind generator and it was keeping up and actually charging the batteries. I shut down the PC and Inverter.
The sea was not uncomfortable but the 10 – 15 knots NE was building waves which slowed us down to about 5 knots SOG. It’s going to be a long run today!! It was – it took 13 and ½ hours to make the Morehead City yacht basin. We made the marina right at 8pm just as it got dark. The fuel dock was empty so we made an easy landing there with no assist.
We cleaned up quickly and went to the sanitary restaurant for dinner. Because of the active motion of the boat today we both felt the floor and table moving on us. It was really a rocky ride up outside by traveling through head seas all day.
Ohhh a bit of luck on the decision this morning. Around 2pm we heard a ‘Securite’ on the radio announcing the closing of the Onslow Beach Swing bridge indefinitely for repairs. That is about the time we would have been advancing on it.. It was a good decision today to go offshore.
Sleeping was bliss tonight tied up to the dock with AC running again.
Shortly after clearing the Sea Buoy I noticed the alternator is not putting out a charging voltage – volts on batts was 12.10 - Damn!! Should we turn back?? NO – I turned on the wind generator and it was keeping up and actually charging the batteries. I shut down the PC and Inverter.
The sea was not uncomfortable but the 10 – 15 knots NE was building waves which slowed us down to about 5 knots SOG. It’s going to be a long run today!! It was – it took 13 and ½ hours to make the Morehead City yacht basin. We made the marina right at 8pm just as it got dark. The fuel dock was empty so we made an easy landing there with no assist.
We cleaned up quickly and went to the sanitary restaurant for dinner. Because of the active motion of the boat today we both felt the floor and table moving on us. It was really a rocky ride up outside by traveling through head seas all day.
Ohhh a bit of luck on the decision this morning. Around 2pm we heard a ‘Securite’ on the radio announcing the closing of the Onslow Beach Swing bridge indefinitely for repairs. That is about the time we would have been advancing on it.. It was a good decision today to go offshore.
Sleeping was bliss tonight tied up to the dock with AC running again.
August 22, 2007 DESTINATION: Wrightsville Beach, NC
We were up early and left by 7am for Wrightsville Beach, NC We knew we would have to fight the current up the Cape Fear River.
The trip up the Cape Fear river was the mildest one I have ever experienced. The entrance to Snow’s Cut was tricky and inattention on my part resulted in another “bump”. We encountered other shallow spots around Carolina Beach Inlet but made Wrightsville before lunch. We anchored with a little difficulty – had to draw back further than expected but it did grab.
We made a beer run to Robert’s Grocery – 2 cases then had lunch at the Sunset Grille. It was interesting – there 4 business people all talking about taking over a particular business and then consolidating offices and locations to save money – which would have resulted in lost jobs. Kind of scary to see how life altering decisions for the affected people are so casually made over an informal luncheon.
Now back to the fun world of cruising we made another provisioning run to Robert’s for some food then back to Temptation for a nice swim.
I changed the diesel filter on the generator. No debris found in the old filter but because it was installed too tight it was destroyed in the removal. The filter pump would not suck fuel from the tank so I changed the fuel line to the tank. It was hot work and I had to lay on the floor to reach the tank fitting. Then the hose clamps would not fit the new hose and I had to make a run to marina for more hose clamps. I left a big pool of sweat on the floor!! Even after all this the pump would not pull fuel from the tank!! Another night on the hook with no AC – whaaaaa.
We had a nice dinner at Neptune’s restaurant and a fine walk on the beach. It was a great night on anchor and tied to decide whether to do the ICW and the shallow areas or run up outside tomorrow. Decisions decisions – looks like ICW tomorrow.
The trip up the Cape Fear river was the mildest one I have ever experienced. The entrance to Snow’s Cut was tricky and inattention on my part resulted in another “bump”. We encountered other shallow spots around Carolina Beach Inlet but made Wrightsville before lunch. We anchored with a little difficulty – had to draw back further than expected but it did grab.
We made a beer run to Robert’s Grocery – 2 cases then had lunch at the Sunset Grille. It was interesting – there 4 business people all talking about taking over a particular business and then consolidating offices and locations to save money – which would have resulted in lost jobs. Kind of scary to see how life altering decisions for the affected people are so casually made over an informal luncheon.
Now back to the fun world of cruising we made another provisioning run to Robert’s for some food then back to Temptation for a nice swim.
I changed the diesel filter on the generator. No debris found in the old filter but because it was installed too tight it was destroyed in the removal. The filter pump would not suck fuel from the tank so I changed the fuel line to the tank. It was hot work and I had to lay on the floor to reach the tank fitting. Then the hose clamps would not fit the new hose and I had to make a run to marina for more hose clamps. I left a big pool of sweat on the floor!! Even after all this the pump would not pull fuel from the tank!! Another night on the hook with no AC – whaaaaa.
We had a nice dinner at Neptune’s restaurant and a fine walk on the beach. It was a great night on anchor and tied to decide whether to do the ICW and the shallow areas or run up outside tomorrow. Decisions decisions – looks like ICW tomorrow.
August 21, 2007 DESTINATION: Pipeline Canal in North Carolina -- getting close now
We had a long day planned today. Some nearly 60 miles and the Sunset Beach Pontoon bridge. The trip through Myrtle beach was just long and uneventful. We arrived at the Pontoon Bridge just after 12 noon and had to wait 50 minutes till 1 pm andit still opened 5 minutes late.
The shore and water really started looking like our home waters now. The radio chatter and weather info was all familiar now – getting close to home now.
We pushed long and hard today so we would have a short run into Wrightsville Beach tomorrow. We entered Pipeline Canal just before low tide – damn it was shallow – right around 6 foot for the most part. It took awhile to find a spot to anchor that would not have Temptation aground at low tide. It took awhile for the anchor to bite too. There is a boat ramp here and the boat traffic was annoying until dark. Looking back now I don’t think I’ll recommend this place in the future. Skipper Bob has some alternatives nearby here.
During the night we heard storms advancing on us but no direct hit – just a little rain. Good thing – I was leery of the holding here now.
It was moderately buggy here so it was another hot night in the berth.
The shore and water really started looking like our home waters now. The radio chatter and weather info was all familiar now – getting close to home now.
We pushed long and hard today so we would have a short run into Wrightsville Beach tomorrow. We entered Pipeline Canal just before low tide – damn it was shallow – right around 6 foot for the most part. It took awhile to find a spot to anchor that would not have Temptation aground at low tide. It took awhile for the anchor to bite too. There is a boat ramp here and the boat traffic was annoying until dark. Looking back now I don’t think I’ll recommend this place in the future. Skipper Bob has some alternatives nearby here.
During the night we heard storms advancing on us but no direct hit – just a little rain. Good thing – I was leery of the holding here now.
It was moderately buggy here so it was another hot night in the berth.
August 20, 2007 Day Trippin in Georgetown and anchoring on the Waccamaw
We were up early and had a nice easy run to the Georgetown waterfront.. I put a lunch hook down just so we could go into town for a few hours. Conditions were mild and I didn’t set the anchor too hard -- poor holding here. We were on the streets of Georgetown before 10am. We walked about a bit, visited a fine book store and I bought a book – a cook book. Buck took off for a quick walking tour of the town and I went in quest for some gas for the dinghy and check on the boat, We met up around 10:45am and watched a little alligator work his way up a drain pipe. A little after 11am we found a restaurant and had a nice early lunch. It was a fine lunch but they wouldn’t let us leave. Their charge card processor was down and we had of wait for it to come up – a good 20+ minutes!! It was a rush visit but we still enjoyed the town.
We left the anchorage around 1:30pm and started up the Waccamaw River. There were some really large fish jumping way out of the water ahead of us. I tried to get some video of it but they stopped when I started the camera. It was a beautiful and comfortable ride up the river. We anchored just off the river in an OXBOW area just before you leave the river and enter the populated areas before Myrtle Beach. This anchorage was actually the best. It was pretty, comfortable, and bug FREE. That was really unexpected. We had a nice swim here too just before dinner.
We cooked dinner on the grill and relaxed in the cockpit till well after dark. Being bug free I tried to sleep in the cockpit but the cushion was just too uncomfortable for a long rest. I went below and sweltered in front of my partially defunct cabin fan – it would turn slowly for a while then stop Grrrrr. Overall it was a pleasant night in this little anchorage.
We left the anchorage around 1:30pm and started up the Waccamaw River. There were some really large fish jumping way out of the water ahead of us. I tried to get some video of it but they stopped when I started the camera. It was a beautiful and comfortable ride up the river. We anchored just off the river in an OXBOW area just before you leave the river and enter the populated areas before Myrtle Beach. This anchorage was actually the best. It was pretty, comfortable, and bug FREE. That was really unexpected. We had a nice swim here too just before dinner.
We cooked dinner on the grill and relaxed in the cockpit till well after dark. Being bug free I tried to sleep in the cockpit but the cushion was just too uncomfortable for a long rest. I went below and sweltered in front of my partially defunct cabin fan – it would turn slowly for a while then stop Grrrrr. Overall it was a pleasant night in this little anchorage.
August 19, 2007 DESTINATION: Minim Creek to anchor
Buck made his way to the boat early this morning. We all – minus Kourtney and Stephen – had a fine leisurely breakfast at the Marina Restaurant. They excel at breakfast at this place. We had taken everything Karen and Andy would need to the truck before entering the restaurant to avoid another long walk back to the boat.
After breakfast we said our goodbyes and Karen and Andy left to pickup Kourtney and Stephen for the long trip home. We would miss Kourtney as crew.
Buck and I made it back to the boat just as a very big catamaran came and crash-landed – ouch -- on the dock directly in front of me. Ohhh man. No boat in front of me all weekend and now this just minutes before leaving!! Fortunately with the help of the current I was able to easily navigate away from the dock and around his WIDE boat.
We had a nice run across the harbour. Not much wind or wave action this morning. We had to hold up before crossing the centerline of the harbour as a large container ship was making its way to sea.
We got caught at the first Swing bridge as you leave Charleston which only opens on the hour – had to wait 50 minutes for it to open!! We then had just a long run up to Minim creek with lots of small boat traffic today. We anchored easily and then – disaster!! Well not quite that bad. I started the generator and it ran for about 2 minutes than wilted and died. It would not restart. Arggggh. I tried bleeding it under these hot conditions but no luck. Ohhh it was a hot night and the buggiest anchorage we have been in this entire trip. Could not stay up in the cockpit. During the night I stuck my head out the companion way a couple of times and was completely engulfed in a cloud of mosquitoes – I didn’t do that a third time.
It was a long hot night – my cabin fan died entirely – and I was bothered that the generator would not run. That and the fresh water system was still acting up Grrrrr. Probably the low point of the trip tonight.
After breakfast we said our goodbyes and Karen and Andy left to pickup Kourtney and Stephen for the long trip home. We would miss Kourtney as crew.
Buck and I made it back to the boat just as a very big catamaran came and crash-landed – ouch -- on the dock directly in front of me. Ohhh man. No boat in front of me all weekend and now this just minutes before leaving!! Fortunately with the help of the current I was able to easily navigate away from the dock and around his WIDE boat.
We had a nice run across the harbour. Not much wind or wave action this morning. We had to hold up before crossing the centerline of the harbour as a large container ship was making its way to sea.
We got caught at the first Swing bridge as you leave Charleston which only opens on the hour – had to wait 50 minutes for it to open!! We then had just a long run up to Minim creek with lots of small boat traffic today. We anchored easily and then – disaster!! Well not quite that bad. I started the generator and it ran for about 2 minutes than wilted and died. It would not restart. Arggggh. I tried bleeding it under these hot conditions but no luck. Ohhh it was a hot night and the buggiest anchorage we have been in this entire trip. Could not stay up in the cockpit. During the night I stuck my head out the companion way a couple of times and was completely engulfed in a cloud of mosquitoes – I didn’t do that a third time.
It was a long hot night – my cabin fan died entirely – and I was bothered that the generator would not run. That and the fresh water system was still acting up Grrrrr. Probably the low point of the trip tonight.
August 18, 2007 Family Reunion in Charleston
The family will arrive today and will return home tomorrow with Kourtney. What a shame – such great crew but school beckons her.
I was up early and planned the installation of the SSB. Buck took off early to explore the town by foot before the heat of the day and Kourtney finished the laundry – got to have clean sheets and towels for the Momma.
I took about 3 hours and temporarily installed the SSB – worked great but all the antenna wires were exposed – run across the floor under a rug and out the hatch and over the aft deck to the backstay.
I hen installed the spare water pump for the fresh water system. It did not work well at all. Just ran continuously and would build no pressure. We later found the accumulator bladder flat so we added some air with a found foot pump and the system would at least cycle after that.
We had lunch on board. Karen, Stephen, and Andy made a slow trip to the boat arriving about 2pm. Buck had made arrangements for a motel room for the night. The motion on the boat was lively when they arrived. What with the wind driven waves and the Saturday afternoon boat traffic. Stephen arrived feeling worn and ill before even stepping on the boat. His condition worsened immediately. He got real pale!! He and Kourtney then decided to get a motel room for the night – oh what a mess this was turning into.
When we decided to head for dinner we had to go to 2 motels to gather everyone up – that was about 45 minutes but else did we have to do tonight. We decided on a restaurant in downtown Charleston and I made a reservation while we were driving. When we got there we did not like the looks of it so we drove on. We ended up at the Brewery and smoke house. Fortunately they took us right away. Dinner was quite pleasant.
Afterwards we delivered everyone back to their respective motels and we returned to the boat arriving around 10 pm – whipped we all went to bed soon after that.
It was actually a very productive day.
I was up early and planned the installation of the SSB. Buck took off early to explore the town by foot before the heat of the day and Kourtney finished the laundry – got to have clean sheets and towels for the Momma.
I took about 3 hours and temporarily installed the SSB – worked great but all the antenna wires were exposed – run across the floor under a rug and out the hatch and over the aft deck to the backstay.
I hen installed the spare water pump for the fresh water system. It did not work well at all. Just ran continuously and would build no pressure. We later found the accumulator bladder flat so we added some air with a found foot pump and the system would at least cycle after that.
We had lunch on board. Karen, Stephen, and Andy made a slow trip to the boat arriving about 2pm. Buck had made arrangements for a motel room for the night. The motion on the boat was lively when they arrived. What with the wind driven waves and the Saturday afternoon boat traffic. Stephen arrived feeling worn and ill before even stepping on the boat. His condition worsened immediately. He got real pale!! He and Kourtney then decided to get a motel room for the night – oh what a mess this was turning into.
When we decided to head for dinner we had to go to 2 motels to gather everyone up – that was about 45 minutes but else did we have to do tonight. We decided on a restaurant in downtown Charleston and I made a reservation while we were driving. When we got there we did not like the looks of it so we drove on. We ended up at the Brewery and smoke house. Fortunately they took us right away. Dinner was quite pleasant.
Afterwards we delivered everyone back to their respective motels and we returned to the boat arriving around 10 pm – whipped we all went to bed soon after that.
It was actually a very productive day.
August 17, 2007 Destination: CHARLESTON
We got off early this morning to make an early arrival at Charleston – need to do a provisioning run to the Harris Teeter and we need to do laundry.
We had a good run up to Charleston but with a slight adverse current. As we crossed into the narrow waterway immediately preceding the Bascule bridge just as you enter Charleston harbour the current increased and had us under 5 knots. It was going to be close to make the bridge opening. I had been babying the engine all the way so far – 200 RPM. It was time to drop the hammer. I increased RPMs to 2400 and this was the first time we heard the Turbo kick in – SOG increased to 6.2 knots!! We made the bridge opening,,,
We arrived around noon. The wind had really piped up and was setting on the dock. They gave me a location way out on the outside of the Fuel dock. I turned around to face the current, then crabbed in with the bow trying to face into the wind. With fenders out we made a soft landing on the pier. Damn there was room on the inside!! It was blowing us too hard against the dock to think about moving now – this was going to be home sweet home.
We had a fine lunch at the Marina Restaurant but they had put us so far out there it was a ¼ mile walk just to the parking lot!! They brag about there 3000 feet of dock space but man it’s a long walk.
After lunch it was off to Harris Teeter in the Courtesy shuttle – ouch – dropped $208. Kourtney said we bought too much beer. Hey – I feed my crew well.
On the way back to the boat I pulled or bruised a tendon in my left ankle -- boy did it swell up. There would be no going out to dinner tonight!
Back on the boat I cooked the fresh shrimp and made a salad for dinner. But first we had sundowners, cheese and smoked oyster.
While Kourtney and Buck went off to do Laundry I met some cruisers on the same fuel dock as us. We had a nice chat and all were complaining about the heat.
The AC and everything else but the fresh water system was working fine on the boat. Boy we all slept well this night.
We had a good run up to Charleston but with a slight adverse current. As we crossed into the narrow waterway immediately preceding the Bascule bridge just as you enter Charleston harbour the current increased and had us under 5 knots. It was going to be close to make the bridge opening. I had been babying the engine all the way so far – 200 RPM. It was time to drop the hammer. I increased RPMs to 2400 and this was the first time we heard the Turbo kick in – SOG increased to 6.2 knots!! We made the bridge opening,,,
We arrived around noon. The wind had really piped up and was setting on the dock. They gave me a location way out on the outside of the Fuel dock. I turned around to face the current, then crabbed in with the bow trying to face into the wind. With fenders out we made a soft landing on the pier. Damn there was room on the inside!! It was blowing us too hard against the dock to think about moving now – this was going to be home sweet home.
We had a fine lunch at the Marina Restaurant but they had put us so far out there it was a ¼ mile walk just to the parking lot!! They brag about there 3000 feet of dock space but man it’s a long walk.
After lunch it was off to Harris Teeter in the Courtesy shuttle – ouch – dropped $208. Kourtney said we bought too much beer. Hey – I feed my crew well.
On the way back to the boat I pulled or bruised a tendon in my left ankle -- boy did it swell up. There would be no going out to dinner tonight!
Back on the boat I cooked the fresh shrimp and made a salad for dinner. But first we had sundowners, cheese and smoked oyster.
While Kourtney and Buck went off to do Laundry I met some cruisers on the same fuel dock as us. We had a nice chat and all were complaining about the heat.
The AC and everything else but the fresh water system was working fine on the boat. Boy we all slept well this night.
August 16, 2007 Destination: Anchor in Tom Point Creek
We got off uneventful and made the 7am bridge opening. Then it was just a long run of about 50 miles to the Tom Point Creek to anchor for the night. The long passage across the exposed Coosaw River went very well. We found a little shallow water coming off of the Coosaw River back into the ICW and I made a light bump when I looked away briefly at a chart.
We made Tom Point Creek and anchored easily. Buck and I went for a swim – felt very nice. Then we all took showers. A nice dinner from the grill and all was right with the world.
It was a peaceful anchorage with few bugs. After dinner we had some Gin and Tonics and a nice chat in the cockpit.
Buck and Kourtney saw a very long and bright shooting star cross the sky but I unfortunately had my back to it. Damn – I would have liked to have seen that.
We had fired up the generator and AC earlier and had a very nice sleep in a cool cabin.
We made Tom Point Creek and anchored easily. Buck and I went for a swim – felt very nice. Then we all took showers. A nice dinner from the grill and all was right with the world.
It was a peaceful anchorage with few bugs. After dinner we had some Gin and Tonics and a nice chat in the cockpit.
Buck and Kourtney saw a very long and bright shooting star cross the sky but I unfortunately had my back to it. Damn – I would have liked to have seen that.
We had fired up the generator and AC earlier and had a very nice sleep in a cool cabin.
August 15, 2007 Rock & Roll --- Hubris Rebuffed
Coming in from Offshore to Beaufort, SC
When we had a good Cellular connection I called Craig to give him an update. I should never have boasted how we were “beating” the ride through Georgia on its convolyuted portion of the ICW. Georgia still made us pay!
About dark the previous evening that advantageous wind had now set up a wave pattern and a swell that was directly abeam of the boat causing it to rock and roll and yawl. The motion became alarming by 10pm. The stuff in all the lockers were banging and rattling. The Genoa was snapping from the roll so we pulled it in. We were frced to slow down so the motion did not become violent but we were now averaging less than 5 knots. It just got worse though.
I stayed up with Kourtney through her watch – not because she needed me there but I was more comfortable on deck. I tried to sleep but couldn’t. I joined Buck during his watch. It is just too rough tonight with all the lockers rattling and bumping and water sloshing in the water tanks.
Ohhh and what about the sloshing fuel?? I was worried that the fuel filter might become clogged and stop the engine. It was a restless night.
At day break we were approaching the Sea Buoy off of Port Royal Sound. We decided to head into Beaufort to refuel and rest. We were whipped.
When we headed into the Port Royal Inlet I left the helm and went to sleep for about an hour. Buck and Kourtney brought the boat back into the ICW. I rejoined just as we passed Parris Island on the way to Beaufort.. We made the City Marina by 11am and took on 47 gallons of fuel – 26 in the tank and 21 in the Jerry Cans on deck. We wanted a slip but none were available. A fishing tournament had taken all the slips so they could not accommodate us. We moved off and anchored just off of the marina.
It was hot with a heat index of 105 degrees already today – we need Air Conditioning.
I started the generator – no problem – then switched the transfer switch – Uh Oh – no juice to the breaker panel!! Damn!! I cut the switch back and forth a few times – finally power from a finicky switch. Oh the AC felt good..
We went into town for lunch -- very good and very coool.
When we got back to the boat we all went for a swim and took some naps. We went back to town for dinner. The place we ended at had loud music which was a downer for the dinner. Afterwards we took a nice long walk around the town and their Beautiful water front.
Back on the boat we went to bed early. We needed to be in motion by 6:30am to make the 7 am bridge opening. Miss it and it will be 9am before it opens again.
Ohhh we slept good in that AC. Hell we ran that generator for some 18 hours and the fuel gauge hardly moved – got to love it.
When we had a good Cellular connection I called Craig to give him an update. I should never have boasted how we were “beating” the ride through Georgia on its convolyuted portion of the ICW. Georgia still made us pay!
About dark the previous evening that advantageous wind had now set up a wave pattern and a swell that was directly abeam of the boat causing it to rock and roll and yawl. The motion became alarming by 10pm. The stuff in all the lockers were banging and rattling. The Genoa was snapping from the roll so we pulled it in. We were frced to slow down so the motion did not become violent but we were now averaging less than 5 knots. It just got worse though.
I stayed up with Kourtney through her watch – not because she needed me there but I was more comfortable on deck. I tried to sleep but couldn’t. I joined Buck during his watch. It is just too rough tonight with all the lockers rattling and bumping and water sloshing in the water tanks.
Ohhh and what about the sloshing fuel?? I was worried that the fuel filter might become clogged and stop the engine. It was a restless night.
At day break we were approaching the Sea Buoy off of Port Royal Sound. We decided to head into Beaufort to refuel and rest. We were whipped.
When we headed into the Port Royal Inlet I left the helm and went to sleep for about an hour. Buck and Kourtney brought the boat back into the ICW. I rejoined just as we passed Parris Island on the way to Beaufort.. We made the City Marina by 11am and took on 47 gallons of fuel – 26 in the tank and 21 in the Jerry Cans on deck. We wanted a slip but none were available. A fishing tournament had taken all the slips so they could not accommodate us. We moved off and anchored just off of the marina.
It was hot with a heat index of 105 degrees already today – we need Air Conditioning.
I started the generator – no problem – then switched the transfer switch – Uh Oh – no juice to the breaker panel!! Damn!! I cut the switch back and forth a few times – finally power from a finicky switch. Oh the AC felt good..
We went into town for lunch -- very good and very coool.
When we got back to the boat we all went for a swim and took some naps. We went back to town for dinner. The place we ended at had loud music which was a downer for the dinner. Afterwards we took a nice long walk around the town and their Beautiful water front.
Back on the boat we went to bed early. We needed to be in motion by 6:30am to make the 7 am bridge opening. Miss it and it will be 9am before it opens again.
Ohhh we slept good in that AC. Hell we ran that generator for some 18 hours and the fuel gauge hardly moved – got to love it.
August 14, 2007 Just another day at Sea
Offshore running up the Florida coastline
It was still a little roily this morning with the beam seas still working us over. No wind to sail by yet.
We just sailed along and kept moving up the coast. We were between 30 and 32 miles offshore today. We did not have any cell phone coverage out here but the VHF would chatter a bit. We did not try to call anyone though. Around 4 pm we’re approaching the St Mary’s River Sea Buoy and when about 7 miles offshore the cell phones worked again. We all checked in with loved ones then.
At one point around 11:30am we stopped and killed the engine. It was dead calm on the water. Kourtney and I went for a “mid” ocean swim. She was nervous after watching Shark Week last week, but I was giving the sharks a fighting chance since I had a tuna sandwich for lunch and thus tuna fish on the breath. We put the 24 gallons of diesel we had on the deck into the tank. I checked the engine oil level and it was fine. We fired up and continued on.
It was another hot one this afternoon with little wind and a heat index of 105 –110 degrees. We crossed the St. Mary’s Inlet around 4pm and entered Georgia – Florida GOODBYE!!
When we turned to hug the Georgia/South Carolina coast about 8 – 10 miles offshore the wind came up and we could finally sail. With just motor sailing with the Genoa we cranked the RPMs back to 2000 and sailed at 7.3 – 7.9 knots – felt great. Buck analyzed the control line on the Genoa and determined that the current application was totally impractical. No way to properly reef the sail – we worked out an arrangement to add later that would address this problem. Now this is a proper shakedown cruise. We planned to drop the sail around dark since thunderstorms were expected tonight.
At 7pm the crew is relaxing in the cockpit reading after a dinner of sandwiches and pickles and beer of course. I’m on watch from 6 – 9pm followed by Kourtney then Buck.
The sailing life is good.
It was still a little roily this morning with the beam seas still working us over. No wind to sail by yet.
We just sailed along and kept moving up the coast. We were between 30 and 32 miles offshore today. We did not have any cell phone coverage out here but the VHF would chatter a bit. We did not try to call anyone though. Around 4 pm we’re approaching the St Mary’s River Sea Buoy and when about 7 miles offshore the cell phones worked again. We all checked in with loved ones then.
At one point around 11:30am we stopped and killed the engine. It was dead calm on the water. Kourtney and I went for a “mid” ocean swim. She was nervous after watching Shark Week last week, but I was giving the sharks a fighting chance since I had a tuna sandwich for lunch and thus tuna fish on the breath. We put the 24 gallons of diesel we had on the deck into the tank. I checked the engine oil level and it was fine. We fired up and continued on.
It was another hot one this afternoon with little wind and a heat index of 105 –110 degrees. We crossed the St. Mary’s Inlet around 4pm and entered Georgia – Florida GOODBYE!!
When we turned to hug the Georgia/South Carolina coast about 8 – 10 miles offshore the wind came up and we could finally sail. With just motor sailing with the Genoa we cranked the RPMs back to 2000 and sailed at 7.3 – 7.9 knots – felt great. Buck analyzed the control line on the Genoa and determined that the current application was totally impractical. No way to properly reef the sail – we worked out an arrangement to add later that would address this problem. Now this is a proper shakedown cruise. We planned to drop the sail around dark since thunderstorms were expected tonight.
At 7pm the crew is relaxing in the cockpit reading after a dinner of sandwiches and pickles and beer of course. I’m on watch from 6 – 9pm followed by Kourtney then Buck.
The sailing life is good.
August 13, 2007 -- TOASTED!!
Ran up to Cape Canaveral then went Offshore – to Charleston hopefully
Ohhh it was hot on anchor last night. I didn’t want to run the Genset and AC just yet -- too much new stuff to deal with. The batteries were down to 11.95 Volts by morning – not good – 3 year old AGM batteries.
We got underway early – 7:15am. However the Lighthouse Windlass looked like it was slipping on the retrieval with only a moderate load on it.
We made it to the Barge canal of Cape Canaveral by 11am. We encountered the first Bascule bridge at 11:10am and had to wait 20 minutes for it to open. Then we went onto the Lock. I called when it was in site and I was informed that a Government ship was coming through the Bascule bridge and would immediately enter the locks. We needed to wait and KEEP CLEAR!! That process took nearly 40 minutes..The “Government” ship that came through was a NASA vessel – big whoop huh.. Then our turn came and it went pretty well – only 10 minutes. We went right through the triple Bascule bridges and entered the Cape Canaveral port proper.
We hailed Cape Marina about 12:30pm for accessing the fuel dock. Repeated calls went unanswered. We finally just landed and I searched for the office on foot. I spoke with a woman there and she explained that it was lunch time and there would be no one available until after 1pm.. This is a BIG place!! We took advantage of the time to bring the dinghy aboard and lash it down. I had trouble getting out of the dinghy and back on the side of the boat so I just let go and fell into the water – to both cool off and get back on Temptation via the Swim platform.
Ohh it was HOT!!! The fuel attendant finally showed up but admitted he was new to the job.. He could not get the pump to come on so it would pump continuously. Finally someone else showed up and we moved to another pump.
The gauge showed ½ full but it only took 23 gallons to fill it up. I also filled the 4 deck 6-gallon deck cans for an additional 24 gallons.
Ohh it was hot – I was beginning to wilt but Buck was going strong – thank goodness. We then filled the water tanks and took a few minutes to cool off. We finally left the Fuel dock at 2:30pm and headed for sea. It was a great day with calm seas – this is definitely going to be a motor trip.
We set up on a 3 hour watch with me going first followed by Kourtney then Buck. We just ate snacks and leftovers for dinner and just motored into the evening.
The evening was mild then about 11pm the wind clocked to our starboard side. Soon we were moderately rolling to beam on waves.
My next watch was 12am – 3am. Five minutes into it Kourtney came up and hung on the rail – she did not feel well. Uh Oh and she was supposed to relieve me at 3am!! Doesn’t look good.
She stayed in the cockpit and focused on the horizon awhile. Then rolled up in a sheet and slept awhile. Wow at 3am she was a new person. She felt good and did her whole watch – that was GREAT.
I couldn’t sleep very well – my fan didn’t work well and I was just too keyed up – the motion was unpleasant also. I slept maybe 2 hours. At 6am when Buck took over I made coffee and watched the sunrise with him.
It was a long night. I saw 3 large boats pass us at 6 – 10 nm away. When waiting for dawn – it never comes soon enough.
Overall not a bad night for our first one at sea.
Ohhh it was hot on anchor last night. I didn’t want to run the Genset and AC just yet -- too much new stuff to deal with. The batteries were down to 11.95 Volts by morning – not good – 3 year old AGM batteries.
We got underway early – 7:15am. However the Lighthouse Windlass looked like it was slipping on the retrieval with only a moderate load on it.
We made it to the Barge canal of Cape Canaveral by 11am. We encountered the first Bascule bridge at 11:10am and had to wait 20 minutes for it to open. Then we went onto the Lock. I called when it was in site and I was informed that a Government ship was coming through the Bascule bridge and would immediately enter the locks. We needed to wait and KEEP CLEAR!! That process took nearly 40 minutes..The “Government” ship that came through was a NASA vessel – big whoop huh.. Then our turn came and it went pretty well – only 10 minutes. We went right through the triple Bascule bridges and entered the Cape Canaveral port proper.
We hailed Cape Marina about 12:30pm for accessing the fuel dock. Repeated calls went unanswered. We finally just landed and I searched for the office on foot. I spoke with a woman there and she explained that it was lunch time and there would be no one available until after 1pm.. This is a BIG place!! We took advantage of the time to bring the dinghy aboard and lash it down. I had trouble getting out of the dinghy and back on the side of the boat so I just let go and fell into the water – to both cool off and get back on Temptation via the Swim platform.
Ohh it was HOT!!! The fuel attendant finally showed up but admitted he was new to the job.. He could not get the pump to come on so it would pump continuously. Finally someone else showed up and we moved to another pump.
The gauge showed ½ full but it only took 23 gallons to fill it up. I also filled the 4 deck 6-gallon deck cans for an additional 24 gallons.
Ohh it was hot – I was beginning to wilt but Buck was going strong – thank goodness. We then filled the water tanks and took a few minutes to cool off. We finally left the Fuel dock at 2:30pm and headed for sea. It was a great day with calm seas – this is definitely going to be a motor trip.
We set up on a 3 hour watch with me going first followed by Kourtney then Buck. We just ate snacks and leftovers for dinner and just motored into the evening.
The evening was mild then about 11pm the wind clocked to our starboard side. Soon we were moderately rolling to beam on waves.
My next watch was 12am – 3am. Five minutes into it Kourtney came up and hung on the rail – she did not feel well. Uh Oh and she was supposed to relieve me at 3am!! Doesn’t look good.
She stayed in the cockpit and focused on the horizon awhile. Then rolled up in a sheet and slept awhile. Wow at 3am she was a new person. She felt good and did her whole watch – that was GREAT.
I couldn’t sleep very well – my fan didn’t work well and I was just too keyed up – the motion was unpleasant also. I slept maybe 2 hours. At 6am when Buck took over I made coffee and watched the sunrise with him.
It was a long night. I saw 3 large boats pass us at 6 – 10 nm away. When waiting for dawn – it never comes soon enough.
Overall not a bad night for our first one at sea.
August 12, 2007 Finally Underway
Destination – Dragon Point near Melbourne, FL
Everyone is leaving today. Karen and Stephen are driving home. Kourtney, Buck, and I will deliver Temptation home – eventually, but every journey must start with a first step.
Karen and Stephen finally left about 8:30am. I was eager to go and I hope my impatience did not show. We tried to leave at 8:45am but a problem right away!! I had started the engine and before shoving off I noticed that there was no charging voltage on the batteries – Uh Oh!! I tried calling Al but no answer. I thought about this awhile then remembered that this high output alternator needs a certain higher RPM before starting to charge. We revved the engine to 1800 and had charging current.
We were able to leave the tight enclose of the slip uneventfully. Big boats all around. We had no problem winding the private channel to the ICW. We had an easy motoring to Dragon Point to anchor --- very light traffic for a Sunday. Anchoring went well, then we all went for a swim -- it was HOT!! Boy that felt good.
We fixed steaks on the Magma Grill after first having to fix it. The regulator would not work but I remembered that Al said there was a new one in the spares drawer – what a guy. Once it was replaced the grill worked fine however it has only half the complement of briquettes that it should.
It was a fine night and we thought we would rough it with the AC. We tried to put the screens in the ports but they do not fit very well – real cumbersome. Hopefully there is a simple trick to this – I’ll need to read a manual.
We were whipped so we all turned in around 9:30pm. I slept in the main salon under the cabin fan – it failed after a couple of hours – ohh it was a hot sticky night.
Everyone is leaving today. Karen and Stephen are driving home. Kourtney, Buck, and I will deliver Temptation home – eventually, but every journey must start with a first step.
Karen and Stephen finally left about 8:30am. I was eager to go and I hope my impatience did not show. We tried to leave at 8:45am but a problem right away!! I had started the engine and before shoving off I noticed that there was no charging voltage on the batteries – Uh Oh!! I tried calling Al but no answer. I thought about this awhile then remembered that this high output alternator needs a certain higher RPM before starting to charge. We revved the engine to 1800 and had charging current.
We were able to leave the tight enclose of the slip uneventfully. Big boats all around. We had no problem winding the private channel to the ICW. We had an easy motoring to Dragon Point to anchor --- very light traffic for a Sunday. Anchoring went well, then we all went for a swim -- it was HOT!! Boy that felt good.
We fixed steaks on the Magma Grill after first having to fix it. The regulator would not work but I remembered that Al said there was a new one in the spares drawer – what a guy. Once it was replaced the grill worked fine however it has only half the complement of briquettes that it should.
It was a fine night and we thought we would rough it with the AC. We tried to put the screens in the ports but they do not fit very well – real cumbersome. Hopefully there is a simple trick to this – I’ll need to read a manual.
We were whipped so we all turned in around 9:30pm. I slept in the main salon under the cabin fan – it failed after a couple of hours – ohh it was a hot sticky night.
AUGUST 11, 2007 ---- It’s Like ”the Old Woman who lived in a Shoe”
Making the boat ready for travel at the Marina Slip
WOW lots to do today and it is just so crowded with all the people and stuff to put away!!
We brought more stuff from the truck to the boat. Al and Maggie showed up at 9am sharp. Al went over all the major systems with me and pointed out all the spare equipment that was being left aboard -- that would mean more later. Al and Maggie left a few hours later and Maggie was shedding a few tears – she really loved this boat.
I removed the Loran unit from the instrument pod and installed my handheld Garmin 48 in its place. I then wired it to ships power and installed a DB9 RS232 cable at the Nav bench so it would talk to both the Notebook PC and the SSB once it is installed. This went well enough and tested ok the first time.
I looked at installing the SSB and data modem but it was a daunting task on this boat. No obvious runs for the wiring or place to install the antenna tuner. I did install the SSB base unit to the floor of the Nav station.
Karen, Kourtney, and Stephen made a provisioning run for the items on the list we created yesterday in the truck on the way down. After stowing everything for the most part we all went out to dinner at a nearby Italian Restaurant – very good.
Oh before dinner we tried taking showers but the fresh water system would have none of it. It kept losing its prime and thus low water pressure. I had to constantly bleed and fuss with it while each person took a shower. They tried to do the same for me but I went to dinner with a bit of soap still on me. This water system would continue to dog us every day!!
This got to be real annoying so I called Al to ask what is the secret to get the system to behave. He said he had noticed an intermittent problem with it and thought it was a weak pump. He reminded me of the new pump on board and suggested I change it.
This was a tough day. I got some things accomplished but nearly what I had hoped for. Too many distractions and too crowded. Oh well --- got to get moving…
WOW lots to do today and it is just so crowded with all the people and stuff to put away!!
We brought more stuff from the truck to the boat. Al and Maggie showed up at 9am sharp. Al went over all the major systems with me and pointed out all the spare equipment that was being left aboard -- that would mean more later. Al and Maggie left a few hours later and Maggie was shedding a few tears – she really loved this boat.
I removed the Loran unit from the instrument pod and installed my handheld Garmin 48 in its place. I then wired it to ships power and installed a DB9 RS232 cable at the Nav bench so it would talk to both the Notebook PC and the SSB once it is installed. This went well enough and tested ok the first time.
I looked at installing the SSB and data modem but it was a daunting task on this boat. No obvious runs for the wiring or place to install the antenna tuner. I did install the SSB base unit to the floor of the Nav station.
Karen, Kourtney, and Stephen made a provisioning run for the items on the list we created yesterday in the truck on the way down. After stowing everything for the most part we all went out to dinner at a nearby Italian Restaurant – very good.
Oh before dinner we tried taking showers but the fresh water system would have none of it. It kept losing its prime and thus low water pressure. I had to constantly bleed and fuss with it while each person took a shower. They tried to do the same for me but I went to dinner with a bit of soap still on me. This water system would continue to dog us every day!!
This got to be real annoying so I called Al to ask what is the secret to get the system to behave. He said he had noticed an intermittent problem with it and thought it was a weak pump. He reminded me of the new pump on board and suggested I change it.
This was a tough day. I got some things accomplished but nearly what I had hoped for. Too many distractions and too crowded. Oh well --- got to get moving…
August 10, 2007 --- The Origins of ‘Temptation’
Traveling from Durham, NC to Vero Beach, Florida by Truck
Ahhhh to be an absent boat owner! We actually closed on ‘Temptation’ our 1991 Endeavour 42 (Hull Number 257 – the last one built) on Wednesday August 8, 2007. Boy that was an empty feeling -- sign all those papers and not have actual possession of the boat!!
We drove down today – all 710 miles --Friday August 10th to take physical possession. The Intrepid mariners – Karen, Kourtney, Stephen, Buck, and myself. The actual delivery crew would be composed of Kourtney, Buck, and myself.
But what a trip!! Five full grown adults in the 96 Chevy Pickup loaded to the gills with stuff to move the new boat with and the personal gear of each occupant. This would not have been possible if I did not use one of Beth Haskell’s suggestions of using the vacuum packed space bags for all the towels, pillows, bedding, and all our clothes. Wow they make a huge difference!!
This crew needs major accolades for putting up with that 12 hour drive. It should have been 11 hours but we made frequent comfort stops to ease the discomfort of so many folks.
We arrived at the Marina at 6:30pm. Al and his wife Maggie were already aboard and we met with them. We transacted the business of my passing Al the BIG check and he the keys to the boats plus we had to sign off on some paper work. They left and agreed to meet again in the morning to orient us to all the systems on board. We cranked up the Air Conditioning and left for dinner. We found a R.J. Gators nearby for dinner. Actually ate some “gator bits” as an appetizer.
Back on Temptation we moved some stuff on board and settled in for the evening. I think we all hit the sack around 11pm.
The day – all in all – went very well.
Ahhhh to be an absent boat owner! We actually closed on ‘Temptation’ our 1991 Endeavour 42 (Hull Number 257 – the last one built) on Wednesday August 8, 2007. Boy that was an empty feeling -- sign all those papers and not have actual possession of the boat!!
We drove down today – all 710 miles --Friday August 10th to take physical possession. The Intrepid mariners – Karen, Kourtney, Stephen, Buck, and myself. The actual delivery crew would be composed of Kourtney, Buck, and myself.
But what a trip!! Five full grown adults in the 96 Chevy Pickup loaded to the gills with stuff to move the new boat with and the personal gear of each occupant. This would not have been possible if I did not use one of Beth Haskell’s suggestions of using the vacuum packed space bags for all the towels, pillows, bedding, and all our clothes. Wow they make a huge difference!!
This crew needs major accolades for putting up with that 12 hour drive. It should have been 11 hours but we made frequent comfort stops to ease the discomfort of so many folks.
We arrived at the Marina at 6:30pm. Al and his wife Maggie were already aboard and we met with them. We transacted the business of my passing Al the BIG check and he the keys to the boats plus we had to sign off on some paper work. They left and agreed to meet again in the morning to orient us to all the systems on board. We cranked up the Air Conditioning and left for dinner. We found a R.J. Gators nearby for dinner. Actually ate some “gator bits” as an appetizer.
Back on Temptation we moved some stuff on board and settled in for the evening. I think we all hit the sack around 11pm.
The day – all in all – went very well.
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