Maiden/Shakedown Cruise

Yes!  We finally took Abake out of the slip.  And she loved it!  It goes without saying that we did, too.  We tried leaving on Sunday, but had too many things to take care of, so we left Monday afternoon (July 29).  We had decided to go North in the Chesapeake and explore the Sassafras River, but the forecasts were for wind out of the North.  So we thought we'd still try, because heading South meant a long trip or heading over into Eastern Bay, which we've explored with Namida.  Since we were getting away late in the day, we decided to stop somewhere along the way on Monday night. 

Once we got out and moving (motoring), we thought about Rock Hall, but we've been there, so we anchored in Whitehall Bay instead.  It was a quiet little Bay and only one other boat was anchored there (on a Monday night).  They eventually left and a work boat came in after dark and anchored.  Otherwise we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  We could see the lights and the traffic on the Bay Bridge through a little spit of land (Hackett Point and Goose Pond).  It was peaceful and quiet.

Tuesday morning we headed up to the Sassafras River, again motoring.  Winds were 5-10 and directly out of the North.  Waves were ... well ... let's just say it was a power boating day.  So we had a smooth ride up to the River.  We slowed near Betterton and scoped out the beach and the docks.  Then we decided to head up to Turner Creek and anchored near the entrance.  Again, only one other boat was anchored, and we had a beautiful view of the neighboring cliffs and both directions on the river.  The Sassafras River is fresh water and thus had no sea nettles (jellyfish).  It is bordered on the North by Cecil County (MD) and on the South by Kent County (MD).

We spent the next couple of days anchored there, exploring, by dinghy, Turner Creek and Back Creek.  We also dinghied up toward Georgetown, saw all the marinas and buildings and turned around before we got too close.  We walked around Turner Creek park and learned that it is "dominated by the regionally endangered American lotus, whose 8" flowers are the largest in North America".  http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=64294

Turner Creek landing

Lily pads at Turner Creek park

View of lily pads

We enjoyed our solitude (the other boat had departed, but another had anchored on the other side of the entrance to Turner Creek) and were entertained by activity at one house on the cliff where they were removing a tree and the stump at the edge of the cliff.  (What's wrong with this picture?  Hint:  zoom in to see no climbing gear or safety lines.)

Our view at anchor

Stump removal show -- reality tv

Abake at anchor

The next day we were entertained by their neighbors bailing out their small power cat.  We watched it list farther and farther to port and finally someone on land noticed it and started bailing.  It was reality tv at its best!  We also enjoyed some home cooked meals:  stir fry (with all leftover veggies from our home fridge!) and our first pizza in the new oven:

Stir fry

Homemade pizza

We're not the only ones lazing ...

 

Our trip back to Galesville was quite a bit more fun.  You may not have guessed, but by this time a front had come through during the week and the winds had clocked around 180 degrees.  So, now they're coming out of the South -- again on the nose.  But, the winds were blowing 10-15, so we unanimously agreed to raise the sails and just sail back and forth across the Bay for most of the day.  She handles beautifully, although she doesn't point into the wind very well.  We were able to sail about 45 degrees to the wind and sometimes push it to 40.  This meant tacking, but above the Bay Bridge it is pretty wide, so we could stay on one tack for a while.  We found that the sails are pretty stretched and that we definitely need to tighten the leech line on both.  But they are in good condition.  We also need some ties in the mainsail for reefing, along with a reefing line.  And, Mike said the genoa luff looks to be a little too long, so we'll have to take a look at that, too.  But this is what the shakedown cruise is for!  We wouldn't want to have to deal with this stuff at anchor somewhere or at a marina other than ours for now.

Under sail, as she should be!

So we're quite pleased and fairly comfortable on board.  We are in the process of finishing the watermaker installation, ordering foam and fabric for new dinette cushions, have already ordered and picked up a lifting sling for bringing the dinghy on board when necessary, and are working on other little odds and ends that need to be completed.  Time is ticking and we are trying to keep up with it.

ChainChainChain ...

Yes, it's a line from the song "Chain of Fools".  But we're not.  We really needed to find out how much chain was on Abake and mark it.  Using the anchor last year during the SSCA GAM, we found that the chain in the locker was WAY too short.  After researching options for marking it we found that zip ties and parachute cord seemed to be the best options.  So we opted for the parachute cord (different colors for each 100' of chain, marked every 25'.)  We found that 50' (of 3/8" chain) was in the anchor locker, a 100' section was in the bilge, and another 300' section was in the bilge.  Guess which one went forward into the anchor locker.  Yup!  And here's the pile of it, along with our "oh sh**" mark (at the end).

Pile of 300' of chain

"Oh Sh**" mark

The heads have been rebuilt, the hose replaced, and the "Y" valve that was installed in the aft head after the vacuum break (remember it was just a rising stem valve?) turned out to be a little aged, and it leaked.  So we ordered another one and replaced it.  The head now works just as it should.

New "Y" valve for aft head

We also started on getting the dinghy ready for the davits.  We replaced the 2:1 pulley set with a 6:1 set.  This is a huge savings on muscle (and can be operated by one person), and the new set includes a cam to easily lock the line in position.  We spliced the line onto the blocks and it is ready for the dinghy.  We pulled our dinghy off of the rack at the marina and found that it has been used by the neighborhood strays as a litterbox.  Pee-yew!  With permission, we moved it to a top rack (not the one we rented) and hopefully it will not provide a private bathroom for the cats any more.  (We came home and had to leave shoes in the garage and then had "cat scans" done by Zander.  He felt we had been cheating on him.)  We measured for stainless steel bridle cables (for the aft) and will test them before ordering the forward bridle.

New dinghy block

Floor of dinghy

Aft bridle

And, we had another 3-day break in the weather (rain), so the port side/aft portion of the decking was taken up, refurbished, and replaced.  With heat indices between 105 and 109, it made for a miserable job, but with a tarp cover, it made it more bearable.  This time Mike tried caulking the outside boards first, so he had a place to stand when caulking the inside boards.  It worked much better and his back was thankful.

Caulking the inside boards

Before caulk

Getting "Sidetracked"

So the hoses for the watermaker arrived -- just in the midst of many other projects that had been started.  For instance, we spent a couple of days and an overnight (in 90+ degree heat) at the marina for July 4.  The cat was with us and we found we had to keep an eye on him or he would go forward.  At anchor this is not a problem.  But at the marina, this is where he can make his escape.  He's not an outdoor cat and didn't fare well the one time he did get out/lost in our neighborhood.  He would not fare well with all the marina cats so we try to keep him on board.  He seems satisfied here, or here, or here:

zzz

...

Shhh

To remedy this, Mike designed and built our "CCS" or cat containment system.  He built two screens for the hatches and built a teak frame with screen for the companionway.  It works beautifully.  The little stinker now sits on the aft bunk and stares up at the screen trying to figure out if he can jump up, wrap his paws and grab/hang on to the hatch frame, and pull himself up and out of the cabin (as he has done before).  He's almost 11 years old and he's not lost a step.

Companionway screen for CCS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hatch screen for CCS

Because we want to go cruising for a few days or so at the end of July (yes, we set a small goal), we needed to have a good working head.  Abake has robust marine heads (toilets) that are made of bronze and porcelain.  They are built to last a lifetime if maintained properly (and spare parts are available).  Because we haven't used them in 3 years, it meant that (first) we would need to disassemble and re-build the aft head.  Luckily we had a rebuild kit and it could be done in a day or two.  Ha!  That's what any normal person would think!  Now Mike is another story.  He didn't like the diversion valve in the engine room as it is in an awkward location.  Additionally it is not a true diverter valve, but a common rising stem hand valve.  So he has a "Y" diverter valve he wants to install after the vacuum break, whereas now the valve is before the vacuum break.  It would have been a task -- now it has become a project.  But, it will be much better-- using the proper hardware will make for a much cleaner installation.

You can see here that the joker valve had hardened and would really only allow liquids to pass.  This is between the pipe off of the actual bowl and the hose carrying away the waste.  It prevents backflow.

Stiff joker valve

Rebuilt head (minus bowl)

Head disassembled for cleaning

And, we relaxed on July 4 and watched fireworks all around from our marina.  We didn't really do any work that day and enjoyed the laid back day.  Then July 5th we were hanging out in the cockpit and keeping an eye on the cat and staring at the decking.  The next thing we knew we were digging out plugs, cutting caulk, unscrewing screws, and prying up decking.  Sigh.  Yes, a section by the port scupper has now been refurbished.  It required that some new teak slats be cut, and as usual, Mike did a wonderful job.  You can see it here.  (Ignore the smeared caulk -- it was really hot that day and it got messy.  It will be sanded off.)

Rebuilding some teak deck slats

 

Decking (minus fuel and water fill holes)

 

 

And, just for grins, we're showing you the reason we had to buy a new wire brush.  That's what we use to clean the old glue and caulk from the fiberglass decking before re-gluing the refurbished decking back to the fiberglass deck.  I think we could call this "being frugal".

New and old wire brushes

Waiting for Hoses

Well, the new cabinet shelves were finished and look great!  The teak bar along the front of the shelf is not only attractive, it is functional.  (It keeps things from sliding into the doors while the boat is heeled.)

Finished shelf in forward head

Finished shelf under salon bunk

Mike has been continuing to work on the watermaker installation.  He ordered high-pressure hose and fittings so he could make the hoses he needed, rather than order custom (crimped) hoses.  Making our own is a little more expensive, but with Mike's hydraulic experience, if we have problems with the hoses, we (translate:  HE) will have the intimate knowledge and be able to effect any repairs.  He cut and assembled one hose (with fittings) to run between the pump and the membrane housing.  The other hose, which runs between the membrane housing and the control panel, needs to be assembled after work is completed on the control panel.  (A custom panel is being made.)  Both hoses are rated for 4000 psi, so there is no room for any mistakes!

While waiting for the hose to arrive (we're on a very friendly basis with our UPS man!), he felt that some of the deck needed refurbishing, as it was getting water underneath the teak.  This project was the starboard side of the deck between the scupper and the aft decking (that was refurbished last year).  We managed to finish the project over 5 days (3 actual days of work).  Since we have detailed the operation in a previous blog, we won't bore you here.  And, there are more sections of the deck that need refurbishing this year.  These pictures give you an idea of where and how much was done in this project:

Decking removed; waiting for cleaning & prepping

Refurbishment finished

We are also continuing to inventory and pack spare parts on the boat.  As our cruising friends know, this will take a while.  For those of you who don't know, this will take a while.  Deciding where things go, how often you will use them, and actually how often you use them are ever-changing.  So, you just start packing things where they fit and/or make sense and hope that you won't always be digging down to the bottom of the most remote locker.  And, if you do, you just end up re-packing.

We did get a hint from a cruising friend (thanks Wendy!) that having little bags helps not only to keep items together but to identify where they are.  So Jenny hit the fabric store and made a couple of bags as samples.  They were used quickly and so another trip to JoAnn Fabrics is on the list. 

Sample storage bags

Adding shelves

We've been hauling things from the basement to Abake.  It's difficult to decide what should be buried deep and what should be packed to make it more easily accessible.  We're told that Abake was first purchased by an airline pilot who lived aboard and wanted a place to store his uniforms.  So the hanging lockers are cedar-lined and a big open space.  The pilot lived on-board for a year and sold her to a family who used her for weekend cruising.  So the hanging lockers remained as closets.  Since we don't plan to take many hanging clothes, these needed to be converted for storage purposes.  So, we are building shelves to maximize the storage space in these closets.  This is the large space in the forward head where a shelf has been added and one has since been added at the bottom so the lower space is more usable:

Shelf Added

Under the queen bunk in the salon one of the cabinets already had a shelf, nicely finished with teak.  We are going to be emulating that in the closet next to that, which previously had been a hanging closet (notice the cedar lining):

Existing shelf under queen bunk

Cedar cabinet's new shelf, minus trim

And to show you we're really moving in, we've finally decided where to mount and have mounted our classic brass (wind-up) striking ship's bell clock and barometer, which we removed from our first sailboat, Namida (our 32' Westsail).  They need refinishing but for right now, they look classy to us!  And, they look very much at home now.

Before

After (clock and barometer hung)

Since it was Father's Day this past weekend, we spent some wonderful time with family (kids and grandkids!).  We watched our 2-year old grandson enjoy at the marina pool and enjoyed some wonderful meals and conversation (and Hawaiian shaved ice!).  It was well worth skipping a weekend of work on the boat.

We're Back And Rolling Again

Catching up ... let's see.

Well, we took our trip from Jacksonville to Annapolis (South River) as crew on a Swan 46.  We drove to FL with the Captain and waited out a storm that brought over 7" of rain to the Jacksonville area.  It gave us time to familiarize ourselves with the boat and to get the engine in good working condition (including tightening the mounting bolts and fixing a fuel leak).  We took off on a Monday morning and headed straight for the Gulf Stream.  We watched the water temperature steadily increase and when it hit 80 and the water was a beautiful cobalt blue, we knew we had found it.  Oh, and the 3 1/2-knot push of the current gave us a clue, too.  We spent about 3 days of beautiful weather riding the Gulf Stream north and even provided a haven for 3 birds who chose to spend their last few hours at sea with us.  We hit Norfolk and crossed over the Bay Bridge tunnel at 12:30 at night and headed up the Chesapeake.  The weather continued to hold out until we reached close to Thomas Pt. when we saw a storm approach.  We dropped the sails and motored the rest of the way up the South River to the slip.  We headed home to get sleep around 1:30 in the morning and returned the next day to pick up the rest of our stuff.  So 4 1/2 days and a little over 700 miles now puts us on the map for having sailed from Maine to Northern Florida.  And, it just made us a little more anxious to get out on Abake for our own adventures.

No better view than the ocean from a sailboat

Time to play!

Enjoying the trip

There's always a sunset picture

 

Mike continued to work on the watermaker.  (We're not going to use it here in the Chesapeake Bay and especially not in the slip -- we're next to the fuel dock and too many people spill fuel.  That would ruin our membrane.)  He installed solenoid control valves (plumbed them).  They will allow us to flush the system when we are done making water and to control the water flow to the high-pressure pump.

Solenoid (control) valves

Our ICOM radio came back before the delivery trip, so we were anxious to get home afterward and get it installed.  We took a couple of trips to RF Connection in Gaithersburg, which was recommended by Dave Skolnick from SSCA.  What a great place!  Even Jenny got excited about all the ham radio supplies. We picked up cables (coax, and ladder line for radials), coax connectors, and in-line lightning protection (and a spare!) for the SSB.  Even tho it was a hike to Gaithersburg, the store is in the same shopping center as El Pollo Rico, so we had a couple of great lunches of Peruvian chicken.

It took a few days of running cable, installing radials and counterpoise, and installing the tuner and control head, speaker, and Pactor modem.  But when Mike finally was able to test the radio, sending and receiving via the Pactor and voice, he made contact with a ham from Croatia.  The following week he was able to make contact with another ham from Italy.  So, we think the installation went well.  And, now the nav(igation) station is looking like a nav station!

 

A bonafide nav station!

Mike finally told Jenny that she can start loading the boat.  When she went to start stuffing things in the lockers below the bunk in the salon, we realized that they had not been painted (nor had the bunk under the cushions).  So, another couple of days of painting and NOW we think we have all of the lockers painted!  We then started hauling stuff from the basement (that we had on Namida) down to Abake and started cleaning up all the tools, old wood, screws/bolts/washers, and various hardware.  After the first day of cleaning up, it didn't look like much.  But we knew we had taken the first big chunk out of the work.

Locker before

Locker after

Yes, some cleaning has already occurred!

And, since it's getting warm out, we took some sodas down to the boat and turned on the refrigeration.  Now we have cold Sunny D on a hot sunny day!

Roger that!

Now that the Kubota runs, all the "accessories" can now be installed.  The refrigeration lines were installed as of the last posting, but the refrigeration system was leak tested and given an initial charge.  All seems to be working properly and the final system charge will be adjusted soon.

The last of the old (dark red) formica is gone.  It was on top of the forward cabinet, next to the head.  It was above our eyesight, but since we wanted to take all the formica off the boat, it was finished and cleaned up. 

Currently Mike is installing a carbon filter in the water system.  And over the next couple of months (no real hurry since we won't be making water while the boat is sitting in the slip) we'll be installing the watermaker (powered by Frankengen).

The ICOM M802 marine SSB radio has given us a little bit of a pain in the wallet.  It has been sent away for repairs a couple of times.  The first was for a firmware upgrade (to ICOM in Washington state), the second for a software change so we could program an MMSI number and user-selectable voice compression (to a company in FL), a third trip (to ICOM again) because we started developing some transmitter problems.  The evaluation showed a bad filter board and because it was open, they found that there was corrosion on the top and the bottom of the case.  With that all replaced, the radio came back and reception was great!  However, after a couple of days, we developed a problem while transmitting.  We called ICOM and their technician said his experience with that problem was usually located in the power source.  So Mike did some troubleshooting/testing and located the problem.  A web search pinpointed the culprit and the required IC chip (that controls the precision voltage regulator) was the problem.  Solved -- for $1.50!  (Note that we're testing the radio in the basement, so the power supply at the house is not the same power supply on the boat.)

Bad power supply chip

We will not be around for a few weeks.  We have volunteered to crew for someone who needs to bring their "new" Swan 46 up from Jacksonville, FL.  So for the next couple of weeks we will be driving to Florida, making preps for an offshore trip, and sailing north to the Chesapeake Bay.  You can watch our progress (if you're interested) on http://www.winlink.org/dotnet/maps/PositionreportsDetail.aspx?callsign=k3mcd
 (We're using Mike's callsign for this trip:  K3MCD.)