We Made it to Plymouth

PM's Perspective

On the basis of the recommendation from Darren and Kathy, the owners of the fine vessel named Sea Spirit home docked at Wentworth Marina, we headed to Isles of Shoals, a mere 5.8 nautical miles away, on Saturday morning.  The moorings within Gosport Harbor are on a first come first serve basis.  We arrived at the harbor about noon to find that this was a popular spot with boaters from the nearby mainland.  We were able to find one of the last available moorings.  Many boaters rafted up on the same mooring -- one such mooring had seven boats neatly tied together.  The harbor was not quite as quiet as we anticipated, but with all systems working (or so we thought), we spent a fine afternoon just enjoying the scenic beauty of the area.

Hotel Flagstaff on Star Island

The Isles of Shoals is a grouping of nine islands and numerous ledges just off the coast.  The boundary between Maine and New Hampshire splits the grouping.  Development is limited by the geology of the islands that consists primarily of granite outcroppings.  The major structure is a retreat center, Hotel Flagstaff, located on Star Island and operated by the Star Island Corporation.  The Isles were well known for their cod fisheries in the 1700s and 1800s.  Smuttynose Island is notorious for the grisly murder of two women in 1873.  Today, the isles are summer getaways.

Seven Boats, One Mooring

As darkness approached, the day trippers left and the noise level remarkably decreased.  We spent a very bucolic evening watching the spectacular sunset, the antics of the seabirds, and enjoying a fine meal created in the kitchen of Velomer.  Our plan was to leave early in the morning and head to Constitution Marina in Boston for a three day stay and lots of socialization with friends and family.  We awoke early the next morning eager to be on our way.  The sky was slightly overcast, the air still, the coffee aromatic.  The engine started without a hitch.  We slipped off our mooring and headed southwest for bean town gliding past that mooring with the seven boats rafted together.

While underway, I used the rear head only to discover it would not flush.  What a ghastly situation!  Bob and I had spent an entire afternoon just a few weeks ago rebuilding the seals and gaskets on both the fore and aft heads.  After we finished, both heads worked worked just fine.  Grrrrrrrrrr.  The remainder of the journey to Boston was delightful, especially when we spotted a pod of dolphin roiling the water off to our port.  As the Boston skyline came into view we looked forward to visiting friends and family and dreaded dealing with the head issue.

We eased into our slip at Constitution Marina and felt right at home.  We had left at 6:40 AM and arrived at 2:30 PM, just under 8 hours to go the 50 nm from port to port.  Sally and Randy were due to arrive at the marina at 6:00 PM with takeout from their favorite Italian deli, so we had a good two hours to investigate the head problem before we had to take showers and get ready for an evening of great conversation, something Sally and Randy can be counted on to generate.  Bob disconnected the various fittings exposing the drain pipe which spilled its contents on the floor of the head.  The odor was unpleasant, but tolerable.  The odd thing was that along with black water, the drain spilled out whitish pea-sized solid chunks of something.  Bob decided that there was a clog in the drain pipe from the aft head to the holding tank located just to the rear of the V-berth in the hull.  Bob figured the best way to deal with the clog was to blast it out with water from a hose.  This didn't sound like a very good idea to me, but I didn't have any better suggestion.

Bob connected our hose to the water spigot on the dock and brought the end of the hose into the aft head which is right in our stateroom at the rear of Velomer.  There was no way this was going to have a good outcome.  I spent the next few minutes quickly clearing everything out of the way -- rolling the throw rugs up and off the floor, covering the bed with plastic, putting the toiletries off the counter.  After looking at the hose and down the drain pipe, Bob wisely decided that blasting the drain pipe with water was not going to be the solution.  Phew!  I got on the internet and started to research clogged drains.  I came across an eco-friendly solution of mixing a cup of vinegar with a cup of baking soda and pouring it down the drain, waiting overnight for this solution to take effect, followed by two gallons of very hot water and a cup of grease-dissolving detergent.  So this is the process we decided to follow.  Fortunately, we had all supplies on board.

Bob disconnected the aft-head drain pipe from the holding tank and we poured the vinegar/baking soda down each end of the drain pipe.  We cleaned up the rear head floor, still curious what the whitish solids in the drain pipe were.  Again, the internet was consulted.  The whitish solids are probably fat globules created by pouring copious amounts of vegetable oil (to keep the parts lubricated) down the head mixing with salt water (used to flush the heads) coming into contact with the cooler temperatures in the hull over a long period of time.  I envisioned our drain pipe blocked with cholesterol.  To keep the heads lubricated and relatively odorless, the recommendation is to put grease-dissolving detergent and vinegar in the heads, not vegetable oil and vinegar.  Now we know, but the drain pipe was still clogged.

We spent a lovely evening with Sally and Randy discussing where we were in our respective lives: Sally running a very successful European tour company, Randy retired and focusing on the uniqueness of the here and now, and Bob and I taking off on our two-year adventure and the daily challenges thereof (such as clogged drain pipes).  The next morning, not surprisingly, the pipe was still clogged.  The vinegar/baking soda mixture was not enough.  Bob said that maybe the only thing to do was replace the entire length of pipe.  We followed the length of pipe and realized that the run went from the rear head into the hull then into a chase within the hull that is totally inaccessible for about ten feet then out of the chase, turned then ran to the holding tank.  Replacing it was going to be nearly impossible, particularly because it was wire tied to another pipe.  The only reasonable thing to do was to clear the clog.  We needed a snake for that job.

We met my elementary and high-school classmate, Joyce Stephens, for lunch.  Joyce is about to have at least seven years of good luck because just as she was warning us not to walk under the fire escape of a particular building due to the activities of pigeons, one of the birds christened her left shoulder! She took the bullet for us!  Thank you, Joyce!  After lunch, Joyce, a walking encyclopedia of Boston, took us to the True Value hardware store on Salem Street in the North End where we bought a snake, a bottle of grease-dissolving liquid Tide and lots of other things.

We returned to the boat, changed into our grubbiest clothes and started the attack.  We decided to start the snake at the holding tank end of the line.  Bob carefully placed the snake in the pipe and found the clog about five feet into the pipe.  At first we delicately rotated the snake with the hopes of dislodging the clog.  More and more whitish globules came to the surface at each end of the drain pipe.  We got more vigorous as time went on rotating the snake envisioning that clog being smashed to smithereens.  After about an hour, I went into the rear head, and there was the end of the snake -- we made it through the clog!  At this point I had a brilliant revelation -- let's tie a rag or something to the end of the snake and pull it through and really clear out the clog.  At least it sounded like a good idea at the time.

I got a length of quarter inch line, tied it tightly around the end of the snake and Bob started to pull the snake back through the drain pipe.  After retracting about half the snake, it budged no more no matter what we tried.  I was having pangs of regret thinking we should have just pulled the snake back through and twisted it through again until the clog was gone versus tying a piece of line and pulling it through.  Then I had the idea of straightening the drain pipe as much as possible and then try pulling the snake through.  To accomplish this feat, I  opened the trap door between the engine compartment and the V-berth, requiring the removal of boxes of tools that were in the engine room and tied down (so as not to roll around in rough seas) and asked Bob to straighten the pipe and hand me the snake.  I braced my feet against the sides of the trap door, grasped the snake with a towel (for a firm grip) and pulled with all my might.  I had this image of the clog letting loose and the snake whipping out of the pipe and hitting me in the head.  Not a pretty image.  Bob slowly moved out of the way saying, "Pull, PM, pull!" I eased up on the tension, then pulled again, eased up and pulled again several more times.  Nothing.  Then Bob once again yelled, "Pull, PM, pull!"  Again, I pulled with all my might, feet firmly planted against the trap door jamb.  I felt a minor shift.  "Pull, PM, pull!" I eased up and pulled again.  This time not so hard.  The snake eased out some more.  The clog was dislodged!Once cleared, we reconnected all fittings, treated both heads with about a quarter cup each of Tide and vinegar.  We now had fully functional heads!  What a relief.  We could enjoy the remainder of our stay in Boston!

Alice and Bob in front of the Charles W. Morgan

 The next day, we met up with Randy and walked down to Chinatown having a wonderful lunch of dim sum and touring the Boston Commons.  Later that afternoon my sister and brother-in-law, Alice and Bob, came to spend some time with us. These two folks are extremely knowledgeable about the colonial way of life, artifacts, marine history and the like.  It just so happened that the Charles W. Morgan, a restored whaling ship, was in port locally situated next to the USS Constitution and within walking distance of our marina.  We visited the whaling ship and came back to Velomer for another wonderful evening of conversation and dining.  We had such a good time that we were thinking about staying another day at the marina.

The next morning we went into the marina office to see if we could extend our stay to find that there was another boat waiting to use the slip we were occupying.  The marina dock master pointed to a lovely young woman with a baby in a stroller that was also in the office indicating that it was her boat that needed the slip.  She looked at me and said, "I think I know you."  That young woman is Katie Turner, a classmate of Phoebe's and Erik's in the Cumberland school system.  Small world.  She and her husband, Bob Bateman, are aboard Nelson's Wake, a 47' Benneteau sailboat.  They came in the prior night from Portland and are on their way down the east coast.  The crew they just sailed in with consisted of our friends Pete and Lise Wilson and Katie's dad, George Turner.  Small world indeed! Hopefully we will hookup with them down the road.  With no room at the inn, Velomer headed to our next destination, Hingham Shipyard Marina.

Bob has related our woes upon leaving Constitution Marina.  I figure with the GPS issue, the head issue and the bow thruster issue, we have gone through our stint of bad luck with fair winds ahead. Our bow thruster issue was made more tolerable by the hospitality and competence of the staff at Hingham Shipyard Marina.  They are among the best of the best.  Also in favor of HSM is its location in proximity to Fresh Market, an organic and gourmet foods store; Trader Joe's where I stocked up on delicious frozen entrees; and Stop and Shop.  With the bow thruster repaired, we moved on to Plymouth, MA, our next destination.

And Then There Was the Bow Thruster and Monsters from the Deep

Bob's View:

HINGHAM SHIPYARD MARINA

  Course:      Constitution Marina through Boston Harbor to Spectacle Island, then Hingham Shipyard Marina
  Seas:          None to speak of except being waked by the crazed Boston boaters
  Weather:    Sun and clouds, wind SSW- 10 knts, slight chop in outer harbor, wind came up to 20    knts SSW with 30 knt gusts in afternoon
  Distance run: 14 (N)


The issues with our vessel VELOMER continue to provide daily puzzles.  Today it was the bow thruster.  As we left Constitution Marina at 1130, we were unsure where our night stop was to be.  A call to Hingham Shipyard Marina, where we had stayed last fall on our way north back to our homeport of Spring Point, was made as we departed Boston.  They were not able to provide dockage for us as they had several boats extend their stay.  This was ironic as the reason we had to leave Constitution Marina was that boats were coming in that needed our space.  So it goes.  Anyway, we decided to make for Spectacle Island, part of the National Park System that encompasses several Boston Harbor Islands.  We found a mooring ball that was in 5 feet of water and picked this up against strong tidal current requiring me to use the bow thruster to force VELOMER's bow to starboard so PM could grab the mooring.  The pennant on the ball was extremely short so she rigged a line from VELOMER through the hoop on the pennant and we were secure for the time being.  The beach was full of  tourists escaping the urban heat and scene with screams from kids  jumping into the ocean's chilly water and parents seeking their wayward offspring adding a cacophony of background sound to the ferry horns and loudspeaker announcing arrivals and departures. 

We had a quiet lunch while we waited until 1400 when we expected a return call from Hingham.  As we floated off the beach, we had a conversation about the issues we had met with thus far and overcome.  I reminded PM that boats are like that, they provide constant entertainment with small and sometimes more critical problems.  The joys of living on a boat and cruising as we intend to do for the next 2 years will include numerous repairs, some clever adaptations and a great amount of patience.  A reality of a boat life is that boats float in a hash environment, including wind, waves, salt water and numerous other hazards with which to contend.  So things break or bend from time to time. 

The call back to Hingham gave us a berth for the evening.  As we dropped the mooring, I touched the bow thruster to starboard again to relieve the strain on the line so PM could release us.  There was no thrust, although the electric motor ran at high speed.  I remembered reading in the owners manual that this indicated a problem with the electromotor and shut down the system as advised.  The wind and current from a rising tide carried us into Hingham and the approach to Hingham Shipyard Marina.  Lacking a bow thruster, I maneuvered VELOMER with gentle thrusts from the single prop and adjustments to the rudder.  PM gave the dockhand, Peter, a mid cleat spring line, which I used to leverage the stern toward the dock.  This is first time I had utilized this maneuver and was pleased with the result. 

Bob in the V-berth checking the shear pin

So we had another system to fix.  There could be numerous causes to this failure.  The first and most easily diagnosed was a broken shear pin that connects the drive motor to the lower unit. Climbing into the V berth access, I uncoupled the motor. The shear pin was intact. Probable cause number 2 was a broken drive pin on the propeller shaft.  I considered free diving to check this.  If the pin was broken I would able to turn the prop easily.  The current from the falling tide coupled with the flow of the Hingham River runs to 6-7 knts at the dock,  so diving on the boat was not a reasonable or safe choice.  A short haul would be needed to confirm and fix the expectation of a broken drive pin on the shaft.  The shipyard could do this but not until Friday at noon.  Another night was arranged at the dock.  That evening I thought again about diving on the hull at slack tide the next morning but PM, applying her infinite wisdom, convinced me that as we had already paid for the haul at $7/foot ($252) we should wait for the next day to find out what we needed to do.  I contacted Jim Peterson, at Spring Point as they had just installed the new thruster.  He told be that if the pins are not broken, a problem that occurs 90% of the time and which by the way is not covered by warranty, it sometimes happens that seaweed wraps around the wheel and unwinds the prop from the shaft.  Hmmmm?  This was not passing the straight face test, but we would know more the next day.  The most likely problem was a broken drive pin.  This would be easily fixed. I had discovered spare drive and shear pins attached to the motor when I had worked in the V-berth the day before. 

First Haul at HSM

Friday, VELOMER was lifted from the sea as I sat on the curbside reading the diagram of the steps to replace the drive pin, PM announced "there is nothing there".  At first I assumed she meant there was no seaweed or stick preventing the prop from turning and causing a broken pin.  What she was saying that there was nothing there, no prop, no zinc, although the drive pin was still attached in the shaft.  Hmmmm?  seaweed, really?  A brief consult with Paul, the yard manager, determined that the best option was to order the parts and return VELOMER to the water in the meantime.  We launched and again maneuvered smoothly using the spring line

Nothing There

technique.  I was really liking this option to land against a pier with limited maneuvering room between two boats.  A call to South Portland, several calls to Imtra, the Sidepower wholesaler, and another to Defender and the parts were ordered for a Saturday delivery from Imtra out of New Bedford, Mass.  Friday night was arranged at the dock.  Fridays are the time of loud music at the local party stop at the head of the pier.  That was OK, we had a working AC and were only slightly aware of the very load music origination at the end of our dock.                          

Second Haul

The overnight delivery arrived the next morning, Velomer was hauled again, this time for $5/foot ($180), the prop, washer, locknut and zinc ($176 with shipping) replaced and we were back in the water, all in 30 minutes.  There being no reason to delay, we cancelled our next night dockage and headed out to sea with a repaired bow thruster sounding like it should and working like it was meant to.  Hmmm, seaweed?  I had found the lock nut really hard to tighten with the driver and the set screw securing the zinc, treated, as suggested in the manual, with locktight, also was a very tight fit.  I was seriously doubting the seaweed theory.  Perhaps Jim was also doubting it as he never called me back after speaking with Marty, the mechanic who installed the new thruster. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that the lock nut and allen screw securing the prop and zinc had not been properly tightened after installation of the new unit.

So I will contact Jim Peterson on Monday and "discuss the seaweed theory".

Chilling at Hingham Shipyard Marina

PM's Perspective

I find it unreal that today is our eighth day of our two year adventure.  At moments it seems like we have been on this course for eternity.  At others we can't believe we have been doing this for as many as eight days -- where did the time go?  A part of me thinks that we have been cursed.

First, our departure can only be described as "unpretty."  We originally planned to leave on Wednesday, July 16, headed for Wentworth Marina just outside of Portsmouth, NH, but the weather forecast was abominable.  We delayed a day.  We awoke on Thursday to the promise of a beautiful weather window.  We walked to our favorite breakfast joint, One Fifty Ate, on Benjamin W. Pickett Street and devoured the unique breakfast item only the multi-tattooed owner-chef Joshua could create -- the hippie (toasted bagel with humus, mixed greens, shredded carrots, match-stick cut cucumbers, with salt, pepper and olive oil drizzle topped with uncured apple smoked bacon) -- that we wouldn't be able to get for the next two years. It was particularly delicious and savory.  We took showers at the "comfort station" and returned to the boat to perform an engine check, say our final goodbyes and shove off.  The engine check went well, the engine started and hummed, the electric switches were turned to the cruising positions, and we went to the fly bridge to turn on the instruments.  The radar turned on, the depth finder turned on, the speed indicator turned on.  The GPS, nada.  The GPS had no power to it.  What was going on?

Bob double checked all the usual items.  The cords to the unit were solidly connected.  The switches to the unit were all turned on.  Only one thing to do -- take out all the clothes in the V-berth closet to get to the electric panel and check all the connections in there.  The clothes were removed, the door to the electric panel opened.  To me it looks like a bunch of wires of different colors and thicknesses just thrown in there -- very chaotic.  What a confusing, colossal mess!  Bob started to look for loose connections and blown fuses.  He replaced one fuse and tightened a few connections and viola, the GPS got power.  The one thing we didn't check was whether it was receiving data from the antennae but that's another story.  The doors to the electric panel were closed, all the clothes went back in the closet, and we were ready to go.

Our departure time was around 9:30 AM.  The superb marina staff and fellow boaters helped us with the lines as Velomer backed out of the slip.  The only problem was that the sun and the moon were lined up such that we were experiencing the lowest low tide of the year just as we attempted to depart.  As we eased out of our dock run and entered the main channel Bob noticed Velomer was not quite responding the way he would like.  He looked at the rear of the boat and noticed the prop was churning up vast amounts of mud.  We had hit the bottom!  Fortunately, he was able to put Velomer in reverse and slowly back up to dislodge the boat in search for a deeper part of the channel.  How embarrassing!  Our first few moments out and we hit bottom!  What a way to start our two year journey.  But wait!  There is more to come.

Once into Portland Harbor proper, we noticed that our boat icon on the upper helm GPS was not moving with us.  Something was wrong.  Once out of the harbor and going southwest toward Portsmouth, I took over the helm while Bob went to find the problem.  The clothes came out of the closet, the door to the electrical panel opened. The only problem was that the rocking and rolling of the boat while underway made it impossible to check the circuitry.  Any lurch could set off a stumble which in itself could cause vast numbers of wires to disconnect.  Bob was able to get the lower helm GPS unit working with the icon functioning and brought it up to the fly bridge.  This unit is ancient in terms of tech life and the viewing screen is only 2" by 2" (compared to the newer unit bought less than two years ago with a 12" screen), but it worked and along with the paper charts and looking where we were going got us to Wentworth Marina.  This experience really made me appreciate the courage of early mariners who sailed off into the wild blue yonder with only a knowledge of the stars, no charts, no GPS and limited provisions.  Talk about jumping into the void.  We have not only GPS but radio, Sea Tow, the Coast Guard, and the credit card.  I shouldn't be complaining.

Once safely docked at Wentworth, Bob investigated the electrical connections, connections to the antennae and everything else he could think of that may be the source of the problem.  He finally got on the phone with tech support at Garmin.  Robert, the first techie he spoke with, suggested it was the antennae leads.  After hanging up the phone and trying that solution, it didn't work.  The second techie suggested something else which also didn't work.  At this point it was after 5:00 PM in Kansas where Garmin headquarters is located and tech support wasn't available until the next day.  That evening we got to spend some quality time with our niece Rachel that got our minds off the GPS issue and into the issues of the thirty-somethings.  Rachel and her husband Jeff are the new entrepreneurs of the 21st century!  Both are extremely smart and focused professionally.

As soon as 9:00 AM Kansas time rolled around the next morning Bob was on the phone once again.  Duane, the third techie, suggested a software update and that didn't work.  Steve, the fourth and final techie, suggested he replace the fuse again (for the third time).  Bob resisted saying he's replaced it already but at Steve's recommendation did it anyway and that worked.  Ahhh, the feeling of sweet relief as something goes right! We were so stressed out by our GPS angst that we decided we needed another day at Wentworth to enjoy all systems working on the boat.  That joy was shortlived!

The Start of Our Two-Year Adventure

Bob's View:

Courses and Distance: 
1) Portland, Spring Point Marina, to Portsmouth, Wentworth By the Sea Marina - 41.4 miles (N)
2) Portsmouth to Gosport Harbor, Isle of Shoals - 5.8 miles (N)

3) Isle of Shoals to Boston, Constitution Marina - 50.0 miles (N), 45.79 miles through the water, indicating a tidal lift of almost 5 miles.

Seas and Weather:
1) less than 1 foot chop, swells 2-4 feet at 7-10 second periods, wind variable and light, overcast
2) less than 1 foot, wind light and variable, mostly a flat ocean, ample sunshine
3) less than 1 foot, wind light and variable.  Entrance to harbor very rocky due to idiots going way to fast and passing way to close 

It has been a few days now that VELOMER and her adventurous crew have been to sea.  

PM and I have slowly settled into a sea life attitude after many months on land.  Its hard to describe the difference other than to note land life has many more events to chase: shopping, visiting friends, dealing with supplies, making upgrades to the gear and systems on board, provisioning, dealing with work schedules and tasks, to mention a few. The most distinct difference is that on land, one is always being somewhere at a specific time.  On the water, this is perhaps the most dangerous thing one can do.  If you meet someone, at a specific time, you might need to deal with weather or mechanical delays that would require travel at inopportune times.  This should be avoided for obvious reasons.  When we do connect with someone, we tell them where or when but not both.   Most of our time at the marina in South Portland was spent doing things, going places, meeting people, and generally being very busy all day.  Or so it seems.
  

Now that we are off the shore, most of our time is spent observing things, like the pod of dolphin passing across our bow off Gloucester, the seals that often appear out of the deep water (> 40 fathoms) to look at us before resuming their underwater roaming, and the sea birds that swoop around us at times.  A small sea bird, a storm petrel, I think, landed on our stern rail to rest awhile as we passed Cape Ann.  We have seen no whales as yet but we have days yet to look for them before we enter the warm shallows of Long Island Sound.  Seeing whales, dolphins and various other sea life and feeling a part of their world has become a special treat for us and one we missed while away from the ocean the past 8 months.


Our first day was a long haul, almost 8 hours, as we cruised down the Maine coast to Portsmouth, passing out of Portland Harbor, the Portland Head Light wished us a bon voyage and safe travels, hooting a last horn call as we made for the Portland Light and Navigation Buoy (LNB) off the coast a few miles.  The 4212 Garmin chart-plotter on the flybridge was inoperative and despite attempts to remedy this at sea, we relied on a small back up plotter and paper charts and our eyes to arrive safely at Wentworth Marina on Castle Island outside Portsmouth Harbor.  This marina is a fine one with competent dock hands to secure our craft against the dock.  The available space was tight but with slow and deliberate maneuvering, we achieved a landing without drama,  I noted that the engine idle speed was 100 RPMs lower after the engine had run all day and I will readjust this to 725, a setting that sounds smooth and does not strain the transmission while changing gears.  With a 2.34 reduction, the shaft turns at less than 200 RPMs at idle.  I note that maneuvering VELOMER  is definitely easier after the rudder extension project completed this winter.  And she definitely tracks better using less adjustments by the auto pilot while underway, so adding the 6 inches to the rudder was a fine improvement.  

After our arrival. we began to look at the chart plotter problem.  The plotter provides us with critical position information and tracks our progress along a course entered in the memory.  Without it, cruising is certainly possible but more cumbersome as courses are now point to point with compass and paper chart.  Using the plotter allows us to enjoy the surroundings more and also have more "situational awareness" of the time and distance to go to the next waypoint or to estimate our time of arrival at our final destination that day.  So to fix the problem, I contacted Garmin tech support and we went through all the components of the system, isolating and testing each one as it was powered.  The issue turned out to be simple in the end, something i have noted time and tome again about boat problems.  A small fuse that powered the peripherals, (antenna and depth sounder) had blown.  This 3 ampere fast blow fuse was the one I did not have on board among all the dozens I had in my spares box.  After a trip to Radio Shack, the fuse was replaced.  Unfortunately this new fuse also blew and so the hunt was on for another reason the system kept crashing.  All the electrical fittings were disassembled and checked and refastened and tightened; the attachment to the Garmin backbone was disassembled and rebuilt; the antenna was taken down, taken apart and reassembled; the power cord was minutely examined and generally every inch of the system was inspected.  After replacing the fuse again, the system worked.  It is still working.  Perhaps the first replacement fuse was defective, perhaps it was the loose connection, but we have a working system again, and I know the chart plotter system intimately.




Day 2 of cruising brought us to Boston and Constitution Marina, one of our favorites from last year as it is located in the heart of Charlestown adjacent to the USS Constitution and a short walk across the Charlestown bridge form the North End, where delectable Italian food and the best chocolate on the eastern seaboard is to be found.


This is and will always be recalled as the marina where PM discovered the rear head was not working.  I thought it was more than likely a simple blockage and rigged a hose from the dock to force water through the run from the rear head to the holding tank.  This fix did not produce the result I was hoping for, to the say the least, and I spent most of the rest of the first day at the marina cleaning the area around the head.  Enough said.  This problem, as all boat problems, needed but the right tool. After a few minutes gathering my thoughts and calming down after accusing myself of being a complete idiot for the solution I had attempted, a little research on my I-phone and I found an Ace Hardware in the North End, made the hike across the Charles River Bridge and purchased a snake.  Despite PM's thought of bringing in a Roto Rooter professional, this was a task I felt I could accomplish as an amature.  So another dis-assembly of all the components of the  head to access the 2 1/2 inch line and then detach it from the holding tank at the other end and we were ready.  The blockage proved incredibly hard to dislodge.  We tried liquid Tide and vinegar and let it sit awhile, hoping that that process would soften the whatever.  Another attempt to run the snake through the line from the holding tank end and we were successful in getting it through to other end of the line to the head.  

Then a second error in judgement for the day occurred.  We tied a short piece of clothes line to the snake, thinking this would help clear the line as it was extracted.  This worked for about 10 feet then the snake with the knotted line attached would not budge.  I had PM pull on the line, "harder, harder", I urged.   I had a vision at this point of the blockage freeing with disastrous consequences to PM, who was directly in the line of fire. Fortunately, after an Herculean effort by PM,  the snake suddenly was free and came through with the knotted clothes line still attached. This was followed by a bunch of messy white goo, more like Crisco than the sludge we were expecting.
  

To make a very detailed story short, which I can share to those who wish the full story, it turns out the oil and vinegar we had regularly been putting in the head to lubricate the valves and deodorize the system over the past two years had combined with salt water to form what can be delicately described as arterial sclerosis.  VELOMER needed a dose of Lipitor.  Essentially, we had to perform a colonoscopy on the pipe from the head to the holding tank.  

And we decided another solution to keeping the lines clear was needed,  PM researched the issue on the AGLCA website ( America Great Loop Cruising Association) and found an article by a women, I'll call her the Head Mistress, who knows all about marine heads.  Not only do the lines from marine heads that use salt water accumulate scale, or calcium deposits, but also the animal fats in human waste combine with the salt water to form a pasty substance which eventually will close down the pipe.  In our case the cheap vegetable oil we had been using added fat.  She recommends a solution of 1/2 cup liquid detergent and 1/2 cup of vinegar monthly to keep the lines clear and the components moving freely. So our heads no longer smell like salad dressing but if we ever pump out at sea, a trail of bubbles will follow surely us to port.  We will substitute our former salad dressing with  liquid Tide and vinegar as an anti cholesterol treatment.

It seems that each time we use a marina as a destination, something needs fixing.  This is boat life and often I recall the wisdom of an old boater who intoned, "evr'thang on a boat is broke, you just don know it yet".

So tomorrow we cruise on south to Hingham Boatyard, where we can re provision at a Market Basket and perhaps catch a movie, if we have the time after fixing something else.  

Every day boat life throws a puzzle our way.  VELOMER is certainly keeping us mentally fit to solve these.


I do love this life.

PM's Perspective

Preparing for two years away from home port is a daunting task.  Without ready access to the self-storage unit or the office, we need to think about all the things we may need during the next two years in terms of clothing, equipment, favorite movies, books, kitchen items and the like.  Do I need/want the salad spinner?  The blender?  A magic bullet?  A thermos? How about a Keurig coffee machine?  The electric kettle?  A microwave oven?  What clothes do we really need? We also need to understand the limited storage space on Velomer.  If we have to have an item on board, we have to figure out where to store it, not always a simple task. 


Take for instance, shoes.  Phil and Bettina are getting married October 11 in New York.  A woman needs shoes for such an event.  I'm not sure yet what I am going to wear and I need shoes to go with the outfit.  If I already have a suitable pair of shoes, I can't see spending money on another pair of shoes.  The only solution is to bring several pair of dress up shoes on the boat just in case I need them in October.  The floor of my closet area is already taken up by two pairs of flip-flops, one pair of boating shoes, three pairs of crocs, one pair of athletic shoes, one pair of sandals, one pair of "big-girl" shoes suitable for the office and a pair of hiking boots.  Where am I going to put dress-up shoes?
  


Dampness is also another issue.  You don't want to store shoes in a damp area as leather shoes can get moldy and cloth shoes can rot.  So options are limited.


Last summer during our 100 days out of home port, we became aware that we watched very few movies and listened to very few CDs.  In addition, we have Netflix and Bob has access to music on his I-Phone.  So most of the DVDs and CDs came off the boat.  I also noticed that we had too many towels aboard.  How many towels does a person need?  I figured two each for Bob and me plus two for guests plus two beach towels, three hand towels.  The rest came off the boat and into self-storage.


I know I have too many clothes aboard, but I am having a hard time culling. I have a rain coat, an overcoat, two winter coats (one with a hood, one without), two fleeces, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of khakis, two pairs of black pants, one pair of white pants, countless tops, so say nothing of under garments.  However, we will be gone for two years.  It will be interesting to see if I do where everything at least once.


We've stocked up on lots of toilet paper (which never goes down the head!), paper towels, boxed wine, and dark chocolate (can't have too much dark chocolate).  Fortunately, most marinas are within proximity to grocery stores and have laundry facilities on site. I am ready to roll!

Hello again from VELOMER

Bob's View:

Its been a few months of dry Colorado mountain air for us but PM and I are back in the salt water and ready for another adventure.  We returned to Maine, driving four and a half days across some very flat and very dry American landscapes and are now on VELOMER, getting her ready for a two year cruise.  This transition has not been as smooth as we would have liked presenting us with several mechanical challenges and a few personal ones.

We fixed the newly installed bow thruster after it failed within 2 minutes of splashing two weeks ago at Spring Point in South Portland, Maine. It was an easy fix (an unusual adjective when discussing boat issues) and after increasing the fuse to 400 AMPS from 300 AMPS, which was in line for the older thruster, the system works as it was intended.  Adding a new anchor chain involved three trips to West Maine to get the shackle, the chain, paint for marking the depth and to get the right shackle to accommodate the CQR anchor to 200 feet of 5/16 G40 chain.  Last year we noticed the vast majority of live aboard cruisers use all chain for its holding power.  Our combination of 40 feet of chain and 200 feet of rode worked well but increased our swing so much that we were unable to anchor within a field of other boats, We now can safely do that and intend to anchor often as we cruise down the East Coast to Florida and then start north in January of 2015 for our long anticipated Great Loop Adventure.   I have learned how to do fiberglass work, yea!.  And I hope to get another few coats of Epiphanies High Gloss varnish on the teak before we head south into Caribbean sun.  A routine cleaning of the gas grill showed us it was time to replace it.  And we have been diligently taking things off VELOMER as we need all the storage we can create for all the equipment and stores for a two year cruise.

Phoebe and Erik are planning a trip south in their Naid 39 sailboat from Rhode Island in September/October, and we will connect with them and our then 4 year old twin grandchildren, Trig and Anni, somewhere in Chesapeake Bay in mid October.  We plan then to cruise south connecting with them from time to time to Florida over the next weeks and look to spend Christmas in Key West.  We will start our loop travels in Key West rather than New York and add some 2,200 miles to our travel route but that makes no matter as its the journey, not the destination we seek.

Personal issues have included my taking a temporary job driving the launch at the Centerboard Yacht Club for a month, house sitting, new born chick sitting, cat sitting, plant sitting, garden sitting and generally pretending we were land dwellers again for our dear friends, The Guyots, while they were away in Switzerland for two weeks.  Our tenants have decided to extend the lease on our house for another two years, which kicks that can down the road a bit.  We are turning in our 2012 Nissan Rogue in 10 days as we will not need a car for two years. We also were waiting for PM to testify in a court case.  Her appearance is now scheduled for July 11 after several continuances. My work at Centerboard YC finishes that same day as well.  So, barring any further land issues that get in the way, we will depart Portland for Boston and points south on July 16, 2014, weather permitting and assuming no additional mechanical barriers.  We have learned that boat plans and calendars rarely cooperate, but that is the departure goal for VELOMER looking some two weeks out.

We will keep adding to this blog as time and history permit, so those of you on Google Plus will receive notice when we do and anyone else will need to check e-mail.

It is good to be back aboard VELOMER.  Our nights are peaceful, our sleep is restful and our days are joyful.  We feel we are home again.