The new dodger is in place

Now I'm excited! The new dodger is installed, and I think it came out just perfect. The frame is strengthened with vertical struts, which give it much more strength. In addition it has a smile in the very large front window, allowing for a good airflow, when laying at the dock or anchor.

In addition, I added a connector, closing the gap between the dodger and the bimini. The whole cockpit is now covered and it provides shadow and protection from an occasional downpour.

So far, we did not add screening nor sidewalls. We will find out, if we really need these costly things. We will always have the possibility, to add the at a later point in time.

When did you dare to peek under your shower cabin for the last time?

It happened when I did some cleaning the interior of the boat last week. I had a bucket full of water to empty and it rained outside. So I decided, to pour it in the shower stall and let it out through the shower drain and then to be pumped overboard by the sump pump.

Surprisingly, the water disappeared rather quick, and the sump pump jumped on for a very short time only. Wow, what a performance, I said to my self....

Whilst sitting at home and thinking about the pending boat projects, I was suspicious about the apparently huge performance of the sump pump, or is the shower drain attached to the holding tank? I decided to look after this first thing in the morning.

Being back on the boat, I wanted to follow the installation of the shower drain. Yes, you already know it - the accessibility to the drains plumbing was like pretty much anything on boats, simply terrible. Even just trying to take a picture with the cell phone or the camera did not yield the expected results. To get a good view, I had to remove two batteries and the battery compartment.

Once I could see the plumbing of the shower drain, immediately it was clear: it was not the performance of the sump pump, which helped to drain the shower stall that quick!

The broken fitting of the shower drain

 Time to find a replacement!

All the water drained in the hull and finally ended up in the bilge. Lucky, that it was water only!

I have no idea, on how the fitting could crack up that way. Ice could have been an explanation, but sure not on this boat, sitting in Florida all the time. At least it was simple to remove the fitting. I tried to find a replacement at WM, without any luck. Finally, I contacted SBO. They carry the part and it even is not expensive! So I placed the order and put the installation of the part on top of the to do list for my next trip to Florida.

  

Ready for a new dodger

Some time ago, Tranquilizer was equipped with a dodger. But all that is left from this dodger is the tubing. We definitively want a dodger. Yesterday, I met with a canvas specialist to discuss the possile shape and the options, which could be included. We found a suitable design and defined the features, such as stabilizing struts for the foreward tubing and a smile to allow the breeze blowing through the cockpit, when at anchor or at the dock. If all goes well, the new dodger will be installaed by the end of Mai 2015.

While spending a couple days in the area, I will get a couple of projects done. The water tanks needs to be cleaned, flushed and refilled. I also need to connect the new depth transducer to the network. Then I will try make it happen, that the doors of the fridge and freezer will seal much better than they do right now. This will hopefully help to reduce the uild up of ice on the cooling plates significantly. In addition, I will wash and  wax the hull. Let's see wehere I'll end up, before I need to go backup noth to the project I'm working on.

New electronics

It's done!
We have pulled the old autopilot, the instruments, cables etc. and just finished up with the installation of the new electronics. The detailed research and planning before buying and starting the job was key to success. Now everything is in place. What a new look at the helm!

The old helm station

The all new helm station

Of course we did not had the chance to play around and try all new features, provided by the new instruments. So we look forward to the next time, visiting Tranquilizer, to find out more about the new capabilities. The only thing we can't change is the wind, anything else seems to be built in... :-)

A new engine and an all new dinghy experience

I told you about the experiences we had, with the old dinghy and the old two stroke, 3hp outboard engine. The inflatable was replaced a while ago. The engine was next on the list. After arriving in Florida, I ha a big X-Mas present to unpack. The new Tohatsu four stroke 6hp outboard engine has arrived.

We immediately started the break in process and gained an all new boating experience with the new dinghy and the new engine. Even being restricted at 50% throttle during the break in period, the boat planed with more than 300 lb load aboard! Fun, fun, fun!

So I only needed something to flush the engine with sweet water and store it securely while not being in town. I found a solution, which saved me a lot of money and works perfect, even for two engines!

The new engine stand

Ok, there is room for improvement by adding a larger bucket. Next time...

A fantastic day on the water

The weather forecast was just perfect; light winds and plenty of sun. So we decided to head out on the water. We left the dock later in the morning and made our way down the Manatee Pocket, to Cross roads and turned north-east towards the St. Lucie River.

Only a few boats crossed our way. A perfect day to relax and enjoy the boat. Since the sails were still at the sail loft for inspection, we motored all the way, which gave us plenty of time to further discover the environment.

In some areas, the St. Lucie River is wide and deep enough to sail, with a boat which is drawing 5 feet, and tack from one shore to the other while being in protected waters. It would be also a perfect location for an overnight stay. Just make sure to be away from the channel. The current can be fairly strong.  We encountered up to 2.9 knots of current while being at anchor. It certainly would be a good idea to have a floating line out on the water, if you intend to swim. We always throw 50 feet of a floating line with a floating rescue cushion attached at one end and securely fastened at an aft cleat.

Returning from Cross Roads to the Manatee Pocket

Looking back towards Cross Roads and the St. Lucie River

The docked boat in the evening

Even if not venturing towards the Atlantic Ocean, the area has got a lot to offer! It's the Treasure Coast.

The new controller is installed!

Already the first day after arrival, we started to replace the old, corroded and very stiff single lever controller, the shifter and the throttle cable. After all, it was a straight forward process, with a fantastic result!