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!

A short work session over the weekend

Spending the weekend during a business trip to the USA in Florida, allowed me to work on the boat. The plan was, to install the new Legacy tank monitor system, to document the fuel tank and system, work on the anchor windlass and other minor left overs. Oh, and I had to register the new dinghy with the DMV - my favorite task...

First thing I did, was grabbing the documents, which came with the new inflatable, filled in the required form for the title application and rushed to the DMV. Well, the line was bad and I was called quickly to a desk. But then the odyssey started over!

The person behind the desk probably never registered a new dinghy for a title! Some of the questions were really interesting, such as:
- Where do I find the length of the boat on this form? (Remember, I'm the alien, and it's their form!!!)
- How deep is this boat drawing? (Common, it's an inflatable dinghy!)
- Oh, you are not a resident, are you sure you can apply for a title?
But guess what, only seconds after she took the documents, she told ma that I need to pay a late fee, because I did not register within 30 days from the purchase date.
After an hour, I was done, had the registration card and the decal in my hand, and somewhat more than $100.- less money in my pocket.

For the rest of the weekend I worked on the boat. And I was just able to complete the installation of the tank monitor system before I had to leave again. But the result is very satisfying.

The new tank monitor system is installed and fully operational. I only need to calibrate the sensors, when visiting for the next time. For more details on the system and the installation progress, click here.

Finally out on the North Atlantic Ocean

Ok, the last couple days were not as planned nor as expected! We had to deal with a lot of smaller and larger issues. Finally we made it resolve ally the problems to go safely on a sail trip. Sure there is ore to do, but most of it is minor stuff and none of it is safety relevant.

The experiences from the past couple days were scratching on my self-confidence. Knowing the two of us we would be a bit short handed, when heading towards the Atlantic Ocean with a 41 ft sailboat, which we both don't really know. We had to pass the St. Lucie Inlet, of which you can read a lot of scary stories, to deal with navigational difficulties on the ICW with the passage of Cross Roads, current and tidal effects in sometimes very shallow waters along our way to the inlet.

So I decided to hire a local captain to help us out getting away from the dock, finding our way through the tricky waterway and stand aside with a hand and knowledge, whenever needed. It was a perfect decision. We found a fantastic local captain, who worked 25 years as a Marine Surveyor and captain of large yachts in the Caribbean waters. After a 2hrs inspection of the boat and many good recommendations, we were ready to go. We were heading to the North Atlantic Ocean for the first time!

It was a fantastic experience and we learned a lot about the area, the ICW and the St. Lucie Inlet. The weather was calm and the conditions just perfect. The passage of the Inlet was smooth and easy. We passed through at almost slack tide with only 8 kts of wind from the South. On the ocean we set sails, did some maneuvering and just enjoyed our time on the boat.

Back on the ICW Mark showed us some nice places where we could sail without going out on the ocean, nice places to have a rest or anchor at night. We also tired out the new Mantus Anchor. The ground was sandy. The Anchor was set immediately and did not move one inch, once it had reached the ground. Ok, the conditions were not right to provide an ultimate result. But I was more than happy with the first attempt.

Thank you very much Mark!

Still at the dock!

Upon the arrival at the marine, the boat was in the water and looked just fine. I thought I only need to do some quick fixes, and we would be ready to sail on. Now I know how wrong I was! The issue with the alternator turned in to a nightmare ( you can read more about it on the project page). And as always, there were more issues coming up! I had to deal with a Dinghy loosing it's bottom, a generator spitting water high in the air, a seized anchor windlass and many more.

Although fixing all the issues can be very frustrating, I always enjoyed to work on the boat. I like to work on technical stuff because it is so different to what I do on my job. Nevertheless the Admiral was sometimes not so pleased. So we had to find the balance between working on the boat and enjoying our holidays by spending time on the beach and other leisure activities.

The weather was far from being perfect. It rained much more often than expected and we had higher winds of 25 kts for almost every day. So not really the perfect conditions for a relaxing introductional cruise on a sailboat.

Ready for a cruise?

After a comfortable flight, we are back in Florida. The plan is to resolve some issues such as with the alternator and then to cast off towards the Keys. We plan on sailing south on the outside  or on the inside of the ICW, depending on the weather and the sea conditions. Taking a break in North Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

The boat should be ready in the water. So we are confident to leave on tuesday by latest. There is no fix schedule. So let's see wehere the wind will take us!

A short visit

In conjunction with a business trip to the U.S., I had the chance to go to Florida for two days. While trying to determine the correct replacement for the broken steaming light, I noticed that one of the spreaders was not properly aligned.

I had Mack Sails to go aloft and to perform a rigg inspection. So I'm looking forward to meet with the rigger and see what the outcome will be.

Altough the inspection could result in new surprises, at least the rental car was worth the trip! The rental car company made a mistake with my reservation. After a annoying administrative nightmare, they offered me this fantastic car at no extra cost! :-)