Downrigging continued…

8 May

So, I’ve started working through things in lists.  It seems easier that way, and tackling a project at a time means that I’ll have a sense of accomplishment as I move along through all the systems to be dealt with.  Originally, I had intended to haul out immediately and soda blast the bottom for repair, barrier and paint.  With the mast issues, that makes no real sense, so I’ve been pulling her down up top.  The sails have all been downrigged and are in storage.  The boom is on deck.  I’m still working a scheduling the crane around my work schedule.  I had intended to give shears a try, but a few rough calculations determined that building shears tall enough would essentially be the same as hiring the crane to pull my stick.

With that project as far as I can personally take it, I’ve started looking at what I’ll need to make it through the summer living aboard.  With the Whitby, I was spoiled.  Twin a/c units onboard, as well as a reefer and freezer.  Nautilus touts none of these.  Already though, it’s become apparent that ice in the cooler isn’t going to cut it.  I need refrigeration, and intend to add it anyway, so it’s moved to the forefront of the list.  Engel makes a really sweet unit that’s [relatively] inexpensive and extremely reliable.  It’s simply a matter of measuring and ordering, as well as re-insulating my icebox until I can whip up some aerogel.  I’ll hopefully be ordering that in the next week, but it’s also become apparent that I’m going to have to upgrade my electrical system sooner rather than later.  To that end, I’ve been shopping distribution panels and trying to make sense.  Should I keep the panels (12vdc/120vac) separate?  Should I get a combined panel?  Do I like the current installation, under the companionway?  Would I be better suited redesigning the layout?  Should I redesign the whole boat?  I think I need to slow down a bit.  As it stands, I’m leaning towards simply replacing and rewiring the existing components.  While I very much enjoy Nautilus, I don’t know how long I’ll ultimately have her.  I also don’t want to gut her and end up with a floating “basket case.”

Lastly, and as much as I hate to admit it, air conditioning is a necessity.  I say this because I live with my dog.  While I’m off sailing tall ships during the day, he patiently waits at home, chewing up my blankets and rummaging through the trash.  It hits upwards of 100F here during the summer, and he simply won’t last without a/c.  Admittedly, it helps me sleep better too, after being outside all day pulling on halyards.  With that being said, I do not want integrated a/c.  I bought Nautilus because she is not complicated.  The last thing I want is a ton of onboard, unnecessary systems.  As far as I’m concerned, once I set sail, I’ll simply find a different latitude if I find myself too hot or cold.  Therefore, I’ll be either modifying a window unit (super trailer park, I know) to fit the boat, or going with a removable hatch mounted unit.

Enough for now, I’m back on Alliance tomorrow.  Come see me and let’s go for a sail.

- CC

So…

22 Apr

You’re probably wondering where the heck I am.  I say it so many times, but once again, I’ve been lax in my blogging.  What should have been an easy task of finding wifi while cruising the ICW was not actually the reality.  Unless I was in a marina, WiFi was scarce, and even in the marinas it was not guaranteed.  So what’s going on?

Well, as mentioned in the last post, I’m back in Virginia.  We tied up last Thursday @ Riverwalk Landing in Yorktown.  I started back on Alliance on Monday, working back in the daysail circuit.  For those that don’t know, Alliance is the three masted schooner upon which I was employed last summer.

Schooner Alliance

So I’m back at Yorktown now…Nautilus is currently berthed at Crown Pointe Marina.  Crown Pointe is a little further of a drive than Yacht Haven was, but it’s a good bit cheaper with close to the same amenities, so I’m there for a month to check it out and see if I’ll stay.

So we had the mast issues coming across the Bahamas (I’m still working on seeing if I can get good pics posted) and that prevented a jaunt around Hatteras on the outside.  This basically meant the ICW route north, which meant a longer transit.  Running the ICW at night is difficult, and wind is rare.  The tides and currents frequently drop speeds below 4 knots.  Erik had work…he went ahead and came back via rental car.  Lauren flew home for work, and off I headed, north via the ICW.  From North Palm Beach to Savannah, I was solo.  Savannah saw my grandfather flying in from Norfolk…he was a captain on the west coast, and always wanted to do the ICW.  He flew in, and off we went.  I’ll post more pics and such but, in the mean time, here’s the list of things that broke during the transit.  The thing about boats is that they tend to fall apart when no one is around to love them.

Here it is:

Windvane – kicks off to the side and won’t stay in line.  It worked for a while, but no longer steers the boat

VHF – poor reception and transmission.  Appears to either be ground plane issues or antenna connector corrosion

Starter Switch – faulty corroded wiring causes issues

Fuel gauge – works intermittedly

Tach – not reading

Lighting – cuts out when hot

Nav lights – LED bulbs suck.  Need to revert to standard bulbs

Windlass – literally fell off.  Bowsprit appears soggy

Oil Extractor broken – need to replace in order to change oil

Water pump – leaking, needs rebuilt

Packing gland – leaking around shaft

Ports – leaking

That’s immediately what comes to mind in terms of the things broken in transit.  There are many other projects, of which I’ll compile a list.  In the meantime, come see me aboard Alliance!

- CC

I am officially back in the great state of Virgini…

10 Apr

I am officially back in the great state of Virginia for the first time since mid January.

Fifty thousand dollars, and 6 months abroad.

25 Mar

Now that I have your attention…I get a lot of “Oh man, this is awesome” and “You’re doing life right!” and “I’m living vicariously through you…keep the pics coming!” I definitely appreciate the support and the shared adventure. If it wasn’t for the people that comment, respond and re-post, I probably wouldn’t be in to blogging that much. Now, I can’t say I’m a huge blogger…I need to get a better camera and get better about taking notes, but I do a fair share of reading other blogs, SEO eBooks and generally devouring all things travel and sailing. I even have a pretty fantastic support network in Lauren, who is frequently closer to internet access than I am. [read: not in the middle of the ocean] She’s constantly sending things across “my desk” that may be of interest, and it’s always a race to see if the other had heard of some new discovery first. A while back, we both stumbled upon a really awesome travel page, and we’ve been following it for a while now. Although I did re-blog one post, I’ve been remiss in fully explaining the site or giving proper attention where it is due. That being said, if you’re an e-traveler dreaming of far off coasts and wild adventures while living vicariously through those wanderers of us out here, allow me to introduce you properly to the ultimate level in armchair travel.

Bucket List Publications

Lesley Carter started out like the rest of us. Massive college debt, an early marriage and generally just trapped in the system, harboring dreams of travel. Unlike a lot of us though, Lesley fed the beast. She’d work during the year teaching, coaching and volunteering, and then jet off to exotic places during the summer months. I won’t ruin the whole awesome story, but eventually something had to give, and travel took precedence. Lesley was able to refocus her life to what was truly important and, together with a new partner, launched a website and blog so that we can all follow along. Every year, her bucket list is revisited, revised and re-posted. Bungee jumping? Check. Skydiving? Of course. Knife fighting James Bond style on top of a moving maglev train as is speeds across Europe? Okay, maybe she’s still working on that one, but the point is she’s done a lot of awesome stuff, and has committed the time and energy to making it available for all of us to enjoy. She’s even gone so far as setting up a program for giving back to the readers and helping you cross items off your bucket list.

155954_10151285199054375_693395094_n

I don’t want to spoil your reading…there are hours and hours of entertainment on her blog…but Lesley needs our help. A website called My Destination is running a contest for the ultimate bucket list experience. The deal is a 6 month trip to 6 different continents, complete with $50k at the end. Lesley is currently in first with 7 days to go, so read her blog, check out her submission video and vote in as many ways as you can via the social media links.  There is a button below that will take you right there, but you can vote through a variety of different ways, so help out if you can. She’ll definitely appreciate it, and I personally guarantee the coverage will be amazing, the adventures plenty. Besides…The next time you find yourself needing a ride in a Rolls Royce to get to the spa, you just may know a gal.

Vote for me

Lesley’s Blog:  http://www.lesleycarter.wordpress.com

Lesley’s Travel Magazine: http://www.bucketlistproductions.com

The link to vote for Lesley:  http://www.mydestination.com/users/lesley/bbb#tab

23 March, 2013 16:59

23 Mar

So I’m making my way up the ICW. I have pictures, I swear, but I’ve just been cruising from one shitty internet connection to the next. Even the marina internet hasn’t been reliable enough to upload hi rez photos. I’m bound for Thunderbolt just south of Savannah, so hopefully things work out better there. I’ve been solo since I left North Palm Beach, but my grandfather is joining the ship at Thunderbolt. He used to be a captain on the west coast, and always wanted to do the ICW when he came east, but just never had the chance. It’ll be super cool to spend some time with him…the older I get the less and less I see family unfortunately. It’ll also be cool to be able to fulfill something so awesome for him.

In the meantime, I’m just trying to get there! Jumped up this morning in Georgia…did I mention I made it to Georgia? Anyway, I see why a lot of people skip Georgia and go outside. The biting gnats are already pretty killer, and seem to think pure DEET is merely a seasoning. Also, there’s a lot of back and forth and zigging and zagging which means actual straight line distance falls off drastically. That being said, it’s a beautiful state. Unlike Florida, which was plagued with houses all over the canal and giant amounts of boat traffic, Georgia is a lot of small, deserted islands. There are some remote houses out here which can only be reached by boat, but they are few and tasteful. The seclusion must be fantastic.

I left my anchorage early this morning trying to get as far north as I could before the thunderstorms set in. I made it 17 miles, and was up a small creek that wasn’t technically part of the ICW but had enough water for me to sneak through and shave 5 miles off the trip. The weather had set in, and some lightning aft of me caused me to go ahead and drop the hook for a bit. Also, I had skipped breakfast in order to get an earlier start, so I popped a chicken in the oven for later, and made a sandwich.

Funny thing about weather…it’s not picky. A sailboat looks and acts suspiciously like a lightning rod and, sure enough, the boat took a direct hit. Being in Georgia, you frequently find yourself being the tallest thing around for miles. Any way, as of yet there appears to be no damage. all my electronics still seem to be in order, although it’s not yet dark enough to check the masthead light. The wind and weather is coming from where I want to go (naturally) at a consistent 18mph with gusts to 30, so I moved three more miles, and tucked in off Sapelo Island. Hopefully the morning brings better conditions. Hopefully Thunderbolt brings better internet. At least the chicken turned out fantastically juicy.

- CC

So…what happened?

13 Mar

The plan was simple.  Sail the mariah back from St. Croix via the Bahamas, spending some time there before blasting up the coast via the stream to VA.  So what happened?  Well, after spending a week with some chill ass homies in STT, we staged in Culebra before setting out nonstop for Nassau.  6 days in, and the weather turned against us.  We ducked in under Cat Island, and my girlfriend met us by pure luck.  We spent a couple days with Danny, a local Cat Islander and an all around good guy.  We then split for Eleuthera.

It was a beat dead to weather.  The boat stalled on a big wave, and the momentum of the rig caused the already weak and rusty mast step to buckle.  So much for making it outside Hatteras.  Also, the g/f had work to think about.  We left Eleuthera too soon, and made a line for Florida. 

Sidenote….NW Providence Channel is CRAZY busy.  At one point during the 12-4am watch, I could see 20 ships, including the red and greens of a giant cruise ship bearing down on us.

Anyway, we made Florida in 2 days, put in at North Palm Beach Marina, and my crew split.  I am now making my way solo up the intercoastal waterway.  I should have paid more attention to what Erik was doing.

Day 1 is in the bag.  I’m northbound.  Here’s a pic of sunset tonight off Jensen Beach.  Also, the Spot link is still live.

-CC

image

And…

3 Mar

Beat through the nasty ass storm last night. Waves were crashing over the boat…we lost the life ring. Spent 5 hours beating 3 miles upwind this morning in order to take on fuel, cleared customs and Lauren is now aboard. Cell phones are not working here. We are tucked up in Smith Bay near the government dock trying to ride out the westerly breeze. Starter is malfunctioning, the windlass fell off and the VHF does not seem to be reaching out. Also, the chain plate took a shitty hit on the shitty dock, but it looks like we’ll be okay. Here for a day or two before we split. Glad to know these are officially getting out, although I am not receiving return emails.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 70 other followers

%d bloggers like this: