We're Almost Famous!

Jessica, the kids and I were lucky enough to meet a couple in Indiantown when we first bought our boat, they became good friends and we were excited when they arrived in Marathon. We were also featured in their blog http://carolandlynton.blogspot.com/

The kids had a side job walking their dog Buddy and we can't wait until we run into them again somewhere on this big ocean. 

IT LIVES!

To say my day started off on the wrong foot would be an understatement. However the race isn't won at the start, it's won at the finish line. 

Up to my eyeballs in projects, I had set aside today to get the solar panels mounted only to have all chances of that crushed by things out of my control. I decided to tackle another major project and began to work on the fuel system and our fouled tank. During our trip down from Indiantown our engine failed us at a very crucial time at 1am with 35kt winds and breaking 6 to 8ft seas (not counting the two times we were knocked down by waves much more significant than that) Our engine didn't actually fail us, I failed the engine. One of the most important things to feed a diesel is clean fuel. I had changed the oil, replaced filters and put fresh fuel in the tank, however I did not take care of the remaining fuel that had been sitting there for over a year and this was the achilles heel. 

Since then I have been running off an external tank I purchased in Ft Lauderdale just to get us down here. Even then I have had my fair share of problems with this jerry rigged solution because the tank is not baffled, resulting in the engine getting a big gulp of air every time we pitched and rolled. Instead of paying a local shop 1,200 dollars to "polish" my fuel tank and clean the fuel, I decided to set up my own polishing loop and take the task on myself. 

After a few trips to West Marine (LOVE going to work on my day off! /sarcasm) I finally amassed the parts needed to get started. Once I set up the loop, fuel pump and filters I flipped the switch and the system began to suck the fuel through the water separator and filter. Almost immediately I watched the bowl fill with water, so I shut it down and drained it off. I did this several times in a few minutes and also noticed how much sediment was accumulating at the bottom. I heard a change in the pitch of the fuel pump and realized my filter was now completely fouled/clogged. I shut the polish loop down again and did a filter change, fired it back up and began again. After numerous filter changes, draining and filling up containers I saw the color of the fuel change. Soon it began to look like the sweet red sauce you get with sweet and sour chicken ;-) It might just have been because I was starving, but whatever, you get the point. The red is the color of off road diesel, just what I was looking for!

Jessica arrived home from work and I had let the loop run for several hours without a clogged filter so I figured "why not try and run the engine off the tank?" "Jess fire it up!" I waited in the engine compartment with my red headlamp on, fingers crossed and holding my breath. I heard the familiar  or should I say, not so familiar sound of the control panel buzz and then with the push of a button it came to life. "Oh my God it started!" I yelled through the cockpit (My neighbors were excited as well to hear me yelling at nearly midnight) We let the engine run for about 20 minutes while I watched the water separator carefully, checked other components and bathed in my triumph. I felt like pounding my chest and yelling "Me make fire" 

I had done it, something that isn't really rocket science, but it's something that 90% of the people cruising would have just paid someone to do. Instead of 1,200 dollars I had a total of 400 invested in the polishing of my tank, 1/3 the cost. Not only had I saved money, but i've also improved the fuel system and made it more reliable. Win/win.. 

Polishing the fuel will now be part of my bi monthly maintenance..

Super Moon, Super Full Life

Jessica and I took the camera, a bottle of red wine and went to the tiki hut so I could get some pictures of the moon. There was quite a bit of cloud cover but I was able to get some decent shots in between. The wind also added another challenge when taking the long exposure shots, it was hard to keep the tripod from shaking and I lost quite a bit of clarity. But Jessica and I enjoyed our wine and the peace of the harbor at night. 

Boot Key Harbor

I miss the harbor full of man made stars, with mast lights bobbing on the horizon. I can't describe the serenity of Boot Key at night, or how many times I sat at the tiki hut alone with a glass of good rum, just sipping slowly while trying to take it all in. I honestly can't think of a place I've been that has almost everything a person could ask for. It's almost the perfect balance of beauty, community, fishing, diving and living. When I say living, I don't mean existing, I mean feeling alive. The way the salt smell hits your nose when the warm wind brushes across your face, the slight taste on your tongue. There has not been a single day that has gone by where I haven't thought to myself "Is this really my life?" 

Well this IS my life, living, breathing, tasting all I can during the short time I have here. I've never been more appreciative of my health, my family, and every day miracles during these moments. There hasn't been a single moment where I've doubted giving up possessions, freeing myself from the rat race and searching out life. Living a life worth living, isn't that all a person can ask for?

Fathers Day Fishing & Working On The Boat

While Fathers day wasn't complete without the kids, it was a blast. My friend Todd was nice enough to take Jessica and I out for an offshore fishing trip. When it comes to fishing, Todd and his girlfriend Debbie are pros. We got there around 6:30am (Jess was less than thrilled about getting up that early) Todd had the boat fueled, full of ice and all we needed to bring was ourselves and drinks! 

We motored out from Marathon and headed south east headed for the Gulf Stream. According to the bouys the stream was 12 to 15 miles off Sombrero Key light. Now being in a power boat after using a sailboat for so long is kind of like getting in a drag car after driving around a model T. We were able to get out there in no time and began the search for seagrass weed lines. Mahi Mahi like to congregate underneath carpets of floating seagrass. You try and troll along a line of grass with a lure skipping at the surface to get their attention. We didn't have the lines in the water for 10 minutes when the first yell of "Fish On" came and I picked up the reel. After several minutes of fighting and reeling, only to have him strip off yards of line in seconds the old guy got tired and I was able to get him to the boat. The school of other young Mahi stayed with him all the way to the boat and we were surrounded by juvenile Dolphin. Unless you've seen the water in the Gulf Stream there is no way to describe how blue, clear and beautiful it really is. 

This guy weighed in around 34lbs and was the biggest one of the day, but overall we landed 9 before being run off the weed line by a band of very nasty storms. 

Jess caught a couple herself and I'm pretty sure she was glad she went. 

After getting run off we decided to head to the sandbar and enjoy the rest of the day before heading in and starting the job of cleaning those fish. 

Jessica really impressed me and cleaned both of hers after some instruction. I swear after almost 15 years she still surprises me constantly. 

PROJECTS

I have ordered my solar panels and they will be here Tuesday. I went with 2 140watt Kyocera panels with Blue Sky controller and battery monitor. This is the start of the solar array and will probably be enough for our needs, but I have no doubt I'll be adding more later. This combined with a larger battery bank will allow more days without sun or wind and hopefully reduce or completely eliminate a generator. I also began the task of replacing all the old fans and halogen lights in the boat. These fans drew 1.5 amps and the halogen lights were energy hogs and they generated a ton of heat. I purchased fans by Camfranco that had LED lighting built in and an option of red lighting. 

Red lighting is used to preserve night vision while sailing or operating at night. Just a small white light can destroy your night vision and it takes about 30 minutes to regain what you lost. The red light option allows us to have light in the boat to navigate our way around but not lose the ability to see a ship or object when it's dark. I also really like the fact that I replaced just fans with more lighting in the boat. The downside is our boat resembles a floating brothel when they are all lit up. "Roxanne" keeps coming to mind! They do also have a nice warm white light that is great for reading. 

Some of the old lights and fans. 

New low draw LED

Every single time I removed a fixture I found something different, from electrical tape to one with just twisted wiring and no insulation. Well now I know they are all done correctly which gives me some piece of mind. 

Now that the lights are done, fans are installed and we have improved our efficiency with all LED, I move on to the project that at this point in time is highest priority.. Wait for it... ..... Fuel filtration!

Yeah believe me it's not exactly fun being in the bilge area covered in diesel and muck, but it's something that is long overdue. Tuesday I will be getting in my new Racor system of filters, which should remedy the only problems we have had with the engine. A diesel lasts virtually forever if you feed it clean fuel and oil, so this should prevent clogging in the future and also clean the tanks. I'll be posting more on that in a how to type video next week. Until then stay tuned, 

Mahalo! 

KAINOA

While the naming ceremony is yet to be performed, the lettering is on and the boat somehow feels more ours. The other name might have had some significance to a specific person, but boy was it God awful. So here she is the S/V Kainoa

As I type this I'm listening to the song Kainoa by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. 

WirieAP

Yesterday I solved a problem that has been restricting my access to the internet by purchasing a device that picks up networks up to a mile away, rebroadcasts under the network name of my choice and my entire boat has WiFi. Sounds almost too good to be true, but it's a great little device and well worth the money. I was spending a fair amount per month buying data for the Ipad and with the entire family using it, it went quickly. Now they can use all they want and it runs off the 12volt battery bank on the boat. The powered antenna and the router all run 12volt with 1 power cord! When I installed it yesterday it brought up no less than 40 internet connections, including Wendy's which is almost a mile away and obstructed by buildings. 

The best part is the device is mounted at deck level and is still working this well, elevating it will greatly increase it's range and networks! Heck I might just throw it at the top of the mast lol. There have been people anchored in semi remote places that have picked up an unobstructed signal at over 5 miles.. Think about how many WiFi networks there are within 5 miles of you right now, needless to say I'm ecstatic. 

Paddle-boarding

Our friends Charles and Hillary came over for dinner the other night, and in addition to a great meal Jessica got to go paddle-boarding for the first time. However I'm sad to report there was no falling in, upsetting since I had the camera out and was ready for a viral youtube hit! I did get some decent photos though. 

Here is a shot of a waterspout from one of our recent storms. 

More to come soon, stay tuned!

New Beginnings, New Name

There really hasn't been a whole lot to show lately, mostly spending my time designing systems and not yet implementing them. I've had a few emails asking for photos, but to be honest the photos would be of plans, diagrams and ideas not really anything tangible, however tomorrow wil be a major step in moving forward.  

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 we will get the new lettering on the boat and she will get her official name. There will be a ceremony done in the very near future with plenty of photos and we will use it as an excuse to throw a party! I am putting the finishing touches on a new fuel system and will be ready to go with that in the next week. This will allow a lot more sailing and going out with the boat. Yes she is a sailboat, but she is a stout, slow boat that doesn't sail well in light wind so using an engine to get out to the ocean is a must. 99% of the problems we have ever had with this boat has been fuel related. 

When we go to pickup the kids on June 30th we will swing by Ft Lauderdale to pickup our new solar panels. At this point I think I'm sticking with 2 Kyocera 140watt to start, however it's all subject to change and I might just go with 4 for a total of 560watts. This would be enough to run everything on our boat and charge everyone in the harbors electronics lol. But hey I'd rather have too much than not enough. I'm waiting until the end of summer to install a completely new battery bank of 3 8D AGM 245 AH batteries. Plenty of solar, wind power and a decent bank are key to surviving several days without sun. 

Photos of the new name will be posted tomorrow.