May 26, 2016 I wasn't able to be there for the haul out. Paul sent me these photos.
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Owl Moon sitting on the 30,000 lb. hydraulic trailier they use at Regent Point for hauling boats.
Tractor Pull
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Sunday, May 29, 2016
Regent Point Haul Out
Friday, May 6, 2016
Work List
Well, I haven't blogged about some of the issues we've encountered during the short time we've spent on Owl Moon. Not surprisingly, there are some. I want over the boat with Paul Andersen, Regent Point Boatyard Manager, and came up with a list. Here it is:
1) Replace head hose intake and discharge hoses on both heads.
We have a leak in the plumbing for the forward head and the intake hose is not the proper hose...replacing all the hoses this time seems to be a good idea.
2) Install Raritan Elegance head in aft head station assuming it will physically fit.
The aft head needs to have its joker valve replaced and the electric head is inefficient with it's use of water. We liked the ease of use of the VacuFlush head we installed on Red Rover and the Raritan Marine Elegance seems to offer some of the same features with less space required for installation.
3) Investigate and propose seawater intakes solution for Aft head, Generator, Water maker and Deck Wash pump.
Right now water maker is sharing intake with generator (this does not seem a good idea) and the heads share an intake. An intake designed for the aft head is not being used.
4)Replace Deckwash pump with more powerful unit.
Pressure of the current pump is not enough to clean mud off the chain without extensive spraying
5) Repair engine room insulation
6) Investigate DC charging system operation for proper operation and label various components. Write up narrative that explains different scenarios. systems to check are:
a) Engine Alternator charging
b) Solar Panel charging
c) Wind generator charging
d) Generator Charging both 120volt battery charging and charging of generator battery by generator dynamo
e) Shore power battery charging with charger and what other batteries are being charged.
There is a 150 amp alternator on the engine. However, when running at moderate to high rpm, we often see negative amps on the monitor on the panel. The voltage alarm goes off on the engine panel, even when running at high rpm. It is a complex electrical system with multiple sources for charging and I would like to understand how it all works.
7) Frigoboat Freezer compressor repair. Likely Module repair. While system is running, and water heater is up to temp, check ambient air temp of compartment.
The freezer has not been working since we launched in St. Augustine.
8) Knotmeter repair
This has not been working since the beginning
9) Check and correct heading sensor offset
Heading is off by about 15 degrees...it could be the things we have stored in the aft shower compartment are throwing off the fluxgate compass...hope to check that this weekend.
10) Investigate all Bomar Hatch hatch hardware for replacement along with gaskets. Compare cost with replacement of entire hatch assembly. Exclude hatches under dodger.
The hatches leak when we get water in a sideways direction on the cabin top.
11) Aft Bulkhead water damage repair and locate source.
Hope we can find the source of the leak and fix it. It gets the bunk wet in the aft cabin.
12) Design, procure, install Boom preventer attachment point to both starboard and port Chain plate assembly.
We rigged a temporary attachment on the chain plate for our trip north...need to make something more permanent.
13) Haul boat, Remove mast and boom. Remove keel and investigate Keel- Hull Joint water integrity failure. Repair as needed utilizing Tartan Marine specs. Check Centerboard operation and components. Reassemble
Bottom line is that we will not be able to enjoy Owl Moon for a while. There will always be a list of things to be done, but once these items are completed, we should have a great boat. We are hoping to be back aboard in time to head north for the Corinthians summer cruise in Maine.
1) Replace head hose intake and discharge hoses on both heads.
We have a leak in the plumbing for the forward head and the intake hose is not the proper hose...replacing all the hoses this time seems to be a good idea.
2) Install Raritan Elegance head in aft head station assuming it will physically fit.
The aft head needs to have its joker valve replaced and the electric head is inefficient with it's use of water. We liked the ease of use of the VacuFlush head we installed on Red Rover and the Raritan Marine Elegance seems to offer some of the same features with less space required for installation.
3) Investigate and propose seawater intakes solution for Aft head, Generator, Water maker and Deck Wash pump.
Right now water maker is sharing intake with generator (this does not seem a good idea) and the heads share an intake. An intake designed for the aft head is not being used.
4)Replace Deckwash pump with more powerful unit.
Pressure of the current pump is not enough to clean mud off the chain without extensive spraying
5) Repair engine room insulation
6) Investigate DC charging system operation for proper operation and label various components. Write up narrative that explains different scenarios. systems to check are:
a) Engine Alternator charging
b) Solar Panel charging
c) Wind generator charging
d) Generator Charging both 120volt battery charging and charging of generator battery by generator dynamo
e) Shore power battery charging with charger and what other batteries are being charged.
There is a 150 amp alternator on the engine. However, when running at moderate to high rpm, we often see negative amps on the monitor on the panel. The voltage alarm goes off on the engine panel, even when running at high rpm. It is a complex electrical system with multiple sources for charging and I would like to understand how it all works.
7) Frigoboat Freezer compressor repair. Likely Module repair. While system is running, and water heater is up to temp, check ambient air temp of compartment.
The freezer has not been working since we launched in St. Augustine.
8) Knotmeter repair
This has not been working since the beginning
9) Check and correct heading sensor offset
Heading is off by about 15 degrees...it could be the things we have stored in the aft shower compartment are throwing off the fluxgate compass...hope to check that this weekend.
10) Investigate all Bomar Hatch hatch hardware for replacement along with gaskets. Compare cost with replacement of entire hatch assembly. Exclude hatches under dodger.
The hatches leak when we get water in a sideways direction on the cabin top.
11) Aft Bulkhead water damage repair and locate source.
Hope we can find the source of the leak and fix it. It gets the bunk wet in the aft cabin.
12) Design, procure, install Boom preventer attachment point to both starboard and port Chain plate assembly.
We rigged a temporary attachment on the chain plate for our trip north...need to make something more permanent.
13) Haul boat, Remove mast and boom. Remove keel and investigate Keel- Hull Joint water integrity failure. Repair as needed utilizing Tartan Marine specs. Check Centerboard operation and components. Reassemble
Bottom line is that we will not be able to enjoy Owl Moon for a while. There will always be a list of things to be done, but once these items are completed, we should have a great boat. We are hoping to be back aboard in time to head north for the Corinthians summer cruise in Maine.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Owl Moon Makes it to the Chesapeake
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 We got up early and departed Charleston Harbor Marina just before sunrise. The wind was out of the southwest allowing us to raise our main on the inside and motor sail out the harbor entrance into the ocean. The Canadian model and NWS forecast turned out correct and we had a wonderful broad reach out to our waypoint beyond Frying Pan Shoals with full main and reacher.
Laurie and I took the 7-11 pm watch, turning things over to Diane and John W. just before reaching our waypoint. Turning towards Beaufort at the waypoint would be too close to dead downwind, so we just came down as much as we could and continued on in a NE direction. Big waves were rolling in towards our aft quarter right near the edge of the Gulf Stream.
Laurie and I came back on for the 4-7 watch and made the jibe to port to head to Beaufort. At 6:10 am, 24 hours after leaving Charleston, we had gone 175 nautical miles, many of them under sail power alone. Not long after sunrise, the wind backed and lightened leaving us dead downwind so we furled the jib and motored the rest of the way to Beaufort.
Our plan was to go to Morehead City Yacht Basin, but as we approached the bridge across the ICW, the height showed less than 64’. The strong SW wind had blown water up into the inlet, making the high tide extra high. So, we turned around and headed back around to Beaufort where we stopped at Town Creek Marina. We almost went aground because the updated Navionics charts did not show the shallow water on the east side of the channel going from the entrance to Beaufort town channel heading north towards the bascule bridge. Our timing was right on for the 1:30 bridge opening…only had to wait about 5 minutes.
Bill Fonvielle met us at the marina with some new provisions and joined John W. and me aboard Owl Moon. Diane and Laurie drove his car back to Alexandria. After topping off diesel and water tanks, we were on our way at 2:40 pm to put some IMCW miles behind us before sunset. The marina provided us a chart that helped us navigate the back way out of Beaufort, missing the Morehead City Bridge, and we joined the ICW at SM 203. We made good time and anchored in Broad Cr. off the Neuse River (SM 174) at 6:15 PM.
As the sun was setting, I went up the mast to remove the Raymarine wind instrument because the 64’ Wilkerson Bridge was in our path for the next day. I left the windex on the mast because I did not have a wrench with me. At least the windex was less expensive and easier to replace than the Raymarine, and was not as high above the top of the mast. I also left the VHF antenna on, the highest thing above the water, since it is flexible and we needed it.
Friday, April 29, 2016 Another early start...we were off at 6:30 am, as soon as we could see the daymarks and crab pot floats. Around noon as we approached the Wilkerson Bridge, the water level at Bellhaven nearby on the Pungo River showed a little under 1’ (http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=mhx&gage=blhn7) and had probably just reached peak for the cycle. NE winds blowing all day following a couple of days of strong SW gave hope that we could get under the bridge. Approaching the bridge cautiously, we could read 64’ clearly and maybe there was even a little more than 64’. At 64’, I was confident I would not make contact with the anchor/tricolor light at the top of the mast, but wasn’t sure about the windex. As we went under, the VHF bent over and scraped across the bottom of the bridge. We also made contact with the spike on the top of the windex that is there to ward off birds, but the windex did not come down. Whew! That was our biggest concern about going inside from Beaufort to bypass the bad weather off Hatteras. Now we had 125 more miles of ICW ahead of us with more 65’ bridges and some bridges that would need to open for us to continue on.
Motoring down the Alligator/Pungo Canal was pleasant at first, the sun had come out and we were sheltered from the NE wind, but after a while it became a bit tedious. As JW pointed out, the whole length of the canal we were heading east and not towards Portsmouth. Coming out into the Alligator River, we had strong NE winds with chop against us all the way to the swing bridge near the mouth where we left the ICW to anchor behind Durant Island (SM 82). We found the SW shore of the island well protected from the NE wind and anchored there for the night at about 6 pm, knowing that the NE wind was to continue through tomorrow.
Saturday, April 30, 2016. Up early again with a sunrise departure (not that there was any sun to see with the low grey clouds), we were underway about 6:30, hoping to make Portsmouth by the end of the day. We had 10+ knots of NE wind and wind driven chop on the nose for the 11.5 mile crossing of the Albemarle Sound. With temperature in the upper 50s, it was quite nippy.
We made pretty good time and arrived to the North Landing Bridge (SM 20.2) just ahead of the 2:30 pm opening. This was the first of several bridge openings we would encounter on our last miles to Portsmouth causing our average miles per hour to drop. The next bridge, the Centerville Bridge (SM 15.2), was just out of reach for the 3 pm opening. From a little over a mile away, we watched boats waiting for it passing through once it opened. I called the operator and asked if we could get through and he said it was closing and he would open it for us once traffic cleared. He opened it for us about 3:15 pm...nice of him to do that.
We arrived at our next opening bridge, Great Bridge bridge (SM 12), about 20 minutes before the 4 PM opening and tied up at a dock on the right side of the ICW to wait. This bridge is coordinated with the Great Bridge Locks, opening on the hour. In the lock, the tie up is on the SW side with plenty of padding...no need for fenders. They took our dock lines in the middle and looped them around a cleat so that we could release ourselves. We were through the bridge and locks in about 15 minutes.
Our next, and last bridge opening was Gilmerton Highway Bridge (SM 5.8). Since it was a Saturday, it opened on demand for us. During the week, it will not open during rush hour. We arrived at Ocean Marine Yacht Center (SM 0.5) about 5:45 PM where we took a slip for the night...another long day on the ICW. After showering, we walked into downtown Portsmouth and went to the Bier Garden for a beer and dinner to celebrate reaching the end of the ICW.
Sunday, May 1, 2016 Since the marina did not open until 8 AM, and we wanted a pump out, we had a more relaxed morning. There was time to make a spinach and feta omelette instead of the usual instant oatmeal underway. We were off the fuel dock by about 9 am, headed for the Chesapeake Bay. A fresh south wind allowed us to sail for a bit, but after a while we turned on the motor to motor sail almost dead downwind.
Soon after entering the Rappahannock River, the wind died. So, we furled the jib and dropped the main, motoring on to Locklies Creek. We tied up at Regent Point Marina at about 5 PM. Diane and Paul Andersen met us at the dock. After getting personal gear off the boat and emptying the refrigerator, we were off by car to Annapolis. Owl Moon will be at the boatyard to have some work done before continuing on to Annapolis.
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| Heading out to the ocean from Charleston. |
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| Nap time on the ocean |
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| Sunset on the ocean |
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| We saw schools of flying fish in the last light of the day. We found this guy on our bow in the morning. |
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| Morning on the ocean |
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Bill Fonvielle met us at the marina with some new provisions and joined John W. and me aboard Owl Moon. Diane and Laurie drove his car back to Alexandria. After topping off diesel and water tanks, we were on our way at 2:40 pm to put some IMCW miles behind us before sunset. The marina provided us a chart that helped us navigate the back way out of Beaufort, missing the Morehead City Bridge, and we joined the ICW at SM 203. We made good time and anchored in Broad Cr. off the Neuse River (SM 174) at 6:15 PM.
As the sun was setting, I went up the mast to remove the Raymarine wind instrument because the 64’ Wilkerson Bridge was in our path for the next day. I left the windex on the mast because I did not have a wrench with me. At least the windex was less expensive and easier to replace than the Raymarine, and was not as high above the top of the mast. I also left the VHF antenna on, the highest thing above the water, since it is flexible and we needed it.
Friday, April 29, 2016 Another early start...we were off at 6:30 am, as soon as we could see the daymarks and crab pot floats. Around noon as we approached the Wilkerson Bridge, the water level at Bellhaven nearby on the Pungo River showed a little under 1’ (http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=mhx&gage=blhn7) and had probably just reached peak for the cycle. NE winds blowing all day following a couple of days of strong SW gave hope that we could get under the bridge. Approaching the bridge cautiously, we could read 64’ clearly and maybe there was even a little more than 64’. At 64’, I was confident I would not make contact with the anchor/tricolor light at the top of the mast, but wasn’t sure about the windex. As we went under, the VHF bent over and scraped across the bottom of the bridge. We also made contact with the spike on the top of the windex that is there to ward off birds, but the windex did not come down. Whew! That was our biggest concern about going inside from Beaufort to bypass the bad weather off Hatteras. Now we had 125 more miles of ICW ahead of us with more 65’ bridges and some bridges that would need to open for us to continue on.
Motoring down the Alligator/Pungo Canal was pleasant at first, the sun had come out and we were sheltered from the NE wind, but after a while it became a bit tedious. As JW pointed out, the whole length of the canal we were heading east and not towards Portsmouth. Coming out into the Alligator River, we had strong NE winds with chop against us all the way to the swing bridge near the mouth where we left the ICW to anchor behind Durant Island (SM 82). We found the SW shore of the island well protected from the NE wind and anchored there for the night at about 6 pm, knowing that the NE wind was to continue through tomorrow.
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| Military traffic on the Alligator/Pungo Canal |
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| John W at the helm, Alligator/Pungo Canal |
Saturday, April 30, 2016. Up early again with a sunrise departure (not that there was any sun to see with the low grey clouds), we were underway about 6:30, hoping to make Portsmouth by the end of the day. We had 10+ knots of NE wind and wind driven chop on the nose for the 11.5 mile crossing of the Albemarle Sound. With temperature in the upper 50s, it was quite nippy.
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| Bundled up to head across the Albemarle Sound. |
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| Bill's turn at the helm. We are across the Albemarle, but it is still chilly. |
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| Only one side of the North Landing Swing Bridge opens because of damage to the other side when a barge ran into it. |
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| Great Bridge bridge opening to let us pass. |
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| Waiting for the water to rise in the lock. |
Sunday, May 1, 2016 Since the marina did not open until 8 AM, and we wanted a pump out, we had a more relaxed morning. There was time to make a spinach and feta omelette instead of the usual instant oatmeal underway. We were off the fuel dock by about 9 am, headed for the Chesapeake Bay. A fresh south wind allowed us to sail for a bit, but after a while we turned on the motor to motor sail almost dead downwind.
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| Sailing north up the Chesapeake |
Soon after entering the Rappahannock River, the wind died. So, we furled the jib and dropped the main, motoring on to Locklies Creek. We tied up at Regent Point Marina at about 5 PM. Diane and Paul Andersen met us at the dock. After getting personal gear off the boat and emptying the refrigerator, we were off by car to Annapolis. Owl Moon will be at the boatyard to have some work done before continuing on to Annapolis.
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