s/v Kaleo

Saturday, March 26th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

… but none we can make.Yet.

First thing Saturday, we moved a little more north along Long Island to Thompson Bay and found ourselves a deep and sandy spot to secure our hook.

Christie and Mili headed in to town to explore the local farmer’s market, check out the grocery store and hike across the island to beachcomb along the Atlantic side of Long Island. With the gals off the boat and with room to work (visualize tools everywhere and our home in disarray), the guys excitedly jumped into the watermaker install.

Matt working to hook up the pump motor

After hooking up the pump motor and a few calls with the factory, it became apparent there was a problem. Our power source, a Honda 2000 generator, couldn’t start the motor even though the watermaker is designed for this exact generator. Joined by Ken, a certified electrician from a neighboring trawler,” Barbara”, we double checked our wiring, ran multiple tests with different generators and none solved the problem.

In the meantime, Christie and Mili had hiked in a few extra miles all over Salt Pond (the town) tracking down parts that we ultimately wouldn’t end up needing. Frustration started to settle over “Kaleo” as we had hoped this would be a near-seamless install. But, who are we kidding. It’s a boat project after all.

Matt talked with the company’s co-founder a few times and was assured that they are willing to do whatever it takes to get it up and running. The only problem is that shipping a new motor out here is much more complicated than simply making a parts exchange back in the states. It’s a multi-week ordeal involving air freight, customs, duty fees, etc. Not to mention the time it will take for all this to happen and we’re not keen on returning to George Town to wait again. The builders are looking into how we might fix it out here and we’ll go from there.

Ted and Matt discussing the install

Frustrated at having waited in George Town for an extra few weeks and now still without a watermaker, we cleaned up then joined Ted and Mili aboard “MG” for dinner and a distracting game of Mexican Train. “MG” said they are happy to make us water anytime and we truly appreciate what a blessing they are to us. The dinner, game and company were the high points of the day but we returned to Kaleo exhausted and still a bit deflated.

N 23° 31.09 / W 75° 08.04

Category: Anchor, Bahamas, Boat Life, Friends, Gear, Refit Leave a Comment

A Drag of a Night

Friday, March 04th, 2011 / Christie & Matt

Friday was an R ‘n’ R day aboard Kaleo. Not only were we wiped out from the action of the Coconut Harvest, but we had a eventful and restless Thursday night.

The calm waters before the evening winds picked up

At about midnight, our anchor drag alarm sounded and Matt popped his head out of the companionway to survey the situation. The anchor drag alarm is a handheld GPS with a pre-set radius which goes off if the boat moves beyond a certain distance. We set the alarm in tight anchorages (too many boats close together) or in strong winds as a way to alert us should the anchor come unset. Both conditions were the case for our George Town anchorage.

Matt stuck his head below and said “we’re dragging” over the howl of 25+ knot winds. At a calm but quick pace we started the motor, turned on the depth sounder and dug out the spot light. Several boats were anchored behind us that we needed to avoid dragging into.

Though the hook reset it self and stopped the boat, it placed us uncomfortably close to other vessels. So through hand signals, our hand held radios and shouting over the clamor of the anchor chain being raised we negotiated our way through the sleeping boats out into open and deeper water.

After twenty minutes of motoring around to find a good place that was clear of other boats, we dropped the hook with about 125 feet of chain out (vs. the 70 feet we had down before). Once the hook was firmly set, we fell into an on-and-off sleep while Matt got up every couple of hours to check our position.

We owe a huge thank you to Storyville who responded to our call, offered help, and stayed on the radio with us until the hook was reset. The hook held through the night with no problems and in the morning we moved back to our original spot with more scope.

Later in the afternoon, Morning Glory mentioned there was a calm and protected spot over near them so we picked up the hook and reset closer to the beach and in smooth water. Dead tired and with the in-harbor race the next day, we sunk into the v-berth and slept soundly thorough the night.

Dragging anchor is a reality of cruising and every windy night we hear someone on the radio having the same problem. It’s certainly not something we’d like to experience again and we’re grateful that no damage was done. Matt attributed the anchor working loose to not enough chain out (though we couldn’t put any more because of the proximity of other boats) and the strong wind shifts.

It was a stressful situation for both of us, yet it proved once again, the strength of the bonds we’ve made out here. The following day our “Fleet Family” stopped by to check on us, see if we needed anything and offer reassurance that Kaleo was securely anchored once again.

Category: "Texas Navy", Anchor, Bahamas, Cruising, Exumas, Friends Leave a Comment

Labor Day Lessons

Wednesday, September 08th, 2010 / Christie & Matt

Labor Day weekend offered a great opportunity to get some cruising under our belts. We set out for Offatt’s Bayou anchorage on the southern tip of Galveston Island along with two buddy boats from our marina (s/v Pan Cogito and s/v Jolly Mon).

Christie enjoying An Embarrassment of Mangos

About an hour into Galveston Bay, the motor overheated. But, determined to keep going, we tacked back toward Kemah to try to fix it en route. Matt managed to crawl into the smoldering engine bay, while being tossed around by the choppy water, to diagnose and replace the seawater impeller.

We gained a boost in confidence after the engine was resuscitated and ran at the proper temperature. We enthusiastically tacked back toward our original course toward Galveston and set out to catch up with our friends.

Matt enjoying the downwind sail

We eventually got to the anchorage, set the hook and had dinner with Mike from Pan Cogito. The next morning, we set out for the Gulf of Mexico. At over 20 knots of wind and lumpy seas, we managed to still have an outstanding sail. We logged over 9 hours of sailing and more than one soaking from water coming into the cockpit. Though there was motor trouble and restless sleep, the trip helped us learn more about the boat and ourselves when anchored out.

Our first drawbridge crossing

Our track

Lesson’s learned:

Going forward, we will need a set of welders’ gloves (more heat protective and arm covering) to work on the hot engine without being scorched.
Working on the engine underway is like threading a needle while riding a hobbyhorse in a personal sauna.
The first night in a new anchorage probably means Matt won’t rest easily.
After showering without a hot water heater, we’re now researching the best one for our boat. Even in the summer heat, it. was. cold.
Drawbridges operate on their own schedule. And while you’re in a holding pattern (think elephants tracking tirelessly in circles at the circus) don’t be the one to stray closest to the channel’s edge. An unwelcomed shoal will be waiting for you.
Always fully recharge the handheld VHF. Not doing so may lead to it powering down just as you need it.
Always monitor channel 16, especially when there are tugs bigger than you around the next bend.
Leave earlier than you need too. There is bound to be something that holds you up or at best, you get there early enough to get the best spot in the anchorage.
Ocean spray leaves layers of crystallized salt on EVERYTHING. And while Christie enjoys a good salt scrub, this can be more exfoliation than necessary in one sitting.
Buddy boats are there to accompany each other, not to play follow the leader.
You can see your destination l-o-n-g before you get there.
Know your reefing system BEFORE setting sail as trying to optimize it underway way is nearly impossible.
Holiday weekends attract the most careless boaters. Get out there early to avoid as many of them as possible.