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Warm Spirits in Cold Winds

Kaleo is tied to a marina dock in Moss Point, MS (near Pascagoula) with the cold North wind blustering about outside. Despite needing to wait out the weather once again, the engine seems to be up and running and we’re ready to keep sailing toward warmer waters as soon as the cold front passes.

Aboard s/v Blue Dolphin (Thanks for this & many more great photos, Dick)

Yesterday, after an early morning start on finishing up the sea water pump repair and changing the oil one more time (our 7th oil change in a month!), the engine roared to life and ran smoothly for about an hour under load (meaning the engine was running in gear but we were tied to the dock to keep us from moving), satisfying Matt’s repair test.

Weather and engine issues are driving us into marinas with slip fees slowly chewing into our cruising spending plan more than we’d like. Other cruisers reassured us that they too were forced to use marinas more in the gulf of Mexico because there is so much open water to transit (i.e. fewer protected winter anchorages).

In the afternoon, we met some fellow sailors on the dock and asked them about other possible places we might tie up or anchor in the area. After a quick discussion, one of them offered to drive us to a channel that would offer great protection from the coming winds. Dick, not only drove us there and helped us figure out the best way to tie up but also was kind enough to give a tour of the town. He also took us to his marina, showed us his unique and beautiful french-designed sailboat and many of the photos he has taken of his sailing and cruising experiences in the areas we are heading toward, giving us so much to look forward to.

We returned to the boat for a warming lunch and saw how the decorations for the evening’s Christmas by the River boat parade were coming along aboard s/v Blue Dolphin, owned by one of Dick’s friends. Matt triple checked his engine repair and started cleaning up the boat, when Dick stopped by to pass along an invite to join the crew for the parade. To which we quickly said YES, thank you.

The Christmas Crew aboard s/v Blue Dolphin

An hour later we were cruising the river with a stampede of boats each lit up like the Griswold’s house. We spent a little time getting to know everyone on board while waiting for the parade to start and in our matching blue shirts, began practicing “the routine” in prep for passing the judging booth. After wishing the Merriest of Christmas’ to the crowd and judges, we tied up at the city dock in perfect timing for the spectacular fireworks show exploding from the sky less than 100 yards away. Though Blue Dolphin didn’t win first place, she was the best looking boat on the water and her crew were a delight to spend the evening with.

With temperatures forecast in the low 30’s tonight, we’re going to stay tied up at the marina to take advantage of all the amenities (complimentary laundry, shore power to run our on board heater and probably pizza delivery ;o). We are coming to peace with the cost and enjoying the places that we’re getting to visit along the way.

Tough Day, Looking Forward to Tomorrow

Thursday started with an eager 5:00 a.m. wake up to get back underway in hopes of making it to our next anchorage off Dauphin Island, AL.  It didn’t take too long for us to know that the tide had left us in the night as we could see UP to the dock we were tied to in the harbor (while the night before, we were stepping down to it). We took advantage of the time by going back to sleep for a bit, enjoying a great brunch aboard, and getting in some housecleaning.

Once the tide released us from the harbor around noon, we made great progress under full sails on a beautifully sunny day. With only about four hours of daylight left, we decided to anchor off Horn Island inside the Mississippi Sound. A pristine island but very rolly anchorage made for a restless night. We’re still getting used to the whole waterbed effect.

Horn Island, MS

Around 9:00 p.m., we noticed the bilge pump was running more often than normal. Matt went to check it out and discovered a drip, drip, drip from the raw water pump. After tightening a loose screw the drip ceased and we assumed all was well. Since he already had the engine bay open, he decided to go ahead and check the oil then to save a little time on the next morning’s prep routine. It was then that he discovered that our engine crank case was FULL of water. And I mean full. Like a couple healthy gallons full. Ehem, that’s. not. good. at. all.

A quick taste test (eww) revealed that it was salt water which made it even harder to diagnose. We were baffled at how salt water could have gotten into the crank case. After reading the engine manual and a couple reference books (How To Be Your Own Diesel Mechanic, etc.), we narrowed the issue down to the raw water pump seal. We sent off a few “our situation” emails asking for advice and went to bed with plans to call our diesel mechanic (thanks Russell!) first thing the next morning.

Well, that leads us to today. Goooooood morning! The calls started at 6:30 a.m. For the next several hours Matt swapped calls and began taking apart the pump. We decided to play it safe and call for a tow to River City Harbor Marina rather than risk further issues by running a faulty engine. Also, while we had all the necessary parts and know-how  onboard (thanks Matt!), we needed a tool that wasn’t (bearing press or vice). After calling the tow boat at 7:00 a.m., he finally showed up a little after noon from being trapped in his bayou with low tide. Within those five hours, it felt as if the weight of all the engine issues, running agrounds, and general lifestyle changes started to bear down on us (well, me more than Matt but when one crew is down, the whole boat gets down). This became our most trying and disheartening day yet.

After a looooong tow in, we docked safely and with equally long hot showers, we took some time to decompress. We are going to sleep tonight with intentions of resetting in the morning and pray that we have renewed enthusiasm for this adventure. And also for an easy solve and repair in the morning.

Kaleo under tow

At the end of the day we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for, not the least of which are great people who offered to come tow us (thanks Gene), talked us through engine issues (thanks Rusty, Mike and Steve) and offered encouragement to keep our spirits up (thanks Linda, Mom, Jeph and Janay). Good night.
N 30° 24.8 / W 88° 32.0
Our Longest Run Yet

The usual early morning wake up came, but surprisingly it hasn’t been hard to wake up at all. Maybe because we go to bed at 8:00 most nights or maybe because each day has such purpose – to get to the next spot with as much daylight left as possible. Matt went to start the motor and rhun rhun rhun, nothing. Rhun, run, run, nothing. It wanted to start but wouldn’t. After a brief moment of despair, Matt got out Nigel Calder’s Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Handbook to see what the issue might be. Though oil pressure was the most likely culprit, the book said to check that the engine was getting enough heat to start firing. A quick inspection revealed that the preheat solenoid had broken loose from the engine (meaning, it wouldn’t preheat the engine and couldn’t start). Understandably, Mr. Beeker (affectionate name for our Westerbeke engine) was a bit too cold to get up and going right away this morning. A simple replacement of a bolt and the tightening of another and Mr. Beeker growled to life.

Bundled up against the cold

It was pretty chilly as we got underway (the coldest morning yet at about 50 degrees) and as Matt said, “This morning puts the icy in ICW.”

Next up, as R2-D2 (our auto-pilot) was guiding us along, it started veering too closely to the starboard shore and before Matt could react – thump – the boat stopped. Yep, stuck in the mud. Again. Now, an all too familar occurance, we went through the usual drills of trying to motor ourselves off, but no luck. With mulitlpe barges and tugs coming down the waterway, we got on the VHF to alert them that we were grounded with hopes to avoid any further problems. After several minutes of radio chatter, two tugs agreed to help us out! One, Miss Kim, blocked traffic while the other, Saftey Spirit, dropped its barges in the middle of the canal to float along briefly and came to hook up to the bow of Kaleo. The deckhand tossed a line the thickness of a coffee can for us to connect our, in comparison, very puny line to.  Moments later, without the slighest engine rev from the tug, we were flung to freedom into the middle of the ICW and back on course.

A swift pull out of the mud

We can’t thank these two tugs enough. Their generosity and kindness made all the difference in our day. It’s folks like the captain and crew of those two tugs who make even the challenging parts of cruising more enjoyable.

With water back under the keel, Kaleo was gliding along again when we happened upon our first (moving) alligator sighting. It was hanging out in the middle of the channel then quickly swam toward shore as we drew closer. This was pretty exciting as we’ve been waiting to spot one on the move the whole trip.

Because of our delayed start, getting stuck and the 64 miles to cover, night fell on the bayou before we arrived at our destination. A first for our trip. We turned on the navigation lights, radar, and chatted with the tugs closest by. The tug Big Bay agreed to let us follow her into Morgan City if we needed to. But by God’s timing, we were passing through an area that has a vessel traffic control service (like air traffic control) that not only we checked into, but they were able to tell us the location and direction of every vessel on the water en-route to our destination. About another hour and we were safely tied up to the Morgan City Pleasure Docks, bought some fresh shrimp from a shrimper tied up next to us and enjoyed a dinner of Christie’s Étouffée.

N 29° 43.59/ W 91° 12.93

Oil Oil Everywhere

This morning we awoke to a diversion from the start of our daily routine. Matt started the motor and almost instantly alarms shrieked with protest. Upon shutting down the engine, and opening the engine bay, we discovered that our diesel had barfed oil everywhere. The source was from where the oil filter meets the engine housing. This wasn’t a good sign but Matt thought perhaps it had too much oil (from topping it off that morning), so he changed filter to ensure there was the correct amount of oil and tried starting it again. Within seconds, the oily mess to be cleaned doubled. An engine losing oil is never a good sign and we quickly thought through our options: find a tow to a marina that was 12 miles North (unlikely in such a remote location), sail the 12 miles North (risky in a windy, narrow channel with barges and little wind), or stick with our safe anchorage and figure out the problem (though it might be challenging to get a mechanic out to the boat). We started making calls to mechanics back in Kemah looking for a referral, to immediate family as there was extended family in the area and to our new cruising friends, the Sittons. After about an hour of playing phone chase from one referral to another, Matt was able to speak with a mechanic who knew our engine. From the described symptoms, he suggested checking the oil pressure relief valve, which is the same conclusion Matt had come to after reading a technical manual on board.

Captain, aka diesel mechanic

The soonest a mechanic could be out was Monday, so with nothing to lose but time, Matt began to take apart the motor to get at the potential problem valve. After a few hours of work, a dinghy ride to a nearby boat launch ramp and store for some tools (that didn’t end up fitting), he discovered the relief valve was indeed stuck. In fact, jammed like a semi having gone under too low of a bridge. Another hour or so of tapping, tinkering and talking with the mechanic and Rusty Sitton, he freed the stuck valve! Feeling good, we called about getting a new part, upon which we learned that it would be at least four weeks to get from the factory. We were in a pretty anchorage but not close enough to the tropics, so Matt took some sandpaper (once long ago borrowed from our boat neighbors on s/v Ebb Tide) and sanded the part and housing smooth again so they wouldn’t jam. The engine was put back together just before dark and, other than some borrowed gasket sealant from a boat that came into the anchorage, we clawed closer to fixing the problem with supplies onboard. Another filter change, oil fill and with great trepidation, we tried starting the motor. Chug, Chug, Chug, vroom. No alarms. No oil barfs. Just a running motor! After running for about 20 minutes we were back in business.

After the boat and grease camouflaged captain were cleaned up, we reflected on the laborious day. Though engine problems are never good, it was a great boost in confidence that we were able to get back up and running, in a remote anchorage, and be able to continue on our journey. Though we may have done the work ourselves, but it wouldn’t have been possible without all the help we received. Thank you to our family for being ready on a dime to drive parts out, their constant encouragement and loving support to keep our spirits up. Our deepest gratitude to Rusty and Linda Sitton, who talked us through solving the problem in the middle of the work day, hooked us up with a great mechanic, offered continued support and even lined up a tow boat should we have needed it. And thanks to Eddie at Oleander Marine and Russel at Colemar services, who both offered valuable advice and guidance in repairing the problem. Most of all, to the Lord, we are eternally appreciative for answering our prayers and keeping us moving along on the journey. The adventure has truly begun.

N 29° 58.71/ W 98° 42.04

Labor Day Lessons

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.

This foray into cruising is turning out to be pretty exciting. We’re one day closer!

Heat Exchanger Issue Resolved

If the last post left you hanging, don’t worry. We returned to Kaleo last weekend to fix the unresolved heat exchanger issue. Earlier in the week, I took the original rebuilt heat exchanger to the cooling place that claimed to have rebuild it. After a quick pressure test, it proved to be faulty, which is why we dumped all the coolant and overheated coming back in from the night sail.

I found a replacement through Mr.Cool, who had a new one rush built and shipped to our marina by Friday (for less money than the original rebuild). Jim, from Mr. Cool, was very helpful and I would highly recommend them. While waiting for the heat exchanger to arrive, I replaced all the fuel filters (our motor has 3) and the raw (ocean) water impeller, which had 4 of 6 vanes broken. Our engine is partially cooled by raw water which runs through the heat exchanger to cool it. But that same water is also corrosive which eventually caused the failure we just experienced.

Matt in the engine room (room in a misnomer, it’s more of a very small box)

After getting everything put back together, Christie’s parents joined us to hoist me up the mast. I spent almost 3 hours up there, got a nasty sunburn, but installed the new Garmin wind sensor and OGM tricolor/anchor light. Upon returning to sea level, I discovered only the anchor part of our tricolor light doesn’t work. Oh well, something else to add to the infinite project list.

We then took the boat out and motored fairly hard to test the cooling system and she worked like a champ. We’re ready for a trip to Galveston next weekend with friends!

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