Southport, NC to Adams Creek, NC

Two of our good friends that we have known for many years pulled into the marina across the dock from us on Saturday afternoon. We had planned on leaving Saturday after we dropped off the rental car, but the weather had turned to, well let’s say crap. It was raining and blowing so we decided to spend another day at the marina. After all, this is supposed to be fun. The rain came down in buckets all day and this would make a trip up the Cape Fear River a very unpleasant experience. As our friends arrived late in the afternoon, their first remark was, “you made a good decision”. They had a pretty uncomfortable day and were pretty wet and tired. But after a short rest we had a very nice dinner on their boat and caught up on what was happening with us and them. They had been at the same marina that we had been in Beaufort, but left for a trip up to Norfolk and were now heading back south. It is always good to meet up with friends unexpectedly and share a good meal.




The next morning we waited till 9:00 AM to get off the dock. Low tide on the Cape Fear was at supposed to be at 9:15 AM and we planned to run the incoming tide to get a boost going up the river. The outgoing tides have currents at almost three knots and the incoming tide can add two knots or better to our boat speed. The winds were up at 12 to 18 knots and the wind against current on the river can also be nasty. The wind was out of the southwest and the river runs to the northeast. This put the wind on our stern, much better than pounding into it. As we made the turn at Southport and headed into the river it was obvious that the tide was still outgoing and it was wind against tides and pretty choppy.


We figured the tides would change soon so we kept on going. But they did not change and for two hours we made the slow trek up river to Snows Cut. Once into the cut the currents finally changed in our favor and we quickly picked up speed. The skies were overcast and threatening all morning but we only saw a little drizzle. Our radar showed the rain several miles ahead of us and by the time we arrived where the showers were they had rained themselves out.

The ICW along this area follows behind the barrier islands with the Atlantic on the other side. You are virtually cruising along the coast. There are several inlets where the currents will change from a favorable one to running against us and then back again. We planned a 65 mile run to Mile Hammock Bay in Camp Lejuene so any delays would make that iffy. Our first delay was missing the opening of the Wrightsville Beach Bridge by minutes. It only opens on the hour so we waited almost an hour. Next was a 40 minute delay the Surf City Bridge. Our ETA to our anchorage was now putting us there at sunset. Any further delays would put us there after dark and we DO NOT run the ICW at night and do not like anchoring in the dark. We did make fair time the rest of the day with a favorable current, except for the hundreds of small boats dragging nets for shrimp right in the ICW channel. We even encountered commercial shrimpers doing the same thing. It made the afternoon interesting.


Sunset was at 7:00 PM and we arrived at Mile Hammock at 7:05 PM. There was still enough light to see as we put the anchor down and settled in. We have anchored here many times and at times shared this small basin with 20 or more boats. That evening it would be us and one catamaran with the basin to ourselves. This is an active Marine base and it is not unusual to have helicopter training practice or mock landings going on at any time day or night. We could only hope there would not be one of those exercises. We would be trying to beat a front the following day, something we seldom do, and would have to make 60 miles. There was only one bridge we would have to deal with so the only possible delay would have been if the Marines had the waterway closed for firing or bombing practice.


The evening passed quietly and we were up before the sun in the morning. It was a calm sunny day when the sun did rise and we got under way. It is about four miles to the Onslow Beach Bridge, which opens on the hour and half hour and we arrived with only a few minutes wait, mostly because the bridge is sloooow opening. As we motored down the channel there, was no sign of the military and we passed through without being held up. Delays can be measured in hours depending on what maneuvers are taking place. But that day, all was silent. The morning was great and we were making good time. But by the time we arrived on Bogue Sound the wind had picked up and was about 18 to 25 from the southwest. Fortunately that was on our stern so it actually moved us along faster. The Sound is wide and shallow and in any winds can be pretty choppy. At 25 MPH, it was a an interesting trip albeit faster than normal.


As we reached the shipping docks at Morehead City it was blowing hard and steady. The shipping area is always choppy with any winds and this day was no exception. But once we made the turn north and crossed under the high bridge on the waterway, it calmed down immediately.
The tides were coming in and we had a good lift, running at about 9 MPH with the engine hardly working. But as we crossed the Newport River just before Core Creek the winds and waves hit us broadside and it turned out to be the most uncomfortable part of the day. Once we made the turn into Core Creek, everything flattened out and the rest of the trip was in flat water and the creek pretty much blocked the winds. As we entered the creek we were surrounded by dolphins.


At around 2:30 PM we reached Cedar Creek and our anchorage for the night. Once again we had this usually crowded anchorage all to ourselves. As we entered we looked for a spot that would give us the best protection from the already strong southwest winds, which were forecast to switch to the northwest overnight and stay strong. This part of the creek would expose us directly to the northwest winds. In the past, we had envied the shallow draft boats that were able to get into a small creek much farther in called Jonaquin Creek, which was completely inaccessible to us with our previous six foot draft. It has good protection all around so we decided to give it a try. We found the water to be near eight feet deep right up to the entrance, not the five feet on the charts, and the creek to be at least seven feet deep in the middle. It does get shallower the further back you go and near the banks. The protection was great from the waves but the southwest winds do blow over the marsh grass. The protection for the expected northwest winds as the front comes through is great. The anchor set the first time and we settled in with the brisk breeze cooling the boat nicely.


How long we will be here will depend on the winds tomorrow. The Neuse river and the Pamlico Sound are no place to be in heavy winds. But as usual, the NWS is reporting three different forecasts, any or all could be incorrect, so we will poke our nose out in the morning and see what we have. If it does not look good we will head back to our anchorage and wait it out. If it looks OK we will head towards Belhaven.

Myrtle Beach, SC to Southport, NC

The Coquina Yacht Club is really one of our recommended stops if a marina is in your plans. The staff are great people, former cruisers, the facilities are well protected, the WiFi works, the showers, restrooms and lounge are spotless, and you can always find someone willing to give you a ride to the grocery or where ever you need to go. One night is really not enough to enjoy it but that was all we were able to stay. The weather was still a bit less than we would have liked to see, and as we got under way the next morning it was indeed raining. But we needed to go anyway and we were once again only doing about 30 or more miles to our next stop. Now we really don't usually do these short days but circumstances were slowing us down. Susan received a call from an organization in Baltimore that wanted her to come in for an interview THIS WEEK and Of course we had almost no notice. We would have stayed in Coquina but the rental car companies near by were less than easy to deal with, would not pick us up and want ridiculous charges for mileage and her trip would be close to 1,000 miles round trip. If we headed to Southport we could get a rental from the same companies to pick her up, give her a car and no mileage charges, only daily rates. So off we went, rain and all.

The rain did not last and it was cloudy for a few hours, and then the sun came out. And when it did the temperature went up with quickly. It felt like the middle of July instead of the first days if fall. We called ahead to a couple of the marinas and the St. James Marina had the best rates so we made reservation. We arrived at the Sunset Beach pontoon bridge 25 minutes before the scheduled opening so we had a wait. The bridge only opens on the hour and we try to time our arrival for about 5 minutes before it opens but we had a strong current pushing us along even at idle speed. So we sat and played in the current until the bridge opened and we proceeded north. The Lockwood Folleys Inlet and Shallotte Inlet both were well marked and since we were transiting just after high tide for a change there was plenty of water depths. The currents at the inlets are strong and can very easily pull you out of the channel. As we crossed Lockwood Folleys a Coast Guard tug and barge was replacing a daymark on the north side of the inlet, in the ICW so we gave them a wide berth but still had plenty of water.

We arrived at the St. James Marina and a staff member met us at the dock and helped tie us off in the slip. This is the only marina here that is in a basin off the waterway and protected from wakes. Once we were all tied up in the slip we received a bit of a surprise. The only power connections on the dock are single 125/250 volt 50 amp service and we have two 30 amp power cords. There were no 30 amp plugs and our 50 amp splitter was 50 amp, 125 volt and not compatible with their outlets. We were told, sorry but I guess we can't help you, so we untied and headed out. If you plan to stop at the St. James Marina in Southport, be sure you have a splitter or adapter that will allow you to plug into their outlets or you are out of luck.


We called the next marina which was close by, South Harbor Village Marina, and they assured us they had space and the necessary outlets for us to plug into shore power. It was only a few miles further so we arrived shortly. The transient dock is a long face dock that parallels the ICW and the boat wakes can be quite annoying. Since we would be here a few days they put us on the inside of the dock but that only reduces the wakes a little. We have stayed here before and like the marina except for this one issue. There are a couple of restaurants, a small boat store and nice showers, restrooms and laundry. This is close to our rental car company so we had no problems getting them to pick us up. Susan will make the trip north on her own and I will be staying with the boat. Had we been in a more protected place I would probably have made the trip with her.


While we are here I will get a few projects done. Marina stops for us are usually work stops. We have friends here that we met cruising in the Florida Keys and they invited us over for dinner as soon as we arrived. It was great to catch up since we had not seen each other for a few years. But that is how cruising friends are and it was like we had seen each other just last week, only with lots of stories to tell. For the next few days, I will be doing some cleaning in the engine compartment, checking systems thoroughly, changing the oil in the Ford Lehman injection pump, a few small chores and shaking my head at the idiots going past the marina and throwing up a wake. We always say, you only need enough money to buy a boat, and not the skills or common sense to operate it. We also always say, common sense is not very common any more.

Georgetown, SC to Myrtle Beach, SC

The new alternator arrived a little after 11:30 AM and by 1:00 PM it was installed and checked out just fine. Since it was a newer version of the same unit we had, a few modifications were needed for both the wiring and mounting. One big plus was that the new unit registers the amps it puts out on our battery monitor. For whatever reason, the old unit did not. The service tech came by the boat and was less than friendly about returning the alternator he ordered and not having him install the new one.  By 1:20 PM we had readied ourselves and the boat and were shoving off from the dock. The skies were blue, crystal clear, the breeze was up and it was a beautiful day. Much different from the gray skies and drizzle that we had off and on yesterday. It was really good to get under way again. This whole fiasco had been a four day delay, not to mention the additional dockage we had to pay just because someone made a mistake and wouldn't admit it. The old adage is correct, if you want something done right, do it yourself.


As usual, we headed up the Waccamaw River against wind and currents. This made for a bit slower trip, but we made decent time. The Waccamaw River is one of our favorites, at times reminding us of the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and other times reminding us of the Gulf ICW through Texas and Louisiana. No matter what time of year we have passed through, it is always beautiful. The river is wide and deep so staying on the course line is not as important as paying close attention to debris in the water, and there is lots of it. We saw pieces of lumber, floating plants and large trees heading downstream in the current. Many could do some serious damage to the rudder or prop. Our planned anchorage was some 25 plus miles up river. We have a favorite anchoring spot behind a small island just off the waterway, about a mile and half south of Enterprise Landing. There are many side creeks and anchorage spots along the river including just pulling off to one side. The problem in many spots is finding someplace where the water is not too deep. The river depths run from twenty to over forty feet in spots. Many side creeks are twenty and thirty feet deep.


At 6:15 PM we were dropping the anchor behind our little island. There are a few spots that may be difficult to get the anchor to hold. Even with our new Manson Supreme, it took two tries to get it to hold. There is a ten to fifteen foot spot at the south entrance but it is twenty or more feet deep a bit further in. Once the anchor was down and we settled in we could admire just how lovely this spot is. Many times we have shared the anchorage with several boats, but this time we were all alone except for a couple of water skiers that stayed around until almost sunset. Then we really had it all to ourselves. We could only hope for a peaceful evening.


And that is exactly what we had. We were up at 6:00 AM and after breakfast and our normal preparations, covering the check list in our log, including checking all engine fluids, the anchor was up at 7:00 AM and we were under way again. The morning was cloudy and the river had a light fog with about 3/4 mile visibility. As we headed out we saw a sailboat that had shared our anchorage just around the corner of the island, out of our sight. Another sailboat had anchored just up river about a mile. Both were also getting under way but heading south. It seems we are always going in the wrong direction.


The two bridges we would have to have open for us today, the Socastee and Little River Swing Bridge, would both open on demand so no bridge restrictions would slow us down. For the first hour or two we had the currents with us and made good time. But then it eventually turned and slowed us down considerably unless we wanted to power up the engine and burn lots of fuel. We opted to take our time and conserve.

From the weather information we had gathered it appeared that today would be the worst weather day thus far with excellent potential for quite a bit of rain. The remnants of tropic system Fred were coming on shore right where we would find ourselves. Within a couple of hours the overcast was burning off but we could see pretty good thunderheads building offshore and a quick check of the radar showed them moving our way. By about 10:30 AM we made the decision to make another marina stop, rather than dealing with the weather all day. We can retreat into the inside steering station but some of our less favorite inlets, Lockwood Folly, and Shallote Inlet, were ahead of us and we didn't especially feel like transiting them in bad weather if we did not have to. We have done this in the past and it is not fun.


We called ahead to Coquina Yacht Club, a marina we frequently use, and reserved a spot. We were only about three miles away. Just as we turned off the channel into the Marina basin the sky opened up and the rains came. And of course as soon as we were tied up at the dock it quit. The distance traveled was a whopping 30 miles from our anchorage. We will spend the night here as we watch the thunderstorms rumble off in the distance and see the rains move in from offshore. At least we have access to the internet and the AC running to knock down the humidity. This is the first day of fall but temps are in the upper 80's and the air is very tropical.

Still In Georgetown

The strainer glass (plastic) arrived right on time and it took only minutes to install. Good news, it did not leak. Bad news, the alternator that was sent to us had the wrong size pulley for the belt. The tech specifically told the alternator company what size we needed for the belt, 1/2 inch and they sent 3/8 instead. Now they are saying they won't take it back even though it is not what we ask for. As soon as I find out the name of the company that shipped it I will post it so you can be sure and avoid them. The Service Tech will be here tomorrow and hopefully we can work things out between he and I. In the mean time, once again, American Diesel has saved the day. Brian is shipping a replacement alternator overnight, except no one overnights to Georgetown on Saturdays, and we will have it on Monday. This will be a further delay, but what can you do. We have found all too often over the years that suppliers often make these kinds of mistakes and refuse to own up to their mistakes. Those that do get repeat business from us and many others. Those that don't, we try to let others know, so they can avoid the same problems and hassles we have to deal with. Because of the suppliers mistake we will have to pay additional dockage for three days waiting for parts and delay our trip for the same amount of time. The folks here at the Boat House Marina have done all they can to try and help. BTW, they did get the WiFi working as promised. It looks like we will be enjoying the hospitality of Georgetown for a couple of more days.

Minim Creek to Georgetown, SC

Living and cruising on a boat is not for the faint of heart or anyone with a lack of perseverance or good problem solving skills. That is unless you have large sums of money to afford a crew, engineer, and full time mechanic. For us it is perseverance and ingenuity and not much else. In the past we have always noted that we almost never have just one problem.

Our plan was to head for Georgetown, about 15 miles north, to deal with the alternator and to sleep in a bit since the distance was so short. But neither of us were able to sleep late and found ourselves up before the sun anyway. A quick breakfast and before starting our usual routine, we made a couple more checks on the alternator. We also spoke with Brian at American Diesel just in case we overlooked something. Brian suggested we bypass the the oil pressure switch which activates the alternator in case the switch was bad. This would cause the alternator to not activate. We gave it a try but no joy, so we prepared to get under way. About that time the lines on the head decided to blow apart, we can only surmise a clog caused this. So we had to reassemble the hoses and clean up before we got under way.

In due time, we were hauling up the anchor and using our handy wash down system. Unbeknown to us, one of the high quality hose clamps we had just bought from Worst (West) Marine had come apart and the wash down pump was leaking into the locker where it was mounted. That meant we had a very wet floor in the forward cabin. With it shut off, the leak stopped and the hose clamp was replaced. We planned to replace all of the Worst Marine hose clamps when we get to Georgetown. The short trip took about 3 hours, only because when we hit Winyah Bay, the tide was on the Ebb and we had about 2 to 3 knots against us. But the weather was again beautiful, with blue sunny skies and warm temperatures. The portable generator and the house battery charger were doing a great job of keeping the 12 volt system happy and healthy.


We had called ahead to the Boat Shed Marina in Georgetown for a slip and to inquire about the alternator. They did not have someone to do the work but immediately called a tech for us, Jim Johnson of Diesel Services, and made arrangements for him to meet us as we arrived. We chose Boat Shed instead of the repair yard here because these folks have always been friendly, professional and extremely helpful any time we stop. This is a marina and high and dry with not a lot of dock space so it does fill up quickly in season. The WiFi service was not working well but the owner was working to fix it, which he did. 


The place is always clean and well cared for and they do sell fuel. We had not been in the slip more than 15 minutes when the tech arrived. Keep in mind that we could have easily ordered a replacement alternator and replaced it ourselves. There is no one in the Georgetown area that can repair our alternator, the down side of these smaller towns. That would mean we would need to find a source for the alternator, get it or pay to have it shipped, install it and if it did not work for whatever reason, deal with those issues. If we used a local tech, he would handle all of the logistics, install and test the alternator, and deal with any problems. Too often we have received and alternator, installed it, and it did not work. We did not want that delay. In addition we put a little money into the local economy and the total time we would have to pay the tech is minor.


Georgetown is always one of our favorite stops along the waterway. Since our first visit, when many of the downtown shops were closed, today there are many shops restaurants and stores and it seems there are always plenty of tourists. Our favorite restaurants and ice cream shop are still here. Unfortunately for the folks that lost jobs, the steel mill is closed, but it does make the town a much quieter, less polluted place with noticeably cleaner air. Unfortunately for the boaters, the harbor is full of anchored "local" boats and the only anchorage area left is at the south end, which is more exposed and with questionable holding. That pretty much makes this a marina stop.


But that is not the end of the story. I removed the non-functioning spare alternator so when the tech arrived we could quickly install the new unit. While in the engine compartment, I noticed a slight drip at the bottom of the clear glass on the Groco sea strainer for the raw water intake. Upon inspection it showed a tiny crack in the plastic, not a good sign. Keep in mind I have been inspecting this thing a couple of times a day. This is an important part of the engine cooling system and an underwater fitting so it should not be taken lightly. And of course no one in the area stocks this part so we had to special order it, which means another days delay. But this is all part of cruising.


We always say the true definition of cruising is repairing your boat in exotic places. The alternator arrived at the service techs office the next day just as he stated and he immediately brought it to the boat for installation. Now we need to wait for the strainer glass (plastic) and it should arrive mid day tomorrow, Friday. It should be a simple 10 minute repair and unless we find something else in the meantime we will be under way again shortly thereafter.

Stono River, SC to Minim Creek, SC

We had a very quiet evening anchored on the Stono River. We were up at 6:00 AM and ready to get underway by 7:00 AM. Before we get underway each day we go through a regular routine. All fluids in the engine are checked and topped off if needed. The battery levels and water levels are checked, fuel and water in the tanks are noted in the log and the electronics and bilge pumps are checked, as well as noting the engine hours before we fire up the engine. We check the local weather reports and make notes of the expected forecast, which is usually wrong. We also acquire any weatherfax, wind and wave forecasts and reports and whatever else we can get. These we use more than the forecasts to determine when and where we move. It sounds like a lot but it gets done quickly and usually takes us about 1/2 hour. Then we can fire up the engine, haul up the anchor and get under way. Our newly installed wash down system did a fine job of cleaning the anchor rode, chain and anchor.





As it normally does, the current through Elliot's Cut, south of Charleston, is very strong. This morning we had the current with us so it was a fast ride. We always call a Security when entering from either end to be sure no commercial traffic is entering the cut at the same time we are. The cut is very narrow and with the strong currents, maneuvering can be tricky. Not much traffic this morning. It was great not dealing with the bridge opening restrictions and the trip across Charleston Harbor was a quick one since we were riding the ebb tide. Watching the sun come up over the Battery and Fort Sumter is always inspiring.
The rest of the day went without issue, even with the strong side currents along this stretch of the waterway. We did notice a larger than usual number of Dolphins in the waterway. We have done the ICW from the Chesapeake to the Florida Keys at least 10 or 12 times now, so we know what to expect. A southbound trawler near McClellanville warned us of 5 foot spots in the channel, but we never found less than 8 feet and that was only in one spot. We figured he probably strayed out of the channel at some point. So far we have had no depth issues from Beaufort to our current location.
 

A little after 3:00 PM we reached our destination for the evening, Minim Creek, just south of Winyah Bay. This is a nice little creek that runs on both sides of the ICW and either side can be used as an anchorage. As we dropped the anchor and began to shut things down we noticed the alternator not charging. It had not been acting right all day. The previous owner had shown us a spare alternator they had for the boat so we went about removing the current one and installing the spare. Well, guess what? It did not work. Fortunately we are close to Georgetown and will have to head there in the morning at get the alternator repaired or replaced. Meanwhile we will use the portable Honda Generator and the 110 volt battery charger to keep the batteries up until we get in for repairs. This is all a part of cruising, we just did not expect a problem so soon. But contingencies are always in the back of our mind and the generator and 110 volt battery charger will get us to a place for repairs. In the mean time we will enjoy this fabulous weather for as long as it holds. Stay tuned, we will let you know how things go.

Beaufort, SC to Charleston, SC

We were off the dock this morning at 7:30, a bit later than we had planned, and turned onto the Beaufort River heading north. This would be our first trip with the boat and all of the new equipment we have installed. The first few days, especially on an untested boat, always make us a bit anxious. The weather was absolutely perfect with temps in the low 80's and a moderate breeze. We cleared the Beaufort River and turned into the Coosaw. This can be a bumpy ride in the wrong weather but today it was wonderful. The Ashepoo/Coosaw Cutoff has been dredged so this once problem area has plenty of water. We found 9 to 14 feet in the lower cutoff and 16 feet or more in the upper section and we transited this right at low tide. The currents were with us and against us off and on all day. When it was with us we would make 8 knots or better and when against us, it slowed us down to 5 knots. Even the dreaded White Point area presented no problems when we followed the magenta line.

It is our practice to do checks in the engine room every few hours. We look for leaks in the water, fuel, and oil systems and give the entire compartment a good looking over. Each check is noted in our log book. We also try to log our position every couple of hours, even though we are on the Intracoastal Waterway. The log is great for future reference and helps us keep track of exactly where we are. The day was very uneventful, our favorite kind of day. The new equipment worked as advertised.



 The Chartplotter is a fantastic tool and makes the navigation process much easier. The 12 volt side of our refrigeration would not keep the fridge cold enough so we powered up the new inverter, ran the fridge all day from it and it worked perfectly. The surprising note was that with the inverter running and running the fridge, not only did the fridge run colder but only at about 3 amps more than just the fridge alone on 12 volt, at least according to our new battery monitor system.



At 4:30 PM we were anchoring in the Stono River, just south of Elliot's Cut and south of Charleston Harbor. Our new anchor and windlass did its job and set the first time. Once the anchor was down and the engine shut down, we settled in for the evening. Our first chore was to set up and test our new Honda 2000 portable generator. It is set up on the aft deck with the power cord connected to the shore power outlet for the boat.




We fired up our Iota battery chargers, the fridge, all of the outlets on the boat for fans, and the entertainment system. Since the engine has been heating up the water in the hot water heater, we had no need to turn that on. Either the Honda or the new inverter will power whatever we need. Neither will power our air conditioner, but with the boat all opened up and a couple of fans, it is quite pleasant. Our WiFi set, posted here on the site, is working great and allowing us to make this posting.


We hope for a quiet evening. We plan to get underway around 7:00 AM to try and make a few more miles than today. But we can declare this first day a success and we will see what tomorrow will bring.

Steering Issues And Preparing For A Cruise

All of our recent activity has been for a purpose. We are preparing Beach House for a trip from our current location in Beaufort, South Carolina, to the Chesapeake Bay. We know it is the wrong direction for this time of year, but recent events have required us to head north. If all goes as planned we will leave the dock on Monday, September 14th and head along the ICW for the next 600 miles or so. We have made as many improvements as we felt were necessary to make the trip safe and comfortable.

One issue that took some extra work was the steering system. The upper and lower hydraulic helm pumps are Wagner 700 Series, very substantial and dependable units. The upper helm had developed a leak so we decided to send both units in for testing and service which included replacing the internal seals. We chose Florida Rigging and Hydraulics for the service since we had received good reviews from folks that had used them in the past. They did an excellent job and turned the units around very quickly at a reasonable price. They also spent the time on the phone to be sure we understood the requirements for bleeding the system and the proper fluid to use.



Once the pumps were back we immediately reinstalled them and bled the entire system. The bleeding process is fairly simple, the lower helm is filled with fluid, then the upper helm is filled. The hydraulic cylinder attached to the rudder has bleed fittings for both port and starboard sides. With both helm pumps full, the starboard bleed fitting is opened and the wheel turned to port. With a container at the rudder, the wheel is turned until the air is purged from the system and only fluid flows from the fitting. Once this is done that fitting is closed and the port fitting is opened and the wheel turned to starboard until all air is purged. But once this was done we still had a problem. The rudder did not want to turn and the wheel was almost impossible to turn with the bleed fittings closed.

We disconnected the hydraulic cylinder from the rudder post and used the emergency tiller to try and turn the rudder. It took all of my strength to get it to turn and that is not how it should be. In addition the steering was still very hard to turn, even with the hydraulic cylinder disconnected from the rudder. We quickly determined that we had two problems. First, the rudder bearing the sits on the top of the rudder bracket was almost completely frozen. And second, the hydraulic cylinder had gone bad and would need to be replaced. The local boatyard here, Marsh Harbor Marina, has been extremely helpful when we needed equipment or assistance in any way. They placed the order for the cylinder and had it for us the next day and at a price we could not find better elsewhere.

Our concern was that we would have to haul the boat to deal with the bearing and we would need steering to get to the boatyard, some three miles away. So for the next three days we soaked the bearing in place with PB Blaster, then WD 40, then more PB Blaster, then Corrosion Block, then More PB Blaster. Each day, using the emergency tiller, the rudder was turning easier and easier. There is a grease fitting on the bearing and we were adding grease as we worked the bearing. Finally after about four days the rudder was turning with almost no effort. We installed the new cylinder and bled the system again, making absolutely sure all air was out of it. The steering on the boat had been stiff since we bought it, but now the wheel will turn with one finger. We are very pleased that it has worked out as well as it has.

A few other projects are also completed. We installed a 2000 watt inverter to run the 110 systems when at anchor. We will do a complete posting on the installation later. We have also added a Honda 2000 Generator to run the battery charger and other 110 volt items at anchor for longer periods of time. Our past experience with the Honda has been a very good one, we used it on our sailboat for years. We wanted a good system to monitor our batteries and the state of charge as well as amp hours used and replaced. We installed the Victron BMV 600 since we know Victron to be a very well built piece of equipment and the installation is very simple. We have installed an LED anchor light with a photo cell that will turn it on automatically at dusk and turn it off automatically at sunrise. The spreader deck lights were not working so they too were rewired and replaced. We also installed a second high water alarm with a high decibel alarm, mounted at the back of the engine compartment, just forward of the new dripless packing for the shaft as an extra safety measure in the rare event of failure. Some rewiring for the 12 volt side of the fridge was needed and a few other minor repairs. We also added a set of Clarion speakers in the flybridge from our six disk CD changer/stereo in the main salon. We might as well enjoy the trip after all of this work. New screens were made for the side door and the center opening window at the lower helm. We won't have the air conditioner running under way so we wanted lots of air flow.

We look forward to getting under way again, even if it is heading north. We will be posting when we can for the entire trip so come back and visit often.

Replacing The Fresh Water Circulating Pump On Our Ford Lehman 120

If you had read our previous post, we discovered the fresh water circulating pump on the front of the engine had developed a leak and needed replacement. The great folks at American Diesel were quick to get the replacement shipped to us and in my discussion with Bob Smith, he suggested that we replace the engine belt at the same time and be sure and replace it with the proper belt to assure there would be less likelihood of another issue with the pump soon. We agreed and had a belt shipped with the pump. The replacement was actually quite easy.





The first step is to completely drain the fresh water system. This can be accomplished by removing the drain plug for the "fresh water side" of the heat exchanger. Expect at least a couple of gallons to drain out, so have enough containers to catch most of it. Once all of the coolant is drained, we removed the hoses from the circulating pump to the manifold. Expect to also loose some coolant here, so we placed a small bucket under the hoses as we removed them.

Next step is to remove the alternator adjustment bracket and then remove the engine belt. The alternator need not be completely removed. We found it easier to next remove the belt pulley from the pump to make access to the pump mounting bolts easier, but this is not necessary at this time. Once the old pump is unbolted and removed, the pulley needs to be swapped from the old pump to the new one. Again we waited until the pump was mounted to re-install the pulley. We took this opportunity to put a fresh coat of engine paint on everything. In addition we replaced the connecting water hoses from the pump to the manifold.

Once the paint was dry the new pump could be installed. The surface where the pump is to be mounted needs to be clean and smooth and care taken to remove all of the old gasket material. With that done, the new gasket needs to have a sealer applied to both sides of it and placed properly where the pump will mount. The sealer should hold the gasket in place. Position the pump carefully so as not to move the gasket and insert each bolt and just turn down hand tight. We like to apply anti-seize to all bolts. With all bolts insert and started, including the bolt for the alternator adjustment bracket, snug them all up. Once they are snug, tighten them down more, in a staggered sequence, until they are all tightened adequately. With the pump body mounted we attached the belt pulley and tightened down the pulley bolts. Once completed, we turned the pump shaft by hand to be sure it moved easily. The bolt for the alternator adjustment bracket is then removed and the bracket re-attached and the alternator loosely bolted to the adjustment arm.

One of the oddities of the Ford Lehman is the fact that if the engine belt was to break or be in need of immediate replacement, this can only be accomplished by draining the fresh water system and removing the hoses attached to the circulating pump. This does not lend itself well to fast repair and getting back under way quickly, especially if you are dealing with hot coolant. A little trick passed on the me by another trawler owners is to place a replacement belt strategically over the hoses in anticipation of an emergency. This would eliminate the need to drain the system and remove the hoses. So before the final attachment of the water hoses we place the belt over the hoses and wire tied it back on the engine so it would not get fouled in the new belt or any of the pulleys. With that done, the remaining hoses were attached using new hose clamps. With the pump, pulley and hoses all reattached, the alternator could be adjusted for the correct tension on the engine belt. It needs to be tight enough not to slip, but not too tight to again put strain on the pump and cause future problems.

With everything tightened and adjusted properly, the only thing left is to refill the fresh water coolant. We prefer to use a premixed solution of 50/50 coolant but if we use straight anti-freeze we always mix it to a 50/50 solution using distilled water. Once the coolant is added the engine is run long enough to open the thermostat, then shut down and more coolant added as needed. With that done, we ran the engine for approximately 30 minutes more to check for any possible leaks. Everything went as planned and no leaks were detected. At this point we have replaced the oil and transmission coolers, replaced the circulating pump, cleaned the heat exchanger, added the recovery neck to the fresh water coolant tank replaced all of the engine water hoses and clamps and replaced the fresh water coolant. All in all, Beach house should run at her proper operating temperatures for quite a while. But we still do have a few more projects to complete.