Some Time On The Water

The temperatures here in South Carolina reached near 80 degrees this past weekend, only a few days after we had seen highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s, so it was just too nice of a day to sit in the slip and work on projects. Every once in a while we have to stop and tell ourselves to enjoy the boat and not work on it all of the time. As we have refitted each boat for cruising. we have worked hard and long getting equipment installed and repairs made so when the time came to head out on a cruise, we untied the docklines and were still doing projects. This time we will spend some time on sea trials and using the boat and new equipment we install before we start our next cruise.



The current here in the creek runs strong through the marina so entering and leaving the slip has to be timed for slack water as much as possible. It is tight getting in and out and since our experience with the boat is almost nil, we will tend to be more cautious until our skills and confidence levels are higher. We had a low slack water at around noon, so started our preparations for leaving the dock about 11:30 AM and backed out of the slip a little before noon. For some reason, it seems to take less effort and preparation to get this boat ready to shove off than it did the sailboat.

We had a moderate southwest breeze and absolutely crystal clear blue skies. A perfect spring day for a short trip on the Beaufort River and the local boating community was taking advantage of the great weather. We headed north toward Brickyard Creek, keeping an eye on the depth sounder since it was a low, low tide. We chose not to run Brickyard Creek because we knew there were some very shallow spots and did not feel like finding the bottom today. Along the way we found a local Police boat that for some reason was sitting high and dry way up in the marsh grass. No anchor out or any visible signs of the boat being secure and too far up in the grass to be re-floated at high tide. At least that is the way it appeared to us. Before we hit the shallow areas we turned around and headed for the downtown waterfront.

Beaufort has been one of our favorite stops along the ICW for many years. The main Marina is right in the heart of downtown and is a stopover for almost all cruisers along this stretch of the waterway. The town has that old southern charm and main street is lined with shops and restaurants. The old style hardware store that was a favorite of many has closed and is now art stores and variety shops. The streets out of town are lined with old southern mansions and trees with Spanish moss waving in the breeze. Unfortunately there are no grocery stores, hardware or parts supply stores in the downtown area, but you can find most else. As we cruised past the Downtown Marina, we found there were a few cruising boats tied up at the end of the T-dock and the usual group of suspects were at anchor just out of the channel. Many of these boats have been here for years but there is still plenty of room if one preferred to anchor instead of staying at the marina. A free dinghy dock is provided for the boats anchored out. If a tour is to your liking, the marina hosts horse drawn buggy tours of the town.


We got a big kick out of going back and forth under the Lady's Island Bridge without having to wait for an opening. With a 20 foot air draft, it will be great to not have to deal with many of the bridge opening schedules and some not so friendly bridge tenders. The boat was handling well and getting a much needed exercise of the engine. If there is one thing a diesel engine does not like, it is to sit around and not be used. We also needed the practice in this new to us boat before we head out into the sunset. The time flew by and we headed back to the slip before the currents from the incoming tide reached maximum. We got back into the slip without incident and our neighbors hardly knew we were back. All in all, one of those great days on the water.

Showers Coming Soon

No not rain showers. Although the boat is now 28 years old, apparently none of the previous owners ever showered aboard. There were no drains or plumbing to allow anyone to shower in either head and since we seldom use marinas when we are cruising, and quite often spend our time in remote areas, the ability to take a daily shower is important to us, and important to morale. We knew from the beginning that we would need to install a shower but since we are tied to the dock with showers close by, other more important items on the to-do list took precedent. But the project finally came to the top of the list and the time is now. One of the things we always stated as a requirement for a boat was a separate shower stall. Our last sailboat did not have one and the new trawler does not either. But this time we did have a good alternative. Beach House has two heads, one in the main stateroom and the other in the forward cabin. We seldom have guests aboard for long periods so having two heads is not important to us. The forward head is also small, having the head, a pull out sink and the beginnings of a shower pan. From the beginning, we planned to convert this smaller head into a dedicated shower.





It is important that the shower not leak. either into the bilge or into the woodwork in the surrounding cabin. The first order of business would be to re-fiberglass the shower pan using cloth and West System Epoxy. I chose West System because of past good results and the fact that epoxy will adhere to whatever was used on the floor to begin with. A thorough sanding, a coat of epoxy, then two layers of cloth gave the floor a little additional strength and waterproofed it well. Special attention went to the edges to be sure they were well saturated and the pan was sealed. Additional coats of epoxy went on before the preceding coats set up with a final coat which was thickened slightly and tinted using epoxy tint. This eliminated the need to paint, which usually does not last long in a shower, and also "fared" in the rough spots . The results were a solid, smooth, waterproof surface that would be easy to clean. Getting the pan to direct the water toward the drain is also important so you don't have water collecting in the corners. As the pan was finished, we installed a new drain that would be connected to the sump. Most of the drains we found at the marine supply were just too small and usually raised enough around the edges to create a problem. We found that an standard sink drain was larger, giving us a faster drain, and could be installed in a beveled hole to give us an almost completely flush installation. We also found a fitting that would screw on to it that had a hose barb the correct size we needed to connect an 1 1/8 inch hose to the sump. This would give us a complete drain without backing up while we were showering.

Which brought up the next issue, where to drain the shower water. Allowing it to drain into the bilge was never an option. It causes the bilge to smell worse that it normally does and allows all kinds of bacteria to grow down there, not to mention hair and stuff that will clog up the bilge pump. Since the shower pan is below the waterline. a direct discharge was also not an option. That pretty much leaves a separate shower sump. We could either build one or purchase one of the already made up units. We chose the latter and started researching which to buy. I am not a big fan of either Rule or Atwood products. Over the years I have seen too many failures in a very short period of time by either. But they are the dominating manufacturers in shower sumps so I began to consider building my own. One day at West Marine we looked at the West brand sumps and I inquired as to who makes the pumps. They are manufactured by Johnson Pumps which has a fairly good reputation, so we purchased one. I wanted it as close as possible to the shower drain and there is plenty of space in the forward bilge just below the shower. But this is not a flat area so a shelf needed to be fabricated to mount the sump. Using a piece of 1 by 12 oak and wrapping it in fiberglass, and of course epoxy, cutting it to fit and epoxying it to the hull in the bilge worked out to be perfect. The sump was attached to the shelf and the hose run from the drain to the sump. These boxes have several size hose barbs on them and it is just a matter of cutting off the sealed end of the barb you need.

Once the sump was secure and the drain attached, discharging the water from the sump overboard was the next step. This particular sump has a 3/4 inch attachment on the pump that sticks out the forward end of the sump box. Running the discharge hose from the box to a new thru-hull fitting was a simple task. We chose to put the thru-hull next to the discharge thru-hulls for the two bilge pumps on the starboard side of the boat.The thru-hull was installed in the boot stripe, just above the waterline so that it would not be running down the hull when it pumped the water overboard. A 3/4 inch bilge pump hose was run from the sump to the new thru-hull with a section looped higher than the water line even when heeled, to prevent backflow into the sump. This particular unit has a built in check valve at the pump to keep water from flowing back in, but this is just a good added safety measure. In a sailboat a vented loop would be needed to prevent backflow when the boat is heeled over. We always install our thru-hulls using 5200 for bedding and a marine grade plywood backing plate on the inside. In all of our years of boating we have never had a thru-hull we have installed fail or leak. At this point the project was moving along nicely.

Even though the pan was thoroughly sealed with epoxy, there are other areas that can leak into the adjacent woodwork. The inside of the head is covered in a Formica like material but the corners needed a bit more work. All corners, around the trim on the door and a few other places were thoroughly caulked. Taping off the edges to be caulked and using a curved plastic spatula to finish the corners, etc. make a clean professional finish. Just prior to caulking, all of the wood in the head that would be exposed to water received four coats of a gloss floor finish. This is much tougher than varnish, seals and waterproofs the wood better and stand up longer to constant exposure to soap and water.

All that is left is to connect the sump pump to the 12 volt DC system. It is a matter of running the proper size wire from the wiring that comes on the pump to the boats electrical panel. Using the proper size is important based on the voltage and amps the pump requires and the total distance the wire must run to the panel and then back to the pump. In calculating wire size, the round trip run must be used. Fortunately we have several spare breakers on the panel to use, and again sizing the breaker to the pump is important. To small a breaker will constantly trip and too large will not trip when you need it to and could be a fire hazard, especially on a pump. Once all of the wiring is run it needs to be secured well along its route to prevent chafing from constant movement. After all of the hoses are connected and the wiring run, the sump can be tested. Try to keep the discharge as close to the sump as possible as these pumps are usually small and don't push water for long distances well.

The final touches are connecting and running the shower head. We like the small hand held unit made by Scandivik as they can be used by holding down a lever when you need to rinse and then shutting off completely when you let go. This saves a lot of water and that is important to us when we are away at anchor for weeks at a time with no source for water close by. The shower hose is attached to a diverter on the faucet of the pullout sink. Since this sink will be used very little it will not be a problem. We have set up the shower curtains so they completely cover three sides so only one wall in the head will actually get wet. We will see how this works out since there are ways to be able to cover all four sides. There is always room for adjusting.

Oh, and did I mention we are working on the teak? We are finally at a point where there is less left undone then what we have finished. We love the Cetol, especially with so much wood to do, it makes the work go much faster. The forward windows at the lower helm were one of the larger sections to do and turned out quite well. Once the wood was refinished, the bronze hardware was cleaned up and reinstalled and looks great. New weather stripping was installed around the opening center window to keep the rain out. We found replacement wiper blades that fit perfectly and new cloth covers will be made soon. The window frames on the starboard side are done and really make the boat look good. All that is left on the lower deck is the window frames on the port side and the brows. Then we get to start the flybridge. So that is about it for now and we look forward to starting the work on the upper deck. Once the exterior is done the mechanical work can begin. The list is long.

Batteries and Battery Chargers For The Boat

The charging system on Beach House is coming along and is a major improvement from what we started with. It is also a bit unconventional for a boat charging system. After many years of installing these systems on my own and other boats I am always looking for a better and simpler way. The trend on boats today is to move away from simple into the complex as manufacturers try to integrate more systems and get single pieces of equipment to do more. The results have been more breakdowns and fewer repairs that can be done by owners. More capabilities and information are at your fingertips, but at a cost. In the last year, I have heard more and more reports about the Iota battery chargers and their use on boats. These units are not just chargers but converters as well. This means that the 12 volt system on the boat can be run off these units even if a battery were not connected. Not all marine battery chargers can do this and some can be damaged trying. The units convert the 120 volt AC to 13.6 volts nominal DC. The units are called "smart chargers" because they will deliver maximum current for whatever period of time needed to replace the charge but not stress the batteries. It will cut back to virtually milliamps once full charging has been achieved while still maintaining the proper voltage and will maintain that voltage under whatever demands are placed on it. The units are completely silent and do not run hot like many other chargers. They also use what Iota calls Tight Line Regulation which insures that the output voltage stays steady from no load to full load. This will keeps onboard pumps, lights, and motors operating at the correct voltage and thereby increasing their life. An equalization charge on the batteries on a regular basis goes a long way to prolonging the batteries life. The Iota will sense if an equalization charge has not been done for a week and will equalize without overcharging and gassing the water out of the batteries.



There is one drawback to these units. They are not designed for multiple banks of batteries. For that reason I had put off installing one until I did a bit more research and determine how others have overcome this shortfall. In discussion with other boat owners and the helpful folks at Iota the answer for us was simple. The chargers range from 15 amp up to 90 amp. The solution to our dilemma turned out to be as simple as installing a charger for each battery bank. By installing two chargers, which can be done in series or parallel , you have doubled what a single charger will do. By installing a single 45 amp charger on each bank we can charge them most efficiently and will have a back up in the event one would fail. A bonus is that even with two chargers they are less expensive than most of the "marine" chargers on the market. But we still had one more problem to overcome. With the starting battery we actually have three banks to charge.

Once again the solution was simple with a little research. Many of the expensive charger/inverter units have a built in Echo Charger specifically to charge the start batteries. These Echo Chargers can be bought separately and are perfect, in my opinion for starting batteries. The starting battery really only needs to be charged for a short time after the engine is started. The alternator usually does a quick job of this and after that a maintenance charge is all that is needed. A dedicated charger for the start battery would seem to be a waste of energy. The Echo charger can be connected to the starting battery via the house bank and the chargers can maintain any amps removed from the house bank by the Echo Charger to maintain the starting battery. This can allow all charging systems, the battery charger and the alternator, to be connected to the house bank where charging is needed the most. For the time being the alternator is connected to the battery switch which allows us to choose either bank or both to be charged off of the alternator. I am not happy with this set up since I would prefer to have the alternator connected to the house banks so perhaps a relay will solve that part, but that has not been done yet.

This set up may not work for every situation but we have found it perfect for our current charging needs. The house bank consists of two sets of two 6 volt deep cycles at 220 amp hours each for a total of 440 amp hours. These are equivalent to two 8D's which would cost four times as much and weigh four times as much. In the past we have averaged about 6 to 7 years for each pair with this set up and 8D's over the years have not given us better service. The start battery is a single heavy duty truck battery for cranking. When we are cruising our power demands are rather high so an efficient and simple charging system is important to us.

Another Update

The teak master continues making the exterior wood look beautiful as systems continue on the to-do list. The teak work seems never ending and overwhelming sometimes, but with each section that gets done the boat looks better and better. We tried to convince ourselves that when we bought the next boat after our sailboat was sold that we would buy one with no teak on the outside. So what we did was buy one with even more teak than the sailboat had and not in very good shape. The weather this time of year also slows the process and we are expecting a couple of days of rain so the going will be slow. In addition to the refinishing, we have to be careful to not leave holes from the hardware for the rain to leak in. But since we have been doing this for many years we have it down to a science. The holes from the hardware are caulked to keep water out but not so that the hardware can't be re-bedded when it goes back on. With the Sikkens Cetol we use there is no need to sand between each coat, which helps a lot, and the coat that went on in the morning is dry enough by afternoon so that if it rains, it won't hurt the finish. The usual approach is three coats of the base, we now use the "natural teak" coating, and three coats of the gloss. With the new natural color, it does not change the color of the teak and give it that brown or orange coloring as the older bases did. Once the gloss goes on, it is difficult to tell from the usual types of varnish. After these six coats, all that is needed is a yearly maintenance coat afterwards. That is why we switched from traditional varnish several years ago.



The interior is not getting neglected. Some new faucets to replace the originals give the galley a more modern look. Replacing the galley faucet required the spacers between the drawers to be removed to get access and after the faucet was replaced the spacers had to be epoxied back in place. Underway latches have been added to doors to keep them from opening and spilling their contents in a seaway when the conditions get boisterous. And the controls and power for the satellite dish are now in the main cabin so there is no need to go up in the flybridge to make fine tune adjustments.

We finally have a complete house bank of batteries. A second set of 6 volt golf cart wet cells have been added and we now have a total of about 440 amp hours on the bank. The decision as to whether we will add an additional bank will be made after we have a chance to cruise her a bit and see what our requirements will be. With the sailboat we spent lot of time underway with electronics and equipment running without the engine charging. With the trawler we will be running the engine much more and the batteries will get plenty of charge. So we will need some time at anchor to determine if more battery power is warranted. An additional charger will be installed as soon as it arrives so each house bank will now have its own charger which will be 45 amps each for a total of 90 amps for the house bank. The Xantrex echo charger is doing a great job of keeping the starting battery charged from the house bank and the house bank is charged by the Iota chargers from shore power and the alternator under way. We are very pleased with this set up at this point and still have some old wiring to replace. The project list is coming along nicely albeit slower than we would like. But that is just the nature of the beast. we will continue to post updates as we complete them.

Work, Work, Work

That seems to be all we do but we are boat owners. The boat was neglected for about a week while I did some work for another cruiser on their travel trailer. But as soon as that was done it was right back to it. The electrical system will be an ongoing project for a long time. The battery bank is getting expanded so that has been a priority. The batteries were just sitting on a shelf when we bought the boat so a bit more secure system is needed. Building a box to hold them has been on my list for a while. It is now finished and I took the opportunity to clean up and paint a bit more of the bilge area and the adjoining engine area. Eventually the entire engine room will get a fresh coat of paint. The first photo here is the area in front of the engine and where the bilge pumps are as it looked when we took possession of the boat. the second picture is the progress made so far. Not finished, but much better. The additional photos are the process of re-installing the start battery box and a new starting battery. We went from a small 24 to a heavy duty truck starting battery. The engine should like this much better.




The Follow-Me-TV unit we have used for the satellite dish is a holdover from our sailboat. This system, now called Track-IT-TV, has performed very well for us on the sailboat so we brought it over to the trawler. As always, the mounting location needs to be open no matter what direction the dish is pointed. We needed to get it up and over the bimini top for a good view of the sky. After some thought I settled on mounting it on a 4 inch PVC pipe attached to the flybridge rail with hose clamps. If this works out then a more permanent attachment will be done. The coax had to be run from the dish to the entertainment center. This was accomplished by running the coax through the bulkhead over the aft window in the main cabin where the TV is mounted. A thru-deck cable cover was used to finish it off on the outside and make it watertight. The coax is then run up through the inside of the 4 inch PVC and out the top to the LNB on the dish. The Track-It seems pretty secure and puts the dish just above the bimini top. The only issue might be the mast at some points while anchored but we will have to see how that goes. On the sailboat we had 2 masts and it was only very rarely that it interfered with reception. If this works as we hope, additional supports will be added from the hand rails to the PVC pipe just under the Track-It. A lot of extra coax is bundled loosely inside the PVC pipe to allow for the dish to turn without stressing the coax. The power wire and adjustment cable still needs to be run to the inside of the boat later in the week.

I have found that the amp gauges at the lower helm and upper station are not working. I really have found no benefit to an amp gauge on the engine so since the previous owner put a voltage gauge at the lower station, I will replace the gauge at the upper station with a volt meter also. Another item added to the list. During all of this we actually got the boat out of the slip for a short period on Saturday. A front was coming through so as soon as we got under way the winds came up and the rain started so we made it a short run. As soon as we returned to the slip, secured the boat and plugged the power back in, the wind dropped and the rain stopped. Very typical.

And of course the work on the teak continues. The lower hand rails are done and look great as does the side door. The cap rail is now under construction as is some of the trim from the flybridge. My next 3 big projects will be to complete the shower in the forward head, install an oil changer system and also a fuel polishing pump. The electrical for the windlass still needs to be finished but we are waiting for the rest of the parts to finish that. We are hoping to make a big dent in these projects in the next few weeks. We will keep you posted.

Anchoring Regulations

Cities, towns, counties and communities all along the Eastern Seaboard are getting on the anti- anchoring bandwagon. The reasoning for these restriction fall into several categories. First is pollution, citing sewage discharge, contaminates from bilge water, leaking fuel tanks and spills, careless disposal of trash ashore and the associated problems of abandoned vessels. Next comes damage to the seabeds and surrounding shorelines. These generally are from anchors and rode scouring the bottom, damaging seagrass and vessels breaking loose from their anchors and damaging other boats, docks, etc. A biggy is the nuisance factor and here is where pressure from landowners play a large part. Generators running on deck at night, loud music and parties, intoxication, trespassers trying to gain access to shore facilities and crime to name a few. There is also the navigational hazard from boats with no anchor lights, anchored or dragging into channels and blocking access to docks and facilities. I doubt that even the staunchest opponents to anchoring restrictions can argue these points.



Florida has become the most restrictive and regulated state in the US for anchoring of vessels in their waters.  Many towns and municipalities are attempting to pass regulations to restrict or prohibit anchoring and we the boating public will have little to say. The amazing thing here is that Florida already has a state wide anchoring regulation signed by then Governor, Jeb Bush on July 1, 2006. These regulations essentially say that other than in a mooring field, municipalities have no authority to regulate where a typical cruising vessel anchors, unless they can prove the vessel is not used for anything other than a residence or place of business. Here the wording get tricky. If you are a live-aboard you can be regulated. Here is how the terms are defined under the Florida law,

(a) Any vessel used solely as a residence; OR
(b) Any vessel represented as a place of business, a professional or other commercial
enterprise, or a legal residence.
A commercial fishing boat is expressly excluded from the term "live-aboard vessel”.

If you consider your self a "full time cruiser" you can not be regulated under the law. However, many municipalities have chosen to ignore the state regulations. In two well known cases, one in Marco Island, which went to court and the city lost, and the other in Stuart, Florida, where it did not make it to court but the city issued a public apology, a small monetary consideration and withdrawal of their regulations, the cities were clearly in violation of State laws. Yet the regulations put forth by the City of Sarasota clearly show that the law is being ignored. If allowed to continue unchecked, this will certainly spread to other states and soon we will have no place to practice free navigation. Much of the pressure to pass these regulations comes from wealthy landowners with deep pockets and political connections.

But the problems of derelict boats and unruly live-aboards need not be dealt with using heavy handed regulations. Navigating our waterways falls under the control of the United States Government, i.e. the US Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers, National Parks, NOAA, etc. Next comes the State and then finally the local entities. There already exist a myriad of federal and state regulations for boats that cover, safety, seaworthiness, sewage and waste disposal and more. If these existing regulations are applied to those problem boats, they would soon go away and there would be no need for additional regulations. But that would remove the financial incentives from the equation.

The city of Key Biscayne had such issues in Hurricane Harbor. The city discussed at length the need to regulate these boats out of that harbor. Many homeowners also were boat owners and quickly realized they would also regulate themselves out. Cooler heads prevailed and the city took the "use the current regulations" approach. Soon all of the anchored boats were inspected for safety and sewage disposal compliance and were cited to either fix the problems or face fines. They all packed up, left and never came back. It may be a simplistic approach but it has and does work. The state of Florida is giving us all the impression that if you don't have a mega-yacht and tie up to a marina that you are not wanted. But that is not in all places in that state. There are still many unregulated areas that boaters are welcome. But they are becoming fewer and farther between. The state is in fact studying new regulations to again be implemented state wide to attempt to standardize regulations. But that was what I understood that last regulations were intended to do.

Be it Florida or Rhode Island the boating landscape is changing. If you would prefer to not have it regulate you out of your favorite pass time I would urge you to get involved as best you can and help keep the process fair and open. We should all be weary of too much government and urge our waterfront communities to try existing regulations before enacting more. As boaters we should all be part of the process, lest the process overrun us all.

A Welcome To The New Year

2009 has arrived and we look forward to what will be a new year and new beginning for us in our boating adventures. With the change over from sail to trawler we are anxious to get the boat ready and get started on a new cruising agenda. 2008 was an interesting year for us and the presidential race that lasted a lifetime was based on change so it was only fitting we made as many changes as possible. We left Houston, Texas and cruised on our sailboat and home for 17 years along the Gulf coast and East coast to Beaufort, South Carolina. A not too small move but one we are glad we made. The trip was not without some excitement that we could have really done without. For anyone interested in that trip you can find all the details and a whole lot more at our other site, http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/ with info on several of our cruises. Almost as soon as we arrived in South Carolina a buyer for our sailboat presented himself. Almost immediately after we sold Sea Trek, we found our current boat also right here in South Carolina. During the selling and buying process we did a one week boat delivery that took over a month. These in and of themselves were some really big changes for us. Our plan was to head out for the Bahamas by early December on the new boat, but once again life had different plans for us. We don't get too upset about these kinds of things because they always prove to be the best for us in the long run.



We continue to complete projects on the boat. Everything we do is designed to make the boat safer, more comfortable for us and more suitable for the type of cruising we plan to do with her in the future. Just when that will begin we are not quite certain yet. We went through the same process with the last boat until we had her to the point that she was to us, the perfect cruiser. In the last week or so we have continued to refinish the exterior teak which will be a slow and ongoing process. The boats electrical systems are also going to be an ongoing process of upgrading and correcting things that are not quite right. We have just completed installing a ProMariner Galvanic Isolator. This unit is capable of handling two 30 amp services and is one of the only units I could find that is actually tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratories. A cable TV and phone inlet has been installed and cable run through the boat so phones and the cable TV service on the dock can be used. We are currently staying with cell phones instead of a land line.

The engine is getting a paint job with any rust areas treated with Ospho prior to painting. We have also installed a high water alarm for advance warning if we spring a large leak. A new battery box for the house banks is under construction and once completed a second bank will be added. The engine room is also getting a fresh coat of paint as things progress. The projects on the list that we already have the components for are, an oil changer for the engine, a fuel polishing system and completion of the anchor windlass installation. The shower floor still needs to be rebuilt and the shower drains and sump installed. We wish that was it but there are several more on top of that. we will continue to post here as things progress. Wish us luck