Gunkholing The Florida Keys, Little Crawl Key

The forecast winds and seas had not subsided as we exited Boot Key Harbor via Sisters Creek. Once we were out in Hawks Channel, it was obvious we would have a somewhat boisterous ride for the 10 miles or so to our destination for the day, a snug anchorage at Little Crawl Key (see page 89 of The Great Book Of Anchorages, Norfolk to Key West). With easterly winds and southerly swells, we had a bit of a rolly ride for the next hour and a half once we left the channel markers for Sisters Creek. The multitude of floats from the fish traps also made the short transit a challenge, but it wasn't too uncomfortable. We just needed to keep a sharp eye out and weave through the mine field. The channel entrance into Little Crawl Key requires going past the entrance between the two Keys and picking up the private markers 1 and 2 (Lat 24.44.2813N 080.58.2811W) that lead into the doglegged channel. It's apparent that the markers lead around and behind some very shallow water. The sand bar did knock down the seas quite a bit as we moved towards the entrance. Just past the last set of markers, a shoal extends out from each side of the entrance.

Boot Key Harbor has been known to anchor many a boat to the bottom, us included. We want to get out and spend time exploring the Keys and not just sit in the harbor. The weather has kept us either at the rare anchoring spot in the harbor or at one of the City moorings since we finished our repairs at our friends dock. So that's why we headed out before the wind and seas were forecast to lay down later today. We winded our way through the entrance channel into the anchorage at Little Crawl Key at about 10 am. Coming into the entrance it takes a bit of a zig zag to miss the shoals extending out from the narrow entrance. But the clear water makes finding the deep water easy. As soon as we were inside the depths dropped off to 10 feet and the anchorage averages 6 to 10 feet throughout.

We found another boat anchored in the center of the basin, but there is still plenty of room. The hook set immediately in 8 feet of water and the anchorage is absolutely fantastic (Lat 24.44.580N and Long 080.58.845W). The high mangroves give good wind protection and the bar at the entrance breaks up any seas. We didn't see less than 5 feet 9 inches in the channel and the tides were less than a foot above low tide. A boat with more than a 5-foot draft would have to come in at high tide. With the anchor down we took a few minutes to just relax and take in the sights. The basin has Valhalla Point Resort (now closed) on one side and Curry Hammock State Park on the other. We shared the anchorage with another unoccupied boat, a handful of kayakers and some Spotted Rays.

Once the dinghy was in the water we decided to forgo the outboard so we wouldn't disturb the peaceful atmosphere. Besides, we can always use the exercise, and the rowing ability of the Livingston dinghy is why we bought it. We found a nice spot right near the anchorage entrance to tie the dinghy up to a picnic table at the State Park. We wanted to walk around and explore the park and the facilities. There are a number of picnic tables under cover, restrooms, soft drink machines, a playground and a campsite for RVs and travel trailers. The entire park is very clean and well maintained.

There is also a small but very nice beach that faces Hawks Channel. Believe it or not, beaches are fairly rare in the Florida Keys. The weather couldn't have been more perfect - light winds, comfortable temperatures and bright sunny skies. We walked through the campground and the facility for campers has restrooms and showers. The campsites are almost right on the beach, just a short walk, and all have concrete pads for parking. We found a couple of campers enjoying a good book in a chair on the beach. By midday, several families were enjoying the cool waters, not summer temps.

After we finished at the State Park, we rowed through one of the canals off the basin. A very large home and dock sits on one side of the canal and the resort sits on the other. We saw only 2 people at the resort. The private home had landscapers working all day. A few small boats, kayaks and jet skis visited during the day, but for the most part, we had the anchorage to ourselves. The afternoon was spent reading, napping and relaxing. We really enjoyed being away from Boot Key Harbor and all of the constant activity. This is what we came to the Keys to enjoy and we vowed to do more of.

There was one moment when we thought we were transported back to prehistoric times. This large fella was hanging off a mangrove in the canal as we rowed by. We were lucky that he didn't decide to drop into the dinghy. The non-native Iguanas have become a serious problem throughout the Keys over the years. They started as pets that were released or escaped from their owners and now they are everywhere. This is one of the biggest and ugliest we have encountered yet. He certainly was pretty scary.

We haven't decided whether we will stay an extra day or move on tomorrow. The weather will help us decide. We have a presentation on cruising at the City Marina on Tuesday and we will need to get to a dock sometime in the next few days since our water tanks will need filling. That means a return to Boot Key but we are already planning our future cruising after next week. The boat will need a good washing to get all of the salt water off and there is always laundry that needs to be done. Decisions, decisions.

Let The Cruise Begin

It's been four years, tens of thousands of dollars, cuts, bruises and a few curse words that have never been heard by human ears, but we're finally off the dock and underway. Words can not express the feeling as we headed out the channel from Goodland, Florida and watched the marina fade from view. The only thing that kept playing in our minds was "it's finally happening." We had been at Walker's Coon Key Marina for about a month while we finished the generator installation, the Argus system and a few other minor projects. Walker's hauled the boat, painted the bottom and replaced all of the zincs while we were in Maryland for Thanksgiving. When we returned, everything was ready and all we needed to do was to restock our provisions and turn in the rental car. We had dropped off both of our cars at a relative's until our cruise was finished. As we headed toward Gullivan Bay, we encountered a raccoon swimming across the channel and when we had barely reached open water, pods of dolphins began to cavort in our bow and stern wakes. We saw them off and on all the way to Marathon.

 

First stop, Indian Key. It's only about 15 miles from the marina to Indian Key, but we wanted a short run and a night at anchor to just rest and relax and let the reality sink in. We have anchored here on several occasions but it was usually well into a cruise and not at the very beginning. Indian Key marks the beginning of the channel up to Everglade City. We considered taking the boat up the channel and then decided against it since we had been there a few times by land. It's a nice little town but there's not much there except a lot of restaurants. Anchoring just off the channel can get a little uncomfortable at times since the commercial fishing boats, tour boats and guides come out of Everglades City at full throttle and it can get bouncy. This time we headed up the channel into Russell Pass (25.50.1268, 081.26.4906) to get well out of the traffic lanes. This area is part of the 10,000 Islands and is absolutely spectacular. We spent a peaceful evening sharing a distant part of the anchorage with a very large yacht.

On to Little Shark River. The next morning we exited Indian Key along with two other trawlers that were also heading south. We guessed they were probably also going to Little Shark River since that's the logical jump off to the Keys and very few boats want to cross Florida Bay at night. More on that later. The weather was great and we had a northeast wind at about 10 to 15. That put the wind slightly on our port side stern and as long as we stayed close in to the coastline, we had only slight seas. On this trawler, any beam seas can get very uncomfortable. Also, by staying within the park boundaries, we avoided the many crab pots along the way. Our 4-foot draft allows us to stay close in and take an almost direct route to the Little Shark River entrance marker. The anchor came up at 0845 at Indian Key and we dropped the hook in the small bight just inside Little Shark River at 1415 (25.19.713, 081.08.800). This was another short day of about 36 miles and we spent another quiet night with the two trawlers from Indian Key and a total of about 5 sailboats.

Our first mechanical problem reared its ugly head by the time we reached the Little Shark River. The whole idea of this part of the cruise was to do a thorough shakedown of all of the equipment and work we have done on the boat. We had the heads removed, reworked and reinstalled with new head gaskets and manifold gaskets. We replaced all of the gaskets associated with removing the head except one. So wouldn't you know it. The gasket that sits under the fresh water coolant tank and around the thermostat had been overlooked when we ordered new gaskets. The old gasket looked like it was in good shape so we reused it. The few times we used the boat until now it had never shown any signs of leaking. But now it was. It was nothing major, but a leak is a leak and it never gets better. Now, there isn't anything out in the Little Shark River. No facilities, no people, no cell phone or internet service. This isn't a place you want to break down since it's a long way to any civilization. But the problem was slight at this point and we knew we just needed to get down to Marathon to fix it.

Crossing Florida Bay can be uncomfortable in some conditions and downright dangerous in serious weather. There are many shoals and reefs that can do serious damage if you don't pay close attention to where you are. But even that is not the biggest problem crossing over to the Keys. It's the bazillion floats attached to traps that turn Florida Bay into a virtual minefield. One of these lines tangled in the running gear can stop you dead and require a dive over the side to cut everything loose. Navigating through them calls for constant vigilance. Which brings us to the reason no one wants to make this crossing at night. Our winds were forecast to be 10 to 15 from the east, which would put the seas right on our beam, but fortunately, as usual, the NWS was less than accurate and the winds were light and more northeast, putting them more on the bow than the beam. Five boats from Little Shark River all headed toward the 7 Mile Bridge and converged on Moser Channel near Marathon.

Revisiting Boot Key Harbor. Beach House arrived at the outer channel markers of the west entrance channel to Boot Key Harbor at around 1400. The weather was overcast with light winds and we considered anchoring just outside the channel entrance for the night. But having to deal with the leak made picking up a mooring a better choice so we could work out the logistics of getting the gasket, pulling the engine apart and putting everything back together. It's a fairly easy repair, but not something to do at anchor outside the harbor, just in case there was a problem. It was strange to be back again after being gone for so long. After all, we were based out of Marathon for 10 years while we cruised the Caribbean. Once in the harbor, it was like we had never left. Many of the same boats were either at anchor or on the City Moorings. We decided to pick up a mooring for a couple of days until we worked out some details. We settled in and ordered the parts we needed. In a couple of days, we moved over to a friend's private dock to give us better shore access since the parts were coming to her house. Besides, it was nice to catch up. Just about as soon as we arrived, we met some new friends; some that knew the boat from our blogs and some members of AGLCA that had made the crossing with us. (Remember those two trawlers?) Now the repairs are done and we are in full cruising mode. More to come.

Do-It-Yourself Generator Install

For many, many, many years, our trusty Honda 2000 portable generator supplied us with 120-volt electricity when we needed it at anchor. On our sailboat, we used an inverter most of the time and our solar panels and wind generator kept the battery banks topped off. We made the decision early on to install a permanent generator on Beach House for our upcoming cruise to the Bahamas and the Great Loop. We likely won't have the wind conditions needed for a wind generator like we had in the Caribbean, and solar panels are not practical for us right now. We want to be able to run the air conditioner in the Bahamas and the heat in the Great Lakes when we need it, and an inverter would just not do. Generator options for boats are plentiful, and deciding which one would best suit our needs took a lot of research.

Once the house battery bank had been relocated, the shelf where the generator would be located needed some reinforcement and rebuilding. It was strengthened with a layer of 1/2-inch plywood and sealed with West System.

A layer of fiberglass cloth was laid over the plywood using epoxy to further strengthen and seal off the wood from any coolant or oil that might be spilled during maintenance. All of this was placed over the existing shelf.

Everything got a couple of coats of fresh paint and all we needed was for the generator to arrive. Our choice was the Next Generation 3.5 generator in a sound shield. We wanted a small footprint that would fit in the space we had in the engine compartment. We needed it to be able to handle our 16,000 BTU air conditioner/heating system. It also needed to be capable of running all of the rest of our appliances, battery chargers, water heater, power tools and whatever else we wanted to run on board. Weight was also an important factor since the unit would be sitting against the hull on the port side of the boat and weight distribution had to be a consideration. The generator also had to have a good reputation in the cruising community for reliability, sound construction and ease of maintenance and repairs. The Next Generation scored high in every category.

The generator arrived one afternoon in a 40-foot semi and it was fun just watching him maneuver through the marina. We got the truck in front of the boat and the first order of business was to get it uncrated to make it easier to get off the truck, not to mention on the boat. Three of us and the driver unpacked it, slid it on to the lift gate and lowered it to the ground. I had rented a refrigerator hand truck with straps that made it easier to get it from the parking lot, down the ramp and dock, to the boat. Once we were on the finger pier, we made a sling out of lines and nylon straps. Next, we muscled it through the side door and down into the open hatch to the engine compartment. The whole process went easier than I expected, and by removing the sound shield, it helped lighten the load.

The sound shield was put back in place, and the unit positioned so that access around it was decent and there was room to work. Once we were satisfied with the position, the unit was bolted in place. This is where it would live.

All fittings and connection to the generator are easily made either to or through the sound shield. The fuel lines, water lines and exhaust have connections extended to outside the sound shield. The wiring has plastic pass-throughs to keep everything neat. Even the mounting brackets, which are bolted to the motor mounts, are on the outside of the shield. This make the unit almost plug and play.

The fuel tank had an unused pick-up tube and fitting for the fuel return making the fuel connections pretty easy. A cut-off valve for the fuel pick-up and a couple of elbows and hose barbs and we were in business. The fuel lines did need to be run from the generator to the top of the fuel tank, but that was all pretty easy. The fuel lines are 5/16 and the return line is 1/4.

A Racor R125 fuel filter came with the unit and was plumbed in just before the generator. Since the fuel lines needed to be mounted along the top of the engine compartment, the filter was placed high to give easy access for changing.

The exhaust system required a waterlock because the generator is below the waterline. Next Generation also supplied the Centek 1 1/2-inch waterlock with a side entry and top discharge. A small shelf was needed to mount the waterlock at the appropriate height and to keep it level in the slanted bilge.

With the shelf completed and another section of the engine compartment painted, all of the exhaust hoses were connected in place and double clamped. The exhaust was all secured so it wouldn't move around and chafe when the genny is running or when the boat is underway.

An 1 1/2-inch exhaust thru-hull was installed just above the waterline. We decided on one with a flapper cover to keep out water intrusion while we were underway and the flapper directs the exhaust water straight down. The plus is that it also reduces the exhaust noise when the generator is running.

The wiring to the generator is pretty simple, and with the provided wiring harness, it took a very short period of time to connect everything up and mount the remote starting panel. Our unit came with a standard 10-foot harness, but longer ones are available.

This was all really the easy part. The difficult part comes in wiring the generator to the boat's electrical systems. This is something I would never recommend to anyone that does not have experience with boat wiring and I don't mean casual experience. Our boat was a bit complicated but no more than most. We have 2 separate independent panels fed by two separate shore power connections. One is the main panel and the other is a smaller panel with only the air conditioning system and the outlets on the flybridge. We also have an inverter that is connected to the main electrical panel that needed to be wired into the circuit. Each electrical panel required a transfer switch to allow us to select between shore power, the generator and the inverter on the main panel without ever having two sources connected to a panel at the same time. For the main panel, we used a Blue Seas 3-way switch that lets us switch between the shore power, generator or inverter.

The smaller panel is primarily for the air conditioner and only needed a two-way switch to connect the shore power or generator. This panel is not connected to the inverter since it won't ever run the AC unit.

Because the unit is below the waterline, an anti-siphon valve is required in the raw water intake line to keep water from backing up in the engine. The sound shield also needs a way to remove the hot air that will build up inside the shield. An exhaust fan is installed and attached to an outlet on the top of the box. We attached the discharge for the fan to one of the engine room air intakes. There are four of them in the engine compartment. It's wired to the generator so the fan comes on automatically when the unit is started.

The attached exhaust fan also helps keep the heat down in the compartment when the generator is running.

Just before the initial start up, the fuel system is pushed into the engine by using a jumper on the electric fuel pump. The pump is allowed to run for a few minutes until it is pushing fuel back through the fuel return line. A quick check of the oil and coolant levels and everything was ready. It took the unit about 2 seconds to fire up, and we were very surprised and just how quiet it was. In the main cabin we can just hear a low hum and a bit of vibration, but really less that we had with our portable sitting on deck. It was an incredible relief to have this major project completed and it also meant that our cruising was about to begin for real. A quick trip north to visit the kids, grandkids, family and friends for Thanksgiving, and we returned ready to cast off the dock lines for our next big adventure. Let the cruising begin!

Installing Our Garmin GHP 10 Autopilot

After 17 years of sailing on our Mariner 40 Ketch, Sea Trek, we were really used to having an autopilot do most of the steering for us. With Beach House, we did all of the steering ourselves, until now. Both the trip from South Carolina to the Chesapeake and the return to Florida required us to steer every foot of the way. We often mentioned on those trips how much we would like to have had some electronic help. An autopilot has always been on our to-do list, but we decided to wait and install the latest model just before departure time on our upcoming cruise. The time is now.

 

The first step in any installation is to decide where all of the bits and pieces are going to go. Our first and easiest decision was where to mount the GHC 10 interface control head. We wanted it in the flybridge since that’s where we do most of our steering. We only use the lower helm in bad weather. This was also the reason we decided not to install a second control head at the lower helm. Well, that and the fact that we are running out of real estate.



For the lower helm, we decided to use a remote for the occasions when we would be steering inside. The Garmin remote was a perfect fit and we could use it in any location on the boat. We often sit on the bow while underway with the autopilot steering the boat.



The provided template for the GHC 10 has a sticky back so it was attached and lined up properly exactly where we wanted it. We needed a spot near the helm but with at least 3-inch clearance behind it to allow for the cabling. The GHC 10 must be connected to the NEMA 2000 network. There are also 2 wires that must be connected to the course compute unit (CCU) and the electronic control unit (ECU) interconnect cable.



To accomplish that, a wire run from the flybridge to the area behind the lower helm was needed. Beach House is fairly easy to make long wire runs without drilling holes all over the boat. The flybridge wiring and hydraulic tubing provides easy access.



The CCU acts as the brain of the autopilot and contains the sensory equipment to determine heading. We often referred to this in the past as a fluxgate or gyro compass. It’s much more sophisticated in the Garmin. The unit has to be mounted in the front half of the boat and as low as possible. Garmin instructions say that it should not be mounted any higher than 10 feet above the waterline. We mounted it in a forward locker under the V-berth. It would be below the waterline in this spot. Another important factor is that it must be free of any magnetic influences, especially any metal objects. Also, it comes with its own nifty mounting bracket.



Our hydraulic steering system is fed by copper tubing throughout. This would not work to connect the autopilot pump into the lower steering station. We chose this location for our ability to connect the pumps easily and not have to re-plumb the entire system. The autopilot pump must be mounted within 18 inches of the course computer, so the location also allowed us to mount all of the additional parts in one location.



We found all of the necessary Teleflex tubing and connections at a local NAPA store. None of the marine suppliers in Naples or Marco Island could provide us with what we needed. Go figure. We also purchased hydraulic fluid so we could bleed the system once everything was installed. This flexible tubing made the replacement process much easier and quicker than trying to work with the copper tubing. The Teleflex fittings were all quick connects, and since I had used them many times in the past, I knew that if they were installed properly, they would not leak.



The new lines were attached to the helm pump and then secured to the bulkhead so they wouldn’t move around. It required a port and starboard line as well as a return line. The copper return line from the upper helm was left in place.



The Garmin GHP 10 contains a patented “Shadow Drive” that allows the helmsman to take over the steering by simply turning the wheel. This disengages the autopilot and allows you to steer the boat until you want the autopilot to take over again by steering a straight course. The Shadow Drive needs to be plumbed into either the port or starboard hydraulic line. It has to be mounted horizontally as level as possible and closer to the helm than the autopilot pump. It’s important to secure it to the bulkhead to prevent it from moving around. It, too, must be mounted away from any magnetic influences. Since we have dual helms, the drive has to be mounted between the autopilot pump and the lower helm.



The next step is to install the autopilot pump itself. The pump size is determined by the specifics of the boat and we chose the 2.0 litre. They come in several sizes. Our pump is mounted on a flat surface directly under the lower helm.



The ECU unit is mounted to the bulkhead just above and to the right of the pump. They need to be mounted within 18 inches of each other. The pump is connected to the ECU via the supplied cables.



The Garmin GHP 10 is completely NEMA 2000 and it makes the installation almost plug and play. There are a few cautions - the NEMA 200 connections must be made with the proper orientation of the fittings for the backbone and cable runs. Once the autopilot is installed, we now have the beginnings of a NEMA 2000 system and can easily add additional equipment later. The final connections were the NEMA 0183 output from our Standard Horizon chartplotter so the autopilot would have heading and speed information. With the autopilot set up this way, we did not need a rudder sensor. The Garmin calculates the rudder position based on the number of turns stop to stop and other factors during the calibration process.



When everything was installed, it looked very close to the layout provided in the installation instructions. The only thing left was to bleed the hydraulic lines and go through the calibration process. But one minor issue had to be dealt with first.



We had a slight leak in the upper helm pump so it was removed and sent off to have the seals replaced. This would be the second time we have had to replace seals in the upper helm. This time we hope it lasts.



Before reinstalling it, we gave it a fresh coat of paint so it looked nice like the rest of the flybridge. After 30 years, it was looking a little ragged.



It all went back together and the hydraulic lines were reconnected. Things were really looking good at this point, and it is surprising how easy the installation went considering the need to change so much of the system.




With the wheel back on, the entire system was bled and everything checked for leaks. All went well and the calibration was the next step. Part of the calibration is done at the dock and part is done underway. The sea trial, and the entire process for that matter, is done via the calibration wizard within the autopilot. It really is very simple, but we must look a little crazy out driving the boat around in circles and letting it drive in an S pattern. Once the installation was completed, we were very happy to welcome our newest crew member aboard, the autopilot. It really is like having a third person on board.
Next comes the generator. Stay tuned for that installment.