The Dark Side

by Dan 

We often write about the sunny days on the beach and the fun adventure that we experience but there is also a more challenging side to this boat life - boat maintenance and repairs.  I wanted to share our most recent challenges and it is bit mechanically minded so if this isn’t your cup of tea I totally understand.

Two weeks ago, the day before my parents came to visit, we moved the boat about a mile to a mooring ball thinking it would be a bit calmer and easier to get in and out of the dinghy. 

Here is where we started and where we were going:

All was going well as we approached the entrance, which was only about 50 foot wide giving us about 10’ on either side of the boat, with Kathy up front guiding us between the reefs.  

I noticed however that as we got closer our port motor was not responding to shifting into reverse so we needed to quickly use our starboard motor to keep us on track. After tying up to the mooring ball and wiping the nervous sweat from the brow I dove on the propeller to check for possible fishing line or fouling – no such luck.  

We now had a transmission problem to deal with before leaving the mooring ball.

We knew in Tampa that our particular transmissions, called a Yanmar Saildrive or SD50 for short, had issues with their cone clutches slipping so we had them completely pulled out and serviced thinking this would be a bear of a job in the islands.  

Unfortunately, we must have worn down the clutch over the last 200 hours on the trip down from Florida - Really ?!? 

Let the repair research begin!  Through a bit of online searching we determined that there is a kit available that was built by a fellow cruiser to address this exact problem.  To my amazement after a couple emails this one came across from Gideon who built the kit.  

He was anchored about a half mile away and could come over and install it for us:

Can we get any luckier?  He is right around the corner...

Talk about good fortune – so a few days later Gideon and Brett came by to install the kit on both transmissions and tune up our sail drives.

Operation Sail Drive Repair!

Transmission Kit Install - Gideon had all the parts we needed

These guys really knew their stuff and after about 8 hours both drives were running perfectly.  

It was a huge relief to be able to have forward and reverse in full operation on both motors.  We got to know Gideon and Brett a bit more over the next couple weeks and they are really interesting people.  They used to own a game preserve in South Africa and have been sailing for years on a beautiful Voyage 50.

So now with the saildrives fixed we were on to the next couple items for the boat project list.  We are headed to the Dominican Republic in a few weeks via the Turks and Caicos islands. This is going to be a pretty long trip for us at about 400+NM with much of it possibly straight into the wind. 

We needed to get exact measurements of fuel consumption and speed now that everything is in perfect working order. On a Saturday morning we decided to motor up and down the five mile harbor here to get some data for our trip planning. 

All is going well as Kathy works the throttles and I check the transmissions, motors and speed.  As we pull into the anchorage and drop the hook I noticed smoke coming from our Starboard motor bay – oh no – not the other motor #$%^&

With the fire extinguisher in hand I jumped down into the bay to see what can be done.  After a few tense moments it is clear we burned up the alternator.  

With the testing at different speeds we ran the alternator too hot and the rectifier bridge and diodes were fried.  It took about 30 minutes to pull it out and this is what we were faced with:

This is not how it is suppose to look, or smell... 

The back side of our Balmar alternator was toast and we needed to repair it before moving on.  

Let the repair research begin again! After a bit of consultation from a fellow cruiser (thank you MV Jenny) it was clear this needed to go back to the factory. Although we had a spare rebuild kit for the Balmar onboard,  the expertise to solder and refit was likely beyond the local auto shop capabilities here in George Town.  

On Sunday, I emailed Dale English at Balmar to let him know about our issue and ask for his help.  First thing on Monday morning I get this mail back from Dale:

I was blown away!  Dale wanted to get us a new alternator asap, this is the kind of customer service you just don’t see anymore.  Yeah BALMAR!!!  

After a bit more research we found a way to get the replacement flown down from Ft Lauderdale to Staniel Cay and placed behind the bar at the local yacht club which is about 40NM north of us.  Yep you read this right – the company that will fly it over actually owns a bar in Staniel and will keep it there for us to pick up.

From there we were able to get a local tour company to pick it up on their next trip and bring it back with their guests a couple days later – welcome to the Bahamas supply chain!

Next week we are going to replace the alternator and finish up the remaining boat projects for our trip south – wish us luck and I hope nothing other than the boat heads south over the coming weeks….

REWIND: Exuma Land and Sea Park - Warderwick Wells

By Kathy 

Actual Dates: March 6^th– March 13^th2018

Welcome to our first official “rewind” post. This is one I have been thinking about for a while and kind of had a bit of writer’s block. I think it is because Warderwick Wells was such an awesome place and so far has been one of our favorite locations and I was having trouble putting that into words. 

Warderwick Wells is part of the Exuma Land and Sea Park and is also home to the headquarters for the park . They have a beautiful protected mooring field for about 20 boats. As I mentioned in the Shroud Cay post, there was another winter front on the way so we had to leave Shroud Cay after one day and head to Warderwick Wells. To get a mooring ball was an experience all by itself. We are lucky in this day and age to have technology where you can read online how things are done. We knew we had to get on the wait list for a ball but there are very specific rules. You have to call on Channel 9 on your VHF the day before (hopefully you are in range of the park) and put your name on the list. If you are calling in right at 9am you are trying to get on the list faster than the other people trying to call in at the same time.  Once you are on the list you have to listen the next morning at 9am to see if you made it on a ball for that day after they know who is departing. I am not good with this kind of uncertainty on reservations so we decided to get a ball a few days before the front arrived which gave us a few days to make it on the list for a ball. We were very fortunate to get a ball that afternoon and we ended up on one of the best balls in the whole mooring field! I will tell you why later. We realized that we were VERY lucky to get the ball a few days early because as the front got closer everyone stayed put on their ball and nobody left the protection of the park. 

This is just one side of the mooring field. SandStar is the closest boat in the picture. 

From a distance this island doesn’t look any different than the other islands but as you get closer you soon see the unbelievable beauty this place has to offer on land and on the water. When we arrived we still didn’t know if we had a mooring ball so we picked up one in the Emerald Rock mooring field. It is very close to the other mooring field  but it is completely exposed so it is not a good place to wait out a front. But it was a lot of fun with calm weather and the kids had a blast when we moored close to a swim platform.

The kids having fun on the swim platform in the Emerald Rock mooring field. 

Emma doing her best super hero pose!

Time to swim back to the boat!

That afternoon we were assigned ball #9. So why is that so special? Well come to find out we had a fish village living right under our boat. Years ago there was a boat that caught fire and sunk on ball #9 and there is still a big part of it on the bottom of the mooring field that is now home to many, many, many fish and a couple of very big lobster. The water was so clear we could see the remains of the boat all of the time. If the tide and wind was right, the sunken boat would be directly off the back of our boat so the kids could just snorkel it right off the back. 

We ended up staying here for a week. Although we were here to wait out some bad weather we did have plenty of time to enjoy the park in good weather. Bad weather for us usually means high winds that clock around in all directions that can bring waves and make living on a boat uncomfortable.  We did get some rain but it really wasn’t much so we had lots of time to have fun. We also had plenty of time to relax and route plan for our trip down to George Town and we found some really old movies to rent at the ranger station. Sam loved the 1980’s movie Short Circuit. Dan also MacGyvered a way for us to get internet to download some weather. He hoisted my cell phone up the mast and it was just high enough to get a little bit of coverage to make it a hotspot.  But we had to be careful with our data since I needed my actual phone to renew the data plan and that was up the mast. 

Chocolate can always make you feel better when the weather isn't great! 

Here are some of the other highlights of our time in Warderwick Wells: 

The Hiking:

The island is full of hiking trails. We planned to hike the trail that should have been about a two hour hike. So we took drinking water for a two hour hike. Sam and Jack were also very smart to pack their lunch and Sam packed a few extra snacks too. When we were hiking on the ocean side we missed the turn for the trail and ended up on a much longer trail and our two hour hike ended up being a four hour hike. The Gilligan’s Island song kept playing in my head… “Three hour tour”….. The kids did amazing and it was beautiful. When we got close to end of trail they raced to the ranger station to get Gatorade and a Snickers bar. Everyone was exhausted and slept very well that night. 

Sam checking out the local wildlife in the limestone marsh area. You can barely see the lizard. 

Making our way through the marsh.

This was the sign by the bridge in the picture above. A little bit smaller than the Sunshine Causeway back in St. Pete. 

We made our way to the top off a hill and now we can see the ocean. 

A beautiful spot on the ocean side. Little did we know we had missed our turn on the trail! 

Towards the end of the hike (when everyone was tired and thirsty) Sam accidentally left his backpack at our rest stop. Luckily it was on the side of the island we could get to by dinghy after we made it back to the ranger station. We did make him swim for it! 

Boo-Boo Hill: 

This is another trail in the park and it is a special one. At the top of Boo-Boo Hill is a pile of painted driftwood that are left by all of the boats that visit the park. We didn’t have any paint but we did make one with Sharpie markers and left it on the pile. Sam also got a little bonus and found a beautiful painted rock on Boo-Boo Hill. It was part of the painted rock movement that is very popular in the states. This one was from the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We still have it and he is looking for the perfect spot to re-hide it for the next person. 

Our sign is ready to go! 

At the top of Boo-Boo Hill.

Trying to find the perfect spot! 

Sam in deep thought on top of the hill. 

Emma chillin' on top of the Boo!

Is it a bird, a plane, or Superman! 

The beautiful rock from OBX Rocks that Sam found. Now he needs to find the perfect spot to hide it for somebody else. 

Below the Surface: 

Warderwick Wells also has some great things to see underwater. We were able to snorkel a few reefs in addition to our private boat wreck under our boat. There were also a beautiful spotted eagle ray that swam up and down the mooring field. We named him Harry and I tried to chase him on the paddle board to get a good underwater picture but he was a little faster than my paddling abilities. Spotted eagle rays look a lot different from other rays. Their heads are alien-like in shape. They are also really big. Harry was about 5 ft wide and 7 ft long  to the tip of his tail. 

Cool snorkeling spot called Emerald Rock.

Emma

Sam

Chilly Jack!

Jack got the best picture of Harry the Spotted Eagle Ray. It is hard to tell how big he really is! 

Mooring Field:

For being such a small mooring field with about 20 mooring balls it was a pretty social place. We went to a couple of cruiser happy hours on the beach that include the cruisers and the wardens at the park and we met some very cool people. Unfortunately, I was talking so much I forgot to snap a few pictures during our happy hour. We made some new friends on SV Mariposa at one of the happy hours and realized we briefly met way back when we were in the Abacos in January. 

Our new friends Phil and Michelle from SV Mariposa enjoying appetizers and sundowners. 

The mooring field was also so close to land the kids were able to paddle over to the beach to play Bucket Ball and swim back on the paddle board. We could watch them from the boat the whole time.  

The kids heading back from playing on the beach. 

They are almost home! 

We feel very fortunate to have been “stuck” in such a wonderful place for a week . We will never forget Warderwick Wells. 

What a sunset!

Sound the Horn!!

By Kathy

Since there are so many cruisers in George Town, there are lots of events that are organized and announced  in the morning on the Crusiers Net. I am not the best at remembering to turn on the VHF right at 8am  to listen to the net so last week I was very lucky our friends on SV SAVA heard the announcement for a conch horn class at 10 am. As soon as we found out we quickly woke the kids up and we got ready to head to the beach for class. Yes, you read that right. The class was at the beach! 

It is a tradition in the islands to blow the conch horn at sunset to say good bye to the sun and give thanks for a great day. Every evening you will hear somebody blowing a conch in the anchorage.

We arrived at the Chat N Chill beach and found a pretty big group of people trying to pick the perfect conch. The Chat N Chill serves conch salad daily so there were plenty of conch shells for everyone. We were told to pick out a conch with the smallest harvest hole and to meet everyone over at the table. 

Emma working on picking out a great conch.

Emma and Sam found their conch. Jack brought a beautiful white one that he found a few weeks ago. 

Holly from SV Another Adventure was there to show us how to make the horn. Holly was really awesome! She was so patient with everyone and really tried to explain what she was doing so you actually learned the reasons why you cut the shell at a certain spot or how to be very careful when you chisel out the center of the shell.

Holly explains to us where to cut the tip of then shell.

Time for the cutting demonstration.

Sam making sure he sees exactly where to cut the shell.
Photo Credit: Josie

Now it is time to cut our shells. I was in charge of getting them all cut since it required a very sharp rotary cutter.
Photo Credit: Josie

Here is Jack's small white conch shell that he found at one of our first anchorages in the Abacos.

Next it was time to carefully chisel out the center of the shell with a flat head screwdriver and a hammer. 

Sometimes we had to ask Holly to help us get the final piece chiseled out. 

You definitely want to wash your horn before you try it. 

Finally you give it a try. Jack won the prize for the world's smallest conch horn. 

It was really funny to hear all of the conch horns blowing as people started finishing their horns. We learned that making the horn is one thing and learning how to blow it is a skill that will needs to be practiced. We had so much fun making our conch horns and chatting with other cruisers that we didn’t realize it was 12:30 before we left to go back to the boat.  We came back home with four new horns so we are fully prepared to start a conch horn band! Performances can be heard daily at sunset. 

The band is ready!!!

Photography Note: You may notice that some of these pictures are really good. Well….these are not my photos. Another cruiser was taking pictures throughout the morning and was very kind to share them with us. Her name is Josie on SV Talisman. She also has a very cool story about how she was able to retire at a very young age. Click here to read it on her blog Moonshine Penguin. 

Alert! Alert! Teenager On Board!

By Kathy

It is official!! We now have a teenager on board! It is hard to believe our baby girl is 13. 

 

Baby Emma - 13 years ago

It has been a fun filled weekend of celebrating here on SandStar. This is our first boat birthday so we had to figure a few things out about celebrating on water. The ongoing theme that we have run into while cruising is to “KEEP IT SIMPLE” and that worked out great for celebrating Emma’s birthday this weekend. 

The birthday celebration actually started a week early when the Feeley Family came to see us. Elena made Emma a beautiful cake and we sang “Happy Birthday” while they were on board.  They were also able to secretly bring some gifts that we ordered for the birthday girl and she was very surprised and excited to get some packages from her friends. 

Elena working hard on the cake.

Birthday celebration with the Feeleys

The population in George Town changes quite often especially if the weather is good. You tend to make friends very fast because they may only be here for a few days. The kids also play with any kids at any age. We were very lucky to have three other kid boats in our anchorage last week with a total of nine kids ages 7-13 (s/v SAVA, s/v Gato Rison and s/v Mariposa). Some had plans to leave on Saturday so we had a Kid Boat Birthday Party on Friday afternoon. How does a kid boat birthday party work?? 

The Invitation: You ask the parents the night before to send their kids over after lunch the next day. 

Arrival: Some arrive on their own in their kayaks or paddleboards and others are dropped off in via dinghy. 

Activities: jumping off the boat, swinging from the boom swing. Dan also came up with a new activity by the end of party – the kiddie launcher! It was a hit. 

Food: Two big bowls of popcorn, a cake and a package of chewy Chips Ahoy cookies. 

Birthday Party Fun 

The cake. We were lucky to find a box of cake mix, purple frosting and a bag of skittles.

The cake disappeared in seconds

Snack time -  Yummy popcorn

 

The girls chatting away unaware of the Swingin' Sam

For the grand finale! The Kiddie Launcher! (this is the first time we are trying to upload a video so I hope works out)

The kids had a blast and we were all exhausted the next day!

On April 8^th(Emma’s official birthday), we had a great family day with a big breakfast and some fun cliff jumping, swimming with dolphins and hanging out at the beach. 

Two items on the top of birthday wish list - chocolate milk and coffee creamer

Cliff jumping on your birthday

On our way to the cliffs we found a family of dolphins and the Emma was able to get pretty close with her snorkel

We are so proud of our little girl teenager and are thankful for each day we get to spend with her.