Trying Not To Sink

The only thing that was disappointing about our Annapolis trip was our inability to take the boat on plain. It did not hamper us in any way, but it would have been nice to know that we could take it up to 25 knots if needed. Time to take care of the over-heating problem once and for all.

We noticed that one of the risers on the starboard engine felt much hotter to the touch than the other riser, so we decided to take it off and have a look. We ordered a new gasket from West Marine and it had just arrived, so we headed down to the marina to get our hands dirty.

It was not difficult to remove the riser. Just 4 bolts and a hose clamp and it came right off. Upon inspection, it looked fine, but we decided to soak it in muriatic acid overnight to see what would happen. I lot of bubbling, so we were hopeful.

We installed it the next day and took her for a test run. No luck. Same over-heating problem, perhaps a tiny bit better. This left us with one more option – the dreaded oil cooler. Not that the cooler is hard to remove – just a couple of bolts and hose clamps. The problem is getting to it on our boat. The starboard side of the engine compartment is very small. Getting into the area should be fine, getting out had us a little worried. Then it dawned on me: the oil cooler was mounted vertically on the engine, with the hoses connected at the top. If I removed the hoses, and hooked up longer ones, I could use a funnel to pure the acid into the cooler without removing it from the engine.

We picked up a couple of 1 ¼ hoses at Lowes, another couple gallons of acid and a bucket to collect the acid after it ran through the cooler. We pulled out the zinc plug at the bottom of the cooler to let whatever water was in it run out. The zinc was completely depleted – a possible clue. We put the plug back in and then ran about half a gallon of acid through the hose on the inlet side, until it came out of the hose on the outlet side, and into the bucket. We let the acid sit ion the cooler for about a half hour, then ran water through the hoses to see what would come out.

The bucket filled with black, sooty water. Finally, a sign that we might have found the problem! We repeated the above process 2 more times, until the water going into the bucket looked clean. We then re-installed the original hoses and took the boat out for a test.

Perfect! The temperature stayed at a steady 160 degrees, even when we took it on plain at 3300 rpms. It was now running even cooler than the port engine by 5 degrees. It looks like we will be cleaning the port oil cooler some time soon!

On our way back up the Chesapeake we decided to take our chances and cut across the bay, outside the shipping lanes. It turned out to be a mistake, but not a huge one. We found that the areas outside the channel is filled with crab traps. We had to be on continuous lookout for floating pots the whole way across. Next time I will just stay in the channel.

We decided to stay overnight at a marina about halfway home and Chesapeake Inn Marina on the C&D Canal seemed perfect. We called ahead to make a reservation and hailed the dock master when we were ¼ mile out. Entering was a little tricky because of the strong current on the C&D but the current quickly disappears as soon as you get into the marina, and there is a lot of space to maneuver.

They asked us to dock at the T end on one of the piers, which was great for us. The dock hand was incredible. He met us at the slip, helped pull us in, and tied us up. His name was XXX and he was so experienced he did not even bend over to tie the lines. He just lassoed the cleats like a rodeo cowboy. It was fun to watch but I think it will be a few years before I master that skill.

Chesapeake Marina is a great place to for transient boaters. They have several restaurants, including a large outdoor bar. On weekends it is like one big party, with dozens of boats, live music, great food and interesting people. We will definitely stop here on our next trip through the C&D!

The dock-hands told us that if we got under way at 10:00 the next morning we would have the current with us all the way down the canal, so we called it an early night. We wanted some time in the morning to wash the boat, and we also needed to get gas. Chesapeake Marina does not sell fuel so we planned to stop at Summit North Marina, which was just a few miles down the canal.

Summit North is a large marina on the northern side of the canal. It is easy to access, although there is a strong current close to the entrance. We filled the tanks but decided against stopping at the restaurant since we wanted to catch the current.

The rest of the ride was smooth sailing all the way up the Delaware. We arrived at our home marina at 3:00 and poured the martinis, celebrating our first real boat trip!

I had spent the past few days trying to figure out how I was going to get our boat out of the slip. The dock master told me that many captains just back the boat all the way out, others turned it around in the small open space just outside the slip, then went out bow first. Neither seemed appealing to me. I had never tried backing for more than the length of a slip, let alone 150 yards, and there were boats lined up all along the channel that I needed to traverse. On the other hand, trying to turn the boat around in such a small space, without hitting other boats, seemed just as bad. I am sure that an experienced captain would have laughed at my predicament but it was nerve racking for me.

Eventually, I decided to just back the boat straight out and hope for the best. And … it was easy as pie. Turns out backing a boat up is even easier than going forward. Who knew! With the steering now in front, I was able to control the boat perfectly, and took her right out in a matter of minutes. I pulled back up to the fuel dock to top of the tanks and we were on our way home!

We left the marina at 10:00am for the final leg of our trip to Annapolis. It was a cloudy and rainy day but the water was reasonably calm. We decided that we would stay in the shipping lanes for the whole trip. There appeared to be a shorter way to cut across the Chesapeake, but since it was our first trip we did not want to take any chances.

There were very few other boats on the water, due to weather, so we pretty much had the bay to ourselves. This was the furthest we had ever been from land and it was very exciting. The boat was running perfectly, and at 10 knots we were getting good mileage.

By the time we arrived in Annapolis the weather had cleared and the sun was peaking out. We hailed Annapolis City Marina and they instructed us to pull up to the fuel dock to check-in and get a slip assignment. They have a nice dock store, with all the basic supplies and the the staff was very nice. After helping us tie up, they walked us over to the slip that we were assigned to. I now understood why they asked us to stop at the fuel dock first.

The slip was in the back corner of the marina, next to a parking garage. It required us to sail through a narrow 150 yard long channel and pull, bow first, into the slip. The marina was much tighter than the marinas we had been in so far, and it was very intimidating for novices like us. Getting in was a breeze, but with almost no room to turn the boat around, I had no idea how we were going to get out.

No matter – for now. We planned to stay for two days and explore the city, so we could worry about it later. Annapolis is a great town, with plenty of things to do. We had been here for the boat show back in October and already had a few favorite restaurants we wanted to re-visit.

First on the list was Middleton Tavern for oyster shooters! Apparently this is an Annapolis tradition – at least at Middletons. They put an oyster in a large shot glass with cocktail sauce, and with every one that you order you receive a large beer shot. First you suck down the oyster, slam the glass down and then chug the beer shot. We had about two dozen of them before moving on!

We spent the better part our trip restaurant and bar hopping on Main Street near the Naval Academy. We had such a good time we decided to extend our stay another day!

We got up bright and early today for the 2nd leg of our trip to Annapolis.  We timed our departure to take place during slack tide so that it would be easy for me to turn the boat around to head back up the canal. However, when we woke up, the fog was so thick that you could barely see the boat next to you. In fact, it was so bad that the Coast Guard closed the C&D Canal to all traffic. We were stuck!

With not much better to do, we spent the next few hours cleaning the boat and waiting for word from the Coast Guard. And as we waited, I watched the beautiful calm waters of the slack tide turn into a progressively stronger current that scared the heck out of me. By the time the Canal was re-opened, the current was so strong that there was no way I was going to be able to turn the boat around without running into an adjacent boat.

Fortunately, the dock-hand had been through this a thousand times. They have developed a technique whereby they can turn your boat around without your even leaving the slip. Basically, the push your stern off the dock and then walk your bow line up stream while the current pushes your stern around 180 degrees until it is back at the dock. It worked perfectly, and we were ready to go. Except it was now 12 o’clock noon, and we were 5 hours behind schedule.

It was a 7-8 hour ride to Annapolis and we might not make it by nightfall. This was an issue with us since we had never driven the boat at night. We decided that we could still make it, as long as everything went our way. Of course this did not happen.

When we got to the C&D we found that the current was now heading towards us at about 4 or 5 knots. If we had left on schedule, we would have had the current to our backs, but now, we were going to be traveling the 14 mile canal at about 4 knots and losing two hours in the process. There was no way we were making it to Annapolis by nightfall. Good thing we were not in a hurry!

The C&D Canal is a joy to travel. There are several nice Marinas along the way and we were fortunate not to meet up with very many commercial vessels. One thing to be aware of though; if you enter it when the current is emptying into the Delaware, like we did, you will hit some strong, swirling currents at the entrance. Nothing to be alarmed about, but it caught us off guard. We were traveling at idle speed, taking our time, and got whipped around sideways. All we had to do was crank it up to about 15 knots and power through it and all was well, but is was scary for a moment.

After getting through the canal it became apparent that we were not going to make it to Annapolis on time, so we decided to spend the night at a marina, on the Chesapeake side of the canal, called Great Oaks Landing. That is where we learned a lesson about looking for markers at the entrance to a new marina.

We saw the entrance from across the bay and headed in what seemed like a good approach. What we did not realize is that, just before the entrance there is a shall, and you need to hug the southern coast for the last 100 yards. Our draft is only 3 feet, so we got lucky and skimmed right over it. A fisherman on the other side shouted out that “We had a horseshoe up our ass,” and laughed as we went by.

By the time we got there it was after 6:00pm and no one was around. When we spoke to the dock master earlier in the day, she told us to use the gas dock as our slip, so we knew where to go, but everything was shut down. Even the restaurant was closed, which surprised us. We had read great things about it, on our tablets, while crawling through the  C&D, and it was the main reason we chose that marina. It looks like a fun place, with Tiki Bars and beaches, but it was a ghost town to us. And since it is in the middle of nowhere, with no other choices, we had a martini and went to bed, hoping to get an early start the following day.

 

For our first big trip we decided to go to Annapolis. We were there for the boat show last Fall and enjoyed the restaurants and bars, so it seemed like a interesting place to dock the boat for a couple of days.

We were a little concerned about the heat problem on the starboard engine, but since we planned to take our time, and keep the speed around 8-10 knots, we figured we would give it a go.

At that speed, we knew we could not make the trip in a single day, so we made arrangements to stay at the Delaware City Marina, at the C&D Canal. It was approximately the halfway point, and we saw some very good reviews about the helpful staff and dock hands.

We had a great weather, and good luck with the tides on the way down and made it there in about 6 hours. When we got close, we radioed the marina and they gave us instructions on entering the small canal where they are located. It is not difficult, but anyone going there should definitely radio ahead so that they know the best approach. The canal is rather narrow and shallow during low tide. It feeds into the larger C&D Canal and has a strong current when the tide is coming in or going out. Fortunately, we got there at slack tide and it did not really matter.

The dock hand was at the fueling dock to greet us and help with the lines. Since the canal is narrow, and has a low bridge at the far end, all boats tie up on one side and are required to turn around to head back out the way they came. This made me a little bit nervous but the dock hand said they would be there to help if I needed them. After fueling, I planned to go to my slip and turn the boat around immediately, while we were still at slack tide. Only one problem – the boat would not start!

The batteries were fine, and the starter turned the engines fine, but they would stall immediately after I let go of the ignition key. I tried repeatedly. The dock hand even came on board to give it a shot. Someone on the docks suggested we might be vapor-locked, and perhaps letting the engines cool down might help. So, one of the marina employees towed us from the gas dock to our slip and Lyn and I walked down the street to the local pub for dinner – hoping for the best. It was Friday night, and the marina’s mechanics were off until Monday. If the boat did not start we might be stuck there for 3 days.

A kielbasa sandwich, a martini and two beers later – we were back at the marina with our fingers crossed. Both engines started! It was as if there was never anything wrong to begin with! Perhaps they were right and it was vapor-locked. But both engines at the same time – it just seemed too unusual.

The following morning, while standing in the marina store getting ready to pay my bill, I noticed the gasoline additives sitting on the shelf. Damn, I had been forgetting to put in the additive the last two times I got gas. Could that be it?

We have been trying to figure out why the starboard engine is running hot above 2000 rpms, and why we are getting steam out that side of the exhaust. It seems obvious that we are not getting enough water running through the exhaust but we are not sure why.

From my research on the web, the usual suspects are the Heat Exhanger, the Riser and the Oil Cooler. The Heat Exhanger is the easiest to get to, so we thought we would try that first. We took it off the engine, which was very easy, just a screw driver for the hoses and a wrench for the mount straps. We then took it home, where we had prepared a bucket of muriatic acid.

We took the ends off the heat exchanger and inspected the inside. It  did not look that bad, so we were not hopeful that cleaning it would help. Still, we let it soak for two days.

For the first day a plenty of bubbles came up and it seemed that maybe we were wrong, perhaps there was more blockage than appeared visually. When the bubbling stopped on the second day, we reassembled the exchanger and re-installed it on the engine.

We took the boat out for a test run …. no luck. The temperature was slightly better, but not where it should be. I guess we will be trying the riser next.

We took a ride down to Penns Landing today. It was our first time seeing the city from the river and the views were fantastic!

We decided to spend the night and contacted the Phila. Marine Center, by phone, on the way down to reserve a slip. The woman who works there is very nice and helpful (I believe her name is Barb) and she instructed us as to where our slip would be.

I was concerned about entering the marina from the river, because of the current, but it was really no problem at all. Getting into my slip was a different matter. She had us docking near the entrance and there was really plenty of room to maneuver the boat, I just miss-judged the effect of the slight current in the marina and the wind. As I was attempting to turn my boat around, to back into the slip, I got too close to the already docked boats. The wind was pushing me and I underestimated how much room I would need to turn. As I was passing, I clipped the anchor of one of the docked boats. It was the type of anchor that hangs off the front pulpit, as opposed to inside the pulpit, and it brushed up against the side of our boat. I barely noticed it. Until we got off the boat and noticed that the letter “C” was missing from the “Carver” logo on our starboard side.

I felt terrible. It was my first real mistake, and to make matters worse, I dropped my Armani glasses into the water as I was tying up. I was now depressed and the world was blurry. Trying to cheer me up, Lyn pointed out that we were now pirates. Because of the missing “C” our boat was now and “AAARRRVER!” Made me smile.

The Phila Marine Center is only a few blocks from Olde City Philadelphia, one of our favorite places in the city, so we spent the night bar hopping. Soon, I forgot all about my missing “C” and glasses.

Spending the night at this marina was a little different than at our home base in Neshaminy. Although there was really not much of a current in the marina, the swells from passing ships pushed the boat around a lot more than we were used to. Not so bad that it could cause any damage, but enough to make us throw on a couple extra fenders.

It was low tide when we woke up the next day and we were amazed to see that a large part of the marina was no longer covered in water. You could actually walk across parts, and there was a dry spot not far from our bow. We decided it was best to wait for the tide to come in, which gave us another excuse to visit  Olde City for lunch!

This was the second marina in Center City Phila that we found had dredging issues. The other being Piers Marina.

The trip home went perfectly and we were very happy to have had our first real over-nighter in the boat. We also learned a couple of things on this trip; never underestimate the wind, and never visit Phila Marine Center at low tide.

 

It was a beautiful day so we decided to take our children out for a short cruise up the Delaware. Maneuvering the boat seems to be getting a little easier each time we take it out, however, today we needed to get gas and that was a whole new experience.

Our Marina does not sell gas, so we decided to go to Curtin Marina in Burlngton. It would be my first time docking anywhere besides my own slip and I was happy to have the extra deck hands. Thankfully, there were no other boats at the gas dock, so all I had to do was  pull up slowly, bow first. Seemed easy – it wasn’t.

Our home slip is nestled in the corner of our marina, next to a tree line, and is largely protected from wind and currents. The gas slip at Curtin is behind Burlington Island, but still subject to tides, current and wind. My approach would have been fine in still water but I came in way too fast. Fortunately, I  had several deck hands to cushion the blow by pushing against the dock’s pilings and roof as we came in. New lesson learned.

I guess because it is still early in the season, and a weekday, there was no one to assist at the gas pumps, so we walked up to the office to make the purchase. Gas prices were great at $3.05 per gallon. We had heard there was a nice restaurant and bar at Curtin’s but they do not open until mid-May. Perhaps next time we will try it out.

After gassing up, we headed north on the River, past Bristol and Tullytown, up to the Steel Mill area before turning around and heading home.

All in all, it was a great “3 hour tour” and fun to have the family out for the first time.

 

When we arrived at the marina this morning, several more boats were in their slips, including our neighbor. This meant that when we docked I would no longer have a double sized slip and would need to maneuver my boat into a standard slip with a 35′ Sea Ray next to me. Oh well, had to happen sooner or later.

The trip to Philly went off without a hitch. I was not sure if we had enough gas to get all the way to Penns Landing and back, so we turned round at the Talcony-Palmyra Bridge. Even docking went smoothly and I feel like I am getting the hang of this.