Maybe that wasn't my last post before the Bahamas

We have decided that the fix on the engine isn't good enough.  We did a few tests today and what had so much promise earlier is now leaking more and more with each minute we run the engine.  So, we are keeping the boat in Key Largo and getting it fixed properly.

Here's the problem:

Sailing Away to Key Largo

 Despite all our problems (including one teensy little almost engine fire) we made it in time for my regatta in Key Largo and got to race:)

We also had a chance to get a proper mechanic to look at this mess:

The engine with the alternator and some other things removed.
See the dark crack to the right of the belt?
That is a crack in the gear case that leaks oil.

The good news is that the crack is stable (there is a steel plate bolted behind it) and the oil that leaks isn't pressurized (just oil spraying off the gears).  The bad news is that we will eventually have to replace the gear case.  In the meantime we can keep our eye on it and it should hold up fine so long as we keep the oil level up. I include this link for my friends Ed, Shannon, and Ben: Captain Ron

While getting the engine looked at and waiting for a weather window to cross to the Bahamas we had some time to kill in Key Largo.  Sam got the most out of the time by learning to sail a Moth.  For the uninitiated, this is a moth:

No, this isn't Sam

Unfortunately for Sam I could only spare one morning to go out and take pictures and there wasn't enough wind to get the boat out of the water so I got lots of photos like this:

He assures me that he did get the boat out of the water on the second day so I think we can just Photoshop him in to the first picture!

I've been keeping myself busy with plotting our course across the Gulf Stream, provisioning the boat, and watching the traffic go back and forth in the canal we are tied up in.  

It was certainly difficult finding space for this lot:

We have to aim 30 degrees east of our destination to make up for the push north from the Gulf Stream.

The African Queen goes by with tourists several times a day.  Yes, that is the one from the movie.

I found this on my camera roll.  I don't recall where I took it. Wish I'd stopped - who doesn't love monkeys?

Next stop - Bahamas.  We cast off in 11 hours!

Life is a Marathon, not a sprint

We left Fort Myers on December 30th in the afternoon to do a non-stop run to Marathon in the Florida Keys.  We got to sail a little and motor a little and the whole trip was pretty uneventful but the peace didn't last long.

We arrived about 15 minutes after the harbour had closed for New Year so we couldn't get a mooring ball assigned to us.  After hum-ing and ha-ing and consulting with some locals online we decided to pick up a free ball and check in with the office when it opened on the 2nd.  Boy did we get an earful at check-in!  Apparently the mooring we were on was damaged in hurricane Irma and the woman at the office was surprised it had held for the 2 nights we had been there.  Oops! Speaking of Irma, there has been an impressive amount of rebuilding in the Keys over the past few months but there are signs of damage everywhere.

A boat from the mooring field, now
in the parking lot thanks to Irma

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Our first stop in Marathon was at West Marine to pick up the kayaks my parents had bought us for Christmas.  West Marine is a mile west of Boot Key Harbor and without a car it was a long walk with 3 people and 2 kayaks through a construction zone!  Riley missed out on this adventure because the cold he has had since before Christmas was really taking the stuffing out of him.

Day 2 in the Keys saw Riley and I at the hospital as his cold had turned into some pretty severe breathing problems.  The local hospital looked straight out of M*A*S*H* as the main building has been condemned since Irma and replaced with trailers and tents.  Riley was diagnosed with Bronchitis and released with a stack of prescriptions to be filled the next day when the local pharmacy reopened.

Day 3 involved walking to the grocery store for provisions and prescriptions.  The store is a mile east of the harbour which a few locals had told us is much too far to walk!  We did quite a large shop and learned the meaning of "island time" when we called a taxi to go home and the 5 minute wait became and hour. Island time sounds so great when you are imagining lazy days at the beach with a margarita but it isn't so much fun when you are sitting on the sidewalk outside Walgreen's.

Spotted at Publix

By day 4 we figured we were going to be in Marathon for a while.  Day after day of strong NE winds were forecast which is precisely the direction we want to go.  After all this time on a mooring ball we were beginning to realize that with all the alternator troubles we were having we just aren't comfortable idling the engine to recharge the batteries.  What we really need is a generator.  Have you ever tried to source a generator in a town devastated by a hurricane?  We decided to rent a car and drive 2 hours to Homestead to get one at Northern Tool (the US version of Princess Auto). 

On day 5 we booked a car only to find out that just because you have a confirmation in the Keys doesn't mean there is actually a car waiting for you.  We were able to get one on day 6 and head out (after waiting an hour for a taxi, we are on island time after all).

I feel like a bit of a sell out.  Surely running a generator at anchorage
is something only annoying power boaters do!

Day 7 and 8 - with the new generator working we had a happy crew waiting for a weather window to head to Key Largo for the Dead Dog and Tin Whistles sailing regatta which I attend every year (http://www.upperkeyssailingclub.com/).  


On day 9 we finally had the window we were looking for.  We could leave for Key Largo and get some much needed engine work done (mainly pulling out our 100 amp alternator and putting the original 50 amp back in).  It was going to be a long day so we set off just before dawn.  We got about a mile and a half down the harbour when we noticed a burning smell from the engine.  Opened the lid to see a sparking and smoking alternator. We were very lucky that we were next to a fuel dock and could drift into it without power.  A few hours later we were towed to a restaurant dock where we can stay for $3.50/ft (!!) and be seen by a mechanic only a few hundred feet away.  As I type this, two lovely men are reinstalling the old alternator and hopefully we can be on our way tomorrow.  There is still a chance that a full repair can't be done without pulling the whole engine which would be a delay of God-knows how long.

On the bright side this marina has a cat called Buddy who is happy to visit on all the boats.

Cross your fingers for our good engine health!

How to replace a refrigerator in 1000 easy steps

This post is mainly for fellow Gemini owners (105MC specifically) who have been told that the only way to get the fridge out of the boat is to remove a window and the instrument panel then carefully lift it over your head and out into the cockpit.

We were first introduced to this myth after we bought a replacement fridge and pulled out the old one.  When we tried to get it out the door, we realized the opening was at least 2" too narrow.  A search on the Gemini owner's forum lead us to believe we would need to do major work to get it out. 

The recommended technique would involve:

Removing this panel which means removing the main teak trim piece that spans the whole cabin.

Removing the panel that holds all the instruments and possibly removing the wheel also.

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That should have left us with a hole that is just big enough to fit the fridge through.  But after we measured everything we weren't convinced that even this would work. We decided to dismantle the old fridge to get it out and see if we could return the new one for something slimmer. While taking apart the old one we discovered that with the removal of only 12 screws the entire cooling unit from the back of the fridge comes off allowing for the fridge to slide neatly out the door.  The same procedure on the new fridge got it in place.

Remove the 5 screws that hold the cooling plate in the fridge

Remove these three screws in the freezer

Remove the 4 bolts from the corners of the cooling unit comes right off.

Now we are back in business with cold beer on hand!

Remember my old friend the alternator?

If you have been reading from the beginning you will know I have a hate-hate relationship with my new alternator (see August 26th post for some background).  The repair we had done in Spanish, Ontario 4 months ago finally failed us.  We just got complacent and stopped checking on it frequently.  If we had kept up with the checks we would have noticed when it first started to come loose and likely not had the problems.

Lucky for me my Dad came for Christmas and we got a chance to make a few modifications which should reduce the vibration.  I also adjusted the idle speed to an RPM that results in less shaking. Hopefully with these changes and with regular checks that everything is solid and our most recent weld is holding we should be OK.

The TowboatUS membership was worth every penny!

Is the belt supposed to do this?

It looked nothing like Christmas

Christmas is over and New Year almost here.  The holidays were seriously weird this year.  Temps in the high 80s with no rain for days on end - absolutely lovely but not very festive. My Mum and Dad came to visit us in Fort Myers for Christmas and Boxing Day which helped things feel a little more normal.  If normal is father-daughter bonding over a wobbly alternator.

So, here is a round up of our past few weeks:

Decorating the boat with only the finest dollar store finds:

The Jenga match between Sam and Riley was pretty intense

We love marinas that have cats.  One of these days we might steal one

We stayed at a full service marina where rich folks call ahead to have their boat's launched, washed down, and fueled up before they arrive.

Might not be the Christmas we're used to but it has its charms!

You can buy wine at the dollar store down here.

 The kids have a new best friend.  Laina aboard Darwin.

We did have one cold day.  Don't let the smiles fool you, we didn't enjoy it!

The planning has begun for the next phase of the trip

The Land of Derelict Boats

Before we got here I had heard about the disputes in Florida between boaters and land lubbers over anchoring rights.  Everything I had read was definitely written by boaters and heavily biased.  The landowners trying to stop anchoring were portrayed as rich assholes who didn't want anyone in the water behind their house because they felt that they owned the view they had paid so much for.  Boaters were all presented as nature loving, conscientious people who weren't hurting anyone. Now we are here I can see what property owners are complaining about.  There are derelict boats everywhere.  Idiots ruining things for everyone - as usual.  Florida now has a new law which will hopefully help get rid of some of these eyesores.

Here are some I've seen in the past week: