More Boat updates.....

Since being struck by lightning just about two months ago, the repairs on the boat are coming along nicely. The guys have done such a great job of working quickly and coordinating all of the repairs. The DONE list is a lot longer than the IN PROGRESS list. We are hopeful that we will be able to make a trip to St. Pete in the boat soon.

DONE - The windex and lightning deflector have been added to the top of the mast

DONE - The freezer is now fixed (so both fridge and freezer are operational)

DONE - The DVD player and stereo have been replaced

DONE - Masthead foredeck lights are working

DONE - The bow thruster has been fixed

DONE - The air conditioning in the aft cabin is working (yeah!)

DONE - Water maker is all fixed

DONE - LED lights on the bilge pump and windlass are working

DONE - LED lights on the main control panel

DONE - VHF

DONE - Radar

DONE - AIS system

DONE - Tacometer / engine instruments

Really the only things we are waiting on are the single side band radio (which we won't need until we go to the Bahamas anyway) and the final connections for the instruments (GPS, depth finder, wind gauge, etc.) They now think that both units were affected so they are going to send the unit that is topside out to be repaired next week. Hard to imagine all that has been fixed in only 2 months!

Boat update

The guys have been working furiously, and have made a lot of progress. We really are so thankful that they have been able to get so many things fixed in just a few weeks.

DONE - The windex and lightning deflector have been added to the top of the mast

DONE - The freezer is now fixed (so both fridge and freezer are operational)

DONE - The DVD player and stereo have been replaced

DONE - Masthead foredeck lights are working

DONE - The bow thruster has been fixed

DONE - The air conditioning in the aft cabin is working (yeah!)

DONE - Water maker is all fixed

DONE - LED lights on the bilge pump and windlass are working

These are the things that are still on the "to do" list.

Work in progress - LED lights on the main control panel

Work in progress - Single Side Band radio

Work in progress - VHF

Work in progress - Radar

Work in progress - AIS system

Work in progress - Tacometer / engine instruments

Work in progress - tank indicators

Slowly but surely!

 

Well the boat repairs continue. They have fixed the generator, replaced a few batteries, fixed the stereo and DVD player, and have ordered lots of parts that they are waiting on before they can proceed with more repairs. We are happy and thankful for the progress.  I have included a few pictures of some of the things that were fried when we were stuck. Amazing that nothing caught on fire. 

Bill and I had a great week. Saturday night we went to a magic show here in Sarasota and Bill was picked to go on stage and participate. It was actually a really good show and we would go back. Sunday I went to a craft / jewelry / sidewalk sale at St. Armand's circle, which is a beautiful place. Wednesday we went to St. Petersburg and I went to the library while Bill golfed. We had a nice dinner with Mary Alice, Fred, and Monika Wednesday night. We have seen a few movies (there is a movie theater right here in downtown Sarasota) and have tried a few more new restaurants.  Other than that, not a whole lot is going on. We leave Tuesday for Washington, DC and will go to St. Pete on Monday night to see Mary Alice and since we are flying out of Tampa. 

 

 

 

 

view of one of many parks in Sarasota  from the bow of Mary Elizabeth

Well, it has been an exciting and busy week since we got struck by lightning. They have started work on the boat and so far have replaced a few batteries and fixed the generator. Ken, the guy who is coordinating all of the work said it will take a few months for everything to be back to normal. We are thankful that we are here in one place for the summer. Now we just have to decide whether to stay in Sarasota or to move to Bradenton where the mechanics are to cut down on labor costs (they are on the clock when they get to the shop so driving time will be billed to us). Since we have already paid for our slip here in Sarasota, it might be less expensive to stay where we are instead of paying for two slips. Either way, we know we'll go to Snead Island next week to have the boat hauled and inspected. 

So besides boat maintenance and coordination of mechanics etc. we have been busy. On Wednesday we went to St. Petersburg for a few days. I volunteered at the library and then Bill, Mary Alice, and I went to dinner with Mary Alice's friends on Wednesday night. We had a really nice dinner and enjoyed meeting great people. We stayed in St. Pete until Thursday afternoon. 

We have a marina friend -- a single dolphin who comes by every morning and afternoon. The dolphin has a mangled dorsal fin and surfaces every 45 seconds or so. He must have been hit by a boat. He is quite cute and friendly though and has come right up to the boat to check us out. 

We are on the transient dock of the marina, which is nice because most of the time it is very quiet. We are the only liveaboards so have the place to ourselves. 

It has been very, very hot (which we are still getting used to) and very, very muggy. I guess that is to be expected in Florida in June. Not looking forward to August..... 

We are looking forward to our trip to DC that is coming up. Sara and Mark scored Red Sox vs. Nationals tickets, which we are excited for. And we'll finally get to meet baby Jack. 

That's really about it. We have been keeping busy exploring Sarasota (including St. Armand's Circle, which is really neat). There is a farmers market and a crafts fair this weekend that I am looking forward to. Hope everyone has a great weekend. 

 

the boat will continue to be torn up while they do the repairs

 

our slip at Marina Jack

Strike One

I know that I said I was only going to post once a week....but we had to share.

At 6:15 this morning, we were struck by lightning in the slip here in Sarasota. It was a HUGE scary bang that startled me awake (Bill was already awake in bed). Bill noticed that the AC in our cabin was off -- and then quickly that EVERYTHING was off. No lights, no bilge, no head, no AC, no nothing. Then we smelled THE smell; something electrical. We immediately turned everything off (both AC and DC power) but we still weren't 100% sure what happened until we went topside and saw the windex shattered and lying on the dock. There is nothing left at the top of the mast at all!!! No anchor light, no VHF antenna, no stereo antenna, no windex. At least we won't have to sweat as much when we go under the fixed bridges..... 

Bill and I immediately began assessing the damage. And it is extensive. 

There is no rhyme or reason to what the lightning fried. The engine will start but there are no gauges (and the generator won't start at all.) The TV works but the DVD player doesn't. The freezer yes, refrigerator no.  The radar/GPS unit works topside but not down below (which is bad since the 'brains' are down below.) The windlass works but the bow thruster doesn't (the windlass and the bow thruster share a battery and breaker.) The lightning also fried the circuit board on the water maker, the single side band radio, the satellite phone, the tank indicator, and the alternator.

It could have been worse. First and foremost, both of us are OK and there was no fire. We did have a lightning rod at the top of the mast which saved a few systems. The AC is working, which we are thankful for since it is 90 degrees today. And the computer thankfully isn't toast (it was charging overnight). 

We had someone come and do a full evaluation / survey this morning and a claim is already in with the insurance company. We are very lucky that someone so capable and experienced was able to come out right away. He said that he handles about 6 boats a year that have been struck by lightning and he has seen worse. Oh, and did you know that Tampa Bay is the lightning capital of the world? 

We will have to get the boat hauled next week at Snead Island (about 2 1/2 hours away via the ICW) since we don't know where the lightning actually exited the boat. It could have been through the prop shaft or a thru hull so we have to have the boat pulled to make sure. Bill will also go up the mast to inspect the shrouds and the spreaders in case the bolt exited somewhere up the mast. 

So we'll keep you posted.

Still... in... Key... West

 

Bill and I have been having a great time here. We rented scooters for a few days and were able to see the whole island (which isn't very big....) Bill has been to Key West more than a dozen times starting when he was in college up through his days in the Air Force. The Air Force and Navy would have air fights at Boca Chica and they would stay here in Key West at the Truman Navy Annex. So... Bill knows all the sites, restaurants, and beaches. Mary Alice has also given us good tips on restaurants to get to. 

 

We visited Fort Taylor and a few beaches on the scooter. It has been really, really hot during the days. 

 

One of my favorite things about Key West, which I think is different from anywhere else we have visited, is that there is live music all the time in almost every bar or restaurant. This would be a great place for a musician. We have enjoyed listening to all types of music from locals and visitors alike. 

 

We have decided to stay another week in Key West. Our contract in Sarasota doesn't start until June 1st and we are in no immediate rush to get to the West Coast (which we estimate will take about 4 days if we take our time and stop in Marco Island, etc.)

Our internet connection, or rather our air card that gives us an internet connection via AT&T is broken (again!!!!). Bill dealt with the AT&T folks this morning and they will send a new one to the marina here. In the meantime, we are using Bad Ass Coffee for their internet connection (and great coffee). Other "broken" issues include our faucet for the kitchen sink. I was doing dishes last night after dinner and the nozzle basically sheared off. Not sure how we are going to handle that one at the moment.... 

Boat is all fixed

 

Well, Mary Elizabeth is in tip-top shape again. The mechanic came on Monday morning and spent most of the afternoon troubleshooting. Turns out that the ground for the bow thruster was loose. When Bill tried to use the bow thruster it caused a fuse in the charging system to blow, which was keeping us from charging the batteries with the alternator. We are very thankful that someone at Ocean Reef was able to come on short notice and give us a hand.

 

Tuesday Bill played another round of golf at Ocean Reef, which turned out to be one the best courses he has played in a very long time. I spent the day walking around Ocean Reef and eventually ended up at the pool. Tuesday night Dave and Molly were back in Key Largo and we were able to see them and go to dinner one last time before they head north and we continue south. 

 

Blues and Greens

 

Bill and I left Miami around 11:00 on Wednesday in order to arrive in Key Largo at high tide. As we were taking the lines off and leaving the dock, Bill realized that the bow thruster wasn't working. Another blown fuse? 

About 10 minutes after we left the dock, Bill also noticed that the "charge" light was on on the engine console. There were -18 amps going into the batteries -- meaning that the alternator was not working. Since we only had a four hour trip, it wasn't a big deal; the batteries would stay charged enough until we got to the dock and could plug into shore power.  

 

While we were underway, Bill brainstormed about the alternator and changed the fuse out on the bow thruster, but it still didn't work. He thinks that maybe there is something stuck since we sat at the dock in Ft. Lauderdale for so long and there was a lot of growth. 

Despite our few issues, it was such a beautiful day on the water. The colors were amazing. The ocean would change from navy to light blue to almost neon green within seconds. In parts it looked like the water was polka dotted. 

Molly and her brother-in-law met us at the dock at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo around 4:00. Bill docked the boat bow-to since we are without a bow thruster at the moment. We had a perfect lasagna dinner with Dave, Molly, Dave's sister and her family, and Dave's brother and his family all of whom are visiting. 

 

Today we washed the boat and then went for lunch at the pool side restaurant here at Ocean Reef. Bill is about to start on more troubleshooting. 

 

Bill up the mast

On Friday afternoon Bill went up the mast to hang a new halyard for the birgees, reattach the thing that acts as a grounder in case we get struck by lightning (which was knocked off when we went under a bridge in the ICW), and inspect the spreaders. Our boat neighbor Ken helped, and I now feel confident hauling Bill up myself.

My father and Bill golfed 5 times in 5 days. On Saturday they were paired up with two guys from Duxbury who actually know the Whalens (my Godmother). Small world.

We had a really nice time while my father was here. It was fun to show him around, for Bill to have a good golfing partner, to all spend some time together. Saturday night we drove to the Hard Rock Casino, and even though none of us won, it was a blast. It was actually much more crowded than we would thought.

On Sunday they had an early tee time, which would have left plenty of time to start the sauce. After they got back to the boat and had some lunch, my dad started to cook. But... we ran out of propane - again. Usually the tanks last us six months each (and we have two). I just had the propane filled when we were in Boca less than a month ago. Something is wrong. When I had the tanks filled before the guy told me they were safe but should probably be replaced soon since the salt air and water easily corrodes the tanks. It was on our list of things to get done before we leave Lauderdale. We discovered yesterday, however, that the part of the hose that connects the tank to the boat is leaking. Bill spoke to Island Packet who will let us know if it is a part that we can get at West Marine or if we have to order it through the manufacturer. Bottom line, however, is that we couldn't make the sauce. The good news is that my dad gave me the recipe, so I will be able to attempt to recreate his delicious cooking once everything is fixed.

In addition to taking care of the propane issues, I have a few other errands to do today including having my eyes checked. I have prescription glasses for driving and watching movies, but I think it is time to get prescription sunglasses so I can spot the markers in the distance.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Teak is done!

Here are some "after" pictures of the teak. Albin and Nigel did a fabulous job. It took them a little over a week to get the whole job done. Amazing. sv Mary Elizabeth looks better than brand new. The teak is perfect, and we are very happy with the work that the guys did.

Yesterday we had a boat mechanic stop by to do some engine work. He is coming back tomorrow to fix the stuffing box. Today Bill has been working on replacing all of the turn buckles. They have all oxidized and turned green (see the old and the new below).

So that's about all that is going on. It is another beautiful day here in Ft. Lauderdale; a little 'colder' today -- high 60s low 70s. We have met several of the folks on other boats in the marina. When we first got here there were very few boats. Now the marina is almost full. Lots of people spend the winter in Ft. Lauderdale. And this is a great marina to stay in.

Teak

The work on the teak was started today. Here are some "before" and "during" shots. You can tell from the first two pictures how badly the brightwork needed to be done; it is worn away in many places. The first thing that Alvin (who was recommended by a friend of a friend) did was to tape all the areas around the teak. He also began sanding. All of the teak is sanded by hand and then layers of sealer, oils, varnish, etc. are applied. It is a big job, even though we only have a small amount of teak compared to many other boats. It should take about a week.

Bill and I enjoyed exploring a little of the area where we are staying. We are one block from the Ft. Lauderdale beach, which is lined with restaurants, shops, cafes, etc. The beach was very crowded, and we enjoyed people watching during lunch on the water.

The Marina is next to the Hall of Fame Swim Center. Right now there is a week long diving and swim competition going on. Our bow is adjacent to the diving pool, so we have enjoyed watching these athletes perform some incredible dives!

I am sitting topside enjoying some last minute sun before flying to Boston. Hard to imagine in a few hours I will be in a winter coat, scarf, gloves, and boots!

Rock Hall, MD = a Fixed Generator!

(Last view of Back Creek)

We left Annapolis Monday morning. After a stop at the fuel dock for some diesel and a pump out, we were on our way. The trip to Rock Hall is short - it took us about three hours (even bucking a current). But it was C-O-L-D. Bill finally gave in and put on a pair of jeans and sneakers; until Monday he was in denial and continued to wear shorts and flip flops even when he was shivering.

(view of Annapolis from the Bay)

We were both thankful we got to Rock Hall when we did. Almost immediately after we arrived, the wind began to seriously pick up and the rain started to come down. We basically hung out down below the rest of the afternoon reading and doing various boat projects.

(Bay Bridge)

Unfortunately, the mechanics were not able to come by until Tuesday afternoon. The good news is, however, that the generator is now fixed. It turns out that a connector had corroded, which was prohibiting something important from getting to something else important that makes the generator work (obviously Bill understands the mechanics behind the generator a WHOLE lot better than I do....)

Throughout the day on Tuesday the wind picked up and it rained hard. At one point we saw 40 knots on the wind indicator. And we are in a slip way back in a creek. We could only imagine what the Bay was like. The boats here in the marina were rocking and rolling with each strong gust of wind. There is nothing like hearing the wind rip through the halyards creating an eerie whistling sound. Bill and I were thankful we had the super duper fender that Dave and Molly gave us to keep us off the dock.

We decided to stay in Rock Hall one more day so we can run the generator off and on throughout the day. So far so good. Everything is working fine. Tomorrow we will finally start our trip south!!!

(a big gust)

Mary Elizabeth goes topless

Mary Elizabeth is without a dodger. Bill did lots of boat chores yesterday He took down the dodger (the canvas that covers the cockpit) and sent it to a sail maker to fix a tear on the top. This is one of the advantages of being in Annapolis where there are so many resources and places to have things repaired. Once the canvas was removed Bill spent a lot of time polishing the stainless underneath, which was badly rusted.

Not having a dodger has made it very hot to sit topside, but it is cooling off. It is almost September after all-- time has flown by!

The other big project that Bill worked on yesterday was replacing the windlass. The spring in the "up" switch had corroded and stopped functioning. Island Packet sent us a replacement part and Bill was able to switch them out successfully. The first time the windlass (which lowers and raises the anchor) stopped working reliably was in Bermuda. Then, Bill was able to cut a piece from one of my rubber stamps to use as a temporary spring. Now we have a permanent fix, which we are happy for since we are looking forward to (easily) anchoring in the Wye River and other places in the Chesapeake.

We have also been enjoying watching TV!!! Dave and Molly have generously lent us their direct TV, which they helped us set up on Sunday. What great friends.