9/24/2013
We have been back on the boat at Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton, FL for about 6 weeks after our trip north earlier this summer.
As the subject of the post alludes, it has been hot here - most days in the mid to upper 90's. While we have air conditioning, it is a bit small for the boat and struggles to keep the boat at a reasonable temperature in the afternoon. Next year we plan to come north a little later to miss a bit more of the really hot weather. We also plan to buy an awning that will help keep the sun off the boat which should help.
On Saturday 9/14, we had a relaxing morning at the Sarasota Farmer's Market followed by a great movie ( 'Instructions Not Included'), but our day quickly went downhill as we returned to the boat and saw that there was no water flowing from the air conditioner (for non-boaters, marine air conditioners are typically water-cooled); at that time of day the air conditioner is always running so this was definitely a problem. As we headed below, we encountered distinctly non-air-conditioned temperatures and a thermostat flashing 'HPF' (High Pressure Fault). Quickly researching this error, it pointed to a pump problem or blockage in the cooling water. I was not sure the pump was bad, but it seemed like a likely candidate and something had to be done if we were to stay on the boat that night. West Marine had one in stock so I started to tear out the old one, while Joyce drove to pick up a new pump.
One of 'joys' of an air conditioning problem is that you have none while you are trying to fix it (duh), but in the Florida sun it can be BRUTAL. I must have sweated out gallons of water and had puddles of sweat around me. As with most boat projects, the only uncertainly in time estimates is whether you multiple the initial estimate by 4, 8 or 16, but I finally got the pump in and operating. But 'no joy', the problem persisted. At this point we toughed it out and headed to the Courtyard hotel - no way we were staying on the boat overnight.
A boat neighbor suggested putting some chlorine tablets in the sea strainer to help clean out the cooling water circuit and gave me a handful of the tablets - thank you Ron!. That along with a drop in the water temperature in the marina got the unit working again. It seemed to be a pretty good fix because when I finally got an air conditioning technician to stop by this morning, he declared the water flow and unit operation 'excellent' and did not recommend any further work. Although it was an ordeal in some respects, it was nice to sleep in a king-size bed with a real bathroom and a TV - things we lack on the boat.
Besides air conditioning issues, we have been busy on various boat projects and provisioning. A major project completed for me has been replacing the electrodes in our Electro Scan marine sanitation device (a mini sewage treatment plant). Just take off the top and replace the electrodes - easy-peasy right? Not so much! The replacement entailed removing several adjacent systems to allow removal of the entire unit to access the cover, and obviously the reverse to install. Gotta love fixing boats!
One of Joyce's major accomplishments has been buying all of our 'personal care products' (sun-block, deodorant, shaving cream, vitamins, etc.) for the winter. These items tend to be very expensive in the islands and we try to take a full seasons worth when we leave. We primarily use online stores for these purchases.
We are also in the process of having some routine engine work done, including re-tipping our fuel injectors and installing new engine mounts. After this work is completed, along with the work previously done when the boat was in the yard earlier this summer, we will have completely 'revamped' the 'drive train' of the boat.
It has not been all work - we have enjoyed several movies, shows and museums - anything air conditioned. We also have had the pleasure of the company of Mike & Twyla of MV Nauti Nell this summer at Twin Dolphin. We first meet them at Habour View Marina in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas and it has been fun to have them here this summer.
There is still a lot to do on the boat to get ready to leave, but thankfully the weather is getting a little cooler. We are shooting to having pretty much everything done for a 'sea-trial' in mid October.
We are planning to leave here around November 1st to start journeying back to the Bahamas for the winter.
Tom
Docked at Twin Dolphin Marina
Bradenton, FL
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Summer Trip North
August 11, 2013
We are now back on the boat in Bradenton after a 6+ week trip north.
We had returned to Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton in late May after a great winter in the Bahamas. After a few weeks of hard work cleaning and getting the boat ready for summer (hurricane) season we took her back down the Manatee River to Snead Island Boat Works for some routine maintenance while we were gone. One of the peculiarities of living on a boat is that when you take it 'into the shop' you no longer have a place to live, so getting this work done (detailed a bit later) while we made a trip north for a whirlwind tour of doctors, dentists, other professionals, and visits makes sense.
Our trip north in 'Big White' (our 2003 Toyota 4-Runner) was uneventful. After the disappointment of finding out that a Mexican restaurant in Santee, SC with a great pork carnitas that we had been to several times had closed, we discovered a funky little barbeque place with an incredible all-you-can-eat buffet of southern foods (http://www.lonestarbbq.net/). Yum!
Since we are currently nomadic and not sure where we will eventually 'settle down', we have maintained our doctor and other professional relationships in Syracuse where we lived for 30+ years. We have seen these folks for many years (our family doctor for over 30 years) and it is nice to continue seeing them. All our routine medical checkups were without any major issues, probably most notable was that we both had a single filling redone at our dentists.
During our time in Syracuse we had a number of great visits with family and friends. We always say that we don't miss work and winters in Syracuse - but we do miss the people. While in Syracuse we stayed at Cresthill Suites (http://www.cresthillsuites.com/, a great extended stay hotel. They provide breakfast and on 4 nights a week a 'hospitality' hour that can easily be a light meal, so half of your meals are provided and you also have a full kitchen so you can cook as well. The staff is great and the price is reasonable - much less for a month than maintaining a house year round. Unfortunately they only have 3 locations in total, so availability is limited.
We also took a one-week 'vacation' trip to Canada. First we went to a bed & breakfast in St. Jovite, Quebec (near Mont Tremblant) where we have been many times. Actually they are not currently open, but we have become friends with the owners and they let us come anyway. There is a great bike trail (http://www.laurentides.com/en/linear-park-le-ptit-train-du-nord-230-km and I got in some good riding. We have decided to leave my mountain bike in storage in Syracuse so I don't get to ride much, so this was a treat. We then went to Kingston, Ontario staying at another familiar bed & breakfast, the Hochelaga Inn (http://www.hochelagainn.com/. A highlight of this visit was dinner at Chez Piggy (http://www.chezpiggy.com/). Their Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, pepper is out standing - ask for extra bread and sop up the oil - delish!
On our car trip back south we stopped in Statesville, NC to visit family and Charleston, SC for a couple of days - what a beautiful city!
Our car trip back south was marred by a minor accident in Gainesville, FL. As we were approaching a busy intersection with a green light, a car pulled out right in front of us. The driver who had been stopped at the intersection, apparently passed out and then the car proceeded through his red light and into the intersection. I was not able to stop but swerved and almost got by him; he hit us in the left rear of the truck with little damage and then he proceeded through the intersection. A brave bystander ran along side him and stopped his car. He was transported to the hospital - we were fine. In the incident we did burst a brake line, but after an unplanned 1-night stay in Gainesville, the truck was repaired and we were on our way. We were thankful, it could have been much worse!
Barefoot greeted us on our arrival back at the marina - she looked great. After 7 months away from the dock she gets a bit 'travel weary' and some rubbing and waxing put her back in prime shape.
Actually we had quite a bit of work done on her as well, but most of it is not very 'visible' Probably the most notable exception is the ship's name that we put on each side of the bow. With the dinghy hanging off the stern, it is hard to read the name written there, but the bow is generally easy to see.
For the cruiser/boaters, here is a list of what was done this summer (don't let anyone tell you living on a boat is cheap!):
Now we are working on the never-ending list of boat projects with a few 'diversions', usually of the air-conditioned variety - August in Florida is hot!
Tom
Docked at Twin Dolphin Marina
We are now back on the boat in Bradenton after a 6+ week trip north.
We had returned to Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton in late May after a great winter in the Bahamas. After a few weeks of hard work cleaning and getting the boat ready for summer (hurricane) season we took her back down the Manatee River to Snead Island Boat Works for some routine maintenance while we were gone. One of the peculiarities of living on a boat is that when you take it 'into the shop' you no longer have a place to live, so getting this work done (detailed a bit later) while we made a trip north for a whirlwind tour of doctors, dentists, other professionals, and visits makes sense.
Our trip north in 'Big White' (our 2003 Toyota 4-Runner) was uneventful. After the disappointment of finding out that a Mexican restaurant in Santee, SC with a great pork carnitas that we had been to several times had closed, we discovered a funky little barbeque place with an incredible all-you-can-eat buffet of southern foods (http://www.lonestarbbq.net/). Yum!
Since we are currently nomadic and not sure where we will eventually 'settle down', we have maintained our doctor and other professional relationships in Syracuse where we lived for 30+ years. We have seen these folks for many years (our family doctor for over 30 years) and it is nice to continue seeing them. All our routine medical checkups were without any major issues, probably most notable was that we both had a single filling redone at our dentists.
During our time in Syracuse we had a number of great visits with family and friends. We always say that we don't miss work and winters in Syracuse - but we do miss the people. While in Syracuse we stayed at Cresthill Suites (http://www.cresthillsuites.com/, a great extended stay hotel. They provide breakfast and on 4 nights a week a 'hospitality' hour that can easily be a light meal, so half of your meals are provided and you also have a full kitchen so you can cook as well. The staff is great and the price is reasonable - much less for a month than maintaining a house year round. Unfortunately they only have 3 locations in total, so availability is limited.
We also took a one-week 'vacation' trip to Canada. First we went to a bed & breakfast in St. Jovite, Quebec (near Mont Tremblant) where we have been many times. Actually they are not currently open, but we have become friends with the owners and they let us come anyway. There is a great bike trail (http://www.laurentides.com/en/linear-park-le-ptit-train-du-nord-230-km and I got in some good riding. We have decided to leave my mountain bike in storage in Syracuse so I don't get to ride much, so this was a treat. We then went to Kingston, Ontario staying at another familiar bed & breakfast, the Hochelaga Inn (http://www.hochelagainn.com/. A highlight of this visit was dinner at Chez Piggy (http://www.chezpiggy.com/). Their Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, pepper is out standing - ask for extra bread and sop up the oil - delish!
On our car trip back south we stopped in Statesville, NC to visit family and Charleston, SC for a couple of days - what a beautiful city!
Our car trip back south was marred by a minor accident in Gainesville, FL. As we were approaching a busy intersection with a green light, a car pulled out right in front of us. The driver who had been stopped at the intersection, apparently passed out and then the car proceeded through his red light and into the intersection. I was not able to stop but swerved and almost got by him; he hit us in the left rear of the truck with little damage and then he proceeded through the intersection. A brave bystander ran along side him and stopped his car. He was transported to the hospital - we were fine. In the incident we did burst a brake line, but after an unplanned 1-night stay in Gainesville, the truck was repaired and we were on our way. We were thankful, it could have been much worse!
Barefoot greeted us on our arrival back at the marina - she looked great. After 7 months away from the dock she gets a bit 'travel weary' and some rubbing and waxing put her back in prime shape.
Actually we had quite a bit of work done on her as well, but most of it is not very 'visible' Probably the most notable exception is the ship's name that we put on each side of the bow. With the dinghy hanging off the stern, it is hard to read the name written there, but the bow is generally easy to see.
For the cruiser/boaters, here is a list of what was done this summer (don't let anyone tell you living on a boat is cheap!):
- Bottom Paint
- Repainted the 'boot stripe'
- Replaced the primary anchor chain - 250' 5/16 HT (G4)
- Propeller shaft:
- Replaced the cutlass bearing
- Replaced the stuffing box with a drip-less shaft seal http://www.shaftseal.com/en/categories
- Checked the chainplates and re-bedded as necessary
- Standing rigging inspection
- New Garmin 8212 chartplotter
- New Garmin GMI 20 Instruments (3)
- Garmin AIS 600 class B transponder
- Davit extensions
Now we are working on the never-ending list of boat projects with a few 'diversions', usually of the air-conditioned variety - August in Florida is hot!
Docked at Twin Dolphin Marina
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Back at the Dock for the Summer
May 30, 2013
Well we have returned to Twin Dolphin Marina in Bradenton after a 7 month cruise in the Bahamas. We had a great trip and really enjoyed the areas of the Bahamas that we visited this year.
Some statistics:
Days
Anchored/Moored 168 81%
Docked 40 19%
Total 208
Miles (nautical) 1534
Fuel (gals) 232
Water (gals)
Watermaker 1869 91%
Shore Sources 175 9%
Total 2044
9.8 Gal/Day (all uses - drinking, cooking, washing)
We crossed to Bimini in early December and fairly quickly transited to the northern Exumas. We spent over 2 months in the Exumas and then traveled to several of the outer islands - Long Island, Cat Island, and Eleuthera before returning through Bimini after nearly 5 total months in the Bahamas.
We are often asked what were our favorite places. We usually say that based on natural beauty, the Exuma Land and Sea Park, particularly Cambridge Cay was our favorite. From a people perspective, we really enjoyed Black Point on Great Guana and Cat Island.
The Exumas are very nice, anchorages are generally relatively close, and you usually can sail in the relatively protected Bank side so it is easy to move around. If the Exumas have a downside, it is that there are so many cruisers it often feels crowded.
The outer islands require a transit of Exuma Sound, are not as well protected, and anchorages are farther apart so there are significantly fewer cruisers. The islands themselves are much more isolated and traditional. We enjoyed the outer island very much, especially Cat Island and plan to spend more time there next year.
We had planned to return to the Abacos, where we were last year, but ran out of time - hopefully next year.
We often feel that trip mileage figure is fairly unimpressive to many, but a comparison that Joyce thought of puts it in a better perspective. A car at highway speeds goes about 10 times faster than our boat. Thus our 1534 miles is equivalent in time to a 15,340 mile car trip - quite a ways!
The boat performed great; we had two major repair items, both of which were discovered and resolved in the States. Within a couple of weeks of leaving Bradenton, we discovered a leaking water heater, which was replaced at Rose Marina on Marco Island. After returning to Miami, we discovered that our alternator output was very weak. With our solar and wind generators we seldom use the alternator to simply charge, so the output probably had been falling for some time. But a series of cloudy windless days prompted us to run to charge at Coconut Grove Sailing Club where we discovered the problem. We were able to get a non exact replacement (something you
get used to on an 18 year old boat), but with a few minor mounting modifications I got it to fit well.
After a couple of weeks of hard work getting the boat ready for summer/hurricane season, the boat will go to Snead Island Boat Works for a bottom job and a few maintenance items. We will travel to Syracuse for a whirlwind tour of friends, doctors, dentists and other professionals. We no longer have a house in Syracuse, so the trip will be relatively brief and we plan to return to the boat in August.
A link to a map Google map of our trip follows this blog entry.
Following is a link to a blog entry about what we have learned about what works and what doesn't for a cruising boat. It is targeted primarily at cruisers or wanna-be cruisers.
Cruising - What Works and What Doesn't
Tom
Docked in Bradenton FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
Crusing - What Works and What Doesn't
May 30, 2013
What works and what doesn't (In no particular order).
Some statistics on our 2012-13 Cruise:
Days
Anchored/Moored 168 81%
Docked 40 19%
Total 208
Miles (nautical) 1534
Fuel (gals) 232
Water (gals)
Watermaker 1869 91%
Shore Sources 175 9%
Total 2044
9.8 Gal/Day (all uses - drinking, cooking, washing)
Following are some details on our boat and equipment. It contains numerous opinions about issues upon which reasonable sailors may disagree. It is offered for your information - your results may vary.
Boat
We cruise in a 1994 Island Packet 40 - an ocean-capable cutter-rigged sailboat with a 50 HP Yanmar auxiliary engine. We have been extremely pleased with the boat. She is wonderfully balanced under sail and the sail plan is very versatile; we can easily sail at 6.5+ knots with a moderate wind. She motors well; we can cruise at 6+ knots using about 0.7gal of fuel per hour. She is big enough to be comfortable, but not so big in length or draft to constrain where we go.
Shortly after buying her, we had the chain plates and standing rigging (stays and shrouds) replaced. This was not cheap, but it improves sleep when off shore.
I won't get into makes or models, but to wanna-be cruisers, make sure you get an ocean-capable boat. Off shore in any weather, you want a boat built to handle that type of sailing; many 'coastal' cruisers, just won't cut it.
We carry a significant amount of spares for the engine and other essential equipment. When evaluating spares for a system, we ask - what would be the impact of a failure - could we work around it, or would it be significant loss of vital functionally.
Communication
Our boat has two fixed VHF radios (one with a RAM mike at the helm station) and a handheld VHF for dinghy/liferaft use. We carry an 406 EPIRB which can be used to send a satellite 'Mayday'.
Although I am a licensed amateur radio operator and was so sure we would have a SSB (HF) radio installed that I had a Dynaplate installed at our first haul out, we have settled on an Iridium 9555 satellite phone with an external antenna for our remote communication purposes. It allows us to get email from our weather router, other weather information like GRIB files, and provides emergency communication.
Stateside we use a Verizon 'MiFi' for Internet access and we both have data phones. International roaming and especially international data is VERY expensive, so we suspend our Verizon service before we leave the States. This year we got a Bahamian data phone that could be used as an access point for our other devices which has worked very well. We did end up getting a post-paid (annual) contract for the most access per cost, but it can be suspended just like our Verizon service, which we will do over the summer.
Emergency Equipment
We carry a Winslow 6-person offshore life raft. This year it has been stowed in a hanging locker in the aft cabin. Accessibility there is not bad, but you still would have to carry it up the companionway to the cockpit in an emergency. Our intent, and in many way the ideal, would be to lash it to the stern pulpit when on significant passages, but that never seems to happen. We are looking into a Pelican case, which will be located on the cabin top; Winslow maintains that is not the best location for the raft, because you have to go forward to deploy, but it may be the best option from an accessibility and storage point of view.
We carry a significant inventory of medical supplies including prescription antibiotics, pain killers, blood thinners, etc for medical emergencies.
We have a ditch bag on the aft cabin wall near the companionway that contains our EPIRB, handheld VHF, portable GPS, flares, handheld compass, small first aid kit, and other emergency supplies.
We carry a 5-gallon Jerry jug of water on the port rail, which we would attempt to take on the life raft in an emergency.
Electrical
Batteries - all Lifeline AGM
House Bank 3 Grp 27's and 1 8D for a total capacity of 550 amp-hours
Dedicated Starting Bank 1 Grp 27
Charger/Inverter Magnum MS Series
ME-BMK Battery Monitor
ME-ARC Remote Control
Solar
2 Kyocera 135 watt Panels
Blue Sky Solar Boost 3024i Controller
Wind
Eclectic Energy D400 Generator & Diversion Controller
Alternator
Balmar 100 amp with ARS-5 regulator
Since we spend the bulk of our time away from the dock and off the energy grid, batteries and charging systems are critical.
We have been satisfied with the Lifeline AGM batteries. They have some great positive attributes: no maintenance; low self discharge rate; high acceptance rates. On the negative side, they are sensitive to charging voltages, so you have to make sure your regulators/controllers are appropriate and adjusted properly or you will have reduced service life. In fact, we replaced a perfectly good charger with the Magnum, because the old unit lacked an appropriate AGM charging routine.
Contrary to some convention wisdom, we have found, and Lifeline recommends, that their AGMs be periodically equalized or conditioned under cruising conditions. This is required because while cruising, you rarely charge the batteries fully or at a high enough rate, so sulfation builds up; the equalization helps remove it. We try to equalize every time we dock. Also it is critical that your charging sources are temperature compensated - Lifeline flatly states that this is mandatory. This is required since optimal charging voltages are dependent on temperature. All of our sources (except the wind generator) are temperature compensated.
We have been very happy with our solar panels. They were the first alternate energy we installed and based on our initial experience (largely in May) we thought they would be enough to run the boat. But even in the tropics, the days are shorter and the sun weaker in the winter and last year we found they were not providing enough power.
So this last summer we had a D400 wind generator installed. It has been sweet! It is exceptionally quiet and produces great power in 10+ knots of wind. There have been times when we have had to turn off the solar panels because we were fully charged.
We had to replace our Balmar 100 amp alternator this year and the new unit really puts out! However, we rarely run the engine just to charge (probably only a handful of times all year).
We replaced our perfectly good Freedom Charger/Inverter with a Magnum because the previous unit did not have a good AGM charging program. Furthermore the Magnum has a 'Battery Saver' mode that is great for maintaining batteries over the summer. Once it has completed a full charging cycle, the charger goes into this mode where it does not charge at all (not even a float). If the voltage falls below a set level it will initiate another full cycle.
However, we have had a few disappointments with the Magnum. I researched the unit extensively and bought the up-level monitor because it offered the option to 'rebulk' manually. This feature is relevant when the batteries have been in 'Battery Saver' mode for a while and are less than fully charged and you want to leave the dock fully charged. The 'Rebulk' feature allows you to 'command' another charging cycle. After installing the unit and looking in vain for this option, I called the manufacturer and was told that it is a feature of the monitor, but not supported on my model of charger - I wish the manual made that clear!. I have learned a work-around - just disconnect the shore power for a minute and then turn it back on - the unit will start another charging cycle.
The most important 'problem' has been that the unit 'qualifies' the available shore power before closing the transfer switch and allowing the power to flow to the boat. This is intended for applications where the unit is used as an emergency power supply - if the grid power comes on, but is of unacceptable quality, the unit continues to invert to supply emergency power. We had one marina (Highbourne Cay) where the unit refused to accept the power. We had a friend with a Magnum unit that had the same problem at that same marina the previous year. It has not reoccurred at any other marina.
We have not regretted our decision not to have a diesel or portable gas generator. While it would be nice at times, we manage quite nicely on solar and wind. Diesel generators are expensive, take a lot of space, and are high maintenance items; portable generators create gas storage and potential carbon dioxide issues.
Water
We have a 170 gallon water tank which I clean and sanitize annually.
We have a Seagull high efficiency water filter at our galley sink, which we use for all drinking water.
We have a Spectra 200T watermaker with an MPC-5000 controller. It will produce a modest 7 gallons per hour with about a 12 amp DC draw. If there was one piece of equipment you would have to 'pry from our cold dead hands', so to speak, it would be our watermaker. We have cruised (not full time) for over 25 years and we have consistently found that fresh water is invariably your most scarce resource - the one that constrains your trip.
Our water usage has remained a modest 9-10 gallons per day over the years for ALL uses (drinking, cooking, washing) with or without the watermaker. This is higher than some 'extreme' water conservors, but still relatively modest in our opinion. It is an important point that this usage includes virtually all our drinking fluids. We carry only trivial amounts of beer or soda and and use powdered drink mixes for 'flavorful' drinks.
Water is generally available in the Bahamas. Marinas sell it for around $0.50 per gallon, but that creates the need for additional docking and route planning. 'Free' water is also available at many locations, but you usually have to transport it in Jerry jugs. Also in many places (Black Point on Great Guana for example), the majority of the locals do NOT drink the water from the water system - they buy bottled water from Nassau, so is this the water you really want to be drinking? In remoter regions, safe water is often unavailable and you take your chances.
Ground Tackle
When cruising you spend a lot of time at anchor, so ground tackle is very important
Our primary anchor is a 45lb Delta with 225' of 3/8" HT chain; our secondary anchor is a 35lb Delta on 35' of 3/8" HT chain and 225' of 5/8" three strand nylon rode. We also have a Danforth type kedge anchor. We inherited all of these anchors when we bought the boat. We have had great performance from the primary and seldom use the secondary.
We replaced the relatively small vertical windlass that came on the boat with a Lighthouse 1500 horizontal windlass. It has dual chain gypsies, a rope capstan, and 'pull stumps'. Some people say that a strong windlass is one of the things that will easily distinguish a cruising boat a day/coastal sailboat.
There always seems to be an must-have anchor 'du jour', but all anchors have strengths and weaknesses. The Delta is great except in soft mud where it has a tendency to 'keep plowing'; however, it has great holding in sand (even 'muddy' sand) and good penetration in grass. The primary weakness in our ground tackle configuration is that we have two of the same type - it would better to have a second anchor of a different type, probably one better in mud. For a snubber, we use a 'chain grabber' with a bridle of 5/8" 3-strand nylon rode; each leg of the bridle has about 40' of line, so although we only normally use only about 10', we can let out more in storm conditions. We find that the boat 'hangs' better on a bridle, than a single-line snubber.
In the end, successful anchoring comes down to three factors: the anchor, the type and quantity of rode, and your anchoring technique (setting it properly); the anchor is at best a 1/3 of the equation. All chain rode and plenty of it makes for better sleep. We always set/test our anchor with around 2000 RPMs astern - if it holds that, it probably will hold any wind or current.
Refrigeration
We installed a Frigoboat keel-cooled refrigeration system soon after we bought the boat, replacing the relatively old air-cooled unit. The beauty of this unit is that the only moving parts are the compressor itself. No fan as in air-cooled and no pump as in water-cooled. The refrigerant is circulated through a heat exchanger mounted under the hull - the heat gets transferred directly into the water, not accumulating in a space where the compressor is mounted It also has a system that runs the compressor at the most efficient speed for the conditions.
We installed a simple evaporator, as opposed to a divider with a spill-over fan to create a refrigerator/freezer system. This gives us a very small 'freezer' - think of the 'ice box' on your grandmother's old Frigidaire. We do not carry a lot of frozen foods and are happy we have retained the larger refrigerator.
We did not add any insulation to the box and it clearly is under insulated. We may add some someday, but I am concerned that it will reduce our capacity and make our shelves not fit properly.
Provisions
Bottom line, provisions are scarce and relatively expensive in the Bahamas, so you will want to take as much as possible. Many people with ample freezers, take a collection of frozen meats; we have only a modest freezer, so meats are carried on board only when we can buy some locally. We do take a large quantity of canned and dried foods and personal care products.
Stores in many locations have limited selections. Fruits and vegetables are available in limited quantities after the 'mailboat' comes in. On a sailboat, you must either have a memory 'like an elephant' or have some type of inventory control system or you will go 'crazy'. We use an Access database, but spreadsheets or even notebooks will work. In fact since we don't want to start up the computer every time we make an inventory change, we have a small notebook where we record changes and then periodically update the computer database.
Lighting
We replaced all the incandescent bulbs in the Main Cabin and Galley with Sensibulb LED lights. These units are nice in that you can retain the existing fixtures and just replace the old bulb with an LED unit. We also replaced the incandescent anchor light with an LED Anchor/Tricolor with a photo sensor; we really enjoy the photo sensor - just turn on the switch when you anchor and it turns the light on and off as required - no forgetting. The LEDs use about 1/10 the current that a comparable incandescent bulbs uses, but they also cost about 20 times as much. We would like to replace more of the cabin lights, but it is hard to cost-justify for the lesser used lights.
Waste Management
We have a modest 30 gallon holding tank, so we had an Electro Scan Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) installed. This is essentially a mini sewage treatment plant that treats your waste to EPA bacteria standards. Our experience has been mixed, and we probably would not repeat the investment. You cannot use them in 'No Discharge' areas like the Florida Keys. Additionally there are significant additional maintenance requirements. You have clean it every 6 months with a Muratic Acid solution and periodically replace the electrodes, a job that I need to do this fall that I am NOT looking forward to.
Instrumentation
When we bought the boat it had a fairly new Raymarine E120 chart plotter/radar and a mixture of older Raymarine instruments (depth, wind, speed). It also had an older Autohelm (Raymarine) autopilot. All of these systems have been somewhat problematic. The chart plotter has experienced significant screen flicker, which our marine technician has said is somewhat typical of these units. It is somewhat heart stopping (especially offshore at night) when you fear that you will lose your instruments. The autopilot 'failed' last year when it spontaneously went into a 'Permenant Watch Mode' where it beeped every 4 minutes until you hit a button. Raymarine refused to re-flash the firmware saying the unit was obsolete.
Overall our experience with Raymarine has been poor and we are moving to other manufacturers. We replaced the autopilot with a Furuno NAVPilot 700 and it has been working like a pro. We plan to replace the chartplotter, radar, and other instruments with Garmin units this summer.
In general radar is very helpful, especially when sailing off shore at night.
We have not had an AIS (Automatic Identification System) to date but are installing one this year with the new instrumentation. When you encounter large ships at sea (and you will) it is virtually impossible to raise them by radio to discuss passing if you do not know their name - they simply don't respond to "Hey big ship about to run me over" :-). AIS gives you their name. Their radio channels are taped, and they would get in trouble if a clear call went unanswered.
Charting
Do NOT go to the Bahamas without the Explorer Chartbooks/Crusing Guides - they are excellent!
In the Abacos, the Steve Dodge Crusing Guide is also excellent. The Pavlidis guides have a lot of information, but they are often less up to date and we find them harder to use, but they are pretty much the 'only game in town' for the Exumas and Far Bahamas.
Our Raymarine chart plotter uses Navinonics charts. We have found them to be very accurate in the States and even found them good in the Abacos last year. However, they are VERY poor in the southern Bahamas - they show shoals where there are none and vice versa. The Garmin chart plotter we are installing uses Blue Charts which include the excellent Explorer chart detail.
Dinghy
When you are cruising, your dinghy is your SUV - you use it for transportation, carrying groceries, laundry, fuel, water, etc. It is a very important piece of equipment.
We inherited an 11' Achilles dinghy with a high pressure inflatable floor and an 8HP 2-stroke outboard and have used it with mixed results over the last 4 years. It is light and easy to raise and lower and store, but lacks the stability, speed, and carrying capacity of a Rigid Inflatable boat (RIB). While our 'Yugo' of dinghies has been faithful, we will probably upgrade to a RIB sometime in the future.
Conclusion
People cruise in boats that range from simple small sailboats with little equipment to mega-yachts with every toy. We fall somewhere in the lower middle of the spectrum with a boat that is reasonable sound and comfortable for long-term full-time cruising.
The shorter your cruising window, you can live with, and afford, less equipment. Also, in general, younger bodies can handle the stress and strains of smaller, lesser equipped boats than us 'vintage' folks.
We cruised for over 25 years on vacation-length trips on chartered boats before we ever bought our 'big' boat. If you want to go cruising, our biggest advice is to just 'get out there'. Take courses to learn skills; read everything you can about boats and cruising; crew on other peoples boats; charter boats and go on mini-cruises; get away from the dock and learn to live at anchor.
See you 'out there'!
Tom & Joyce
S/V Barefoot
Currently docked Bradenton, FL
What works and what doesn't (In no particular order).
Some statistics on our 2012-13 Cruise:
Days
Anchored/Moored 168 81%
Docked 40 19%
Total 208
Miles (nautical) 1534
Fuel (gals) 232
Water (gals)
Watermaker 1869 91%
Shore Sources 175 9%
Total 2044
9.8 Gal/Day (all uses - drinking, cooking, washing)
Following are some details on our boat and equipment. It contains numerous opinions about issues upon which reasonable sailors may disagree. It is offered for your information - your results may vary.
Boat
We cruise in a 1994 Island Packet 40 - an ocean-capable cutter-rigged sailboat with a 50 HP Yanmar auxiliary engine. We have been extremely pleased with the boat. She is wonderfully balanced under sail and the sail plan is very versatile; we can easily sail at 6.5+ knots with a moderate wind. She motors well; we can cruise at 6+ knots using about 0.7gal of fuel per hour. She is big enough to be comfortable, but not so big in length or draft to constrain where we go.
Shortly after buying her, we had the chain plates and standing rigging (stays and shrouds) replaced. This was not cheap, but it improves sleep when off shore.
I won't get into makes or models, but to wanna-be cruisers, make sure you get an ocean-capable boat. Off shore in any weather, you want a boat built to handle that type of sailing; many 'coastal' cruisers, just won't cut it.
We carry a significant amount of spares for the engine and other essential equipment. When evaluating spares for a system, we ask - what would be the impact of a failure - could we work around it, or would it be significant loss of vital functionally.
Communication
Our boat has two fixed VHF radios (one with a RAM mike at the helm station) and a handheld VHF for dinghy/liferaft use. We carry an 406 EPIRB which can be used to send a satellite 'Mayday'.
Although I am a licensed amateur radio operator and was so sure we would have a SSB (HF) radio installed that I had a Dynaplate installed at our first haul out, we have settled on an Iridium 9555 satellite phone with an external antenna for our remote communication purposes. It allows us to get email from our weather router, other weather information like GRIB files, and provides emergency communication.
Stateside we use a Verizon 'MiFi' for Internet access and we both have data phones. International roaming and especially international data is VERY expensive, so we suspend our Verizon service before we leave the States. This year we got a Bahamian data phone that could be used as an access point for our other devices which has worked very well. We did end up getting a post-paid (annual) contract for the most access per cost, but it can be suspended just like our Verizon service, which we will do over the summer.
Emergency Equipment
We carry a Winslow 6-person offshore life raft. This year it has been stowed in a hanging locker in the aft cabin. Accessibility there is not bad, but you still would have to carry it up the companionway to the cockpit in an emergency. Our intent, and in many way the ideal, would be to lash it to the stern pulpit when on significant passages, but that never seems to happen. We are looking into a Pelican case, which will be located on the cabin top; Winslow maintains that is not the best location for the raft, because you have to go forward to deploy, but it may be the best option from an accessibility and storage point of view.
We carry a significant inventory of medical supplies including prescription antibiotics, pain killers, blood thinners, etc for medical emergencies.
We have a ditch bag on the aft cabin wall near the companionway that contains our EPIRB, handheld VHF, portable GPS, flares, handheld compass, small first aid kit, and other emergency supplies.
We carry a 5-gallon Jerry jug of water on the port rail, which we would attempt to take on the life raft in an emergency.
Electrical
Batteries - all Lifeline AGM
House Bank 3 Grp 27's and 1 8D for a total capacity of 550 amp-hours
Dedicated Starting Bank 1 Grp 27
Charger/Inverter Magnum MS Series
ME-BMK Battery Monitor
ME-ARC Remote Control
Solar
2 Kyocera 135 watt Panels
Blue Sky Solar Boost 3024i Controller
Wind
Eclectic Energy D400 Generator & Diversion Controller
Alternator
Balmar 100 amp with ARS-5 regulator
Since we spend the bulk of our time away from the dock and off the energy grid, batteries and charging systems are critical.
We have been satisfied with the Lifeline AGM batteries. They have some great positive attributes: no maintenance; low self discharge rate; high acceptance rates. On the negative side, they are sensitive to charging voltages, so you have to make sure your regulators/controllers are appropriate and adjusted properly or you will have reduced service life. In fact, we replaced a perfectly good charger with the Magnum, because the old unit lacked an appropriate AGM charging routine.
Contrary to some convention wisdom, we have found, and Lifeline recommends, that their AGMs be periodically equalized or conditioned under cruising conditions. This is required because while cruising, you rarely charge the batteries fully or at a high enough rate, so sulfation builds up; the equalization helps remove it. We try to equalize every time we dock. Also it is critical that your charging sources are temperature compensated - Lifeline flatly states that this is mandatory. This is required since optimal charging voltages are dependent on temperature. All of our sources (except the wind generator) are temperature compensated.
We have been very happy with our solar panels. They were the first alternate energy we installed and based on our initial experience (largely in May) we thought they would be enough to run the boat. But even in the tropics, the days are shorter and the sun weaker in the winter and last year we found they were not providing enough power.
So this last summer we had a D400 wind generator installed. It has been sweet! It is exceptionally quiet and produces great power in 10+ knots of wind. There have been times when we have had to turn off the solar panels because we were fully charged.
We had to replace our Balmar 100 amp alternator this year and the new unit really puts out! However, we rarely run the engine just to charge (probably only a handful of times all year).
We replaced our perfectly good Freedom Charger/Inverter with a Magnum because the previous unit did not have a good AGM charging program. Furthermore the Magnum has a 'Battery Saver' mode that is great for maintaining batteries over the summer. Once it has completed a full charging cycle, the charger goes into this mode where it does not charge at all (not even a float). If the voltage falls below a set level it will initiate another full cycle.
However, we have had a few disappointments with the Magnum. I researched the unit extensively and bought the up-level monitor because it offered the option to 'rebulk' manually. This feature is relevant when the batteries have been in 'Battery Saver' mode for a while and are less than fully charged and you want to leave the dock fully charged. The 'Rebulk' feature allows you to 'command' another charging cycle. After installing the unit and looking in vain for this option, I called the manufacturer and was told that it is a feature of the monitor, but not supported on my model of charger - I wish the manual made that clear!. I have learned a work-around - just disconnect the shore power for a minute and then turn it back on - the unit will start another charging cycle.
The most important 'problem' has been that the unit 'qualifies' the available shore power before closing the transfer switch and allowing the power to flow to the boat. This is intended for applications where the unit is used as an emergency power supply - if the grid power comes on, but is of unacceptable quality, the unit continues to invert to supply emergency power. We had one marina (Highbourne Cay) where the unit refused to accept the power. We had a friend with a Magnum unit that had the same problem at that same marina the previous year. It has not reoccurred at any other marina.
We have not regretted our decision not to have a diesel or portable gas generator. While it would be nice at times, we manage quite nicely on solar and wind. Diesel generators are expensive, take a lot of space, and are high maintenance items; portable generators create gas storage and potential carbon dioxide issues.
Water
We have a 170 gallon water tank which I clean and sanitize annually.
We have a Seagull high efficiency water filter at our galley sink, which we use for all drinking water.
We have a Spectra 200T watermaker with an MPC-5000 controller. It will produce a modest 7 gallons per hour with about a 12 amp DC draw. If there was one piece of equipment you would have to 'pry from our cold dead hands', so to speak, it would be our watermaker. We have cruised (not full time) for over 25 years and we have consistently found that fresh water is invariably your most scarce resource - the one that constrains your trip.
Our water usage has remained a modest 9-10 gallons per day over the years for ALL uses (drinking, cooking, washing) with or without the watermaker. This is higher than some 'extreme' water conservors, but still relatively modest in our opinion. It is an important point that this usage includes virtually all our drinking fluids. We carry only trivial amounts of beer or soda and and use powdered drink mixes for 'flavorful' drinks.
Water is generally available in the Bahamas. Marinas sell it for around $0.50 per gallon, but that creates the need for additional docking and route planning. 'Free' water is also available at many locations, but you usually have to transport it in Jerry jugs. Also in many places (Black Point on Great Guana for example), the majority of the locals do NOT drink the water from the water system - they buy bottled water from Nassau, so is this the water you really want to be drinking? In remoter regions, safe water is often unavailable and you take your chances.
Ground Tackle
When cruising you spend a lot of time at anchor, so ground tackle is very important
Our primary anchor is a 45lb Delta with 225' of 3/8" HT chain; our secondary anchor is a 35lb Delta on 35' of 3/8" HT chain and 225' of 5/8" three strand nylon rode. We also have a Danforth type kedge anchor. We inherited all of these anchors when we bought the boat. We have had great performance from the primary and seldom use the secondary.
We replaced the relatively small vertical windlass that came on the boat with a Lighthouse 1500 horizontal windlass. It has dual chain gypsies, a rope capstan, and 'pull stumps'. Some people say that a strong windlass is one of the things that will easily distinguish a cruising boat a day/coastal sailboat.
There always seems to be an must-have anchor 'du jour', but all anchors have strengths and weaknesses. The Delta is great except in soft mud where it has a tendency to 'keep plowing'; however, it has great holding in sand (even 'muddy' sand) and good penetration in grass. The primary weakness in our ground tackle configuration is that we have two of the same type - it would better to have a second anchor of a different type, probably one better in mud. For a snubber, we use a 'chain grabber' with a bridle of 5/8" 3-strand nylon rode; each leg of the bridle has about 40' of line, so although we only normally use only about 10', we can let out more in storm conditions. We find that the boat 'hangs' better on a bridle, than a single-line snubber.
In the end, successful anchoring comes down to three factors: the anchor, the type and quantity of rode, and your anchoring technique (setting it properly); the anchor is at best a 1/3 of the equation. All chain rode and plenty of it makes for better sleep. We always set/test our anchor with around 2000 RPMs astern - if it holds that, it probably will hold any wind or current.
Refrigeration
We installed a Frigoboat keel-cooled refrigeration system soon after we bought the boat, replacing the relatively old air-cooled unit. The beauty of this unit is that the only moving parts are the compressor itself. No fan as in air-cooled and no pump as in water-cooled. The refrigerant is circulated through a heat exchanger mounted under the hull - the heat gets transferred directly into the water, not accumulating in a space where the compressor is mounted It also has a system that runs the compressor at the most efficient speed for the conditions.
We installed a simple evaporator, as opposed to a divider with a spill-over fan to create a refrigerator/freezer system. This gives us a very small 'freezer' - think of the 'ice box' on your grandmother's old Frigidaire. We do not carry a lot of frozen foods and are happy we have retained the larger refrigerator.
We did not add any insulation to the box and it clearly is under insulated. We may add some someday, but I am concerned that it will reduce our capacity and make our shelves not fit properly.
Provisions
Bottom line, provisions are scarce and relatively expensive in the Bahamas, so you will want to take as much as possible. Many people with ample freezers, take a collection of frozen meats; we have only a modest freezer, so meats are carried on board only when we can buy some locally. We do take a large quantity of canned and dried foods and personal care products.
Stores in many locations have limited selections. Fruits and vegetables are available in limited quantities after the 'mailboat' comes in. On a sailboat, you must either have a memory 'like an elephant' or have some type of inventory control system or you will go 'crazy'. We use an Access database, but spreadsheets or even notebooks will work. In fact since we don't want to start up the computer every time we make an inventory change, we have a small notebook where we record changes and then periodically update the computer database.
Lighting
We replaced all the incandescent bulbs in the Main Cabin and Galley with Sensibulb LED lights. These units are nice in that you can retain the existing fixtures and just replace the old bulb with an LED unit. We also replaced the incandescent anchor light with an LED Anchor/Tricolor with a photo sensor; we really enjoy the photo sensor - just turn on the switch when you anchor and it turns the light on and off as required - no forgetting. The LEDs use about 1/10 the current that a comparable incandescent bulbs uses, but they also cost about 20 times as much. We would like to replace more of the cabin lights, but it is hard to cost-justify for the lesser used lights.
Waste Management
We have a modest 30 gallon holding tank, so we had an Electro Scan Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) installed. This is essentially a mini sewage treatment plant that treats your waste to EPA bacteria standards. Our experience has been mixed, and we probably would not repeat the investment. You cannot use them in 'No Discharge' areas like the Florida Keys. Additionally there are significant additional maintenance requirements. You have clean it every 6 months with a Muratic Acid solution and periodically replace the electrodes, a job that I need to do this fall that I am NOT looking forward to.
Instrumentation
When we bought the boat it had a fairly new Raymarine E120 chart plotter/radar and a mixture of older Raymarine instruments (depth, wind, speed). It also had an older Autohelm (Raymarine) autopilot. All of these systems have been somewhat problematic. The chart plotter has experienced significant screen flicker, which our marine technician has said is somewhat typical of these units. It is somewhat heart stopping (especially offshore at night) when you fear that you will lose your instruments. The autopilot 'failed' last year when it spontaneously went into a 'Permenant Watch Mode' where it beeped every 4 minutes until you hit a button. Raymarine refused to re-flash the firmware saying the unit was obsolete.
Overall our experience with Raymarine has been poor and we are moving to other manufacturers. We replaced the autopilot with a Furuno NAVPilot 700 and it has been working like a pro. We plan to replace the chartplotter, radar, and other instruments with Garmin units this summer.
In general radar is very helpful, especially when sailing off shore at night.
We have not had an AIS (Automatic Identification System) to date but are installing one this year with the new instrumentation. When you encounter large ships at sea (and you will) it is virtually impossible to raise them by radio to discuss passing if you do not know their name - they simply don't respond to "Hey big ship about to run me over" :-). AIS gives you their name. Their radio channels are taped, and they would get in trouble if a clear call went unanswered.
Charting
Do NOT go to the Bahamas without the Explorer Chartbooks/Crusing Guides - they are excellent!
In the Abacos, the Steve Dodge Crusing Guide is also excellent. The Pavlidis guides have a lot of information, but they are often less up to date and we find them harder to use, but they are pretty much the 'only game in town' for the Exumas and Far Bahamas.
Our Raymarine chart plotter uses Navinonics charts. We have found them to be very accurate in the States and even found them good in the Abacos last year. However, they are VERY poor in the southern Bahamas - they show shoals where there are none and vice versa. The Garmin chart plotter we are installing uses Blue Charts which include the excellent Explorer chart detail.
Dinghy
When you are cruising, your dinghy is your SUV - you use it for transportation, carrying groceries, laundry, fuel, water, etc. It is a very important piece of equipment.
We inherited an 11' Achilles dinghy with a high pressure inflatable floor and an 8HP 2-stroke outboard and have used it with mixed results over the last 4 years. It is light and easy to raise and lower and store, but lacks the stability, speed, and carrying capacity of a Rigid Inflatable boat (RIB). While our 'Yugo' of dinghies has been faithful, we will probably upgrade to a RIB sometime in the future.
Conclusion
People cruise in boats that range from simple small sailboats with little equipment to mega-yachts with every toy. We fall somewhere in the lower middle of the spectrum with a boat that is reasonable sound and comfortable for long-term full-time cruising.
The shorter your cruising window, you can live with, and afford, less equipment. Also, in general, younger bodies can handle the stress and strains of smaller, lesser equipped boats than us 'vintage' folks.
We cruised for over 25 years on vacation-length trips on chartered boats before we ever bought our 'big' boat. If you want to go cruising, our biggest advice is to just 'get out there'. Take courses to learn skills; read everything you can about boats and cruising; crew on other peoples boats; charter boats and go on mini-cruises; get away from the dock and learn to live at anchor.
See you 'out there'!
Tom & Joyce
S/V Barefoot
Currently docked Bradenton, FL
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Pelican Bay to Palmetto - Long Day
May 28, 2013
Today we are anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River after a LONG travel day from Pelican Bay yesterday. This trip is one of our longest daysails at 75 nautical miles and over 12 hours.
We weighed anchor in Pelican Bay at first light (barely) at 0615 and proceeded out of the Bay and then out Boca Grande channel on a slack current. We leave the channel through a break in the shoals just before the G"7" and R"8" buoys. Then it is off-coast for 57 miles to the SW Channel into Tampa Bay.
The day started with a great beam reach with 15-18 knots of wind - just beautiful average speed 6.8+. But after 3 hours the wind died and we had to motor sail. We made good time until we started to approach Tampa Bay where we were met with a 1+ knot ebb current. On a trip this long, there is not much you can do about currents in channels on the ends of the trip except grin and bear it.
The only significant traffic we had was in crossing Tampa Bay over to the Manatee River, where hordes of boats were completing their Memorial Day water fun.
A highlight of the trip was two dolphins swimming in our stern wake for over 5 minutes. Dolphins will often come and swim in our bow wake, but they are hard to see there unless you go forward. It is rarer to see them in the stern wake, but this pair kept swimming back and forth and turning their bellies to the wake on most passes. Fun to watch!
We anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River about 4 miles from our home marina at about 1830 (6:30 PM).
Although this is a long trip, we like it because it gets you north in one long day, opposed to 2-3 days and umpteen bridges if you go inside on the Intracoastal Waterway. Also sailing outside is so much more relaxing than driving the ICW!
Today we take the long :-) 4 mile trip up the river to Twin Dolphin Marina and the completion of our 2012-13 cruise. We definitely have mixed emotions. It will be nice to have 'unlimited' water and electricity, a vehicle, the safety of a marina, and to be able to catch up on boat maintenance. But we will miss the joys of 'being out there'.
Tom
Anchored Emerson Point
Manatee River
Palmetto, FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
Today we are anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River after a LONG travel day from Pelican Bay yesterday. This trip is one of our longest daysails at 75 nautical miles and over 12 hours.
We weighed anchor in Pelican Bay at first light (barely) at 0615 and proceeded out of the Bay and then out Boca Grande channel on a slack current. We leave the channel through a break in the shoals just before the G"7" and R"8" buoys. Then it is off-coast for 57 miles to the SW Channel into Tampa Bay.
The day started with a great beam reach with 15-18 knots of wind - just beautiful average speed 6.8+. But after 3 hours the wind died and we had to motor sail. We made good time until we started to approach Tampa Bay where we were met with a 1+ knot ebb current. On a trip this long, there is not much you can do about currents in channels on the ends of the trip except grin and bear it.
The only significant traffic we had was in crossing Tampa Bay over to the Manatee River, where hordes of boats were completing their Memorial Day water fun.
A highlight of the trip was two dolphins swimming in our stern wake for over 5 minutes. Dolphins will often come and swim in our bow wake, but they are hard to see there unless you go forward. It is rarer to see them in the stern wake, but this pair kept swimming back and forth and turning their bellies to the wake on most passes. Fun to watch!
We anchored at Emerson Point in the Manatee River about 4 miles from our home marina at about 1830 (6:30 PM).
Although this is a long trip, we like it because it gets you north in one long day, opposed to 2-3 days and umpteen bridges if you go inside on the Intracoastal Waterway. Also sailing outside is so much more relaxing than driving the ICW!
Today we take the long :-) 4 mile trip up the river to Twin Dolphin Marina and the completion of our 2012-13 cruise. We definitely have mixed emotions. It will be nice to have 'unlimited' water and electricity, a vehicle, the safety of a marina, and to be able to catch up on boat maintenance. But we will miss the joys of 'being out there'.
Tom
Anchored Emerson Point
Manatee River
Palmetto, FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Pelican Bay - Cayo Costa Island
May 26, 2013
For the last few days we have been anchored in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island, one of our favorite anchorages. We try to spend some time here at the beginning and end of our winter cruise. It is a very beautiful place.
That said, it is also very busy on Memorial Day weekend. We usually try to avoid being here on holidays, but schedule and weather made it the best choice.
A couple of sunset and sunrise photos:
Hiking around the many trails, we saw and heard numerous raccoons. All along the west coast of Florida is prime Loggerhead turtle nesting grounds. Unfortunately, the raccoons love to raid the nests, so the rangers are currently trapping the raccoons to reduce their overpopulation.
Tomorrow we sadly leave here at first light for a looong trip up the coast to Tampa. We will exit the sound at Boca Grande and travel off-coast up to Tampa Bay and then hopefully into the Manatee River for our final anchor of the trip.
Tom
Anchored Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island, FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
For the last few days we have been anchored in Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa Island, one of our favorite anchorages. We try to spend some time here at the beginning and end of our winter cruise. It is a very beautiful place.
That said, it is also very busy on Memorial Day weekend. We usually try to avoid being here on holidays, but schedule and weather made it the best choice.
A couple of sunset and sunrise photos:
 |
| Red clouds at sunset |
 |
| Sunrise over the anchorage |
Hiking around the many trails, we saw and heard numerous raccoons. All along the west coast of Florida is prime Loggerhead turtle nesting grounds. Unfortunately, the raccoons love to raid the nests, so the rangers are currently trapping the raccoons to reduce their overpopulation.
 |
| Upside-down Raccoon |
 |
| Rightside-up Raccoon |
Tomorrow we sadly leave here at first light for a looong trip up the coast to Tampa. We will exit the sound at Boca Grande and travel off-coast up to Tampa Bay and then hopefully into the Manatee River for our final anchor of the trip.
Tom
Anchored Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa Island, FL
Map Cruise 2012-13
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Horseshoe Bay - Sanibel Bayou
May 19, 2013
For the last few days we have been anchored in 'Horseshoe Bay' on Sanibel Island near the Ding Darling Preserve.
Typically we see a wide range of birds here, but this visit they seem somewhat scarce.
We did dinghy into the Sanibel Bayou today and had a great 'drift' through a few miles. You must go in at near high tide and when the wind and current are right, which they were today, you can turn off the outboard and just drift. It is a great way to observe birds and other wildlife.
We saw a number of ospreys hunting. It is interesting to watch them as they line up on a fish at an altitude of 100-200 feet and then do a straight dive down. They are successful most of the time and then fly off to a tree or return to the nest to eat. Ospreys will ONLY eat fish - they say that mice can have a nest at the base of a tree with an Osprey nest, and the birds will leave them alone. This is not true of eagles, who will eat just about anything.
When they are eating, they are somewhat easier to photograph because they do not want to carry the fish to another location. The bird in the following picture had already moved once and presented what we call a 'butt shot', but his perch was precarious, so he was spreading his wings for balance - it makes the shot somewhat interesting. If you look closely under the branch he is perched on, you can see the fish.
Probably our most interesting encounter was a group of 5-6 manatees that were hanging out in one area - probably eating some grass there. We floated around them for some time and they kept come up around our boat. They are hard to photograph because they are not on the surface for long and you do not know where they will next surface, but the following picture is decent.
The bayou, of course is comprised of mostly mangroves. The yellow leaf in the following picture is a 'sacrificial' leaf. The water here is brackish (part salt/part fresh) and most plants could not live here. The red mangroves do absorb more salt than they can tolerate, but they concentrate excess salt in select leafs, and then drop those leaves- quite an ingenious system.
The following picture shows why red mangroves were called 'walking' trees by the native Americans in this area.
Tomorrow we plan to head a few miles north to Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa, one of our favorite anchorages on the west coast of Florida.
Tom
Anchored Horseshoe Bay
Sanibel Island, FL
Map Cruise 21012-13
For the last few days we have been anchored in 'Horseshoe Bay' on Sanibel Island near the Ding Darling Preserve.
Typically we see a wide range of birds here, but this visit they seem somewhat scarce.
We did dinghy into the Sanibel Bayou today and had a great 'drift' through a few miles. You must go in at near high tide and when the wind and current are right, which they were today, you can turn off the outboard and just drift. It is a great way to observe birds and other wildlife.
We saw a number of ospreys hunting. It is interesting to watch them as they line up on a fish at an altitude of 100-200 feet and then do a straight dive down. They are successful most of the time and then fly off to a tree or return to the nest to eat. Ospreys will ONLY eat fish - they say that mice can have a nest at the base of a tree with an Osprey nest, and the birds will leave them alone. This is not true of eagles, who will eat just about anything.
When they are eating, they are somewhat easier to photograph because they do not want to carry the fish to another location. The bird in the following picture had already moved once and presented what we call a 'butt shot', but his perch was precarious, so he was spreading his wings for balance - it makes the shot somewhat interesting. If you look closely under the branch he is perched on, you can see the fish.
Probably our most interesting encounter was a group of 5-6 manatees that were hanging out in one area - probably eating some grass there. We floated around them for some time and they kept come up around our boat. They are hard to photograph because they are not on the surface for long and you do not know where they will next surface, but the following picture is decent.
The bayou, of course is comprised of mostly mangroves. The yellow leaf in the following picture is a 'sacrificial' leaf. The water here is brackish (part salt/part fresh) and most plants could not live here. The red mangroves do absorb more salt than they can tolerate, but they concentrate excess salt in select leafs, and then drop those leaves- quite an ingenious system.
 |
| Yellow 'sacrificial' leaf |
The following picture shows why red mangroves were called 'walking' trees by the native Americans in this area.
Tomorrow we plan to head a few miles north to Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa, one of our favorite anchorages on the west coast of Florida.
Tom
Anchored Horseshoe Bay
Sanibel Island, FL
Map Cruise 21012-13
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