Nov 21
We were up earlier than usual today to be at the yard ready to launch at 07:30. When we got there, the yard guys were already busy moving the large powerboat that was parked in front of MoonSail. As soon as it was moved, they got the trailer they use to park boats close to each other under MoonSail and lifted her off her stands for the first time in 2 1/2 years. They moved the boat out to the center of the yard and brought the Travel-lift over her to lift her. We had heard when we first got here that last week a sling on the Travel-lift had broken while launching a large powerboat. We only heard tidbits of the story, but the Travel-lift has nice brand new slings on it today, so I guess we are lucky to have not launched a week earlier. As soon as MoonSail was hanging in the Travel-lift, Abu, the man who had done the bottom job, sanded and painted the bottom of the keel. This is where the boat sits on blocks when stored, so it can't be painted until just before the launch. Also standing by was Ashley and his helper from A&A Rigging, who were there to re-step the mast. As soon as the paint was applied to the bottom of the keel and had a few minutes to set, she went in the water. Once in the water, my work began. I first hustled aboard and went below to make sure nothing was leaking. All seemed fine, and I let them know they could remove the slings.
As soon as the boat was floating in the haulout slip, the Travel-lift went over to pick up the mast, which was on stands across the parking lot. Ashley had it all ready to go and they attached it to the crane on the Travel-lift. The two guys held the mast steady as they moved it across the lot to the bow of MoonSail. The guys climbed aboard and they continued to move the mast to about the place where it mounts on the deck. The first order of business was to thread the wire bundle back down through the deck and the compression post to the bilge. Of course, this was easier said than done. As is the case with many things, the guy who designed the boat isn't the guy who has to work on it. The bundle of wires has to go about six feet down through the compression post, then make a ninety-degree turn in the bilge and come about a foot aft, under the manual bilge pump, and through a small hole. Of course there is no way to get a hand in that area under the bilge pump near the base of the compression post. We had run a small line up through the compression post when we pulled the wires out, but it was proving to be not stout enough to pull the new wire bundle around the corner it had to go. The next thing Ashley tried was to run a piece of old stainless steel cable up the compression post from the bottom. His thought was that it would be stronger and allow us to tug on the wire bundle harder. This still failed to make the corner with the wires. Next, he undid the bundle of wires in the hopes that if we pulled them one at a time, instead of one big bundle, perhaps that would work. After about an hour of struggling with it, the last wire was in place. Of course this was an hour more than planned for the job, and I was paying Ashley, his helper, and for the use of the crane all based on the time it takes. But, at least we got it done. Now the real rigging work began as Ashley and his helper positioned the mast on the step and attached the new rigging to the boat. Once the rigging was all attached and tightened, the helper went up the mast to detach the crane from the sling that was wrapped around the mast to hoist it. I thanked Ashley profusely for the extra work he had to do.
This time of year, the yard is launching several boats a day, and the people for the next one were waiting patiently on the sidelines. So, with the help of the yard guys, we pulled MoonSail by hand out of the haulout slip and around the corner where we tired her to the bulkhead. There is lots to do before even trying to start the motor, so we are going to have the marina dockmaster tow us to a slip when he can. I went inside the fuel dock office and hailed the dockmaster on the VHF radio. He said he would be over in about fifteen minutes to tow us. As Barb and I sat on our golf cart waiting, a large black cloud started emerging over the hill to our east. We could see that it was raining not far north of us. Ironically we had spoken just yesterday about trying to get over the aversion most of us are raised with to come in out of the rain. Especially in the Islands, what harm is there in getting wet when it's always 80+ degrees? Well here was our first test. As the rain came, lightly at first and then a full-fledged downpour, we sat in our golf cart. We were each 80% dry, but our outboard sides got wet when it really came down. The rain continued for about an hour, and of course the dockmaster wasn't out in the rain either, so we waited.
After the rain stopped, I called the dockmaster on the radio again, and he said he'd be right over. We untied from the bulkhead and William tied his dinghy to the bow of MoonSail. Barb went around by land to be on the dock waiting to take the lines, and I steered MoonSail. The easy part of towing a big boat with a little boat is getting it moving. The harder part is stopping it. Inertia is an amazing phenomenon. Turning the boat and getting it actually close enough into the slip to throw a line to Barb wasn't pretty, but other than a small pinch on the meat of my hand when I was fending off a piling, there was no damage. With the help of a neighboring boater, we got tied up at one the slips where we were alongside the dock. This marina normally has you stern-to the dock, with only a few slips where you are completely alongside. There is a premium price to be alongside, but for this week of work, we don't want to be hopping on and off the stern.
Once secure, the work began. Barb had been aboard, but also been avoiding it after her first look. She was disappointed with the fact that we have mold, and there is significant cleaning to be done. Our first task was to tackle cleaning the deck. We had Abu polish and wax the hull before launching, but the deck is quite dirty. I thought at first that it was just mildew, but as we cleaned, the black stuff we were cleaning off seemed gritty. Back in February 2010, while MoonSail was on the hard, the volcano on Montserrat had a significant eruption. Montserrat is due west of Antigua, and the wind in the Caribbean always blows from east to west right? Well the day of the eruption, was the one day of the year that the wind was from the west. The ash blew over Antigua. I had been in contact with the boat yard after that and asked that they have somebody wash MoonSail because I didn't know if the ash would hurt the fiberglass. I was assured that it had been washed and the $60 would be charged to my account. I never saw that $60 charge, and thought maybe I had had a windfall. Now I think it never got washed. At any rate, we spent a couple hours getting the deck clean so it wasn't embarrassing to look at.
I started to think about mechanical things to be done. The first thing to do is get some power aboard. I got us plugged into the shore power in the hopes the batteries would take some charge. We left it plugged in for the night and hopefully we'll be able to see something positive in the morning.
We were pretty beat by the time we finished and knocked off for the day.
Nov 22
We were back at MoonSail about 8:00 today. The first thing I did was check the battery monitor. It still had an odd combination of lights, and no voltage reading. I got my multi-meter out to check the voltage and found that it was dead. I took it apart and found that it was one of the few things I had not taken the battery out of when we left, and the battery (9 volt) had corroded such that the connector fell off. The unit didn't appear damaged, so I went to the store and got a new battery. With the new battery, it read -1.75 volts at rest. There is no way to adjust the meter, so I guess maybe it is toast. So, off to Budget Marine to buy a new meter. This one showed the boat batteries had about 7 volts in them. I read the book for my main battery monitor (a Link 2000) and it said that the unit would not work right below 8.5 volts. So, maybe it's ok, we just need more voltage. But, I thought overnight the voltage should have increased significantly, even if the batteries would not keep the charge. After more diagnosing, I came to the conclusion that the battery charger, while humming, was not really putting any charge out. That sucks since it's a $1400 unit. Of course it's not something that is repairable in the islands, if at all, since this particular unit is not made anymore. I went over to Budget Marine and found that they didn't carry any inverter/charger combo units in this store, so replacing it right now is not an option. Instead, I bought what amounts to a cheap automotive battery charger. It only puts out 12 amps (as opposed to 100 amps the real one puts out) so the charge time will be a lot longer, but maybe we can get something going.
Other tasks today included getting the boom attached to the mast, and getting the bimini up to have a little shade in the cockpit. Barb started cleaning the inside of the boat. We have a washing machine back at the condo, so every time we went back to the condo, we took a load of laundry back. It appears that the clothes that Barb packed in Space Bags, are fine. Those things that didn't go in Space Bags were musty and hopefully will be salvageable.
There still wasn't enough juice in the batteries to try and start the motor, so instead of waiting, I went to budget and bought a new starting battery. The boat has four huge "house" batteries and a separate battery like a regular car battery to start the motor. For now, I just replaced that one. With the new one in place, there was still nothing from the engine. No click, no nothing. So, I removed the first of the big house batteries and put the battery in it's place. This brought the battery monitor alive. So, at least a little progress was made in that I know the monitor is ok.
For dinner, we met Paul & Janie from Shian at the marina bar, and then went to Al Porto, down the street. When we were here in 2009 a girl named Angie owned the marina bar. Since then she has built Al Porto, an Italian restaurant and sold the bar. Tuesday nights is 2-for-1 pizza night, so we each ordered a pizza. The place was packed, and Angie herself waited on us. She claimed to remember us and the pizza was very good.
Nov 23
While Barb resumed cleaning moving from the rear cabin forward, I started troubleshooting the electrical system. I put the starting battery back where it belonged, and after charging overnight with the new charger, the house batteries were up to 9 volts. When we were pushing the started button on the panel at the helm, nothing happened. For the last year of our cruising, that button had been suspect, and I had a spare aboard already. I took the panel apart and tested the switch. It didn't appear to making any contact when the button was pushed, so I decided to replace it. Of course, as with all things boat, that was easier said than done. The nut that holds the push-button in to the panel was corroded enough that even with vice grips I couldn't break it lose. After much coercing and basically destroying the old switch, but not damaging the panel, I had the old one out. The new one went in with no problem. Now there was a click when the button was pushed. I went below to look and listen at the starter while Barb pushed the button. On the first push, there was a spark, and snap sound, and puff of smoke from where the wires connect to the starter. So, the next step was to take those wires off and clean the connections. The bolt where the main battery cable attaches to the starter turned with little effort, but what I at first perceived to be a loose connection turned out to be shearing the bolt off the starter. Normally, this would be a huge issue, but I have a brand new, still in the box starter aboard. Out came the old starter and in went the new. I can dissect the old one and replace the stud at my leisure and keep it for a spare. Now I had Barb hit the button again. This time the starter made a loud clunk as it engaged the flywheel, but the engine did not turn over at all. This can't be good.
While Barb cleaned, I researched a "frozen" diesel engine after storage. The general consensus was to remove the fuel injectors and squirt something like Liquid Wrench in each cylinder, let it sit a day, and then try to turn it over by hand using the big bolt on the front of the crankshaft and a long breaker bar. I have never messed with the injectors, but they are pretty accessible, so maybe I'll give it a try.
Meantime, with the voltage up to about 10.5 in the afternoon, I started checking out other systems. I plugged in the Engle freezer and it came alive immediately. In just a minute it was clear that it was getting cool inside, so I turned it back off. Next, I turned on the main refrigerator. The compressor started right up, which was a good sign. I started feeling the Freon lines to see if it was actually working, and at first I didn't feel any change in the temperature of the lines. This was discouraging, but wouldn't be a huge surprise since this is the original 18 year old system that has never required any service. But, then to my delight, after about a minute the line to the cold plate started to frost up. It works! I turned it back off and considered myself lucky.
Nov 24
I mentioned doing laundry earlier. We tended to take at least a load a day back to the condo at lunchtime and wash it, then hang it to dry while we went back to the boat for the afternoon. Yesterday, the machine was filling, we were eating on the patio (second floor), and suddenly we heard water hitting concrete as if it was raining heavily. But it was sunny. A brief investigation revealed that the washing machine never stopped filling and was overflowing the tub. We messed with the controls and could not make it drain or stop filling. So, we turned the water off at the wall and stopped by the Typically Tropical office to tell them about it. They said they would have it replaced immediately. Can't beat that for service, especially in the Islands. Immediate turned out to take a day, but by lunch today we had a brand new machine. I highly recommend Typically Tropical for an Antiguan vacation rental.
As Barb continued to clean, I started to think about taking out injectors. I started to undo the fuel lines, and quickly started to make a mess. I tightened things back up and thought perhaps I ought to seek the help of an experienced diesel mechanic. I tinkered around doing some other little things, while Barb cleaned. We knocked off early today since it is Thanksgiving. Our friends Chuck and Micki on coram Deo came into Jolly Harbor Tuesday, and they have graciously invited us to join them for Thanksgiving dinner. Knowing that we had been busy all week, they took care of everything for diner, and Barb & I contributed a frozen Sarah Lee pound cake for dessert. We stayed aboard coram Deo until about 11 PM enjoying their company and catching up with what we'd each been up to since we last saw them in 2009.
Nov 25
This morning Chuck took me over to the yard to introduce me to the diesel mechanic he has used a couple times and trusts. The guy said he could come over in the afternoon and take a look. He said he would first try to turn it with a big breaker bar before tearing into anything. Barb and I busied ourselves through the day cleaning and sorting stuff. We have thrown out quite a bit of stuff that is either corroded or mildewed to the point of being easier to replace than clean. We got to a point where we were just waiting for the mechanic who by now was on another boat across from us, whom he had to finish first. While waiting, we joked about the time off the coast of New Jersey, where we had been overheating forcing us to not use the engine. The problem seemed to be the thermostat sticking closed. After a couple hours of slowly sailing in the very light winds, I had said "maybe it fixed itself, let's try it again". We started the engine and it ran without overheating for the rest of the day. Apparently the thermostat decided to stick open instead of shut, and we got to a marina where we replaced the thermostat. So, we looked at each other and said "maybe it's fixed itself. Try it again". While I watched the pulley on the front of the motor, Barb hit the starter. I thought I perceived a tiny movement of the pulley. I told her to hit it again. This time I was sure it moved about a quarter inch. I told her to hit it again, and this time it moved a little more. One the fourth or fifth try, the engine turned over freely. It didn't start, but now it cranks ok. It was late in the afternoon at this point, and we are leaving tomorrow, but I feel much better knowing that the prospect of having to do major engine work has been averted.
We stopped by Shian to share our good news, and made plans to join Paul & Janie for dinner at Castaways on the beach. We have been here for a week and other than from the airplane, we have not been to the beach, which is only about a quarter mile from the marina. We met at the marina bar for a drink and then drove over to Castaways. Even though we are on the beach, it was dark when we got there, so we still haven't really "seen" the beach this trip. The restaurant was quite busy and the service was quite slow. We got a round of drinks, and after a while a guy who appeared to be the manager came over and apologized for the delay. He said an issue in the kitchen had them behind, and they were getting caught up before taking more orders. It was a lesson in getting back on Island time. It took quite a while, but eventually we got food, which was quite good. It's common in Antigua for a restaurant to add 10% tip to the bill automatically, and unless you had outstanding service, that's all that is expected. In this case, the manager came by again and pointed out that they did not add the service charge since they had not performed well. At least they knew there was a problem. In the big picture it really didn't matter as we were enjoying each other's company. The entertainment that night was Karaoke, and I sang my first Karaoke since leaving Grenada in 2008.
Nov 26
We are returning to the States today. We went to the marina early and moved MoonSail over one slip, so we are not alongside paying the higher rate. We did this just by pulling on the lines and sliding over. We got the boat secured with the stern close enough to jump on and off, but not so close that the davits hang over the dock where somebody could whack their head on them.
We said goodbye to Chuck & Micki, and Paul & Janie. We hope to hook up with them again when we return in January. We went back to our condo and got our stuff together for the return. We came down with four large checked bags, and are going back with only one, with the others packed inside it. The condo rental office has arranged for the same taxi guy to pick us up at noon to take us to the airport. He was there right on time and we headed across the island. We got to the airport at a perfect time, as we were about fifth or sixth in line to check our bags, and the line grew rapidly behind us in short order. We got checked in and through security with plenty of time and boarded our flight right on time. The fight back to JFK was perfect. I was sitting in a window seat on the left side of the plane, so as we flew north, I was treated to a beautiful sunset out my window. There was a crescent moon in the sky too which made for a pretty sight. I took some pictures, but they didn't do it justice.
We got to JFK, walked about 10 miles to get to Customs & Immigration, then another hike to where the hotel shuttles pick up. The shuttle for our hotel where we left the car finally showed up and we got to the car. We drove from there to Shelton, CT, near New Haven, where we will be working for the next few weeks. The next update probably won't be until mid January when we return to MoonSail. I doubt anybody wants to hear much about us working.