Master Of All Trades

"Jack of all trades, master of none" is how the phrase goes, I think.  But on a boat, it seems you need to be more than a jack of several trades, at least if you don't have unlimited funds to pay someone to maintain it.  And certainly if you insist on things being done right. From engine repair to fiberglass, it certainly helps to know how things work and how to fix them, even if you have to learn how as you go.

On our trip south we've discovered a few items that we will need to deal with.  One of them is the house battery bank.  It seems that our house bank isn't holding much of a charge anymore. So begins my deeper education in marine batteries and complex charging systems (if I do any upgrades, I want them to be compatible with the eventual addition of solar). Things I wanted to learn about anyway...but learning under the gun of a needed repair is not as fun.

I'm somewhat familiar with variants of lead-acid batteries and multi-stage chargers from my previous stewardship of an airplane.  In the airplane case, the batteries are small due to weight concerns and expensive (because they are a certified airplane part) and yet need power to crank the engine and run electronics for a while if an alternator failure occurs in flight. So, squeaking out as much life from them as possible was always a goal, and 3~5 years was considered a good lifetime for those batteries. But marine is a bit different environment.  Much larger batteries wired into banks.  The need to run things like refrigerators, lights, and equipment without a charging source for days on end (deep cycling) is a bit different than running a few airplane instruments.

I started my investigation with the obvious...take a look at the house battery bank.  I try to take a peek at all the boat systems periodically, but the house bank sits at the bottom of a locker in the cockpit and isn't the easiest to access. Add in the fact they are AGM VRLA batteries (what was once touted as maintenance-free batteries) and they were a bit out of sight - out of mind.  Well, when i dug all the stuff out of the locker and removed the access panels to the batteries, I could tell that the batteries were not in good shape.  Each of the 3 group 4D (20 inch x 9 inch x 10 inch or so) batteries showed minor signs of swelling.  The two usual causes of this are heat related: Either a sudden rapid discharge (short) or overcharging of the batteries.  Since I haven't experienced any shorts, my immediate assumption was that it was the result of overcharging.

The West Marine Battery that makes up our current house bank.

A year or so ago I had one alternator's voltage regulator fail and it was overcharging...but that problem was identified rather quickly and resolved.  Since the boat is configured so the engines charge their start batteries and then any leftover energy is used to charge the house bank, I would expect the start battery to have failed first. Since it was OK, I doubt it was the culprit.  The original charging system for the boat works in a similar manner, charging the start batteries and then letting power "overflow" from there to charge the house bank.  That left only one culprit - the Xantrex inverter/charger.

The inverter is wired to the main house bank, and it includes a smarter multi-stage charger that is supposed to do a better job of charging and maintaining batteries.  As a result, the charger needs to be set up with parameters for the type and size of the battery bank.  I guess I shouldn't have trusted how the thing had been set up when we bought the boat.  I found the parameters were set for a 3000Ah bank of wet cell batteries.  Since the actual bank is only 600Ah of AGM batteries, this is probably the cause.

Of course, this means we need to replace the main house bank. The batteries currently on the boat are from West Marine and when I checked were about $700 each.  Ouch.  Looking around, I found similar 4D AGM batteries for a little over $400 each.  Continuing my research, I found that many of these batteries aren't true deep cycle batteries and, as a result, likely won't last as long as other options. Reading a number of articles on marine batteries and deep cycling batteries, it seems that some of the best bang for the buck are golf cart batteries.  It sounds like they are better designed for deep discharges than the big batteries.  They also seem to have higher amp-hour ratings for a given size than the ones I have now.  The down side is that each battery is smaller and is only 6 volts, so I would need two batteries connected in series to equal one of the batteries I have now.

Trojan T-105 225Ah, 6v battery option.

US Battery 2200 232Ah, 6v battery option.

Two group size GC2 batteries sitting next to one another are the same length, slightly taller, and just a bit narrower in width than a 4D group size so they should fit my battery locker.  Wired in series, I would have a 12 volt equivalent with between 210 and 225 Ah (compared to the existing batteries at 198Ah). The wet cell batteries seem to be around $110 each (or $220 for the equivalent to one of the 4d's), and the AGM versions are around $200 each (about the same as the cheaper 4D's that I've found). Since these produce a slightly higher amp-hour bank that is more accepting of deeper discharges (to 50%), this may be the way to go.  It would require I get 3 new cables to wire two 6-volt batteries in series, but it seems to me the advantages may be worth the limitations.

Trojan AGM 217Ah, 6v battery.

US Battery AGM 213Ah, 6v battery.

The other question is do we go with AGM or traditional wet cell batteries.  Due to cost, I'm not interested in going with the newer lithium options (my time in the software industry has taught me the value of "trailing edge technology") and these two seem like the best choices.  Each has advantages and disadvantages.  I guess one thing that worries me about the standard flooded battery bank is if we can keep on top of maintenance.  I know they need to be checked and filled with water periodically.  With the location of the house bank being at the bottom of one of our large storage lockers, will we dig everything out and check them as often as we should?  And what is that interval anyway?  But my wallet sure likes the price point of the flooded ones, and they do have higher capacity.

Decisions, decisions...if anyone has any advice, leave a comment.

Back in Southport Again

Laying in bed we knew it wasn't going to be a warm morning.  Forecast was for below freezing temperatures in Carolina Beach and Southport.  It is hard to get out of bed when it is cold.  Since we only had a short trip, there was little motivation to get an early start.  The only real motivation was to make some hot coffee and let the oven serve a dual purpose to help out the reverse cycle heat to warm the boat up.

We do finally rise, cook breakfast, and slowly make the boat ready for the last jump for this leg of our trip while waiting for it to warm up as much as it will this day.  We depart the Masonboro Yacht club around 11 am and there is still ice on our new hardtop.  This ice would remain pretty much frozen for the whole trip.

It should take just a little over 3 hours to get from Masonboro to Deep Point Marina in Southport. But it will be a cold 3 hours.  Forecast high was just a little above freezing and that isn't a good thing for an open cockpit boat.  This boat was designed to be in the warm Caribbean, not the cold east coast. I'm glad we have the makeshift dodger but wish we had a full enclosure...oh well.

Layers of sweatshirts, coats, foul weather gear, ski gloves and knit caps try to keep us a little warm as we motor away.  The trip itself was uneventful other than a few shallow spots along the ICW.  There is some known shoaling along this stretch and we saw water as shallow as 6 foot, good thing we only draw 3 foot 7 inches.  We make the turn into the narrow channel called Snows Cut that connects Carolina Beach to the Cape Fear river.  Between both engines and the headsail fighting some current, we were able to make between 6 and 7 knots.

We arrive at Deep Point marina just as the ferry from Bald Head island is approaching.  Knowing that he is on a schedule and his dock is near where we will be put, I call him on the radio and let him know we will wait for him.  After the ferry passes, we motor into the protected man-made lagoon and dock the boat.

That night was supposed to again dip into the 20's so we again use the dehumidifer/heater to keep the water storage area warm.  And it was.  This is the report on the temperature this morning:

High of 35 and low of 20...brrr. Like the "much warmer" statement for today.

We are going to spend a few days here as we have discovered a few things that need our attention (imagine that on a boat). The house battery bank doesn't seem to be holding much of a charge after the last 5 months plugged into shore power. There also seems to be a small coolant leak in the starboard side engine that is depositing coolant into the bilge. The intermittent preheat solenoid may also be looked at again if we have the time and desire (although it has behaved for all but one start attempt this trip). This is also where we had left a car so it is time to do the car shuffle and go retrieve the one from Virginia.  I think we could also use a few days to just defrost and recuperate.  This marina has a monthly rate that is pretty decent and anything over about 5 days makes the monthly cheaper so we opted to just pay the monthly rate and will leave when we are ready.

I've Gotta Go Where It's Warm

"Could you beam me somewhere Mr. Scotty"...that and the title are from the Jimmy Buffet song Boat Drinks...and perfectly describes how I feel right now.  The cold seems to be heading south faster than we are.

After the somewhat rough night at Whitaker Point marina in Oriental, we did what we seem to do every day now when we get up.  We have the "does it sound too miserable to continue on to the next stop" conversation.  The weather windows, if you can call them that, seem to be getting smaller and less open.  Do we go if the high temperature isn't supposed to get out of the 30's?  Or if it is in the 40's and forecast to be raining all day? Do we take the outside route to Southport or just take the ICW all the way?

We decide to press on as the only forecast that day was for the winds that rocked us half the night to continue to calm down as the day progressed.  We only had a short stint in the Neuse river before being back in the protection of "the ditch" for most of the rest of the journey to Morehead City. Offshore, there are still gale warnings and small craft advisories. The idea of bouncing around in 8 foot seas with short periods between the waves is completely unappealing. So, we decided to take the ICW all the way down. I think we only managed to unfurl the head sail for about 10 minutes the whole trip that day. It was a motorboat sort of day.

We make it through Morehead City, hang a right around the shipping docks, and continue heading down the ICW.  We make it to the stop for the evening, a marina I found in Active Captain that gave us the most daylight mileage and sounded pretty nice.  And it was.  The entrance into Spooners Creek marina is a bit tight, but once you make it through the cut and the sharp turn into their basin, you find a nice, calm, well protected facility. This marina is probably the second nicest one we have stayed at (Palm Coast being the first). The marina is part of a condo complex and has nice new floating docks, a well appointed clubhouse and bathhouse. They were reasonably priced for the area at $1.50 per foot including electricity.

The next morning we were greeted with forecasts of temperatures in the 40's and rain.  Again the continue-on question is asked, and we puzzle about it for a while.  We finally decide that we really want to get south so we push on.  It was a pretty miserable slog for much of the day.  Rain reduced visibility, and the wind would swirl around just enough to keep us from being dry in the cockpit. We finally make it to the stop for the night at Swan Point marina in Sneads Ferry, NC.

The reviews called this place rustic, and maybe my view is a bit colored by how nice the last stop was, but I'd call this place dilapidated. It all started when we were trying to dock the boat.  The winds were up about 30 knots blowing...naturally...across the dock.  I try to get a line cleated so I could pivot the boat up to the dock, and we end up pulling up the cleat with the dock board attached to it.  While the cleat was bolted down OK, the boards are only nailed into place and the decaying wood let go of the nails.  After some work we get the boat docked and I add lines directly to the pilings in addition to the lines on the cleats (that I had little faith in). This "marina" is really a boatyard with docks.  The facilities are very utilitarian with cinder block walls and concrete floors and pipes strapped to them for the showers.  The laundry machines didn't look like they would work, or if they did, you would likely end up with rust stains on everything. To top it off, it was the same price as the place the night before.  The only positive was it did have electricity, so we could run the heater.

Not the cleat, or dock, you want to use.

That night it was cold.  When we got up, frost was covering the docks and the boat. The "do we go" decision was pretty easy though.  It was going to be colder than yesterday but the sun was out and we definitely wanted to go.  We didn't get an early start since we wanted it to warm up just a bit, but we departed the dock around 9:30AM. After we start down the ICW, we were greeted by a small pod of dolphins as if to tell us we were definitely making the right decision.  Other than the usual wind on the nose, the trip was uneventful.  We even had moderate luck with the bridges.  The first bridge had an early unscheduled opening for a barge that we were able to sneak through to gain a little time.  The currents seemed to be with us and gave us a speed boost that helped us with the timing at the other bridges. We made it to the next destination, the Masonboro Yacht Club, an hour ahead of schedule.

This is where we sit now, waiting for temperatures in the 20's this evening.  We are using one of those round metal dehumidifiers (heating coil with a fan) to help keep the outside locker that holds our water tanks warm enough to prevent freezing of the water lines.  The reverse cycle heat is getting its exercise once again to keep the cabin warm.

One more shorter trip and we will be in Southport, NC, where we intend to stop for a few days to recuperate. Now, for my boat drink...and dinner.

It Was A Dark & Stormy Night

Isn't that how all the bad novels start?  We left the Alligator River Marina on Thursday morning, made our way through the Alligator River bridge and down the river to the canal that joins the Alligator to the Pungo river.  As in the past few days we have been doing a combination of motoring and motor sailing in order to make time.

I don't really like running the motors as I would rather sail, but in "the ditch" there isn't too much of an option to sail.  And when there is, the wind seems to be right on our nose (as noted on our Facebook page) Tacking back and forth against the wind across a river or bay takes a lot of time...more time than we want to spend on this somewhat chilly voyage trying to outrun the cold. So, until the temperatures are higher, we will probably just motor on.

We cross the Alligator and head into another long, straight, stretch of canal that connects the Alligator to the Pungo river.  We slowly make our way to our next stop, the Dowry Creek marina just outside Bellhaven, NC.  Having been at this marina before, I won't go into too much detail about it.  We tried filling our tanks there, but apparently ran them out of Diesel at 27 gallons.  Oh well, more than enough for another couple days of travel.

Last visit to Dowry Creek, same docking space this time.

Continuing our trek in the reverse of my first trip up the ICW, we left Dowry Creek for Oriental. Weather was supposed to be moving in late in the afternoon/evening, so we again made an early departure.When we came up this past summer, some of the roughest water we had was on the Pungo river. Fortunately this time it decided to show my wife that it can be nice and calm.  We motor sailed down and across the Pungo and made our way through the canal to the Neuse river.  The only excitement for this part of the trip were some duck hunters we didn't see on the banks of the canal...until the gunshots started and they popped up from their hiding places. From there it was a short motor sail to the Whittaker Point marina, another one I had stayed at before.

Whittaker Point as viewed from our face dock.

When we arrived, the sunny skies had given way to darkening gray, telling us the predicted weather was indeed going to arrive.  We tied up at the dock just as the rain started.  A little rain isn't so bad. Then it started pouring. Buckets. The dogs were not impressed by having to go out in it. Once the weather seemed to calm down a bit, we took the marina's courtesy car (some marinas have cars that transient boaters can use for local trips) to see the town and stop by the local grocery store to pick up a couple of snack items we thought would be nice to have.

And this is the point in the story where I get to gripe about Walmart.  The first time I was in Oriental, there was a Town & Country (IGA I think it was) grocery store and they just opened up one of those mini-Walmart things. Fast forward to this trip and the Town & Country has recently closed (with grafitti on the boarded window that states "Thanks Walmart").  To rub salt in the wound, just yesterday wally-world announced they will be closing a bunch of their little stores, including this one.  So, the town of Oriental may be without a grocery store.  I hope someone will come in to fill the void, and if they do, I hope they can get some sort of promise from the town that will protect them from any future big-box buffoonery. We absolutely hate shopping at Walmart and will avoid them whenever possible...but anymore, they are often the only store in town.

Image from TownDock.net, 

Anyway, when we got back to the boat we found that the winds had really started picking up.  We were being blown into the face dock hard.  And waves were rolling in the inlet and rocking our boat pretty good.  Over the next few hours we worked to tie and retie the boat, adding a couple additional lines.  With the fixed docks we had placed extra fenders out on the pilings, but with all the motion of the boat, the fenders walked their way around the poles.  With the help of the only other couple at the marina, we were able to get additional fenders in place and ride out the storm. A few frayed nerves, but this morning everything looks to be OK except for some algae smudges on the boat from the pilings.  Not the most restful night.

This morning at the dock...lots of fenders around that center piling.

Winds seem to be calming down this morning and the sun is out, so that is good.

The Albemarle In January

When we went to bed last night, the weather forecasts were calling for high winds and cold temperatures.  The next leg of our trip would take us through the Albemarle Sound. and high winds would not be a good thing for crossing this body of water.  The Albemarle is a large, but shallow, sound with the average depth of something around 12 feet.  High winds with the long fetches of a sound and shallow depths would make for a very rough ride. So, we decided to sleep in a bit after two days of getting started at first light.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up to find clear sunny skies and relatively light winds.  It was cold though, the only part of the previous day's forecast that was right.  I check the forecast and the small craft advisory was now to expire at 10 AM and the new forecast called for decreasing winds as the day progressed. So, we decide we should press on.  We hastily prepare the boat for departure and leave the Pelican Marina around 9:20 AM.

After motoring out of the marina and a bit down the river (while we were finally getting some coffee made), we decide to put up the sails and actually sail the boat.  The winds away from shore were still in the 20's at the time and the forecast called for gusts up to 30 so we go with a second reef in the main.  Naturally, as soon as we get the sails up, the consistent wind goes fickle on us and starts shifing direction and speed.  We end up motor sailing with sails on everything from a broad reach to wing on wing, shaking the reef out along the way.  Would have preferred to not have the motor running, but it was necessary to make it to our next stop before dark.

I almost forgot this boat has sails.

The Albemarle was actually quite pleasant, not nearly as rough as the 30 knot winds during the night could have made it. Of course the winds continued to calm as well, but we kept the sails up as long as possible, even if they were only adding a half a knot to our speed.

We take a couple shortcuts off the ICW path since our 3' 7" draft allows a couple corners to be cut from the usual ICW path through the Albemarle.  From there we follow the markers for the ever-changing shoals at the mouth of the Alligator River. A short time down the Alligator River we make the right just before the bridge and head for the only marina in the area. We end up making it to the marina a little ahead of schedule.

The Alligator River Marina is the only one in this part of the ICW. It is owned by, and sits directly behind, a gas station that services the highway out to the Outer Banks.  The marina itself has reasonable fixed docks, a bath house with pay washers, and even a play area for pets.  This time of year, the gas station and cafe are closed, but I guess it normally has a selection of quick foods like hamburgers and such.

We are definitely making progress on this trip...just wish the temperatures would warm up a bit faster.  Can't wait until we are back in shorts weather again.

Not Dismal At All

The thought of making the trek south has been a dismal one for sure.  When you dream of this lifestyle, 40 degrees...or lower... and humid air blowing in your face doesn't come to mind.  You think of sun splashed white sand beaches and fruity drinks, not slogging along trying not to freeze.  But for this trip south, that dismal thought has been at the forefront of our minds.

To combat this, we resigned ourselves to the fact we would likely be taking the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) much of the way down.  It can still be cold and rough, but at least good parts of it are fairly narrow rivers and channels that can provide at least a modest amount of protection from the worst of it. There is one place just south of Norfolk where you even have two options for the ICW. In the past I've typically taken what is known as the Virginia Cut route.  This is what I think most people consider to be the main route. The other option is known as the Dismal Swamp route.

The Great Dismal Swamp is a wildlife refuge and park.  The canal that makes up this leg of the ICW runs along the edge of the refuge. We figured this route might be a bit more protected from the elements based on the stories of a tree canopied canal.  And we have wanted to go that route ever since we met one of the lock operators when we were last at the docks in Portsmouth.

So, yesterday morning we left near first light to make it to the first lock for the 8:30 AM opening.  Yes, this route has two locks.  And unlike the one on the Virginia cut route, these actually do make a decent elevation change in the water...around 8 foot or so.  The locks have a limited opening schedule of only 4 times a day at 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM, so you have to plan your trip with that schedule in mind.  We figured if we could make the first opening of the first lock we could make it to the second lock for the 1:30 PM opening and get into Elizabeth City just before dark.

It was again a cool morning.  I'd tell you the temperature, but honestly I didn't want to know.  I knew it was supposed to get a bit warmer today than yesterday, so I just kept thinking of that.  We back-track the few minutes from the marina to the turn off for the Dismal Swamp route.  We make the turn into the canal and head on to the first lock.

The only boat at the Deep Creek lock.

At the first lock was where we ran into Robert, the guy we had spoken with about the Dismal Swamp in Portsmouth just over 6 months ago.  We were the only boat there (not a big surprise given the time of year). He gave us some good advice for handling the lock.  After lifting us up, he offered us some coffee and to chat a bit.  He even demonstrated his Conch shell horn (he is collecting conch shells, so if you have one to donate, I'm sure he would like it).  Since we were the only ones there, he also called the other lock master to tell him we were coming and to arrange for an earlier than normal opening to give us more time to make it to Elizabeth City.

Robert with my wife after sharing a cup-o-joe.

Once we were out of the lock, Robert hopped in his car and drove over to the nearby bridge to open it for us (yes, he is both the lock master and bridge tender at Deep Creek).  He opened the bridge, wished us a safe journey, and we were on our way. While we haven't run into any, I've heard rumors that some bridge tenders are not terribly friendly or "customer" oriented, but Robert is at the very opposite end of the spectrum. If you ever get the chance to go through the Dismal Swamp, do plan to spend a little bit of time talking with Robert.  He is a really nice guy and a wealth of information on the area.

The Dismal Swamp canal is interesting.  It is more narrow than the other route and is tree lined most of the way.  With our catamaran, I would have hated to have met any oncoming traffic...not sure how we would have managed to pass.  The trees also leave branches floating in the water, so you do have to keep an eye out for these obstructions.  At one point, we encountered a small tree that fell into the canal and was blocking about 2/3 of it.  We managed to get around it, but not without our mast trimming another tree on the side of the canal.  No damage done, except to a couple small branches of the trimmed tree.  Those trees did seem to help block the winds, so the journey wasn't as cold as I'm sure it could have been.

One of the wider sections of the canal.

As promised, when we reached the South Mills lock and bridge (about an hour ahead of the usual opening time), the other lock master greeted us on the radio and said he would be right over to open the bridge and the lock was ready and waiting for us.  Another nice fellow, but given our time crunch we didn't spend a lot of time chatting.  He sent us on our way with an extra hour to make it  to Elizabeth City.  Now we were able to make it there well before dusk.

The last hurdle before getting to the marina (we are staying at marinas this trip so we have shore power for running the reverse-cycle heaters) was the Elizabeth City bridge.  When we get there, we find a construction barge blocking much of the bridge opening.  I try hailing the bridge and get no response.  I try again, still no response. I use my binoculars to see if I had the name of the bridge right but couldn't find the usual sign naming the bridge.  We end up calling the marina, and the employee informs us that the bridge tender has a bit of reputation of falling asleep at the wheel and offers to give him a call on the phone.  I try hailing a few minutes later and finally get a response...guess he got his wake up call. When I ask for the opening, he says he needs to check with the construction people.  Then another voice comes on the radio and says we should have enough room.  I ask if I should approach and get no response. We see the gates go down so start our approach.  The bridge tender only opens up one half of the bridge and we squeeze through the limited opening left by the construction barge and half bridge span.

When we get to the marina, the wind is blowing about 35 knots.  Why is it that whenever I'm docking it seems that the wind is strong and perpendicular to wherever I'm trying to go?  I maneuver the boat near the dock and spin it sideways and let the wind blow me to the dock.  It worked kind of like having side thrusters...except you couldn't turn them off.  I use the engines to keep us lined up with our "parking space" and slide into the spot with a thud.  Guess I should have worked just a bit closer before turning beam to the wind, but I was tired and it worked out well enough.

Checking the weather it appeared that it was going to be cold and windy so we might end up spending a second day in Elizabeth City. But this day was not that dismal at all.

Making Our Escape

After almost 6 months in Virginia, between the repairs and seemingly never-ending project, it was starting to feel like we would never be able to escape Virginia. After finally getting the top on the boat, the other systems decided they needed a little attention too. Once we finally got everything on the boat happy enough to go, it seemed that the weather once gain wanted to test my patience. Gail warnings, 5 foot waves on a 5 second period, and small craft advisories all suddenly appeared to delay our departure.

 But we finally did it.  We finally escaped Severn Yachting Center.  We were up before dawn.  It was 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  Wind was about 10 knots, but well down from the 35+ knots the day before. The engines started right up even though they were cold. We did our last checks, untied the lines, and were finally on our way.

I even bought a cheesy yellow knit cap to aid in the escape.

Turning out of the marina, the wind was at our backs and with the sun on our faces, the temperature didn't feel as bad as I had feared.  We left Mobjack bay and headed south toward Hampton Roads.  The wind was on our beam and it probably would have been an OK sail, but we ended up motor sailing most of the time on the bay.  Pure sailing would have slowed us down and our goal here is to make tracks south as fast as possible.  Even if it costs us a bit of fuel.

We arrived in Norfolk around 1:30 PM.  Unfortunately, we were fighting the outgoing tide the entire way, making as little as 3 knots through most of the area.  As a result, we ended up getting caught at a bridge in Norfolk that opens on the hour, except for rush hour times.  We didn't make it through the Gilmerton bridge until 5:30 PM.  The sun had already set and the dark was starting to creep in.

Fortunately we made it to the marina that is our stop for the night before the last rays of light had completely faded.  Unfortunately, it wasn't until after the marina had closed for the evening.  They apparently don't have 24 hour access facilities here.  But the one thing we really wanted, shore power so we could run heaters, was available.  After a couple of attempts at backing into a slip with a cross current, we had the boat tied off for the evening.

While it was cold and a bit trying at times, it feels good to be moving south after so long.