Back in the Abacos
Note to readers. as in the last blog, I'm writing top-down again. There's just one blog entry for this whole trip and you need to scroll to the bottom to see updates. I prefer this book-like organization, I hope you don't mind.
I had booked an early morning flight from Chicago to get to the boat by noon, and I'm glad I did in spite of the fact that I had to get up at 2:50AM to get a taxi to O'Hare. It turned out that it was important to get here early so I could go Edwin's boatyard to settle my bill and the supermarket to get food, because they have a long weekend starting from tomorrow to Monday, and pretty much everything is closed.
The flights were uneventful, and I got to Marsh Harbor without trouble. Immigration took a little longer than I had hoped since I had to fill out the paperwork again because they had given me a form without the carbon copy on the plane. Next I spent some time in a shop at the airport getting my phone SIM recharged to be able to select the unlimited data plan for this month. When I got out of the airport most taxis were gone, but I got a very nice lady who called the ferry on the VHF and asked them to wait for me. Out of the taxi, onto the ferry, and after a quick 20 minute ride, I got dropped off on the Caprice. It's always a relief to see her still afloat after I've been away for so long, I think boat owners can relate...
She was looking OK, of course her paint is still as scruffy as before, and she needs a bit of bottom scrubbing which I will probably do tomorrow.
The fridge was running fine, the solar panels had kept the batteries topped up fine, but they needed some more water.
Unfortunately the smell from the poop tank is pretty bad again, I'm airing the boat out with a vengeance hoping it will dissipate. I wish I could get a composting toilet on here.
I hurried to get the dinghy out and inflated and put the outboard on. Next reattach them bimini for sun protection, and I was ready to go to town.
The outboard ran me into town fine, and I found Jan and Lisa at Edwin's who took my money for the two months of storage and threw in an extra day for tonight for free. Tomorrow I plan to move somewhere and anchor.
Next to the supermarket for some fresh salad, milk etc. They had few fruit and other veggies, and I found that they WILL actually get a shipment in tonight and be open tomorrow until 12, I plan to go back than and get some fresh stuff.
Saving Grace, the catamaran of Mac and Sheila is still at the dock in the marina, but I didn't see them. Maybe tomorrow, it would be nice to catch up with them.
Friday, June 2, 2017 Man O War Island
I went to bed early and woke up early too, finding the batteries down to 11Volts. The fridge is apparently not well after all, it keeps running all the time and never switches off. It's 8 years old and I suspect it's low on coolant.
I searched around a bit online and found that these units don't have service ports, unfortunately, and can't be recharged. I decided to pull the compressor out from the lazarette and have a closer look. The thing is hard to reach and unfortunately the cabling and tubing was hard to work with but eventually I got it out. After opening the box I found that the little fan had seized - could it be that it's just that?
The compressor was extremely warm from running nonstop, but now that I cooled it down a bit it seemed to work better, as ice was forming on the plate in the fridge again. I put the unit back together without the fan and attached a big computer fan to the case, but that didn't seem to give good airflow and the fan was pretty noisy. I poked around with the original fan and found that I could pull off the rotor and access the axle. After lubricating it a bit the fan ran nice, so I decided to pull the compressor one more time and put the fan back in. While pulling the compressor out I realized that the copper tubing was getting kinked at one place and tried to be extra careful. It seemed to be running still in spite of that kink, so I put everything together and tried putting it back in, and then the sound of the escaping coolant hit me. I saw that the kink now had developed into a crack, and stayed at a distance while the coolant escaped, since it's said to be quite unhealthy.
The compressor was extremely warm from running nonstop, but now that I cooled it down a bit it seemed to work better, as ice was forming on the plate in the fridge again. I put the unit back together without the fan and attached a big computer fan to the case, but that didn't seem to give good airflow and the fan was pretty noisy. I poked around with the original fan and found that I could pull off the rotor and access the axle. After lubricating it a bit the fan ran nice, so I decided to pull the compressor one more time and put the fan back in. While pulling the compressor out I realized that the copper tubing was getting kinked at one place and tried to be extra careful. It seemed to be running still in spite of that kink, so I put everything together and tried putting it back in, and then the sound of the escaping coolant hit me. I saw that the kink now had developed into a crack, and stayed at a distance while the coolant escaped, since it's said to be quite unhealthy.
So that's it for this fridge - I fixed it and broke it, all in one day.
I got in the dinghy to go to town and buy some ice to save my food. Fortunately the restaurant has the keys to the ice lockers of the marina (which is closed after 4 or 5), and I got a bag. And here I met Mac and Sheila again - they have made this marina their second home. They invited me into the air conditioned splendor of their Wildcat catamaran and I got to try a delicious Bahamas Organic Cola. We caught up and they called a friend of theirs who's coming over from Houston on Sunday. We thought that maybe he could get a replacement unit from a West Marine there. He was willing to help, even though he doesn't even know me...
It turns out that West Marine does sell those units, but don't have them in their store. They'd ship it to store, but that won't be in time, and in any case the thing weighs 32 pounds and I don't want to bother a stranger with carrying such a load for me. I guess I'll have to ship it here and pay shipping and import duties. There's a FedEx in Marsh Harbor (as I know from Ted!)
Saturday, June 3, 2017 Man O War Island
I woke up early and decided to move into the open water a bit, since the Eastern Harbor is a bit depressing with all the empty boats, and, even though a pleasant breeze blows through, has a stagnant feel to it. I also probably need a change of scenery. The ice in the fridge has almost completely melted by now,
Outside of the harbor was a little choppy but at the place where I anchored close to the western entrance it was reasonably calm. And finally went for my first swim/snorkel. The anchor had dug in well, and I had a look at the bottom of the boat. It had a bit of growth on it, and I thought of scrubbing it later.
The sky was overcast and it started to sprinkle, so I quickly went to town with the dinghy for new ice before it got too bad. Mac and Sheila and Daniel, their son, were on Saving Grace and they invited me in and we started calling places to see where I could get a new fridge machine. We tried calling a number of RV stores in Houston, but none of them stocked them.
Mac had the idea of calling West Marine stores in Palm Beach to see how quickly they would be able to get them into stores in case any friends would be coming from there next week. The community of boaters is pretty tight and helps each other. However, the stores I called all said that it would take them until probably until Thursday. I made a decision to order a new unit from Defender and pay the shipping and import tax, and just hope it gets here quickly. However, when I called them they wanted the precise address of the FedEx office in Marsh Harbor, and we couldn't figure that one out quickly. In any case they said they wouldn't ship it before Monday, so I decided to wait and look at options. Tommy Albury in the marina office told me that FedEx is actually pretty reliable and quick, but he had another idea and called a guy named Clement who's doing the fridge servicing on the mooring catamarans in Marsh Harbor. I talked to him and described the issue, and agreed to send him some photos. After I did this he called me back and said we could look at it on Monday and that he thought it could be fixed. That would be wonderful news...
The rain never stopped and I spent the rest of the day holed up and reading, and doing some work on the computer.
Sunday, June 4, 2017 Man O War Island - Marsh Harbor
Anchoring outside the harbor entrance went well, and the morning started significantly sunnier and brighter than yesterday. After breakfast I dinghied to the marina for new ice, and met an Englishman named Dominic on the dock who has a house on Lubber's quarter. We chatted a bit and he told me about his custom motorcruiser he came across the Pacific with years back.
I went for another swim/snorkel to the gazebo beach, and it was actually very nice. I saw some surprisingly large fish, but I didn't bring the camera with me so you have to take my word for it. One was so big that when I first saw him moving towards me I actually flinched back...
I forgot to mention that in the east Harbor I saw a turtle the last few days quite frequently surfacing close to me and peeking at me. And walking on the dock at the marina, just by chance, I observed a big ray jumping clear out of the water and waving his tail and no one in particular.
I lifted anchor at 1PM and motorsailed across to Mermaid's reef, where I anchored and read a few chapters of my ebook, waiting for the weather to clear a bit. Snorkeling when it's very cloudy is not really that great since visibility depends on bright sunshine. When it didn't clear up I decided to leave and go to Mango's Marina early.
I arrived but couldn't reach Rey on the radio - some neighbor helped me dock and told me that everybody had gone home already. I made some dinner salad, watched some Star Trek, and suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement on the kitchen counter. A huge 'palmetto bug', which is just a fancy name for big ass cockroach, was scurrying around. I chased the beast until I crushed and threw it out. Gross monsters! How the hell did I get them? I'm worried that if there's one cockroach visible there might be dozens hiding elsewhere.
Before I went to sleep I saw another equally fat one and killed it too. Another problem to deal with...
Monday, Jun 5, 2017 Marsh Harbor
After a work call from 8:00 to 8:45 I chatted a bit with Rey and then Clement, the fridge mechanic, arrived as promised at 9. He looked the fridge over and, after cutting off the kinked part, soldered it together and put an access valve on the return line. He explained to me that that very thin 'wire' I couldn't understand is indeed a tiny hollow tube.
I had read that one should vaccum pump a fridge after it has been exposed, but Clement said it shouldn't be necessary. After filling the system with freon we started it and there were no leaks - nice. The fridge started to get cool and after paying Clement $200 he left, but told me to call if things didn't work. Unfortunately, the fridge didn't work well at all - the plates were cold but never really frosted over, and the compressor just kept running non-stop. Ted and Darcy, on a neighboring boat, told me that it sounded like the system had gotten moisture inside and that this leads to the thin tubes getting clogged with ice as soon as it cools down. Ted said he was actually a fridge/ac repair specialist and that he was astonished that Clement didn't vacuum the system. I texted Clement and he immediately responded that he'd come back in the afternoon. Several heavy thunderstorms hit the harbor and drenched everything - I got the awning up to be able to keep the boat a bit open but still it got very muggy and moist everywhere. I really hope that the weather turns dry soon or else everything will get mold and rot.
Clement turned up as promised and this time, after adding a second access valve to the system, connected his vacuum pump. We had to wait for over an hour so I invited him to a beer at the bar next door. This was closed, so instead we got in his van and went to a local bar where the natives hang out. I was the only white person in a bar with two dozen black, friendly pool players. We had a couple beers and Clement beat first another guy and then me at pool quite easily, but eventually lost against another player, It was time to return to the boat and refill the fridge.
We found that we could clearly hear the freon circulating, but it was still not good enough to freeze the plates. Unfortunately that means Clement has to put in a drying filter and pump the system out again tomorrow. He left me the freon tank and the pump and took off again.
I chatted some more with my neighbors and then tried to cool down in the pool but the mosquitos were just too bad, so I returned and hid in the boat again...
One more cockroach turned up and fled into the motor compartment where I couldn't get to it. The good news is that the palmettos are not as bad as the 'German' cockroaches since they aren't likely to nest on the boat, And I learned that they actually can fly, which explains how they got on the boat int he first place. In fact, I found yet another one in the marina bathroom. I really don't like them still and hope to catch and kill them all. Tomorrow I'll try to get some boric acid and make some poison,
Tuesday, Jun 6, 2017 Marsh Harbor
He left again and I decided to work on the sanitation hose and run the new hose and pull the old one out. I got the new hose into position but then realized that the tank wasn't empty enough to avoid a spill when I disconnect the old hose, so I decided to wait for this until after I got a chance for another pumpout.
Rey from the marina left on a fishing trip, but shortly after huge dark clouds gathered and a heavy thunderstorm hit us. I have some windows leaking again when the rain is so strong and dripping on my cushions, unfortunately.
Rey came back and his captain said that conditions out were awful and they were just busy saving themselves and got no fish.
After the rain had stopped Clement came back and filled the fridge one more time - and this time it definitely started working better. It was still taking a lot more time than I hoped to start frosting the plates, but some frost eventually formed, and we hoped that this is finally the end of that story.
He gave me a lift to the Napa store to buy a new alternator belt, but unfortunately they didn't have one that comes close to fitting mine. I bought one anyways in case, but I'll have to return it tomorrow since it doesn't fit at all.
I got back and the fridge was definitely cold, but still not as cold as I wish it would be. The compressor is running non-stop and if this continues will drain my batteries overnight.
I still hope that by cycling the system on and off a few times I'll be able to move the remaining moisture, assuming that's what it is, to the filter/drier and improve the thing. Altogether I've paid Clement $370 for his work, the freon and the filter. Considering the amount of time he spent it's a fair price, and even if it ultimately fails to work well I feel it's worth it to tide me over for this cruise. But let's hope it can be improved still.
At 3am a strong thunderstorm came through and drenched the boats and my dreaded leak over the bunk reappeared. It's not a lot, thankfully and by jamming a rag into the place where it drips I can avoid being rained on inside. It makes sleeping easier...
Wednesday, Jun 7, 2017 Marsh Harbor
The day started nice and sunny - but still no good fridge. I had to shut it off at midnight when it was becoming clear that the compressor still never stopped. I texted Clement with the bad news and he came by once again and checked things over. He said that he believed that the filter/drier was full now from having absorbed whatever moisture was in the system and that he could replace that filter once more, and vacuum the system again. I was hesitant - this would be another $150-$200 dollars and no good idea if it was successful. I agreed to give it one more try and we went off to get another filter. While we were in town I managed to find a place that would get me a spare alternator belt (because my current one is slipping I had to replace it with my previous spare and I don't want to risk being without a spare). Back to the boat, and one more time Clement replaced the filter and attached the pump and left for another job.
At least the weather was relatively good today, mostly cloudy but the forecast rain and thunderstorms never materialized.
When he returned 3 hours later and refilled the system the moment of truth came, and I lost,.,
The thing is somehow blocked and the blockage appears impossible to locate or get rid of. Clement thought that maybe replacing the plates might do the trick, but they aren't exactly available here, and in any case I decided I had tried enough repairs by now. I paid him another $150 and he left, as unhappy as I about not having been able to fix it, but at least richer by $520...
When I told Ted and Darcy on my neighboring boat about the issue Ted offered to have a look at it himself. First I got a tour of their very nice Morgan OI 43, which they have upgraded with plenty gear and equipment. A very nice boat, I especially like the big double bed in the stern with a lot of windows that they had replaced with opening ports.
Then they came over with his gauges and some more refrigerant. He topped it up a bit but couldn't find anything else with it either. We had a nice chat in the cockpit and he suggested we'd try to find a vacuum pump for rent tomorrow, in case it's not crazy expensive, and run it the whole day. He thinks it's really the most likely thing to fix it, if anything at all will help. They also gave me nice frozen filet of Mahi-Mahi which they had caught on their way from Eleuthera. I guess I'll finally grill tomorrow.
I had a wild idea in the evening to try to clear the fridge capillary tubes - if the problem is that ice crystals form in the tubes, why not use something to keep the tubes from freezing. I used a hair dryer to keep the plates warm while I ran the fridge. I did this for about 10 minutes and then closed the box and hoped for some improvement.
Unfortunately, half an hour later, still no ice had formed on the plates, so I switched it off again.
Thursday, Jun 8, 2017 Marsh Harbor
Soon after breakfast the rain stopped and I walked through town searching for a vacuum pump, unfortunately without any success either. The tool rental place has gone out of business years ago, and noone knew where I might find one.
By now the sun was shining and when I returned to the boat I started the fridge one more time, and amazingly a film of ice appeared quite soon. I ran it a bit and then stopped it to scoop out all the water and refill it with things. Strangely, after I switched it on again it again wouldn't get cold enough to frost the plates. Infuriating,,,
While the rain let up I got into the dinghy to scoop out probably 100 liters of rain water.
The weather turned ugly once again, so by now I have spent a whole week in the beautiful Bahamas having nothing but technical trouble and awful weather...
In the evening I grilled the Mahi Mahi which turned out very nice, and the filet Darcy had given me was big enough to save half of it for tomorrow.
Before going to bed I repeated the hair dryer exercise, but still the fridge wouldn't make ice.
Friday, Jun 9, 2017 Marsh Harbor
In the morning a strong thunderstorm blew through - I'm glad I had taken my awning down the evening before because it might well have flown off.
Video on Youtube
My shore power failed, which didn't surprise me since I had seen my power cable working itself loose from the boat motion. However, after I plugged it back is still didn't work - turns out the whole island lost power during the thunderstorm.
Once it was over and the sun started shining I started the fridge once again - and ice formed yet again! This time it actually really seemed to work better than ever since the repair, so I let it be while I walked into town to fetch the alternator belt. However, they had to tell me that the plane was cancelled due to the bad weather and the belt would arrive the next day.
On my way back I went to Maxwells for some food and when I arrived back I found the fridge still working. Could it really have fixed itself?
My neighbor is a young latin guy with a wife and two young kids on board his 40 foot Beneteau. We got to chat a bit today and he told me that he just came from the Exumas, which he though was the best part of his long cruise that had taken them down all the way to Montserrat.
The weather looked finally good, rather a lot of sun finally but still very humid. I was tempted to leave today and return to Man-O-War, but there's still some ugly stuff on the radar, so I decided to wait one more night.
Saturday, Jun 10, 2017 Marsh Harbor to Man o War
I promise not to talk about the fridge much anymore after this. It ran all night on low and didn't stay quite as cold as I had hoped, and the filter was rather hot. I asked Ted one more time to come by with his gauges and drain some of the refrigerant, since I thought the reason for the heat might be that it was a bit overcharged. Big mistake, after he reduced the refrigerant the thing got much worse. I went into town while there was some clear skies and bought a new can of refrigerant, and Ted filled the fridge up a little more. It didn't seem to help yet, but maybe I'll try again tomorrow!
The weather report for today was finally a little better and I made up my mind to finally leave, after wasting 6 days at Marsh Harbor.
First I bought a box of Sands Beer, and then cast off. Ray gave me a good price for the six days, including water and electricity and tax I paid $240.,,
On my way out I had a nice call with my admiral, I miss her of course but I'm glad she's not here wasting her vacation days.
While we were talking a nasty looking thunderstorm approached and I decided to anchor at Mermaid Reef to wait it out. Just after reaching it and setting the anchor the rain started falling and the lightnings closing in. I was feeling smug and secure sitting in the cabin watching the mayhem around me, until with a huge bang a lightning hit the Caprice straight on. Immediately a loud noise came from the audio system and a stink of fried electronics filled the cabin. I myself hadn't felt anything but a loud bang at the precise moment of the flash. I first disconnected the audio system and then traced the stink to the solar panel charge controller. I also had a look in the bilge to see if we suffered any holes - there are stories about boats receiving hundreds of tiny holes from lightning strike. Nothing seemed to be leaking.
After the worst of the storm had passed I went outside and looked for obvious damage. I found no burn marks or anything immediately, but when I looked up the mast I found that the radio antenna and the wind indicator had entirely disappeared.
Further checks showed that the depth sounder was showing wild numbers all over the scale, and that the stationary VHF radio was dead. Both the masthead light fuse and the radio fuse were clearly blown.
So here is the list of damage so far: Solar Panel Controller, Audio System, Depth Sounder, VHF radio, masthead light and masthead wind direction indicators. I might want to get up there to have a look soon.
When it had cleared sufficiently I started the engine (no troubles there thankfully) and proceeded to Man-O-War with slow speed.
Along the way I also exchanged the sanitation pumpout hose- I didn't want to do this smelly job in the marina and kill my poor neighbors.
The weather was finally turning pretty nice, of course I have no way to use the solar power at this point.
After anchoring at Man-O-War I checked the bilge again and found that the water level was a little high for comfort. Running the bilge pump manually didn't seem to work - it ran but didn't pump anything. So, the next project was to figure this out. I eventually traced it to the flow valve that is a bit of mysterious plumbing designed to prevent water from flowing reverse from the outside into the boat, especially when heeled. This piece of brass tubing is a mystery to me - I'll take a photo of it tomorrow. It had a nut under which I found a needle like pin, but I couldn't quite make sense of it. However, after closing the nut I found that the bilge pumped fine. Weird.
Next I decided to shortcut the solar panels directly to the batteries - I will have to be my own charge controller until I can find a replacement. It seemed to work and charge well.
Just after I finished I saw a boat approaching and it turned out to be Tony, the guy who might have brought me a new fridge from Houston if I had been able to find one. As he approached we chatted a bit and he decided to anchor close to me to meet.
I jumped into the water and snorkeled to him - finally, after so many days of sweltering heat with no relief, it feels so good to swim, Tony's boat is gorgeous - a Taiwan made Fantasia 35. It's interior is just amazingly nice and comfortable, and very spacious. Considering that this boat is exactly the same length as the Caprice, I'm amazed by how much more space it has everywhere.
We chatted forever and by the time I swam back to the Caprice it was almost dark.
I now realized that a number of the LEDs on the light strip had been killed by the lightning, and one of the fancy cabin top LEDs ($40 each) soon started smoking and died. I might find other damage as I continue using the boat.
The weather appears to be calm and no rain in the immediate forecast, so I'll stay anchored here for the night.
Sunday, Jun 11, 2017 Man o War Island
Finally, a good, calm an dry night. It makes such a difference...
I woke up to a nice sunrise and relatively clear skies. Tony raised anchor and left to run north for a few days, I hope to see him again soon.
After some yoghurt and muesli for breakfast I went for my first swim and snorkel. The water is just the right amount of refreshing, and I feel so much better now. I wanted to try my little underwater camera and considered snorkeling all the way to the gazebo beach, but I decided to use the dinghy instead. The beach was all mine, but there were a few large sailboats anchored closeby, including one very large one with a Waverunner mounted on the transom! I've never seen these on sailboats, and it was actually really pushing the stern lower significantly.
The camera seemed to work fine, but it's hard to tell on the little screen. I spent quite some time snorkeling around the various rocks and saw plenty smaller fish and only a few bigger ones. On the way back to the beach I came across the biggest star fish so far and had to grab it.
After I returned to the boat I had a shower with the 'bag-shower' and a little lunch and then a short siesta. It was actually rather hot now, and I rigged the awning to keep cool.
Later I dinghied into town and found Mac on 'Saving Grace' and he invited me in for a chat that turned into a long afternoon visit. Sheila eventually turned up and we had a good time telling stories. Mac gave me a wind scoop to improve ventilation on Caprice and it fit perfectly. This should be very useful.
Monday, Jun 12, 2017 Man o War Island
I found that the depth sounder sensor is of an odd, old design (what a surprise). The display unit is really ancient - it's using tubes for the numeric display!
I'm worried that replacing the existing through-hull will not work at all without lifting the boat out of the water, and I'm not planning on doing this any time soon.
However, I found that there are 'in-hull' transducers that one can epoxy on inside the hull, and, as long as one doesn't have air bubbles in the hull, the signal would transmit through. It reduces range, so one can probably not read very large depths, but that's not what I'm interested in here anyways.
I placed the order for the fridge and the depth sounder online and called them to see if they needed extra information. I emailed a photo of my cruising permit to use with customs.
Next I investigated a replacement for the charge controller. Tony had shown me one that is much cheaper than the one I had, from China of course, but I looked up the company that made my old one and found that they have a newer, slightly improved model now. I emailed the distributor to find out if they can ship to the Bahamas.
As for the other things - I can live without the extra VHF, windex, and masthead light (which has been broken for some time anyways). No music is a bummer, and I'm thinking that when I'm in Marsh Harbor I'll look if I can't find a cheap replacement car radio.
The weather was still nice, even though it got quite cloudy at times and one shower brought some fresh air.
Tuesday, Jun 13, 2017 Man o War Island
I went snorkeling and swimming several times.
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2017 Man o War Island to Tilloo Cay
ViewRanger link
The wind is predicted to shift somewhat more south-easterly, and it would be best to get to somewhere more protected from that. Mac and Sheila had told me that Tilloo bank is very nice for snorkeling and wading, so today after going into town to finalize my storage deal with Edwin's and shopping a few things I took off. The anchor came up good (I had anchored right next to some undersea cables, but didn't get entangled). Soon on my way I realized that it was a bit too choppy to drag the dinghy with the motor mounted on the transom, so I had to stop and bring the dinghy alongside, climb in and take the motor off. Next lift it from the dinghy on deck, and in the choppy conditions I was extra careful not to drop it in the sea - that wouldn't be good.
All went well and I got back underway.
The way to Tilloo meanders past some very shallow sand banks, and without a depth sounder I was being extra careful. I got to Tilloo in the early afternoon and initially couldn't get the anchor to grab through the seaweed. By diving on it and poking it into the weed I got it to stick eventually.
A bunch of catamarans showed up and moved much closer to the very shallow Tilloo bank. I snorkeled to it and went about for some 30 mins, but didn't see much. However, I plan to be here a few days and have time to explore. It sure looks beautiful.
Thursday, Jun 15, 2017 Tilloo Cay
After some work I took the dinghy for a ride to the sand bank. The weather was beautiful, and the color of the water and the sky worth of some photos.
After some work I took the dinghy for a ride to the sand bank. The weather was beautiful, and the color of the water and the sky worth of some photos.
A bunch of other boats kept coming and going with people snorkeling or just wading. I didn't find the snorkeling itself all that interesting, there were few fish about and a few conch. After a bit of playing I got back in the dinghy and was about to return to the Caprice when I saw a large dark shadow moving around close by. I jumped back in and found a fat ray cruising by.
Back to the boat, and a few work related calls and then some lunch. Later I went for another tour with the dinghy, this time parking on the nearby beautiful beach and snorkeling from there. Again, not really much to see, but the water was great to swim in. The catamarans that were anchored next to me got replaced by new ones, and then a large schooner turned up, which I had seen before at Man O War. It's a pretty looking ship, and what's odd is that it has four dinghies in tow.
Friday, Jun 16, 2017 Tilloo Cay to Mermaid Reef
A shower in the evening, and a cloudy morning signaled a change from the great weather the last few days. As predicted the wind started picking up from the south and my anchorage was becoming uncomfortable. I took off north past Lubber's Bank on a reciprocal course and got to Mermaid Reef outside Marsh Harbor by 1pm. It was a bit cloudy but I snorkeled the spot anyway and had fun with all the fishes. This 'reef' is artificially made and I'm sure the fish are 'planted' too. Even though the water wasn't as clear here as at Tilloo, it was nice, especially when the sun came out and gave me better underwater light.
When I got back to the boat I gave it a scrubbing along the waterline with a big brush to get rid of some of the algae and other growth.
My box with the fridge and the depth sounder is still sitting at Nassau with customs. This means I have to wait at least until Monday to get it, since FedEx isn't open on weekends.
Just when I thought I can relax I found a serious structural issue in the engine compartment. The battery shelf/box is starting to sag. I suspect the wood is rotten and this needs very urgent fixing. I think tomorrow I will have to take the batteries out and strengthen the box - if it falls apart the batteries will fall down into the engine and all kinds of disasters will follow. I'm glad I discover this now, imagine it happens while the boat is sitting here waiting for me.
After crawling in the engine compartment I needed to cool down and went for another swim. While circling the Caprice I suddenly had a revelation - the peeling paint I see is actually really a paint layer. The underlying gelcoat is white! The Caprice was apparently white originally, and either Emek or the first owner decided to paint her. The gel coat actually looks as if it's in decent condition.
Saturday, Jun 17, 2017 Mermaid Reef to Man O War (the low place)
Another day of crises. Some manager at our company had decided that the only way to salvage an ongoing and intensifying crisis at a customer was to fly us all to Pittsburgh and work on this project exclusively. I don't know if it will be more efficient than working as we do now, Considering the cost in time and dollars, it's a pretty desperate move.
While this was going on I was trying to figure out how to fix the battery problem. Once I remove the batteries I have very little power, and might need it for the power tools if I try to cut and drill any supporting wood. Initially I tried to strengthen the box by putting some scrap wood under it, but I realized that the box was so rotten and its support so badly damaged I'd better relocate the batteries.
I found a spot on the counter right behind the fridge - but I'll had to juggle with cabling and didn't have a lot of thick diameter cable on board. Of course it's Saturday and stores were closing soon. And there were a few showers and thunderstorms thrown in for good measure.
I eventually got the batteries in position and all cabling done using some bits of AWG12, which is seriously undersized especially for starting the engine. However, I was able to start the engine before the cables got too hot and ran it a bit to see if the cables would overheat while charging. The only get mildly warm, so that was no worry, I think the starter can easily pull 100 amps, and running through some AWG12 is seriously lowering the voltage and current. Charging is at about 15-20 amps, and not a real problem, although also inefficient. I'll have to get decent cables with proper lugs soon.
Mac and Sheila had invited me for Bison burger and I decided to cross over to Man O War and anchor at the 'low spot' (the Gazebo). The wind was predicted to get up to 15 overnight, so when I got there I quickly snorkeled and poked the anchor through the sea weed to make sure it stuck well.
Next a quick shower, and dingy ride to Mac and Sheila and Tony. We had a great time really, The burgers were delicious, and Mac turned out to be quite the joker.
The evening went on much longer than planned and by now it was pitch dark. I had, of course, forgotten to bring my head lamp, so Mac gave me his cap with inbuilt LEDs.
But in the end he decided to give me his head lamp since the cap seemed to be low on batteries.
Going back was an adventure because it was very dark and since there are some shallow spots and rocks I couldn't afford to go wrong. And outside of the channel the waves had seriously increased since earlier. I eventually had to start google maps on my phone to navigate and found the Caprice bouncing at anchor.
I made sure to let out some more line and set the anchor alarm. Since I'm at a lee shore, dragging here would quickly put me either on the rocks or run aground. The wind was still intensifying, and I staid up until 1am to make sure all was well. To make sure I'd be able to start the engine in an emergency I ran it for an hour to top up the batteries.
The Rocna did well and I finally got to sleep.
Sunday, Jun 18, 2017 Man O War (the low place) -Man O War Eastern Harbor
The whole morning was windy and cloudy with repeated rain showers. I couldn't get the batteries charged enough with the solar panels and had to start the engine for a bit. With all cylinders engaged, my poor cabling can't start the engine, but after switching the decompression lever on cylinder 1 it came on and I ran it for an hour.
I booked my flight and hotel for Pittsburgh and cleared up the boat a bit, and eventually, when the weather turned nice I went for a long snorkel at the Gazebo beach. I checked on the anchor and saw that it hadn't moved one bit, good old Rocna!
The wind was predicted to increase more, and the place I was at was a bit too rolly, so I raised anchor and moved to the East Harbor and my reserved mooring. Outside the harbor was a sailboat from Sydney, Australia! Imagine somebody sailing around half the world to here. I must say my journey was easier.
When I pulled up the mooring pendant the flimsy line on it promptly broke and the lines sank back into the water. I tried anchoring, but Tony from Tryst next to me had seen it and quickly dove to retrieve the lines for me.
After securing everything I went over to him to pull him up on his mast - he wanted to put a spinnaker halyard up. Before we started he offered me some lunch he had just prepared and I gladly accepted. Curry chicken with rice, very good!
We attached the main halyard and, for safety, the topping lift to his climbing harness and up he went. Cranking somebody up the mast is a surprisingly hard job, but all went well and afterwards we sat in his cockpit with some beers until the sun went down. It's nice and breezy here today, and I'm comfy.
Monday, Jun 19, 2017 Man O War Eastern Harbor
I spent the rest of the day preparing for my 9 day trip to Pittsburgh. Edwin's was OK with me taking the mooring ahead of schedule. Since I'll be back soon I didn't have to do much preparation. Later I took one more dinghy ride to the low place for some more snorkeling and swimming.
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2017 Man O War Eastern Harbor - Pittsburgh
To avoid any repeat of my last ferry related near-disaster Tony gave me a lift to the ferry and I got out of here without trouble. I met a couple other travellers on the ferry and we arranged to share a taxi. The journey to Pittsburgh was uneventful, with two changes in Miami and Charlotte.
Thursday, Jun 29, 2017 Pittsburgh - Man O War Eastern Harbor
I'm happy to be back! The return from Pittsburgh was a bit quicker than the reverse, and I arrived at the Marsh Harbor airport at 11:30 am. After immigration went smooth the customs officer asked me to open my bag and immediately came across the solar panel charge controller I had received in Pittsburgh. She wanted to know what it was, and explained that I had been hit by lightning and that this was a repair part. She could related - apparently just yesterday the main transmission tower here in Marsh Harbor had been hit and wiped out all communications for half the day. She wanted to see my cruising permit and the bill for the part. Both I had on my phone, but I couldn't find and download them very quickly. I apologized and spent the next 15 minutes trying to get them - by then the officer had figured out that her list didn't have 'Solar Charge Controllers' and simply told me to go. Well that was a nice surprise... Next stop was at FedEx to get the new fridge and depth sounder. Unfortunately, by the time I got there the FedEx guy had just left and I had to wait for half an hour in the midday heat. The only open store was a Bible Study supply place which I promptly entered. The lady in there pounced on me and wanted to know what I needed. I told here I'd browse. After a few minutes of not finding the bible I was looking for I excused myself and took my leave.
The FedEx guy eventually returned and gave me my packet - it was bigger and heavier than I had expected. I had to pay another $90 for taxes they had assessed in Nassau. This was actually less than I had feared - eventually I figured out that they had accepted my cruising permit and allowed the parts to come in without assessing duty. The only thing I had to pay was VAT.
Because of these sidetrips I didn't make it to the 12:15pm ferry and the schedule said the next one was only at 4pm. I settled in for the long wait - but again was lucky when a boat left at 3pm, with me being the only passenger. They dropped me off on the Caprice without trouble.
All was well inside, and I got busy with the fridge and depth sounder. First I tried to find a place where the new sounder can be placed without too much dampening. The centerline is not possible to use because the amount to fiberglass there is way too much and there are likely voids. I tested the position as instructed with a water filled plastic bag and couldn't get a reading from the thing. Eventually I settled for a position about midships where the hull bulges out. The hull is of course not horizontal there, but the sounder comes with a tube for tilted placement. They say that the sounder shouldn't be off horizontal by more than 5 degrees - this will be hard to achieve but I have no better place.
After gluing in the tube with silicone I had to take a 24 hour break from that to let the silicone cure, so I started the fridge project. First I pinched off the copper tubes and cut them - even though I had pinched them as hard as I could the gas still hissed out. I next pulled the old plates out of the fridge and pulled and pushed the new ones into place. They are identical to the old ones, so I didn't need new holes, but I had a hard time getting the couplings through the hole that I had drilled just small enough to avoid loss of cold. By now it was getting dark and I went to bed.
Friday, Jun 30, 2017 Man O War Eastern Harbor
I continued the fridge project. Today I pulled out the old compressor unit and put it away as a spare. I believe the compressor is totally fine, so maybe some day in the future I can use it again. The new compressor unit is very different from the old one, unfortunately, so I can't use the old support I had put together from some wood parts. The instructions of the whole system are very poorly translated from the Japanese and some don't make any sense. There's also no explicit mention if the compressor can be mounted in any particular orientation. I initially thought of putting it vertical, but eventually I decided to go with their suggested way of mounting it. I had to build some new support, I was lucky enough to have some wood and tools to work it and eventually had a platform to put the compressor on. Finally I connected the copper tubing ports and was glad to get those together without losing refrigerant. Next the power connectors, and the moment of truth. The plates immediately turned cold. However, I nearly got frustrated when no ice formed on the plates even after an hour of the compressor running full time. What if the new fridge is just as bad as the old? After spending countless hours and $1500 I was worried it was all a waste...
After running it for another hour the box seemed pretty cool and the beer and other things I put in felt cool. I inflated the dinghy and went into town to buy some supplies. When I got back the plates had finally formed ice! I guess the whole box and stuff in it was so warm that it needed a long time to get going. I went back to town to dump the big box with packing and wrapping materials, and the old fridge plates, and to get some water for my empty fresh water tank. I didn't want to move the Caprice yet with all the tools and parts lying all over the place, so I just took the water jerry can and 4 one gallon canisters. I'm so glad the fridge works finally, it's hard to live without anything cool to drink at least. I didn't want to continue with the depth sounder today in case I spoil my mood.
Saturday, Jul 1, 2017 Man O War Eastern Harbor - Foul Cay - Baker's Bay
Viewranger link
The depth sounder works! This allows me to go some places I didn't dare to before. Without waiting for the fuel dock to open here at Man O War I left the harbor and went the few miles to Foul Cay.
When I arrived it was totally deserted and I took the dinghy to search for the mooring balls at the reef. At first I couldn't find them - eventually I realized they must be much further out than I had expected. I had spare fuel with me and the weather was calm, so I headed out where I saw some other boats. Indeed I found a half dozen buoys here and after tying up went snorkeling. It was marvelous. Lots of fish, beautiful coral formations and warm, clear water. One of the best places I've ever snorkeled.
I moved to another mooring and repeated, and here it was just as nice.
I was thinking of staying here overnight and check each mooring. After I arrived back on the Caprice I found that the swell was a little too much for staying though. I raised anchor and went to Baker's Bay at the top west corner of Guana Cay.
Viewranger link
Getting close I was wondering if I had made a good choice - the ocean swells were even bigger here than at Foul Cay. Since this place has many reefs and rocks I had to approach carefully. As I got close to the beach the water calmed down considerably. After anchoring I snorkeled down to the anchor to make sure it was properly dug in and then went for a walk on the gorgeous beach. I'm the only boat anchored here, but there are plenty fancy homes on land, and a swanky resort.
When I returned to the boat I decided to recheck the anchor, and I'm glad I did. It was properly dug in, but the rode was dangerously close to some rocks. I had let out plenty of it and decided to just pull in more to avoid it being close to the rocks, since it was quickly getting dark now. As I rechecked I noticed some large dark shades close to me, and I saw the biggest, most amazing couple of Spotted Eagle Rays. They let me follow them a bit, supposedly they are as curious about people as we are about them. Such elegant creatures, they look like birds in slow motion, under water. Because of the poor light the video didn't turn out too well, but it was magical...
Sunday, Jul 2, 2017 Baker's Bay
I really enjoy this place. I finally have no projects to worry about, and fine weather. I overdid the snorkeling yesterday and got a slight sunburn, so today I'll have to take it easy. I got up very early and after breakfast decided to shave again for the first time in about two weeks. When I left for Pittsburgh I had decided to leave my shaver here and see what would happen. I don't much like the result.
And I find that snorkeling is difficult because the mask doesn't really seal well, so back to shaving...
Next off by dinghy to look for the reported snorkeling spots on the reef. I couldn't find them, and found that the reef is rather a possibly dangerous maze of walls that almost reach the surface. I eventually parked the dinghy on the beach and went snorkeling out from there. Really beautiful again, and today I came across a pair of squid swimming more or less in formation. Oddly one was actually in reverse, but it didn't seem to be of any consequence.
When I got back I decided to move the Caprice a little closer to the beach away from the rocks that worried me last night. Five minutes later I was at new spot, but now I feared I was really a little too close to the beach - if the wind should turn Northerly (not expected) I would possibly run aground. So, up the anchor again and another attempt. This time I'm far enough but there's still a rock I don't like. I wish I'd have bought some more chain last year. I had a silly idea of just diving down to the anchor and carrying it a little away from the rock. Only a few meters! But that was ridiculous of course, I could pick the anchor up but dragging the chain was impossible. I got out, reversed the engine hard to dig the anchor in, and pulled in enough rode to feel that all will be well. I got to post some anchor photos some time to show how stuff looks. It's nice that one can simply dive and look, rather than guess and hope that all is well below.
Plenty boats are moving around here, and some kicking up more waves than are actually naturally move through the bay. But it's all fine, I'm having a great time, finally.
This place is hard to leave, even though my water supply is very low by now. I hadn't expected to be here so long, but it's just too nice.
In the morning I went in search of the snorkeling buoys again, and dinghied pretty far out around the tip of the island. The reefs form a maze and I had to be very careful not to run into them - they would probably put a hole in my dinghy in no time. When I still couldn't find the buoys I threw out my little grapnel, but the water around the reefs it actually rather deep and I couldn't get it to grip. Eventually I found a place to hook the grapnel between some rocks. Snorkeling was great here again, also the plant life and colors are beautiful.
Parrot Fish are abundant, and not scared of people at all. The male is much more colorful than the female - I guess they try to impress the ladies.
Next I motored around some more and eventually found another boat with a captain that pointed me in the direction of the single mooring - he said all the others had disappeared. I hooked on and had another great snorkeling adventure, this time coming across a pair of rather large barracudas.
Next back to the boat and some lunch. A huge megayacht has anchored here now, with all kinds of water toys in tow (including two jet skis).
After a little nap I went off again, one more time to the mooring, and after that to a boat I saw anchored out a bit further. I used my little anchor again and went on a very long snorkel close to the edge of the reef where it drops so deep that I can't see the ocean floor. I've seen some single pompano before, but here I came across a school of them.
After running it for another hour the box seemed pretty cool and the beer and other things I put in felt cool. I inflated the dinghy and went into town to buy some supplies. When I got back the plates had finally formed ice! I guess the whole box and stuff in it was so warm that it needed a long time to get going. I went back to town to dump the big box with packing and wrapping materials, and the old fridge plates, and to get some water for my empty fresh water tank. I didn't want to move the Caprice yet with all the tools and parts lying all over the place, so I just took the water jerry can and 4 one gallon canisters. I'm so glad the fridge works finally, it's hard to live without anything cool to drink at least. I didn't want to continue with the depth sounder today in case I spoil my mood.
Saturday, Jul 1, 2017 Man O War Eastern Harbor - Foul Cay - Baker's Bay
The depth sounder works! This allows me to go some places I didn't dare to before. Without waiting for the fuel dock to open here at Man O War I left the harbor and went the few miles to Foul Cay.
When I arrived it was totally deserted and I took the dinghy to search for the mooring balls at the reef. At first I couldn't find them - eventually I realized they must be much further out than I had expected. I had spare fuel with me and the weather was calm, so I headed out where I saw some other boats. Indeed I found a half dozen buoys here and after tying up went snorkeling. It was marvelous. Lots of fish, beautiful coral formations and warm, clear water. One of the best places I've ever snorkeled.
I moved to another mooring and repeated, and here it was just as nice.
I was thinking of staying here overnight and check each mooring. After I arrived back on the Caprice I found that the swell was a little too much for staying though. I raised anchor and went to Baker's Bay at the top west corner of Guana Cay.
Viewranger link
Getting close I was wondering if I had made a good choice - the ocean swells were even bigger here than at Foul Cay. Since this place has many reefs and rocks I had to approach carefully. As I got close to the beach the water calmed down considerably. After anchoring I snorkeled down to the anchor to make sure it was properly dug in and then went for a walk on the gorgeous beach. I'm the only boat anchored here, but there are plenty fancy homes on land, and a swanky resort.
When I returned to the boat I decided to recheck the anchor, and I'm glad I did. It was properly dug in, but the rode was dangerously close to some rocks. I had let out plenty of it and decided to just pull in more to avoid it being close to the rocks, since it was quickly getting dark now. As I rechecked I noticed some large dark shades close to me, and I saw the biggest, most amazing couple of Spotted Eagle Rays. They let me follow them a bit, supposedly they are as curious about people as we are about them. Such elegant creatures, they look like birds in slow motion, under water. Because of the poor light the video didn't turn out too well, but it was magical...
Sunday, Jul 2, 2017 Baker's Bay
And I find that snorkeling is difficult because the mask doesn't really seal well, so back to shaving...
Next off by dinghy to look for the reported snorkeling spots on the reef. I couldn't find them, and found that the reef is rather a possibly dangerous maze of walls that almost reach the surface. I eventually parked the dinghy on the beach and went snorkeling out from there. Really beautiful again, and today I came across a pair of squid swimming more or less in formation. Oddly one was actually in reverse, but it didn't seem to be of any consequence.
When I got back I decided to move the Caprice a little closer to the beach away from the rocks that worried me last night. Five minutes later I was at new spot, but now I feared I was really a little too close to the beach - if the wind should turn Northerly (not expected) I would possibly run aground. So, up the anchor again and another attempt. This time I'm far enough but there's still a rock I don't like. I wish I'd have bought some more chain last year. I had a silly idea of just diving down to the anchor and carrying it a little away from the rock. Only a few meters! But that was ridiculous of course, I could pick the anchor up but dragging the chain was impossible. I got out, reversed the engine hard to dig the anchor in, and pulled in enough rode to feel that all will be well. I got to post some anchor photos some time to show how stuff looks. It's nice that one can simply dive and look, rather than guess and hope that all is well below.
Plenty boats are moving around here, and some kicking up more waves than are actually naturally move through the bay. But it's all fine, I'm having a great time, finally.
Monday, Jul 3, 2017 Baker's Bay
This place is hard to leave, even though my water supply is very low by now. I hadn't expected to be here so long, but it's just too nice.
In the morning I went in search of the snorkeling buoys again, and dinghied pretty far out around the tip of the island. The reefs form a maze and I had to be very careful not to run into them - they would probably put a hole in my dinghy in no time. When I still couldn't find the buoys I threw out my little grapnel, but the water around the reefs it actually rather deep and I couldn't get it to grip. Eventually I found a place to hook the grapnel between some rocks. Snorkeling was great here again, also the plant life and colors are beautiful.
Parrot Fish are abundant, and not scared of people at all. The male is much more colorful than the female - I guess they try to impress the ladies.
Next I motored around some more and eventually found another boat with a captain that pointed me in the direction of the single mooring - he said all the others had disappeared. I hooked on and had another great snorkeling adventure, this time coming across a pair of rather large barracudas.
Next back to the boat and some lunch. A huge megayacht has anchored here now, with all kinds of water toys in tow (including two jet skis).
After a little nap I went off again, one more time to the mooring, and after that to a boat I saw anchored out a bit further. I used my little anchor again and went on a very long snorkel close to the edge of the reef where it drops so deep that I can't see the ocean floor. I've seen some single pompano before, but here I came across a school of them.
Tuesday, Jul 4, 2017 Baker's Bay - Man O War Island
I hadn't seen dolphins since Florida, but today, just after raising anchor to leave, two appeared as if to tease me. I briefly considered anchoring again and swimming with them, but thought they would probably leave as soon as I did that. I continued back through the ship channel and along Guana Cay to Foul Cay, essentially on the same track that brought me here. I anchored closer to Foul Cay this time, and when I jumped in to check the anchor I saw that the depth sounder saying 4.5 feet really means it:
As promised, a look of how the anchor looks like when it's properly dug in:
I hadn't seen dolphins since Florida, but today, just after raising anchor to leave, two appeared as if to tease me. I briefly considered anchoring again and swimming with them, but thought they would probably leave as soon as I did that. I continued back through the ship channel and along Guana Cay to Foul Cay, essentially on the same track that brought me here. I anchored closer to Foul Cay this time, and when I jumped in to check the anchor I saw that the depth sounder saying 4.5 feet really means it:
As promised, a look of how the anchor looks like when it's properly dug in:
Wednesday, Jul 5, 2017 Man O War Island - Marsh Harbor
My time here is at an end again, until November. Before going back into the eastern harbor I dinghied into the marina to do laundry and buy a bilge hose and a propeller shaft zinc. Time was getting tight, when I got into the harbor I found that the pendant had been lost again and I had to anchor and snorkel to dig the lines up. Next I hooked up the new bilge pump and snorkeled to attach the zinc to the propeller. All this took time and I was barely finished when the ferry guys arrived. A few minutes after leaving the boat I realized I had forgotten my phone - the ferry captain was thankfully willing to turn around and get it. On my way to Marsh harbor I realized I had also forgotten two bananas in the fridge (which I had switched off this time). Well this will be interesting to see what becomes of them in four months.
After lunch at Snappas I got to the airport with plenty time to spare, but the incoming plane appeared a little late. When it finally arrived they seemed in no hurry to get us on board. Then we finally moved to the exit - to be asked to wait again. And then they asked us to return into the terminal. The plane apparently had some defect, or a gauge was showing wrong, so the captain decided to put it out of service. Initially it appeared that we would get a much later replacement plane, and I would have to spend the night in a hotel at Fort Lauderdale. However, that plane was eventually also cancelled, so they carted all of us to a hotel in Treasure Cay.
Thursday, Jul 6, 2017 Marsh Harbor - Chicago
Sharon from Silver Airways was the best, she dealt with the crisis competently and tirelessly. Bookings, rebookings, taxis, meals, hotels, etc, she did it all.
