A Tale of Two Campers

Jan/Lynn's 5th wheel on left. Our van on the right. We 
are the smallest, as usual ...

Raindrops keep falling on my boat

Raindrops keep falling on my boat.
But that's no reason why my boat won't float.
Cryin's not for me.
Cause I ain't gonna stop the rain by complaining...

Storm in Naples

Mega-squall. Lightening. Thunder. Pouring. Rain. Gin & Tonics. But no problem here on land in their trailer. Until the big bad cell in the Gulf hits soon.

safe ashore in Naples

Decommissioning, Day Seven –

... and Road Trip, day one.

Really easy day.  A little more dishwashing and boat vinegarizing and unloading.

Less water coming into the bilge!  Maybe (MAYBE) it is just left-over water from previous leaks?  If so, we don't have to replace the main fresh water tank.  Cancelled the boatyard repair guy, who hasn't bothered to show up for a week now, who might have pressure-tested the system.  We will just drain the tank for the summer, and check it out again when we get back in October-ish. If the tank doesn't haul water then, we will go to another repair yard that will do the work.

part of the PEX tubing, for the boat's fresh water supply system

Drove to Naples today in our camper/van. Staying with Jan & Lynn for the weekend.  Good to get away from the work on the boat.  Nice trip across Florida, through the Everglades on Alligator Alley.

girl of the 'glades

in the Everglades

Haulout will be on Tuesday. We're just about ready – maybe pull the cushions etc, and the dodger, and put this and a little more stuff in the storage locker.  After haulout: Boat cover, augurs, strap down the boat, close-up & lock-up, leave.

Interesting living in a 17' camper after ao 30' boat.

our other boat, in a marina in Naples, Florida

Back to the boat on Monday, to finish up.

Decommissioning, Day Six

Arranged for haulout next Tuesday morning (April Fool's Day). 

Met with the local boatyard's Volvo Penta Engine certified repair guy – he found the fluid leak in the saildrive, in just a few minutes. Easy, inexpensive repair.  He will do it before we return in the fall, including appropriate engine and transmission oils.  This guy knew which fluid to use in our V-P saildrive, the same info we found on-line, and different from the clown from the last storage place we were at, who both didn't know which fluid he was supposed to put in, and didn't know what he actually put in. Nice to have found a professional who knows his stuff, and will actually get the work done.

Removed bimini and connector; still have to do the dodger (a 10 minute job).

Still waiting for the local boatyard's mechanic to show up and test our water leak; don't have much hope he will show up while the boat is still in the water and has fresh (hose) water available.  And I don't care any more about them doing the work. We know where the leak is now, and especially where it is not (it's the main tank if there really is a leak), and can deal with it as soon as we get back in the fall. Either they have it fixed here (unlikely), or we go someplace that will do it. 

Delayed checking service batteries for capacity; would not replace them until fall anyway.

Refrigerator / freezer / battery killer – turned off, emptied, defrosted, prepared for several months of abandoned boat. More food and stuff removal & cleaning – Ilona washed and bleached or vinegared, and dried all dishes, utensils, cooking gear, etc. Extra food taken to food shelf (stuff we don't want to store for the summer). Boat is now about ready to be left for the spring and summer.

Bought augurs at Home Depot, to strap the boat down for hurricane season.

We plan to get out of here tomorrow. Road trip for the weekend, to visit brother and SIL, in Naples.  Nice to get away from the boat and all that work. 

Only a few things left to do when we get back here to the boat on Monday (or Tuesday AM before haulout).  Then, after haulout: boat cover on, 2" trucker straps on, fasten to the ground with big augurs.  And we will be done!

Decommissioning, Day Five

More emptying boat and cleaning for summer storage.

Trying to set up meetings with mechanics, to 1) diagnose and fix the FWL (i.e. the Water Leak), 2) check saildrive for fluid leak, change oil and gear fluid.

Installed remaining PEX tubing, to faucet in head. Now, ALL tubing and fittings are either visible or have been replaced with new tubing.  The water pump does NOT run unless the faucets are drawing water.  Of course, there is still water in the bilge that came from the main fresh water tank (or possibly the hot water tank, although that tank is completely visible and does not seem to be leaking.) SO: we need to get the main water tank replaced. There is nothing else left to change or fix in the entire fresh water system!

Transferred diesel fluid from jerry cans, to fill up main diesel tank for the summer. Transferred gasoline from the small portable red plastic tanks, to the van gas tank.

Got outboard motor back from L B Marine Services – excellent job, well worth having them do the complete maintenance service.

The Ilona cleaned and organized the huge locker (under the starboard bench in the cockpit), and is cleaning, washing, and bleaching everything left in the boat – to be continued …

Tied up the rafter for the foredeck (support of boat cover), and removed and tied down our Rocna anchor.

Off to Old Port Cove, North Palm Beach, for dinner with Joan and Laurence Wright of s/v-Tranquility (which, I just learned, has only one "L" – my bad…)

Decommissioning, Day Four

Bob's Clothing, tools, papers & manuals, & Rx's – found, assembled, and sorted: 1. Bring home, 2. Leave in storage locker, 3. Put into camper for trip home, or 4. Throw away. Food on boat also sorted: 1. Put in camper, 2. Leave on boat, 3. Bring to food shelf, 4. Eat now.

We hauled more stuff to our storage locker. Another van full. And almost a storage locker full too.

Arranged with Mr. Honda Outboard Engine Repair Guy to pick up and service the 2.3hp Honda outboard – should be done by tomorrow so we can get out of Dodge sometime soon.

And yet another day searching for the water leak. We put green food coloring in the main freshwater tank to test for leaks.  And there is still another fucking leak – we got green water in the bilge!  It is not / cannot be / any of the tubing downstream of the pump – I either replaced or capped-off all of the tubing.  ALL fittings are visible and not leaking. But there IS now green water in the bilge.  That leaves either the main fresh water tank or the hot water heater tank – most likely the former.  We arranged to talk to the service manager here tomorrow morning – so here goes another couple of Boat Units. Maybe they can fix it while we are gone for the summer – I refuse to deal with it in the fall when we return. Maybe, just maybe, replacing EVERYTHING in the fresh water system will stop the leaks. Maybe. No sense fishtaping to replace some more of the leaking PEX tubing, as it is capped off and we have bigger problems here.

We are thinking about purchasing augurs, to strap the boat down securely when on-the-hard to prevent it blowing away in the [coming for sure this year, with our luck] hurricane. Also thinking about not doing this and hoping the boat is gone when we return [see Fucking Leak, above].

Scheduled: Tomorrow=Wednesday, 7am – meet with service manager about having someone (not us) find and fix the water leak.  12pm – Outboard motor returns, serviced and ready for next season. Thursday, 12:30 – haulout, blocking on jackstands, install boat cover, final boat prep.

Ilona's been busy sorting, moving, and especially cleaning the boat. Day One of wiping everything down with vinegar solution to prevent mildew – it does get a bit humid here during the summer …