http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui Copyright 2008 SailBlogs.com Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:26:35 -0500 720 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:26:35 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en support@sailblogs.com support@sailblogs.com http://www.sailblogs.com/images/sb_rss_icon.gif http://www.sailblogs.com/ 88 31 Weblogs for Sailors and Sailing http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60603 Well, I guess this is the final update or log to be added to this blog for awhile.If we are able boat wise and money wise to leave here in Nov. I will start it again.I did not keep excellent records like my friend Duane did so I cant post how many miles,gallons,hours,etc.It may be better that I dont know. I do know that it was a great adventure but a very expensive one for us.Will take some time to recover.We dont have "real job's" like a lot of you but are on a monthly fixed income.This morning(Thursday) my dear-dear friend Rob aka #1, came to the rescue and arrive at the boat with chain fall and slings in hand. In a hour and a half,we had the engine in the back of his truck tied down and ready to come back to Charleston. We are back home in Charleston and the Perkins engine is in the garage.Now the next step is locating another motor to put in the boat and get it back to Charleston.Another friend has suggested taking his boat down to Ga. and pulling the Chiqui back to Charleston. So thats another option.But what ever happens,its going to be a busy hot summer.I have posted some pictures on the blog under Waterway trip of the engine being removed.I hope every one has a great summer.Vern&Rose Capt.Vern Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:33:39 -0500 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60603 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60327 Well here we are (at the moment, Tuesday 10:30am) anchored in the middle of the intercoastal waterway with a frozen engine,waiting on good old Sea Tow. I guess that I need to start at the beginning which would be yesterday morning at 8am. To begin with, our "Buddy Boat" left the anchorage about 15 minutes before us and took off like he was going to put out a fire somewhere and we haven't seen or heard from him since. When we went to crank the engine it wouldn't do anything. We radioed Dreamer to tell him and he gave some suggestions that might help start the engine, but nothing worked. Then I thought it must be the starter was bad, so I called a friend, Steve Ross who lives about a hour away, and asked him if he would pick up a starter for me and bring it down here to the boondocks. He said that he would and after about two hours he was here with the new starter. We took it back to the Chiqui and after as much trouble putting in the new starter as taking out the old one, we tried to crank the engine again. Nothing! Still wouldn't do anything. So,since I'm not a electrical starter engineer, I called my friend in Charleston who knows more about starters than I do. He said that it sounded like the solenoid was not getting power to it. So I took some small piece of wire with alligator clips and jumped 12 volts to the starter switch and it started! It wouldn't start by just the switch but at least I could start it this way. Now to go back to the starter removal, along with catching hell taking out the three bolts that hold it in place, I had to disconnect two oil lines that were right behind the starter so they could be removed. This is where the oil filter was at one time but the oil filter had been moved to a different spot and these were the line connecting it to the engine. Like an idiot, I did not mark which line went where. There were only two lines,right? Besides I didn't think that it would really matter which line went where. I thought that it would flow no matter how they were connected. So I started the engine the next morning (today) and checked the oil pressure. It was right up there at 60 pounds. Everything sounded great, so off we went to continue our journey. After about a half mile the engine started making an awful noise. I looked down and the oil pressure was still at 60 pounds and the temp. was normal. As I went to pull the throttle back it just shut down. At this point I went down and checked the engine oil stick. Plenty of oil! At this point I thought it best to call my dear friend in Charleston, David, who works for Superior Diesel and ask him about the hose connections. He said that he knew someone who had done the same thing by reversing the lines and locked up his engine. He said that there was a check valve that would not allow oil to flow thru the engine if they were connected backwards, but would show oil pressure on the gauge. I told him that I was going to try to see if I could swap the lines the right way and then see if I could get it started again. So after putting the lines on the correct way, I tried to crank the engine. It would turn a little then stop. I took jumper cables and jumped my house battery bank to my starting battery and tried it again. This time it turned faster but still wouldn't start. I got Rose to spray a little carb. cleaner in the air intake while I tried to start it and after a few tries it finally started. I thought we were saved. That didn't last long. I noticed that what once was 60+pounds of oil pressure was now 35! I called Dave back and he said that if it was running,to go ahead and try and nurse it back to Charleston. After going about a mile in the waterway the temp. started to go higher and higher and the engine RPM's would go up and down and the oil pressure kept dropping until it finally just died! I called sea-tow and if you would ever want to see an example of adding insult to injury, this it it. Today is June 24 and my sea-tow expired on June 22!!! But let me put in a GREAT word for sea-tow. The operator called the main office and after noting that I have been a member for 11 years, they let me renew right then so that I would be covered by this tow. What a relief! So he towed us back here to Kilkenny Marina where we now sit trying to figure out our next move. None of the possibilties are great. I know the engine is shot and has to come out. I know that I need to find a replacement. Dave said that it would cost too much to rebuild this one. It would be cheaper if I can find a used one. I don't have any idea yet what it's going to cost to stay tied up here at this marina for maybe a month. So a lot of questions and not many answers at this point. More later. I'm going to go and try to find a high bridge!!! Capt.Vern Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:46:39 -0500 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60327 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60171 Well if I had know before hand how bad the fishing would be here we would not have stayed a extra day.We got our live shrimp and rod's and reel's and went up the creek aways and tried our luck at fishing.Some of you may remember that we stopped here last Nov. and went trout fishing and caught 10 in less than 15 minutes! We would catch one as soon as the bait hit the water. Well that was Nov. and this is June and the trout must have taken a vacation.Not a bite all day.We tried mid day and then again in the afternoon.And we also have had back to back storms while here.Yesterday at 3:30,today at 5:30. Other than the time difference and the fact that we didn't get any hail today the rest was the same.Poured down rain for a couple of hours.I'm only going to try an make 25-30 mile days so that we can get anchored early before these storms hit.Should get home by Thursday or Friday.Could make it sooner but we're in no hurry.Was glad to hear that Duane and Diane got back home safe after there four month cruise.I wanted to stay in the Abaco a little longer than we did,but it will be good to get back home.Its going to take a week just to clean the boat up.Tomorrow night should be our last night in Ga. I never have liked cruising thru Ga. Not sure why,just haven't.Well, thats about it for now.Take care. Capt.Vern Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:31:38 -0500 http://www.sailblogs.com/member/chiqui?xjMsgID=60171