Tue 12 Jun 2012
Docked at Worton Creek Marina
[photo: finally got the engine apart enough to replace the camshaft]
We had quite a rain in the early morning, but left the air conditioning on to help lower the humidity. Looking at the deck and cockpit, however, you would never suspect we had a hard rain since it was still marred with recent bird droppings and the remains of hundreds of insects. It bothered me enough that I got out the brush and soap and did a quick job of cleaning it off.
We both slept later than usual after our revelry the night before and got to see Harvey off in the boat and Sara off in the car. I then tackled disassembling the engine as far as I could in about an hour. Trying to track down the mechanic is difficult because he is being pulled in many directions and there is always somebody with "just a quick job" that needs to be done. The only thing that prevents me from getting too concerned is that we are still awaiting parts for the reassembly, so we are not necessarily losing time.
Our new buddies (Craig and Peggy) with the fuel pump problem look to be fixed (that was one of the "quick jobs"), but they are staying the night anyway. We expect to see them later and hopefully we will be celebrating some measure of progress on our engine by then.
Near noon, the mechanic arrived and we got to work in earnest. Working alongside John was a real pleasure. He obviously knows what he is doing, and he is willing to share and discuss along the way to the betterment of your knowledge. We had the cylinder head and gear case off in less than an hour and while John took the head to the shop to scrape off the gasket residue and remove all the flaking paint, I stayed at the boat to carefully clean the block. You don't dare let any residue fall into the crankcase where it could clog the narrow oil galleries.
When John returned, I had the sad task of reporting that the gear case gasket was obviously wrong. He then opened the head gasket package and confirmed that it was wrong, too. Not a good feeling. We hoofed back to the office and got the parts manager, James, involved. Working in our favor was the fact that I/we had supplied the exact model number and serial number of the engine, but at the same time, the crew here at Worton Creek did not have a parts list for the M-35B and so used the M-35 parts list. So, they very specifically ordered the wrong parts, although they rely on their suppliers to cross-check them in cases like this.
Based upon what I overheard, I don't think they have any intention of trying to penalize me financially for the mistake, although we will lose another 2 days. If all goes well, we will have been here a full 7 days, which is a long time.
After moving as many of the parts and stuff as possible, I put the engine cover and ladder back on so we could exist in the boat with a little room, but the kitty litter box was not in its normal spot and there was litter tracked all over the boat by morning; Diane was not at all happy.
I got off the boat to have a last visit with Craig and Peggy, who served some tasty snacks. After that nice visit, I moved to another boat owned by Dick and Judy since they said they had lots of cruising info to share about our points north. I was there for a short while and enjoyed the company and the info.
Back at Diva Di, I reheated the lasagna for us and it was mighty tasty on a wet, dreary evening. Unfortunately, the humidity and warmth got to Duane in the middle of the night so he went out in the cockpit and switched the shore power cable from the A/C receptacle to the house receptacle. We have two separate cords that could have been used, but one was stowed where getting it would have been a nightmare due to the engine parts scattered about. It was easier to just switch the cable.
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Comments [1]
Mon 11 Jun 2012
Docked at Worton Creek Marina
It cooled off nicely overnight, but not enough to be the least bit chilly or make Duane yearn for a cup of coffee. Our location is below a pretty steep hill to the E with many tall leafy trees, so the sunlight preceded the blaze of direct sun by over two hours. It was a great time to get more stainless steel polishing done, and then read peacefully in the cockpit with Clyde before Diane awoke.
Harvey had suggested that I try to get the John the mechanic's attention right after 0800 and I did. He was able to come over a few hours later and we tested the compression to find it was excellent on all cylinders. Next, he suggested that I remove the exhaust elbow to see if we had any concerns there and I am thrilled to report that it is in great shape, too.
He got confirmation that the parts (mostly gaskets and seals) should be arriving tomorrow mod-morning, so I told John that I would disassemble the engine as far as I wanted to go in the early part of the morning. When I wasn't attending to our own boat, I was helping Harvey with two projects on his and they turned out fine.
Diane and Sara had gone to Chestertown for shopping, lunch, and some minor provisions. They had a good time and didn't have to put up with the mess of the various boat projects. They also got a nice flank steak for dinner.
By 1530, the pool was calling me and I was surprised to find no one else there, but then realized it was no longer a weekend and most people were at work or school. On the way back I was hailed by a couple on the fuel dock and recognized them as ones we had met in Annapolis and then later they were here for a day. It seems the electric fuel pump on their rented boat failed so their other friends towed them back here. As of 1700, they had not been able to locate a replacement part.
Part way through our happy hour on Harvey and Sara's new boat, Harvey and I trudged up the hill to get the grill going. The grill was extra hot, so the steak was more medium than medium-rare, but it was still tender and juicy. The rest of the 'fixins' were tasty, too, and we enjoyed a very nice meal and great conversation. It was a lot later than usual when we went to bed.
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Sun 10 Jun 2012
Docked at Worton Creek Marina
[pool at the marina]
We elected to leave the air conditioning running all night and the way the ducting works, it was still not very cool in the V-berth. It was certainly pleasant enough, just not cold like the main saloon. Breakfast waited until after doing some more polishing of the stainless steel while the fast-rising sun was not quite blazing hot. Even then, less than an hour later it was time to quit.
With the air running and having a lazy day ahead, it was a good time to cook up some eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast. Then, with the extra time, we decided to prepare and bake a large tray of Lasagna for meals later this week. While that was baking, there was time to chat with our nearby dock mates. All were nice and most were heading out today for a short excursion. The sailors lamented the lack of wind and the power boaters reveled in it.
Diane went for a long walk up the hill to see what there was to see, while Duane got out the charts, guidebooks, tide tables, and consulted the smartphone Navionics App for current info. We need to have the current with us for both the Chesapeake and Delaware (C & D) canal and the trip down the Delaware Bay. If we were leaving today, it would be great, but not being able to leave until Thu or Fri means that we will be traveling late in the day to go with the current.
After enough of all that planning stuff, it was time to bring a small taste of the Lasagna up to Diane at the pool, along with a refreshing beverage and a good book. I really do like most children, but my heart sank a bit when I neared the pool and heard the loud shouts of "Marco - Polo." There were three young girls playing there without adult supervision and taking over the whole pool. I would have preferred to stand in the pool at the edge reading my new book, but that was not going to happen unless I spoiled their play, so I sat with Diane a while and then went back to the boat. I will try again later.
Later was a little better as the girls had moved on to quieter games. We enjoyed a few delightful hours in the pool reading our books when Harvey appeared. He and Sara had just driven down from PA to load up their boat and hope to leave Tue morning for Oxford, MD. Harvey asked me to give him the benefit of some engineering advice on a last-minute project, but I suspect he has it all figured out.
We had cocktails and snacks aboard their beautiful (new-to-them) boat, and finally had to disengage from the fascinating conversation to get some supper. The Lasagna turned out well and we were quite satisfied by 2030. The night is extremely still and now comfortable, but the bugs are coming out and it is time to head below with the screens in the hatches.
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Don and Pam
Sat 9 Jun 2012
Docked at Worton Creek Marina
[no photos until the cell signal improves]
What a nice evening and night it was! While our surroundings are not the prettiest we have encountered so far, they are certainly pleasant enough and it is very still and quiet. The few times Duane awoke during the night, he could hear the owls hooting in the trees. It got comfortably cool last night but not as chilly as yesterday morning. At the moment, our cell signal is so weak that we cannot check weather via Internet, but hopefully that will improve as we get to the marina later this morning.
At 0830, we raised the marina via VHF and came in for diesel, a little gas for the dinghy, and a pump-out of the waste tank. We are still averaging almost 10 statute miles per gallon, but favorable currents (due to good planning) and some beneficial wind make that number higher than would otherwise be.
Every staff member we met here is very friendly and helpful. I asked Tom at the desk if he was aware of our situation and he said yes. I offered to pay for the electric hook-up even though the dockage was free due to the repair work and he had to ask management about that. Libby (co-owner) said to forget it for now and let's see how the repair bill shapes up.
It is shaping up to be a very warm, sunny day and plugging in for the air conditioning is very welcome. With Duane's back finally back to near normal, he has no excuse to procrastinate on polishing the all-too-numerous tubes of stainless steel, which are well stained. It is called "stain less" not "stain free" for a reason. [Many of our boating friends say that is a "pink" job, but try telling that to the Admiral.] First, I got all the shower/bathing suit gear ready so that after I was thoroughly drenched in perspiration, it was a quick trip to shower without having to make a mess below.
Even working in the shade of the Bimini cover, it was sweaty work to get about one-third polished, and then it was off to the shower and pool. The pool was at a nice, refreshing temperature and during the 3 hours we were there, at least a dozen different people came in to enjoy it. Naturally, Duane had to make conversation with many and got some advice about the next 200 miles or so of travel.
The purpose of this cruise is not to spend 5 or more days lounging around a pool in one place, but if you are stuck, there are certainly many worse places to be stuck. We had an early dinner of leftover chicken Marsala and some canned peas. How is it that most canned corn we have eaten is pretty good, yet we have never had any canned peas that tasted remotely good? I guess with all or provisioning in Annapolis, we failed to get much in the way of fresh vegetables. At least we have salad ingredients.
Clyde has definitely seemed more at ease since we are back on the boat after our whirlwind series of visits in NJ and PA. He must now identify the boat as home and sees it as something familiar and stable. We have so far not indulged in desserts more than a few times in almost 10 weeks, bit tonight Diane walked up the hill to the restaurant and brought back a brownie with ice cream. It was pretty tasty.
Our cell reception, and therefore our Internet connection, is horrible here. It may require carrying the laptop and smartphone to the top of the hill to post this and check email. If our postings are not timely for the next 5 days or so, that is most likely the reason.
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Sat 9 Jun 2012
Docked at Worton Creek Marina
[no photos until the cell signal improves]
What a nice evening and night it was! While our surroundings are not the prettiest we have encountered so far, they are certainly pleasant enough and it is very still and quiet. The few times Duane awoke during the night, he could hear the owls hooting in the trees. It got comfortably cool last night but not as chilly as yesterday morning. At the moment, our cell signal is so weak that we cannot check weather via Internet, but hopefully that will improve as we get to the marina later this morning.
At 0830, we raised the marina via VHF and came in for diesel, a little gas for the dinghy, and a pump-out of the waste tank. We are still averaging almost 10 statute miles per gallon, but favorable currents (due to good planning) and some beneficial wind make that number higher than would otherwise be.
Every staff member we met here is very friendly and helpful. I asked Tom at the desk if he was aware of our situation and he said yes. I offered to pay for the electric hook-up even though the dockage was free due to the repair work and he had to ask management about that. Libby (co-owner) said to forget it for now and let's see how the repair bill shapes up.
It is shaping up to be a very warm, sunny day and plugging in for the air conditioning is very welcome. With Duane's back finally back to near normal, he has no excuse to procrastinate on polishing the all-too-numerous tubes of stainless steel, which are well stained. It is called "stain less" not "stain free" for a reason. [Many of our boating friends say that is a "pink" job, but try telling that to the Admiral.] First, I got all the shower/bathing suit gear ready so that after I was thoroughly drenched in perspiration, it was a quick trip to shower without having to make a mess below.
Even working in the shade of the Bimini cover, it was sweaty work to get about one-third polished, and then it was off to the shower and pool. The pool was at a nice, refreshing temperature and during the 3 hours we were there, at least a dozen different people came in to enjoy it. Naturally, Duane had to make conversation with many and got some advice about the next 200 miles or so of travel.
The purpose of this cruise is not to spend 5 or more days lounging around a pool in one place, but if you are stuck, there are certainly many worse places to be stuck. We had an early dinner of leftover chicken Marsala and some canned peas. How is it that most canned corn we have eaten is pretty good, yet we have never had any canned peas that tasted remotely good? I guess with all or provisioning in Annapolis, we failed to get much in the way of fresh vegetables. At least we have salad ingredients.
Clyde has definitely seemed more at ease since we are back on the boat after our whirlwind series of visits in NJ and PA. He must now identify the boat as home and sees it as something familiar and stable. We have so far not indulged in desserts more than a few times in almost 10 weeks, bit tonight Diane walked up the hill to the restaurant and brought back a brownie with ice cream. It was pretty tasty.
Our cell reception, and therefore our Internet connection, is horrible here. It may require carrying the laptop and smartphone to the top of the hill to post this and check email. If our postings are not timely for the next 5 days or so, that is most likely the reason.
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Fri 8 Jun 2012
Anchored at Worton Creek, MD
We enjoyed a good sleep despite the loud music and revelry 75 feet across the narrow fairway. What started out as a rather hot late afternoon and then a pleasant evening turned quite cool by morning. Not a bad thing, really.
The chilly morning made it easy to stay in bed until late (almost 0630), so we didn't get underway until 0730. With that relatively early departure, we enjoyed a half to full knot of fair current all the way up the bay to the entrance to Worton Creek. Not only was the current in our favor, but we could use the wind to our advantage for most of the run, as well.
We had misinterpreted what our friend Bill had told us, so we anchored near the entrance to Worton Creek for lunch to see if the tall ships would pass on their way to Norfolk, VA. Only after checking the Internet did we realize that the ships were already south of us, so we weighed anchor (with a working windlass!) and motored up the creek to anchor right off the Worton Creek Marina.
The cell signal is poor here, but I was able to call the marina to discover the both the bad and good news. The parts are not likely to be here until Tue (hopefully Wed at the latest) and that means we will be "stuck" here at least until Thursday. The good news is that they invited us to come and dock for free and use all their shower/pool facilities until we are done with the repairs, since it is not our fault that the parts are not here yet. That is quite a generous offer that I doubt most marinas would extend. We will stay at anchor in our relative solitude tonight and hope that the evening cools off since it is quite warm, although not too bad as of 1500. Tomorrow (Sat) we will move to the dock and easy access to whatever is ashore that we care to do.
Our friend, Harvey (husband of Diane's cousin Sara) will be back down to get on his boat (with Sara) Sun afternoon, so we will visit with them both then until they move their boat to Oxford, MD where they like to hang out for the summer as they can.
Our afternoon was relaxing after Duane figured out the problem with the auto-pilot and made an adjustment we hope will fix it. Diane finally found a good opportunity to sun herself on the deck while Duane studied the charts for the passages north from here later next week. In the mid-afternoon heat, a nap was in order for both of us and it felt great.
Even though it was still on the warm side close to 1800, we elected to get a lot of the cooking done so that we could concentrate on other things over the next few days. For the benefit of neophyte shipboard cooks, a little pre-planning goes a long way to making life easier. For example, we did the following all in one large, deep pot in a series of stages: sautéed onions for two meals, sautéed mushrooms for the chicken Marsala, browned the chicken medallions, prepared the Marsala wine sauce, browned the pork sausage and ground beef for the future lasagna, pre-cooked two sausage patties, cooked the penne pasta, and then heated the chicken with the penne for dinner tonight.
There was only one pot and one set of utensils to clean, and we now have the makings for 8 or more meals. The key is to have the right music playing, a soothing beverage of choice, and love in your heart.
Eating topside right after sundown at 2015 was very pleasant as the temperature had moderated and the light breeze was delightful. Clyde thought it was quite peaceful and demonstrated it by spending much time topside in various places. At least 5 boats have joined us in the anchorage but no one is the least bit crowded. At low tide, we registered 5.2 feet and we draw 4.6 feet, so we are very close to the bottom, but with no wave action in this protected area, we will be fine.
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