The Gulf Stream provided us with up to 3.7 knots of northward flowing current on our trip from the Bahamas to the USA. The highest temperature we documented of the Gulf Stream was 27.3C (81F), considerably cooler than our voyage north in 2012 when we were being chased by Tropical Storm Debbie. People can joke about how much fuel we power boaters use but you might be surprised to know that the last time we added fuel to Vanish was in Panama in September last year, over 2,000 miles from our current position. We still have over a quarter of a tank of fuel left but we will take on more at this marina as it is so convenient. Our trip to Charleston took less than 48 hours at an average speed of 9 kn with the 3 of us doing 3-1/2 hour watches during the night and 4 hours during the day. We would also get together for lunch and dinner and chat about our various watch experience. On leaving the Bahamas we saw a couple of vessels on AIS heading for Bermuda and Florida but it became quiet with only one ship headed for Africa and another heading for Mexico. As we closed the US, ships started appearing more regularly in all directions but they were easy to track with radar and AIS.
Over the last two years we have been asked several times if there were any changes we would have made to Vanish. Last week we discussed our decision to replace the larger galvanised anchor chain to 3/8" Cromax stainless 318LN. We also felt the need to change out our Microphor toilets in the three guest cabins and the one up on the bridge deck. Microphor toilets use compressed air to power the flush and don't have any mechanical parts which can be a big advantage; however we noticed some irregularities in the flushing cycle when we were at sea. They can also slosh around at sea as water is always in the bowl. This is definitely not a good thing. Our goal has been to create a robust, seagoing vessel that we can trust in remote, harsh environments. We have loved the electric Tecma toilet that we have in the master bathroom so we decided to replace all four of the Microphor heads with brand new Tecma Silence Plus heads. This way we would also have five sets of spares by having the same high quality toilets throughout the boat.
We got quite an expensive quote from the local marine guys in Freeport, so Mike decided that he wanted to take on the challenge of installing the toilets himself. True to form, Marlow had already pre-wired the boat in anticipation that we might want to switch to electric heads at some point. With the help of a local contractor, Mike finished off the electrical and found a way to reroute the plumbing inside of the new Tecma head so it would be compatible with where the black water pipes come out of the deck. With the addition of the necessary 30 amp breakers and a lot of hose clamps we were able to complete a full refit of the toilet system at a fraction of the cost. We are very happy with the result as the toilets are fantastic, and they are also much more efficient than the old Microphors.
Why is it that I fall in love with almost every place I temporarily hang my hat! Charleston has another big tick on my ever-growing list with its friendly safe environment, our marina situation, its rivers, swampland, climate, beautiful homes and oak trees and wonderful downtown area. We're so lucky to always be 'at home' on Vanish no matter what country or town we're visiting and I think that's a huge advantage.
(Above Photo by Mike P)