Cruising on Alexia

An informal update of our travels for Family and Friends

05 September 2013
27 June 2013
27 June 2013
27 June 2013
20 June 2013 | William wears kneepads to protect from the heat of the deck
17 June 2013 | Torrential rain for six hours
13 June 2013 | Herring Bay off Chesapeake Bay
08 June 2013 | Miles River, Maryland
08 June 2013 | Amelia at the helm with a helping hand from DAD
28 May 2013 | Just a short half mile journey across the River
27 May 2013 | Free dockage at the city marina
24 May 2013 | Narrow and shallow
24 May 2013 | Visitor Centre Dock
24 May 2013 | We're at the top
24 May 2013 | Going up
24 May 2013 | The gates close behind us

Is It Fresh or Salty?

26 February 2013
A small water leak on the engine
Our last month has been busy and spent mostly at anchor around the islands and a good WiFi signal has given us a chance to catch up on emails and other things that get consigned to 'tomorrow' like reconciling credit cards and bank statements.

There's also the regular checking of Alexia's internal parts such as filters, pumps, gaskets, flanges and valves and anything else you can think of. Thankfully, apart from one item, all seems well.

The one thing which needs attention is a waterleak on the engine..

A few days ago we noticed a pool of water in the reservoir below the engine. Is it fresh or salty? asks William. The thought of taking a sip from the murky puddle didn't enthuse me but I stuck my finger into the liquid and tasted - it was salty.

With nothing obvious to be seen we started the engine and a= trickle of water appeared from the end of the oil cooler. Loosening the pipe clamp and pulling back the pipe we could see nothing until we scraped away at the green paint to reveal hidden corrosion. The extended pipe of the oil cooler was about to sever itself from the main unit.

The boatyard which had dealt with Alexia's problem two months ago were brilliant and within three days we refitted a neatly welded and repainted oil cooler.
Vessel Name: Alexia
Vessel Make/Model: Hallberg Rassy 42 built in 1998. She's extremely comfortable aboard with two ensuite cabins. Endless useful equipment like microwave, bilge pump counter, bowthrusters, Mastervolt generator, air conditioning, 12v freezer,
Hailing Port: London, United Kingdom
Crew: William Spouse and Frances Rogers
About: William has been a competitive sailor most of his life and introduced Frances to the boating life 29 years ago. In that time they have chartered many sailboats in Europe and the Caribbean finally purchasing Alexia in 2007.