SV Sereine
Cruising on a Whitby 42 based in Maine
| Vessel Name: | sereine |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Whitby 42 |
| Hailing Port: | Georgetown. Maine |
| Crew: | Marilyn, Charlie and Wil |
| About: |
30 April 2021
19 April 2021 | Gulfport, FL
02 April 2021 | Punta Gorda
21 March 2021 | Salty Sam's Marina San Carlos
11 March 2021 | Pelican Bay
26 February 2021 | Marco Island, FL USA
20 February 2021 | Man of War Harbor Key West, FL USA
06 February 2021
02 February 2021 | Lake Boca Raton
16 January 2021 | Lake Worth, Florida
06 January 2021 | Hutchinson Island Fort Pierce Florida
06 January 2021
30 December 2020 | Fort Pierce Fl
22 December 2020 | Fort Pierce, Florida
16 December 2020 | St Augustine, FL
10 December 2020 | Stono River
06 December 2020 | Butler Island, SC
14 November 2020
13 November 2020
12 November 2020 | Mile Hammock Bay
Recent Blog Posts
30 April 2021
The Last Episode
We contnued our stay at Gulfport and practiced being sailors and cruisers. A big part of cruising is meeting people. We met many, warm and genuine folk who deftly added brush strokes to our Gulf Coast canvas.
19 April 2021 | Gulfport, FL
Back to Basics
We found everything we wanted in Punta Gorda. Rented a car, and drove to Miami Airport to pick up Pippin, another rescue dog from Virgin Gorda, BVI. She and Charlie are like two peas in a pod.
02 April 2021 | Punta Gorda
The five yard line
We left Salty Sam's Marina early on March 22. We kept our speed under 5 knots, averaging less than 3.5 knots. This is our new normal. There was the usual traffic along the ICW, including the usual wake.
21 March 2021 | Salty Sam's Marina San Carlos
The downhill run
We left the southern end of Sanibel Island back tracking up San Carlos Bay, and running NE along a stretch of the ICW to the Caloosahatchee River, which delivers us to the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. This is how we made our way to Fort Myers Beach. The mooring reservation came through and we enjoyed two [...]
11 March 2021 | Pelican Bay
Cayo Costa
It was a calm and sunny morning on March 1 when we hauled anchors and said our goodbyes to Marco Island. The outgoing current was significant despite being within 2 hours of low. I set the throttle to the lowest possible, and we were traveling at 5.5 knots. Itw as good to get outside of the shoals [...]
Paid the Tab
20 February 2021 | Man of War Harbor Key West, FL USA
wil boisvert | windy
Out of the mouth of babes. I logged a whining noise from the drive shaft the night we anchored of Rodriguez Key. The next morning we motored for about an hour before we saw a significant reduction in speed from 6.8 to 4.5 knots at the same engine RPM. Decided to turn around a get to anchorage inside of Tavernier Key under sail. I was not chancing running the engine until I knew more about the cause.
We slowly entered the anchorage with 10 knots of wind. This is too low to tack with just the head sail, so we jibed. Jibing loses more ground than tacking, but with patience we made a spot that was promising.
Promises, promises. The was enough weeds in the sand/clay to clog the Danforth and Fortress, and we eventually dragged. We made one more try for a sandy anchorage. This took multiple runs and jibes, including very close to another boat and a very slow speed. We found a spot just beyond and set both anchors quickly.
Inspecting the situation, it was clear we had a transmission fluid leak, though where from, was not clear. I keyed on the underside of the transmission in the most inaccessible position. Maybe I would get to use the 1.5 ton chain hoist after all...
Practicality saved the day, and the plan formed to get more transmission fluid. If this solved the propulsion issue, then we could nurse the problem until Key West, where more capable people could repair it.
The next morning we took the dinghy 2.4 NM over 3-4 ft of water. Eventually, we made Snappers Restaurant, where we tied up. We Uber'd to Advance Auto in Key Largo. I grabbed a gallon of transmission fluid. Thought about less, but chose more.
The dinghy ride back provided the opportunity to see an Eagle Ray in seven feet of water pass under out eight foot dinghy. We don't see that in Maine.
Reached the boat, quickly refilled the transmission, and verified that we once again had propulsion. Weighed anchor faster than you can say "weigh anchor". Back on the road again.
Motored at 7 knots w/o headsail. Around noon lost some propulsion. I never pass up the opportunity to straddle a hot engine in rolling seas, so added another couple of pints of transmission fluid. We were back in business, with the devil adding a little more to our tab.
We made Long Key and anchored for the night. I made note of the 65 foot bridge, as that shortcut would trim 5 days off our return trip. Quiet night.
Next day, more transmission fluid and port beam rolling seas. Again around noon more fluid. We made Pye Key and anchored so far from shore, that it made a Mainer like me nervous. However, we were in 8 feet of water.
Next day was the last leg to Key West. Travel was the same as the last two days, with one exception. The devil asked to have the tab paid.
We made the turn at Key West and went into neutral while I readied our dock line for Key West Bight Marine where we had a slip for four days.When ready I slipped it into key and nothing. No propulsion, I added the last couple pints of transmission fluid, but still nothing. We were just a half mile away...
Inspection showed the forward half of the shft coupling had come away fropm the transmission. What?! How? Why? Why now?
Nothing left to do but call TowboatUS for the eighth time this voyage. Oh, almost forgot about the devil and our tab. Seems the marina will not allow one to be towed into the slip, reservation cancelled. Through many calls, we were towed to Mark's Marine Deisel on Stock Island. We "tied up" to a large menacing cement wall, with a four foot climb to get out of boat.We were there for three days. The replaced the coupling lock nut, the transmission rear seal, and most importantly aligned the engine and shaft, something Shearwater forgot to do.
With the devil paid in full, we motored to Man of War harbor off Key West. Anchored over a rocky bottom, with a hit or miss holding. We have been here for seven days, while I FINALLY fixed the alternator! We also took dinghy into town many times to sample restaurants, shop and most importantly give Charlie some land time.
Big winds the next 30 hours. We will keep anchor watch, because of the bottom, previous incidents of anchor dragging, and boats immediately aft by a couple hundred feet.
Will work on finalizing the mizzen repair tonight and tomorrow. We hope to dock for fuel, water and a pump out Monday morning. After that we can start on the next chapter of this voyage, the one where everything works.
We slowly entered the anchorage with 10 knots of wind. This is too low to tack with just the head sail, so we jibed. Jibing loses more ground than tacking, but with patience we made a spot that was promising.
Promises, promises. The was enough weeds in the sand/clay to clog the Danforth and Fortress, and we eventually dragged. We made one more try for a sandy anchorage. This took multiple runs and jibes, including very close to another boat and a very slow speed. We found a spot just beyond and set both anchors quickly.
Inspecting the situation, it was clear we had a transmission fluid leak, though where from, was not clear. I keyed on the underside of the transmission in the most inaccessible position. Maybe I would get to use the 1.5 ton chain hoist after all...
Practicality saved the day, and the plan formed to get more transmission fluid. If this solved the propulsion issue, then we could nurse the problem until Key West, where more capable people could repair it.
The next morning we took the dinghy 2.4 NM over 3-4 ft of water. Eventually, we made Snappers Restaurant, where we tied up. We Uber'd to Advance Auto in Key Largo. I grabbed a gallon of transmission fluid. Thought about less, but chose more.
The dinghy ride back provided the opportunity to see an Eagle Ray in seven feet of water pass under out eight foot dinghy. We don't see that in Maine.
Reached the boat, quickly refilled the transmission, and verified that we once again had propulsion. Weighed anchor faster than you can say "weigh anchor". Back on the road again.
Motored at 7 knots w/o headsail. Around noon lost some propulsion. I never pass up the opportunity to straddle a hot engine in rolling seas, so added another couple of pints of transmission fluid. We were back in business, with the devil adding a little more to our tab.
We made Long Key and anchored for the night. I made note of the 65 foot bridge, as that shortcut would trim 5 days off our return trip. Quiet night.
Next day, more transmission fluid and port beam rolling seas. Again around noon more fluid. We made Pye Key and anchored so far from shore, that it made a Mainer like me nervous. However, we were in 8 feet of water.
Next day was the last leg to Key West. Travel was the same as the last two days, with one exception. The devil asked to have the tab paid.
We made the turn at Key West and went into neutral while I readied our dock line for Key West Bight Marine where we had a slip for four days.When ready I slipped it into key and nothing. No propulsion, I added the last couple pints of transmission fluid, but still nothing. We were just a half mile away...
Inspection showed the forward half of the shft coupling had come away fropm the transmission. What?! How? Why? Why now?
Nothing left to do but call TowboatUS for the eighth time this voyage. Oh, almost forgot about the devil and our tab. Seems the marina will not allow one to be towed into the slip, reservation cancelled. Through many calls, we were towed to Mark's Marine Deisel on Stock Island. We "tied up" to a large menacing cement wall, with a four foot climb to get out of boat.We were there for three days. The replaced the coupling lock nut, the transmission rear seal, and most importantly aligned the engine and shaft, something Shearwater forgot to do.
With the devil paid in full, we motored to Man of War harbor off Key West. Anchored over a rocky bottom, with a hit or miss holding. We have been here for seven days, while I FINALLY fixed the alternator! We also took dinghy into town many times to sample restaurants, shop and most importantly give Charlie some land time.
Big winds the next 30 hours. We will keep anchor watch, because of the bottom, previous incidents of anchor dragging, and boats immediately aft by a couple hundred feet.
Will work on finalizing the mizzen repair tonight and tomorrow. We hope to dock for fuel, water and a pump out Monday morning. After that we can start on the next chapter of this voyage, the one where everything works.
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