Delivering "Ariel Spirit".... Again.

[s/v Faith]

Some who have been here for a while might remember when I delivered "Ariel Spirit" from  MD to NC for a young lady several years ago.

Well, that young lady grew up.  After graduating high school (I drove up to NC to attend that) I did not see her again until after she graduated from the USCG Academy.  She was stationed in St. Petersburg and she sailed Ariel Spirit down with her dad while on leave.

I was cruising the Bahamas aboard Emerald Tide last fall when I got an email from Ariel Spirit's captain.  She has been selected to be the XO of a ship out of PR!  Quite an accomplishment for a second tour fresh out of the academy!

She wanted to know if I would help her with Spirt again... Of course I agreed and immediately thought about the cruise down through the Bahamas to PR....   She was considering that, but was not sure she could keep the boat in PR with her schedule and new job she was putting her on the market.

I was in NC last week, picking up my van after an unexpected new motor...  And doing some work on Emerald Tide....  Ok, really mostly just spending a couple nice days sailing the Neuse...

Anyway, tonight I am anchored aboard Ariel Spirit at "the penthouse" anchorage in Clearwater Florida.  Brit wanted to move her from Tampa Bay, there have been many many tire kickers, but no one who was the right homes......

Sailing out of Tampa Bay yesterday;

[s/v Faith]

As I was departing the Harborage Marina I encountered a send off crew.  I was right at the opening to the Channel leading to the bay, and saw a USCG boat coming along side.

I actually laughed, and I asked them if they knew the owner....  They were unimpressed, but someone noticed the safety inspection sticker in the port light and let me pass....   

[s/v Faith]

More in a bit....I could have departed on a Friday, but I am a Sailor....  So I was not going to do that.

Saturday was the first day of summer, and what better way to spend it then underway!

  A couple hours out st. Pete I was really hot and needed a break.  I was on the phone with Sheila and she looked on active captain and found me a cool (free) dock at a McDonalds!  Got a couple bags of ice and walked to a CVS for some sunblock and a beach umbrella!

[s/v Faith]

I have been thwarted in my efforts to upload pictures, have lost posts in the effort....  :P

After departing, an offer on the boat has been made.  I may not be sailing her to  pensacola as planned, but...

.... Back up to North Carolina!  The perspective buyer is in Oriental, what is interesting is that I was there last weekend!  He said his house is a couple blocks from "The Bean" where I was drinking coffee last Sunday morning...

I have a sunset picture to post here, but am trying to remember my password on an off board hosting site....

[s/v Faith]

Sunset looking East.... Ok, yes... It is the wrong way. 

[s/v Faith]

Yesterday's sunset over the Gulf;

[CharlieJ]

Ah yes- "the Bean"!! Been there several times. Kinda of a eclectic crowd in there early mornings, usually talking boats. :D

[s/v Faith]

Some "real numbers"...

Moving boats is the surest way to go broke I know...

Ariel spirit expenses

Pinnelas fasteners.  $21
Marine salvage. $24

West marine. (2nd trip) $37. (Gas can to replace mine after mine gave out and soaked my van with gas)!*
Fuel (14 gallons)  $49
Provisions $174
Transportation to st Pete.    $210

Total. $515

But then there are the other costs...  Before any consideration for my time.


Additional expenses;

West marine. (1st trip). $29. Purchase rearming kit for harness after first set off by rain...  Of course it pours down rain after you load the cart!

Walmart at 23:00 buy cheap replacement drill after mine died finishing repair job... $41

5 more gallons of gas to fill up new gas can. $18

Two long sleeve shirts, suntan lotion (SPF 90) and beach umbrella after nearly bursting into flames on waterway in the heat of the day.  $91

Going to have to buy a cooler, as the ice box is not holding cold at all... 5 bags of ice have completely melted in a day and a half.h

[s/v Faith]

Ah yes- "the Bean"!! Been there several times. Kinda of a eclectic crowd in there early mornings, usually talking boats. :D

I heard a very funny (albeit rather harsh) line this week.

There was the typically large gathering inside, they migrated across the street and continued talking.  I heard someone ask what was going on (it was a large group) and the comment was...

"that is the meeting of the idiot club, they are electing a president".

:)

[Captain Smollett]

Ah yes- "the Bean"!! Been there several times. Kinda of a eclectic crowd in there early mornings,

Eclectic is a nice euphemism for what I was thinking.  I'm not a fan of the crowd that hangs out there.

"that is the meeting of the idiot club, they are electing a president".

I'd like to buy the dude that said that a cup of coffee!  That's more in line with what I was thinking... ;D ;D

And now, in the interest of "if you can't say something nice ..." I'll stop. 

[CharlieJ]

Ah yes- "the Bean"!! Been there several times. Kinda of a eclectic crowd in there early mornings, usually talking boats. :D

I heard a very funny (albeit rather harsh) line this week.

There was the typically large gathering inside, they migrated across the street and continued talking.  I heard someone ask what was going on (it was a large group) and the comment was...

"that is the meeting of the idiot club, they are electing a president".

:)

ROFL- Yep, sounds like the place ;) One of the staff per chance??

[s/v Faith]

Just got an email from the prospective buyer, looks like he has found another boat that is closer.  So I will be continuing north, rather then heading to North Carolina right now.

As hot as it is out here right now, not entirely a bad thing.

Topping up on fuel and ice and heading across the Gulf to Apachacola.  Post again after the 140 mile passage, looks like fairly light wind today.

[s/v Faith]

Messenger. I am sharing my location information with you. Click on the link to see where I am.

Just follow this link to see my location updates:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=04qCzdKRUjPrgnYhuGC6IvFsno9iIRaDZ
If the link doesn't work, try copying and pasting it to your browser's address bar.

[s/v Faith]

Anchored safe and sound and Carrabelle Florida after a 37 hour single-handed passage...  More later, for now some much needed rest!

[CharlieJ]

 ;D ;D

Been there, done that. Slept for a day and a half in Apalachicola afterwards. Good to hear you made it ok.

[Captain Smollett]

Congrats!

37 hours?  Too bad you were not on some modern WonderSailer 43; could have made that trip in what...an hour?  Cuz, you know..."fast."   :P

;D

[s/v Faith]

26 June 2014

At the bay front park dock in Apachacola, GICW mark ~350

Today was a shortish day,  sailed up from Carabelle where I spent last night at C-Quarters marina. 

After the passage, when I last updated this I slept the sleep of the dead.  37 hours single handed is no joke.  I was wiped out, and glad for the anchorage behind Dog Island where I could snooze.

I woke up the next morning, made coffee, and started the motor.  While I was raising the hook, I heard a buzzer going off in the cockpit.  Well, it was not the depth alarm and that was the only alarm like that I knew of...  Apparently whoever installed the motor had wired a warning buzzer into the high temp / low oil pressure light.  I quickly checked the flow from the "pee" hole, it was flowing well and not hot.  I shut down the motor and checked the oil.  It was overfilled, which was strange since I had checked it twice before and it was just full.

The phenomena  of  "making oil" is one I know from my motorcycle days.  If a float sticks when you shut down a motor gas can seep past the rings and mix with the oil.  It can also happen in some motors with mechanical fuel pumps when a seal fails and gas enters the crankcase directly.

Ariel Spirit has a new (2012) mercury 9.9.  It is an electric start 2 cyl, with a remote throttle and shifter.  There was no way I was taking any chances with this motor.  I did get in the water to make sure the intake was clear, and checked out what I could.  I had enough oil to change it, but no way to get the oil oil out without doing something terrible....

Fortunately the town of Carabelle was just 3 miles up river.  I love the Ariel, she is so handy I really did not have any trouble sailing up the river. I did take a couple turns around the furler to shorten the genoa, but even short tacking she ran right up the river with no problems.

The marina I had choosen (based largely on the $1 a foot price) had only a short face dock at the fuel dock... And slips perpendicular to the river.  I have docked my Ariel under sail enough to know what can and can't be done easily... And Ariel Spirit is not my boat so I was not taking any chances.

I did come up with a plan, and it worked much better then I imagined,  I planned to luff up, drop sail, and drop my anchor in the channel a short ways off the marina.  My plan was to then settle back until I could grab an outer piling and and then work my way in.

I choose a section of vacant slips, lured up and dropped the anchor.  I then realized that if I used the current I could "spring" off of the anchor into a slip.  I dropped the tiller, went mid ships, and grabbed the anchor line,  it worked perfectly!   The bow came into the slip directly in the center.  The stern was still being carried by the current, but I quickly got a stern line on the finger.  The boat did not touch the dock!

What was even more cool was that there were witnesses!  The good old rocking chair club was gathered around the front of the marina and had seen the whole thing...  I will admit I had a bit of swagger as I walked up...  But apparently either no one saw it, or everyone around here does it like that or something,,,,  no one felt compelled to say anyting,

[s/v Faith]

Carabelle is a great little town!

  C-Quarters marina is generous with the ice, beer, and advice.  For my $29 slip fee, I got a beer, a 7 gallon bucket of ice, and an introduction to the entire town....  All while sitting in the shade.

  Larry, the "been here forever" guy pointed me to where I could get groceries, dinner, and all the local attractions.   

  I caught the local Ace Hardware, bought some sea foam, a can of carb spray, some weather stripping for the ice box, and even a new halogen bulb for the cabin light.

[CharlieJ]

Hey Craig- Isn't it great to be in a small, handy boat that sails well?

[s/v Faith]

No transfer pump though...

...  But I had been pointed to a local marine salvage / consignment shop.

I have their card in my wallet.  If you are there, you must stop in!  Great inventory, best prices I have seen anywhere in a long time... But the cooles was when I asked for a transfer pump the owner drove home, got his own pump, and lent it to me.  It was the real nice $100 one west marine sells.  He did not know me from Adam, but just told me to bring it back in the morning.

When I asked where I could dump the oil, he said there was no where close by and said he would take care of it!  Very cool!

Got back to the boat, worked for a while got some sleep and this morning I had her going.  There was some trash in the float bowl, so I suspect the float had been sticking.  Started right up, ran for a few minutes and checked the oil... Still right at full.  Checked an hour later, still full.  Idle is smoother too, which is saying something this motor idles very smooth!

On to Apachacola!

(Will upload some pictures when I am on wifi)