Day 22

This would have been day 22. So instead of being somewhere over in Fla. we are tied to the dock. Summer is passing by at a high speed.

I did have a professional diver check my prop today for any damage. No damage so it has to be in the transmission. Engine needs overhaul and so does the transmission.

I'm looking a purchasing a used 9.9 extra long shaft outboard and adding remote controls. At least I would have something to sale.

Boat worth nothing right now unless someone is looking for a cheap liveaboard. I aint giving Pandora away.

Dead boat

Here's the latest on what going to happened.
Today we are staying put.  I'm going to correct the battery system so that the now dead Duralast battery can be turn off and the new Walmart battery connected.
Then I'm going to see if I have enough extra sheet line on the jib halyard to use as a jib sheet.

Then I'm going to hang the outboard motor on the stern bracket. Just in case the engine over heats again.

If I can't find someone to dive on the prop to check again Hope fully I can hold my breath long enough to get it checked for seaweed. I don't think that's the problem.

Then tomorrow we will head east again.   If I can't make at least 4.5 mph we will turn around and head back to Port Lavaca.  We'll anchor in the Colorado River for the night. Because it will take up 15 hours to get back to PL. I'll finish painting the deck and put her up for sale.  Just can't do this any longer.  I just don't have the desire to fight a dead boat.  I just can't bring her back to life.

Back home

Well we made it back to Port Lavaca and slip 28A. Had a hard time getting her into the slip with wind working against us and no reverse. Thanks to our dock mates (Jim, Ken, and Anna) for helping us out. Got to get the alternator off tomorrow and have it check and NOT AT AUTO ZONE With the solar and engine never did get a full charge in the battery. I've got it on the charger now. I'll try and figure out what is going on with the reverse in the morning.
Over the next few day I'll decide whether or not to sell the boat. This was our only chance to get any cruising in this year. Just another let down with this boat.

Headed home

We got ready to leave Matagorda for another try east. Pandora at it again. No reverse. I can shift in reverse but she will not move even with the throttle full open and pumping out oil. I got the out board in the water and fired up. Used it to get us out of the slip. By this time its 0830. New destination Port O'Connor.  We knew there was no way we could get to Port Lavaca in the daylight. We hit the ICW in Port O'Connor and it took 2 hours to make it to Sanctuary.  We did run aground 9' of water to an instant 1.5'.  Had a tow send me enough water to get off without help from Towboats.

When we get to Port Lavaca not sure what we will do. Its going to be hard press to spend another dime on her. She need engine rebuilt as well as the transmission.I feel she is just a dying boat and wants to die. 

Richard on the ARB. It works great but with the battery setup I have she hasn't run most of the night. In Matagorda I had it on 110. Was set on 20 now up to 25. Everything still frozen. Does take up a lot of space in the cabin.

One last comment. She did sail across Matagorda Bay just under the wore out  jib beautifully. 17+ not winds and rough condition. She just heal over and hobby horsed though the chop. 

What's next??????????????

Well the cruise is coming to an end. The engine doesn't have enough guts to push her at anywhere close to hull speed. 16 hours to go 45 miles. With out a tach all I can do is set the throttle where she is not pumping out oil. With the prop I have the book says 2000 rmp. My prop was cleaned Sunday. Hull is clean from bottom job.  Engine overheated. No idea why. pulled the lines off and checked the strainer all good. Maybe the thermostat stuck. Working ok at the moment.   Battery dead. Duralast. Got the walmart group 29 installed today to find out the Guest switch is bad. Position 1 does not work.  Had to cut the jib sheet to get it off a wench. Jerry rigged it this morning.

Doing the ICW across Texas and Louisianan you have to make 45 mile per day in the daylight. Otherwise you will never find the anchorages. The anchorages are 45 to 50 miles apart.

IWell the cruise is coming to an end. The engine doesn't have enough guts to push her at anywhere close to hull speed. 16 hours to go 45 miles. With out a tach all I can do is set the throttle where she is not pumping out oil. With the prop I have the book says 2000 rmp. My prop was cleaned Sunday. Hull is clean from bottom job.  Engine overheated. No idea why. pulled the lines off and checked the strainer all good. Maybe the thermostat stuck. Working ok at the moment.   Battery dead. Duralast. Got the walmart group 29 installed today to find out the Guest switch is bad. Position 1 does not work.  Had to cut the jib sheet to get it off a wench. Jerry rigged it this morning.

Doing the ICW across Texas and Louisianan you have to make 45 mile per day in the daylight. Otherwise you will never find the anchorages. The anchorages are 45 to 50 miles apart.

I just don't have it in me anymore to try an bring a dead boat back to life that doesn't want to be. Just as soon as I got the cockpit locker I got hammered with blowing rain. Lasted about half hour. Nothing new for Pandora's attitude. 

Now I know why the one battery was hooked up wrong. The Guest switch panel is bad. Position one does not work. Now I have to spend more money to get a new one. Did get the outboard on the transom just in case we need it to get home. Cute the halyard so I have the jib sheet temp. fixed. Paid for 2 night here. Last night and tonight. Another 50 bucks down the drain.

Slow very slow

What can I say. Lets see. 1st we left Port Lavaca at 0640 and we arrived at Matagorda at 2157 or 9:57PM  Very long slow day. The engine over heated  the port jib sheet got stuck in the wench and I had to cut it at the clew. No jib sheet now and they were brand new. My wonderful Duralast battery is sitting at 11.5 volts.  Adventure of a life time Hell no a horror show of a life time.  The engine doesn't have the power to even push her to hull speed even under sail. All we could get under sail was 3.7mph healed over at 20 degrees. That hole in the hull was sucking water into the bilge. The list is getting longer and longer.

Time has come

Here in a few minutes we'll cast off to a new adventure. Winds are calm, water smooth and the sky is clean. I guess its the right sign for us leaving.  First stop Matagorda, Texas.

Is it Pink?

Got the strip painted over the 4th and numbers in place.  Ready to set sail Wednesday to a new adventure.

Got started on the non skid on the deck. I also added some green netting across the transom to keep Trixie on board. She like getting behind me. Back seat driver. Will post a photo of that later.

Its Saturday

Made a last minute run to WalMart for a couple items then off to see the fire works. We throwed the dock lines at 1123 and headed out the marina. Its a 17 mile run. No big deal we've done it a number of time in our other boat.

The wind were to be 5 to 10 southeast. Right on our nose. No problem when we get to channel marker 53 to turn to starboard. We could raise a sail on a close haul. We the boat the wind and current were not in our favor.  It took us 4 hours to motor 7 miles. We got within 200 yards of marker 53 and were just sitting there 0.0mph on the chart plotter. Yep sitting there right in the middle of the Matagorda ship channel. Not a place you want to be stopped.  The winds were 17 to 20 now dead on the nose now and a unusual strong current. I finally got the boat turned around and headed home. No fireworks tonight.  We did roll out the jib and got up to 3.9mph. Once we hit Lavaca channel we furled the jib and lost 1 mph. So it ended up being a long day.

One thing for sure Miss Sadie can handle the rough chop of Matagorda Bay pretty good. Lot smoother than on Miss Froggy.

We are thinking about trying to leave on Wednesday for our cruise.  More later.

My third Duralast battery is just a big of crap as the first two.  50% charge is all it will hold.

Not Happy

Yesterday we went home to get the rest of our stuff. Frozen food mail and close the bus up. When we stopped by the post office to let the postmaster know we would be oout of town I got a letter from the VA.  The letter informed me that I HAD to be at an evaluation on my prostrate cancer in Corpus on the 7th of July at 1000. Boy am I PO.  We'll be tied to the dock until at least the 8th if the winds on Matagorda Bay calm down enough for us to leave then.

Think Saturday we'll go up the bay to Port O'Connor to watch the fireworks.  Anchor out over night. Should be fun.

AGLCA

I posted this on my Facebook page. I had joined AGLCA with the thoughts it would be really something and the discounts on slip fees and fuel would be great. Even getting a discount on Skipper Bob stuff. Boy was I fooled.  Here's what I posted.

"What a racket in the boating world. I'm member 13992 of AGLCA America Great Loop Cruising Asso. They charge to join. No membership card but for 40 dollars you can buy a flag from them. If half of my membership number are still active and dues paying do you realize how much money these people are knocking down. One year membership $69.95 times 7000 equals $489,650 a year to read their forum board. What a racket."