A Batterd Coast

The trip from Panama City to Pensacola is a short offshore run. At around 2 p.m. we found ourselves sitting just inside the Panama City Ship Channel waiting for a commercial ship to enter so we could exit.

As we departed the channel and turned west our forecasted “southeast winds” were blowing out of the west, southwest — the direction we needed to go. We settled back in and grumbled about the forecast.

By about 10 p.m. it finally switched to the south and we actually began sailing. By 6 a.m. the next morning we were just off the Pensacola Ship Channel.

Our last anchorage in Florida was a picture-perfect location that one might expect anywhere along the Gulf Coast, and we thoroughly enjoyed it, but it would be our last of its type. A short run up the Pensacola Ship Channel brought us back to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West (GIWW). A short-but-shallow land cut needs to be navigated to enter Big Lagoon. Statute Mile 175 at the west end of the lagoon takes a sharp left and the marked channel turns and heads southwest for about a half-mile. Instead of following the channel to the right after that, we continued in toward Perdido Key as close as our draft would allow.

Perdido Key is a protected barrier island with a beautiful white-sand beach facing the gulf. The anchor bit immediately in the soft sand and the water was as smooth as glass. After we settled in and took a short nap we launched the dinghy for what would be our last beach walk of the trip. The shelling wasn’t great since most public beaches are picked clean, but the surf and sea air more than made up for it. This almost turned out to be a perfect chamber of commerce day — almost.

We returned to the boat around 2 p.m. for a late lunch and were almost rocked out of our seats by a sonic boom. This was followed by the loudest roar we had ever heard. It was impossible to talk to each other for a moment and we realized that we had a front row seat to the Navy’s finest fighter pilots. Their maneuvers brought them almost at our masthead and this went on for most of the afternoon. We said a big prayer of thanks that they were not doing night maneuvers.

Through hazardous waters

After a good night’s sleep we pulled up anchor and moved a whole eight miles and into Alabama to a small marina right on the waterway. We had planned this as a fuel and clean-up stop to do laundry, wash the boat and enjoy some shoreside activities. It turned out to be a great spot with super-friendly folks, free WiFi and a fantastic restaurant. A fellow ham radio operator lent us his car for a trip to the grocery store (and to pick up a pizza). The marina facilities and fuel stops would be few and far between for the next several hundred miles.

Our next leg would be Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound, both large, open bodies of water that are heavily traveled by commercial traffic of varying sizes and can be extremely uncomfortable if you’re caught on the wrong side of the bay in the wrong wind conditions.

Our next anchorage would be behind Dauphin Island on the west side of Mobile Bay and at the beginning of Mississippi Sound. Dauphin Island is another barrier island and the location of Fort Gains, a former Confederate stronghold that now features a museum and civil war re-enactments. There is a Coast Guard station and ferry terminal at the east end of the island.

We were warned by several reliable sources that we should not stray out of the GIWW while crossing the Mississippi Sound. Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina devastated this area and many homes, automobiles, appliances, boats and just about anything else you can imagine were unaccounted for after the storms. They are believed to litter the bottom of the Mississippi Sound and are uncharted. (This is the best reason one has to listen to your local Broadcast Notice to Mariners issued by the Coast Guard on a daily basis.)

The main channel had been cleared for commercial traffic, but the shallow sound had many dangers lurking just beneath the surface and this situation is not likely to change any time soon. We approached each anchorage just off the waterway by moving extremely slowly and keeping a close eye on the depth sounder. An eye on the weather is a must here since there are no protected anchorages from north winds without long treks across the sound, and there are no facilities from Gulf Shores to New Orleans without leaving the waterway track. (The popular marina in Dog River in the upper reaches of Mobile Bay is open and taking transients.)

After Dauphin Island, our next stop was Cat Island on the Mississippi Sound in Mississippi. Again, these anchorages should not be used in strong north winds. We were fortunate enough to have mild southerlies for this part of our passage. From here it was on to New Orleans and the biggest shock of our entire trek across this region.

Point of impact

There are no good anchorages in or near the New Orleans area. In addition, this is very much a commercial port with a great deal of commercial vessels to contend with. As we progressed west, we began encountering more of this traffic, mostly in the form of tugs pushing long strings of barges, some hundreds of feet long. A great deal of caution and care must be exercised while traveling this waterway in the company of these behemoths. A collision would be disastrous. From the time we entered this stretch of waterway until our arrival in Texas, we monitored Ch. 13 (not 16) in order to know what was going on with the big boys. We found a fair anchorage just east of New Orleans in a commercial canal known as Michoud Canal, surrounded by factories and power plants with a small basin some 40 feet deep.

The media coverage of the devastation of this area does not really prepare you for what you see with your own eyes.

We had called ahead and reached the Orleans Marina on Lake Pontchartrain, and were originally told they were not accepting any transient boats. We explained that we would only be in the area for a day and were unable to reach any other facility. They found that one of their slip holders would be gone for a while, having their boat repaired, so agreed to rent us their slip. As we turned off the waterway onto the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal, which connects the lake to the waterway, we found the Seabrook Marina within the Canal open with a few transient slips and a new fuel dock.

We continued on into the lake and as we entered the small boat harbor where Orleans Marina is located, we can only describe our reaction as shock. At the entrance is a building that resembles a lighthouse laying on its side. Another building that was a large two-story restaurant was totally decimated with the interior exposed and furniture strewn about. Boats were sunken and docks destroyed everywhere, and there were still boats sitting atop pilings and broken docks.

To someone that didn’t know better, one would think the hurricane had just come through a few days prior, not more than eight months before. There were boats piled ashore as though a child had scattered their toys, only these toys were broken.

The portion of the marina that we would stay in was tucked way back in the corner of the basin and was not as damaged at the rest of the marina. We crawled in at idle speed since the basin was full of floating debris and any face docks that had survived were full of boats tied two and three deep that were obviously being repaired.

Even in the more protected part of the harbor there were still boats that had sunk at their slips and were still underwater. Every dock had some kind of damage, even if slight, and we did not find any boat in the hundreds of slips that did not have some sort of damage. Since this was the only marina except Seabrook that was functional, they were trying to accommodate the boats that had survived but were displaced from other marinas that were destroyed. It will be many years before the boating community recovers here.

A kind couple on another boat gave us a ride for groceries and other errands and took us for some sightseeing and a visit to the French Quarter.

Downtown New Orleans is alive and well, but some of the neighborhoods near the marina were unbelievable. The break in the levee that did most of the flooding was only a half-mile from the marina and repairs were ongoing in early May 2006. Entire communities were destroyed and deserted with piles of debris everywhere. In the nearby communities, there were no people, no animals and no sounds, just destruction and devastation. It is an experience we will never forget.

Guilty goodbyes

We stayed for a few days since a strong front was on the way and the marina was kind enough to allow us the extra time. The marine industry is almost non-existent there and cannot cope with the tasks they currently have on hand. Repairs to docks and buildings had not even begun and were not even in the planning stage at the time. Many of the people we encountered seemed to be still living in a state of shock and were very unsure of the future.

We almost felt guilty about the fact that we could just untie the dock lines and go with our home and all of our belongings. People often ask us where we are from and we jokingly just point at the boat wherever she is anchored. Many thousands of people there still live in limbo and many more have left, never to return. We hope to return one day in better times.

Ever Westward

Finally leaving New Orleans, we continued on our way west. This would turn out to be one of the most challenging sections of our voyage. The entire waterway for the next 20 miles was heavily industrial, and there were no facilities and few safe spots for small vessels to stop. Great care and caution must be exercised along this section to co-exist with the large commercial traffic encountered going in either direction, which means VHF Channel 13 should be monitored at all times.

One problem sailboats encounter here is that several bridges must be opened. We found on several occasions the phones don’t work and the bridge tenders do not monitor VHF radios. The commercial traffic communicates with them by cellphone, but we found the Coast Guard does not have the cellphone numbers for the bridge tenders. We are not sure where the commercial vessels get the numbers, but we were able to get a tug to relay to a bridge that we needed them to open. We found this happened several times in New Orleans, but was not a problem anywhere else.

Cruisers must transit several bridges as well as a lock just prior to entering the Mississippi River. Then a decision must be made to continue north on the Mississippi to Harvey Locks in order to continue on or go south to Algiers Lock, both about five miles on the river. Be advised that the currents on the river can be 3 knots or more and this is a major shipping port. Expect to encounter tugs with tows, ferries, ships and all manner of vessels.

We chose the Algiers Lock just south of us instead of fighting the strong currents by going north to Harvey Lock. We were one of 15 vessels, all commercial except us, that transited that lock. We had to hold position outside the lock and just off the Mississippi River proper so any “red flag” vessels could lock through first. These are vessels carrying hazardous cargo such as gasoline, fuels, natural gas or many other products. Our wait time was almost one hour.

As we finally locked through and exited the other side we found dozens of tugs and barges on the side of the waterway waiting for their turn through. It was an impressive experience and we realized our place in this pecking order. We also understood why the lockkeepers would not allow us to lock through with these giants.

Quiet anchorages

Our first stop beyond New Orleans was Lafitte. There is a small convenience store with marine supplies and a fuel dock just off the waterway at the Barataria Waterway. If you arrive when they are closing for the day, about 4 p.m., you can tie up for the night for a small fee, but you must be off the dock early the next morning when boats begin to come in for fuel.

There are also two other small marinas a few miles farther south on the Barataria, but no haul-out facilities. This river is also used by tugs and barges. The encounters with these tows were getting heavier and we were counting 15 to 20 a day — and on one day stopped counting after 30.

After spending the night at Lafitte we traveled another 38 nautical miles to Houma and the pleasant, friendly municipal marina between the twin bridges. There is no marina office so you have to call a number posted on the bulletin board and the friendly dockmaster comes to your boat and collects the dockage charge. No fuel or services are available here, but it is a nice place to stop and there is one charge no matter what size your boat. Water and electricity are available on the dock for no extra charge. Shops and restaurants are within walking distance. The marina is also next to the local hospital and many shops are within walking distance.

The town was untouched by the 2005 hurricanes.

The next stretch of the waterway is beautiful and quite undeveloped except for the occasional small shipyard, but (again) no services for small craft. Our next anchorage would be Bayou Black, only 25 nautical miles from Houma. Bayou Black is another waterway frequently traveled by tugs and barges. Any stops along the way must be given that consideration.

We dropped anchor along the side of the bayou and ran a line to a tree ashore to keep us from swinging into the channel. Although we only planned to spend a day, this turned out to be such a peaceful spot we decided to just hang out for a few more days. The skippers of the tugs and barges that passed our way were friendly and we always received a wave or a whistle. They seemed to appreciate our efforts to anchor bow and stern along the shoreline well out of the channel.

Our second day we explored the bayou in the dinghy, encountering many bird species and more than a few crocs. Often we turned off the waterway and dinghied in to a break in the vegetation and found ourselves in a beautiful world of peace and quiet that probably has not changed in a thousand years. Cypress stumps, Spanish moss hanging from the trees, lily pads floating on the water and the wildlife almost ignoring us made feel guilty even starting the dinghy outboard to head back to the boat.

Not since our time on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala had we felt so attuned to nature and out of the civilized world even though it was only a short distance back to reality. All too soon it was time to continue on our westward trek.

Locks and current

The next place we found fuel available was at Intracoastal City located at Mile 160. All mileage is calculated as west of Harvey Lock for this portion of the GIWW. The fuel dock handles pleasure boats and commercial fishing vessels. There is a strong current running here so care in docking for fuel is needed. We found the approach simple since the current put us right alongside the dock. This was the cheapest fuel we had purchased so far since leaving Mexico.

This business suffered damage from Hurricane Rita when the storm surge reached about 9 feet. As a result, there is no longer a grocery store in town and many homes were destroyed.

Leaving was a more interesting experience since that same current was determined to keep us pinned to the dock. We decided to back the boat by hand back to the outside corner then try a full power reverse to get us back in the channel. This worked, but barely, since as soon as we began moving in reverse the current wanted to push the bow back to the dock.

We cleared the corner of the dock with our bowsprit, but only by inches. All along the waterway for hundreds of miles we saw many homes that had been torn apart and deserted. We were surprised to see hundreds and hundreds of appliances lining the banks of the waterway everywhere beyond this point. There were mostly refrigerators and freezers but also stoves and a few things we could not identify and we even saw some appliances up in the trees.

We also wondered what might be in the water, but figured if the tugs and barges could make it, so could we. We wondered what our anchor might bring up.

Stark reminders

Soon after entering Texas we anchored in Adams Bayou. There is a marina of sorts here that is sometimes open. We had called ahead on the phone and were told that the marina was open, and that they even had a café. When we arrived we found the marina in poor condition and the docks filled with boats that had obvious storm damage. Some had sunk and been re-floated, and others had a tattered roller furling waving in the wind.

We chose to anchor in the canal instead and dinghied ashore the next day. We never did find anyone at the marina and we were there for a couple of days. Many of the local businesses are closed and buildings are damaged, but a small grocery store is within walking distance.

No fuel or repair services were there that we could find. This is just a good protected anchorage to wait out weather. A small boat ramp nearby makes this a busy place on weekends.

Farther along the waterway there are several great anchorages, but no fuel or facilities for boats. We spent some peaceful nights in places like Avery Canal, Adams Bayou and on the Mermentau and Calcasieu Rivers along the way. There are other great stops and anchorages depending upon your draft and ability to cover distances during daylight hours.

Approaching Galveston Bay you’ll find some places to tie up at small marinas or restaurants, but no services for boaters. Fuel was a concern for us, but we were able to find it at reasonable intervals. Had we had a major breakdown, a more serious problem may have presented itself. We recommend subscribing to a commercial towing service for those unexpected events.

We made a special note of New Orleans because of the overall devastation, but many towns and areas along the waterway have also been devastated or destroyed, especially in Mississippi. Entire communities are now gone and that includes the people and businesses that cater to smaller boats such as ours. Be prepared to be self-sufficient.

Boats washed up on land and damaged boats in various conditions and states of repair can be found everywhere along this coast. Experiencing this first-hand has given us a renewed sympathy and empathy for the people and the communities, some of which may never recover. But, through it all, the people we met were extremely friendly and would do whatever they could to help us.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the individuals and communities along this coast, and our thanks to those that were so kind and helpful even when they themselves were in need of help.

Journeys End

Sea Trek puts in after a long and winding voyage — for as long as it takes to plan the next adventure.

We sat in the cockpit on this morning drinking our coffee and reflecting on where we had been and where we are now. Did we really do this trip or are we just waking up from a really long and pleasant dream? This is always, for us, the most difficult part of our cruises — to put into words the feelings and emotions on that last day before we must once again integrate ourselves into that “normal” part of society in which most everyone else lives.

It can’t be a dream because we are tied to the dock at a small restaurant on the ICW at the southern end of Galveston Bay. After being based out of South Florida for the past 10 years, we had to have arrived here somehow. It was time to cast off the dock lines one more time and do it.

Galveston Bay is actually made up of four bays. Galveston Bay covers the south and the northwest area while the southern portion is divided into East Bay and West Bay and Trinity Bay covering the northwest area. The bay averages 6 to 10 feet outside the dredged channels and with our 6-foot draft we needed to pay close attention. The bay is 30 miles long and at some points nearly 20 miles wide.

This is one of the busiest seaports in the United States and most certainly the busiest we have ever transited. Even as we approached the bay entrance on the Intracoastal we were aware of the parade of vessels both entering from the Gulf and from The ICW in every direction. At the same time, ships and barges were coming down the channel to exit the bay.

With everything going on we found we would not have time to wallow in the funk that usually accompanied us on our final day. As usual, we had laid out our route up the bay and put in all waypoints in the GPS the night before. We studied the charts and had a pretty good idea of where we wanted to go. The weather forecast for the day called for easterly winds to settle down to 10 to 15 knots. As we turned to starboard into the bay we were greeted with northwesterlies on our nose at about 20. Fortunately the seas had not had time to build, but it was still pretty choppy and nasty.

Our choice of a route was to travel about a mile east of the main ship channel until we reached the Redfish Point area, then cross the ship channel and run just outside the green buoys until we made the turn toward Clear Lake. What we did not anticipate was having to constantly be on the lookout for — and constantly dodging — abandoned oil platforms and the commercial fleet that was out gathering shrimp, oysters and all varieties of seafood.

Our total trip up the bay to Clear Lake would only be about 25 miles. We can usually cover this distance in about four hours. But even motorsailing, with the engine pushing hard, we found these last miles hard-fought and the going slow. Perhaps the deity that watches over fools and sailors was trying to tell us something.

An unexpected issue became apparent when it was time to cross the ship channel. With our vessel Sea Trek making only about 4 to 5 knots against wind and sea, the oncoming ships traveling up and down the channel at 18 to 20-some knots made getting across for us a bit dicey. So for about 20 minutes we just circled outside the channel until we saw an opening and had to make a decision fast and get across quickly.

We angled the boat so the wind was on the aft starboard beam, pushed the throttle full forward and shot across the channel before the next behemoth coming down the channel made fiberglass splinters out of us. We made it across with room and time to spare, but when these large ships are bearing down it doesn’t seem like it at that time. Other than the commercial vessels we were the only pleasure craft on this section of the bay today.

We pushed on to the northwest and finally hit our waypoint to make the turn toward Clear Lake.

We had reviewed the guide book for marina info and had several good recommendations from fellow cruisers from this area that we had met in the western Caribbean. This was the reason we were here to begin with. To the person, every sailor we met from Texas, or who had passed through here, told us we must go to Clear Lake. So here we are.

Based on all of that information we decided on a large marina complex just inside the lake. We had been in communication with them for about a week and arranged for a slip to park for a while. Our first plan was to stay there for a week or so, be sure that we were going to like it and scout out any others that might look inviting. As we made the turn off the ship channel we called the marina and announced our arrival. We were instructed to call back when we entered the lake for instructions and slip assignment. We confirmed that the slip needed to accommodate a 6-foot draft.

Entering Clear Lake is a bit of a surreal experience. We had just exited an extremely busy ship channel, dodged huge oil platforms as well as derelict platforms and all manner of fishing vessels. As we approached and entered the Clear Lake channel we were greeted by a variety of touristy buildings, ferris wheels, tower rides and what can only be described as a miniature amusement park. At first we were a bit surprised, but then we looked at each other and could only say, “Cool.”

A call to the marina again got us precise directions since there are several channels to choose from once inside the lake. We stayed on the phone with them until we felt sure we understood exactly where our slip was. With dock lines and fenders ready, we made the turn into the slip and abruptly ran aground halfway in. Fortunately, we were close enough to the finger pier to get off and walk up to the office and correct the problem.

“Oh yes,” we were told, “that portion of the marina is pretty shallow at low tide.” While we had been telling them for some time we needed at least 6 feet, maybe we were not specific enough to state that we wanted that at all stages of the tides.

The marina personnel gave us another slip and assured us that it was in a deeper part of the basin, on a T-dock. The bottom of the lake is a soft mud and backing out of the spot we were in was not too difficult.

Once settled in on the T-dock, we sat still and took in these new surroundings. Even with the less-than-dignified arrival, it was a nice place, albeit a bit larger than we were used to. The marina has about 1,200 slips with club houses, swimming pools and well-cared-for grounds. We knew without any more research that we would stay here for the duration.

Our pleasant surroundings and the warm greetings we received did relieve some of the sadness we felt that we must now close this chapter, but we would almost immediately begin planning the next.

We are not, by any stretch of the imagination, wealthy people. Nor do we have any retirement money to tap and fund our cruising. We found many years ago — when first planning our change in lifestyle — that many of our friends who worked hard and planned hard just for this opportunity fell to illness or became embroiled in family problems, financial or personal disasters that ended their cruising plans before they ever began.

We made the decision to not let that happen to us. We sold our business, home, cars and everything that would not fit on the boat and hit the trail, as our Texas friends say.

Paying off our mortgages and the failure of the individual who bought our business, who has yet to pay us, didn’t allow for a nest egg that could be invested to maintain our way of life.

So our plan is to have no plan. We decide on the length of cruise we want to do, how much we need in the bank to carry us through and how much we need at the end to get us settled back in. Many have asked us if we are not afraid going to a new place with no income, no job prospects and no support groups. Our answer is always a resounding, “No.”

With our backgrounds [Chuck a marine mechanic, Susan a social worker] we never have a problem finding work. This stop found work for one of us three days after our arrival and the other within weeks, which is typical.

We will stay for as long as it takes to build the kitty for the next cruise and we will be off again. Where and when is yet to be determined, but it is comforting to just know there will be a where and when.

For those readers who have followed us through these articles in Soundings we hope you have lived vicariously through us if you are unable to put out to sea yourselves. We hope we have inspired some to untie the dock lines and go.

Fair winds to you all and we hope you will follow us on the next journey.

You activated your EPIRB... now what?

You activated your EPIRB... now what?

Posted by Ryan Erickson |

Have you ever wondered exactly how one actually gets rescued after they pull the trigger on their 406mhz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)? Or what about if you happen to be that unlucky soul who didn't register their EPIRB? Well I thought I would run down the quick and dirty of what happens when the Search and Rescue system is activated by the use of an EPIRB and a little hypotheticalness. Before I do this though I'll let you know that I am not an expert in the ways of being a SAR Controller, I am what's considered a junior as I have just under a year of real experience. That being said, I been down the road plenty of times to discuss how it works and I invite all of you Salty SAR Dawgs out there to fill in the gaps or leave your comments.

Fire Extinguisher Recall

We just came across this recall notice for some Kidde Fire Extinguishers. Please click on the link and check to be sure you do not have one on board

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09151.html

Visit The New Boat

Don't forget to stop by the site for the new boat and see what we are up to

http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/

Simple And Inexpensive WiFi

More and more cruisers, be they just weekenders or long distance travelers, are wrestling with the issues of staying connected and yes, I mean to the internet. My first boat had nothing more than a VHF radio and I was able to sail from the US mainland to Bermuda. Later on as the boats got larger and communications improved, a marine SSB radio was added. Then a famous person, I can’t remember who, invented the internet. With that, the ease of email crept into our lives and grew like a weed along the banks of some of the rivers we have traveled. We were hooked and began the search for the latest and greatest technology. Our first device was a hand held unit that was called Pocketmail and needed to be held up to a phone after calling a special number and it would send and receive your emails. It was a pretty neat device and very popular in the cruising circles. Next we added a Pactor modem to our SSB radio and after acquiring a Ham license, used the Winlink system to send and receive email and get that all important weather information. We still have and use extensively the Winlink system. But the more we were exposed to the internet itself, the more important it became and the more functional we found it to gather information on weather, emails and the areas we were traveling- something the Winlink could not do for us.

With the availability of WiFi hotspots to connect to, the possibilities grew considerably. Again, we would have to evaluate our needs and how to meet those needs with the changing technology. For the cruiser today there are now some great choices depending on the areas you plan to cruise, the space aboard and power requirements for additional equipment and that all important dent in the monthly cruising budget. Starting at the high end is a satellite system that can be used on a large part of the planet, even the watery parts. A satellite dish mounted inside a dome and engineered to track and hold the satellites position will give full access to the internet and all it contains. If coastal cruising is in your plans, or even some of the more developed islands, than another option is a wireless phone card modem attached to your computer that will connect and receive anywhere you can get a cell phone signal from your provider. For simple email via text format only a satellite phone will provide this almost anywhere in the world although some folks are finding the coverage is spotty on some oceans. Finally, many cruisers are finding that with a computer that has WiFi capabilities and a device to reach out and grab those free WiFi signals found in more and more locations the costs are relatively low and the installation is fairly easy. Most importantly, after that purchase of equipment, access is free. There are pay services sprouting all along the coast that will provide access via this same system in larger ports. After considerable research we decided on the WiFi method with the free access. Free is always good for most cruisers. Once the decision was made on the what, we now needed to decide on the how.

It is no surprise the internet provided us with the answers. Research, research, research, using mostly cruising website that we have found in the past are frequented by actual cruisers willing to share their knowledge and experience. Two such sites are the SSCA Discussion Board and the great site at Cruisersforum.com. A common name came up over and over again with lots of positive input. Some cruisers also had their own way of putting the system together to improve performance and protect the equipment. We decided on a WiFi unit Made by Senao. The Engenius UEB362 EXT long range USB adapter (now updated to the EUB9603H) was recommended over and over again. Another key piece of the equipment is the antenna. Like any over the air receiver, the antenna can mean the difference between success and failure. We try and match our equipment as much as possible and decided in the Engenius 8db outdoor omni-directional antenna. A small pigtail adapter is needed to attach the much larger antenna to the unit. Your choices will be either omni-directional or directional. The omni-directional will look like the antenna you are used to seeing and the directional antenna will look sort of like a small dish that needs to be aimed directly at the WiFi access point. This works great at the docks but swinging on the anchor as most of us do would present too much of a challenge. The omni-directional does not care whether the boat is swinging so naturally that was our choice.

Having the antenna be weatherproof and outdoor suited is a big plus. Keep in mind these units are not designed to be used in the manner we have planned. The unit itself is not waterproof and the attached antenna is very small. But it is removable and many of these units on the market do not have a removable antenna. That ability limits or extends the range of the unit. We would need to either find a way to weatherproof the unit or move it in and out as needed to keep it dry. Both will work but we prefer to keep it outside while underway since we can often connect as we pass a hotspot without stopping. The final short coming of the unit as is was the short cord that attaches the unit via USB to the computer. It is only about three or four feet long and won’t get it outside unless the computer is outside and we did not want to do that for obvious reasons. But this too is easy to overcome.

Once we had the adapter and antenna in hand, the search for the additional bits and pieces began. We found that a 6X6 plastic electrical box with no holes in it would make a very good weatherproof box to mount the adapter. We purchase a weatherproof gland to pass the cable through and some coax sealer. We found we would need an “active” USB extension cable to get the unit high enough to have some range with it. Having an active cable is important because the unit gets its power from the computer via the USB cable. Be sure it is NOT a passive cable or it will not work. We have received reports that we should not exceed 20 feet for the extension cable but others might find longer will work. Finally, a bit of silicon caulk to seal everything rounds out the material.

The electrical box has plenty of room to mount everything inside and a smaller box will probably work but this was what we used. First you will need to drill a hole in the top to accept the antenna. It slides into the hole and a locking nut on the inside holds it just fine. The hole around the outside and inside should be sealed with a bead of silicone caulk. Next a hole should be drilled into the bottom to accept the weatherproof cable gland and also sealed. Remove the antenna that comes on the unit and use some double stick tape to hold the unit on the back of the box. The first thing we noticed with this unit was its size. It is not much larger than a business card. Before mounting it, attach the pigtail to the antenna and the unit itself. Pass the USB cable from the unit through the hole in the bottom and attach the weatherproofing portion of the cable gland and add some silicone sealer to help keep moisture out. Once all of this is finished, add silicone sealer around the perimeter of the box and attach the cover. The box we purchased had tabs on the corners with holes in them so we could attach different methods of hanging it. We plugged the 20 foot active USB extension cable to the one that is attached to the adapter. Here is where the coax seal comes in and makes the plugs completely waterproof where they are joined together. The seal is sticky and stays that way so be sure and cover it with electrical tape to keep it from sticking to everything (and everyone) it comes in contact with. You will be almost finished but there is one final step before you start connecting.

Before you plug in the unit, you will need to set it up on your computer. There are two methods to do this. The adapter comes with a CD with the required drivers and a program to help make your connections. If your computer is not WiFi capable you will need to install this program. If it is WiFi capable you have a choice. In our research many complained about problems using the program that came with the adapter. Your Windows operating system has a service called Windows Zero Configuration which will manage all of your WiFi connections. Many users, including ourselves, let Windows handle the WiFi with few issues, but the drivers for the adapter need to be installed. Simple - go to the disk, find a folder called drivers, open it and click on set up. It will install the drivers and ask you to plug in the unit. Once installed you will need to restart the computer, and that is should be about it. It should not take a whole lot longer than it did to read this article. Once everything is done and the unit is hung as high as you can get it with the cable attached to your computer, you will be connecting any time an open access point is within range. We have been truly amazed at the range of this set-up and how well it performs.

And now for our total expenditures:

Engenius EUB-362-EXT $45.50 (now updated to the EUB9603H)
Engenius EAG-2408 Outdoor antenna $24.99
CA100 –NM-RSMAM-12 RPSMA Male to N Male 12” cable $9.00
RJ45-FT Feed-thru adapter $1.10
104 Coax seal $2.29
Plastic Junction box with lid $12.16
20’ Male to Female USB active extension cable $12.99
Silicone caulk $5.95

Total cost: $113.98

We did find a couple of sites on the internet that sell these same units already made up for a bit more money, but we like to build these things and install them ourselves. We get not only the feeling of accomplishment, but the knowledge that the parts are of the quality we expect. This has been a great addition to our equipment list and if your needs will be filled with this kind of set up, you will surfing before you know it.

WiFi Adapter For The Boat Revisited

For over a year now we have been able to get some hard evidence on the performance of our WiFi adapter and it has surpassed our expectations. We have been able to receive connection from at least three miles away that we can confirm and it has worked in areas where we had no idea of where the signal was coming from and at what distance. So we do declare it to be a complete success. For the original info see our post at http://tinyurl.com/dcam3r .

But one aspect of the unit has bothered me since we put the whole thing together and that was the waterproof electrical box that everything was mounted to. It did work fine and kept the unit dry, but we just were not crazy about how it looked. People walking down the docks would stare for a while before asking what in the world it was. The gray plastic box was just not aesthetically pleasing so I started considering other options that would be easy and inexpensive and give us some options for mounting. On the sailboat we simply tied it up in the rigging and could remove it if sailing or the weather was really bad. On the trawler we wanted a more permanent mounting, but it too had to be weatherproof since the adapter is very moisture sensitive. Ever time I wandered the local building supply I considered different approaches. I finally decided on using a short piece of PVC pipe with sealed end caps top and bottom.

Making the case was as easy as the original, drilling a hole in the top cap to accept the antenna and two holes in the bottom cap. One would be for the USB cable to pass through and the other would be to accept the rail mount that we would use to mount the entire unit as high up as we could get it on the bimini frame. The mount is a typical rail mount used for antennas for a VHF or GPS. It turned out to be a perfect solution. The antenna, cable pass through and rail mount were all sealed with marine silicone sealant because all of the parts are plastic and silicone is the best sealant to use, IMO. I chose the four inch pipe, not because the parts are that large but because the antenna and USB cable connections stick out from the sides of the adapter and I did not want to jamb everything in tight. Once everything was tucked into the pipe, both ends were sealed with silicone and the caps pushed on tightly being careful not to pinch and cables. We also decided to replace the USB cable from the short cable that comes with the unit, to a fifteen foot cable with USB on one end and a mini-plug like those used for camera connections, on the other. The mini-plug is the same type that plugs into the adapter. This kept any extensions we might want to add inside the boat and out of the weather. We used a plastic cable wrap on the USB cable that would be exposed to UV to protect it.

Once everything was assembled and the unit mounted we went from a single signal from the laptop internal connection to about ten available connection. Most of these were security enabled requiring a password or key to connect, but three or four were open connections and the marina connection went from barely connect to a strong connection. I am sure we will still get the puzzled looks and "what is that" but at least now it looks acceptable and should be well protected from the elements. Now we just can't wait to use it while we are cruising

Doing A Boat Delivery

Doing a boat delivery is not always the glamorous task many might think it to be.
Someone whom has never done a boat delivery might think that you climb on this gleaming new boat and have a great time going from point A to point B at the expense of the owner of the boat. In reality there is much more to this transaction and the process and results can be far from the expectations. Taking on a boat delivery is very involved and may not be for the inexperienced. To even begin the process, and to meet the legal requirements to be able to be paid for it, you must first be a licensed Captain in the U.S. Other countries may have their own regulations. An agreement with the owner as to daily fees for the Captain and for the number of crew needed to deliver the boat is the first step. Additionally the daily expenses such as fuel, dockage, food for the crew and any other miscellaneous reimbursements need to be finalized well before you step onto the boat. Usually a payment in advance is required from the owner and they will also need to have the Captain added to the vessel’s insurance policy. The owner must also provide a letter of authorization for the Captain to operate the vessel in the absence of the owner. Finally, the logistics and expenses of getting the Captain and crew to the boat and back home again after delivery will all have to be worked out.

Once the formalities are completed, the Captain arrives at the boat and needs to do a thorough inspection of the boat and all of the systems. If the owner can be on board and available when the Captain arrives, the check out will go much smoother and faster, but this is not always possible. The engine needs to be started and run as well as generators and any other mechanical equipment. Electronics will be tested and the Captain needs to become familiar with them. Water pumps and bilge pumps all need to be in working order. You must familiarize yourself with how everything works and where everything needed for the trip is located on the boat. Important items such as thru-hulls and their locations are necessary in case of a failure. The boat must have the appropriate safety gear to meet federal safety requirements such as proper life jackets, flares, fire extinguishers, etc. The vessels running lights, anchor lights and interior lights all need to be in working order.

Our delivery was one of those less than simple jobs, as is often the case with a boat that has had an absentee owner and has been sitting unused for a long period of time. Things began well enough with most of the equipment checking out at the dock. We were fortunate enough to be able to get on the boat a good week before the departure date and begin our inspection. On the day prior to departure, we found two problems that had to be corrected before we could begin the trip. The dripless stuffing box was leaking quite a bit and this is one item that can’t be repaired with the boat in the water. The house battery bank also went completely dead as soon as we disconnected from the dockside power and shut down the battery charger. We made arrangements with both the owner and the local yard to bring the boat in to have it checked and hauled if necessary and, of course, it was necessary. The repair yard at Marsh Harbor Marina was extremely accommodating considering we dropped in and threw the proverbial wrench into their schedule. The complete dripless system needed to be replaced as did the house battery bank which consisted of two 8D batteries. At the same time all of this was going on we were dealing with our own new-to-us boat which was at the same yard to have bottom painting done and some other needed repairs. The needed repairs on the delivery boat would delay us for about a week.

Once repairs were completed we pulled off the dock early in the morning and only made a couple of miles when we realized the alternator was not charging the batteries. So back to the dock we went for a quick check and repair of some wiring. Then once again we were off, but now a few hours behind schedule, which would delay us from getting to our planned anchorage before nightfall. We do not travel the ICW at night. Most owners do not allow this and there may also be problems with insurance if something were to happen. As is our practice, we had a fall back anchorage in case there were delays and we did not make the original destination. At around 5:00 PM that afternoon we turned off the waterway into Church Creek, off the Wadmalaw Sound near the range markers. It is a narrow creek with marshland, a few stands of trees on the banks, very peaceful but really, really buggy.

As the evening progressed, our problems started all over again. The refrigeration, battery charger and several other systems only ran on 120 volts which means the boat must be plugged in at the dock or the generator needs to be running. Since we were at anchor, the generator was started and the 120 volt systems turned on. All seemed to work just fine and the generator ran as advertised. After about and hour and a half we could smell a distinctive odor of fuel and upon inspection of the engine compartment, found the generator spewing diesel fuel all over the compartment. We quickly shut it down and began troubleshooting and cleaning up the mess. It was determined that the fuel lines on the generator fuel filter were the culprit and no amount of tightening would stop the leak. We were only about fifteen miles from a repair yard south of Charleston so our plan was to head there first thing in the morning. Off we went for a good nights sleep, well sort of.

The next morning found us up before sunrise and after a quick breakfast we prepared to get under way. In preparation to get under way we checked the engine fluids before starting it and turned on the instruments and radio. The engine started right up since fortunately it had its own starting battery and it was fully charged. As is our practice, we use two way headsets to communicate between us when hauling or dropping the anchor. As soon as the anchor windlass button was pushed to raise the anchor the entire 12 volt system on the boat went out. No amount of checking would determine where the problem was. The engine was running so we at least we had the capability to motor to the repair yard, but we had no electronics and, in particular, no depth sounder in a very shallow part of the ICW. Here is a perfect example of how important it is to carry paper charts to supplement the electronic chart since the chart plotter was now out. We also carry a hand held GPS as well as a hand held VHF and both came in handy. The fifteen miles to the repair docks at Ross Marine went uneventfully and we arrived without touching bottom. Once again our delivery would be delayed and the yard began troubleshooting the problems even though we messed up their schedule. The yard determined that parts for the generator would have to be ordered and since it was now Friday afternoon they would not arrive until Monday. A cold front was approaching and expected to arrive soon with high winds and lots of rain. Based on all of these issues, we decided to head back to Beaufort and spend the couple of days working on our own boat. We were fortunate to have a couple of friends volunteer to come and pick us up. The couple of days turned into a week before the repairs on the delivery boat were finally completed and the weather was ready to cooperate again.

We used the time to begin moving our stuff from a storage locker we rented after our sailboat was sold, onto the new boat. We did some projects and unpacking and before we knew it, the week had passed and the owner of the delivery boat picked us up and returned us to the yard near Charleston. Our first day back was spent checking the repairs that had been made and re-checking all of the systems once more. We needed to add a few more provisions so decided to spend the night at the dock and get an early start the next morning. The next morning we were up before daybreak, had breakfast, waited for slack current so we could get off the dock and by 7:30AM the boat was again, finally, under way. But the saga was not quite over yet.

Most of the day was sunny, cool and uneventful until about 3:00 in the afternoon when the engine began to surge and act as if it were running out of fuel. A check in the engine compartment showed the gauge on the Racor filter was developing a vacuum which meant the filter was beginning to clog. There is a reserve filter attached but when the valve was switched to the reserve, the problem became worse. The solution meant we would have to stop, shut down the engine and change the filter. We were coming up on the turn off to McClellanville and knew there was a fuel stop and small marina where we might make the repairs IF we could nurse the boat that far. We cashed in some of our good karma and did make the dock at the marina without a complete shut down. While at the docks, the Racor and engine fuel filters were changed and the fuel tank topped off. Once the engine was restarted, the filter gauge was still showing a vacuum so the only possible conclusion was that a clog was either somewhere in the fuel lines between the tank and the filters or in the tank, most likely the pick up tube. A short phone conversation with the owner revealed that the fuel in the tank was well over a year old and most likely needed polishing and possibly the tank cleaned. Without these being done we could most probably look forward to more issues and we still had well over 200 miles to go to get the boat to its destination. There were no services available here and the closest place to have the fuel polished was Georgetown, some 30 miles north. We decided that rather than have someone drive down to us we would try to get the boat to Georgetown and even made arrangements with the local towing service there to bring us in should we not make it all the way. On top of all of this we found a broken fuel fitting on the tank for the return fuel line. Early the next morning we hitched a ride with the manager of the marina to the local hardware store to get a replacement fitting and within a half hour we had the parts, installed them and once again were underway with all of our fingers, toes, arms and everything else crossed. A strong weather front with gale force winds was forecast to arrive early this afternoon. A breakdown could be a problem.

We must live right or some higher power must have really felt sorry for us. The day was calm and warm and other than losing about 500 rpms on the engine, the 30 miles were covered in less than 5 hours. During the trip up we made reservations at a marina in Georgetown, and were given a recommendation for a service to clean the tank and the fuel. With everything confirmed we arrived at the marina docks just as the wind started to pick up and an hour or so before the front arrived and it really became blustery. The owner of the fuel cleaning service came to the boat to put additives in the tank so it could sit overnight and planned to come back the next day to begin the cleaning process. If you ever are in need of this type of service in the Georgetown, South Carolina area, we can highly recommend Clarence at Cherry Universal Diesel. His phone number is 843-833-3998 and he was recommended to us by EVERYONE along our route. We found him to be prompt, very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and just an all around nice guy. But be prepared because Clarence likes to tell stories and he is a lifelong local from the Georgetown area.

We took the time during the repairs to visit the downtown Georgetown area since it has been five years since we visited last. On that visit, many of the downtown shops were closed and the buildings in need of repair. Since then, it is obvious that there has been a serious revitalization going on and the downtown district is thriving. There are many more eateries and shops with few vacancies and the parking spots along the street are full. This is a very positive thing since this is also one of our favorite stops along the waterway. One negative is the derelict boats anchored all over the harbor leaving little space for cruisers. The city and local businesses have added quite a bit more dock space but that does fill up quickly so advance reservations would be a good idea. It is seldom a crew has time for any sightseeing while doing these deliveries. It turned out to be a pleasant diversion from the boats’ many problems. By the afternoon the process of cleaning the fuel and the fuel systems would begin. After a few short but interesting hours all of the fuel in the tanks was cleaned as was the Racor filter and it was clear we would be able to proceed with at least this problem solved. The folks at the Boat Shed marina could not have been friendlier and more accommodating.

The next morning we were under way in a crisp north wind straight out of the direction we needed to go. When we started this move the daily average temperature was in the lower 80’s for a high and the mid 60’s for the low. Our temperatures this week were in the 50’s and 60’s for highs and the 30’s and 40’ for lows. Add to that a 15 to 20 knot wind and the mornings were quite chilly with both of us bundled up in our winter finest. At least the trip between Georgetown and Myrtle Beach was uneventful and we suffered no breakdowns for a change. Still another front is expected sometime on Sunday and if we maintain our pace we will arrive at our destination sometime on Sunday. The anchorages near Myrtle Beach are few for a deep draft boat so this would be another marina stop. We settled for the Myrtle Beach Yacht club since they had room for us. There are a couple of marinas in this basin and it is well protected from wakes on the waterway. As usual it was a pleasant stop with friendly accommodating staff and we had an evening to rest and relax without dealing with repairs. The next morning we prepared to get under way with ice on the docks and all of the canvas on the boat covered in frost.

It did finally warm up during the day and the winds were very light. Our next stop would be one of our favorites, the basin at Carolina Beach. Our trip up the Cape Fear River was on an outgoing tide and at times we barely made 2 knots. It was a slow trip and by the time we reached Snows Cut, the tide was dead low and the water was indeed skinny. But all went well and by 5:30 in the afternoon the hook was down and we settled in for the evening. When the winds are calm here you can hear the surf break on the ocean side and it is soothing to fall asleep. The next morning was a shorter trip but we had several bridges to negotiate and a few of them only open on the hour. Whoever set the bridge schedules between Wrightsville and Surf City gave no consideration for slow moving vessels. It meant a long very hard push for us to make the bridge at Surf City after the Figure 8 swing bridge without delaying our transit by an unnecessary hour. Pushing the boat hard we did make it, but with all of the problems we have had with this boat it was a bit tense. Our final anchorage would be courtesy of the US Marine Corps at Mile Hammock Bay in Camp LeJeune with more than a dozen other cruising boats, but all of them heading south. We made our final destination 30 days after we started the trip and we covered 339 waterway miles, not one of our fastest trips. This was an eventful delivery but not all that unusual. These situations are more common than one might expect and keeping a cool head and a heavy dose of patience goes a long way. If delivering boats might be in your future you need to know both sides of the coin.