Our haul out list seemed extensive, but since we couldn’t actually haul out last month as expected (See Haul Out Debacle for more info), Ron Sussman and Ben went after as much on the list as they could while the boat was still in the water. They accomplished a lot during the two weeks that Ron was on the boat at York River Yacht Haven. They:
- replaced the generator hoses to the size specified by Cummings
- replaced the AC hoses to allow more raw water intake
- added a throttles to the port helm station, replaced the starboard throttles and tied the two together
- fixed the water sensors in both water tanks
- fixed the saloon lights that had quit working
- added port instrument power injector to the NEMA 2000 bus in hopes to alleviate some intermittent instrument power loss
- added latches for the slide out shelves in the galley
- greased the windless
- replaced the port AC bilge pump.
In addition, Underboats cleaned the bottom of the boat and the props as well as changed the sail anodes. Also Diggs Diesel was coming next week to provide us with engine assessments so that we would know exactly what we needed to have done when we hauled out on September 14 (at least we hoped we got to haul out that day as planned).
It was hoped that by completing all these tasks ahead of time, it would allow us to get in and out of the water as soon as possible. Now the major tasks for the haul out would be:
- grease rudder bearings
- check through hulls/seacocks
- replace through hulls for generator/AC
- address engine issues and check alternators
- address minor cracked fiberglass topside
- wax boat
- replace seized bolts on the windlass.
The main reason that Ron and Ben replaced the hoses for the generator was that the Cummings marine generator expert had indicated that when the generator was installed, they should have upgraded the hose size to ¾ inch. According to Cummings, the generator was not getting enough raw water causing the pressure sensor to shut it off.
So today we decided to bite the bullet and test the generator with the new hoses (even though we still didn’t have a bigger through hull yet). Much to our dismay, it would not run but a few seconds before turning itself off. We will add the larger through hull during haul out, but if I am a betting woman, I have a feeling we will still have a generator issue! Very discouraging since it was a brand new unit and it’s issues have kept us trapped at the lower end of the Chesapeake, rather than exploring, for the last 3 months!
Another item that Ron and Ben spent a considerable amount of time addressing were new throttles at each helm station. While Daggers Down port helm station had a wheel, it did not have throttles. So if you needed to dock to port, you had to drive from the starboard side. Having two throttles would enable us to drive from the starboard or port side of the boat. While on the surface this seemed like a straightforward task, it was more complicated than anticipated. Two switching units had to be installed as well as a switching T-handle on the helm station.
Then cable lengths were derived and ordered. The cables had to be hooked up so that both engines could be controlled by either side of the boat: reverse, forward, and throttle speed.
Finally, brackets were installed so that the cables moved smoothly without binding. Since the brackets arrived after Ron went home, Don Clements assisted with this task.
I think both Ben and I were a little nervous about getting into the middle of this project, because failure could mean that we would be unable to drive the boat. Thus, failure was NOT an option. I was super glad that Ben had Ron’s support and that they could problem solve together to be sure everything went according to the plan.
Now it was time to take a spin and see if they had succeeded. In the back of my mind, I thought, it was nice to know that we had Tow Boat USA if things got bound and quit working. So, we released the lines and headed out into the York River. Right off the bat, it was apparent that the new throttles could be adjusted so much easier than the old ones. We didn’t have to bang on them with our fists to get the desired RPMs.
In addition, all the cables seemed to move smoothly as we motored about the bay on this lovely day.
After Tropical Storm IDA’s visit, it was nice to see the calm waters and blue skies with only white puffy cumulous clouds. Other boats also were out enjoying the Labor Day weekend and the cooler temperature of 75 degrees.
The Alliance from Yorktown was making it’s rounds laden with tourist who wanted to experience seeing Yorktown and Gloucester Point from the water.
It was surprising though how empty the Yorktown beaches were considering it was a holiday weekend. We were not sure if tourism was down because of COVID, because IDA had churned up the waters or for the first time, schools started in VA in August, before Labor Day.
As we headed back to York River Yacht Haven to dock the boat, I asked Ben if he was feeling proud of his accomplishments because I thought he and Ron had persevered and completed an amazing job getting everything back together in a much better working order than originally!
He said, “I will probably be proud, once I get over being relieved!” 😊
Yes, we were both very happy and relieved that they worked! I continue to be extremely proud of my husband’s accomplishments since we bought this boat. He’s my fixit man for sure!
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