[Ed.Note: the week of May 10 to 16 has been summarized below, similar to the OBM and Demopolis summaries.]


Sun. May 10 Day 71:     Left Boca Grande at 08:20 into a 12-15 mph east wind; a dull, cloudy day, some choppy 2-3 ft waves with salt spray over the boat, but relatively calm after the first half hour, and little boat traffic; 7-10ft channels often narrow with 2-4ft shallow/skinny water on either side. [see photo; also one of cormorants on channel markers; and of barnacles everywhere] Arrived at 12:30 at Legacy Harbor marina [private - 131 wet slips with 112 filled]. Marina staff all masked. Several gold loopers here.  Washed salt off boat.


Mon. May 11 Day 72:     Replaced stbd engine belt after found belt shredding. Saunders sending replacement tension pulley [believed to be faulty].  Repaired port wiper blade switch [corrosion]. See photos of marina. Love-bugs season is here [semi-annual]! Pumped out using Legacy's dockside system. Marg walked 3 blocks to Publix with our bag-buggy; about half shoppers masked.  Happy hour with a Boddington's Pub Ale and a Yuengling lager; take-out from Joe's Crab Shack next door.

 

Tues. May 12, Day 73:     Staying in Legacy Marina until Sunday due to winds in L.Okeechobee. Tried to fix stove burner ground fault/circuit breaker but cleaning corrosion didn’t help.

Per Marg: The most important accomplishment of the day was tracking down how to return money to the government! It's harder than you think. We received a direct deposit to our bank from HHS a few weeks ago that we finally discovered was a stimulus payment for physicians. Unfortunately, we have to give it back since Rob's retirement made him ineligible. After another lengthy search I discovered the process to return the deposit. Next I had to get the bank to actually do it. Tedious stuff. But better than being prosecuted for fraud. It's hard to maintain a boat from behind bars!! Also made peanut butter cookies for the Captain. A little treat after his nap in the engine room.😁

See photos of Rob working on tensioner [not taking a nap!]; Marg had 'seafood boil' and I had fish 'n chips.

 Wed. May 13 Day 74:    

 Changed the duckbill valves in the forward vacuflush system [see photo; parts explained].   Winds E 15-20 mph today - good decision to stay put. Going to 90F today, but not as humid. Walked again to Publix.  Appreciate the humor and general info sent by everyone. 


Thurs. May 14 Day 75:     Quoted from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum, his Kindergarten Credo: "Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and same living."

    The Vacuflush still kicks in about once per hr. Using stethoscope suggests leak to be on the pump body [2 x 4” O'rings] – will replace.

    Wind gusts up to 25mph, so added extra line on the bow that night.

    Several packages arrived:  rear-view mirror, [suction cup]; automatic belt tensioner [ Saunders Yachtworks] - installed it. Terry Smith and Ernie Rivard offering advice re pulleys as possible culprit in belt shredding – tried painting belt edge as wear indicator; Green Gobblers to biodigest the waste.

    Chris and D.I.L. Dana watching the house for us - grateful to have their eyes and hands-on there.


Fri. May 15 Day 76:     Engine block facing cleaned: left the shroud off to watch belt. [see photo] Suspicious that alternator pulley shaft bearings, causing misalignment.

    Walked to Bennett's Fresh Roast across the street for 'bold' black coffee and 2 cake donuts, plus some for the referral source behind us [Steve has a 2008 American Tug 435 - a very nice trawler!].  Cleaned off the transom vinyl with Spray Nine.

    Called the Franklin Lock - water level would not curtail lock activity; water 'level' of 4.97 ft means no depth in the channel less than 4.97 ft; most of the channel 7-10ft; reported 'gauge level' of 11.2 ft, refers to the level of the lake above sea level and does not indicate water depth. Covid precautions - boats are to be ~50ft apart; the lockmasters are not handling the lock mooring lines; we grab two of them [hang from the wall] and loop around bow and aft cleats, but to NOT tie them; so I will grab the bow line and Marg the aft one; we must turn off our diesels and wear life jackets; locks fill/empty by opening only the gates [therefore tie-up at the western end when we are east-bound, to reduce the turbulence when the doors open]. 


Sat. May 16 Day 77:     Washed the boat; pumped out holding tank: AIS reset; Legacy Harbour Marina photo [see change in style of boats, from fishing boats and center consuls at OBM to more trawler and tug types; Dock C has several impressive vessels - a 55' Fleming [the Rolls Royce of boats], a Kadey-Krogen, a Grand Banks, a Hatteras, a Viking, a Chris Craft, an American Tug, etc.]

    Docktails: we sat on the dock with another 7 couples, many long-time boaters. Reservations in Clewiston tomorrow night. For now, please keep distancing and keep in touch.


Comments:

Jon  •  11 May, 2020: love the joke

Deedee - 12 May 2020: Crazy! Are you sure you should have bought an older boat Lol! Can you send your link to Caitlin! They are interested! 7786773553! I have now adopted 2 cats( don’t say anything lol) They are 8 yrs old and brothers! Milo and Tigger!Got them today!!

Ernie - 12 May 2020: Rob, probably just the picture but the belt looks like it might be one groove off towards engine side on the tensioner which could cause the belt shredding. Also since this started with new tensioner it may not be exact OEM replacement and require shims to space it away from engine (since it is shredded on that side) for proper alignment but something definitely out of alignment! Just a thought!

Rob - 12 May 2020: Ernie, good observation, but I should have been more descriptive. The pulley you refer to I think is a 'non-driving' guide wheel only; it is grooved, and is immediately below and to the right of the tensioner unit. With the keener eye of the admiral, she noted that most of the shredding dust is around that guide wheel, and not around the alternator pulley or other wheels as much. The other guide wheel is between the alternator and �ywheel and is not grooved; the tensioner wheel is also a smoothie. I think you [and the admiral] are likely correct and it is that grooved 'guide' pulley causing the problem; if it is, and it is the inside edge, then doesn't the wheel have to be 'taken in' more, that is tighter to the engine block?

Jim and Susie R. - 13 May 2020: Best of luck getting to the lake. Love bugs are the worst. Remember how awful on the car bumper/ can't imagine on a large white boat! Take care.

Dd - 13 May 2020: Lol!!

Dd - 13 May 2020: Gorgeous area! Mmm the boil looks yummy

Dave - 14 May 2020: Well done Rob enjoying your daily commentary and progress. I did not realize you were such an accomplished mechanic. Having been a boat owner myself in bygone years it is a real asset for you to be able to do this. Hope the wind dies down a little for you so you can get going again. If you get a chance post a few pictures of the canal on the way to Clewiston. Also loved the Admirals seafood dinner (yum yum - vs your fish and chips??)

Jim and Susie R. - 14 May 2020: Definitely want to see pics of ya'll going through the canal. Be extra careful. Look for gators. You'll appreciate that cheap Fla. more whiskey when you complete the journey. (Single malts for your collection are also infinitely cheaper in Fla. than in Ala.)

Scott - 15 May 2020: Have been following your sojourn on your web site. As our boats were the same size and vintage I can feel your pain. We had as expression fighters.”No easy day”

Jon - 16 May 2020: stay safe

Brooks - 17 May 2020: The locks you are going to encounter are marginal compared to what you all are use to on the inland water system. There will be no turbulence and only small change in water levels as you lock thru. Kind of neat to see the wall of water in front of you when the lock doors open.

Brooks - 17 May 2020: Docking in Clewiston at Rollin Martins is a trip. Typical inland, Florida kind of a place, the shop, restaurant and Tiki Bar. Colorful hang out! Sunset Marina in Stuart is very nice, like Legacy, but much better restaurant to have drinks/dinner. --

Janice - 17 May 2020: This is stupid. I just tried to make my own hand sanitizer and it came out as a rum & coke