Days Events:

Wx forecast is SW at 2-5mph increasing to 8-14 by noon, waves 0-1', cloudy w/ some sun in afternoon. Good to go!

Left at 08:45 in SW winds with light waves <1' on the port bow. Arrived Dunkirk, NY, Holiday Harbor at Chadwick Bay, at 12:15, after 3.5 hr, mostly running 1800 rpm for 11.3 mph. Clouds gradually disappeared to leave us in sunshine and 73F but feeling like 80!

We are stbd-tied to their face dock/bulkhead [i.e. parallel parked], bow pointed North; an easy docking and the face dock is the only spot for our size. They have 200 slips with 40 transients, are still launching boats from winter storage, and are beside the municipal marina which doesn't offer services. Their 50A outlet was broken [loose, couldn't safely connect our cord] so used our 50A-30 Wye adapter on the pedestal next to us [connects to 2 of 30A]. Good power. We are undoubtedly a power hungry and dependent society!

Marinas charge by the foot and are a little more pricey along NY coast: paid $2.00/ft/night for most of them so far. Some give a discount if you have the BoatUS membership - dropped our cost here from $2 to $1.50/f = $81 for the night, which includes power. Some charge extra for power. There is a restaurant on site. Water not connected yet.

Checked the usual engine items - oils fine [no change in amount on dip stick, color, etc]; same for transmission fluids. The coolant is another matter. The stbd recovery tank is empty again and there is pinkish-green fluid in the bilge under the forward engine along the inner stringer and on the pads; sponged the free liquid and is about 150ml; lifted the hatch cover over the rad.cap/reservoir and removed cap [pressure down] and coolant just below the outlet to the recovery tank; can't find any coolant at any fitting, etc [though it would likely mostly evaporate due to engine temp anyway].

Have been reading [can be dangerous] and some 'authorities' recommend not mixing coolants of different color, though it is ok if they are of the same type; if need a top up short term, better to just add distilled water until ready to flush and refill system. Decided not to add any more of the Shell green coolant since the 'radiator' is still full - just none in recovery tank. The port one still has some but below the mark I made after topping it a bit earlier. Will likely need to do a pressure test - an adapter, connected to a hand pump, replaces the rad cap and you pump the pressure to the level stamped on the rad cap [15psi for this engine] and look for leaks. Will check in Erie tomorrow.


Photos: added a night skyline from the nocturnal admiral collection and a predawn one from me, both of the Buffalo and marina area.

Marg took one to show what L.Erie looks like and so people can compare it with L.Ontario! 😁

There are several of this marina, showing us docked, behind a working lake trawler, of the dockway itself [metal surface = noisy], the sunset, the lack of boats yet in the marina [early in season].


Planning: tomorrows forecast is a repeat of today! We head for Wolverine Park Marina in Erie, PA, 47 miles SW of here.


From the Admirals Desk:

It was a very pleasant travel day. Hope we get a few more. Nothing fell out of the fridge when I opened it, and even though I put everything on the floor that typically falls over in rough water it was an unnecessary precaution.😄

The marina is pretty good, but very busy and noisy. Our face dock is in front of the travel lift and they are still putting boats in the water from winter storage, lots of repair person activity, and there is a bar across from us that has been blaring music all day. Not bad music, A nice mix actually, and Bohemian Rhapsody was appreciated. Just nonstop. And motorcycles!! Every stop has had revving motorcycles around the marina!?

The evenings are getting longer and noticeably more being this far north compared to Alabama. And definitely cooler.

Its amazing how few boats are in the water at this marina (see photo). There are more in the boat yard.

.....I'm back. I took a time out to do the dishes and get a couple of late evening shots. The bar is still going strong.

That's it for today.

Comments:

Deedee  •  02 Jun, 2021 - Great photos!

Janice  •  02 Jun, 2021 - We purchased very inexpensive malleable bed pillows, which we put in kitchen garbage bags (the ones with encased ties) when moving the RV I put these in the fridge to stabilize stuff so it doesn’t fall out when opening the door.

Supposed to be 28C here today 😎

Ernie R  •  02 Jun, 2021 - Great photos! I think the bar music would not be so irritating if you were actually in the bar! Sounds like great weather, kinda cool in AL too! I would try lifting hatch after days run before shutdown to check for leaks. Engine circulating pump weep hole dry?

Robert & Margaret  •  02 Jun, 2021 - Great idea. Going to look for pillows tomorrow while we have a rental car. Really smooth trip today.

Robert & Margaret  •  02 Jun, 2021 - Ernie, I presume you're referring to the coolant pump, not the raw water pump? The former is behind the belt shroud. Where is the weep hole, just under the pulley?

Ernie R  •  03 Jun, 2021 - Yes, it would be behind shroud since it is belt driven. Weep hole is at bottom of pulley shaft housing, when front bearing/seal goes bad it allows coolant to leak from hole. Coolant pumps normally have cast iron impeller which last forever but bearings/seals do not! Pump can normally be rebuilt or replaced new. Weep hole is normally obscured by pulley so if leaking will sling coolant everywhere!