May 21, 2014

We slept in a little, did the coffee routine, took showers and I did a little blog update. We watched a Carnival Cruise pull into the dock a little down the waterfront. It came by the entrance to the marina really close.

Donna wanted to go down to Market Street so we decided to visit Fleet Landing for lunch and then shop the shops nearby. Lunch was so-so. Typical fern bar type food with a view of the river. Ho-hum!

Shopping the old market buildings was also Ho-Hum! There were some unique items, but most were just more made in China stuff. All of it hugely overpriced.

The afternoon had really heated up and neither of us was up for a long walk back, so we boarded the free trolley back to the visitor’s center. It seemed like lots of folks had the same idea. At the center we changed trolleys and headed back to the Maritime marina. Back at the marina, we find new boaters have arrived and we now have neighbors again. We exchange a few pleasantries as they head out to tour the town.

Back on the boat, we relax and then take a nap. It’s a rough life.

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 20, 2014
I’m up early. I make coffee and try to prepare myself mentally for the task of troubleshooting that infernal engine noise. But, the daily chores have to be done first. Empty the trash, fill the water tank, wash down the deck, etc., etc. Then it’s back to the engine problem.

A thorough visual check reveals nothing except a light layer of soot all over everything in the engine compartment. I have two thoughts, a belt or belts wearing excessively or an exhaust leak. I pretty much eliminated the belts yesterday so I start examining the exhaust system. It’s very hard to see in the back of the compartment so I remove the companionway steps, the portside access panel and the starboard side firewall next to the fridge. This allows more light in and gives me better access to the exhaust components. More inspection reveals a soot buildup  and a possible leak where the wet hose attaches to the mixing elbow. To confirm this I start the engine. Sure enough the noise is back and I detect hissing and air movement where the infamous Yanmar coupling joins the exhaust elbow to the mixing elbow. I think we have our problem and it won’t be an easy or cheap fix.

I bring out the repair and parts manuals and the computer for an internet parts search. I find it will take two to three days to get the five parts shipped, about $500 for the parts, express shipping costs plus my labor to fix the problem and that’s if there are no complications.

A call to the local Yanmar service group reveals they would also need to order two of the parts and they could have a Yanmar technician here on Thursday. They estimate the job will be finished in a couple of hours. I take the safe way out and employ the service group. A quick cleanup and Donna and I are back to playing tourist for the afternoon.

Donna has a set of brilliant ideas to get my mind off the engine situation. A mid-afternoon lunch at our favorite pizza place downtown, find a post office or mail box, and continue our walking tour of Charleston.

Mellow Mushroom’s House Pizza and brews are a hit. Being mid-afternoon, we almost have the place to ourselves.  The music is great and we leave stuffed and mellowed out. LOL! The second quest, a mail box, is a lofty goal. Have you tried to find a blue mail box on a street corner lately? We walked and walked and walked, searching in vain for a blue USPS drop box. Damn smart phones were absolutely no help. We finally gave up, boarded a free trolley and headed back toward the marina.

Near the marina, Donna announces we need to visit the Harris Teeter and stock up on some items that go off sale today. I start to object, but then learn beer is one of the items. We leave the trolley, and right there on the corner is a blue mailbox. Go figure.

It’s a two block walk to Harris Teeter, but then it’s about 4-5 blocks to the marina. Those two cases of beer sure got heavy before we made it back to the boat.

Turn on the TV, fall asleep, wake up and turn off TV. A long day is finally over.

 

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

 

 

May 19, 2014

Charleston is one of Donna’s favorite places to visit. The town is still great, but this marina facility is not going to make it to my list of favorites.  Don’t get me wrong, it seems to have a lot of pluses, but it does have one big drawback. The marina has about 20 transient slips, a cordial and courteous staff, fuel and pumpout facilities and rates lower than the marinas on the Ashley River side. It is also within walking distance to a grocery, hardware store, restaurants and the historic district. So what’s the drawback? Wake/wave action in the basin/slips. It’s constant and at times violent! Combine a NE wind, lots of fetch on the river and ferry wakes and you could get seasick right in your slip. Sleep restfully at night? Only in the wee hours of the morning. Work on the engine this morning? FUGEDABOUTIT! 

That said and thinking things would quiet down in the evening; we decided to go sightseeing instead of looking at the engine. We did our version of a walking tour of the city including historic sites, churches, graveyards, the retail shops and restaurants along Market St, King St, Meeting Street and the Harris Teeter market near the marina.

Back at the boat after a long day of sightseeing and shopping, I tackled the engine. I removed all the belts and started the engine. The darn noise was still there. Now the noise seemed to be coming from the recesses of the dark backside of the engine compartment. Enough work for me today. To quote the oft used phrase, “Tomorrow is another day”.

Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 18, 2014

We had a quiet uneventful evening and awoke to another cool morning and winds out of the NE. We delay departure to allow the water to rise a bit and then head toward Charleston.

We reach the point where we are running against the tide coming in Stono River and our progress slows a bit. The current in Elliott’s Cut is horrific and our speed is cut to 1.9 mph. Somehow, we manage to arrive in time for the scheduled Wappoo Creek Bridge opening. It was only a short distance from there to the Ashley River and Charleston’s waterfront.

Lots of cruisers have told us we should stay at the Charleston Maritime Center which is about five miles further on the Cooper River side of Charleston.  We have reservations and dock around 1230. Tomorrow I will see if I can find out what is making that infernal noise.

Started: 0830

Stopped: 1230
Distance traveled: 23 miles
Avg Speed 5.7 mph
Location: Charleston Maritime Center, Charleston, SC, MM 465

May 17, 2014

We delayed departure from Beaufort to get some assist from the incoming tide and also to arrive at the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff at high tide. This trouble spot is a two part man-made cut with the southerly section being prone to shoaling. Our arrival and passage were pretty much uneventful.

However, we are experiencing, again,  some strange noise from the engine. It sounds sort of like a dry old belt rubbing against the sheave. I cannot seem to isolate the noise and elect to continue on toward Charleston and investigate it there.

We keep pushing northward trying to get as close to Charleston as possible. We pass through the Dawho River and experience extremely low water near White Point. Another eight miles beyond, we decide to stop in an old familiar anchorage, Church Creek. We find a trawler already anchored in our favorite spot and a private mooring ball in our second favorite spot. So, we anchor closer to the mouth of the creek. This means experiencing more current and wakes from ICW traffic. The anchor goes down, sets nicely and we settle in for the evening.

Started: 0930

Stopped: 1800
Distance traveled: 48 miles
Avg Speed 5.6 mph
Location: Anchored Church’s Creek, Beaufort, SC, MM 488