As many of you know we arrived here in Fort Pierce Florida in December. Due to the fact that the current here is so strong at the dock we have not been sailing him for over three months. We have regularly started the engine and the generator to make sure things are continuing to work and stay well lubricated. However, our jobs ended about two weeks ago. And we have since then spending time getting the boat ready to start voyaging again. Our plan is to travel north for the next two months and look for more work somewhere in the Chesapeake Bay or as far north as Massachusetts.
So, what things does it take to get the boat ready for the next journey? We started with basic spring cleaning. Tracy and I went through every cabin, opening every cupboard, bilge and storage area, cleaning and removing any dust mold or mildew. We actually found very little mold or mildew on the boat. The boat was quite dusty however, as we had the hatches open most of this time and dust would blow in from the nearby parking lot. As we went through this process, we looked for any issues that we might have with things not working correctly. Removing panels from the wall, we fixed the valves that control our electric heads to improve the water flow and irrigated those pipes systems with vinegar to remove any sediment. While cleaning the main bilge, I discovered that we had an issue with the bilge pump. I was going to change it with the reserve bilge pump that I have on board, however I found with some cleaning and maintenance the bilge system seems to be working properly again and we are keeping an eye to see if there’s any more issues. Also, during this time, I got down in the bilge with a brush and cleaned out any debris or sediment that was in the bilge using a wet vac to remove that so that I didn’t have to move it through my bilge pump system.
Other maintenance on the boat required oil changes for the main Yanmar engine, the Panda generator, and the transfer case. I had to purchase a vacuum pump to remove the oil from the transfer case and was able to complete that with little difficulty. We have also cleaned and maintained all the strainers on the boat. Before we leave I will exercise all the stopcocks on the through hulls to make sure they are working properly so we could stop a leak from any broken hose.
I used a low-pressure pump to flush out the air conditioner lines that were beginning to get clogged with barnacles. Now they seem to be working very well. I have lubricated the furling system for the main sail, as well as the two head sails on the boat.
While cruising we try to spend most of our time living on the hook. It became obvious that we needed a good swivel for the anchor. After doing some research I decided I wanted a Mantis swivel as it appeared to be one of the best brands on the market. I hauled the anchor up on the deck to remove the shackle that was there and replaced it with a Mantis swivel.
Upcoming projects this week will include lubricating all winches, replacing any broken snaps on the canvas, as well as filling the boat with fuel before we leave.
