Waste Away

No one likes to think about it, but the waste system on a boat is one of the most important. Without it working perfectly, life on the water becomes miserable. 

One of the little things that is always a problem is monitoring the macerator pump. Designed to pump out the black water tank when you are in approved waters, the pump is vital to managing the waste system. Usually they come wired such that you switch on a breaker to turn the pump on and then turn it off with the same switch when the tank is empty. The hassle is that you are always underway when you pump out, and your attention is correctly focused on driving the boat and not on monitoring the time the macerator pump is on.

Even when we set a timer to remind us to turn off the pump, it always seems that something comes up that needs our attention and the pump gets neglected. Your concern is that running the pump for an extended time, instead of the few minutes it actually needs to empty the tanks, will shorten the life of the pump.

To address this problem, many mariners have installed a mechanical timer switch that you set for a specific time, and it will automatically turn off the pump when it gets to the end of the cycle. You may have seen these mechanical timers. They have a large black rotary dial and the switch requires a full-sized household outlet box.

My boat does not have the room for two of theses switches and the old style rotary timers are not to my aesthetic liking. 

So I tasked my electrician Shawn Clark with coming up with an electronic solution so that we could push a button once, and the pump would run for a predetermined time and then shut off. Further, we needed it all to fit in a small space. Shawn came though with a couple of small electronic switches to engage the system. Click here for a link to the switches. 

Next he found remote electronic timers that we can set from from one to ten minutes. Click here for a link to the timers. Shawn designed a custom switch plate that fit perfectly into the lower helm. 

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Twin Remote Macerator Controls

Because it takes only four minutes to empty a tank and the tank is seldom full when you run the macerator pump, we set the timers to two minutes. If you need more pumping, you just push the button one more time. The system work great. Now when its time to pump, we just press the two buttons and "forget about it".

The Joys of the Haul Out

Let's face it. The annual haul out is a necessary evil. You know it is going to cost more than you think. The yard will find things in need of repair that are a surprise. And then there is  the lift.

I've seen OceanFlyer in the slings about 6 times now. There is still that sense of anxiety as the weight of the boat is transferred from the water to the slings. The sound of the rigging bearing the weight of the boat, and the sounds from the boat as it adjusts to the caress of the slings, always makes you flinch.

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OceanFlyer in the Slings at Anacortes

It's not all negative. Knowing your boat leaves the yard in better condition than it entered is a good feeling.

Below the waterline is where you see the biggest change. It comes out of the water with all manner of growth and slime clinging to the hull. And the zincs are pitted and half their original size. After a power wash, a good sanding and a new coat of bottom paint, the boat looks almost new. The zincs are new and shiny and you feel all is well with the world.

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Clean and Ready for Another Year of Cruising the Pacific Northwest

Then the time comes to put her back in the water and the concerns about what can happen during transport come back. What's unique about North Harbor Diesel is that the yard is about six blocks from the ramp. So when you see your boat "driving" down the road, you realize how much you need to trust the lift operators.

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Road Trip

YachtPath Goes Under

I can't say that I'm surprised. Based on how they treated me as well as others, I thought their service model was too flawed for them to survive.

Apparently they left a lot of boats stranded at their port of delivery. The shipping companies refused to offload the boats, or they were impounded until the shipping bills were paid. Remember that the fee for every boat that YachtPath ships was paid in full long before they were loaded for transport. So YachtPath had the money in advance, they just mismanaged it to the point where they could not pay the shipping companies on time. 

I have collected many of the stories I found in the press. Please click on each and you'll get a clear picture of how YachtPath came to an end.

Click here for the story from Triton, the magazine devoted to professional captains and crews.

Click here for an  article from the website Scam Informer.

The South Florida Business Journal ran this article speculating about whether YachtPath had committed fraud.

SuperyachtNews.com featured this article on the YachtPath bankruptcy.

I could go on and on. But, if you do an internet search on YachtPath and Dennis Cummings, you'll find many reports of law suits and other problems experienced by their customers over the years.

Leaky Bits

The more you dig the more you find. The story starts in Florida in 2011. I noticed that there was water in the lazerette under the deck plate in one of the hatch covers.

The deck plate is there in case you have to use the emergency tiller. The tiller post fits thought the opening and attaches to the steering mechanism in case of a hydraulic steering failure.

I asked Dan Cross to have the deck plate rebidded to prevent further water intrusion. This was done before we shipped the boat to the west coast.

However I noticed that the condition continued once OceanFlyer made it to Bellingham. I had it re-bedded again in 2012. But in 2013 it was still a problem. Now, I blamed the fact that the deck plate was made of plastic. I had seen a deck plate made of stainless steel and that was my next idea to stop the wet lazarette.

Therefore, I gave North Harbor diesel the project of replacing the plastic deck plate with a stainless steel version.

De-lamination and rotten wood as a result of water infiltration.

Then it got interesting. What North Harbor found when they removed the plastic deck plate was that the interior of the lazarette hatch was full of water. The condition of the caulk between the teak deck planks was allowing water to pass and then settle inside the hatch itself.

The culprit: caulking not doing its job.

More evidence of rotten wood under the hinges.

The fix “to do it right” was almost $6,000. This involved rebuilding each of the three hatches and replacing the decking on each. The budget for this does not exist at this time. There were many more pressing items that were on the must do list.

We came up with a suitable and inexpensive temporary workaround. North Harbor Diesel drilled two drain holes in the forward edge of each hatch. When the hatch is raised, any water that as accumulated drains. The hatches are still structurally sound, so we’ll add the more extensive repair to the list for future attention.

All Oil is Not Created Equal

Today I was in the offices of Tri-County Diesel in Bellingham and talking with Mike Rusk about engines and engine care. Mike is a leading authority on Caterpillar engines and everyone, including myself, holds him in high regard.

The oil in the transmissions, engines and generators was changed by NW Explorations in December, and we have received the oil analysis reports. My goal was to sit down with Mike and review each of these so I have a good understanding of their meaning and implications. I have been doing oil analysis in aircraft engines for 30 years and have an in-depth knowledge in the category of high performance, high compression, air cooled engines. But I know enough to not try to translate that knowledge to the marine environment without some guidance from an experienced hand.

Among many questions we have, one is to confirm with Mike that the correct oil to use in our transmissions is single weight 30SAE. My plan is to create some plaques for each piece of equipment listing the type of oil to be used. This should make it much easier for the charter clients to pick the correct oil without having to dig into the handbook that’s onboard.

Mike confirmed “30 weight” was correct. Just in passing, I also asked if the 15W40 multi-viscosity oil used in the 3126 engines was correct. I was expected the same confirming answer. However, Mike sat up in his chair and stated emphatically, “No!”

That got my attention. He went on to explain that those oils have additives. And what Caterpillar determined some years ago is that those additives are released into the air system of the engine, then participate out onto the turbochargers and that was one of the causes of premature turbo-charger death.

In fact, Caterpillar developed a special oil just for use in the 3126 and 3116 series of engines to address this. It called CAT SEAO, Special Engine Application Oil. A name only an engineer could love.

Mike said that there is also a lower cost, easier-to-get oil that meets the same specifications called Rotella T by Shell.

Now I’m off to inform NW Explorations that they need to redo the oil change for my 3216’s with the correct oil.

I later did a Google search on this issue and found 131,000,000 entries. I only read a couple of hundred.

Winterization

10.23.2012          

Winterization    

Winter is coming and it’s time to think about what we need to do for winterization. Luckily Bellingham enjoys fairly mild winters.

As a result, we do not need to drain all the water in the boat. But we do need to maintain a minimum temperature in the boat. The goal is to both prevent freezing and more importantly, reduce moisture and by association mold and mildew.

We have two major of sources of heat on the boat; the reverse cycle units and the diesel heater. The advantage of the reverse cycle is that it also removes moisture as it heats the air because it is essentially a heat pump. It is all electric and hence we will not be employing the “flame” of the diesel heater. It also has an advantage over the diesel heater because the combustion process of burning diesel fuel releases moisture in the process of combustion. So we will set the thermostats at 60 degrees on two of the reverse cycle units to do most of the work.

Caframo Stor-Dry Dehumidifier

As good as the reverse cycle units are, we are also going to supplement this with a couple of small dehumidifiers. The consensus on the docks is the Caframo Stor-Dry Dehumidifier is the way to go. We will space one each in the saloon and the two berths.

Caframo True North Electric Heate

There is one area on the boat that will not get serviced by this plan. That’s the lazarette. For that we are going to use a small thermostatically-controlled space heater. Here again, we’ll go with the one most people use on the docks, Caframo True North Deluxe AC Electric Heater.

This will also require us to add a 120v outlet in the lazarette. But that is an easy project because we have an outlet in the master berth we can tap into on the other side of the bulkhead.

As a footnote, during it's third winter season one of the Caframo Stor-Dry Dehumidifier had a fan stop working. I called the manufacturer, gave them the serial number and had a replacement unit,  at no cost,  in a week. Needless to say, I'm still a fan of their products and service.

Almost Arrested in Victoria

Yesterday after we arrived in Bellingham, we set about to clean up the boat and get ready to meet a string of suppliers who would be doing a series of projects to get OceanFlyer ready for the charter season. 

By chance I ran into Scott Blake how told be an interesting story about their trip from Friday Harbor to Bellingham. Tom was at the helm and Scott started to sort though the shipping paperwork that he found aboard Lady Jane.

Amongst the shipping paperwork, Scott found an impound notice. Apparently, all the boats aboard Palembang were impounded by the local Canadian constable because YachtPath had not paid the ship's owner the transport fees.  I guess the delays in offloading where more than just weather related. Apparently, the matter was resolved before it came time for us to offload. Thank God, I don't think I could have taken the stress of trying to bail out my boat after paying in full over six months ago. [Editor's note: We would later learn that this was a common occurrence with YachtPath and eventually lead to their bankruptcy.]

Our mate, Martine, hauling trash bags containing the shrink wrap film from OceanFlyer.

Finally “Home”

With clear skies, last night was cold in Friday Harbor. Boats in the Pacific Northwest rely on diesel heaters to stay warm. OceanFlyer, being a Florida boat, does not have a diesel heater yet. We do have four reverse cycle units aboard, but I could only get the two in the saloon to work. They were producing heat, but Martine in the forward cabin and I in the aft cabin both had a very chilly night.

We cast off at 7:56am and set course for Bellingham.

Cloudy skies but calm seas. It's a nice ride.

It was a beautiful day and we had a calm and pleasant trip arriving at the NW Explorations docks at 11:15am.

We’re finally home.

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OceanFlyer showing her position at her berth in Bellingham.

The Time Has Come

We awake to a morning very different from the past three days. The wind has stopped and the rain is gone.

The call from YachtPath was that we are to off-load OceanFlyer at 10am. We are all ready to get this done and start our journey back to Bellingham.

Back to the Coast Hotel docks to board the RIB for a nice smooth ride out to Palembang. It’s 11:30 before we arrive at OceanFlyer. Because of the calm conditions, OceanFlyer had been lowered into the water. The lifting straps are removed and she is held alongside Palembang with some extra straps.

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OceanFlyer waiting for us on a very calm morning.

Compared to boarding Lady Jane yesterday in the wind and waves, we all get on OceanFlyer with no effort and start getting her ready. Scott goes below to make his engine room checks and Tom, Martine and myself start removing the shrink wrap and stuff it into the lazarette.

Once we are all ready, Scott starts the engines and we cast off from Palembang. Our first stop is the Coast Hotel docks so I can return the rental car. My three crewmates take OceanFlyer back to the inner harbor docks where Lady Jane awaits.  I grab a cab from Hertz back to the inner harbor and we cast off Lady Jane and OceanFlyer and go to the fuel docks to take on enough fuel to make it back to Bellingham. At 1:47pm we make our way out of Victoria Harbor.

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​The last time I saw Palembang in Victoria Harbour.

It’s been five months coming, and it feels great to be underway. Because of our late start, our plan is to overnight at Friday Harbor. We need to stop here to clear customs, and since we did not arrive until 5pm as the sun went behind the horizon, it was an ideal stopover. Friday Harbor has some great restaurants and we can rest easy having completed the hard part of this ferry trip. Tomorrow we have an easy 2 ½ hour cruise over to Bellingham. 

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​OceanFlyer rests at Friday Harbor docks.

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The sun sets over Friday Harbor.

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A beautiful sunset predicts a great trip tomorrow to Bellingham. 

Time to Off-Load

Early in the morning I get a call from Scott who tells be that he was just informed that Lady Jane/Telita would be offloaded first  this morning and we are to make our way to the Coast Hotel docks to meet the RIB that would take us out to Lady Jane.

Since we were all rather bored with having wasted a day yesterday, all four of us decide to go off-load Lady Jane.

Tom, Scott and Bob standing around in the wind and rain waiting at the docks.

The rain had stopped but the wind was still up. We stood around at the docks as the Captain of the RIB keep checking with YachtPath to see if they were ready for us.

​Is it time yet?

Finally, the word came that it was time to offload Lady Jane. We all boarded the RIB and made our way out to the commercial docks. The waves were three feet in the harbor and the ride in the RIB was a white knuckle, bone-jarring trip.

As we approached the Palembang, we could see Lady Jane hanging in the lifting straps just a couple of feet above the water. They did not want to launch her as they would normally would because the waves were so high. The fear was that Lady Jane would be slammed up against Palembang with the resultant damage.

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​Lady Jane hovering above the waves.

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​Big boat, little boat.

Having a motor-yacht configuration, there are not a lot of ways to board her from the water. Add to that the high waves, and it took four attempts until we could find a relatively safe way to transfer to Lady Jane. The RIB was more like a human launching pad. We each timed the waves so we would be deposited aboard Lady Jane on the crest of a wave.

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​How are we going to get aboard?

Scott immediately went to the engine room to do his checks of the thru-hulls, engines and transmissions. The rest of us placed fenders over the starboard side and got ready to launch the boat into the water. There would be a critical time between when we get lowered into the ocean and when we can clear the lifting straps. During that time, we need to be ready to fend off from the Palembang.

Once we were all ready, we gave the signal and the crane operator lowered us into the ocean. Scott got the engines started and we helped walk the straps from under Lady Jane. As soon as the straps were clear, Scott took control and maneuvered Lady Jane clear of Palembang without an issue. Scott again earned his reputation as an excellent boat handler.

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A view of the Palembang and the large yacht on the starboard side. She unloads in the Far East.

The wind continued to blow and the waves in the harbor continued to build. Lady Jane, weighing 30 tons, was a much more pleasant ride than the RIB. I looked back at Palembang once we were around the corner and could see the large Feadship still on the starboard side.

Scott dropped me off at the Coast Hotel docks so I could retrieve the rental car and then we both proceeded to the inner harbor docks to await word when we would off-load OceanFlyer.

We continued to explore Victoria, finding more pubs to try. Around lunchtime we got a call that they had stopped off-loading operations when the boat after Lady Jane sustained some damage during the process.

We were instructed to stay at the ready, since they would be resuming operations as soon as the conditions got better.

As I checked weather, I was doubtful we would see much improvement before very late in the evening.

At dinner, we were working under the assumption from YachtPath that we might be off loading OceanFlyer around 11pm. None of us were looking forward to that. The wind was less, but still up. And doing an off-load in the dark was not something we were looking forward to.

After we got back to the hotel I called the loadmaster from YachtPath and he confirmed that there would be no operations tonight. He "forgot to call me earlier.” He said we could expect to offload OceanFlyer tomorrow morning, but there was no specific time available.

Four Wayward Crew in Victoria

Fortunately for us, Tom has spent a lot of time in Victoria during the many times he has picked up boats here in the past. So we follow his lead, making our way from one pub and restaurant to another. In between breakfast, lunch and dinner we did some shopping, all the while trying to stay dry in the heavy rain.

On The Town, MGM 1949

It reminded me of the 1949 movie On The Town with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra about  three sailors on leave in New Your City.  They were in town for 24hrs with nothing much to do except get into trouble. But the vision fell apart when I remembered we all cannot dance. Given the heavy rains, maybe I should have chosen the other great Gene Kelly movie Singin' in the Rain as a better metaphor.

YachtPath is ever obtuse in their communication and asks that we stay on high alert, ready to off-load the boats. We continued on with our exploration of Victoria, knowing that nothing was going to happen today.

Again after dinner and after our persistent calls requesting an update, we were told that we would be offloading OceanFlyer tomorrow morning and LadyJane/Telita early afternoon.

Off to Victoria, B.C. to Offload OceanFlyer

Based on the published schedule from YachtPath today, I’m flying to Victoria so we can offload the boat tomorrow. We all think the schedule is going to slip because of the weather. The Palembang has been slowing down the as she makes her way into ever increasing seas. But YachtPath has not been willing to change the schedule so we need to be prepared to be there to offload OceanFlyer.

I land about 1pm and I'll get a rental car and make my way down to the seaplane terminal in Victoria to pick up my broker, Scott Blake, and Tom Selman who are going to be meeting Lady Jane and taking her back to Bellingham. After I have Scott and Tom in tow, we go over to the high speed ferry docks to pick up Martine Mariott who will be my mate for this trip since Karen has a business conflict.

The bad weather that the Palembang has been experiencing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca makes is way to Victoria as we pick up Martine. The rain and wind is upon us as we go to check in at the hotel. Our plan is to get a good dinner in anticipation of a very busy day tomorrow.

Once I get to the hotel, I boot up my computer and check the location of the Palembang. She has continued to slow and based on my calculations there is no way she will make it to her berth in Victoria tonight.

I reach out to the local contact of YachtPath and he is not yet willing to commit to a revised schedule based on the actual location of Palembang. He says he will be calling all the pick-up crews later tonight with a schedule for each of the boats. As the four of us gather for dinner, we compare notes and all come to the same conclusion. We will need to find a way to kill a day in Victoria because the Palembang will not be here in time.

After dinner we finally get a call from YachtPath telling us the obvious. No off-loading tomorrow.

Passing Carmel

I checked MarineTraffice.com around 4:30am EST and the Palembang is passing Monterey California. She is making 13.4 knots over the ground. That’s only 841.7km to go to Victoria, B.C.

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Passing Los Angeles

When I checked this morning VesselTracker had no update on the position of the Palembang. I was able to find a little information on MarineTraffic.com. The Palembang was in range of one of their AIS receiver for about 45 minutes as it passed the Channel Islands west of Los Angeles. Making 13.5 knots over the ground, at least she is still moving and headed in the right direction. 

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Victoria Bound

It’s 9:30am, I’m sitting at my desk watching the Palembang sail out of the port of Ensenada en route to Victoria, B.C. via AIS tracking on my computer.

Now we go into full executional mode. It’s time to make airplane reservations, hotel & rental car arrangements and also coordinate crew. Also, I can now commit to a gaggle of contractors who will be working on OceanFlyer. I need to meet with them during my stay in Bellingham and discuss exactly what I’m looking for, ask my questions and secure costs and time commitments.

After five months of waiting, it feels good to be able to take action.

The Last Port in Mexico

At 3:37am this morning the Palembang moored at Ensenada, Mexico about 5 hours behind schedule. As far as we know, the only operations as this port will be to offload yachts. 

We’ll see how long that takes; hopefully they will be underway within 24 hours.

We Arrive, We Depart Manzanillo

This morning as I sat down to have a couple pieces of toast and some orange juice, I checked on VesselTracker.com and sure enough, there was the M/V Palembang just arriving at the Port of Manzanillo, Mexico. As I watch in real time, the boat maneuvered into its slip arriving just before 8am.

As far as we have been informed, it is to offload some number of yachts and then proceeded to Ensenada, its last stop in Mexico before heading to Victoria.

Fast forward to 11:27pm tonight when I received an automated message from VesselTracker that the Palembang

has left its berth and changed its destination at region Mexico : Old: Manzanillo, New: Ensenada (ETA: Sat Feb 18 19:00:00 CET 2012).

Only 11.5 hours in port, that’s a record for this journey.

My estimate of travel time to Ensenada agrees with what the Palembang has posted on its AIS, so that’s good.

If You Could Read Between The Lines

The communications from YachtPath today contained the following:

As of today the M/V “Palembang” is currently in Corinto, Nicaragua discharging Owners Cargo. 

The delays in Corinto have been caused by a disagreement between the Shipper and the Owners regarding the method used for handling this cargo. In addition the Port has ordered the vessel back to anchorage two times due to arriving Cruise ships.

This vessel is now due to complete operations on Saturday PM at which point she will sail towards Manzanillo, Mexico.  

So what does that mean? “A disagreement between the Shipper and the Owners”? Don’t touch my junk, one crane or two, port or starboard, what could the disagreement be and why it is a last minute problem, and why does it take so long to resolve, and how does it affect my boat sitting on-deck during this whole process?

We’re resolved to the fact that we will never have answers to our questions, nor will we ever know what really is transpiring in Corinto. All we know is that we lost 8 days, so far.

Maybe the title of this post should be "Clueless in Nicaragua".
 

Stuck in Nicaragua

Even though the Palembang arrived at the Port of Corinto on February 2nd, the delays continue to mount.

For example we received this message from YachtPath:

As of February 7, 2012 the M/V “Palembang” is in Corinto, Nicaragua discharging Owners Cargo. 

This vessel did receive a berth late Saturday night and discharge operations did commence on Sunday morning. However due to a stowage issue this vessel will most likely not depart Corinto until Thursday, February 9th PM. We have Yacht Path personnel on the ground in Corinto and are following this situation very closely. We will provide updates as they are received.       

Followed the next day by:

As of February 8, 2012 the M/V “Palembang” is in Corinto, Nicaragua discharging Owners Cargo. 

However due to an arriving Cruise ship (“Queen Victoria”) our vessel was forced to anchorage position until additional berth space is available. We have been informed that our vessel should berth again late this evening and discharge operations will resume tomorrow morning. 

Bottom line, we have lost at least week in transport. Since all delays seem to be related to stopping at a port and we have two stops in Mexico before the Palembang sets sail for Victoria, I except the schedule will continue to slip.

The real rub is that my wife Karen, will not be able to make it out to Victoria because of business conflicts she had already juggled to meet the “latest published schedule” when the boat left Ft. Lauderdale. Further, Brian Pemberton, the owner of NW Explorations, is now also not going to be able to greet the boat due to a previously scheduled vacation.

Just like the loading at Ft. Lauderdale, it looks as if I may be flying solo on the unloading.

If I Could Only Read Their Minds

Last night when I went to bed, the Palembang was sitting at the west end of the first lock of the Panama Canal. It had been sitting there for a couple of hours. My assumption was that by morning it would be though the canal and motoring its way into the Pacific.

This morning when I checked VesselTracker before I left for the office, the Palembang was indeed through the canal, but had anchored in the Balboa anchorage just to the west of the canal.

Why did it stop and not just continue on? Karen and I have a lot of theories speculating on the reason why they stopped. Was it to manage timing to get to the next port at a particular time for a reservation they had? Was their paperwork they needed to clear up from their Panama Passage? It’s the end of the month, is there a crew change? And so it went until we decided that it was probably none of the above and we would never fathom the real reason why.

Then about 10:30am our time I get the following message from VesselTracker.com.

Name: PALEMBANG http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Palembang-I336843.html

IMO: 9501887

Time: 31-01-2012 15:24:26 UTC

ETA: The vessel PALEMBANG has changed its ETA  at region Golfo de Panamá. Old: 02-02-2012 08:00:00 New: 02-02-2012 08:00:00 (Dest: Corinto)

DESTINATION: The vessel PALEMBANG has changed its destination  at region Golfo de Panamá : Old: Balboa, New: Corinto (ETA: Thu Feb 02 08:00:00 CET 2012)

MOVEMENT: Vessel moved.

PORT: The vessel PALEMBANG has left the berth. ( Port: Balboa   Berth: Balboa Anchorage )

The only surprise was the destination of Corinto, Nicaragua. That was not the next port we have on the list from YachtPath. Are they stopped here for fuel, another cargo stop? If only I could read their minds.