Memorial Weekend

Spending this weekend at the Moores Anchorage on Longboat Key with Dolphin Cruising Club.  

Americana Cove Canal

This week at the sandbar

Phasor & Kubota Marine Generators

Phasor and Kubota have combined to produce one of the noisiest marine generators in the world.  My sailboat is almost unlivable when this thing is running.  We continue to place insulation and after the Memorial Day raft up with the dolphins expect to quiet it down a lot.

Riveria Bay Sandbar

We went out in our Whaler yesterday to the sandbar and found a boatload of hotties.  It was fun to watch all those young people having fun.  Ahhhh to be 20 something again.

Hottie On A Go-Faster

Listing

After a complete test of our transmission we are confident that the problem was the seagrass wrapped around our prop.  Been busy taking stuff off Genesis to get her ready for market.  Been arguing with Phasor over the noisy generator install but their idea of customer service is to simply bury their head in the sand.  I am very disappointed in Phasor Marine Generators.

Three bridges out of eleven we had to open

Blackburn Pt.

Circus Bridge

Hatchett Creek Bridge



The Noisy Generator

Have to finish up the Insulation

Cinco de Mayo

Well good news the diver found what he called a basketball size pile of seagrass wrapped around the prop & shaft.  It was removed and now have to take her out for a test to see if everything is Ok.  Next week finish cleaning Genesis upand replaceing the water circulation hose.

Then we list her with a broker and see if she will sell.

Breakdown

Should find out todayif we wrapped something around prop or if our new transmission has a problem.  Either way it is going to cost more $$$$$$

Back Home Under Tow

Left South Seas and the pool tiki bar.

Spent a night at Palm Island Marina

Left Palm Island early coffee on Lemon Bay

Broke down at Skyway DAMN

South Seas Resort on Captiva

Left Ft. Myers Beach yesterday early and immediately ran into 20 kt winds from the north and what direction did we need to go?  NORTH of course, so after slogging thru the miserable mile and the the open Pine Island Sound we had had enough.

South Seas is pricy but for the extra $30/day you have 3 heated pools, a hot tub, some of the best BBQ in the country and a very helpful staff.  After 4 days at Salty Sams Marina with nothing to do but drink it was a restful day yesterday and expect so today.

Tomorrow we plan on sailing our SAILBOAT out from Redfish Pass to Boca Grande and spend the night at Pelican Bay as wee make our way slowly home.

Clearing Sky's but change of plans again

Just finished calling a lock on the Okeechobee Waterway.  Ugh the lake levels so not support the rim route and across is just 1 ft deeper than our draft.  Sooooo it is back to Marco Island then the 80 miles to Marathon in the Keys.

The plan now is to gunkhole at Shark River near Cape Sable and cross Florida Bay in the daylight.  Lots of crab traps to watch out for but also because this route is in open water we need to wait for the wind and seas to subside.

Stormy Weather

Hunkered down in Salty Sam's Marina on Ft. Myers Beach waiting for the really bad weather to hit.  Watching the squall line getting closer but the wind is bad now so far gusting to over 30 kts.

Genesis At The Marina

Burnt Store



Burnt Store Marina

Well between the wind and cold water (yes we Floridians like it around 84F) we decided to take a side trip to one of our favorite places for a few days.  Had a good time at the bar last night but the bar food menu was changed a bit and theyno longer carry the potato skins we liked so much last year.  Oh well wings and onion rings did us just fine. 

leaving tomorrow for Salty Sam's Marina on Ft Myers Beach.

Pelican Bay

After a long day inside under power we arrived at Pelican Bay anchorage in the Cayo Costa State Park.  A good protected anchorage it is shallow carying just 6-7 feet at low tide and the path in about a foot less.  Hug the north beach from the inter?coastal and watch for a shoal area in the center of the bay.

Bad weather coming so we expect to head to Salty Sam's Marina in Ft. Myers Beach tomorrow or Friday.

Breezy now.

Sarasota Bay

After a long night of howling 20 kt winds the calm of 12 kts on Sarasota Bay is allowing a cup of morning coffee.  We are inside under power and have about 11 bridges to open and about 50 miles to cover to Pelican Bay.

Monday Departure

Been loading Genesis now for about a week.  We took everything off for the generator installation and had to find where we put everything.  Genesis seems to be in working condition and we just had the bottom scrubbed b4 our leaving. 

6 weeks planned and return on memorial weekend with a final stopover at the Moores anchorage with the Dolphin cruising club of which we are a member.

Generator is still a little noisy but tolerable, we will have to look at making the insulated room that Marine Merchandising was suppose to do but that is next winters project along with an anchor windless.

Getting excited and we are sooooo ready to get under way.

Gina made me promise not to scare her but I want to put Genesis through her paces.  Better to find out now that in a storm huh?

Finally Finished With Phasor Installation

OK so last generator issue fixed. No cost just our time and the aggravation of having to remove the firewall between aft cabin and generator to reconnect the diesel overflow tubing and to mop up the spilled diesel in the bilge. Damn this Phasor installer was bad. Now just for me to install our marine FM/MP3 player and speakers and get the new electrical panels installed.

Looking like we might actually make the departure date of April 16.

A good day today

Finally some good news but not because of Phasor. Hired a neutral third party to find and fix my Raymarine equipment, knot mtr/depth sounder/wind direction-speed and he found and fixed in 10 minutes. Since I was going to pay for 1 hr anyway he connected my generator battery to the charging system.

Everything seems to be working now but the generator. Tomorrow is another day.

Back At Our Marina Downtown St. Petersburg

03/03/2012

Kudo's to Salt Creek Marina

To the staff and management of Salt Creek Marina, THANK YOU for the professional manner in which we were treated during what seemed like a very busy yard.  You made the $3600 yard bill better to take with your diligence and professional behavior during a difficult generator installation.



Out Of The Boatyard

Finally back in the water yesterday and pleased that the engine ran fine after the tank removal.  Gina got the air out of the line and she started right up.  The Generator install if almost done but a few things remain. 

1st  we don't seem to have the 12v reconnected to the panel and so was unable to check all the instruments.
2nd.  Have to connect 12v gen batt to the charging system.  Will parallel on engine starting batt.
3rd  Gen thru hull is still dripping.

On the plus side the clean up and detailing today makes Genesis shine.  All waxed hull and topside and 95% of the bird poop buffed off.  The non-skid never looked better and we are glad to be back in our marina slip.

Going on 5 weeks in boatyard

Damn I am getting sick of the excuses from the Phasor Generator installer.  He forgot to hook up the exhaust and bilge pump hoses and placed the generator pan over them.  Soooo we have to remove all that work and replace the hoses b4 any more work can be done.

Additionally, we lost 5 days so he could attend the Miami Boat Show.  I am losing faith in his installation.

The latest on Genesis.

Generator install moving along expect to have it finished by end of week.  This week was kinda slow with the fuel tank removal and install of the sound sheilding taking.
 
Talked to the yard guy who does the hull compounding and waxing so he is on it.

On The Hard

Bottom job, generator install

Winter Haulout

Getting ready for a bottom job at our favorite repair facility Salt Creek Marina.  Genoa needs some stiching and of course the generator install.  Thinking middle of January.

Generator Stuff

OK Getting proposals for a Gen on Genesis.  Gonna need some fiberglass work to fit in but fiberglass can be removed and replaced.  Looks like a 3.5-4.0 KW with sound shield or sound sheet'