Thursday: Repair & History

Mechanics: Tony & Tom 

Awoke this morning and prepared to greet our mechanics with new parts. The head was not hurt so with new injector bolts installed, new rocker arm and valve cover it was time to put the engine back together. With a little coffee from Kathy they got to work putting the engine back together.  This will take all day and with luck be done by 4:00pm so we can get underway early Thursday morning.

new parts

more new parts

 

While the mechanics were working the family decided to take a side trip to the outer banks and visit Kitty Hawk.  Amazing piece of history with the first powered flight that took 12 seconds and went 120ft. Why here?  They say because of the sand for soft landings & steady winds.  Having time to do this was blamed on Don because as we motored along the ICW he suggested we motor over to Kitty Hawk and take in some history. We got to but not the way he suggested.     

We returned back to the marina about 4pm to find the mechanics still hard a work. They worked into the evening hoping to get the sea trial done today so we could get under way first thing in the morning. Time to turn over the engine and get a listen. Bob from the bridge "fire in the hole" . . . nothing.  Double check for batteries on, switches switched again "fire in the hole" . . . no spark.  Again and still no spark.  We checked the battery switch. DEAD. We are going no where tonight or first thing in the morning either.  You know what they say "switch happens"

Mechanics need to get a new switch and return in the morning to do the sea trial.  Time for a late dinner. Tonight BBQ steak & shrimp on the new BBQ.  

cooking from scratch

Wednesday: beauty & the beast

Sunrise

Today we woke up to a beautiful sunrise, hot coffee, and the mechanic waiting on the dock. First job of the day to diagnose engine problems.

There's the problem, an injector pushed through the top of the valve cover. Diesel fuel all over in the hold. Now the question, what else is wrong. Off with the cover, off with the head. Ah...a broken bolt.  Now we know the problem what or who caused it? Time to negociate with Ocean Marine who just worked on it before we left Portsmouth, VA.  Report from the mechanic sounds promising. We are going no where today.

What to do, what to do?  Kathy prepared another crock pot dinner. John and the kids made a sounding line so he could set the depth finder.  Working with all the instrumntation to set them properly and learn their functions is an ongoing operation.  Bob has been at the mechanic's shop, getting a rental car (in case we are here for days) and doing more shopping.  Every few minutes aboard brings another realization we need a . . . . wrench, deck chair, light bulb for an instrument, and on it goes.

Mechanics are gone, parts are coming FedEx overnight, & Bob is back with the BBQ. Tonight dinner & a movie on board.  Tomorrow the engine repair.

What is that ticking? . . . .

Two hours into our day planning on a full day of motoring Captain John said "Do you hear that ticking?"  What is that sound?  Matt made a quick sound check and came back to the pilot house "It's coming from under the table"  At this time the engine temp jumped to 210+ degrees.  Don & John investigated the noise and discovered it was coming from . . . you guessed it,  the ENGINE.  We slowed down, the temp settled around 200 and the knock went away. Bob and John were concerned so we called ahead to the town of Coinjock, NC to see if they had a mechanic and they did so onward we went. Coinjock is in the middle of the NC cut. Now here is a town that sits right on the ICW.

Coinjock Marina 

Coinjock

Coinjock

Coinjock

Coinjock

When we tied up the owner informed us "well I have a mechanic but he is in Norfolk for the day. We pushed on for the next spot we could have the engine looked at. We headed down the ICW and consulted cruising guide for our next anchorage. And phoned to have a mechanic be on board 8am Wednesday morning. Out of the river and across the sound we went.  Today we traveled about 60 statute miles and docked for the night at Alligator River Marina.  We docked as light left the sky and a sigh escaped our thoughts, we made it.

Sunset on a long day Thankful to be at port

Tomorrow we discover what if anything our engine heating problem is and maybe what the ticking on the valve cover was. Tomorrow do we go or do we stay?

Your turn at the helm

As the canal becomes the North River and the river widens on it's way to the sea our Captain (John) gives everyone a chance to "drive" the boat. Keeping green markers to the port and striving for a straight wake line aft we all get our hands on the wheel.

Captain Cathy

Captain Don

Captain Alex

Captain Raylynn

Captain Matt

Day Two: "Great Bridge" to "Alligator River"

Today we were up at six to make the bridge raising at 8:00am. Hailed the bridge,  and now we are drinking coffee waiting for 9:00am the REAL bridge opening. Once underway we followed the ICW canals cut through the swamp along rivers as they meandered toward the ocean.  Every thing is flat.   Marsh land on both sides. The rivers are not "rushing"  they just sit there and get wider the closer to the ocean we get.  No rushing water, rocks, or banks. At waters edge just stumps, dead trees, then grass & finally oak & pine.

On the ICW

Starboard bank

Port bank

North Landing river opening up as we go

We finally shoved off Monday Afternoon

 It wasn't until 3:00pm on Monday afternoon when we pulled out of Ocean Marina, Portsmouth, VA. Mile marker "0" on the Intracostal Waterway (ICW).  We took a right out of the Marina on to the Elizabeth River and cruised through two bridges and had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the Gilmerton Bridge to open. If your timing is off you can wait awhile for the bridges to be raised or lowered. Luckily we were following a tug pushing a barge of scrap metal. Using the Tug with it's lights on we went farther then we hoped. We made it through the Great Bridge Lock and we stopped for the night between the lock and the "Great Bridge" bridge. We had gone a whole 12 miles. 

The Crew last night at Portsmouth, VA

Bob & Captain John

Underway an hour and the sun is setting

Planning an early start for day two

Docked at "Great Bridge"

Our plan for day two is to make the first bridge opening. Cruising guide says 8:00am. No late night movie tonight!

The Beginning of The Voyage

Here is the beginning of our voyage before we cruised out of the Ocean Marina, Portsmouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWV5eZNiiXs