Pulled out of Charleston at dawn for an (almost) uneventful trip south. Notice I didn't say sail. In fact it was DFC (Dead Flat Calm.)
We pulled into St Augustine Sunday afternoon, 30 Nov, just before high tide as an acquaintance had recommended. I was worried about shoaling in the inlet cut as lots of people had mentioned in Active Captain. Even the Coast Guard had issued a warning that morning that the number 4, 5 6 and 7 channel buoys were out of station. We called BoatUS for some local knowledge, and they told us not to worry, hug the reds, so we did. The shallowest we saw was 16 feet at buoy # 4. After that the depths got progressively deeper.
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| Departing Charleston. |
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| Sunset in the Atlantic. |
We pulled into St Augustine Sunday afternoon, 30 Nov, just before high tide as an acquaintance had recommended. I was worried about shoaling in the inlet cut as lots of people had mentioned in Active Captain. Even the Coast Guard had issued a warning that morning that the number 4, 5 6 and 7 channel buoys were out of station. We called BoatUS for some local knowledge, and they told us not to worry, hug the reds, so we did. The shallowest we saw was 16 feet at buoy # 4. After that the depths got progressively deeper.
After some calling around we finally did secure a mooring at
St Augustine’s Municipal Marina. We met Selena Hernandez,
Joelle’s roommate from OCS, and brought her out to the boat for a looksee and sundowners.
On the way back to the dock to go to dinner, the outboard engine sputtered and quit. It seems we had gotten some condensation water in the fuel. We had not run the outboard for almost 2 ½ months, and had experienced some freezing temperatures. Yikes. I broke out the oars and rowed to the dock against the current. Getting back to the boat was not too hard as we still had a little of the current pushing us. I guess I will be tearing into the outboard in the morning to clean out the water, something I know nothing about.
On the way back to the dock to go to dinner, the outboard engine sputtered and quit. It seems we had gotten some condensation water in the fuel. We had not run the outboard for almost 2 ½ months, and had experienced some freezing temperatures. Yikes. I broke out the oars and rowed to the dock against the current. Getting back to the boat was not too hard as we still had a little of the current pushing us. I guess I will be tearing into the outboard in the morning to clean out the water, something I know nothing about.
We had big plans for Monday so I started tearing into the
outboard at 0715. I had looked at removing the carburetor when I had the OB off
the dink when I was painting the dink. It looked a little complicated for my
taste at that time. Now I had to do it for real, sitting in the dink in the
water. Yep this is certainly a chance to lose parts overboard. I analyzed
everything before I tore into it. I figured a way to pull the carb out without
having to remove many of the engine adjustments. Of course after I got it all
apart, I discovered a drain screw at the bottom of the carb bowl that I could
have used to drain the water. Oh well. At least I was able to
clean the carb and open up the little hole in the carb that allows the engine
to idle. (Thank-you Eric Epstein for telling me about this little orifice).
Everything clean, the carb went back together again without any extra parts left over! Yea!
Oh, one minor point: when I started working on the OB, I disconnected the fuel line from the fuel tank to flush the bad fuel out of the fuel line. It seemed to me that I had an especially hard time getting the fuel line disconnected. I can’t be sure, but there is a chance I may have not connected the fuel line correctly in Nov after we had finished painting the dink. So basically, no fuel was getting to the OB. Don’t know for sure, but the fuel line connected a lot easier than it came off.
Everything clean, the carb went back together again without any extra parts left over! Yea!
Oh, one minor point: when I started working on the OB, I disconnected the fuel line from the fuel tank to flush the bad fuel out of the fuel line. It seemed to me that I had an especially hard time getting the fuel line disconnected. I can’t be sure, but there is a chance I may have not connected the fuel line correctly in Nov after we had finished painting the dink. So basically, no fuel was getting to the OB. Don’t know for sure, but the fuel line connected a lot easier than it came off.
A slip opened up at the Municipal Marina and we moved off the mooring ball. Sharon
and Henry Cardenas, Joelle's outlaws, were coming to the boat in the afternoon, and I didn’t want to
chance that my repairs to the OB didn’t work. Once at the marina, they had a
place to deposit the suspected water contaminated gas and buy new gas.
Reconnected the fuel line primed the OB, and she started on the first pull.
Also she seems to idle better. Sigh of relief.
We joined Selena for a tour of Flagler College, her alma mater and where she is
an assistant professor now that she is retired from the Navy. Flagler College is housed in what used to be the Ponce de Leon
Hotel at the end of the 1800s. Henry Flagler helped create St Augustine into a
winter destination place for the very rich, and built three hotels adjacent to
each other. The Ponce Hotel was built first. Flashing her faculty badge, Selena was able to take us into areas off limits to tourists and non-students. What an amazingly beautiful
premises to go to school.
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| Selena points out her old dorm room. |
That afternoon we biked
to the St Augustine Lighthouse and walked up the 213 steps to the top. The
views were fantastic. Back in the day, the lighthouse keeper had to carry a 5 gallon
pail of oil up to the top every two hours to keep the light burning. Also every
two hours he had to wind the movements to keep the light rotating. No need for an exercise program or gym membership; you kept in shape just by doing your job.
We rode back to the boat to welcome Henry and Sharon onboard for sundowners. (Henry is the brother of Joelle's SIL, Di.) We then headed into town; first to JP Henleys to sample their extensive collection of beers, on to Harry's for dinner, and then to the American Legion for jello shots. Henry and Sharon are so much fun. I'm sorry it was a work-night for them or we could have partied all night.
During dinner, Sharon mentioned that a Delta Heavy rocket was set to launch from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. Actually, she said a rocket was going to Mars but she wasn't sure of the details. LOL. Now we had a mission: make it to Titusville for the launch.
We rode back to the boat to welcome Henry and Sharon onboard for sundowners. (Henry is the brother of Joelle's SIL, Di.) We then headed into town; first to JP Henleys to sample their extensive collection of beers, on to Harry's for dinner, and then to the American Legion for jello shots. Henry and Sharon are so much fun. I'm sorry it was a work-night for them or we could have partied all night.
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| On the town with Sharon and Henry Cardenas - our outlaws. |
During dinner, Sharon mentioned that a Delta Heavy rocket was set to launch from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. Actually, she said a rocket was going to Mars but she wasn't sure of the details. LOL. Now we had a mission: make it to Titusville for the launch.
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