Today, is our 23rd day here at Atlantic Highlands. This injector pump has been in and out and back in more than enough. The Yanmar folks here have been slightly more than useless. Our mechanic has found that the new pump wasn’t new after all. It was actually put back on the shelf after it was returned faulty and working incorrectly, and then forgotten about. Only to end up in our hands as a new pump.
Yes the Linus Cloud is still over us!!
The pump didn’t work last week on Friday; it was back to the shop Monday after being repaired. Unfortunately, not all parts were returned. Therefore, these parts were sent via FedEx overnight and received Tuesday a.m. Once again installed and seemed to have been running quite nicely for over an hour. We have not had our fridge working for the last twenty-two days and have been shopping one day at a time. So, with the engine running, finally we can now turn on the fridge. Hind sight, Pat wanted to clean out the fridge before refilling. So we went to the grocery store to get just enough groceries for our supper. Getting back to the boat, we flashed the engine once again and started to clean the fridge. It was blowing 30-35 knots from the west outside around 40-45 degrees F. Wasn’t long after, all hell broke loose. The engine increases its revs, and then over the top she goes again. In order to get it to stop Ted had to place his hand over the air intake and finally it shuts down.
So here we sit, one more night in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, looking at the Empire State Building across the Hook. Do you remember the movie “Ground Hog Day” and the never ending loop never changing?? This seems to be like that movie only it’s getting colder each day closer to November.
Day 24, a new lift pump (supplies the new injector pump) and oil change all seems to be fine. Are we nervous? You bet, not doing the happy dance until we feel more confident. Perhaps that’s what our jinx yesterday was. This crappy weather haunts us like a Halloween movie…still holds us back…looks like perhaps this weekend we will be up the coast.
Friday, 27th of October and we have lived aboard Xcelsior for 182 days, What an Eventful Six Months.
.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Engine..Engine...Run Away!!
Our over night stop became a five days of bad weather…in Atlantic Highlands. This is not a friendly harbour bottom for anchorage, what so ever, East or West winds are just plan terror. Besides the heavy winds of 40 to 50 knots, we have found a soft bottom….the first night we were set fine. While the second night there was a thunderstorm and we plowed the harbour bottom from one end to the other. The aquaculture farmers would be proud of us. This all occurred at the wee hours of 0:30 in the morning, once we managed to get the situation under control and reset, all 150 feet of chain rode and plow anchor, in ten feet of water. The next morning we thought we set, a second anchor the Bruce was put out. Doing so the engine ran away….those that don’t know what a diesel run away is, was full speed ahead with no one at the throttle. We allowed the engine to cool down and tried once again to no avail. The second engine run away occurred.
Sunday came about and we took on fuel, water and did a pump out. Heading out the harbour, destination Atlantic City and the engine ran away once again for the third time. Dropped our anchor and called a diesel mechanic. Three days later we are ordering a new injector fuel pump at the cost of $750 (remember the Yanmar is only three years old and has less than 700 hours of running time). Two days later and what was thought to be the problem doesn’t seem to be so. The governor spring and controls does not appear to be doing their job. So we wait. Hopefully Monday, Vince the mechanic, will have a solution.
There we are anchored in the middle of the harbour, we were going to take the ferry into New York City, but the wind comes up and we thought we’d best hang about the boat to make sure she doesn’t drag again. Less than an hour later, and we slide by two mooring balls, “we’d best tie up to one of those mooring balls” as we have no engine to assist us Ted heads out in the dinghy puts on a bridle. I pull the boat over to the mooring (now about two boat lengths away) by a sheet slipped through the eye of the bridle. We are now secured with mooring ball and anchor still down.
Meanwhile, a member last week offered us the use of his mooring ball. Mooring balls here are $40 a night, which includes launch service and showers. Ironically, in order to save dollars, Ted taking the dinghy tried towing us over to the members ball. The wind came up and as we were almost at the ball, pushed us as much as ten boat lengths away. Before we knew it… the dinghy was riding up the bow of the boat and Ted’s in the water and the dinghies upside down. Drop anchor…between attempting to get the boat upright and Ted back on board….So IRONIC in order of saving dollars, we end up with an outboard now needing to be flushed of saltwater. The Suzuki dealer here didn’t have time to look at the outboard so a friend took us to Sea Bright to his Mercury dealer. As long as the outboard turns over he’d be able to flush it for us but…if parts are required we’d have to go back to the Suzuki dealer that had no mechanic to assist. Things were on our side…the outboard after a little priming turned over.
All in all…the people of Atlantic Highlands, NJ have been great and made us feel like family. We have learned to crab fish….Actually we have been feeding the crabs well, catching and releasing. Topaz, was quite intrigued by the intruder.
Started our third week here and had hoped we'd be heading to the Intracoastal Waterway via C & D Canal, however, the engine story continues....we will keep you all updated.
Sunday came about and we took on fuel, water and did a pump out. Heading out the harbour, destination Atlantic City and the engine ran away once again for the third time. Dropped our anchor and called a diesel mechanic. Three days later we are ordering a new injector fuel pump at the cost of $750 (remember the Yanmar is only three years old and has less than 700 hours of running time). Two days later and what was thought to be the problem doesn’t seem to be so. The governor spring and controls does not appear to be doing their job. So we wait. Hopefully Monday, Vince the mechanic, will have a solution.
There we are anchored in the middle of the harbour, we were going to take the ferry into New York City, but the wind comes up and we thought we’d best hang about the boat to make sure she doesn’t drag again. Less than an hour later, and we slide by two mooring balls, “we’d best tie up to one of those mooring balls” as we have no engine to assist us Ted heads out in the dinghy puts on a bridle. I pull the boat over to the mooring (now about two boat lengths away) by a sheet slipped through the eye of the bridle. We are now secured with mooring ball and anchor still down.
Meanwhile, a member last week offered us the use of his mooring ball. Mooring balls here are $40 a night, which includes launch service and showers. Ironically, in order to save dollars, Ted taking the dinghy tried towing us over to the members ball. The wind came up and as we were almost at the ball, pushed us as much as ten boat lengths away. Before we knew it… the dinghy was riding up the bow of the boat and Ted’s in the water and the dinghies upside down. Drop anchor…between attempting to get the boat upright and Ted back on board….So IRONIC in order of saving dollars, we end up with an outboard now needing to be flushed of saltwater. The Suzuki dealer here didn’t have time to look at the outboard so a friend took us to Sea Bright to his Mercury dealer. As long as the outboard turns over he’d be able to flush it for us but…if parts are required we’d have to go back to the Suzuki dealer that had no mechanic to assist. Things were on our side…the outboard after a little priming turned over.
All in all…the people of Atlantic Highlands, NJ have been great and made us feel like family. We have learned to crab fish….Actually we have been feeding the crabs well, catching and releasing. Topaz, was quite intrigued by the intruder.
Started our third week here and had hoped we'd be heading to the Intracoastal Waterway via C & D Canal, however, the engine story continues....we will keep you all updated.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
The Big Apple….leads to Hell’s Gate
Bright and early Tuesday morning at 0430, we raise our bodies out of bed, to start the morning venture from Port Washington, Long Island Sound to New York City. We were told by many to time our tides for the river channels into New York. The currents were strong but in our favour once again.
As we arrived at Rikers Island (the prison island) there was a huge prison barge tied up across the channel. It must have stood six stories, 500 feet long by 100 wide. The top level was the barred fenced exercise courtyard about half the length of a football field. Can’t even begin to think how many prisoners would work on this barge.
Hell’s Gate wasn’t anything we anticipated. Strong currents but nothing we couldn’t handle. The winds were blowing 20 knots at the time and I don’t believe I would have wanted anything stronger.
Another concern was the weekday commuters on the ferries during the morning rush. A few people had told us horror stories about the NY Waterway Ferries fighting the currents and just flying out of their berths at full speed ahead. It wasn’t long before we witnessed the stories ourselves. We were smack in the middle of the 0730 and 0800 rush. The ferries would sooner go through you than around. The worst area was at the joining of the East River and Hudson River known as “The Battery”. Fighting current, ferries and wave wakes.
Over all we traveled under eight bridges and the Big Apple was overwhelming. From ducking airplanes (La Guardia Field), Aerial Sky Cars (Cable Car), trains, heavy bridge commuter traffic and commercial ships and barges, made for one very noisy passage.
Next stop...we are going to skip Atlantic City if the weather is against us and continue around Cape May into Deleware.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)