“If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen out there!” That is what Kurt Russell’s character in the movie, “Captain Ron”, had said before taking a family of four out to sea. Those words are truer than true!

It’s been 3 years since the boat has moved through the water, so we were fully aware of the importance of a shakedown cruise in order to work out the kinks. We didn’t think we were aiming big. The plan was to start with a one-hour trip from Jarrett Bay down to the Beaufort waterfront. We’d anchor out in Beaufort for a day or two and then sail over to Cape Lookout. At Cape Lookout, we’d finish sorting through all deeds left undone. Once we were ready, we would look for a weather window that would allow for an offshore trip to Cape Cod. We knew that it was impossible to stick to a schedule. We also knew things would go wrong. What we didn’t know was that most of them would happen at the exact same moment in time!

Departure from the Dock:

At approximately 10:30 a.m. we tossed off the dock lines in order to move across the basin to top off our fuel tanks. Wil and I had a plan. The 15-20 knot wind was in our favor. It would keep us off the dock as we uncleated the lines, backed out of the basin, and then backed in along side the fuel dock. The moment we tossed the lines and gave the engines throttle, the starboard bow ran smack into one large, metal i-beam of the wall where we had been docked. Time for more gel coat repair! It only took seconds for Wil to realize that when the port throttle was pushed to reverse, the engine propelled us forewards. Forward was reverse, and reverse was forward! Once that detail was figured out, we managed to make it to the fuel dock.

Once at the fuel dock, we topped off two of the four fuel tanks and fixed the reversed wires on the throttle cable. After filling the tanks, I went below and discovered a strong diesel smell in the port hull. I lifted the floorboard to find that diesel was leaking from around the fuel-sending unit. Upon closer inspection, the unit had not been properly tightened after the fuel cleaning crew had been onboard. I tightened the unit and the leaking stopped. Just to be safe, we switched the starboard engine to draw from the leaking tank. Also, while we were still at the dock, the battery alarm started sounding. Wil managed to find what he thought was the cable leading from the port engine alternator. The new lithium batteries were not supposed to be receiving power from the alternator, so the cable needed to be disconnected. As an extra precaution, the dinghy was also inflated and lowered to the water, so we could test the dinghy motor. Finally, all was well, and we departed Jarrett Bay Boatworks around 1:15 p.m. Our friends, who were there to see us off, came aboard for a ride.

Motoring down the Waterway:

As we got underway, all seemed to be going well, except that I noticed the depth and speed wouldn’t come on. I also noticed the VHF seemed pretty quiet. We were discovering that we didn’t have any DC power. We had made it about a mile down the waterway when suddenly the starboard engine sputtered, quit, and became stuck in gear. Then, the batteries started alarming again. Wil went into the starboard engine room to figure out the battery situation. While he was in the starboard engine room, the port engine alarm started sounding. When the port engine room was opened, smoke poured out. We were in the middle of the channel with shoals on either side, a stiff wind, and no engines or DC power. The emergency anchoring drill went well considering there was no power to operate the windlass. Now, we were anchored right smack dab in the middle of the channel on the afternoon of 4th of July with no way to communicate to anyone. (Yes, we have a VHF handheld, but I had forgotten to charge it until just right before we left).

The engines were the first order of business. After switching the starboard engine back to the original fuel tank from earlier in the day, and tightening a loose Racor filter, it was able to restart without a problem. There had been air in the fuel line. The port engine was low on anti-freeze. However, even after adding what should have been enough anti-freeze, it still continued to overheat. Since we needed to get out of the channel and relocate to a safer area, we motored the rest of the way to Beaufort using just the starboard engine. Without the port engine running, the battery alarm remained silent. Without DC power, it was a bit nerve-wracking to navigate the entrance to Gallant’s Channel without a depth sounder.

We dropped anchor on the north side of the Beaufort drawbridge in order to assess the DC power problem. That was when Wil found that he had disconnected a DC power cable to the rest of the boat, and not the cable from the port engine alternator. Once power was restored, we hauled up the anchor (with the windlass this time), and completed the trip to the Beaufort waterfront without incidence. The relief we felt upon our arrival was huge!

Now, we will continue to be anchored in Beaufort until some important issues can be corrected. The port engine continues to overheat, and Wil can’t figure out where the anti-freeze is going. He has a few more ideas in his mind, but had to walk away from it for the time being. When we were without power, the fridge and freezer thawed, and water ran down onto the control board. The fridge is currently non-functional, so we have transferred all of our food to the freezer and turned up the temperature. We have thrown up our arms and will be calling in the professionals on Monday.

In the meantime, Wil spent 4 1/2 hours at the top of the mast. He installed the wind indicator, the wifi antenna, fixed the tricolor and anchor light, and put in the new main halyard. I have been on the ham radio with my dad and friends. The new Raymarine chartplotter and radar are now functional. Progress is being made.

At the end of the day, when we’re hot and tired, we are able to jump in for a swim to cool off. It is so relaxing to be on the hook and hear the water lapping at the hull. There are worse places to be stuck.

approaching the fuel dock

off at last

just passed through the Beaufort drawbridge

a frustrating day

finally some fun!

happy to be on her board

some paddling fun

even the dog!

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Wow! What a feeling!

We have felt so many emotions since the morning of the launching. Someone who watched the launch from the webcam described it perfectly, ” . . . excitement / tension / joy / palpitations, and then finally to get onboard as the boat moves gently, floating in the water, finally, moving slowly in the wind and ripples.”

On the morning before the launch, I woke at 5:30 a.m. with my mind racing and my stomach in knots. It was so hard to believe we were actually going to hear the travel lift come for us this time. Every day spent in the boatyard, we had listened to the sound of the travel lift, and watched boat after boat going to and from the water. On this day, it was our turn.

Wil, on the other hand, was calm, cool and collected. He had said the words, “No worries, mon.” He had said that if the lift drops the boat, then he’ll have a bit of fiberglass work to do. We would deal with whatever came our way.

We managed to do all of the last minute preparations prior to the arrival of the travel lift. We even had time to drag our feet and have a leisurely lunch! We were more than ready. Wil and I were sitting on the scaffolding watching all of the yard activity, when we finally heard the sound of the travel lift motor. The lift moved slowly, but my heart raced.

The journey to the water’s edge went smoothly. Then, she was lowered into the water. With the boat still in the slings, we quickly boarded to check all thru hulls. All were good, except for a tiny trickle from the speed transducer. Wil was able to fiddle with it and the trickle stopped. Whew!

Once the boat was cleared for floating on her own, they released her from the slings and dragged her backwards to her spot at the dock. After three years of seeing her up on blocks with her bottom exposed, it was extremely satisfying to see her floating in the water again. Every time I look at her in the water, I feel like pinching myself to make sure that it’s not just a dream.

Since the launching, work has continued to be non-stop. On Saturday, I spent 4 hours at the top of the mast. I unjammed the tag line for the Genaker halyard, so we could raise the big foresail. We dropped 3 wires down the mast . . . the VHF antenna, the wifi antenna, and the new tricolor wire. Once the new wires were in the mast, I mounted the new VHF antenna and rewired the tricolor. There was more work to be done, but after 4 hours in the heat of the day, I was done.

On Sunday, it was Wil’s turn to go up the mast. He mounted the new radar dome, fed the radar wire down the mast, and cleaned the lower set of spreaders. The rest of the day was spent cleaning and organizing.

There was a big storm that hit our area later in the day. We learned of the storm when another catamaran took refuge at the dock behind us, and reported that the storm was producing 50 knot winds. Wil needed a trip to West Marine, but didn’t want to leave the boat because of the approaching storm. I told him to go, and that I would be fine. Before he left, we placed an extra spring line for extra security. Little did I know!

While Wil was gone, the battery alarm began sounding. I went into the engine room to turn off the charger. The kids were in the process of getting to the dock for a bathroom run. Suddenly, a burst of dark gray clouds came rushing in our direction. Their approach was like nothing I’ve ever seen! I’ve seen a lot of frontal walls approach, but this one was different. The wind went from almost nothing to at least 50 knots. What would normally be white caps on the waterway, were small waves. This was not going to be good. I yelled at Colin, who was already on the dock, to get back on the boat. The boat was pressed tightly against the dock with tremendous pressure on the fenders and fender boards. Our stern line (an old one) was stretched to almost breaking point. With wind blowing and rain pelting, I had to adjust a fender board and add an additional stern line. All kinds of things in the boat yard were being blown downwind. The mainsail on the catamaran behind us blew out of its sail cover. Later I learned that a local car ferry was blown onto the shoals, and it took 4 hours to get them off. We also heard that 80 mile per hour gusts had been reported. Wil had been safely inside the grocery store when the storm came rolling through. When he returned, we bombarded him with the details of our ordeal.

Monday was an extremely successful day. Both engines and the generator are given the thumbs up for running smoothly. There is a loose bolt on one coupler, but it seems okay to leave it alone until we return to the area in the fall. While Wil spent the day working with mechanic and the electrician, I ran the radar and wifi wires through the boat to the nav table.

Since all jobs done by the Jarrett Bay crew are completed, it’s time for us to throw off the dock lines. Tomorrow, we will use the borrowed wheels one last time to collect last minute provisions from town. If all goes according to plan, on Wednesday morning, we will say our good-byes to some wonderful and very special people at Jarrett Bay. We will miss the new friends we’ve made, but hope to see them again in the not too distant future.

placing the new radar dome on the mast

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travel lift approach

the kids viewing the lift

lining up the straps

putting on the straps

ready to lift

painting the keel bottoms

on the move

where she used to sit

moving towards the water

a whole new boat!

a bit heavy in the bow

our new view!

looking back at the yard

toes in the water

view from the stern

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The view from our boat today.

view from the bow

view off our stern

The boat is waxed. The life raft is in the rack. The dinghy is ready to be hoisted. The old batteries have been removed. Both engines purr like kittens. Dock lines are on deck. Thru hulls are being checked. Now, we are cleaning and doing odd jobs.

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