Wednesday 2 December 2015

November 29, 2015 Mud Daubers


leaving Turkey Creek


the only picture we took on route


Moore Haven to Clewiston, sailing the 12 miles


Mud Daubers in the fuel air vent


Modaki at the launch ramp dock … everything fixed now .. we hope

SUNDAY, November 29/2015

We where up early and anxious to get off the dock and start our Season 4 Adventure.  Mike and Sharon gave us a big shove off, leaving Turkey Creek, heading to the Bahamas.

As we passed Glades Boat Yard, we saw Brian Mundle wave from on top of "Bucket List", which is on the hard, we circled and waved back.

14 miles later and everything was running smoothly .. until we got the green light to enter the Moore Haven Lock, the motor sputtered and stopped.  We did a circle and got the engine running and locked thru, but the engine was still hesitating.  Now what do we do, we have a new fuel tank, new fuel line, clean filters.  It is 12 miles to Clewiston, in a 100 ft wide canal, to get to the launch ramp dock.  We figured if we needed engine supplies we had to make it some how to a larger city.

 So the sails went up and about 5 minutes later the engine stopped completely. The wind was light and on the beam or close hauled.  We talked a lot about, what if the wind died completely , how would we lower the sails quickly and throw down the anchor before we hit the rocky shore, 50 feet away.

The power boats where good to us today, everyone slowed, maybe they where wondering .. those crazy sailers with both sails up only going 2.5 - 3.5 knots in this narrow canal.

Then we talked about how we where going to dock and stop the boat, at the launch ramp dock.  It was a long 12 mile sail. There was no picture taking and we spent long minutes with out talking.

We tried to start the motor again when we got close to the dock and no luck.  The foresail was brought in, and working on the main only it seemed like we where working in slow motion.

Joe lowered the main as we approached the dock, I was in front of the main and I stepped off, the main obstructed his vision, cause it did not drop completely and the wind caught it.  I had the centre line and felt like I was Superman trying to stop a speeding train.  But I managed to get it around a cleat and bang we where stopped.  By this time Joe was off the boat and had the stern line cleated.

Before all of this happened, there was a man on the dock fishing, and I yelled to him that we where going to dock there, but we had no motor.
He just smiled and I yelled again our situation, then he said okay no problem..  I'm sure he thought we where quite the pair, sails 1/2 down, me jumping off, trying to get the cleat wrapped and then Joe jumping off to do the same.  We interrupted his fishing but he said he wasn't having any luck any way.  He said it must be deep here cause you are a sailboat, and we said 10 feet, and he said no wonder I'm not catching any fish.

We knew by the way the motor was running and not running that it was starved of fuel. On visual inspection the fuel filter was clean and no water in the bottom of the filter.  We started from the tank to inspect everything.  Joe checked the fuel air vent, by blowing into it and nothing happened …. we took it apart and Mud Dauber's had blocked it with mud .. Once again we bled the fuel lines and finally Modaki chugged back to life.

A Very Stressful Day

Tomorrow is the test when we cross Lake Okeechobee


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