Chesapeake Chase Days 5-6: Licking our wounds in Southport

June 16: Clean-up and Troubleshooting

The original plan for today was to do laundry, grocery shopping, clean the boat inside and out, fill the water tank, and go exploring in Southport.  We managed three out of five.  Exploring Southport never happened, and we used water sparingly until evening.  Betty Lou really took a beating yesterday and was in need of some repairs, the main focus being the bow thruster.   The bow thruster really is to help with docking, but it is run from the same battery as the windless.  The windless is needed to drop and pull anchor.  Marinas are expensive, not always available, and we love to anchor.  Yesterday, Fred had to shut down power to the bow thruster which also meant power to the windless.

All of us worked to get the boat cleaned up.  Late morning, Fred opened the area in the bow where the bow thruster is located so he could assess the situation.  This area happens to be in the bowels of the boat under the bed in our stateroom.  To reach this spot requires us to lift the mattress which is on a hinged panel.  Under the main panel are smaller sections which allow for storing cushions under the mattress that are used for extra sleeping areas in the salon and pilot house.  The sections come out revealing the inner workings of the forward AC and the bow thruster. 

Whoever is the lucky person to troubleshoot must climb in.  This requires a new form of exercise only practiced by boaters.  We have named it boat yoga. The Admiral does not do this unless requested to by the Captain.  I am clueless when it comes to mechanics, motors, electricity, etc.

What he discovered was ugly!  There was water on the floor, which was not too bad, but when he was able to reach the motor to the bow thruster, it was sitting in about a foot of water! [editor: more like 6”] 

He had already had a conversation with the local dealer for the thruster.  They could come look at it, but they had no available appointments for four weeks.  After calling several other local service orgainizations with similar results, Fred called the manufacturer organization in the US, Imtra.  He spoke with Mark who gave him several helpful suggestions and thoughts.  Fred has done most of the mechanical work on this boat himself, but this was the biggest challenge yet.  I would have had a major meltdown by now, and just quit!  Fred thought through what the options might be.  He had already researched information about thrusters.

The first step was to get the water out.  Fortunately, we have a battery run wet/dry shop vac on board which works very well.  It took at least three full loads of water out of the hole.  Next step was to clean the hole.  We did work together as a team.  Mostly I am the gopher and I also hand him tools.

The biggest mystery through this whole process was where did all the water come from in the first place?  We had already ruled out the anchor locker because it was dry.  The waves were not coming over the boat.  The spray was what was coming over us.  Eventually, we found water dripping from the conduit containing a blue water hose that went to the anchor washdown.  Was this the source finally?  Was there a break in the hose somewhere in the conduit?  It was now too late in the day to do anymore.  We cleaned up and rather than put the bed all back together, we would sleep in the main cabin tonight.

All afternoon the girls were patiently waiting for the excursion to town.  Naomi finally asked to borrow one of the bikes and went exploring on her own.  Miriam and Phoebe entertained themselves as well.  Fred and I both felt badly about the unfortunate change in plans.  By this time, we all needed a break.

We decided to go to Southport for a dinner of pizza, and even though no mention was made, ice cream was going to get into the mix before evening’s end.  Miriam arranged for an Uber ride.  We walked up to the parking lot a few minutes ahead of the designated pickup time and waited – five tired, hungry people.  We waited – patiently.  Soon Miriam received a message that our driver canceled!  How could this be?  She quickly tried to arrange another ride.  There were no drivers available!! 

Back to the boat we went.  Maybe we could get pizza delivered.  Fred immediately went to his Dominoes account and put an order in.  He received a message back that they changed our order from delivery to pick up – short on drivers.  I was ready to start pulling out all the leftovers.  It was already just after 8 PM.  Fred in the meantime was trying Papa John’s.  Put the order in, paid and up popped the estimated delivery time – 229 minutes.  I immediately pulled out the leftovers.  I was not waiting until almost 10 PM to eat.  The day had been long enough.  Everyone had something they wanted, and all was good. 

We discussed what tomorrow might be.  Fred was going to ask first thing in the morning for another night in the marina.  That would give us a chance to fix the leak, grocery shop and explore.  I declared the evening over and we all went to bed.

June 17: Let’s Buy Some Stuff

Coffee was definitely first this morning.  As soon as the dock master arrived, Fred asked him about staying one more night.  After checking the schedule, the dock master returned with the okay to stay.  When the dock hands came in at 11:00 AM, they would move us back one to make room for a sailboat coming in later in the day.

Now we could make plans for the day.  The marina provided us with the name of a reliable transportation service.  Fred arranged for the service to take me to the grocery store, him to Lowes to get parts to fix the leak, and the young ladies into Southport to explore, shop and enjoy a needed reprieve from being on the boat.  We would join them later for pizza and ice cream.

Once Fred and I were back on the boat, Fred first spent time making phone calls to arrange for a mooring, and a marina in Carolina Beach.  It took many calls before finding a marina with a space – very busy time with school out [and Father’s Day weekend].  This was not the original plan, but parts for the bow thruster were being shipped to the nearest West Marine in Wilmington.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon focusing on the leak under our bed. This exercise moved us to the next level up of boat yoga.  To gain access to the space Fred needed to work in, we had to figure out how to move the mattress off the platform it rests on.  We were able to stand it up on the floor in front of the door which left a narrow space for getting out.  Then we lifted the platform up along with the portion covering the furthest forward part.  The main piece moved back a few inches toward the door and the forward part stood up with the help of duct tape allowing better access to where the water was leaking in. 

The next step was for Fred to get in the opening to cut [disconnect and remove] the hose and pull it through the conduit.  We had already turned the water off.  There was no visible evidence of damage to the hose, but what else was there?  So we had to wait for the dripping water to stop.   After a good length of time which included the forward piece of platform slamming down on Fred’s head when the duct tape let go – ouch!!! – a run for the ice pack, the drip continuing, and a call to the manufacturer of the boat, Fred determined it was time to quit.  The source of the leak was still an unknown! 

He put the hose back in the conduit and reattached everything.  Getting out of the hole was even trickier, but he succeeded.  There are videos for the record, but we will save them for another day.  I am sure your imaginations will be able to get the picture.  We put the bed all back together and declared work for the day complete. 

We cleaned up, arranged for our ride and joined the girls at the pizza place.  We had our yummy pizza, and Phoebe had already scouted out the ice cream shop.  Delicious ice cream with generous portions in waffle cones, we headed down to the water, five contented boaters. 

Miriam, Naomi, and Phoebe have always loved exploring waterfronts.  They were not disappointed.  Miriam found several live hermit crabs while Naomi and Phoebe looked for shells. 

By the time we arrived back at the boat, we were all ready to call it a night.  Tomorrow we would head to the mooring at Carolina Beach for two nights and then the marina for three nights. 

Sleep well, pleasant dreams.

Captain’s Comments:

I had previously made a slip reservation at the Southport Marina, which is walkable to downtown Southport. Unfortunately, I had made it for Thursday, we needed something Wednesday, and they couldn’t move our reservation. So, I checked with Safe Harbor South Harbour and they could accommodate us. It is a lovely marina, with a great staff, but you can’t walk to town due to the traffic and distance.

The Admiral provided an accurate description of the cleanup and troubleshooting, so I’ll just summarize:

• Vacuum the water (~1″) out of the forward bilge. Clean the bilge with soap and a mop.
• Vacuum the water (<1″) out of the engine room bilge.
• Remove the bin contents and bottom under the forward berth.
• Clean up the water on the floor under the forward berth and drawers.
• Remove the cover over the bow thruster; observe water up to the solenoid and ECM. Vacuum the water from the thruster well and clean with soap and mop (more cleaning will be required later).
• Clean the salt water out of the vacuum.
• Remove the mattress and open the compartment forward of the storage bin under the berth.
• Identify water dripping from the conduit that routes the PEX water tubing up to the anchor washdown valve in the anchor locker.

Finding the solenoid and electronic control module (ECM) of the solenoid under water was bad–but it explained why the thruster had failed. After trying to find local service technicians (not available for 4+ weeks), reading the manual, and researching online, I called Imtra, the US manufacturer representative for Sidepower Thrusters, which are made in the UK. I was referred to customer support specialist Mark Wader, who confirmed that water up to the solenoid and ECM could result in the symptoms we had, and he identified the replacement parts we needed to fix the issue.

We could purchase the parts directly from Imtra, but we didn’t have a ship-to address. Mark recommended purchasing the parts through West Marine, so they could be delivered to one of their stores, and I could pick them up there. The closest West Marine store was in Wilmington, about a 45-minute drive. I called West Marine sales but was told I had to order directly through the retail store since this was a special order. Note that it was now Friday afternoon before the Father’s Day weekend. After four calls to the local store, one of which was a conference call with Imtra, I had the parts ordered with overnight delivery–but it was too late to have them shipped before the weekend… Cross our fingers for Tuesday.

In parallel with the above, we were trying to identify where the water came from so we could take corrective action to prevent recurrence. Scott and Van Helker at Helmsman (the builder) are always available to help with questions. When I called, Scott reached out to the factory in China to obtain pictures of a similar boat under construction showing the areas of interest. When we identified water still dripping from the conduit holding the PEX domestic water tubing 36 hours after the crossing, it seemed likely that the PEX had developed a leak.

Friday morning, when we arranged for a car to take Sue for groceries and the girls to Southport for touring, I got a ride to Lowes, where I bought PEX tubing and fittings to replace the portion in question. And some new tools, of course.

When I got back to the boat ready to replace the tubing, it hit me that I could remove the damaged portion by disconnecting it at the top and pulling it out the bottom. When I did that, I expected the slow drip to stop. Eventually. It didn’t. Wrong cause!

Back on the phone with Scott, we discussed the possibility of water in the foamed area under the anchor locker floor slowly leaking out. I didn’t have a way to test that, so I reinstalled the original PEX tubing, put the bed and stateroom back together and prepared to wait till next week to receive thruster parts and check if the drip stops. Another possibility was that water entered the top of the conduit inside the anchor locker during the rough crossing, but this didn’t explain why the drip persisted for so long. I also asked Scott why there was no drain hole in the thruster well (we’re still discussing that one).

Also in parallel, we needed a plan for the next five days. On a busy Father’s Day weekend, most places were booked, and we couldn’t anchor until we fixed the thruster (shared power source with the anchor windlass). We happily reserved a mooring for two days over the weekend at Carolina Beach, and then three days at Federal Point Yacht Club. Even though Safe Harbor would have continued to accommodate us, with the beach calling, it was time to move.