Where the heck have we been? Part 2 of 2

Entrance to Marina

While we waited on the fiberglass guys to begin work on the starboard holding tank, we spent a few days compiling a list of the things we needed to get done while tied to shore. Now, anyone with a boat will tell you that the list is a living breathing entity. You add stuff, you check other stuff off, you add more stuff, etc. The list never ends and there is always work to be done. The first task was to clean the ceilings of the boat again (the mildew seems ever present). I decided that it was time to take permanent action and buy paint to remedy the situation. I got a mold killing primer and five year mold/mildew proof paint to repaint the entire interior with. So with cleaning off the list, painting was added to it.

We knew we had some kind of fresh water leak, as the starboard bilge seemed to always have water in it, and the water pressure pump would randomly go off without anyone using it. The bilge's alarm would occasionally go off to remind us that we needed to fix it. It turned out we had multiple leaks. The transom shower dripped out the fitting on the bottom, the hot water line to the starboard head's vanity (previously fixed badly by the previous owner) leaked, and the cold water t-valve under the starboard vanity (for an unnecessary wash out) leaked. Which one to tackle first? We started with the transom shower, as it didn't require squeezing one's self into tiny spaces. We thought we had it fixed, but alas the water pressure pump and bilge alarm disagreed. We ordered parts and properly fixed the hot and cold water lines to the starboard head's vanity. For two whole days we had a dry bilge on that side. Then a leak was discovered in the grey water drain from the same sink. So, with two leaks marked off, one more was added on. At least the bilge alarm was no longer going off (as long as I cleaned the small amount of water out of it everyday). We re-tackled the transom shower and replaced various o-rings. Again we think it might be fixed, but time will tell. The water pressure pump still randomly goes off, but not nearly as often. That could easily be any of the three dripping faucets we have as well (add those to the list).

It was time to defrost the little freezer in the top of the refrigerator again (this is a monthly thing) because the seal to the refrigerator is seriously inadequate. We have searched and searched for a replacement, but can't find one (that remains on the list). We decided to use our microwave (since we were plugged into shore power) to make popcorn for a movie. Alas, the stupid thing died on the second bag. We had a heck of a time removing it, but now I have a bit more space in the galley. We discovered a serious botch job on the wiring when removing the microwave (add re-wiring to the list).

Now, this whole time they have been doing the repair to the starboard holding tank. The tank was in, but the access plate kept leaking. As the days went by, a stench began to grow in the PORT holding tank (the brand new system we had installed when we bought the boat). We searched and searched, and could not come up with a source to the foul odor. The migraines began coming on again in the wife, so we finally had someone come and check out what was going on. This is where being new to this whole lifestyle can really bite you. We had been moved onto the boat for less than two months, so knew very little about the plumbing system of a boat. Apparently, the people we had put in the port holding tank knew about as little as we did. The hose runs to the holding tank were running up instead of down. This means that the 'stuff' that is flushed or pumped out can't really leave the hoses. There was also a loop in the vent line (instead of a straight run). So, we had a perfect recipe for a bad disaster.

The runs in the hoses allowing 'stuff' to stay in them caused the hoses to permeate odor very quickly. Odor in a holding tank is kept in check by aerobic bacteria, which need air to breath. Without them, anaerobic bacteria grow instead. So, with the looped vent, air couldn't get into the tank and the anaerobic bacteria took over, literally making the tank 'septic'. Without air flow, the tank also 'pressurized' causing a fine spray of 'stuff' all over the back wall of the locker. The shelf that was put in to hold the holding tank in place was not sealed in the back, so the ooze was falling down and puddling in the bottom of a locker that had no access. So basically, the whole thing was a terrible install (done apparently by idiots). So, as they were finishing up the starboard holding tank, we got a quote to redo the port holding tank. Did I mention we have zero working heads on board now? They gave us a decent quote, but couldn't start work for another week.

There was no way we could tolerate the smell for yet another week, so we took the entire system out ourselves. So the list got an emergency item added to the very top, and we would obviously be in Fort Pierce for the rest of the month. It took two hours to carefully remove and wrap multiple poo filled hoses to take off the boat. Not to mention, the pick up hoses in the tanks were too short, so we got to remove a sloshing tank (carefully wrapped as well) out the door. It took another two hours to break apart and remove the shelf, not to mention the time then spent cleaning it all up. It was an all day affair, and the worst job that could be had on the boat. At least the smell was gone, and the wife was smiling again. Let us never speak of this day again.

In the week we waited to begin work on the port holding tank, we installed cabin fans in all four cabins. We moved the port side electrical going to the port side head (to accommodate a new built in holding tank). We corrected the wiring left by the discarded microwave. We began to learn a whole lot about the entire electrical system on the boat. It was a good thing too, as it made it easier to understand things when the starboard side starter battery quit working. Apparently the previous owners had wired several things directly to the starter battery, and it finally bit the dust. So we re-wired that entire side to be on the proper circuits, and then bought and installed a new starter battery (another emergency item that went to the top of the list).

As worked progressed on the port side holding tank, the coast guard paperwork finally arrived for the boat (yes, we were there long enough to have some mail sent). So we made the required hull id number plate to permanently attach to the interior of the boat. It's a pretty wooden plaque with the required three inch tall numbers engraved in it, and then permanently attached with 5200 (permanent adhesive). We began work on some shelves in the salon to help deal with the clutter. We finally got around to cleaning up the two folding bikes that came with the boat. Turns out the derailleurs on both of them are bad, so they went back inside to deal with later (add that to the list). An entire day was spent washing and waxing the boat. We waited till the end of our stay to clean her due to the footprints from the workers and the other goo left by the pelicans.

Pelicans? Yes, brown pelicans. The area is riddled with them. As we were parked at the end of the dock, we got a great view of the mangroves and the entrance to the Intracoastal. The pelicans sit around on the nearby posts and rocks looking for a meal. Sometimes they could be found first thing in the morning casually parked in their own filth on our sugar scoops. I should also mention the jacks. The entire time we had been there, you sporadically heard something bang into your hull (very disconcerting). We were finally clued in that it was a predatory fish called a crevalle jack. It hunts it's prey by chasing them into the boats. It's quite a sight to see the chase. The little fish will zig zag as it runs and even fly out of the water sporadically to evade capture. The jack chases it while the brown pelicans zoom in to try to steal the meal. We enjoyed watching the show multiple times a day, and if you didn't see it, you certainly heard it! There were also manatees nearby. It's a protected manatee area. You could often see or hear the manatees come up for air. If you were lucky, you got a quick sight of the mother and baby living there. We also saw dolphins on several occasions, and even a shark. The single shark siting caused an absence in the jacks for almost a week (it was really quiet)!

Being tied to the dock, down from the restaurant, allowed many people to wander up and look at our boat. We met and talked with so many people. Almost every time we came or went on the dock, we got stopped to talk to other people along the way. A trip to the bathroom could easily end up an hour long trip. We helped a German couple tie up their boat after they grounded it in the shallows nearby. It took them hours to get their boat off the bottom. We helped a women get out to her sailboat as she had come up in her row boat without a motor. The wind wouldn't let her row back out, so we dropped our dinghy and towed her out. We saw lots of boats come in to escape the churning seas. The weather for the month of April was crazy, so many boats got stuck waiting to go on to their destinations. We met a couple who had accidentally torn off their bridge deck when they hit something at full speed (using your smartphone and driving a boat doesn't work any better than a car). We were in Harbortown Marina for so long, we became 'regulars'. The dock hands and restaurant staff knew us by sight. The trip up and down the dock to the bathrooms and showers became routine. The trip walking to the grocery store hauling a wagon seemed normal. We could see how people ended up living in a marina. We had met several people that did just that nearby. We became the people telling others about the facilities nearby and the sea life in the vicinity. In other words, it was way past time to move on.

They finished the port holding tank on Wednesday, April 27th. After haggling over the bill the following morning, we finally left before lunch. We had spent so much time in one place, we were suddenly nervous. The port engine balked at the idea of being started up, but was finally persuaded (add that to the list). We began moving north again. There are several projects not yet done, and lots of work to get accomplished. But, with any luck, we'll see Daytona Beach soon! For now, at least, everything is working and we are feeding our wanderlust!


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