Home and Back

After nearly a month on Tourist at GTB we headed home for another visit. Of course we were able to catch up with family and some of our friends during our short stay.
One of the highlights was seeing Franklin & Ellie. The youngest of our grandkids.

Pam counts and the kids run down the hall and crash into her laughing all the way.

While we were gone the house next to us sold and while we were spying out the window at the new occupants we had a couple of turkeys walk through the yard.

Thanksgiving is getting closer!

Of course no trip home is just for leisure. Like a boat there is always something that needs attention. This trip it ranged from a new furnace filter to getting the digital dashboard readout on Pam's car replaced.

We did get to spend a couple of days on the river with Mike & Nancy and had a great time. We planned to join up with Kim & Lu on Friday evening but the ICRR bridge had other ideas. As we pulled out of the marina Mike noticed a flashing amber light on the span that opens. Of course it was closed and with the high water we needed it to open so we could pass safely through. A quick call on the vhf resulted in being informed that they were replacing the rails on the bridge and there would be no openings before 7pm.
Oops! Time for plan B since our original destination was about 10 miles downstream from the bridge.  We informed Kim & Lu that they would be on their own for the night and we headed a mile upstream and behind an island that is not normally accessible at the regular river stage. With the anchor set the libations began followed by a delicious meal.

We're on the water!

I think they're cold!

.

Dinner is served.

It was a great night in spite of the brief storm that blew through after we had turned in.

The next day we woke to the threat of more rain but that's about all it amounted to. We had breakfast and then pulled anchor and headed south. Through the train bridge, past the barge fleeting area and into another area only accessible during high water where we may have interrupted Kim & Lu!

Here are a few pics of the ride down and of our anchorage.

The train bridge now open.

The fleeting area below Dubuque, Ia.

The entrance to our anchorage with Vagabond in the distance.

Bloody Mary time!

The motley crew.

Dixie wondering who the intruders are!

Zapping bees.

Sunday morning reflection.

It was great being able to get back out on our home waters but all too soon it was time to head back in. Thanks M & N!

Soon it was time to head back to GTB. We arrived Tuesday afternoon in time to fight our way through the cobwebs and re-board Tourist. Awhile later we met Marv & Carol who were travelling back to Ft. Myers from their trip to the Tundra for dinner at the Commonwealth Yacht Club. It was fun seeing them and catching up on Legacy Harbour news. Of course Marv had his camera and took several photos which you can see by visiting his site at www.deelightwebsite.com.
Thanks for side tripping to see us!

Dinner at CYC.

We have a couple more rounds of company coming to visit and another trip home before we point the nose of Tourist south for warmer waters.

Almost forgot to include this unrelated photo taken in Baltimore during the recent celebration of the 200 year anniversary of the penning of the Star Spangled Banner. I'm not sure who took it but I found it on a friends Facebook page and thought I'd share it.

Awesome!

Water Should be Outside the Boat

Before I get into the title subject I want to wish us a Happy Anniversary! Yep. As of September 4th Pam's put up with me for 15 years. Seems like just yesterday we tied the knot.

So a few days before the happy date Pam says she would like to go horseback riding for our anniversary. Of course I thought she was joking but no. She was serious. Talk about out of the blue! In all of our 15+ years not once do I remember her even mentioning horses other than to comment on how cute they look running in a field.

OK. We're in Kentucky. Finding a place to ride shouldn't be a problem. After a little research Pam found a place in Nearby Benton, Ky. that would take us on a 2 hour ride. Unfortunately due to the high heat and humidity we couldn't ride on our anniversary so we scheduled for the next morning before it got too hot.

Friday morning we found our way to the farm/stable where we met the proprietor Ginger Frick and were introduced to our mounts, Star and Shiloh. Both Pam and I commented on how much higher the saddle seemed now compared to when we were younger. Still with a little spring in our step we made it up and into the saddles and got underway. Ginger led us on a nice ride through the countryside making it back just before my butt went completely numb!

Pam was happy and I was happy that Pam was happy! I must admit that it was fun but I think I will need a padded saddle the next time!

Just like Roy and Dale!

Our trail ride ended just in time to head back in to Benton and have lunch at the 4 Little Pigs Barbeque. A popular spot with the locals.

It was this or McDonald's.

After lunch we got the car washed, hit WallyWorld and went back to Tourist.

We were planning on heading back home for friends Frank & Peg's 25th anniversary party which we thought was on the 20th. After a call to Frank to find out the details we found out the party was actually on the 7th! Yikes! Pam went into hyper mode to get her things organized so we could drive home the next day. I laid on the sofa to recover from the horseback ride. Just as I was entering a nice deep sleep I heard this blood curdling scream from Pam. Of course I thought she was hurt in some way but fortunately she was ok. The scream came as a result of her lifting the hatch off of one of the under floor compartments and finding it full of water!  I guess that explains the occasional burp of the fresh water pump that we have been hearing. Sure enough, the compartment was full and everything in it was saturated. Further exploration discovered that the compartment behind it had water intrusion also. What a mess!

At this point all I could say was "I'll get the shop vac". I bet we sucked up nearly 30 gallons of water from the two compartments before we removed the contents. While Pam started sorting through the waterlogged items I started looking for the source. I found that if I stood on my head and looked forward in the now drained compartment I could see where the water lines ran to. By opening the floor hatch in the hall and repeating the head stand I could see that there were junctions in the lines under the 3rd stateroom closet. Fortunately I could also see what looked like a hatch in the floor above the junctions.

My next move was to get Pam to empty out the closet so I could find the floor. Once we reached the floor I had to remove the carpet to get to the hatch. I opened the hatch and there before me were the junctions which I suspected to be the culprit. I felt around each one of them and each one was dry. Hmmm! I really thought that that's where I'd find the leak. Next I ran my hand along each of the lines leading into the junctions and ah ha. One was wet. After peeling back the plastic chafe guard that surrounds the line I could see a tiny stream of water coming out of a hole in the line the size of a pin head. Now what? This is the line that leads to the master shower with no visible access on the shower end.

So when Pam asked if we could use the shower, I said No. We'll have to shower at the marina! Something that my Princess isn't fond of doing unless absolutely necessary. Little did she know that I had a plan already formulated if  I could find the parts.

I marked the spot of the leak and plugged the connection so that we could have water to the rest of the boat and then walked over to the ships store at GTB. I was hopeful that I would find what I needed there since they use the store to supply the boatyard with parts. And I did! They had the 15mm connector that I needed and the cutting tool that they loaned me to cut the plastic pipe. Once back at the boat it took me all of 5 minutes to make the repairs and become a hero in Pam's eyes once again!

The first hold that was discovered.

The 2nd hold. Just like the Titanic the water came through a hole in the bulkhead.

Pam disappearing into the 2nd hold which was below the floor that was below the cross cushion in the 3rd stateroom.

The exposed blue line was the source. My plug is the bolt head that is visible if you explode the picture.

Some of the waterlogged items.

More of the saturated things. Why do we carry these old pillow shams anyway?

From the time we discovered the water on Friday afternoon it took until Monday evening to get the compartments and contents completely dry. Unfortunately we had to miss the anniversary party as a result of a pin hole.

Monday evening we were sitting on the dock near the stern of the boat having docktails by ourselves (The marina is a ghost town during the week!) when we started hearing what sounded like an electrical breaker popping on and off. Immediately we both thought "Now What!". We listened for awhile longer and it kept on making the same sound from the same area. My thought was that something shorted out so I started shutting off switches but the sound kept on. Finally with all power shut down it came to us what it was. A turtle! After all we are in Green Turtle Bay! Apparently one had swam into our exhaust outlet and was banging around trying to get out. Whew!

Hanging Out at GTB

We've been hanging out here at GTB now for a few weeks since our last visit home. The temps have been in the low 90's and humid. The locals tell us this is below normal for this time of year. Wow! We may have to go to Maine next summer to stay cool.

Once in awhile to escape the heat we load up the dinghy and head out on the lake for a few hours. One spot we like is just outside the entrance to the marina on a little island that we've never seen anyone on. The island isn't much but there is a small, mostly sand bar that comes off of it. It's a great place to plop the chairs in the water. Cool your buns, and watch the traffic. It took a bit of coaxing to get Pam to try out the chair but once in she realized how refreshing my idea was!

Setting the anchor.

I think I'll stay in the dinghy!

Maybe I'll get out if you can move that log.

Of course being out on these hot days has some risk involved because of the weather. Much like the summer days of Florida it's not uncommon for an afternoon rain squall to pass through and as fate would have it on one of our outings we managed to get caught and get slightly wet on the ride back.

I have managed to knock off a couple of "To-do" items from our list. Both required taking the cushion off of the 3rd stateroom berth. Of course to do this required first removing the drawers below it so I could access the screws that hold the cushion in place.
With the cushion removed I could now get to the built in vacuum receptacle to replace it with a new one. The contacts had gone bad in the original causing it to cut out periodically every time Pam used it. This inconsistent performance  prompted a blistering flurry of "Stupid idiot machine' from Pam at each usage.

Cushion removed allowed me to access the receptacle in the lower left of the picture.

Of course we didn't have a receptacle laying around which required having one shipped to us. In the meantime I decided to tackle a job that I've been putting off for a couple of years. The inoperable combo washer/dryer.

They build the boat around this creature!

Let me start by saying that this beast has always shook like crazy and has never dried properly. The clothes would always be damp after the drying cycle. However in  addition to that the machine eventually stopped working almost entirely.
I had called the Splendide service department some time ago and got a few ideas of what to look for once the machine was in a position where I could remove the top. The most likely culprit was a broken wire to the NTC sensor is what I was told. Now to get it out and in a position to work on it.

The first step was already completed with the cushion removal. Why you ask would that be required? Because the gap between machine and cushion is 22 inches and the machine is 24" from front to back.
Second step was to turn off the water to the machine which surprisingly was made easy by the factory installed shut-of valves in the water lines.
Third was to dis-connect the water lines from the back of the machine. Thank God I have long arms since I had to crawl over an A/C unit. Mash my head and neck into a bulkhead and reach blindly and unscrew the connections.
Fourth was to assume the third step position and remove the dryer vent hose.
Fifth was to pull up the strip of carpet in front of the machine to access the 2 screws that hold the frame down which the machine is bolted to.
Sixth was to start wrestling this thing out of it's hole. Fortunately the drain hose was long enough that it didn't need to be detached.

Although awkward as so many boat projects tend to be, the machine slid out easily. The biggest problem was finding space for me so I could pull it completely out.

It's out!

Once out it only required the removal of two screws and one ground wire and the cover was off. Just as they thought, one of the wires to the NTC sensor had broken. What I didn't expect to see was four more wires that had come off because the whole heating unit? had come off and was resting on the drum. Both bolts that hold it in place were missing completely!

What a mess! The piece with all the wires should be bolted to the white bracket and connected to the rubber duct in the left center of the picture. You can see the broken light blue wire just left of the copper winding.

I could only find one of the bolts and didn't have a connector for the broken wire but was able to pick them up on our next trip to Paducah and put things back together.

One problem that I mentioned earlier was the excessive shaking when in use. I assumed this could be due to the machine not being level. Now normally you could just screw the legs in or out to get it where you want it, but because the factory bolted the unit to a cradle that was next to impossible. My solution was to pick up a couple of paint stirs from Lowe's and some two sided tape and stick them to the floor under the lower side of the machine.
I slid the unit back in place and checked to see if it was close to level and astonishingly it was dead on perfect! Once again I became the human pretzel and hooked things back up. Show time!

I had Pam come in and dial up a wash setting and we sat back to see what happened. Nothing! Oops! Maybe we should turn on the breaker. This time it started and to our relief it worked. It ran through all the cycles and it ran smoother than ever. The only odd thing was that when it went into the dry cycle I could here water sloshing around. After letting it run for a bit I checked the dryer vent outlet and air was coming out but I could still hear water. We shut it off and while sitting there we could see water rising in the drum. Funny because the water pump on the boat wasn't running. The only thing that came to mind was the drain. I then shut the thru-hull for the drain and the water stopped rising. WTF! I don't remember this happening before....but maybe it was and that's why our clothes never dried.
Apparently because the thru-hull is below the water line it siphons the sea water back into the machine. Even with the drain line looping up 3' the water comes in until I shut the thru-hull valve. Fortunately in all this time that we haven't been using the machine I've had the thru-hull closed. We could have sunk!

I now have an in-line check valve on order which I'll try as a method of stopping the back flow of water. Even if it works I'm not satisfied that Sea Ray didn't screw up by locating the discharge thru-hull below the waterline. Plus the fact that the drain line going to the thru-hull is pretty flimsy and has only 1 hose clamp keeping it in place when I believe the code calls for 2 clamps on any below waterline thru-hull.

Anyway in the short term I'll try the check valve and keep the thru-hull closed when underway until a better, more feasible solution comes along.

Those of you who know us know that Pam is somewhat of a neat freak. Everything has to be in it's place. Even I have a designated spot in which I can sit! Well this recent project has turned the interior of Tourist into a jumbled mess of clothes, cushions, drawers, shop vac, and tools. Most of which have been stuffed into our 2nd stateroom. This of course is not in Pam's master design plan for the boat. I keep telling her just a few more days but I'm not sure she believes me!

There's still room for more!

Periodically as a result of our travels I have to clean our dinghy. Because it rides on our swim platform it collects a lot of diesel exhaust which turns our white dinghy into a dingy white dinghy. This project has been on the list since we arrived here but just kept getting put off....until now. I finally got the impetus to tackle that task while waiting for the check valve to be delivered.
Of course I'll have to do it all over again when we get back to Florida.

Never buy a white dinghy if it's going to ride on your swim platform!

Labor day week-end saw the marina fill up. We met slip holders who we hadn't seen in all the time we've been here. The harbor was abuzz with watercraft of all types in spite of the on and off rain showers. We stayed in port and got acquainted with some of our dock mates.

Saturday evening we met a bunch of them over at Buzzard Rock where they had a good band called Swamp Donkey. I'm glad it was a little cooler because of the rain or the place would probably have smelled like a big locker room. The bar was packed with not much air movement but it was still a lot of fun.

When it came time to leave we left our car in the parking lot and jumped on one of our dock mates boats for the ride back to GTB. The music was blaring. The girls were dancing. And I was keeping one eye over the bow and one to the stern. Always the driver!

The party continued once we were back with a pot luck dinner on one of our neighbor's houseboats. After dinner about half of the crowd disappeared into their respective boats, us included. For the rest the party went on into the night.

Getting buzzed at Buzzard Rock.

The festivities continued through the week-end but by Monday evening we had the place to ourselves again.