A New Journey Begins for OverEasy - 2020/2022

[OverEasy]

Continuing....June 5th, 2021,

Saturday started at about 1 PM with a turning ebb tide and a quick stop at the fuel dock.
We found our modification to the starboard tank siphon worked! We had run that tank to empty on our previous trip. Refilling it took 12.5 Gallons with at least a good inch of internal clearance above the fuel and the tank interior! This is a dramatic improvement over our prior experiencES (there have been several so far ) where there was up to 3 gallon remains in the tanks (after running the engine to fuel starvation).

We headed down the Beaufort River along the eastern shore for what had been forecast as a sunny to partly cloudy day with a 10% chance of precipitation and temperatures in the mid 80s. We took the cut along Dolphin Point of Cat Island to Cowen Creek which was interesting as the sand banks had shifted from what was depicted on the charts. With suddenly less than 3 feet of clearance we
Really appreciated the shallow draft of our Mac26X! Fortunately we were able to avoid running aground and cleared this hurdle without incident. The homes along the cut were beautiful, many not only had their own docks but entertainment rooms built in as part of their design. Must be nice!

Transitioning from the other end of the cut into Cowen Creek was almost as exciting as the entry. We really appreciate having the depth sounder amidship and close to the keel.

We turned to Port and headed back to the Beaufort River. The skies definitely were not sunny nor were they partly cloudy!!! We were staring at our first thunderstorm on the water. We initially started back up toward our marina even though the tidal flow would have precluded our being able to access our slip. We were hoping there would be room on the Day Dock for a side tie into the current.

A quick check on the phone weather app radar track/projection indicated that the track of the storm and our return track were going to have us in the midst of it so we did the math and turned about to head out toward the Atlantic end of Port Royal Sound. It was a good choice as we snuck out from under the storm when we arrived at Bay Point and the ICW Marker #24 there. The old Tohatsu was running at about 2800 to 3000 RPM as it seems to be relatively happy and reliable at this setting now that the fuel system mods have been completed. Watching the storm cross without us under it was quite a relief. Visions of being lashed by wind, rain and lightning were not part of the day’s planning.

After the storm passed on we again turned up the Beaufort River as we still had several hours ahead of us till the next tide shift at 7 PM. The Admiral was given a turn at the helm and she just loves it. She always has a great big grin as she motors along. The channel markers and GPS provide an easy course to follow and I get the opportunity to relax and enjoy all the wonderful scenery. A couple of herons and dolphins entertained us as well as several egrets.

We motored past Port Royal and Beaufort and around the Naval Air Station into to Coosaw River. This is a nice section to travel as both banks are relatively closer and there is more details to see. Upon reaching the ICW channel marker 0022 before Willis Point we decided to return to home. We arrived at 6:50 PM after experiencing a gentle rain when we were approaching the Beaufort Swing Bridge. With a fairly strong breeze from our starboard aft quarter we were able to execute a reasonable docking in our slip. (Note: The DayDock was full from end to end with boats of all size and flavor!)
Given the troubled skies we stopped long enough to congratulate ourselves on another reasonably successful outing with some StrongBow Cider before packing up to head home.

On this trip we deliberately ran our Port fuel tank dry to engine fuel starvation. This provided nearly all the fuel used for our outing. From our calculations it appears that one 12 gallon tank of fuel can reliably provide us with 5+ hours of run time at 2800 to 3000 RPM on our old 2001 50HP Tohatsu. This trip today has been our longest distance and duration.

We have found two active Osprey nesting sites and it appears that both have fledglings!
Attached are pictures of the Osprey at the BeaufortSwing Bridge piling where there are now two large fledglings. They are growing SO fast!

The second set are right by our Marina Slip on the piling under the high span bridge. These has been nesting but recent activity seems to indicate that there may be hatchlings. We will share pictures when we get to see anything.


Onward.......

[OverEasy]

June 6 & 7 have been pre-empted by smattered thunderstorms
So we have been looking into ideas about future modifications.

1 - A) Some sort of electric winch and bow anchor roller arrangement.
B) A drum roller nested inside the space under the existing anchor locker is a consideration too.
Challenge: Removal of the flotation under the existing anchor locker and, in the case of the classic winch, loss of the bow cavity flotation under the Vee berth. Restructuring and reinforcement of the fwd inner liner is not a small undertaking. Limited Makeup flotation could be applied to the ceiling above the Vee berth but making it look acceptable is also a challenge.

2 - Leveling the mast for road and on water transit by the addition of a bow & stern arch and possibly incorporation of a hinged stepped mast post.
Challenge: Cost and complexity as well as making it. The arches are one set of problems. Making a functional and structural hinged stepped mast is another al by itself.

3 - Re-Engining to a Suzuki DF60AV.
Challenge: We have found that delivery times are out 90+ days form date of order and there is no delivery date guaranteed. ( Due to COVID-19 impacts at manufacture as well as surging demand for water sports now that restrictions are lifting.) Costs are North of $9k installed! This is a big bite into our limited budget and is something we are having to consider carefully. ( The existing 2001 Tohatsu age, reliability, and current limited performance as well as operational noise level are concerns when contemplating our extended ICW travel plan objectives VS the option of repair/refurbishment are being reconsidered at least for this year. The old “wants” vs “needs” seesaw.)

4 - Additional interior lighting and fans. This isn’t a huge cost or complexity issue and would be something we could even start to work piecemeal on now.

5 - Bottom Anti fouling paint. Not something we feel physically comfortable doing ourselves. We have already scheduled this to be done this summer at a local boatyard. Faster, safer and better to have this one done by people who do this on a regular basis and with the facility.

6 - Gelcoat polish and sealing. Not something we feel physically comfortable doing ourselves. We have already scheduled this to be done this summer at a local boatyard. Faster, safer and better to have this one done by people who do this on a regular basis and with the facility.

7 - Rubrail removal and replacement. While we could handle the removal ourselves the replacement is not really something we physically feel comfortable doing ourselves. We have already scheduled this to be done this summer at a local boatyard. Faster, safer and better to have this one done by people who do this on a regular basis and with the facility.

8 - Trailer Modifications.
A) Adding a second set of goal posts and side bunks (to keep the boat centered on the trailer)
B) Adding spare tire holder and spare tire for tow vehicle
C) Bow guide lines (to keep the boat guided onto the trailer)
D) Winch post steps (so we can get up to the bow from the trailer tongue)
Challenge: Finding the hardware and installation. Fortunately over the past several months we have found suppliers for much of what we need. The costs are manageable and the installation is within our capabilities to get this one accomplished within the next month or so.

8 - Pet accommodations on board. With both a house cat and a now new dog in our lives we are having to consider their needs and safety. We are gradually working up to this with the dog (easiest) and considering option with the house cat. With the cat we can see dealing with simple over nights but when considering longer (week(s) or month(s) is a different challenge altogether.

We are realizing that thes items are all part of our journey with Over Easy and are just as much a part of it as planning and charting a course, managing currents or making it back into a slip. (Reminds us of something about holes in water and tossing something in it .... )


Onward.......

[Russ]

House cat onboard. We had a cat when we lived back east. We toilet trained him. He did his business on an actual toilet. We moved him onboard hour Hunter and he found the toilet and did what needed to be done on there.

There are many boaters with cats that have solutions. The biggest is a net to allow said cat to reboard if he/she falls over. Our cat LOVED the nighttime and walked the boom and looked at ducks that floated by. We always feared him falling overboard.

Dogs are much easier. Even with the Mac which can be beached to offload a dog for a walk.

[OverEasy]

Thank you Russ for the great suggestions! Especially the net!

That has been one of our real concerns with pets onboard.
We have a harness for the puppy and even got a life jacket for him.
Both of which he is more than happy to contend with. (Especially if the Admiral is nearby )

The cat is more of a concern as he likes to wander in, under, on, around everything
He does go catatonic with any sort of harness and/or tether as we have found out.
That is followed by intense racing around as if the sky is about to fall.
After a couple of attempts we put those approaches on hold.
The net would at least be a significant help if he were to fall over board.
Thank you!

[OverEasy]

Friday June 18th

We finally go back out onto the water after last weekend’s thunderstorms and heat wave.

Today we went on our longest journey yet with the circumnavigation of Paris Island. From Port Royal up the Beaufort River, turn to port on the Cosaw River then meandering on to the Whale Branch,turn to port down the Broad River then into Port Royal Sound, another turn to port on to get back on to the Beaufort River and then back to Port Royal.

Started at 11 AM and finished back in our slip at a little after 7 PM.
Eight hours!

Our old Tohatsu ran reasonably well as long as we didn’t exceed 2800 RPM.
This seems to be the consistent sweet spot for this engine.
Average track speed varied between 6 to 7 MPH.

Our twin 12 gallon tanks actually hold 13 gallons apiece which roughly translates into 5 hours operational time per tank, 10 hours total, at 2800 rpm. This gave us about a 2 hour reserve.
We will verify when we refuel tomorrow.



Weather was perfect with temperatures in the mid 80s.
Scattered clouds and lots of sunshine.
Not even a hint of thunderstorms.

We were entertained by several dolphins, a sea turtle, multiple herons and large egrets, cormorants and several nesting Ospreys. We were fortunate to even able to get phots of some of them this trip.





























Here are some photos of the Broad River. At this point we had just entered it from the Whale Branch.








Our approach to the Broad River by ICW Marker 37 which seems to have suffered from some sort of recent damage as the top half with the ID panels is now missing…




Our daughter got MacGregor a “cooling jacket”.
It uses evaporation to help keep him cool once it is wetted with water.
It worked great and lasted at least over 90 minutes per soak.
Made him much more comfortable in the heat we have been experiencing lately.




We also include some photos of our fuel filter, primer, fuel demand valve and tank selector panel we mounted to the stern to complete our fuel system modifications.
(I apologize for the clutter from the rudder tie down straps.)











This was a great trip and our longest yet at 8 hours.
Navigating the loop around was a bit of a challenge for us with unfamiliar waters and navigational hazards. Planning worked out as we had a reasonable idea of what to expect.
The duration in transit was also something we learned from….NEED BETTER CUSHIONS!!!
While the folding pads seat from West Marine are good the bottom cushioning could be a bit more when seated for so long.

This is going to come into play with our plans to cruise more of the ICW north and south of our base here in Beaufort SC.
Rest stop plannings are going to have to figure into the trips as well as backup navigational tools and charts. There are several books/services for more current navigation hazard that we will need to familiarize ourselves with as time allows.

Our departure today was about an hour into a receding tide.
This was different from our prior slack tide departures and required a different set of techniques to depart our slip and exit the slipway (without colliding with anything ).

Our return was about 3 hours into a receding tide change.
It was the first time we had to crab through the slipway and the first time we had to power into our slip. Tying off on our own while the currents were trying to eject us from our slip was a learning experience that ended up working reasonably well . No bangs, bumps or bruises and no vessels contacted or harmed.

The Journey Continues…..

[OverEasy]

Saturday, June 19th

As the orcast was for temperatures only in the mid 80s and the chance of precipitation was only 7% we decided to go back out again today. The sky was a bit overcast which seemed a bit of a relief from the direct sunlight. We headed back up the Beaufort river to the Coosaw River with the intent of again turning to port to continue exploring this ‘new to us’ section of that riverfront our travels yesterday.

We left our slip at about 11 AM and moved over to the fuel dock to refuel.
We took on 16.5 gallons of fuel evenly divided between both tanks.
That means our 8 hour circumnavigation adventure of yesterday (June 18) had left us with a 10 gallons (5 gallon per tank) reserve as each of our 12 gallon tanks actually hold 13 gallons (with at least a full 1 inch vapor gap in each tank).

Our fuel onsumption with the 2001 Tohatsu running at a steady 2800 RPM is about 2 gal/hr.
Starting with full fuel tanks our total capacity of 26 gallons measured gives us an anticipated endurance to dry empty of about 13 hours. For our trip planning purposes we would never plan on running to empty but it is still something very nice to know. Dry happy with our fuel tank modifications to move to the twin 12 gallon tanks! The fuel selector valve works very nicely as does the auxiliary filter/separator which allows us to check visually for any water contamination at a glance. Very happy we made that modification.

The swing bridge in Beaufort is interesting and we got to see the young Osprey fledglings again.
They are growing so fast!





Things went rather nicely as we motored up the Beaufort River.
The cloud cover was increasing so a check of the weather forecast o the phone confirmed the chance of precipitation was still below 10% ad the weather radar forecast had nothing applicable to our area. Onward we went on our cruise.

One of the things we wanted to explore today was fuel consumption over an extended distance at a constant engine speed. We wanted to see how a reduction in engine speed to 1800 RPM would affect our especially and endurance. Our Garmin GPS Chartplotter had our travel speed at approximately 4 to 5 MPH traveling up stream on the Beaufort River with an incoming tide.
This is in comparison with yesterday’s travel rate of about 7 MPH at 2800 RPM under similar conditions on the same river. So far so good.

After merging onto the Coosaw River our plans changed and we turned to starboard as the weather was definitely not what had been forecast! A significant decline in the weather left us with a huge thunderstorm moving in from astern while another was coming across our bow at ICW Marker 195.

All this changed in less than an hour!


Given our oldTohatsu wasn’t happy about an increase in engine speed this got interesting in a hurry!
Advancing the throttle resulted in a cough sputter hack snoorful gack as it seems that running at 1800 RPM may have been fouling the plugs. FRIBBLE!! or some word to that effect was muttered.
Dropping the engine into neutral and reving it up to max no load rpm several times in an attempt to clear off the carbon eventually work and the in gear engine finally settled in at 2800 RPM.

Turning about wasn’t really an option as that thunderstorm was covering the aft horizon from side to side. Looking at the current weather phone app radar wasn’t encouraging. Our best option was to head down the Coosaw River toward open water and the Atlantic and move into the gap between the storm cells. As the rain started I had the Admiral move into the cabin and button up. A quick 360 turn visually confirmed the weather surrounding us.









The storm ahead of us was much more inviting than the storm behind us. The few pictures I was able to take really didn’t convey the stent of the intensity of the weather behind us as it closed in. The rain fell, thunder rolled and the lightning flashed several times as we motored along at a blistering pace of 7 MPH. The plan was working though as we were able to stay just ahead of the storm to our aft.

It was an interesting hour and some as this ws the first time we had been in direct contact with this kind of weather on open water. The only good thing about sitting at the helm with the wind and rain was that these cool one off from th prior heat.

By he Tim we reached Coosaw River ICW Marker 199 the storm cells had moved off to out port side. It was now time to come about and head into the wind to sneak our way in behind the larger of the two storm cells and head back down the Beaufort River.


Meanwhile the Admiral decidedly comfortable with my plans decided to enjoy the moment an took a nap!

The return trip was uneventful as the Admiral enjoyed her nap and I watched the scenery.

When we reached our marina it was not quite 4 PM so we continued on past to check on our our other nesting Osprey. Low and behold we have two more fledglings!





We continued down to the old Port Royal docks. On our way we were fortunate to see a huge Manta Ray surface feeding!!! Our very first! This is sort of a rare occurrence and we were very fortunate to get to see this creature.







We returned back to the Marina to refuel. Catching the gas dock pillar we snagged and snapped the broom stick supporting our stowed furler. Other than the loss of the 30 year old broomstick now other damage occurred (other than my pride).
We took on just over 8 gallons. We will have to revisit our lower RPM cruise fuel consumption at another time.

We attempted getting into our slip but the tide had not yet turned in our favor. Getting pushed into our slip was not a comfortable approach so we aborted and went out again for another 45 minutes. By that time the tide had finally reversed and our approach and docking went withou a hitch! The entertainment we provide to the old salts in the marina is obvious!

Our small vacuum lines to the bilges yielded about 8 oz. of rain water that seems to have leaked in over the past 2 weeks. It looks to be related to the chain plate brackets. Another thing to be addressed on the “ToDo” list.

Upon leaving the boat we were treated to an up close visit from the Marina’s resident Heron!



Quite an adventurous Saturday!

The Adventure Continues….Onward!

[Jimmyt]

Nice! Thanks for posting!

[OverEasy]

Thanks JimmyT

Here is the Saturday, June 19th Route

[Be Free]

That looked like a fun trip. Dodging thunderstorms is just part of sailing around here. Looks like you've got that part down pretty well. I was stuck inside most of the day thanks to Claudette. No wind here but we've seen a lot of rain. Thanks for the vicarious voyage.

[OverEasy]

Hi Be Free!

Yes, It was!
The wildlife was very active and the scenery is beautiful.

The playing pinball with thunderstorms is gonna always take time to get used to.

Sunday June 20th was a non-starter due to Claudette here also.
The forecasts were all over the place and my internal “antisparkamatic” gene kicked in and the day was spent on inside the house options.
The real heavy rains came late evening here.
For a while it was a real frog choker of a downpour.

(That reminds me, I need to get either a new garage door (35 year old wood panel) or some kind of a better garage door seal, as the floor flooded again. )

Hope you can get out soon.

[OverEasy]

Monday, June 21st

After Claudette blew through on Sunday it was time to get out!

Today we traveled toward Atlantic down the Beaufort River, past Battery Creek, through Cat Island Reach and then a turn to port into Cowen Creek. We started at about 1 PM.

Cowen Creek ends in a cluster of four long tributaries at Distant Island.
The navigation charts and the data on our Garmin for three of these tributaries have little to no depth information so today was very much an exploratory (for us anyway ).

We started on the starboard side tributary and carefully worked our way down until we came to mud flats that almost grounded us. It was nip and tuck getting turned about.

Then we proceeded to work our way into the other tributaries with similar issues.
Beautiful scenery and homes to look at.
Not much for wild life today.
We assume Claudette had probably stressed them and they were taking the day off.

We returned down Cowen Creek and turned to starboard to travel along Cat Island Creek then back to the Beaufort River.

Reaching the marina we found the tide wasn’t stable as yet so we went to the city of Beaufort.
We checked on our Ospery fledglings. They are getting bigger by the day!

Attached below is a copy of our route today.


The day was georgous and we arrived back in n our slip at about 8 pm.
The red sky was beautiful.

This was a fun day and the sunset was georgous.


The Journey Continues… Onward!

[OverEasy]

While or dockin and slipway skills have improved the Marina crowd is still very much entertained with our departures and arrivals.

We need to get one of these:

[Be Free]

...
(That reminds me, I need to get either a new garage door (35 year old wood panel) or some kind of a better garage door seal, as the floor flooded again. )

Hope you can get out soon.

The last house I bought had a two car garage but only a dirt floor and no doors. Paid someone to pour a floor in it (too much concrete at one time for me to try) but I eventually found a pair of wooded garage doors that I could adapt to fit the openings. The side and bottom seals on the doors were shot but they were readily available at Home Depot and easy to install.

[OverEasy]

Hi Be Free

The house looks great!

Having the two garage doors is the way to go.
We had them on our prior home and found them to be much more day-to-day functional than the one big double wide we have now down here in SC. Especially when the weather is inclement.

Just one of the horizontal panels of the current wooden door must weigh as much as I do!
Although the garage door opener and lift springs do a good job of getting it up and down safely it’s got to be 35 years old by now.
Not something we allow ourselves to be under when transitioning. ( Shouldn’t do that generally anyway )

New ones are a not so small fortune to get and more to have installed.
The long panels look to be rather unwieldy too so it’s probably a two man job.
Maybe in my younger self I may have been able to consider doing it myself but alas I seem to have misplaced that version of me.
The current version of me that I see in the mirror says “ NFW! Are You Nuts! “

As you suggested I looked at the seals offered at HD and there is a 4” wide ground bumper that might help as the door bottom seal seems to be functional albeit probably 35 years old as well.

For now though I’ll get a piece of 1/4 or 3/8 exterior plywood and scab a reinforcement on the interior.

[OverEasy]

Discussions for a hot humid rainy day……

Future planning……We have been hesitant about setting the mast until we can feel really comfortable with just motoring and navigating about.
The tides and currents and winds and underwater hazards here are enough for us to contend with down here in SC right now.
Our deliberate excursions into the surrounding estuaries has helped in our basic boat handling, navigation and familiarization with Over Easy. Our “sea trials” have been good learning and testing experiences.

Of the major things learned is that we need a more reliable engine. The 2001 Tohatsu 50 HP engine while problematic has somewhat stabilized operations at 2800 RPM. We have improved our fuel system as resolved several mechanical problems so we can get out and about. Still it doesn’t have the reliability to get too far afield. A new Suzuki DF60AV engine is on order and anticipated to be installed this August/September/(October).

The new battery system and electrical modifications are all functioning well and reliably.
The new electrical control switch panel is easily accessed from inside and from the companionway opening to the cockpit. The extra12 VDC outlets inside and on the pedestal are great and convenient. The dual batteries are providing more than enough power for us currently. While none of the circuit breakers have ever tripped as yet it is a relief that we don’t have to fuss with fuses. The extra switch positions will allow us to expand/add new circuits when needed. Such as to add a pair of interior fans.

This coming Fall/Winter/Spring modifications will add a separate 120VAC electrical panel and exterior weather tight plug to allow for shore power and generator input. For A/C it looks like the mini-stand-alone unit driven by shore power or low noise generator has won out.

Still thinking about some sort of anchor drum winch and anchor roller bow modification.
We will have to develop a “roll our own” approach as the ones that can be purchased are beyond our budgets. Fwd/Rev and capable of lifting chain and anchor via cockpit/bow push buttons via 12 VDC is probably gonna make a nice fireside project (in addition to a planned low budget kitchen renovation and back wall of the house modification… both will have to entail having to hire contractors to do the heavy lifting . House first, boat second. Happy wife, Happy life! )

The galley modifications are great. So much more storage that is usable, organized and functional!
This was well worth the effort for comfort and convenience. The removable baskets allow for changing needs and allows for prepacking at home then simply load into position. The open latticework of the baskets allows for air circulation and looks nice to us.

Bow arch is looking more like a extended vertical support hoop.
Stern arch is looking to be a straight tube and bolted fitting approach with mast support, solar support and David’s for the inflatable dingy. (Still haven’t decided on dingy engine but a trolling motor is gaining ground vs. the gas outboard.)
Initial Solar is looking to be 100 to 200 watt amorphous panel set.
A stepped mast extension is gaining ground to have a higher level mast while motoring with the mast down and trailered boat RV camping.
(Yes, we are planning on using Over Easy much like a quality Swiss Army Knife! )

We would also like to take some sailing lessons locally to get properly trained on multiple sails.
> First we want to let COVID-19 and it’s variants calm down. That means putting that off till next year.
> Second we want to get our new engine installed.
> Third the local hatch club offers a sailing school that starts with small two person multi sail boats and then separately offers to help you learn your particular vessel.
> Fourth we want to get our as familiar with sailing all the ins-n-outs of our local waterways sailing as we are becoming motoring.
> Fifth start taking overnight and multi night trips farther and farther afield. Initially to Edisto, Hilton Head, Savanna, Charleston, and possibly farther primarily by sail in 2022.
The generally soft mud/sand bottom here also makes is more forgiving of our mistakes if/when they inevitably occur (as compared to the jagged rock bottom of places like Lake Winnie in NH and VT).

Before the end of July we want to have our refurbishments of our home’s deck completed. The Trex Decking has been already done. Recovering of the built-in benches and two new stairways yet to do. (While the initial cost of the Trex was higher than pressure-treat (PT) lumber it is an easy to use uniform material that should last several decades with minimal maintenance. The prior PT deck lasted only about 15 years and that was WITH regular annual maintenance.

We have a boat yard slot lined up for late July to have the rub rail removed/replaced, new bottom anti-fouling paint and exterior polish/wax done. (Would love to do these tasks myself but back injuries now preclude doing such things (that and a back surgeon who has stated in no uncertain terms that he will chain me upside down to the outside of the hospital as an example if I dare bollix up all his work from the prior three surgeries. )

Onward…….