Captain's Blog

      Well this entry may not seem exciting and doesn't contain any traveling. In fact most of the next entries will be like this one...maintenance!  I love it and I hate it. Pau Hana is a 20 year old boat and although she is in good shape for her age, she needs a little "nip & tuck".      Small things like cleaning all the water pump filters, air filter for the Volvo, stuff like that. The number one issue right now is the raw water pump.  It has to be addressed as it puts quite a bit of water in the bilge and with water comes salt and with salt comes corrosion.      After shutting off the seacock, I disassembled the entire system. The seacock still is allowing some water to pass through which if this was just an impeller change, wouldn't matter as the impeller is right at or just above the water line, but I had to place a plug in the hose to stem the small flow.  I had been soaking the pump area with WD-40 on the trip ...

        Day 4 When you are planning a boat trip you have to be flexible. Rigid schedules get destroyed and lead to frustration and disappointments. The last leg of our trip was almost too long for one day but not long enough to split into two days, but the weather was absolutely perfect and sea conditions for a northward trek in the open Gulf were flat calm and ideal. We considered stopping and anchoring behind Anclote Key for 1 night to shave an hour and a half of what we estimated as a 7 hour trip but then thought, “let’s go for It!”.          We wanted to get an early start so we pulled out of Beso Del Sol in Dunedin at 8:20 am and got back on the Intercoastal and motored North. We ran the generator to keep the AC on so that we could make some coffee and try piloting Pau Hana from the lower station. Our new Simrad GO9 in the upper station will pair with a smart device and create an additional remote navigation unit so we had the iPad at t...

    Day 3 Short easy trip today. We departed Madeira Beach Marina and headed north on the Intercoastal for about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Our plan was to go to Dunedin Municipal Marina which has been a favorite stop for us so many times before we headed north to home. Unfortunately the marina closed June 1 for dredging and repairs and is expected to be closed for 4 months. Beth got on the phone and called Beso Del Sol which is a resort with docks we have stayed at before. In order to dock overnight we had to get a room. There are not a lot of options in Dunedin where you are close to town so We decided, “ what the heck”. I knew from past, experience that it was a shallow entry and shallow at the docks so we took the closest slip out to keep some water under the keel. This afternoon’s tide was a negative 1 so I knew we’d be almost resting on the bottom this evening. The bottom is soft so no big deal.          Our docking ability with a single engine has...

    Day 2 started weather wise just like the past few, absolutely beautiful. Light winds, blue skies and very calm conditions. The only real waves were from passing boats. Moving at 7.5 mph is a new experience for us, it takes getting used to but we are getting into it. We plan each day with a maximum of about 40 - 45 miles. A 10 am start means arriving at our next location in about 5 hours. We left Marina Jack at 10:05 after taking on 30 gallons of diesel (15 for each tank). The fuel gauge read 1/2 full but a fuel gauge is only accurate 2 times...when it’s full and when it’s empty. The gauge read full so I felt better. Marina Jack is nice, but very pricey, $3/foot for the slip.           About 50 minutes into the trip I did my engine room check and to pump out the seawater I knew was accumulating under the engine from the raw water pump. I noticed a pink line on the water, transmission fluid was coming out of the top of the ZF gear. Crap! Not sur...

    Day 1 We set out in the rental car from Crystal River to Placida loaded with most of the stuff we thought we'd need for the trip back home. We've been planning this maiden voyage since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and now today is the day. The weather forecast is picture perfect through the weekend.     We arrived in Placida at about 10:30 & loaded the boat with all our gear & non-perishable food. We hit the grocery store for cold stuff & returned the rental car. Gasparilla dropped the boat in the water. The boat had 3/4 of a tank of fuel (+/- 75 gallons). We did our engine & equipment checks, filled the water tanks & set out for Marina Jack in Sarasota.     Operating a new to me boat was a little strange and it took a little time to get used to it. What will take even longer to get used to is “going slow”. We’re used to boats that go 25 - 30 mph, in a trawler, 7.5 - 9 is the norm. It will take some getting used to but it is a...

  The Back Story     I have been boating for quite awhile. I started with my Grandfather when he lived in South Florida when I was a kid and on my own for for about 35 years. I have had everything from a jonboat to a 32' twin diesel sportfisherman. I earned my Captain's License in 2004 and worked part time for Tow Boat US here in Crystal River, alot of lessons learned there to be sure.      For years my wife and I have talked about doing the Great Loop. We started discussing it when our kids were smaller & even contemplated doing the trip and homeschooling them. We just couldn't make it happen at the time. Now our youngest is a senior in high school and our plan is to get her through her first semester of college and take off on the "trip of a lifetime". Our goal is February 2022 to start the 10 month trip. Much to do to make it happen.     So Tuesday June 16, 2020 we travel to Gasparilla Marina in Placida Florida, launch our new (to us) boat ...