01 Mar 2009 1930 hrs GMT (mid afternoon) 1430 hrs local
Lat 24º 34.95' N Long 81º 48.21' W
At anchor Key West Florida
Wind 33.4 knots W
Sea State -2' to 3' with white caps - Beaufort 8
Air Temp 76.8ºF Barometer 29.91 steady
Today is an early entry for an early day. Started this morning at 0530 local to R&R the generator head. Located the problem with plastic smell last night. The internal fan for the generator was spinning on the drive shaft and melting. Very poor design not to have the fan on a key way. Removed to damaged fan and remounted the generator. We have on board a large selection of spares and McGuiver parts. I located the 110 VAC blower and mounted it to cool the generator and wired it into the output circuit so it comes on with the generator.
Ran a test charge cycle on the batteries and it seems to be working better than original. Generator is significantly cooler and that is good.
The forecast predicted a cold front to move through the Keys this afternoon. So I rearranged the anchor chains to let out another 40'. That little project required locating the connector links, then redoing the anchor locker to change from two chain bins to one and peening the connector to the bitter end of both chains. That gives us 140' of rode in 15'; a 9:1 scope. I am trusting that will hold in the silty Key West bottom.
After a quick bite to eat I loaded up the dingy to go to Home Depot and get the boost pump fir the watermaker. About half way in the outboard started run rough and the weather was looking iffy so I returned to Second Star. It was a good thing because within 45 minutes the wind clocked from the South to the West and Second Star was hit with an opening volley of wind at 48+ knots. After the opening blasts it settled down to a full gale (34 to 40 knots). Which brings me up to the present.
Aeon may be in Ft. Myers an extra couple of days with this storm. The ferry canceled today and tomorrow and will probably cancel Tuesday. Hopefully she can be back by Wednesday.
Here I sit in the salon, listening to the wind and the waves writing in my log. It is amazing what I have available right here to provide for me and to protect me. The more time Second Star and I spend together the more I am gaining confidence in her abilities and her system. She is proving to be a seaworthy vessel with the comfort and amenities one would expect in an expedition yacht fisherman. Now if I can only get the watermaker working and learn how to setup the weather fax program and ..... she is a boat so the list of to do's is never ending. Right now I am glad the anchor is holding and the fridge is cold and hot water is available for a shower. The wind is steady between 35 and 40 knots, the temperature is falling and barometer is starting back up. Tomorrow I will see about getting into Key West. Right now Life is good.
Midnight and the wind is making the boat moan. The radar is on with the alarm set and I have been on anchor watch since 1500 hrs local. Eve and I have been sharing he couch taking little “cat” naps between observations. Currently the wind is out of the West @ 44.6 knots with gust over 50 knots. Beaufort would rank that as a steady full gale with intrusions into the storm range. The seas in the anchorage are running a steady 3' with white caps. Our anchor seems to be holding well even though we are swinging in a 55º arc.
Just before sunset I observed a sailboat motoring her way down the channel headed for the Gulf of Mexico. I could see the helmsman and a crew member in the cockpit in full fowl weather gear. Wherever they were headed on a night like this I wish them God speed. I would not of wanted to be heading into Gulf.
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This began many years ago for Johne. Somewhere along the way, he decided that someday he would have a boat and sail around the world. Through the years bits and pieces of the dream have changed, but the one thing that has remained the same was the desire to see the world from the deck of a boat. In July of 2000 the opportunity presented itself. Johne found a boat in Florida that was literally a "fire sale." The galley had caught fire and destroyed the housing, but the potential was there. Johne and Susie made the leap. They bought the boat and moved from Reno, NV to Ft. Myers, FL. Immediately they began the process of tearing down the old and rebuilding the new. By December of that year, all that was left, was a good, solid hull. For the past several years, Johne has build Second Star almost entirely by hand. Built with love and fueled by desire. Now that the construction has nearly reached completion we would like to share our dream with you. Please join us as we head out for the adventure of a lifetime.
What's in a name? It is supposed to be bad luck to rename a boat. In this case, however, the old boat died, and a new boat has reemerged from the ashes. "Second Star" comes from a quote, "second on the right and straight to morning." Recognize it? It is Peter Pan's directions to Neverland.
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The Dream....
This began many years ago for Johne. Somewhere along the way, he decided that someday he would have a boat and sail around the world. Through the years bits and pieces of the dream have changed, but the one thing that has remained the same was the desire to see the world from the deck of a boat. In July of 2000 the opportunity presented itself. Johne found a boat in Florida that was literally a "fire sale." The galley had caught fire and destroyed the housing, but the potential was there. Johne and Susie made the leap. They bought the boat and moved from Reno, NV to Ft. Myers, FL. Immediately they began the process of tearing down the old and rebuilding the new. By December of that year, all that was left, was a good, solid hull. For the past several years, Johne has build Second Star almost entirely by hand. Built with love and fueled by desire. Now that the construction has nearly reached completion we would like to share our dream with you. Please join us as we head out for the adventure of a lifetime.
What's in a name? It is supposed to be bad luck to rename a boat. In this case, however, the old boat died, and a new boat has reemerged from the ashes. "Second Star" comes from a quote, "second on the right and straight to morning." Recognize it? It is Peter Pan's directions to Neverland.
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