Leaving Cups & a Road Trip to Boston

Leaving Nine of Cups is never easy. We know she'll pout while we're gone and so we do our best to make sure she's as comfortable as possible before we leave. We were whirling dervishes trying to get everything ready. I took care of laundry, packing, cleaning and a host of little chores like putting on windscreen, compass and winch covers and packing away cockpit instrumentation (GPS, handheld autopilot control, VHF, etc) down below. The repaired transmission gear reduction case with new rear seal was delivered around 10am and David got right to work on re-installing it. We each had our list of to-do's and wasted no time in ticking them off one by one.

We had arranged for a one-way rental car so we could drive from Virginia to Boston. In order to minimize the rental days, we decided we'd pick up the rental at 6pm, load the car and then leave in the wee hours of the morning for the 9-10 hour drive to Boston. We were hoping to avoid most of the traffic and arrive in Boston early enough to offload all of our stuff at Lin's and then return the rental car by 6pm on the other end. We were told Avis would deliver the car, but found out after prepaying the reservation that they did not. The pick-up location was only about 3.5 miles away, so we left at 4:30 pm and got our exercise walking along Battlefield Boulevard to pick up the car.

There was a special on SUVs for our one-way rental and since we'd planned to offload a ton of stuff from Cups and bring it to Lin's, we took advantage thinking we'd have plenty of room. It took well over an hour to pack the SUV and there was barely enough room for driver and passenger when we were done loading. Cups, however, was feeling much lighter and her waterline showed it.

We were up at 0330 and on the road by 0415. An early morning mist shrouded the river and rose dreamily along the water's edge as we left the boatyard. We were across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel before the sun rose. The terrain of the Eastern Shore is flat and low and very rural. Water smells were replaced by earthy smells of newly mown hay and cut grass and in one area, onions. We saw endless trucks of chicken cages, empty and full, heading to and from the local Tyson and Purdue chicken processing plants. Those smells were quite distinctive and conjured up unpleasant thoughts of massive chicken slaughter and feather-plucking.

We passed up exciting opportunities like the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Red Neck Fireworks, Turner Wildlife Sculpture (in bronze and silver) and Frankie & Tammy's Fried Chicken. We were on a mission to get north. We drove on and on … into Maryland, then Delaware and finally stopped on the endless New Jersey Turnpike for a stretch, pit stop and coffee (our second stop of the day for such purposes). We couldn't help think about the distance we were covering. The trip was ~570 miles … a long day trip by car at 60-70 mph … and over a week in Nine of Cups at 60 nm/day on the ICW.

The traffic in New York was heavy, but moving as we drove across the lower level of the George Washington Bridge. The New York city skyline is always exciting to see. We remembered sailing past Ground Zero and the still-smoldering Twin Towers back in late September 2001. We were out of New York and into Connecticut. We stopped once more for a quick lunch in Norwich, then sped into Rhode Island and up I-95N to Massachusetts. Exit 9A to East Walpole was a welcome sight.

David backed up to Lin's cellar door and the unloading process was quick and efficient. We headed to Norwood Airport and the Avis drop-off office and finished the paperwork just as Lin drove in to pick us up. Whew! A long day, but we were ready to start a little land life and celebrate the 4th of July.

The Blue View - Sealing a Fuel Tank Hatch

When we first bought Nine of Cups, we had a lot of trouble with contaminated fuel. Water would make its way into the fuel tanks – either through the fill cap or due to condensation inside the tank - allowing grunge to start growing. This would sit in the bottom of the tank until we had a boisterous passage, when the rolling and pitching of the boat would stir it all up. Before long, our fuel filters would get clogged and the engine, starved for fuel, would quit. This usually happened at the most inopportune time, like when we were wending our way through a tight channel or fighting an ebbing current. I now visually check the fuel filters regularly – daily when we are motoring or the first time we start the engine each day. If the filters start accumulating grunge, I know it's time to inspect the fuel tanks and see what's growing in there. In addition, I clean each fuel tank at least annually, polishing the fuel as necessary (see the Blue View on polishing fuel).

To inspect and polish the fuel, it is important to have inspection hatches on the tanks. All our fuel and water tanks have large, ~15” (380mm) inspection hatches, making it less of a problem to see and reach inside the tank. When it's time to open up a tank and take a look inside, I remove the eight bolts holding the hatch in place and lift it off.

The hatch is sealed with a rubber-like gasket. This works fine on three of our four tanks, but one of our fuel tanks – the one that was fabricated for us in Ecuador - leaks around the hatch. As the hatch is tightened down on this particular tank, the steel around the hatch warps, enough so that it leaks. Actually, it only leaks if we overfill it, or sail on a heel, or do any rolling and pitching – otherwise, it's fine. So one solution to the problem is to only fill it half full and never leave the shelter of a protected marina.

Another solution, and probably the correct one, is to reinforce the hatch and hatch opening so that it doesn't warp. I can't think of a way of doing this that doesn't involve fabricating steel rings, then welding in-situ and/or drilling and tapping holes in the top of the fuel tank.

A third solution is to find the right gasket. Before I go to the trouble and expense of fabricating and attaching metal parts, I thought I'd try to find a gasket material that worked. I purchased rubber gasket material in various thicknesses and hardness, cut them to size and gave each one a try. None of these was a success.

When we arrived in Puerto Rico, I bought some Permatex Gasket Maker – a goop in a tube that can be applied and used to form a gasket. It comes in a myriad of different types for different applications, and I got a version that was impervious to fuels. It was easy to apply, and set quickly. Best of all, it seems to have solved the problem. On our passage from Puerto Rico to St. Augustine, we leaked nary a drop.

The only downside is that the hatch has to be removed periodically. I suspect I will have to scrape off the old gasket and reapply fresh goop each time, but even so, as long as I have a tube of gasket maker on hand, this shouldn't cause any drama.

Hunting & Gathering - Virginia Beach

We had lots to do before leaving Cups. David was intent on getting as many chores done in advance of our departure as possible so that once we return in September, we can spend time sailing in the Chesapeake rather than doing repairs and maintenance. Much of what we needed in the way of parts and supplies, however, were not available within walking distance. This easily prompted us into renting a car for the day and heading out for a “hunting and gathering” trip … and maybe lunch in nearby Virginia Beach.

We had our list all written out and even remembered to take it with us. West Marine was at the top, followed by an auto parts store, WalMart, Lowes or Home Depot, a grocery and whatever else we saw along the way that tempted us … and lunch. Don't forget lunch!

Hertz picked us up a bit late and by the time the paperwork was completed at their office, it was 10am before we hit the road. We headed first to WalMart since it was on the way. Our microwave, which admittedly we don't use very often, had died … after only 14 years. We found a compact, same-size replacement for $49. David found the motor oil he needed, but not transmission oil. We headed to the auto parts store for that. Lowes had muriatic acid for cleaning out the head hoses. By the time we arrived at West Marine, we were all primed for buying stuff. Oh-oh! We managed to get away for only a couple hundred dollars … three gas jugs, engine spray paint and some electrical parts... though we were tempted to buy much more. Luckily, we were hungry and that trumped more West Marine purchases!

We drove down to the shore and had a late lunch at the Waterman's Surfside Grille. It was touristy and crowded, but the she-crab soup and lump crabcakes were worth the bother. We sat on the covered outdoor patio with the smell of the salty ocean sweet to our senses. A light breeze ruffled the awnings and the white sand beach was just a few feet away. We ate, sipped cold draft beer, chatted and just enjoyed the day.

After lunch, we wandered along the Boardwalk for a few minutes and then along Atlantic Avenue. The beach was colorful with bright umbrellas lined up at the shore and people of every description soaking up the surf and sun. Way in the distance we spotted a sailboat.

Across the street, the shops on Atlantic Ave offered all sorts of things to woo the tourists. At one store, we could have received a free hermit crab if we bought a cage, but we chose not to. We could have rented bikes or self-powered dune buggies to get around town or bought a boogie board or new swim togs or beach toys or kites, but we passed up all these wonderful opportunities and decided to visit the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

We noticed the giant King Neptune statue as we were heading north and David patiently stopped in a no-parking zone so I could get out and get a quick photo. My camera is not working properly and I was forced to use my phone as a camera … a new experience for me. The rest of the world, I'm told, does this all the time.

There are actually two Cape Henry Lighthouses and they're both at Fort Story, an active US military base. To gain access to the lighthouses, we had to stop at an inspection post, show IDs, proof of registration and insurance for the car, answer some questions and evacuate the car while they gave it a thorough once-over. Finding nothing suspicious, they issued us a pass for entry. This was the highlight of the afternoon though they discouraged me from taking any pictures at the inspection point.

We drove a couple of miles through the base (do NOT leave the main road, we were cautioned) and there before us stood the lighthouses. The original Cape Henry Light, first lit in 1792, is octagonal-shaped and was the first federally-funded works project in the USA. It has been claimed by a non-profit for preservation and upkeep. We passed on climbing the 191 steps to the top and contented ourselves with views from below and afar.

Close by is the 1881 black and white patterned lighthouse which replaced the deteriorating older one. It still stands sentry over the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

We headed back towards Chesapeake, but had to stop when we saw a Trader Joes. And then another stop at Mickey D's for an afternoon iced coffee. I spotted a Good Will and really needed a “thrift store hit” so we stopped yet again. I netted a classic Blue Willow china saucer (c. 1940) which doesn't go with anything at all and made no sense to buy, but for $2, I thought it was a steal. We finally made it back to the boatyard.

All in all, a fine day. We hunted and gathered all the supplies and parts we needed for Cups and the crew was delighted with lunch out and a break from the boat. Now to put all those supplies and parts to good use.