Newsletter March 2013

Transcription

Krogen Cruisers Newsletter
March 2013
Newsletter
March 2013
Greetings from your newsletter editor
Nick Morgan (Sweet Time)
In this Issue
Cruising Without Winter in 2013
...........Page 2
Where are you spending this winter? If you’re one of
the lucky Krogenites, it’s away from all that cold and
messy stuff up north - reports from Stuart and
Marathon
Stuart ..................................................................3
Marathon............................................................6
Hi Everyone,
In this issue, we have lots of reports from those
Krogens that are in the sunny south where the winter
weather has no names like Sandy or Nemo. Can you
believe 39 Krogenites at one breakfast in Stuart?
We need to come up with a name for these southern
collection of Krogens - rendezvous doesn’t quite
make it and neither does raft-up - perhaps Winter
Avoidance Get-together or WAG. Oh, not everyone
likes that - well, let me know a better term.
The several hyperlinks in the last issue received
favorable comments from many readers. This issue
has many more - particularly with reference to
websites of products and places, as well as email
addresses. When you see that underlined, blue text,
just click on it and you’ll go to the appropriate
location.
Thanks for all the kind words you sent about the
December issue. Even better is the fact that a lot of
you sent articles to be published in this issue. So
how ‘bout the rest of you? You must have done or
are doing something interesting that your fellow
cruisers would like to hear about. Send it on, please.
You can email me at [email protected]
Thank you in advance,
Nick
Cruising Articles
.........................................Page 8
Lots of folks like Southwest Florida. Bob and Nancy
Anderson like it a whole lot!
Technical Articles
....................................Page 12
Five years ago, Martin Basch replaced the raw
water generator pump with an air conditioning
pump - discover how it worked out..........................12
Want to add solar panels to your Krogen? John
Sams did it and gives the details .............................16
AC not working as well as you think it should?
Maybe it just needs a little TLC...............................18
Tech Tips
...................................................Page 19
When did you replace your generator exhaust
elbow? Maybe it’s time to take a look at it. .............19
Where do you get those nice Krogen dock and fender
lines? Here’s where..................................................19
Does your bilge pump ever get an air lock? This may
be a fix for that annoying problem. .........................20
Hands-On Apps
........................................Page 21
This issue we have a plethora of (that’s like four)
reviews!
Motion-X GPS ..................................................21
Tide Clock ........................................................22
Nav Clock .........................................................23
Blue Chart Mobile............................................24
Book Reviews
...........................................Page 25
Back by popular demand (seriously), Don Robertson
takes a look at a bunch more more reading material.
Miscellany
..................................................Page 28
Officers and Chairpeople
President ............................................Mike Warren (email)
Vice President .....................................Seth Stopek (email)
Secretary .........................................Mary Woodard (email)
Treasurer ..............................................Dave Acton (email)
Rendezvous Chair 2013 .....Roberto & Maria Rosa (email)
Webmaster .....................................Betty Robinson (email)
Newsletter Editor ..............................Nick Morgan (email)
Historian .......................................Jeanne Bateman (email)
Galley Keepers ..............Ken & Sylvianne Roberts (email)
1
Will Parry talks about tunes on your boat without
running wires ...........................................................28
D’jaKnow Karen Button? She’s famous now! .........29
Marina Updates.......................................................29
The Galley Keepers are coming back .....................29
For the first time ever, Sweet Time’s once secret
cruising bridge & lock list is available to the Krogen
Cruisers at no charge! .............................................30
ICW Northbound ..............................................31
ICW Southbound ..............................................33
LOWW & GCICW Westbound .........................35
LOWW & GCICW Eastbound..........................36
March 2013
Cruising Without Winter in 2013
Where is everybody?
We all congregate at the fall rendezvous and then
disperse in all directions. The KC agents-in-place
have been filing reports as they find Krogens
occupying local slips. We start with Stuart, Florida,
which has become the most populous Krogen
southern base followed by Marathon, in the Keys.
Both locations are excellent for avoiding the frozen
rivers and tundra of the north.
Stuart, Florida - A recent count showed a total of
33 Krogens in and about the Stuart area. Included are
(alphabetically): Aksha, Anne Louise, Ariel, Aquila,
Bon Voyage, Bucky, Calypso, Chez Nous, Classy
Kadey, Compass Rose, Dream Weaver, Far
Reaches, Fluke, Follow Me, Free Bird, Good Life,
Happy Ours, Last Mistake, Morning Star, Morse
Code, Piece of Cake, Puffin, Seamantha, Searchers
(formerly Grand Adventure (with new owners
Rebbecca & Dov), Sea Quill, Sea Wolf, Serenity,
Silkie, Silver Bay, Sofkin, SylkenSea, Take Time,
and Wanderers Rest. In addition to the Krogen
Cruisers breakfast, Tuesdays, 8:30am at the Key
West Diner, the local congregation holds a variety of
events.
Marathon, Florida - Still a Krogen favorite spot in
the Florida Keys, had a total of 11 Krogens in and
about the area. Included are (alphabetically): Erben
Renewal, Galaxy, LiLi, Miss Lee, Molly Blossom,
Papillon, Sea Horse, Snow Goose, Stevedore,
Tanuki, and Tapestry. Also in residence are three
Krogen Cruiser emeriti - the POs of 16 Tons, Joyden
and Avalon.
They also have a Krogen breakfast on Thursdays,
8:30am, at the Stuffed Pig, home of National Pig
Day in Marathon.
The following are reports from each location.
Krogen breakfasts in Stuart and Marathon
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March 2013
The New Year’s Eve party was hosted by Ariel,
while SeaQuill hosted the Good Luck Brunch on
New Year’s Day. The dogs had a blast on the beach
and many laughs were heard throughout the
anchorage. Hope everybody has a great 2013!
Stuart - Peck Lake Fete
Teresa Hutchins (SeaQuill)
A group of the Krogenites, currently based in Stuart
for the winter, decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve
with a cruise and raft-up at Peck Lake (near Stuart).
Peck Lake, Florida was
an excellent locale for
the Krogenites to
practice their hangingout skills
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March 2013
inception and knew all about the history of the
garden. She has also written books on the subject.
She did a book signing after the tour and we then
went to lunch. Karen Button had picked a wonderful
place and we had a delicious lunch. Some had to get
back but the rest went to several nearby galleries
and shops. Krogenities are sooo much fun to play
with.
Stuart - McKee Botanical Garden
Teresa Hutchins (SeaQuill)
There were ten of us Krogen ladies who toured the
McKee Botanical Garden. In addition to the flora,
the flame-work glass artistry of Hans Godo Frabel
was on display and was incredible.
Our guide (89 years young) is a member from the
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March 2013
next year’s Stuart get-together.
The newsletter mailbox also received photos of a
SylkenSea-hosted cocktail party. One of several,
we suspect.
Many thanks to Sylvianne Roberts (Sylken Sea)
and Jen Brand (Freelance) for the photos.
More activities
Those ever-restless Krogens in Stuart made a
second cruise to Peck Lake - what lovely weather
they had!
Rumor has it that plans are already being made for
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March 2013
Key Harbor for good music, good food, and
fellowship. A chance to see the Green Flash is a
definite plus here as we have an unobstructed view
out the west entrance to the harbor.
Marathon, in the Florida Keys
Betsy & Martin Basch (Molly Blossom)
Decisions, decisions! To be a Stuartian Krogenite or
a Marathonian Krogenite. (ed. Say what?) Each
location has its aficionados - here we present our
case for some of Marathon’s unrivaled features:
 Marathon has a well-protected harbor with at
least four marinas (one on the Gulf of Mexico)
and 240 city-owned moorings.
 Only one road that has traffic: Route 1
 Clean air! Our island chain is surrounded by
waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean. Most days we’re treated to gentle sea
breezes and astoundingly deep blue skies.
 Great bike paths, beautiful beaches, two super
markets, West Marine, Home Depot, a great
hardware store, many boat repair shops, and lots
of restaurants (at least four accessible by
dinghy). Click for a nice video of Sombrero
Beach.
 Jade to deep blue water for snorkeling and
diving, mangrove tunnels for kayak exploring,
interesting wildlife: manatees, abundant birdlife,
iguanas, and the occasional crocodile or python.
 Colorful, interesting people.
 Sunsets over open water - many have seen the
elusive Green Flash.
 A library with its own First Friday Book Club
and Speaker Series. Some of us gather at the
Hurricane Restaurant for a $5 lunch prior to the
afternoon’s speaker.
 Unofficial Krogen Godfather and Godmother
Gene and Thomie Kibbe, former Krogen
owners who’ve come to ground in a condo on
Boot Key Harbor. Gene and Thomie not only
host an annual Super Bowl Party, but they offer
help with rides and organize our weekly
breakfasts.
What more could you want?
Friday nights, Krogenites walk, bike, dinghy, and
even drive to Burdines Waterfront Chiki Tiki Bar &
Grill (ed. The French Fries are to die for) on Boot
Sunset from Burdine’s - hear the sizzle?
Burdine’s is also the Friday night home of one of our
favorite local musicians, Joe Mama. For several
years our own Krogenite, John Holum (Solveig IV)
played banjo with Joe. Here they are playing
Louisiana Saturday Night. Here’s Joe playing La
Bamba.
Joe is famous for taking
other musicians under
his wing. Recently, Joe
and visiting (from
Pennsylvania) musician
Paul Shimmel traded
songs all evening. Here
is a video (ed. Shot by
our own videographer
Betsy “Hot Clips”
Basch) of Paul from a
perch a few feet away on
Burdines deck.
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March 2013
Boot Key Harbor (with
Krogens in the
foreground) and
Krogenites at play...
...and then there’s the Marathon
sunsets, including the elusive
Green Flash
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March 2013
Cruising Articles
can easily miss Rialto, if you're not looking for it.
As you turn in among the water hyacinths, in
perhaps six feet of water, you'll see a few boats and
very likely Bus or his long-time assistant standing on
a little dock to help with your lines. The wood
buildings, built more recently than the style suggests,
exhibit the handsome, country motif of an earlier
Florida (or perhaps as we like to imagine it).
Certainly the entire estate with its numerous
buildings stands out in a muted display of elegant
waterfront living. The lush but natural looking
landscaping that is an attractive contrast to the
intensely cropped and rigidly rectilinear landscaping
commonly surrounds today's upscale homes.
But the soul of a stay at Rialto comes from owners
Bus and Nifty Hamilton who manage to make a visit
seem more like a stay among friends. Both are happy
to chat with you or assist in getting to town for
supplies. There is an oak wood-fired grill all
prepared for an evening cookout, a pool you are
likely to have all to yourself, and several acres of
flowers, plants, and trees that you're encouraged to
meander through.
There's even a limpkin that lives
somewhere on the grounds - you
won't mistake its screaming cry
when it drops onto the dock to
announce its presence.
Once out of the Okeechobee
waterway there is a uniquely
protected anchorage called Bimini Basin.
The Bahamas Are Nice, But...
Bob Anderson (Puffin)
A brief trip to Florida's west coast last year left us
wanting to see more. Starting so late in the season,
the cruise sometimes seemed more like speed dating
than a leisurely cruise. We decided to return this
winter and spend more time.
Puffin set out in early January at a more leisurely
pace. We were also armed with the excellent
Cruising the Left Coast of Florida by fellow
Krogenites, Randy and Cindy Pickelmann
(Morning Star), so Puffin and crew were nicely
primed with a list of oughta-see's and gotta-do's.
Although the cruise is far from complete, we'd like
to pass along several particularly enjoyable spots for
the benefit of others who might be tempted to cruise
Florida's west coast. The goal is not to aim a
spotlight down the waterway that Randy has already
lit so brightly, but rather to illuminate some
additional stops we've enjoyed.
For Puffin's crew the enchantment of west coast
Florida begins with the crossing itself. Krogen-speed
is a great way to enjoy this more rural part of Florida
as you slip-slide past fields, the occasional perfumescented orange groves, and the splendid wildlife
refuge on the west side of the Lake.
Depending on the time of day and year, you may see
an absolutely astounding number of shorebirds,
particularly in the conserved marshes that begin at
Clewiston. In addition to all the usual suspects like
the egrets, ospreys, and herons, you'll likely see
anhingas, blue, green, and tri-colored herons, reddish
egrets, kingfishers, and perhaps a harrier hawk
among others. In our first trip last year in late
February there were also dozens of alligators, eyes
and noses barely poking out of the water, like deadly
sentinels awaiting the careless or unwary.
The gem of the Caloosahatchee has to be Rialto
Harbor. Here lies not so much a marina as a quietly
elegant estate, more horse farm than marina. A few
small, individual, fixed piers dot a waterfront
enshrouded by lush tropic plants and trees. It's all
tucked in behind a tiny island so overgrown that you
Bimini Basin
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March 2013
It's a tidy and well-protected little lagoon in
downtown Cape Coral, surrounded on all sides by
waterfront homes, a condominium, and a town park.
It's about a mile off the waterway, a great hideaway
from winds of nearly any persuasion and easily
accessed through one of the countless canals that
define Cape Coral. There's room for 25 or more
boats, though we never saw more than a dozen, in 8
feet of water.
Planning to stay for a couple of days, we kept
discovering Bimini Basin's ashore amenities and
anchored there for a week. The town park offers a
basic dinghy landing and from there you can walk or
bicycle to almost anything you might need; a
propane refill was a mere block away, ice cream was
even closer, and a Publix was less than a mile away.
But the most fun was discovering the unexpected - a
little French cafe, Bistro in Vivo run by a
hardworking mother and daughter from France. The
food was scrumptious and the fun was passing along
our menu request - an exercise in cross-cultural
misunderstanding that nonetheless resulted in
absolutely delightful meals.
We could go on to mention the Italian market filled
with both the expected and the exotic and the
Hispanic market where we filled Puffin's little
freezer with delicious rib-eye steaks at little more
than half the price at Publix. There is also a West
Marine nearby, right next to a hardware store. It
began to seem that if you couldn't find it in Cape
Coral you probably didn't need it.
Bimini Basin's most arcane offering arrived in the
form of a minor mystery. Once in bed, we heard a
soft but persistent sound like a dock line squeaking
against a bulwark and most evident in the forward
berth. A walk around the deck revealed nothing
obviously responsible for the noise. The next
evening continued with the same rubbing noise.
More thought was expended. Puffin was at anchor in
a well-protected anchorage with little wind and
everything on deck seemed snug. Nonetheless we
stuffed a rag around the snubbing line where it
passed through the hawse. Nothing changed. The
noise persisted each evening (not heard during the
day) and each evening it resulted in a fruitless foray
on deck.
With the mystery still teasing us, Puffin departed
Bimini Basin and these mystery sounds (more on
this in a moment) for Pelican Bay where Puffin next
anchored. Randy has provided a fulsome description
of this anchorage and we can only add that a walk on
one of the less traveled trails out to the beach might
treat the stealthy hiker to a view of several feral pigs,
responsible for the uprooted soil evident at places
along the trail sides. These dark-colored critters are a
little smaller that the farm varieties or the ones we
watched at the beach at Big Major in the Exumas.
They're also very skittish and we couldn't get a good
picture. But if you hear a rustling sound in the
underbrush, that's what might be lurking there.
Several days later, Mark and Mary Woodard (The
Good Life), met up with us at Marina Jack, Sarasota.
Recounting the stay in Bimini Basin, they mentioned
a mysterious noise while at anchor there. "Yes!,
yes!" we exclaimed, "We heard the same
noise!" (Sweet vindication now at hand for Puffin's
crew.) We all speculated, without success on the
possible sources: mating fish, a dock creaking
somewhere? Alas, no solution to date.
Our stay in Sarasota ultimately stretched to three
weeks. Simply put, Sarasota charms everyone who
visits. And more than one long-time cruiser has
happily swallowed the anchor and bought a home
here.
A leisurely walk around the downtown area quickly
illustrates why so many are bewitched by Sarasota.
Handsomely landscaped parks abound, wide, clean
sidewalks, peppered with bright, red brick
walkways, and random sculptures invite you to walk
everywhere. With shops and open-air restaurants
everywhere, downtown almost requires one to stop
and sample something. Days and evenings offer
everything from an afternoon at the Mote Aquarium
to an evening at the opera downtown. Exhibits of
arts and crafts are numerous and live music seems to
be everywhere. By day, the outlying keys offer long
beach walks and St Armand's Circle beckons those
who enjoy perusing the lush shopping offerings
attractively displayed. Evenings offer a variety of
stage shows at the theaters downtown.
Though perhaps lacking Charleston's long and
dramatic historical backdrop, the attraction index for
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March 2013
Sarasota certainly compares favorably to
Charleston's, a city for which we have the utmost
affection.
After three weeks in Sarasota, Puffin is now wharfside at St. Petersburg's Municipal Marina. Moorings
are also available in a neighboring basin.
Randy has provided an excellent overview of the
many things to see and do in St. Petersburg. For us,
it really started with the Chihuly glass exhibit at the
Morean Arts Center. It can't be said more simply it's fantastic. This is not your grandmother's cut glass
collection. This is an extravaganza in color, light and
artistry. These are large, fantastical pieces of vividly
colored, hand-blown glass pieces and they're
exquisitely displayed in a building especially
designed for them. After you've recovered from the
exhibit, it's worth following up with a visit to the
hotshop a few blocks away, for a live exhibition in
hand-blown glassmaking,
Another museum of significance in Saint Petersburg
is the (Salvadore) Dali Museum. The explosively
fertile imagination, the range of coloring, and the
technical artistry exhibited in his work is
breathtaking. In one example of his technical
proficiency, we were amazed by a picture of his
wife, Gala, painted on a canvas the size of an iPhone
screen and so detailed it looks like a photograph.
Think painting with a magnifying glass and three
hairs of a sable brush. Other paintings are huge,
perhaps 10 by 15 feet and layered so that at 10 feet
away the painting is one picture and from 50 feet
away another picture reveals itself. The large crowd
in attendance was an obvious testimony to his
immense popularity.
There is an inexpensive, local bus system, the
Downtown Looper, which includes some historical
commentary by the driver of sites in the downtown.
One particular driver treated us to remnants of showtunes, sung a cappella, that seemed to relate only by
title to the site that he was explaining. At one point
he sang an entire song, and quite well, while driving
along his route. He was most appreciatively
applauded by his astonished passengers.
We've rented a car to continue our explorations in
Clearwater and in Tarpon Springs. This will be
Puffin's northernmost waypoint before she turns
south toward the Keys. This somewhat random
compilation of highlights aims to provide a small
supplement to Randy's articulate homage to Florida's
Left Coast. Much remains to be explored and we
expect to find more delightful places as Puffin
works her way south.
Please note: we have purposely excluded
navigational details and left that information to the
charts, guides and other sources far better equipped.
A few photos from our journey:
Anchored on east side of Useppa Island
Dolphin fountain in downtown Sarasota
Feeding time at Ding Darling NWR
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March 2013
Sarasota Public Library & Five Points Park
Krogenites on Siesta Key Beach
Banyan tree at Marie Selby Garden
Chihuly Glass Museum
Moorhen in Sarasota
John Ringling’s home - CA’ D’ZAN Mansion
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March 2013
Technical Articles
owner reported that his CAL blew up throwing oil all
over his generator. That pump also has a seal to keep
water out of the pump. Explosions and seal failures
were problems I’d rather avoid.
I chose the March pump model LC-3CP-MD. The
March pump is magnetically coupled from the motor
to the pump and therefore has no seal. My
experience with the March pump for our boat’s air
conditioning system has been good as it has not been
replaced since the boat was new in 1993 and I have
not had to maintain the pump since we bought the
boat in 1999. It is important to note that we use
wedge-shaped flat intake strainers outside on all our
saltwater intake thru-hulls. The bronze screen is 10
inches by 4 1/2 inches with very small holes. With
these flat exterior strainers we’ve never had to clean
the interior sea strainers. They prevent Chesapeake
jellyfish from stopping water flow outside or
glopping up the interior sea strainers. This external
strainer should prevent the need to inspect the
internal strainer before starting the generator. The
March pump has less suction capability than the
Northern Lights pump so this is important. Anchor
Bay East, Dundalk, MD, (410-284-1044) has a good
exterior strainer selection and prices.
The specifications for the March pump model
LC-3CP-MD showed that it would pump about the
right amount of water. After installing the pump in
the engine room I measured the flow rate before
connecting it to the generator, as I was worried about
the long run from the saltwater intake on the port
side of the generator to the pump that I put on the
starboard side. (The pump output hose goes into the
generator box on the starboard side.) The flow rate
was 9.5 gallons per minute with the maximum head
(top of generator). I put an anti-siphon loop at the
pump output because the generator exhaust elbow is
so low in the hull (see Figure 1). After I installed the
pump on the generator I again measured the exhaust
flow into a bucket. It was 8 gallons per minute. I
measured the heat exchanger temperature with an
infrared temperature probe. It measured 171°F after
20 minutes with a 40 amp AC load. I then measured
the differential temperature between intake salt water
and the exhaust elbow. The difference measured 21°.
In the March 2007 issue of PassageMaker
Fun with Generator Raw Water Pumps
Martin Basch (Molly Blossom)
(ed. This is a reprint of an article from five years ago
in this newsletter. The topic of Northern Lights
generator raw water pumps still shows up on
various forums. Martin sent a five-year update,
which follows the original article.)
Are you tired of finding salt water spewed all over
your generator due to a failed saltwater pump seal?
Are you tired of finding tiny pieces of broken
impellers in your heat exchanger—all this action
having taken place well hidden behind that
wonderful sound shield? There’s a solution: replace
your Northern Lights generator raw water pump with
an air conditioner pump!
After finding yet another leaking seal, I began
looking for solutions. The Krogen List contributors
report 250 to 500 hours between failed seals. The
usual solution is to buy a new Northern Lights pump
costing $250 or having the existing pump rebuilt
professionally for a little less. (A press is needed to
replace the seals, so it’s not easy to do yourself.)
The Krogen List contributors also show that some
people have had success using external air
conditioning pumps. I decided to look into that
solution. The 115-volt air conditioning pump runs
directly off generator power. It starts only when the
generator is producing 115 volts. If you have trouble
starting the generator you don’t have to worry about
excess water getting into the water-lift muffler and
then into the cylinders, as there is no saltwater feed
until the generator is actually running.
Before choosing a pump, I first had to determine the
water flow specifications for my 8 kW generator. The
Northern Lights instruction book shows a
specification of 9 gallons per minute. This seemed
like a lot of water so I checked it by placing a 2gallon bucket under the exhaust at the swim
platform. The fill rate was 9 gallons per minute,
confirming the published specification.
There are two common air conditioning pumps
available: the CAL pump and the March pump. The
CAL pump is cooled with oil inside a stainless steel
case. It is the least expensive pump, but one Krogen
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March 2013
Magazine, Steve D’Antonio recommends a 20°
differential. Although the water flow is slightly less
than with the Northern Lights raw water pump the
differential temperature is good.
All the hose used is 3/4 inch for both input and output
- the size used by the Northern Lights pump. I
mounted the March pump on a King Starboard® base
screwed to the aft engine room bulkhead. The pump
is fused for 10 amps but draws only 2 amps. When
the generator is turned on water starts coming out the
exhaust pipe, stops for a couple of seconds, and then
resumes after the pump starts.
I sent my old Northern Lights pump to DEPCO to be
rebuilt as a backup and asked them to replace the
ceramic seal with a lip seal. (Ceramic seals are more
expensive.) The cost for this was $148 including
shipping. (DEPCO, 2145 Calumet St., Clearwater,
FL 33765, phone: 800-445-1656).
Steve Bruckner (Duchess), installed the March
pump but left the original hoses intact and put in
separate hoses for the March pump. That way he has
an easy backup with the Northern Lights pump. He
had mechanic Bruce Melius (954-565-9143) do the
installation in Fort Lauderdale and was very pleased
with his work.
Figure 1 - March pump with anti-siphon loop and
connection to generator
It was necessary to remove the Northern Lights
saltwater pump to prevent its running dry and
destroying its seals. After removing it, I put a plate
over the hole to prevent oil from leaking out (see
Figure 2). The plate along with a gasket is available
from Northern Lights. A Northern Lights
representative said that it’s OK to use a gasket or the
original O-ring to seal the plate.
Figure 2 - Hose going into heat & plate covering
pump hole
March Pump Air Lock Problems
Installing the March pump was a learning experience
for me. I first put the outlet hose from the pump into
the bilge and ran it to bleed the air. I then connected
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March 2013
it to the generator where it ran 10 minutes before the
generator stopped due to overheating. The pump had
an air lock due to air in the top of the inlet strainer.
So after running the pump into the bilge, I stopped
it, took the top off the strainer until water flowed
and then closed it. The pump then ran for over an
hour until I turned it off with no problems.
I then connected the pump to the generator with the
new anti-syphon loop in place. When I first started
the generator there was no water flow. So again I
took the hose off the generator and ran it into the
bilge. The pump was air locked. This time the cause
was probably due to air in the hose from the antisiphon to the heat exchanger. Until there was power
from the generator, the exhaust pressure probably
pushed air into the pump. I bled the air by removing
the top of the hose into the anti-siphon loop and
connecting an extension hose into the bilge. I then
powered the pump from boat AC, not from the
generator. After bleeding the air out of the pump and
reattaching the hose to the generator everything
worked well with good water flow. (Steve Bruckner
says he just breaks the seal at the pump output until
all the air is out.) This time I ran it for an hour while
connected to the generator to make sure there would
be no problems. The pump does not seem to have
been harmed by running dry due to the air lock
problem. The generator stops soon enough if the
pump has an air lock, so the pump is not damaged.
This should only have to be done when the boat is
launched from a boatyard.
Bruce Melius installed a check valve in the vertical
hose going into the heat exchanger on Steve
Bruckner’s Duchess. This prevents the problem
mentioned in the previous paragraph where the
exhaust pressure pushed air into the pump.
RyanHerco.com sells a very nice check valve that
I’ve purchased just in case the problem happens
again. (ed. Also still in business.)
We have started the generator eleven times for a
total running time of 19 hours so far on our trip
north with no problems.
I want to thank Steve Bruckner (Duchess) for his
support. Since he has been using the March pump
for his Northern Lights generator 8 hours a day for
quite awhile, his encouragement kept me going in
spite of the above problems.
Generator Air Conditioning Pump
Five Years Later
Our original Northern Lights generator pump seal
often leaked salt water inside the sound shield after
a couple of years use. Additionally, I needed to
replace impellers at frequent intervals to prevent
them from breaking and clogging up the heat
exchanger. On January 7, 2007 (see above article), I
replaced it with a March air conditioning pump.
This pump has a plastic impeller, no seals to leak,
and it is magnetically coupled to the motor. It gets
the power directly from the generator so there is no
start switch. The pump connects to the generator
with a 110 V plug and socket inside the sound
shield. This arrangement allows me to test the pump
by temporarily connecting a hose from the output of
the pump to the bilge using power from the inverter
without the generator running.
I had problems priming the pump the first year
which necessitated rearranging the hoses and pump.
The solution is to have every part below the water
line with the output hose on the input strainer above
the pump (see diagram below). The hose from the
thru hull drops down to the floor of the boat and
then up to the strainer. I would often get an air
blockage in the hose from the thru hull to the
strainer, but there is enough water in the strainer and
hose from the strainer to the pump to prime the
pump and pull the air through. The pump is on the
starboard aft wall and the strainer is on the port side
of the generator; thus there is about 45 inches of
hose and strainer to hold water. After that
troublesome first year, the setup has worked well for
four years. One time during the first year, I actually
pulled the boat out of the water and replaced the thru
hull because when I checked the system by
removing the top of the strainer no water would
flow into the boat. There was an air lock in the hose
between the thru hull and strainer. Now the pump
gets primed even with an air lock. I still check water
flow at the outside exhaust every time I start the
generator because of the first year’s problems, but
the problem seems to be solved.
14
March 2013
Hose position from through-hull to strainer
Pump System Configuration
15
March 2013
Adding Solar Panels
Or How I Turned My Bow Thruster Batteries Into
a House Bank
John Sams (Liberty Call)
Last summer, I installed a mooring for Liberty Call
in front of our house and moved her out of the
marina. I soon got tired of charging the batteries
from the generator and decided to add photovoltaic
(PV) - solar - panels to keep the batteries topped up.
Our boat has a house bank of four six-volt golf cart
batteries, an engine starting bank of two group 31’s,
a group 27 generator starting battery, and two 8D
batteries rigged in series to run the 24 volt bow
thruster. Since the 8D’s go unused most of the time, I
decided this would be a good opportunity to add
switches and wiring to allow me to select either 24
volts when needed for the bow thruster or 12 volts
for a new house bank (which can also be charged by
the PV panels.) I wound up buying two ET Solar 135
watt PV panels (Model ET-P636135, a Morningstar
20 amp charge controller, and three battery switches.
All equipment was bought from Waldt Renewables.
I wanted to find a mounting location for the panels
that would receive full sun (i. e. no mast shadows)
most of the day and be out of the way when I am
working on deck. I thought about mounting them on
top the bimini but decided they were too heavy for
the stainless tubing in any significant wind. My
solution was to mount one on each side of the
starboard life-rail on the boat deck. By using piano
hinges, they can be easily folded out of the way.
View from water
Removable Brace to fold down PV panel
Mounting detail
Morningstar SunSaver Charge Controller
View from boat deck
16
March 2013
The Morningstar SunSaver charge controller is
located in the engine room, forward bulkhead, port
side cabinet.
I monitor the charging status on my Link 10. The
Morningstar unit has three stage charging and also
equalizes batteries periodically. Also shown on the
left of this image is the switch used to select which
battery bank will receive PV power, or to select the
port bank as house bank. The starboard bank (golf
cart batteries) is charged directly from PV. To charge
the port bank (bow thruster) I must select the 12 volt
configuration using two manual battery selector
switches. While doing the rewiring, I added a
negative terminal board to replace five ground wires
that were terminated to one battery post.
Eventually I intend to replace the 8D’s with golf cart
batteries when the existing batteries die (they are six
years old now but are doing fine.)
Serendipitously, the Morningstar charges the engine
and generator start batteries via the Xantrex inverter/
charger echo charger when the voltage from the PV
panels reaches about 13.3 volts.
So far, this has worked out well on the mooring. I
can charge or float all batteries at over 13 volts most
of the day. At high sun angles the voltage goes to
14+ volts. The PV panels can produce 15 amps.
During daylight hours I can run all the AC appliances
and hand tools using the inverter - free energy from
the sun - while the batteries stay topped up!
When cruising we usually use around 65-70 amp
hours a night when anchored out. When we get back
to cruising again, I’ll write a follow-up article to let
you know how the additional PV power affects our
daily routine.
Wiring Schematic for Solar Panel Installation on Liberty Call
12V/24V - PVBow Thruster Switching
17
March 2013
also create situations where the compressor can
become overheated due to the use of more electrical
power than normal. Overheating of the compressor
will eventually cause compressor failure.
The filter should be cleaned at least once a month.
To clean the filter screen, you should do the
following:
1. Power-off the respective air conditioning unit
2. Remove the filter screen
3. Clean with mild liquid soap and warm water
4. Dry in the sun
5. Replace the filter
6. Power-on the air conditioning unit
This simple procedure will help reduce the
likelihood of a very expense repair. Remember, each
blower unit has one of these easy to clean screens.
The filter screens are not the only filters in your
marine air conditioning system. There is also a filter
or strainer inside a bronze housing somewhere below
decks between the thru-hull and the air conditioning
system raw water pump. Depending on your system,
there may be more than one strainer and pump. The
purpose of the pump is to provide clean sea water to
cool the condensing unit. Home air conditioning
units are air cooled and have the massive fan
apparatus somewhere outside the house moving
large volumes of air to cool the condenser. Since
water conducts heat much better than air and space is
always at a premium on a boat, boats use water
cooled condensers. If the pump cannot supply
enough water to the condenser, the system will work
harder and eventually shut down.
Raw water strainer
To clean a raw water intake sea strainer, you should
do the following for each sea strainer:
1. Power-off air conditioner circuit breakers
From Our Friends
at Kadey Krogen Yachts
Larry Polster
On a hot and humid day, some boat owners feel as
though their air conditioning system is not large
enough or is not working properly, when in most
cases it just needs a little TLC. Most often with a
little maintenance these supposed “defective” or
“undersized” units can be made to work much more
efficiently.
Every marine air conditioning system has a blower
unit that causes the air to blow through the vents.
This is true whether you have a self-contained unit
or a split system. The difference between the two
systems is that the self-contained unit, as it name
implies, contains all the components of the air
conditioning system (compressor, condenser,
evaporator and blower) except the water pump and
room controls. On the other hand, the split system
has the compressor and the condenser somewhere
below decks and the evaporator and blower
components (sometimes referred to as the air
handler) in a cabinet within the room to be cooled.
The blower unit pulls air from the room through a
filter screen and across the evaporator (essentially
hundreds of little metal fins) where the warm air
comes in contact with the colder evaporator. It is
there that the air is cooled about 18 degrees from the
ambient room temperature. The blower unit then
pushes the air through the duct work and back out
into the room. The cleanliness of the air filter is
paramount to the efficient operation of the system.
If the filter is dirty, it restricts the airflow across the
evaporator thereby reducing the amount of cooler air
that is reintroduced into the room (the my-airconditioning-unit-is-undersized syndrome). The
restricted air flow can cause the evaporator to ice
over, eventually causing the system to shut down.
When the filters become excessively dirty the
excessive contaminants are pulled through the filters
and will begin building up on the evaporator fins.
This build up begins acting as insulation which
reduces the efficiency of the evaporator. This can
2. Close the air conditioning raw water intake
seacock
➽ Failing to do this step, you will let large
quantities of outside water pour into your bilge, at
least getting your feet wet and perhaps sinking your
boat!
18
March 2013
3. Loosen the cover on your strainer. This could be
two wing nuts holding a bronze cover plate or a
threaded lid.
4. Grab the handle attached to the top of the
strainer basket and pull the basket out of the
strainer.
5. Open the seacock briefly to ensure unobstructed
flow. If no water enters the strainer, there may be
a blockage of the water pick-up on the hull.
6. Clean the basket with fresh water and liquid
soap.
7. Replace the basket in the strainer.
8. Replace the cover plate or threaded lid.
9. Hand-tighten the wing nuts or lid.
10. Open the raw water intake seacock.
11. Check for leaks.
TIP
To minimize or lessen the build up of verdigris on
outside the sea strainer, you should clean the strainer
housing with fresh water. Dry the housing and spray
with a moisture displacement. (ed. Bar Keepers Friend
does a nice job of removing the tarnish.)
Tech Tips
And While We’re Talking About Gens
Krogen Dock Lines
We had a recent problem with our generator. It
would start but had no power at all. It could not turn
at 1,800 rpm - only about 1,000 rpm. After some
missed clues, I found that the exhaust elbow was
clogged. I had put on a new one in February 2006,
apparently too much time for any exhaust elbow. The
mechanic who changed it said the air conditioning
pump may be putting out more water causing soot to
collect and condense inside the elbow. The elbow
was also starting to leak, so I think 4 to 5 years is
about maximum for the exhaust elbow even with the
original Northern Lights pump. A supplier told me
that both stainless and iron elbows last about the
same amount of time.
(ed. As an addition to Martin’s experience, Sweet
Time had a similar problem. During an engine room
review by our mechanic (Scott Wiley Marine), he
asked when we had last changed the gen exhaust
elbow. We guiltily said “Never” (we suspect he knew
the answer). It did look really ugly and nearly
clogged. This is one of those maintenance items that
is a relatively minor impact to change but a major
disaster if it fails. Be advised.)
Did you ever want to get more matching dock or
fender lines and couldn’t find them at West,
Defender, Hamilton, or even Fawcett’s? No one
seems to have that blue color. Matching lines are
available from Miami Cordage, the KKY supplier.
There’s a handy
calculator on their
web site to help. The
standard Krogen line
is Nylon Double
Braid in Navy Blue
with a white tracer
followed by a gold
tracer as shown in the following graphic.
19
March 2013
no water would leave the boat. I would break a seal
on a hose clamp to let the air out and then it would
function. So my addition now is a tee just before the
check valve. Then there is a very small diameter
hose, less than 0.2" ID that feeds down into the bilge
(see below). So when it starts, air first bubbles out
and then it pumps the water out. Since most forward
bilges are dry many owners may not have added
water to see if the pump will evacuate the water.
Wet Bilge Tip
If there is a section on tips or problems you didn't
know you had, here is one that I finally fixed. The
forward bilge has always given me problems. On
most Krogens there is a check valve two or three
feet above the bilge pump. Occasionally, if we have
water in that bilge, there is an air lock between the
pump and the check valve. The pump would run but
A last minute arrival in the newsletter mailbox - so sad, two Krogens on the hard in the frigid northern
climes - Galesville, Maryland, to be exact. At least they have each other for company.
20
March 2013
Hands-On Apps
This issue includes: a full-featured GPS front end, a
tide clock, and a “desk-top” weather station.
MotionX GPS
Version 20.0
This is an excellent app that allows
you to exploit the GPS capabilities
on the iPhone.
It can:
 Record your track and display it in Google Earth
 Mark waypoints
 Use off-line maps and charts
 Navigate with moving map display and ETA
 Share your location real-time
 Integrate with social media sites
Sweet Time doesn’t have an odometer that’s easily
used. We use MotionX GPS for that function.
In addition to the distance travelled, this app also
provides elapsed time, average speed, current speed,
and max speed. You can also pause and resume track
recording. Once you are done for the day, you can
save the track and email it.
The email comes with the track attached in two
formats - .gpx and .kmz. These formats can be easily
converted to routes. The .kmz file can be dropped
onto Google Earth, which displays the track with the
self-generated waypoints (see next page).
While it doesn’t do much for boating, you can
display an altitude graph of your track - this could be
handy for walks and bike rides. You can also create
personal waypoints along the track - restaurants and
anchorages come to mind, as well as adding geotagged photos. You can download and cache terrain
maps, road maps, and marine charts in order to
render them without needing an on-line connection.
This app will let you share your current location with
family and friends via email or social media sites.
Track monitoring page
Completed track display page
21
March 2013
Track (in .kmz format) shown in GoogleEarth
Menu page
This stable app - version 20.0 - provides a number of
other useful features as shown above. The app costs
$0.99 for the iPhone, a real bargain these days, and
$1.99 for the iPad, which is called MotionX GPS
HD.
Tide Clock
Version 2.01
This is a very simple app that does
quite a bit with a single display. It
shows the status of the tide at three
different stations (named and color
coded) with the big hands on the outside of the dial.
The middle circle (red hand) shows the tide
amplitude (neap/spring), with the phases of the moon
along the path of the hand. The center of the dial is a
time-of-day analog clock for quick reference. There
is also an estimated next high and low tide
calculation (color coded) for each of the stations.
Live position page
22
March 2013
Data includes the following items:
 Date and time
 Location
 Weather
 Metric (or not)
 Background display
The following graphic displays everything (nonmetric) except decimal degrees.
Set-up is very easy. Find the date and time of a high
tide at a station. (You can have one, two, or three
stations displayed). Enter the data, select various
display options (on/off), and press done. There is a
help screen, should one need it. Tide Clock for
iPhone is $0.99. There is an iPad version also for
$0.99, which appears to be a simple scale-up of the
iPhone version.
Note that on the center left side is displayed sunrise,
sunset, and amount of daylight. On the right side,
while underway, the course and speed are displayed.
Also, after the barometric pressure, a little arrow
displays the trend. The “Display” option allows the
background to match the current weather. There is
also a night display.
Rotating the iPhone additionally provides Civil
Twilight, Solar Noon, and station information.
The iPhone app costs $0.99. An iPad version is
available, also for $0.99. It appears to be a simple
scale-up of the iPhone version.
Nav Clock
Version 3.0.1
I love simple apps that provide a
lot of data on a single screen.
Tide Clock (above) is one of
those, along with Nav Clock.
This app has great flexibility in what data is
displayed and what units of measure are used. The
concept of this app is that of a desk-top weather
monitors (without requiring outside sensors).
23
March 2013
BlueChart® Mobile
Version 1.0.3
The new Garmin BlueChart App
for the iPhone and iPad has very
clear vector charts that show all the
marker numbers and depths. The
App is free but charts for the East Coast and
Bahamas total $29. There is a good weather addition
to the App for $4 (introductory price) that adds
GRIB weather files for wind direction and velocity
up to 7 days ahead. We use the app in the dinghy to
explore new areas and use the track to find our way
back. Also, we turn on the track when using the
dinghy to go to a restaurant in daylight; BlueChart
gives a path to find our way back in the dark. The
app includes all the Active Captain data. We hope
they will add waves in the GRIB files in the future.
Although we have not used the feature, one can
create waypoints, routes, and tracks on the chart app
and wirelessly transfer them to a Garmin chart
plotter. The app also includes tide stations and
current predictions.
24
March 2013
Book Reviews
Don Robertson (Cygnus)
These are some of the little known, boat-related
books that I’ve enjoyed thoroughly. If you have any
suggestions to be reviewed, please send them to me
here. Thanks!
through the heavily industrialized sections of the
towns it connected. In many places the decline of the
canals brought on by the coming of railroads had
already taken place and Rolt described this decline in
emotional terms. On the first page of the book, he
laments that the canals “have lapsed into the
neglected obscurity which overtook the turnpikes
when the railway deposed the stage-coach and
ruined the great posting houses along Watling Street
and the North Road. Now the motor-car has brought
the road into its own again, but the canals have
withdrawn still further into the shadows. Knowledge
of them is confined to the narrow hump-backed
bridges which trap the incautious motorist or to an
occasional glimpse from the train of a ribbon of still
water winding through the meadows to some
unknown destination.” It felt like he wanted to turn
the clock back so that he could experience the earlier
times.
Rolt first experienced the canals when he served as a
member of the crew of Cressy, a old horse-drawn
barge, when she made her maiden voyage after a
relative bought her, added an engine and converted
her from a working narrowboat into a pleasure boat.
He spent the following ten years learning more about
the canals, making occasional trips on Cressy and
other boats and most significantly, watching the
canal system become choked with silt and weeds, the
locks fall into disrepair and many canal-side
businesses disappear. He vowed to get his own
narrowboat and visit as many of the remaining
canals as possible.
He found Cressy in a boatyard in Banbury on the
Oxford Canal where she had been laid up for some
time. She was in need of significant repair but he
took the plunge and bought her. In April of 1939 he
set about converting the interior, which had been
fitted to accommodate a party of eight, into
comfortable permanent quarters for a crew of two.
The first few chapters of the book describe his
tribulations in fitting out the boat, his getting to
know the craftsmen in the boatyard, who did much
of the major work on the boat, as well as the many
Narrow Boat
L.T.C. Rolt
Sutton Publishing and the
Inland Waterways
Association
Second Revised Edition –
1948, reprinted in 1994,
1996 and 1998
I learned of this book while
reading Water Like a Stone, a British mystery novel
by Deborah Crombie set aboard a pair of
narrowboats (it’s apparently a faux pas to call them
“barges”) on the Shropshire-Union canal near
Nantwich in the UK. One of the main characters in
Crombie’s book, a narrowboat live-aboard herself,
received a first edition copy of Narrow Boats as a
Christmas present and described it as “one of the
seminal books on the boating life”. It described how
the text and the woodcuts that open each chapter of
Narrow Boats had captured the essence of life on the
canals. This, in addition to the description of the
modern canal life in Water Like a Stone, piqued my
curiosity. I found a used copy of the modern edition
of Narrow Boats and have now added an item to my
personal bucket list: to hire a narrowboat and cruise
some of the extensive British canal system.
Narrow Boat was originally published in 1944 and
describes the cruise taken by Tom Rolt and his wife
Angela aboard Cressy, their restored narrowboat in
1939 and early 1940. Their slow journey covered
more than 400 miles and followed a figure eight
pattern over several canals in the British Midlands.
This cruise took place at the tail end of the heyday of
the canal system when its waters served most of the
industry in central Britain, and in fact, passed
25
March 2013
fellow boatmen and women who still used the canal.
He and Angela also explored the areas around
Banbury by foot and by car. In July, Cressy was
finally ready to set off.
There’s a cabin plan for Cressy in the back of the
book that makes it vividly clear how narrow a
narrow boat really is. Cressy was 70 feet long and 7
feet wide. She drew just over 18 inches of water! By
the time that Rolt cruised her, her hull had been
turned over completely to living space. The working
narrowboats that preceded her had much smaller
quarters, with a cabin of perhaps 10 feet long aft and
a small sleeping cabin forward. The remainder of the
boat was used to carry various cargos between ports
on the canals. And yet, the boatmen, and sometimes
their families lived on their boats!
Rolt’s narration of Cressy’s cruise through six
different canals is wonderful reading. There’s a mix
of history and description of both beautiful scenery
and dreary industrial areas. He talks about landmarks
that are significant to the canal experience as well as
the warmth of the people he and Angela encountered.
They make many walking side trips to explore
churches, manor houses and the small town along the
canal. Some of the best stories take place in the
various inns and pubs where they encounter and get
to know the local populace as well as the many
boatmen who continue to work the canals. Of course,
there’s also much description of the changes wrought
by “modernization” in many areas. To me, some of
the most fascinating experiences that Rolt described
included the simple manual workings of the locks,
the many staircase locks, the long aqueducts carrying
the canal across river valleys, at least one spiraling
canal that climbed a mountain and the many tunnels
that Cressy encountered on her journey. One was
more than a mile and a half long and involved the
use of an electric “tug” that pulled several
narrowboats through the tunnel by means of a cable,
laid on the bottom, which it picked up, pulled on a
winch and paid out behind the tug. The tunnel was
not lighted and Cressy spent nearly an hour in the
dark being pulled through the tunnel.
In addition to the previously mentioned woodcuts,
the 1998 edition of the book has a collection of old
photos showing canal landmarks and many
narrowboats, both working and pleasure, along the
canals.
Tom Rolt later became one of the founding members
of the Inland Waterways Association which,
following World War II was the driving force behind
reclaiming and refurbishing the British Canals.
Today, much of the canal system is back in service
but most of traffic is pleasure boaters using a mix of
restored old and newly built narrowboats. The canals
are undoubtedly very different from when Cressy
cruised them. Indeed, meadows and woodlands have
replaced much of the industrial environment
surrounding the canals, but there are still quaint
villages to visit along the way.
It appears that this book is available only in
paperback. I found my copy through my favorite
source of used books, AbeBooks. Their web site
represents booksellers throughout the US, UK, and
Canada. Both the book prices and shipping charges
are very reasonable and the collection of books
available is very extensive.
Short Takes
Here are some brief descriptions of other books I’ve
read in recent months. I hope they whet your appetite
and give you something more to look for on your
own.
Rivers Revealed – Rediscovering
America’s Waterways by Jerry M.
Hay. After reading so much about
canals in England and France, I
became interested in finding out more
about interior waterways in the US. I
hoped from the title of this book and
the blurb on Amazon.com that it would
be source of information about our rivers and canals.
In that, Rivers Revealed is a bit of a failure in that it
focuses strictly on a few small Midwestern rivers,
with some good description of life on working
vessels on the Mississippi as well as the history of
that great river. It turns out that Jerry Hay is, by
vocation, a “riverlorian” (that’s the title he gives
himself). He works on various river boats, mostly
steam boats, entertaining the passengers with stories
about the river on which they are traveling. To me,
the chapters in which he describes the evolution of
fiver boats and tugs, the nature of navigation on the
26
March 2013
rivers and the various attempts to redirect the flows
of the Mississippi, Red and Atchafalaya Rivers
northwest of Baton Rouge are the most interesting.
The ones that relate tales of his first 200 mile cruise
as a young boy on the Wabash River paddling a tenfoot johnboat, travelling the full 500 mile length of
the Wabash with friends in an aluminum bass boat,
converting a pontoon boat into a stern-wheeler,
befriending a trapped goose and various other
misadventures all make for entertaining reading, but
they didn’t satisfy my interest in learning more about
cruising the inland rivers. Hay is also the author of
guides to the White and Wabash Rivers, which
would be interest to people travelling in small boats
in Indiana, as well as a children’s book about his
adventures with Gilligan the Goose.
enamored by the beauty, proportions and
craftsmanship of the many wooden sailboats he sees
as he travels around Seattle as a journalist. Cheek
and his wife Patty are accomplished kayakers and, in
fact, he had built a pair of kayaks from kits. Yet, he
was driven to build a sailboat from scratch –without
the benefit of the pre-cut parts a kit provides.
Realizing that he had very little wood working
experience, he decided to start both small and
relatively simple. He picked a plywood “stitch and
glue” design by Sam Devlin rather than a design
using the more traditional carvel or lapstrake
techniques. While this book does touch upon the
actual building of the boat, especially the problems
he encountered and ultimately solved, it’s really
more of a philosophical discussion. The boat started
with a vision of beauty, but as the flaws and failures
compounded, Cheek come to terms with his
limitations as an amateur. He suffered through many
internal battles between striving for perfection and
settling for mediocrity. He ultimately succeeds in
building a moderately flawed boat that gives him the
pleasure of sailing. As the Seattle Times blurb on the
front cover of the book states “A beautiful book not
just about the project but about life in all its leaky
complications.”
The Year of the Boat: Beauty,
Imperfection and the Art of
Doing It Yourself by Lawrence W.
Cheek. This memoir presents
Cheek’s self-examination during
his yearlong process of building a
13-1/2 foot wooden sailing
dinghy. Originally from Texas but
transplanted to the Pacific
Northwest, Cheek becomes
A place to go cruising - Perce Rock off the Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec, Canada
27
March 2013
Miscellany
compact, the speakers can be within earshot of each
other. You need to be sure your receiver has
something called party mode. With this, there are no
echoes between two adjacent rooms - known
technically as latency - where the sound in one area
is slightly ahead or behind the sound in another area.
It all has to do with processing delays of digital
signals - digital is great but it takes time to digitize
the signal.
Another option with an existing system, is wireless
speakers. Some of them interact with your on-board
wifi router. A couple of the higher-rated ones are
from Rocketfish and Grace Digital (Schooners II).
One place to check is Wireless Speakers Review.
Building a new system
If you want to build a new system, the options are
varied. In general, these systems are proprietary
WiFi transmit and receive systems that work with
your i-device and/or the Internet. They are not
necessarily intended to be part of the receiver
solution.
One of the coolest is by Sonus. This system is very
flexible and the transmission is reliable. They use a
proprietary WiFi system that is built on mesh
technology. With all of the potentially interfering RF
signals on your boat that is something to consider.
In addition to wireless amplifiers to connect to your
speakers, they also have portable all-in-one stereo
speaker/amplifier systems that you can easily move
around on the boat with you. You can play different
sources of music in each area (zone) and it all can be
controlled from your smart phone or tablet device
over the WiFi network on your boat. Very cool and
since the system is portable you can take it to your
dirt house when not cruising. It also isn’t cheap but
there are many people who are really satisfied with
this system
Sonus is but one example. There are many systems
out there that vary in price and quality. Be sure to
listen to the system before you buy anything.
Another decision is whether you want to listen to
your own music (purchased on CD, iTunes, etc) or
Wireless Sound Around the Boat
Will Parry (Second Star)
As an avid audio guy, I enjoy good music and good
sound. I’m always trying to find a better and easier
way to have high quality music on board. I really
dislike taking the boat apart to run wires, so the idea
of wireless audio is intriguing.
Today wireless audio is everywhere. It’s in many
forms like Bluetooth, WiFi, Infrared, etc. Audio is
different in that it’s in real time, so wireless audio
transmission has a different set of requirements and
uses.
To begin, you need to answer a basic question – do I
want to add wireless speakers to my existing system
(most likely in the Saloon) or am I building a new
music system from scratch.
Adding to an existing system
You can use wireless on your boat to add surround
channels to your surround sound receiver and add
additional local areas of sound (zones) like in the
pilothouse, in the staterooms, or on the flybridge.
Receivers can be home (120V AC) units or car units
(12V DC). Either of these can also be video capable.
Both these types have inputs for sources like iPods,
iPhones, iPads, or even CD/DVD players.
One of the coolest products to extend your audio
system is the Atlantic Technology WA-3050
transmitter/receiver and amplifier. This system
includes a transmitter that plugs into your existing
receiver, a receiver that you connect to your existing
speakers, and a remote control. This system also
supports multiple zones, meaning other pairs of
speakers in other rooms. At $400, it isn’t cheap, but
isn’t outrageous either and you don’t have to pull
any wires. This little gem allows you to connect up
to three additional zones on your boat. The receiver
unit is a 30-watt per channel power amplifier that
should be sufficient for the surrounds and local
speakers in small spaces like our Krogens.
A word of caution here on multiple zones - isn’t the
devil always in the details. Because our boats are so
28
March 2013
music from one of the many (free) streaming
services. Pandora, for example, allows you to really
fine-tune the music that it plays for you - from postBaroque to Pink Floyd. This requires a streaming
device - we’ll talk about that in the next issue.
Marina Updates
Talked to the nice folks at Atlantic Highlands (NJ)
Marina on February 1st. They were destroyed by
Sandy and rebuilding. Their current estimate for reopening is April 1, 2013 (no April Fools joke). And
yes, they will have floating docks!! Stay tuned.
The Waterway Guide has a nice post-Sandy inlet and
marina status page.
The Organization Queen
While this article doesn’t have anything to do
particularly with Krogen Cruisers, it is about a very
neat lady who is cherished by many - Karen Button
(wife of KKY VP/Operations, Tom Button). You can
read the article in Stuart Magazine (scroll to page
48).
Galley Keepers
Ken & Sylvianne Roberts (Sylken Sea) - Keepers
of the Galley, assures us that this feature will return
in the next issue. Please send them your favorite
recipes, techniques, and other on-board culinary
related items. Their email is on page one.
29
March 2013
mph using the ICW’s rule of statute miles). If you
ever have to run the gauntlet of the south east Florida
bridges - 25 bridges (that require an opening) in 76
statute miles - this list may come in handy. There’s a
separate list for the ICW both northbound and
southbound and for the Crossroads to and from
Tampa Bay via the Lake Okeechobee Waterway
(LOWW) and the Gulf Coast ICW (GCICW).
A few comments:
 Do your own check of the Gilmerton Bridge
(MM 5.8), with all the action there, things seem
to change frequently
 If you haven’t updated your bridge list in a few
years, note several have been removed: Jordan
Lift, Sunset Beach Pontoon, Max Brewer
(Titusville), and Lantana
 You’ll see chatter about the Socastee Bridge
(MM 371.0) being On Request. That has not
been our experience - it has opened On Request
for us at 15 and 45 minutes past the hour - that’s
how I show it on the list and how we plan for it’s
opening. Hopefully, your mileage will vary.
The LOWW starts at the crossroads and ends at the
GCICW MM Zero (near Ft. Myers) - a total of 154.6
smi. The list for the CGICW starts at MM Zero and
continues to Tampa Bay. Yes, there are bridges
further north, but they aren’t included here.
On the LOWW, lock opening frequency is a function
of the water level in the lake, ranging from On
Request when there is more than 12½ feet, to once a
day when there is less than 9 feet. The locks appear
to operate independently, so it’s a good idea to call
them and check that day’s schedule (their phone
numbers are shown on the list). The official lake
level can be found at the USACE website.
Nota bene: This was written prior to the 2013
summer cruising season and as we know, things can
change. Please let your editor know any differences
you find and we’ll publish an update in the summer
edition.
Nick’s Handy-Dandy Bridge Checklist
First off:
 Not To Be Used For Navigation
 Your Mileage May Vary
 The Captain, Admiral, and Crew has the final
responsibility for driving the boat
 And all those other disclaimers
OK, the liability stuff is out of the way. This is the
list we use while cruising. So why is this list handy?
I deleted all the bridges of 30 feet clearance or more
- Sweet Time will pass under them without
requesting an opening. I also deleted the railroad
bridges as they are normally open - in seven transits
of the ICW, we have been stopped once by a train.
The list also includes locks on the route.
In addition to the published clearance, the list
includes the observed clearance (by us in 2011).
Often, the published clearance is the “low steel”
clearance (at the hinge side of a bascule bridge), but
there is often more clearance at the center of the span
- normally three or four feet. And yes, the tide status
can affect the number, but we don’t cut it that close.
21 ft. “low steel” versus 25 ft. center clearance
The list also includes the distance and elapsed time
to the next bridge on the list. I calculated that based
on Sweet Time’s average speed of 7.5 kts (or 8.6
30
NB1
March 2013
ICW Bridges northbound (less than 30 feet)
MM
Bridge Name
1088.6
Clearance
Opens
Pub
Obs
Venetian West
12
12
1&½
1084.6
79th St Causeway
25
25
OR
1081.3
Broad Causeway
16
16
¼&¾
1074.0
Hallandale Bch
22
26
¼&¾
1072.3
Hollywood Bch
20
25
1&½
1070.8
Sheridan St
18
22
¼&¾
1069.4
Dania Bch
17
22
1&½
1062.7
Sunrise Blvd
22
25
1&½
1060.6
Oakland Park
18
22
¼&¾
1059.1
Comm. Blvd
9
13
1&½
1056.2
Atlantic Blvd
15
15
1&½
1055.0
Northeast 14th St
12
16
¼&¾
1050.0
Hillsboro Blvd
17
21
1&½
1048.2
Camino Real
9
9
20
1047.4
Palmetto Park
16
19
1&½
1044.9
Spanish River
21
25
1&½
1039.6
Atlantic Ave
12
12
¼&¾
1038.7
Bush Blvd
9
9
OR
1035.9
15th Ave
21
25
OR
1035.0
Ocean Ave
21
21
1&½
1024.7
Southern Blvd
14
14
¼&¾
1022.7
Royal Park
22
27
1&½
1021.8
Flagler
17
18
¼&¾
1013.5
Parker
25
25
¼&¾
1012.3
PGA Blvd
24
24
1&½
1004.8
Jupiter Federal
26
25
OR
1004.1
707
25
24
OR
995.9
Hobe Sound
(See other side)
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
Distance
(St Miles)
Mins @
7.5 Kts
4.0
28
3.3
23
7.3
51
1.7
12
1.5
10
1.4
10
6.7
47
2.1
15
1.5
10
2.9
20
1.2
8
5.0
35
1.8
13
0.8
6
2.5
17
5.3
37
0.9
6
2.8
20
0.9
6
10.3
72
2.0
14
0.9
6
8.3
58
1.2
8
7.5
52
0.7
5
8.2
57
ETA
(Time)
KEY
½
¾
20
31
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
20, 40, & 60 mins past hour
✓
NB2
March 2013
ICW Bridges northbound (less than 30 feet)
MM
Bridge Name
995.9
Clearance
Opens
Pub
Obs
Hobe Sound
21
23
OR
964.8
North Ft. Pierce
26
26
OR
885.0
Addison Pt (NASA)
27
27
OR
869.1
Haulover Canal
27
27
OR
845.0
George Munson
23
23
20
830.6
Memorial
21
21
OR
829.7
Main Street
22
22
OR
816.0
Knox Memorial
15
15
OR
788.8
Crescent Bch
20
25
OR
778.1
Bridge of Lions
18
22-24
1&½
739.1
Sisters Creek
24
28
OR
592.4
Skidaway
25
26-27
OR
579.9
Causton Bluff
21
26-28
OR
371.0
Socastee
11
11
¼&¾
347.3
Little River
7
7
OR
283.2
Wrightsville Bch
20
20
1
278.1
Figure Eight
20
23
1&½
260.8
Surf City
12
12
1
240.7
Onslow Bch
12
12
1&½
84.2
Alligator River
14
14
OR
20.2
North Landing
6
6
1&½
15.2
Centerville
4
4
1&½
12.1
Great Bridge
7
7
1+
11.5
Great Bridge
8.8
Dominion (Steeel)
12
12
1
5.8
Gilmerton
11
11
½ only
Distance
(St Miles)
Mins @
7.5 Kts
8.2
57
31.1
217
79.8
557
ETA
(Time)
✓
Closed 6:30-8a & 3:30-5p
15.9
111
24.1
168
14.4
100
Closed 7:45-8:45a & 4:45-5:45p
0.9
6
13.7
96
27.2
190
10.7
75
No Opening 8a, 12n, & 5p
39.0
Lock
146.7
1023
To be replaced mid-2013
12.5
87
See note below
208.9
1457
23.7
165
64.1
447
5.1
36
Closed during “high” winds
17.3
121
20.1
140
156.5
1092
64.0
447
5.0
35
Closed 6:30-8:30a, 4-6p
3.1
22
Works with lock
0.6
4
¼
2.7
19
Doesn’t open at 8a or 5p
3.0
21
See note below
Clauston Bluff is closed 6:30-9a & 4:30-6:30p, but does open at 7a, 8a, 4p, & 5:30p
Gilmerton opens 6:30a & 9:30a, but not 7:30a or 8:30a. Opens 3:30p & 6:30p, but not 4:30p or 5:30 p
KEY
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
½
¾
20
32
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
SB1
March 2013
ICW Bridges southbound (less than 30 feet)
MM
Bridge Name
5.8
Clearance
Opens
Pub
Obs
Gilmerton
11
11
½ only
8.8
Dominion (Steeel)
12
12
1
11.5
Great Bridge
12.1
Great Bridge
7
7
1+
15.2
Centerville
4
4
1&½
20.2
North Landing
6
6
1&½
84.2
Alligator River
14
14
OR
240.7
Onslow Bch
12
12
1&½
260.8
Surf City
12
12
1
278.1
Figure Eight
20
23
1&½
283.2
Wrightsville Bch
20
20
1
347.3
Little River
7
7
OR
371.0
Socastee
11
11
¼&¾
579.9
Causton Bluff
21
26-28
OR
592.4
Skidaway
25
26-27
OR
739.1
Sisters Creek
24
28
OR
778.1
Bridge of Lions
18
22-24
1&½
788.8
Crescent Bch
20
25
OR
816.0
Knox Memorial
15
15
OR
829.7
Main Street
22
22
OR
830.6
Memorial
21
21
OR
845.0
George Munson
23
23
20
869.1
Haulover Canal
27
27
OR
885.0
Addison Pt (NASA)
27
27
OR
964.8
North Ft. Pierce
26
26
OR
995.9
Hobe Sound
21
23
OR
1004.1
707
Distance
(St Miles)
ETA
(Time)
✓
See note below
3.0
21
Doesn’t open at 8a or 5p
2.7
Lock
Mins @
7.5 Kts
19
¼
0.6
4
Works with lock
3.1
22
Closed 6:30-8:30a, 4-6p
5.0
35
64.0
447
156.5
1092
20.1
140
17.3
121
5.1
36
64.1
447
23.7
165
208.9
1457
See note below
12.5
87
To be replaced mid-2013
146.7
1023
39.0
272
No Opening 8a, 12n, & 5p
10.7
75
27.2
190
13.7
96
0.9
6
Closed 7:45-8:45a & 4:45-5:45p
14.4
100
24.1
168
15.9
111
Closed 6:30-8a & 3:30-5p
79.8
557
31.1
217
8.2
57
(See other side)
Clauston Bluff is closed 6:30-9a & 4:30-6:30p, but does open at 7a, 8a, 4p, & 5:30p
Gilmerton opens 6:30a & 9:30a, but not 7:30a or 8:30a. Opens 3:30p & 6:30p, but not 4:30p or 5:30 p
KEY
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
½
¾
20
33
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
SB2
March 2013
ICW Bridges southbound (less than 30 feet)
MM
Bridge Name
1004.1
Clearance
Opens
Pub
Obs
707
25
24
OR
1004.8
Jupiter Federal
26
25
OR
1012.3
PGA Blvd
24
24
1&½
1013.5
Parker
25
25
¼&¾
1021.8
Flagler
17
18
¼&¾
1022.7
Royal Park
22
27
1&½
1024.7
Southern Blvd
14
14
¼&¾
1035.0
Ocean Ave
21
21
1&½
1035.9
15th Ave
21
25
OR
1038.7
Bush Blvd
9
9
OR
1039.6
Atlantic Ave
12
12
¼&¾
1044.9
Spanish River
21
25
1&½
1047.4
Palmetto Park
16
19
1&½
1048.2
Camino Real
9
9
20
1050.0
Hillsboro Blvd
17
21
1&½
1055.0
Northeast 14th St
12
16
¼&¾
1056.2
Atlantic Blvd
15
15
1&½
1059.1
Comm. Blvd
9
13
1&½
1060.6
Oakland Park
18
22
¼&¾
1062.7
Sunrise Blvd
22
25
1&½
1069.4
Dania Bch
17
22
1&½
1070.8
Sheridan St
18
22
¼&¾
1072.3
Hollywood Bch
20
25
1&½
1074.0
Hallandale Bch
22
26
¼&¾
1081.3
Broad Causeway
16
16
¼&¾
1084.6
79th St Causeway
25
25
OR
1088.6
Venetian West
12
12
1&½
Distance
(St Miles)
Mins @
7.5 Kts
8.2
57
0.7
5
7.5
52
1.2
8
8.3
58
0.9
6
2.0
14
10.3
72
0.9
6
2.8
20
0.9
6
5.3
37
2.5
17
0.8
6
1.8
13
5.0
35
1.2
8
2.9
20
1.5
10
2.1
15
6.7
47
1.4
10
1.5
10
1.7
12
7.3
51
3.3
23
4.0
28
ETA
(Time)
KEY
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
½
¾
20
34
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
✓
March 2013
Locks & Bridges - Crossroads to Tampa Bay (LOWW & GCICW)
Clearance
MM
Bridge Name
LOWW
7.2
Old Roosevelt
15.2
St. Lucie Lock
(772) 287-2665
39.0
Port Mayaca Lock
(561) 924-2858
78.0
Moore Haven Lock
(863) 946-0414
93.5
Ortona Lock
(863) 675-0616
102.5
Hwy 29 La Belle
28
28
OR
108.2
Ft. Denaud
9
9
OR
116.0
Alva/Broadway
21
23
OR
121.4
Franklin Lock
Pub
Obs
14
14
Opens
Distance
(St Miles)
Mins @
7.5 Kts
8.0
56
23.8
166
39.0
272
15.5
108
9.0
63
5.7
40
7.8
54
5.4
38
67.7
472
ETA
(Time)
OR
(239) 694-5451
GCICW
34.5
Boca Grande
9
9
1&½
43.5
Tom Adams Key
26
26
OR
50.0
Manasota
26
26
OR
55.1
Tamiami (Circus)
25
25
OR
59.1
Albee Rd
12
14
OR
63.0
Blackburn
9
9
OR
68.6
Stickney Point
18
18
20
71.6
Siesta Key
25
25
20
87.4
Cortez
22
22
1&½
89.2
Anna Marie Island
25
25
1&½
Weekends - every 15 mins
9.0
63
6.5
45
5.1
36
4.0
28
3.9
27
5.6
39
3.0
21
11a-6p, otherwise OR
15.8
110
Jan-May, otherwise 20
1.8
13
KEY
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
35
½
¾
20
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
✓
March 2013
Locks & Bridges - Tampa Bay to Crossroads (GCICW &LOWW)
MM
Bridge Name
GCICW
89.2
Clearance
Opens
Pub
Obs
Anna Marie Island
25
25
1&½
87.4
Cortez
22
22
1&½
71.6
Siesta Key
25
25
20
68.6
Stickney Point
18
18
20
63.0
Blackburn
9
9
OR
59.1
Albee Rd
12
14
OR
55.1
Tamiami (Circus)
25
25
OR
50.0
Manasota
26
26
OR
43.5
Tom Adams Key
26
26
OR
34.5
Boca Grande
9
9
1&½
LOWW
121.4
Franklin Lock
116.0
Alva/Broadway
21
23
OR
108.2
Ft. Denaud
9
9
OR
102.5
Hwy 29 La Belle
28
28
OR
93.5
Ortona Lock
(863) 675-0616
78.0
Moore Haven Lock
(863) 946-0414
39.0
Port Mayaca Lock
(561) 924-2858
15.2
St. Lucie Lock
(772) 287-2665
7.2
Old Roosevelt
Distance
(St Miles)
Mins @
7.5 Kts
ETA
(Time)
1.8
13
15.8
110
11a-6p, otherwise OR
3.0
21
5.6
39
3.9
27
4.0
28
5.1
36
6.5
45
9.0
63
Weekends - every 15 mins
67.7
472
(239) 694-5451
14
14
5.4
38
7.8
54
5.7
40
9.0
63
15.5
108
39.0
272
23.8
166
8.0
56
OR
KEY
OR
1
¼
On Request
On the Hour
15 mins past hour
36
½
¾
20
30 mins past Hour
45 mins past Hour
✓
March 2013
OK, that’s it for the March 2013 edition. We hope you enjoyed it maybe even enough to submit something for the next edition.
If there’s something you’d like to see, just send an email!
The next anticipated publish date is June 1st, 2013.
Once again, don’t worry about spelling, format, or application just get the words and photos into a file and email them.

Created with iWork Pages ’09 on a Mac
37

Newsletter March 2013

Transcription

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