Madison Violet....

     When only a couple pieces of tape are preventing your boat from sinking while waiting for parts, there is only one thing you can do to relieve the stress... go PARTY!!  But first, kudos to Glen at Sabre Corp (the builder of Persephone) who was able to quickly identify the exact part number of the shaft seal used, and to Fred at PSS Shaft Seal for Fed Exing the part to us in Grenada.  The package is on its way Priority Fed Ex and should arrive in a couple of days.  Thanks guys...great job !!

     Yesterday was the first "dinghy concert" at Clark's Court Bay.  The band Madison Violet set up on a tug boat which was anchored in the middle of the bay.  At 4 pm, dinghies rafted together behind the tug to enjoy the music, munchies, and of course a couple of coldies....

Here are the dinghies arriving at the tug and rafting up just prior to the start of the concert....


Madison Violet entertains the crowd....



Dinghies everywhere.....









That Sinking Feeling....

     The holidays are over and Persephone was being prepared to leave Grenada.  The weather guru advised that there is a weather window for Tuesday-Wednesday this week for heading up island.  In preparation, I was scuba diving to clean the prop.  I tried to turn the prop shaft, but it seemed stiff.  I attributed the stiffness to barnacle/bio-growth on the shaft.  So, I applied a little more pressure to shaft.  Finally, it turned....but not freely.  I continued to clean the prop and bottom of the boat.

BEEP>>>BEEP>>>BEEP>>>     Even underwater, I could hear the bilge pump alarm activate.  This alarm only sounds if the bilge pump (capable of pumping 50 gallons per minute !!!)  is having difficulty keeping up with the inflow of water.  HOLY S**T !!  Its got to be an error.  As I surfaced, I could see the bilge pump tube sticking out of the stern, and water was gushing out of it.  No error....Persephone was taking on LOTS of water.  She was sinking !!!!

I ripped off my dive tank and threw it into the dinghy, and literally ran up the boarding ladder.  I pulled up the floor boards and immediately saw that water filled the bilge and was just below the floor boards.  The bilge pump was barely keeping up with the inflow. "Gotta find the leak, and FAST !!  I immediately started to close every seacock (shut off valves that are fitted  where each hose enters the boat). There are nine seacocks on Persephone, and as I closed each one the water flow continued unabated.  Closing all of the seacocks made no difference !!  Where can the water flow be coming from....there are only two other options...the prop shaft or the rudder shaft.  I grabbed a screw driver and opened the access hatch to the prop shaft.  Water came shooting out of the access hatch....the rubber bellows surrounding the drive shaft had separated from the boat and had torn; leaving a TWO INCH hole open to the ocean !!  This is serious....REAL SERIOUS !! 

    I rushed to the radio and called Eric on 'Compass Rose' who is anchored about 150 yards from Persephone.  "Eric....gotta a major leak,  get over here fast !!" I shouted into the mike.  Back to the leak....how to stop it...or at least slow it down?  Eric must have flown threw the water because he was aboard in seconds.  Together we were able to pull the bellows over the shaft log (hole where drive shaft exits the boat) which slowed the leak.  But, there were still several splits in the bellows letting in a significant amount of water.  Eric suggested we try "Rescue Tape".  I had never heard of the stuff, but why not....   Eric went to Compass Rose and promptly returned with the Rescue Tape.  This a a tape that only sticks to itself....it worked like a champ.  We wrapped it around the bellow and the leak immediately stopped.  VICTORY !!  Emergency over !!

"Hey Eric...need a cold one?"...."you bet" !!  Two coldies were immediately downed to settle our frayed nerves !!  ......

POST SCRIPT:  Persephone is fitted with a PSS Dripless Shaft Seal.  The leading edge rides on a stainless steel donut which surrounds the prop shaft.  The bellows has a graphite seal that rides on the donut.  Apparently, the graphite seal froze to the stainless steel donut.  So, when I turned the shaft, I rotated the bellows, and pulled it off the shaft log, and tore it.  (This should have never happened....I had motored the boat with no problems only 2 1/2 weeks ago)  The Shaft Seal needs to be completely replaced.  This requires the boat to be hauled from the water, and the entire prop shaft removed.  Read:  Major Job.  So, today, I will be contacting Sabre Yachts to find the proper size of the Shaft Seal, and see if one is available on the island.  In addition, reservations will have to be made at Spice Island Marine to have the boat hauled.  This could take weeks to repair, depending on availability of parts, and the ease of removing the shaft.

Thank God, I added the bilge pump alarm just before we left Connecticut !! (Boaters:  Install a LOUD bilge alarm as a winter project...it saved Persephone)   Otherwise I would be swimming home.....

Wish us luck !!



    

Christmas 2010

This is the cockpit of Persephone on Christmas Eve.....

Lynn and Ken of "Silverheels III" in their Christmas finest entering Clark's Court Bay Marina for Christmas dinner....

Ken actually has a tie aboard...and a Christmas one no less, featuring the Twelve Days of Christmas !!

Christmas dinner at Clark's Court Bay Marina.....

Cheryl (red crown) of "Just Imagine" and her guest Caroll (yellow crown) are in the foreground.

XMAS......

Persephone and her crew would like to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

"Christmas in the Caribbean, we've got everything but snow !"

"Getting to Look a Lot Like Christmas....."



The holidays are a perfect excuse for a cocktail party on Persephone:

From L to R: Anne ('Impressionist'), Lynn & Ken ('Silverheels III'),  Jim ('Impressionist')
 and Eric and Jackie ('Compass Rose')

The lawn of a local insurance company

A tin soldier stands guard over a hillside of lights.....



Colage of lights.........

 

"Deck the Halls"....but in this case its Deck the Mall !!



Trip to New England in Pictures

This is Wentworth by the Sea in New Hampshire where THE FAMILY gathered for our annual Pre-Christmas party.  My 86 year old father has hosted this annual event for more than twenty years.  Despite the "grey" described in my previous post, it was a great time....just needed a bit more WARM !  Seeing family and friends made the trip well worth it, but it IS good to be back "home".

Stately "Nubble Light" stands watch over a cold, rugged Maine Coast in stark contrast to the cobalt waters of the Caribbean:











                                                      





Christmas tree Maine style.....lobster traps and red buoys.  Gotta love the lobster on top instead of a star !!  Only in New England !











                Wentworth by the Sea at night decorated for the holidays.
















                                            



                                                                       







                                                                  

Gray vs. Grey

I am sitting in the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico contemplating the difference between ‘gray’ and ‘grey’. The first question that may pop into your head is: “why are you in Puerto Rico” ? Followed by the question, “have you had a few too many rum drinks??….gray vs. grey….what the heck (%#*& ?) Who cares !!!

Well, I care.  I am returning from several days back in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. (I didn't announce on the blog that I had left Persephone in Grenada for security reasons.)  It was great to spend time in the states catching up with friends and colleagues. On Saturday night my 86+ year old dad hosted his annual Christmas dinner for the ‘sibs”. Dad was great; as was the time with my crazy, totally bazaar, and completely dysfunctional family….God love ‘em’; I wouldn’t want them any other way….well, maybe just a little…… !!




Rum tot in Gray

 

But, what struck me most about New England was the GRAY…..the sky was gray, the Maine water was gray, the hills were gray, the trees, streets, buildings….EVERYTHING was gray….but most of all, the mood was gray. Heck, this blog is even gray for God's sake !! It appears that the economy, unemployment and the general state of the US of A has sucked all of the color out of New England. Colleague after colleague told me that business was awful and we got out and went cruising in a nick of time……I stated to feel bad for blithering about the cruising life style.

I could feel the ‘gray’ lift as soon as the plane touched down in Puerto Rico. Christmas carols in Spanish with a Latin beat…..the color is back !! I have returned HOME to the Caribbean…..


After deep contemplation, the only difference I can ascertain is ‘gray’ is a color; whereas ‘grey’ is a “colour”…….Wow.....after all that, I DO need to find a watering hole at SJU !!