Free State is back in action!

[smacksman]

I had a 42 hour non-stop journey from London to New Orleans culminating in a Greyhound bus ride from Orlando to New Orleans. I wanted to see America at ground level rather than from the air. Quite an experience and met some lovely people. The lady driver from Tallahassee with the splendid name of Whitsonia Lewis, read us the riot act before setting off. 'Aah don't want no swearing on maah burse. If youall want to cuss then git off and do it outside, you hear me!'. I found it hard to keep a straight face.

Arrived at Seabrook Harbor to find the boat in the water, beautifully washed and cleaned and ready to go. Sadly, I didn't expect that as I had ordered PTFE gland packing to re-pack the stuffing gland so she will have to come out again. No problem they said, we'll fork you out again. Such nice people.

Checked the fuel in the day tank - clean, and battery levels all ok. Oil I had changed last year when I laid her up. Checked coolant level and filled the raw water strainer so that the impeller didn't have to suck dry for too long. Engine started first pull. I wondered if the alternator might have rusted up as happened on my sailboat after a layup but no problem this time.

I shall be advertising her on Craiglist town by town as I head east to where the money is in Florida.

It's lovely to be back in friendly America!

[kerrye]

You're a brave man. Met an Englishman in a Swedish hostel last year who knew US public transportation inside and out. He claimed the only people that ride buses in the US anymore are freshly released felons and illegal immigrants. I guess we must add British boaters to the list. Safe travels and good luck on the sale.

[smacksman]

Haha! Another 'urban myth' debunked! The passengers were well behaved, polite and honest Americans. No problems. And the bus was full to nearly full the whole way. As a comparison, the bus ticket was $46; by air I was quoted $157 and by train was $265.
There was a similar urban myth when we sailed into Brazil. We went to Cabadello by train to check in and were warned to be on guard. The locals turned out to be lovely simple, poor folk going to market with live chickens around one guys neck, a baby suckling happily, scuttling crabs in a basket and much good natured banter and laughter. They couldn't have been more helpful and charming.

Got the return fuel line off to be renewed. The plastic return pipe from the forward injector is just a push fit and rotates easily without having to be pulled off its spigot and hence another potential leak.
The 30+ year old rubber was perished and my repair in Stuart was temporary at best.
The fuel supply hose from the mechanical pump is a pig to get off. The banjo bolt fouls the crankcase engine mount so had to remove the pump to get the last few threads of the banjo bolt out. If I had an angle grinder I would remove some metal to make the job easier.

[kerrye]

Not sure about your engine but 'official' injector return line from my Mercedes diesels is typically only available at the dealer. Lots of people use clear small engine (lawn mowers, weed whippers etc) fuel line in its place since it is readily available at many auto parts stores and even places like Home Depot in their lawnmower section.

[Beta Don]

Great to have you back on this side of the pond Roger!

Keep us posted on your schedule. I *might* be back in Biloxi when you pass by headed east and if so, I'll buy the first round and we can discuss some 'not to be misssed' spots to see on your return. You came by pretty fast on your way west last year

Are you here for 3 months again, or just until the boat sells?

Don

[smacksman]

@kerrye
It is strange. The return line from each injector is about 1/8" id plastic. I would have thought the heat would have been too much for plastic, but it works. That plastic 'daisy chains' to each injector back to the primary filter. From there it is proper externally braided fuel line with banjo fittings. I read somewhere that the new bio additives to diesel have caused old rubber fuel lines to go brittle and fail. Maybe that is the cause of my problems, other than the fact that they are 30+ years old.

@Don
That would be great if we could meet up again so I could hear about your adventure. I hope to leave here in about a week, weather willing. Blowing old boots right now!
I plan to go back when the boat is sold but I have a 3 month visa to stay here. If I go back early I will be breaking new ground with airline tickets in the sense that I've never changed return flights before. I don't know if it is possible and how much it will cost. Obviously one is not allowed into the USA without a return ticket so I'm booked to return in early July. We will see when the time comes.

Being hauled out soon so must go.
Roger

[kerrye]

Sounds to me as if someone already swapped out the individual injector return lines with small engine fuel line. I've been driving Mercedes diesels since about 2001. When the US introduced low sulphur diesel people on the forums started seeing far more leaks in their injectors return lines and fuel lines in general.

I've flown home earlier with no extra charge by flying stand-by. Doesn't Norway Airlines fly in and out of Orlando? They have very inexpensive flights. Our daughter did a round trip from Copenhagen to NYC for $420.

[sail149]

Glad you made it back Rodger. Have you hooked up with uber in NO? Very easy and quick and service Seabrook no problem.

[Mandalay]

Welcome back to the USA. I really enjoyed your YouTube videos. Well done! I'm wondering, what's your plan for "the armpit" of Florida this time? The previous owner of my Albin 27 FC MANDALAY did the 36 hour offshore passage. He told me it was a challenging run, very long and tiresome. Thank the Lord for that King autopilot he had aboard.

[smacksman]

@Warren - I used Uber taxi the last time in NO and it worked well. Certainly to be recommended. Luckily I can use the yard's old pickup to get supplies.

@Mandalay - Thanks for the welcome - it's good to be back. This time I will go Apalachicola to Cedar Keys or Tarpon Springs, weather permitting, and miss the forest of crab pots on the way to Steinhatchee. As has been said many times before - thank the Lord for GPS and autopilots!

Had a buyer check the boat out today and caught me in the mess of living on the boat on the hard and working on maintenance. Another chap emailed me and showed interest.

Replace the stern tube packing yesterday - pig of a job. The arrangement on Free State is a bit different from other stuffing boxes I've done. The packing is in the nut. This has good and bad aspects.
The good side is that the nut slides forward on the shaft for better access but the downside is you are working blind.

stern-nut.jpg

old-packing.jpg

The old hemp packing


The old packing was hemp which I like when there is a sterntube greaser (not on Free State) so I've used PTFE (Teflon) packing which is grease free. Still, Teflon packing needs to be treated with care or shaft damage can result. Graphite packing is not good with a bronze shaft that she has - electrolysis and all that can of worms.

Next job was to replace the engine fuel lines and bleed the system,

overhead.jpg

injector pump1.jpg

She didn't have an air filter when I bought her and couldn't find one made for the job so I bought one that I could modify and hopefully reduce the noise a bit. Chopped the end off this Fram filter and pushed it onto the cage.

airfilter1.jpg

airfilter2.jpg

This all went straight forward but after most of the day spent folded up in the engine compartment I was pleased to get it done. 73 year old limbs don't
seem to flex the way they used to !!

Today I had visitors which was lovely but I managed to wax and polish the hull, strip the Jabsco water pump to check the diaphram and re-bed a bimini frame mounting that was leaking.

Due to be splashed tomorrow - thunderstorms allowing.

Sorry, don't know why the extra pics are showing - must have done something wrong.

[smacksman]

As I said elsewhere, the engine started first pull, ran rough for a few seconds as the last of the air bubbles went then purred happily. It was quieter with the air filter on.
Fitted 12v sockets to under the saloon table and by the chart table. So many bits of kit today require a 'cigar lighter' power outlet.

Poked the suction hose of pump down a bit of rigid pvc tube so that I could 'bottom feed' the day tank to see if there was any water/bug/rubbish there but it was clean. Will do the same to the main tank tomorrow.

Scrubbed the saloon floor with Lysol lavatory cleaner. Wonderful stuff for shifting dirt and cleans your hands really well too. Hydrochloric acid based so best to rinse hands after.

Had two chaps look over the boat yesterday. Pleasent enough guys but other boats to look at. Tyre kickers! Another chap due tomorrow morning. Difficult to keep the boat presentable when I am working on getting her ready to sail and gear is moved around. No flowers in a vase on an empty saloon table!

[Beta Don]

Stop by Biloxi for a few days Roger - We got the boat (and us) home Monday and we can spend some time relaxing!

Don

[smacksman]

Thanks Don. But can you believe it, just as I was doing the last chore before leaving, I sold Free State. Took her for a spin in the canal this morning and then struck a deal. I'm happy and he's happy. I won't count chickens before they are hatched as the saying goes and it will take a few days for the money to get into my bank in the UK but he's a gentleman of my mature age and we have shaken hands which is the way I do business.

Glad you got Beta Carina home OK. Flush the engine, clean up the alternator and starter motor, new batteries and fuel and away she will go. Submersion? Pah! A minor problem!! You and I could get her going in a month and on the market!! Better than a 'viking funeral' for the hull.

Reminds me of a past event. A guy had an old wreck of a wooden boat in our UK yard and told us to burn it. My friend cut two sections out port and starboard and made them into a little flattie dinghy. Unbeknown to us the owner had managed to find a buyer who was not impressed to inspect his proposed purchase had two bl***dy great holes in each side!! Haha!

[Beta Don]

Flush the engine, clean up the alternator and starter motor, new batteries and fuel and away she will go. Submersion? Pah! A minor problem!! You and I could get her going in a month and on the market!!

So, . . . . should I pick you up in the morning? Your 'residence' has been sold

Actually, I don't believe there is any water in the engine - Certainly none in the oil pan and with the turbo intercooler piping I don't see how any could have made it as far as the cylinders either. The fuel tank is OK too - The vent line never went under

Are you flying back to the UK from New Orleans?

Don

[smacksman]

Yes. I have to wait till next week for the international bank transfer to go through (banks don't work weekends for you and me but they make money 24/7!!) and then the buyer is in no great rush and this marina is paid up to the end of April. I have to change my flight so not sure how that will work. All a bit flex at the moment.
But seriously, I worked on a boat that sank with just her mast tops showing and ok, it was a lot of work, but four months later she started off sailing from the UK to South Africa on the original Perkins engine and later I crewed on her from South Africa to Trinidad and Tobago. It can be done - and you've got nothing else to do!! Haha!.
Love to Carolyn, Roger