Astraea Arrives in the Chesapeake

In June, 2010, Astraea was trucked across country to her new home in the Chesapeake Bay in Gaylesville, Maryland where she is now berthed on the West River at Hartge Yacht Harbor.  She was first taken to a boat yard in San Diego where her masts were unstepped, all her rigging removed, all stanchions, lifelines, and other topside parts removed and she was prepared for her long trip across country by truck.  She was then picked up by the professional boat movers of J. Daniel Marine Trucking.  Here are some pictures of her trip across country by land. 

Astraea securely sitting on her transport trailer.

Astraea Leaving San Diego at 3 o'clock in the morning, June 1, 2010. 

Astraea in the Midwest.  Not much water around here!!!!

A great picture of Astraea somewhere in the Midwest. 

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Astraea crossing the Mighty Mississippi River.

Astraea arrives in Maryland

Very few boats on the Washington Capitol Beltway. 

The really tight final road, Church Lane, in Gaylesville, MD

Astraea is offloaded at Hardge Boat Yard in Gaylesville, Md.

June 11, 2010.  Astraea sits at Hartge Boat Yard and waits to be recommissioned. 

Change of Plans

In March of 2010 things suddently changed for Astraea and me.  I had planned to remain retired, but a great job offer suddenly came and my plans were changed.  As of March 22, 2010, I  began a great new job in Northern Virginia just outside Washington, DC.  On April 2, I contracted with J.Daniel Marine Co to transport Astraea across 3,000 miles of the United States, by land, to her new home in Annapolis, Maryland. 

This is a major change and one that was not expected, however I am looking forward to having Astraea in Annapolis where I first began to sail at the Naval Academy many years ago as a midshipman.  Astraea and I will now enjoy the waters of the Chesapeake. 

Watch this blog for photos of Astraea as she is hauled, prepared to transport, trucked across the country, and recommissioned in Annapolis, Maryland.

New Engine Ready for Installation

Finally, at last.  It seems this engine replacement has taken forever.  Astraea and I and our crew of two were scheduled to leave at the end of October last year for Mexico with the Baja Haha.  Just before departing I discovered a slight noise in the engine that concerned me, and further analysis by several mechanics confirmed my decision to pull and open and inspect the engine.  It was discovered that the engine, a year old with 160 hours on it, had an incorrrectly designed salt water cooling system that had allowed water to enter the engine.  It was ruined (see earlier posts for the gruesome details). 

The last five months has been a frustrating experience with mechanics, insurance company, boatyard, Westerbeke, ad nauseum.  Finally the new engine has arrived in San Diego at Cogswell Marine and has had the necessary modificatons made and is ready to install.  The installation is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday March 15-16.  The engine installation itself is not that complicated, as an identical engine is being installed.  The more complex part is redesigning and reworking the wet exhaust system to ensure that sea water will not enter the engine again.  I have full confidence in Pete Cogswell of Cogswell Marine that he has a proper design.  In fact, the design that he is doing is virtually identical to the original design of the old Isuzu engine that the boatyard tore out and replaced.  We are also installing a much larger custom made wet exhaust muffler.   

Now, however, a new twist has been added.  Out of nowhere I have received a job offer for a very senior executive position.  I had really decided a  year ago that my professional career was over and my future was sailing and retirement.  Now what could be a great professional opportunity has arisen.  I will spend most of next week oboard Astraea for the engine installation and decide whether to turn down the job and go cruising now, or to take the job and go cruising later.  My feelings on this shift from day to day.  This is going to take some real introspection, some soul searching. 

But for now, engine installation time.  Finally!  Next week!  As far as the job opportunity, well, as Scarlett O'Hara famously said, "I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

New Engine sitting at Cogswell Marine, San Diego, ready for install March 15

Replacement engine to be ordered

Extensive review of the engine installation on Astraea determined that the wet exhaust system was improperly designed.  In the installation of the new engine on Astraea the design of the wet exhaust system had been done such that each time the engine was shut off the volume of water spilling down from the high point in the exhaust system was significantly greater than the vertical water lift muffler could handle.  This resulted in salt water from the wet exhaust backing up into the muffler system and then into the cylinders.  This process had apparently been going on since the engine was installed and the damage was cumulative, culminating in a point where the damage was so extensive that I could hear the knocking from the badly damaged cylinders.  It is actually quite amazing that the engine ran at all with such extensive damage.  It is apparent that it would NOT have run much longer as the corrossion was moving further into the engine with time.  Also, the height of the exhaust system loop had caused excessive back pressure, resulting in incomplete combustion and heavy carbonization and "gunking" of the engine with gooey black carbon in the culinders and valves. 

It is really inconceivable that Svendsen's Boat Works could have made such a major mistake in the design of the wet exhaust system.  I had trusted them with my boat, my life, and the life of my crew, and paid a premium price of about $36,000 for the repowering.  And they screwed it up.  Inconceivable.  Goes to show that paying premium price does not always assure premium quality.  I doubt I will ever trust a boat yard again. 

Hopefully we will soon be installing the new engine.  Perhaps some of the Winter cruising season in Mexico can be salvaged and the dream of cruising will become real, at last.  Better late than never.