A good looking 1998 Tiara
The Helm Station on the flybridge
This is what the A/C strainer looked like when I was doing my engine room inspection.
This is what the strainer looked like after I spent 20 minutes cleaning it.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Mobile to Chicago aboard a Tiara 43C
My next trip has begun. I flew down to Mobile, AL today to bring a 1998 Tiara 43 Convertible from Fairhope, AL to Chicago, IL. She is powered with twin 6V-92TIA 625hp Detroit's. The owner will be along for this trip although he does not arrive until tomorrow. For its age, this is a very well cared for boat. Her gelcoat is near perfect and the engine room is exceptionally clean as well. That is saying something for a fishing machine that has 2300 hours on her. I did my usual inspections today and got things all ready for the owners arrival and a afternoon departure tomorrow. Just a few pictures.
A good looking 1998 Tiara
The Helm Station on the flybridge
This is what the A/C strainer looked like when I was doing my engine room inspection.
This is what the strainer looked like after I spent 20 minutes cleaning it.
A good looking 1998 Tiara
The Helm Station on the flybridge
This is what the A/C strainer looked like when I was doing my engine room inspection.
This is what the strainer looked like after I spent 20 minutes cleaning it.
Monday, May 11, 2015
An Early End to our Trip
The mechanic came on board this morning and hooked up all the computers. Unfortunately, he gave us the bad news that the Servo Motor took a dump. Game over. They will need to order a new part. So after consultation with the owner, we decided it was probably best to leave the boat and he will finish up the trip. The rest of the trip across the canal will only take 2 days and the owner is actually looking forward to seeing the canal and experiencing the trip.
So, I will be flying home in a few hours, but I thought I would post a few pictures. As tough a day as I had and the owner of this Formula, it is nothing compared to this 44 Sea Ray pictured below. He hit a rock and bent the props, shafts and strut. His bill will be over $20k and they have no idea when he will be ready to go. Then to add insult to injury, he wrapped some shrink wrap around his good prop as he was entering one of the locks. He was happy to get the boat tied up at the dock.
I hate that I was not able to finish the trip for the owner. He is a great guy from speaking with him on the phone and I was looking forward to meeting him in person this week. Fortunately he is on the Chesapeake Bay and I go by often, so I am sure our paths will cross in the near future.
A little big for the fork lift, but it did the job. They got it high enough to assess the damage and figure out next steps.
Master cabin forward with shower to port and sink and toilet to starboard.
Galley
Dinette in salon
Entrance to the aft cabin and separate head.
Aft cabin
Cockpit
Helm station
Those are the bow cushions on the port side. Those will go down in the cabin.
So, I will be flying home in a few hours, but I thought I would post a few pictures. As tough a day as I had and the owner of this Formula, it is nothing compared to this 44 Sea Ray pictured below. He hit a rock and bent the props, shafts and strut. His bill will be over $20k and they have no idea when he will be ready to go. Then to add insult to injury, he wrapped some shrink wrap around his good prop as he was entering one of the locks. He was happy to get the boat tied up at the dock.
I hate that I was not able to finish the trip for the owner. He is a great guy from speaking with him on the phone and I was looking forward to meeting him in person this week. Fortunately he is on the Chesapeake Bay and I go by often, so I am sure our paths will cross in the near future.
A little big for the fork lift, but it did the job. They got it high enough to assess the damage and figure out next steps.
Master cabin forward with shower to port and sink and toilet to starboard.
Galley
Dinette in salon
Entrance to the aft cabin and separate head.
Aft cabin
Cockpit
Helm station
Those are the bow cushions on the port side. Those will go down in the cabin.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
IPS Down
I've had quite the run of bad luck lately on my trips. The gremlins from yesterday decided to come back and stick around this time. I was all set to shove off the dock this morning at 6:30, but when I went to start the starboard engine it threw the same fault code as yesterday. I tried to do my magic to get the fault code to clear, but no luck this time.
So I got to spend the day in Brewerton doing odds and ends around the boat. The down time allowed me to put the radar, satellite dome and mast light back up on the hardtop. So the day was not a complete loss. I also learned a lot about IPS today as I spent the morning trying to troubleshoot the problem and codes. Once you get a glitch in the computer code the day is over. There is no way to fix or override the system once it throws a code. I'm pretty confident this is just a computer glitch since the system performed perfectly the past two days.
I have a Volvo technician coming around 10 tomorrow morning, so I am hoping he can get it fixed and I can get on my way. The satellite dome is a KVH M3. I am having some issues with that as well. It seems like it is having trouble picking up the satellites. If anyone has a similar system and has any advice I would appreciate it. I have gone through the operating manual and tried everything they have suggested, but no luck. I hope my bad luck ends tomorrow!
So I got to spend the day in Brewerton doing odds and ends around the boat. The down time allowed me to put the radar, satellite dome and mast light back up on the hardtop. So the day was not a complete loss. I also learned a lot about IPS today as I spent the morning trying to troubleshoot the problem and codes. Once you get a glitch in the computer code the day is over. There is no way to fix or override the system once it throws a code. I'm pretty confident this is just a computer glitch since the system performed perfectly the past two days.
I have a Volvo technician coming around 10 tomorrow morning, so I am hoping he can get it fixed and I can get on my way. The satellite dome is a KVH M3. I am having some issues with that as well. It seems like it is having trouble picking up the satellites. If anyone has a similar system and has any advice I would appreciate it. I have gone through the operating manual and tried everything they have suggested, but no luck. I hope my bad luck ends tomorrow!
Fairport to Brewerton
Another good day, but a long one. Had a rough start. Went to start the engines and got an alarm on the starboard pod; limited steering and rpm. Tried resetting a few times and no go. Finally went into the engine room and disconnected and reconnected all the wiring harnesses and, bingo, we clear the alarm and get underway at 7:30. Only an hour delay.
Traveling 97 miles in 9 and half hours. We finally got out of the 10mph speed zone toward the end of the day. Went through 9 locks and ended the day in Brewerton, NY just before you get out onto Lake Oneida. I will be heading to St Johnsville tomorrow.
Departing from Fairport in the morning.
Traveling 97 miles in 9 and half hours. We finally got out of the 10mph speed zone toward the end of the day. Went through 9 locks and ended the day in Brewerton, NY just before you get out onto Lake Oneida. I will be heading to St Johnsville tomorrow.
Departing from Fairport in the morning.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Welcome to Fairport, NY on the Erie Canal
I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but I had just a great day cruising the western portion of the Erie Canal today. They set a record high in Rochester of 90F. The low tonight will be 63F. They are breaking all kinds of heat records up here this week.
The 45 Formula named “Chill-Laxin” performed flawlessly today. We had a slow run, but we sure did maximize our time on the water. We pulled out of Smith Boys Marina this morning at 5:50 am and made out way to the start of the Erie Canal. I was on the canal by 6:00 and dealing with the dreaded speed zones. It was a mere 5 mph to start the day for the first hour before it doubled to a whopping 10 mph. Now we are moving.
I got to the first set of locks around 8:00. I paid for my canal pass and kept on trucking. The lock operators and all the bridge tenders were great today. Most were ready when I arrive and the bridges were going up as I got there. I did have about a 20 minute delay this morning at Gasport Bridge, but that was the worst of it for the day.
One of the lock masters allowed me to “float” through one of the locks since I was by myself. It sure made things much easier on me. I did just 4 locks today, but covered 94 miles in just over 11 and a half hours. The entire day the maximum speed was 10 mph, so I keep things moving all day long. I had to “bribe” the last bridge tender to stay open past 5:00 so I could get on the other side of the bridge where there was a lock wall I could tie to. It cost me $20 bucks and a beer, but it was worth it. I’m in a good position to make the most out of tomorrow. Otherwise I would have been about 14 miles behind where I made it to tonight.
Dinner was just okay tonight. There wasn't a lot to chose from in Fairport, NY. People are out in droves this evening due to the nice weather and the restaurant I went to on the canal was grossly under staffed and not expecting the crowds. Other than a long wait for the food and poor service, the food itself was actually pretty good. It was “Fish Fry Friday Night” so guess what I had. You guessed it; and it was pretty good with homemade hand cut fries and coleslaw.
I’m looking forward to getting to bed early since tomorrow will be another long day. The locks and bridges are only open from 7 to 5 so I need to make sure I’m doing all I can. It just kills me to stop with so much daylight left. You have to play the cards you are dealt. Overall, it was a really good day.
Early morning entering the Erie Canal.
Coming to the second RR Bridge before sunrise.
Good morning ladies crew team.
Coming into the first lock of the day. Lock 35.
Lock 34
The back of the lock wall at lock 35. Pretty big
The Erie Canal actually goes over the top of this road. It was a little weird going across this.
One of the many low bridges that needed to be raised to continue the trip east.
This reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting.
The back of Lock 33
Tied up in Fairport, NY
Fairport, NY, my stop for the day. This was the bridge I had to bribe to get to under.
The 45 Formula named “Chill-Laxin” performed flawlessly today. We had a slow run, but we sure did maximize our time on the water. We pulled out of Smith Boys Marina this morning at 5:50 am and made out way to the start of the Erie Canal. I was on the canal by 6:00 and dealing with the dreaded speed zones. It was a mere 5 mph to start the day for the first hour before it doubled to a whopping 10 mph. Now we are moving.
I got to the first set of locks around 8:00. I paid for my canal pass and kept on trucking. The lock operators and all the bridge tenders were great today. Most were ready when I arrive and the bridges were going up as I got there. I did have about a 20 minute delay this morning at Gasport Bridge, but that was the worst of it for the day.
One of the lock masters allowed me to “float” through one of the locks since I was by myself. It sure made things much easier on me. I did just 4 locks today, but covered 94 miles in just over 11 and a half hours. The entire day the maximum speed was 10 mph, so I keep things moving all day long. I had to “bribe” the last bridge tender to stay open past 5:00 so I could get on the other side of the bridge where there was a lock wall I could tie to. It cost me $20 bucks and a beer, but it was worth it. I’m in a good position to make the most out of tomorrow. Otherwise I would have been about 14 miles behind where I made it to tonight.
Dinner was just okay tonight. There wasn't a lot to chose from in Fairport, NY. People are out in droves this evening due to the nice weather and the restaurant I went to on the canal was grossly under staffed and not expecting the crowds. Other than a long wait for the food and poor service, the food itself was actually pretty good. It was “Fish Fry Friday Night” so guess what I had. You guessed it; and it was pretty good with homemade hand cut fries and coleslaw.
I’m looking forward to getting to bed early since tomorrow will be another long day. The locks and bridges are only open from 7 to 5 so I need to make sure I’m doing all I can. It just kills me to stop with so much daylight left. You have to play the cards you are dealt. Overall, it was a really good day.
Early morning entering the Erie Canal.
Coming to the second RR Bridge before sunrise.
Good morning ladies crew team.
Coming into the first lock of the day. Lock 35.
Lock 34
The back of the lock wall at lock 35. Pretty big
The Erie Canal actually goes over the top of this road. It was a little weird going across this.
One of the many low bridges that needed to be raised to continue the trip east.
This reminds me of a Norman Rockwell painting.
The back of Lock 33
Tied up in Fairport, NY
Fairport, NY, my stop for the day. This was the bridge I had to bribe to get to under.
45 Formula: Chill-Laxin from Buffalo to NYC
Before I start talking about the boat, I would be remiss if I didn't talk for a few minutes about Smith Boys. Smith Boys is the local Sea Ray and Meridian dealer up here in Buffalo, NY where I have picked up the Formula. They have been more than accommodating and have really gone out of their way to get the boat ready for the trip and do all the little things that make for a great boating experience. All the employees here at Smith Boys know what customer service is all about. The owner of the boat has commented on several occasions how well he has been treated and the very positive buying experience he has had here.
Please don't think this is a paid promotion for Smith Boys. I visit many boatyards and pick up all kinds of boats around the east coast. As a general rule, the independent dealers are head and shoulders above the big corporate dealers. I have had a few positive experiences at the larger dealerships. Unfortunately, I have had many more negative ones. Places like Smith Boys and Colony Marine do a really great job for all of their customers.
As promised, a few words about my next trip and the boat. Tomorrow at 7:00 am the Erie Canal will open for the season. So I will be at the first lock bright and early with a 2009 Formula 45 Express on its way East to Annapolis, MD. I will be taking the boat as far as Croton-on-Hudson on the Hudson River, just outside of New York City where the owner will jump on board and complete the trip.
This Formula is really nice. It has a bunch of upgrades including the Volvo IPS drives. I am anxious to see how they perform compared to the Zeus Pods. The weather forecast looks great and I'm anxious to get underway.
Please don't think this is a paid promotion for Smith Boys. I visit many boatyards and pick up all kinds of boats around the east coast. As a general rule, the independent dealers are head and shoulders above the big corporate dealers. I have had a few positive experiences at the larger dealerships. Unfortunately, I have had many more negative ones. Places like Smith Boys and Colony Marine do a really great job for all of their customers.
As promised, a few words about my next trip and the boat. Tomorrow at 7:00 am the Erie Canal will open for the season. So I will be at the first lock bright and early with a 2009 Formula 45 Express on its way East to Annapolis, MD. I will be taking the boat as far as Croton-on-Hudson on the Hudson River, just outside of New York City where the owner will jump on board and complete the trip.
This Formula is really nice. It has a bunch of upgrades including the Volvo IPS drives. I am anxious to see how they perform compared to the Zeus Pods. The weather forecast looks great and I'm anxious to get underway.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Ontario to Pittsburgh aboard a Meridian 441 - Obsession
I need to catch everyone up on a couple of trips. The first is a Meridian 441 from Ontario to Pittsburgh and the second is a 45 Formula from Buffalo, NY to NYC. The schedule has been very busy, but fun and exciting at the same time.
I finished up my Charleston, SC to Montauk trip on Thursday and flew back to Wilmington, NC. David Bonfili contacted me a few weeks back about helping him move his new 441 from Gananoque, Ontario to Pittsburgh, PA, a trip of over 2500 miles. We were supposed to start the trip around May 24th, but David called to see if I could help him get the boat through Customs on Monday.
I was glad to help since I had finished the trip to Montauk a few days early. I was supposed to fly out of Wilmington to Watertown, NY on Sunday afternoon, but my flight was canceled by the airline. I spoke to David and we were able to figure out a work around. I ended up driving back to Raleigh to catch a flight and making the trip to Watertown. I got in a about 10:30 pm and David and his brother were there to pick me up.
We stayed near the airport that night and drove about 1 hour in the morning to get to the marina and David’s new 2011 441 with Zeus pods. I was extremely impressed with the boat. The original owner had made some very nice upgrades. We took it for a sea trial and all checked out okay. By about 1:00pm, we were underway and heading from Canada back over to the US to clear the boat through Customs.
We took the boat over to Alexandria Bay on the Saint Lawrence River where we were met by Customs. They didn’t do much, but it was required and needed to get done. By the time Customs showed up and cleared us and the boat in, it was too late to make any progress towards Pittsburgh. So we just stayed tied up in Alexandria Bay and topped off the fuel tanks for our run across Lake Ontario in the morning.
Long story, but due to some cost considerations, and the help of the selling broker, we decided to move the boat over to Toronto where the boat would need to sit for about 3 weeks while I finish other delivery trips I have committed to. In the mean time, it will allow David time to change all the fluids and get the boat in tip top shape for our 2500 mile, 14 day run to Pittsburgh.
We had a bit of rain go through overnight, but the forecast in the morning was for calm winds and waves on Lake Ontario of one foot or less. Well, both of those predictions were correct. The Lake was slick as glass and there wasn’t a breadth of wind. Which can only mean one thing… FOG! Have I mentioned before how much I hate fog!
I hate fog. David and I had a ton of it. And not just in the early morning… we had fog in the early morning, mid-morning and late morning. We had fog before noon, at noon, all through lunch and afternoon. We had thick fog all the way up to when were to arrive in Toronto. I have never seen anything like it. Luckily during all of that time, the Lake was like glass. We couldn’t see a darn thing, but it was smooth as a baby’s butt out there.
By the grace of God, about 15 minutes before we were to come into the inlet to Toronto Harbor, the fog lifted. The angels sang. We both breathed a big sigh of relief. We couldn’t have seen 100 yards in front of the boat all day. All I can say is that David must be living right. We covered 188 miles across the Lake in pea soup thick fog.
We tied the boat up, got cleaned up and waited for David’s brother Bob to arrive by car to pick us up. We went out and had a nice steak dinner in downtown Toronto. Then it was back to the boat for a goods night sleep. We got rolling this morning around 6:15. David and Bob dropped me off at Smith Boys Marina in North Tonawanda, NY, for my next trip: a 45 Formula to NYC. More about that a bit later.
I am looking forward to jumping back aboard “Obsession” in a few weeks with David and helping him get his new boat home to Pittsburgh. As I have said many times, the 441 is a great boat. I think it has one of the best overall combinations of comfort and performance. I will pick this thread back up towards the end of May when we start the trip to Pittsburgh.
David aboard his new 441
We needed to take the boat back to NY to clear Customs. Alexandria Bay served us well.
I finished up my Charleston, SC to Montauk trip on Thursday and flew back to Wilmington, NC. David Bonfili contacted me a few weeks back about helping him move his new 441 from Gananoque, Ontario to Pittsburgh, PA, a trip of over 2500 miles. We were supposed to start the trip around May 24th, but David called to see if I could help him get the boat through Customs on Monday.
I was glad to help since I had finished the trip to Montauk a few days early. I was supposed to fly out of Wilmington to Watertown, NY on Sunday afternoon, but my flight was canceled by the airline. I spoke to David and we were able to figure out a work around. I ended up driving back to Raleigh to catch a flight and making the trip to Watertown. I got in a about 10:30 pm and David and his brother were there to pick me up.
We stayed near the airport that night and drove about 1 hour in the morning to get to the marina and David’s new 2011 441 with Zeus pods. I was extremely impressed with the boat. The original owner had made some very nice upgrades. We took it for a sea trial and all checked out okay. By about 1:00pm, we were underway and heading from Canada back over to the US to clear the boat through Customs.
We took the boat over to Alexandria Bay on the Saint Lawrence River where we were met by Customs. They didn’t do much, but it was required and needed to get done. By the time Customs showed up and cleared us and the boat in, it was too late to make any progress towards Pittsburgh. So we just stayed tied up in Alexandria Bay and topped off the fuel tanks for our run across Lake Ontario in the morning.
Long story, but due to some cost considerations, and the help of the selling broker, we decided to move the boat over to Toronto where the boat would need to sit for about 3 weeks while I finish other delivery trips I have committed to. In the mean time, it will allow David time to change all the fluids and get the boat in tip top shape for our 2500 mile, 14 day run to Pittsburgh.
We had a bit of rain go through overnight, but the forecast in the morning was for calm winds and waves on Lake Ontario of one foot or less. Well, both of those predictions were correct. The Lake was slick as glass and there wasn’t a breadth of wind. Which can only mean one thing… FOG! Have I mentioned before how much I hate fog!
I hate fog. David and I had a ton of it. And not just in the early morning… we had fog in the early morning, mid-morning and late morning. We had fog before noon, at noon, all through lunch and afternoon. We had thick fog all the way up to when were to arrive in Toronto. I have never seen anything like it. Luckily during all of that time, the Lake was like glass. We couldn’t see a darn thing, but it was smooth as a baby’s butt out there.
By the grace of God, about 15 minutes before we were to come into the inlet to Toronto Harbor, the fog lifted. The angels sang. We both breathed a big sigh of relief. We couldn’t have seen 100 yards in front of the boat all day. All I can say is that David must be living right. We covered 188 miles across the Lake in pea soup thick fog.
We tied the boat up, got cleaned up and waited for David’s brother Bob to arrive by car to pick us up. We went out and had a nice steak dinner in downtown Toronto. Then it was back to the boat for a goods night sleep. We got rolling this morning around 6:15. David and Bob dropped me off at Smith Boys Marina in North Tonawanda, NY, for my next trip: a 45 Formula to NYC. More about that a bit later.
I am looking forward to jumping back aboard “Obsession” in a few weeks with David and helping him get his new boat home to Pittsburgh. As I have said many times, the 441 is a great boat. I think it has one of the best overall combinations of comfort and performance. I will pick this thread back up towards the end of May when we start the trip to Pittsburgh.
David aboard his new 441
We needed to take the boat back to NY to clear Customs. Alexandria Bay served us well.
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