German Lager Beer

     The third time is the charm.  Last night we dined at a restaurant in Portsmouth,VA.  We were first introduced to The Bier Garden in 2011 by Joe & Ann (S/V Shortwalk) and dined there twice with Joe & Ann.  We have always enjoyed the food and the company was always the best.  Last night we dined with Rick & Deb (M/V Broulee).  Both Rick and Deb raved about their dishes being some of the best German cuisine they have ever had, both having spent time in Germany.  But last night I managed to bring back the flavor of Germany I remember from the days of my youth.  I was born an Army Brat in Munich, Germany and my family returned to Germany with my father for his second tour of duty when I was just 7 years old.    For each of my previous visits to The Bier Garden restaurant I kept seeking the German sausages (wurst) I developed a passion for while I lived in Germany. Over the years I had forgotten which wurst I craved.  Last night, instead of a hit or miss entree dinner for the taste I was looking for, the waitress said I could have a platter with each of the four wurst they offered. Cholesterol City here I come.  It may not have been the healthiest dinner on the menu but it was what I have been searching for.  Over the years I have tried so many "authentic" German wurst, but last night I rediscovered the flavor I had been seeking - Bauernwurst.   And to wash it down was an excellent Germany lager beer.    

A Win Win Situation

Although smaller than the previous units, the new freezer and fridge are very energy efficient.

     It's been a little less than a week since the new refrigerator and freezer have been put into service, and the preliminary data on battery usage is exceeding my expectations.  The old units were energy hogs.  On a typical day, they would consume 400+ amp (12VDC) hours between charges while we were on the hook.  To recover those hours we would run the diesel generator to create 120VAC power to operate the 12VDC chargers.  Charging the batteries each day while on the hook would take 6 hours.  The problem with the old units is that they were 110VAC that were powered by 12VDC batteries through an innverter.  It takes 10 amps of 12VDC power to produce 1 amp of 120VAC power.  The old freezer ran 24/7 and the old fridge ran 16/7, but between the two, consumed on average 2.5 amps of 120VAC per hour or 25 amps of 12VDC power. So, recovering 425 amps hours became an expensive proposition when diesel fuel is in the $3.59+ range.

     Now, the new units, which are dual electric (12VDC & 120VAC) and being operated on 12VDC power, consume less than 50 amp hours overnight.   The old units would consume 200 amp hours (12VDC) in the same time frame.  Since the units have been installed we have been moving the boat everyday and the batteries have been charged by a dedicated alternator on the engine.  Today,  Big Run is staying on the hook and not running the generator to charge the batteries.  We can also operate the TV or watch a DVD without placing a large deficit on the 12VDC amp hours.  Also, something that was not notably beneficial with the old units was our wind generator.  The wind generator could not keep up with the energy consumption.  We could not see the benefits of the wind generator, although it was producing power.  Today, when the new freezer and fridge are temperature satisfied and in the standby mode, we can actually see that the wind generator is charging the batteries.  This has turned into a win win situation.

Happy Hours

M/V Broulee passing the light at Thomas Point Shoal (Annapolis, MD)

     What was supposed to be a quick one day reunion with Rick, Deb & Izzy (M/V Broulee) has turned into the start of our newest adventure as we have decided to start moving south.  We will buddy boat with Broulee for a few days, slowing moving down the Chesapeake Bay.  One of the many perks of having a buddy boat is the "mandatory" happy hours.

Make It Neat

     When it rains it pours.  Our streak of bad luck continues to haunt us as we have experienced yet another setback/delay.  Last Friday, we discovered the refrigerator went on strike - permanently.  The refrigerator is a vintage 1991 model that had been repaired once already by a previous owner for a refrigerant leak in 1999 and has developed another leak.  The freezer, a separate unit which is from a pre-refrigerator era, is questionable as to its true condition and is suspect for catastrophic failure in the very near future.  So, out with the old and in with the new. Both units will be replaced this week.  Hopefully, and if my calculations are correct, the new units will greatly reduce our electrical loads on the house batteries because they are dual electric, 12VDC & 120VAC.  The old units were 120VAC and between the two we would burn up 300+ amps hours (12VDC) between battery chargings.  We will run the new units on the 12VDC side at about 1/3 of the amp draw or less.  More on that later after we have a chance to get some real time operational data.  The only down side to the new units is they are a little smaller and the freezer does not have an ice maker.  No ice maker, oh well, back to scotch - make it neat.

Stink

     Delays, delays and even more delays.  Last week we tried to return to Pennsylvania one more time before we shoved off for points south (read Bahamas).  Ten minutes before we were to drive back to Pennsylvania, Sharon checked the shower box (pump) in the forward bilge to make sure it had worked properly after I took a shower.  The pump worked as designed but the holding tank macerator pump had ruptured and raw sewage had found its way into the front bilge.  Wait, I just took a shower, now I got to clean up poop?  Long story short, the holding tank vent had failed due to corrosion in the hull fitting and the tank aerator built up pressure in the holding tank until sewage was forced out a failed gasket in the macerator pump.  Glad it was the pump and not the tank.  For tank repairs, a seacock would need to be removed from the front bilge and that would call for the boat to be hauled onto the hard, then the seacock and tank could be removed from the front bilge compartment.  That would have been an expensive proposition to haul the boat again just one week after it was launched.  Now, we are back on course although we are preforming sea trials and other tests of boat systems while staying in close proximity to the marina.  And to debunk a myth, EVERYBODY'S poop does stink

2012 Cruise, Part II

     On the 29th of July, Big Run was gracefully slipped back into the water.  This past Friday, August 3rd, we did a short sea trial and I am proud to say everything checked out okay (or not).  The work on Big Run continues and the work list is getting shorter.  Although we were land lubbers for 10 weeks and we enjoyed it very much, especially reuniting with family and friends, our short sea trial has rekindled our passion to be on the water.  Our tentative plans are to return to Pennsylvania this week, drop off my mother's car, and my sister will bring us back to the boat so that we can start the 2012 cruise, part II.