Well its been two weeks since we had Shell Belle launched and one thing or another has kept us at the dock. We did anticipate this, we didn't fool ourselves into thinking a 38 year old new to us boat would be sea ready at launch.
Meshing half up, it will only last about 6 months in this sun. Lesson learned, next one will be darker, thicker material and the clamps will be black.
We spent the first two days baby proofing and cleaning and still cleaning...As I am borderline OCD. Then things started to happen as they do on a boat, especially an older boat. The previous owners did a lot of work however in the last five years they only were on her for three to four months out of the year.
Captain spent a good part of the first week replacing corroded wiring for the stove, lights and a few outlets. Thinking we were good to go we started up the 220 hp John Deere engine to give it a while to warm up and our bilge alarm goes off. Several clamps on hoses to the raw water pump were completely loose and water spayed everywhere! So Captain goes back to work checking hoses and clamps and yet again water is still spaying out. The engine only has 660 hrs on it so we decided to leave it to the professionals and waited for the mechanic to come over the next morning. After repacing the water seal in the raw water pump things seemed to be good, seemed, I'll explain a little later.
The work that we had the WorkBench do at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour was impecable, Island Time slow, but impecable.
New Bobstay
New Bow Pulpit with duel anchor rollers
After a late departure from the dock (which is never good in BVI busy season) we headed out toward Mosquito Island and then the bilge alarm sounds again. I take the helm and Captain goes to check the engine room once again. No leaky hose, how about a hole in the hose from all the pressure! Pressure build up from a 2" down to the size of a pinhole with calcium build up! Okay so your thinking, your a sailboat so just put up the sails and give the engine a break...ha ha ha. To ready our boat I was in charge of the mizzen because its old school and that is how I learned to sail. The Captain and our friend Geoff from the WorkBench readied the Genoa and Captain was in charge of his in-boom Main, you think he would of threaded the sail in the bloody mast! Oh no, so now we have top of our Main sail flopping all over the place and we cannot roll her back in because a batten was stuck in the boom. Oh boy, good times! After windy, overcast weather, bilge alarms going off, baby screaming the whole way (later found out it was a poopy diaper), main flopping in the wind, we arrive at North Sound to find every single mooring ball occupied in jam packed anchorage. Now this is our first go with our new boat and anchoring in a mine field of boats, well lets just say in wasn't pretty. A few boats around us were highly entertained some might of even pulled anchor and moved further away from us.
Now I'm leaving the kicker in this wonderful first adventure...a picture is worth a thousand words.
What is wrong with this dingy picture??? Bottom just popped right out while we were underway! Now luckily the Captain tied off the gas tank really really well and we were able to save it and the brand new outboard. Dear West Marine and the previous owners if you do not cover and protect your dingy within 5 years the seals will wither away! Thank The Lord the kids were not in it.
So anchor up the next and back down to Tortola to purchase a new dingy. We spent a couple of days provisioning with boat parts, hose (lots of hose) and stock then onto our next adventure.
Great cockpit moments...the Captain and I laughing as hard as we could at our first adventure. Sebastien with the biggest smile I've ever seen on him watching for fish, pointing out other boats and waking up and cuddling in the cockpit.
