Worth the trouble to get Renewable Diesel for Aeolus

Since learning about and swapping to Renewable Diesel about a year ago, I'm fully sold. I'd been running blends of biodiesel since we got Aeolus in 2006, and liked the added lubricity and smell. But biodiesel does not do well in boats that sit, as it is highly hygroscopic (water absorbing from the atmosphere) and doesn't much like cold weather, and has slightly less power than dino diesel. Along came Renewable Diesel and it's a dream. 

Able to be made from about any carbon source, like food scrap, wood or whatever, like biodiesel the carbon and environmental benefits depend in good part on the feed stock being used. There are no current suppliers of Renewable Diesel in WA state, to my chagrin. But down in Oregon they are using it and Carson Fuels has had it at their cardlock location. For reasons that are not clear, they do not have it at their cardlock location anymore. But they have it in stock. 

So I went down with a truck and picked up a 55 gallon drum of it and can siphon that into my numerous 5 gallon fuel containers for transfer to the boat. The hassle of going to Portland and all the schlepping is worth it since the fuel is that much better. 

Renewable diesel is not hygroscopic, so it stores for a long time without absorbing water or going bad. Perfect for a sailboat. It is clear and pure, having none of the impurities of normal vehicle diesel. It does not smell. And it has a higher energy content, higher cetane, than dino diesel or biodiesel. It's just a win, win. It's a bit more expensive than dino diesel, but in the small quantities the boat uses, that's not a problem. Can't wait for it be sold in WA, perhaps even at the fuel docks for boats someday. Get on it WA Legislature. 

Renewable diesel on the left burns far cleaner than dino diesel

A Fourth of July Escapade-McMicken and Penrose

 We hopped aboard Aeolus this past weekend to enjoy the South Sound by water, and had the good fortune of great weather. Not great wind, but that's how it is here in the Salish Sea. Too much or too little. I envy my San Francisco Bay Area friends who get 20-25 every single day all summer long. Anyway, I don't envy them anything else as they have nowhere to go!

We went straight to McMicken on Saturday afternoon and once again had a lovely overnight at that little gem. The island itself is unremarkable, and unfortunately has private inholdings, but the sandy spit that runs from the park to Harstine is a wonderful place to walk and explore. We swam and paddle boarded and were generally feral. It's a cool feature of the spit that at the right tides you can walk across as the current flows across. It's surreal. Magical. I recommend it!

On the way, glass calm

The guidebooks and reviews talk about the steep shelf but we have never had any trouble with the holding at McMicken. Just have a modern anchor design and not a CQR or Bruce. 

We left there and for the first time went to Penrose Point State Park. It's only a few hours around the Peninsula from McMicken and Pitt Passage is a lovely little gap to pass through. No Dodd Narrows here! We chose to anchor on the West side of the Point, though you have easier shore access on the East side. You drop in about 40 of water and have a fairly long trip from there to the beaches. We swam and paddle boarded and dinghied our way around, enjoying all the hiking trails. It's a little gem of a park for South Sound. It made us miss our favorite places further north, but for being down South it has much to offer. It's hardly a good winter anchorage as you are exposed fully to the North. 

Our trusty dinghy and paddle board nearby

Quite surprisingly, we enjoyed an amazing night of fireworks all around the Case Inlet. The entire shoreline was lit up by people with homes along the water, and the show lasted for many hours. You could even see the bigger municipal shows from behind the hills and trees. We joined in the fun by firing off our safety flares as the other nearby boats were doing. Our pyrotechnics went much higher than those poor landlubbers! 

The trip back to Swantown from there was about 4 hours. You certainly want the current to be your friend and not your enemy here. We saw porpoises, and harbor seals, bald eagles and kingfishers. Life! 

Prophylactic maintenance-New alternator

Part of owning a boat long term is replacing things you've already replaced. One could be very systematic about this, and I can easily imagine my more OCD friends having spreadsheets with installation dates and expected life expectancy. But in my case, I have a mind that constantly monitors all the systems in my boat with such frequency that I haven't found it necessary to be more codified about it. It's like a memory palace, or a well traveled path, I mentally walk every nook and cranny of Aeolus in a casual way most every time I'm aboard. It's pleasant.

What are the systems? When did I last inspect? Does it need lubrication? Corrosion protection? Replacement? 

It was thinking like this that had me wondering about my alternator. I know they fail eventually on cars, and I've had my current one on Aeolus since about 2008. So I decided to replace it for no reason other than being proactive. Since we cruise extensively and year round, it is simply not fun to imagine losing power generation when at sea. While I always carry a back up alternator, I know it takes about 30 minutes to change it, and doing this while tossing in a sea is unpleasant. It's true the diesel doesn't need the alternator to run, but in winter we are running our electric boat heater, and navigation equipment, and lights and even with our good size house battery bank we would pretty quickly drop below the necessary voltage. All this to say, I'd rather replace mine before it fails on me. 

So I go to DB electrical and got another Mando Alternator For Delco Marine 20104, 982364, 18-5951, 18-5957 63 AMP Alternators/; ADR0106. It was $87. They are marine rated and protected from ignition. 

Took no time at all to replace, and the one I swapped out became my new backup. Lickity spit, and now my mind can gloss over the alternator for the next 10 years or so as I scan for things to do!