Escape to Stuart for the 4th holiday

While most with boats were headed to Roche, we decline the opportunity to anchor around the massed hordes with uncertain ground tackle and skills and instead go to Stuart and Reid Harbor where we can have some peace and even quiet solitude if desired. We brought some friends and exposed them to the wonders of Aeolus, and Stuart. We also brought Calvi the wonder dog. 

Calvi the PBGB

An easy trip from Friday Harbor to Reid on Friday morning. Caught the ebb going out Spieden Channel and hit 9.7 knots! 

Discussed with our friends the great hope that the owner of Spieden Island, Oakley sunglasses owner, decides someday to donate the island to conservation so it can be restored. Sterilize all the hundreds of foreign ungulates, and let the west side once again burst forth with flowers and new oak seedlings. I'm hoping in my lifetime this can happen. In the meantime, nothing can grow from the constant mowing of the hooved locusts. 

Reid was fairly full, but not the most we've seen. We went out to the lighthouse and had the usual amazing time. No whales or pinnipeds but still the delights of location, location, location. The docent season has started so it was fun to get into the museum again. 

That day a strong SW wind came up and even the hurricane hole of Reid Harbor was pretty choppy. Some large catamaran powerboat did the odd thing of stern tieing north of the parks dock, and soon found out why you don't do that in Reid. They began to drag anchor and had to quickly power up and move elsewhere so they could swing free in the strong wind. Probably blew about 20 knots in the anchorage. Great sailing wind! 

We all slept like the unbothered and were lazy on Saturday morning. Nothing to do and all day to do it. We lounged around on Aeolus for hours, and eventually went up to a favorite viewpoint. There are two girls in school on the island and they and their family were having a bake sale at the school. Quite a selection! 

That evening calmed to glass, and it was one of those perfect summer evenings. 

Our return trip today began at 7am to catch the last of the weak flood in Spieden. We did, and I did a healthy 6.7 knots through the channel and then was slowed just a bit in San Juan. Got home from Stuart in only 2 hours, which is good. Averaged about 6.1 knots. Hull speed. 

Our friends loved it, as you would, and we were gone for weeks in those few days. 

Best DIY wood treatment

 This is all you need to keep your interior teak looking great and free from mildew: 

White mineral oil as the base, tea tree oil, and lemon oil. Smells great, works great, and is far better than any of the over the counter wood treatments you can buy. 

Russell Island delights

 For the three day weekend honoring the final freedom from slavery for African Americans in that confederate state of Texas, we got away to the great province of British Columbia to a place with history of blending Hawaiian and First Nations people. Russell Island is part of the Gulf Islands National Park system. Here, native Hawaiian people who had been brought over as laborers for the Hudson Bay company would sometimes chose to stay after being released from service. I guess things in Hawaii were not so great with American colonization and such. They intermingled with the First Nations people and lived their lives. 

On Russell Island, a family had 13 children and the descendants still come around to give tours and tell stories at the old house. This wasn't happening on this visit but we've been coming here since 2011 and seen it several times. I guess July and August, normally, though there was a sign saying it was paused for building repairs, with no signs the building was being worked on. 

Calvi the wonder dog and a gorgeous Madrone along shoreline

Russell provides good protection from the prevailing summer southerly winds that wrap around and up Haro Strait from the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Russell is quite long, and there is a large shallow shelf on the north side that can easily fit 30 boats or more. With Salt Spring as a backdrop, it is also stunningly beautiful. Only the faintest small ferry wakes disturb the anchorage, not even enough to upset your glasses. 

View to anchorage from island

There is a trail that is .75 miles long around the west side. I continue to wish the island would see that trial continued around the east side, for a circumnavigation. Also, the island still has issues with English Ivy and Holly, both of which could be easily eradicated with some effort that seems lacking. 

The weather on this trip was perfect. We motored here from Friday Harbor and it's always lovely going along Spieden and across to Moresby. Moresby is the largest privatedly owned island in BC. How I hope someday it become part of BC Parks or National Park. 

We saw Orcas on the way there, and had a Humpback whale near Rum and Gooch on the way home! A magical get away to a lovely place. Thank you Aeolus and the Salish Sea! 

Wonderful Jones overnight with a full boat

 Went up Friday night to begin a nice weekend get away. We were joined Saturday morning by our son and his five college friends. The weather cooperated with calm conditions and no rain. We motored to the north side of Jones, enjoying it very much. It's always wonderful to expose new people to the joys of sailboat travel and the islands reachable only by boat. 

We did the usual Jones things, but quite unusually we tied to the dock! This was to make the comings and goings of the kids easier, but I feel so domesticated and stuck when I'm tied to a dock. Really changes the whole experience for me in a negative way. Prefer free floating! We walked around here and there, doing the West side and seeing Orcas. 

A favorite thing was rowing the dinghy a fair amount around the cove. So many gorgeous little nooks and crannies. And the exercise of rowing is very satisfying. 

A good night's sleep, with most of the kids ashore. With 8 on the boat, we can't sleep that many. 

The journey back today saw us travel through some of the great clapotis and eddies that inhabit the north side of Jones on a strong ebb. Just magical. I could stay there quite a while admiring the chaos and energy of it all, but alas, we moved along. Catching the ebb hurried our way back south and soon enough we were back in our slip. 

A great trip on Aeolus, who performed flawlessly. She is ready for Desolation Sound!  The kids had a great time and maybe they will want more? 

Quick trip to test engine and clean her up

 Just a quick trip this weekend, with my primary motivation to take the boat out and make sure everything I've done is working to expectations. Sure enough. Only went about an hour but no issues at all. Checked Racor vacuum gauge when I got back to my slip and it hadn't budged off bottom. For some reason my cockpit temp gauge is not reading correctly, but the gauge on the instrument panel is fine. When I go back again I'll have to trace that wire to see where I put it! 

The boat was an exterior mess. Some big bird, likely a heron, pooped all over my stern cockpit area. Between that and the algae and atmospheric dust and other random bird gifts like shells, the boat needed the thorough cleaning I gave it. I also put on my summer sun shield, as I use it between the equinoxes. 

Sooner than later we will be headed up to Desolation Sound where our own boys and several groups of friends have plans to join us. Can't wait. The fuel tank is full of renewable diesel and I now trust the engine stalling issue has been found and eliminated. 

Fuel system diagnosis and solution-Air was the problem

 In the end I found it was air and not dirty fuel that was causing my occasional problems. How do I know? I temporarily installed a clear hose from the first valve to the primary filter and I was getting bubbles. Who knows how many other places I was getting air, but that was all I needed to know. For this reason, I went in and simplified my fuel filtration and upgraded some things. I had previously tore out the prior three way valves that I now know are not great. I removed the new three way valve shown before that was relatively cheap from Amazon and used one I got from McMaster Carr that is much better with flouroelastic seats and high resistance to vacuum and pressure. I replaced my old Racor 500 with a new model that uses ORB hose barbs instead of tapered hose barbs. ORB uses Orings and I upgraded the orings that came with the parts I ordered to Viton. Viton is even more resistant to fuels and solvents of various types. 

The final set up

The orings were hard to specify and here is the information for anyone else interested: 

A 3/4-16 (-08) male ORB (O-Ring Boss) fitting uses an AS568-908 O-ring. In the hydraulic industry, the standard for ORB O-rings follows a simple rule: the size is 900 + the dash size of the port. Since a 3/4-16 thread corresponds to a -08 dash size, the correct O-ring is a 908. 

Key Specifications for AS568-908

• Inner Diameter (I.D.): 0.644 inches (16.36 mm).
• Cross Section (Thickness): 0.087 inches (2.21 mm).
• Outer Diameter (O.D.): 0.818 inches (20.78 mm).
• Hardness: Typically 90 Durometer (Buna-N or Viton) is used to handle high-pressure hydraulic applications. 

The fiittings on the Racor are this size and type:

90-Degree Steel Adapter, 3/4-16 (-08) Male Adjustable ORB x 3/4-16 (-08) Female ORB, 5000psi × 4

This is an elbow and then you add a hose barb that is also 3/4-16 ORB of whatever size, in my case 3/8. 

I removed the second filter altogether, as it just added fittings and valves and complications. I have never seen the vacuum gauge on my primary Racor get up anywhere near a plugged filter, and so this simplification makes sense on Aeolus, given the work I've done to clean and repair my fuel tank and all I do to keep the fuel clean with BioBor and Startron. Besides using Renewable Diesel that is not hygroscopic! Love that stuff. 

All new fuel hoses. Had to change the fuel barbs on the Walbro to 3/8, which was easy. So now it is 3/8 hose everywhere except from the fuel tank to the three way valve. Why do I have a three way valve you ask? I don't need one there. But the fuel tank fitting is 1/4 and this lets me convert it to 3/8. Eventually I will remove and replace the fuel tank fittings to make them 3/8 as well. 

Here you can see the three way valve. Out of the shot is the fuel tank. 

I plan to leave the bleed valve cracked open just enough to allow a continuous flow of fuel and any air out of the secondary filter and fuel system back to the tank. That's another thing, I used to always leave that closed up tight. No need to do that. The Walbro is rated to 18,000 hours and can run continuously at full pump speed. I'll never get close to that in the lifetime of the boat, having only put 2,000 hours on the diesel in about 18 years. 

More fuel system progress and electrical efforts

 Another overnight on Aeolus and made progress on diagnosing and fixing my engine dying problem. Previously, I reported on my suspicions with a vacuum leak. On this trip, I brought along my clear hose and installed a stretch between the existing three way fuel valve and the Racor 500. Sure enough, when I turned the fuel pump on that draws suction on this side, I was getting air bubbles. I would get more air bubbles when I switched the valve off and on, simulating start up. 

So I installed the new ball valve style and connected the same clear hose and no bubbles. Hooray! 

New ball valve not  yet mounted. No leaks!

Going forward, I still have several projects to do. I will replace the ancient Racor 200 backup filter that is really nothing but trouble. The priming pump doesn't work anymore and is likely a source of vacuum leak, the ball valve nightmare I've written about before is a poor design, and since I already have a Racor 500 I can avoid having to store different types of filters on the boat. I already have the new Racor 500 with a heat shield on order. I also have an additional three way ball valve to replace the second of that style in this system. For all I know now it is also a source of vacuum leak, but I haven't tested it. Doesn't matter, I don't trust those and it's getting replaced. 

Also going forward I will routinely open the bleed valve to siphon off any accumulated air that SHOULD NOT be in the system anyway. 

While aboard I also installed my new PVC oil catch can to reduce the amount of vaporized oil I was feeding into my air intake. I found it oiled up my KN air filter too quickly and don't like the thought of whatever it was doing to my intake valves and combustion chamber. 

New oil catch can installed. You can see the direct route from the crankcase breather. Ater taking this photo I ran the output back into the KN Air filter that has a hose fitting mounted into it. 

Also finished up installing heat shrink on the newly formed terminal block crimps and then lightly coated each junction at the terminal block with No Ox ID Special A as that area sits in a bath of crap. 

Diagnosing engine death, upgrading wiring

 For several years, we have had intermittent engine death at some better and worse times. About annually. And it has defied easy answers, with the pressure gauge on the Racor 500 not showing an increase in vacuum, and no other obvious causes. This latest time caused me to need a tow about 100 meters back to my slip in FH. How embarrassing for this careful boat maintenance sailor. 

I posted my problem on the cruisers forum and have had some helpful replies. I went to the boat this President's Day weekend and learned useful things. 

Here you go: 

• I learned there is an internal filter screen in the Walbro 13-2 that is accessed by removing the bolt from the bottom and removing the lower housing. Straightforward. This screen on mine was clean, minus a few bits of something. Nothing close to being clogged. Be careful putting back together as the Oring does not stay put and is easily misaligned. 
• I ran the output from my Walbro lift pump back into the air vent hose that on Aeolus has a junction near this area. I ran the pump and watched as fuel ran through the Racor 500. For one thing, the fuel was clean, showing no signs whatsoever of any gunk even after gallons had gone through. 
• HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, I noticed that there were air bubbles coming out of the turbine. Light bubbles at all times, as the pump was pulling about 4inHg which is about 2psi. When I turned the fuel flow off at the three way valve I have installed, the pump would stop, and when I turned it back on the there were big and numerous bubbles from the turbine area. Didn't matter whether I turned the fuel flow off at the three way valve, or at the tank. When I turned it back on, bigger and more bubbles. 

SO, I think, my problem all along has been air in the system accumulating. I've purchased some clear tubing, and this is a great way to install temporarily to see if the bubbles are coming from the tank, from the three way valve, or out of the Racor 500, or all the above! 

This is the current style that is reported to be often faulty and leaking air. 

I strongly suspect the culprit is the brass three way valve as a comment on Cruisers Forum said he has had several of these leak air. If so, shame on them for building a fuel valve that leaks air! I've already purchased a different style three way valve that is a ball valve style said to be rated to 350psi! 

Another trick is that you can leave the manual fuel bleed valve open fully or partially and that will bleed air out of the system continuously. Best to fix any air leaks, but no harm in having the Walbro work continuously at full tilt as they are rated for 18,000 hours! 

While in there, I also went ahead and finally tackled the old RV style wire junctions that are so famously bad. Rather ashamed I had not already done this, but I'm not perfect! The hardest part is physically working in the tight space while bruising your ribs and such. I put padding down on the floorboard supports but it's still pressure on your chest. 

You can track which wire goes to which pretty well by their colors, but it's not exact. For some reason due to fading or whatever, they do not match perfectly. But the process is simple but laborious. You cut each wire and do all the butt connecting and ring terminal installation and attach them to the terminal block. I use Blue Sea connectors and a 30amp rated 8 position terminal block. While doing this you also replace the crappy inline glass fuse that is on the starter activation wire. I had my engine fail to start this last episode of engine death, which added insult to injury. It turned out to be a oil fuse in that crappy car style in line fuse holder. I replaced that with a proper waterproof ATC fuse holder and used a 30amp fuse. I need to get some more shink wrap to finish up a few spots, as you will see in the photo below. I used cable protectors to neaten things up and prevent oily exposure to the wires themselves. 

This photo shows the current state in need of some more shrink wrap and adjustments. There is another one of these on the Gulf 32 behind the electrical panel. That will be easier to access and will be the next one I tackle. 

Mostly done. Convenient support board for mounting terminal block. 

Good stuff

Rip these out! 

Stuart Island on blue sky January days

Escape to Stuart Island on this three day weekend and we were delighted to have blue skies every day. Saw humpback whales in San Juan Channel! Wow! Two adults and a young one. Haven't seen them there before, only further north. Then saw large groups of sea lions at Speiden, per usual. About twelve bald eagles on the south side of the island, in the usual spots. 

Two nights in Reid Harbor and hikes all around. What a time to be up on the mountains and out to the Lighthouse. Group of sea lions at the lighthouse too.

Sea Lions!

Upsetting thing is that the motor died right at the entrance to Friday Harbor. Despite all my considerable efforts to keep the fuel tank clean with bug killer and lubricant, using R99 fuel, I keep getting fuel cut off engine death. I polished the fuel last year and it was quite clean, so what gives? I even then had the starter stop working. Had to get towed by Boat US the few hundred yards back to our slip. Upsetting and embarrassing for this careful boat mechanic. 

Winter Jones is always wondrous

I remain baffled why people don't use their boats in the winter. Most often, the weather is benign and the temperatures mild, and you have the islands to yourself. We sure did on this trip, as usual, have them to ourselves. Leaving the slip in Friday Harbor on Saturday morning we were the only boat in San Juan Channel. There was a light southern wind pushing us north toward Jones. For fun and variety, we went through the Wasp Islands a bit and up the East side of Jones. We were alone in the north cove and on Jones. Just incredible. In summer, it is overrun with hordes of folks. We walked all around, circumnavigating the island and saw a remarkable number of seals. We tossed a frisbee. We watched birds. We admired the cactus that grows on Jones. CACTUS! Saturday night had some wind but as forecasted, it was from the SE and SW and were fine in the north cove. Boy those king tides are the real deal, right now. Never seen them higher at Jones. Overnight is the low low, and the speed of that change had to drain about 12 feet of water out of the Salish Sea. Amazing. We came back Sunday morning for an early ferry back to the mainland. Once again, the calendar says a brief weekend turn around, but it feels like we are gone for far longer. Clocks and calendars only tell one version of the truth!