This is November 18th, 2014 and if all goes well, on the 29th of November I hope to add a "free shower" to this blog. The idea is that the propane flow-through water heater has been replaced by a smaller unit having the same amount of hot water delivery. However, even the newer unit requires fossil fuel in the form of propane to heat the water.
The ultimate is to have a shower in mid November that has hot water heated by the sun's warmth. In short, a prototype hot water heating system will be laid beneath the photovoltaic electric production array atop the MOG yacht and directed to the shower area.
The system will be unsophisticated but should demonstrate the heating ability of the area and efficacy of the idea. The amount of water, temperature, flow and possibility for integration will be monitored on the user.
The idea had better work very well, the user will be Hillary, supportive wife of over 36 years. If the idea does not pass her empirical test, more than the shower system will be in hot water.
Look forward to the next install of this post to see how the life of this inventor is working out for him.
Outcome to be added here November 29th.....
NOVEMBER 30th
A day late but not a dollar short. Hillary was starting to feel a cold coming on so she took to the valve on the hose bib and I was the one to take the shower. I used a simple series of four 50 foot garden hoses laid directly on the roof. There was no attempt made to insulate or concentrate the sun's energy shining on the hoses, no glass top, foil lining, black coloring or placement under the PV array atop the boat, as shown below.
The statistics go as follows...
Water pressure 40 psi at pump in bilge, up 10 feet to roof
Temperature indoor and outdoor, 68 F
Temp of water in tank 58 F
Temp at hose surface on roof 95 F (sun on green garden hose)
Temp at hose end in shower 88 F (lukewarm) for 1.5 minutes
Temperature of propane heated water over 110 F (97 F for finishing shower).
I got wet with the roof heated water and lathered my head and shoulders, then the water temperature dropped to cold. For about 1.5 minutes the water was above tepid and a decent shower (if the temperature was sustained at 88 F) could be made of it. I had worse in the military in the winters of Germany but this is now, not then and there.
After a few brief temperature measurements, the propane, flowthrough water heater went into action. The freshly heated water was appreciated, propelling my mind from the frosty fields of German artillery ranges to the comforting surroundings of the Cape Fear Marina of Wilmington, NC.
In a pinch, such a simple water heating system would suffice but certainly not if the outside temperature dipped to 32 F. For those types of temperatures the system envisioned needs to be enclosed, insulated and have blackened collection surfaces. Such systems do exist. The reason for this particular test is to set an empirical base line for a specific configuration (a most simple one) to which all improvements and comparisons can be made.
The roof area available is about 1'8" by 16'6" or nearly 28 square feet. For comparison, a 4x8 sheet of plywood is 32 square feet. I will need to generate a steady stream of warm shower water by using less than a sheet of plywood's surface for heating water to 95 F at the outlet in the shower stall. All that without the use of propane.
TO SUM IT UP
Solar water heating drastically reduces the need and cost of propane water heating. The correctly sized solar water heater will provide a continuous flow of hot water for bathing most of the year. In the coldest months, the sun will preheat water entering the propane water heater, thus lowering the amount of propane required to get the water hot enough for a shower.
Very few marinas stock propane tanks and the delivery of such a fuel is slim to none on the Mississippi river. Most yachts burn diesel fuel in a generator, to make electricity, to heat water for a shower. That is costly, inefficient, noisey and stinky. The Mrs. and I like smelling clean as well as being clean.
So now you know my winter assignment. Hot water in the summer is no problem but the near winter time period and resulting temperatures are the challenge. I will keep you posted as to the options and final system structure.
The crude test water heater is actually just four green garden hoses connected in series to yield about 1.5 minutes heated water. The water being pumped up to the roof was from the internal water tanks at a chilly 58 degrees F. The picture orientation is the roof top between port & starboard PV panels.
Old propane water heater unit (top) replaced by new demand gas water heater (bottom).
The new unit is smaller and easier to set temperature and flow rate of hot water
Free energy 'for life' comes with the 40 foot MOG solar electric yacht. Power is from the fuel station in the sky, sunlight. Literally, an unlimited range and it also stores lots of energy for those overcast or rainy days. Microwave, refrigerator, AC, TV, lighting and coffee maker as well as motive power are all solar electric, no fossil fuel.
The video shown is with the two electric outboards (inboards on another version) running. The fossil fuel auxiliary engine is up out of the water. As you can see, the boat really moves along briskly.
With a full head (commode), vanity/sink, large separate shower, also a galley and true queen size bed, it is literally a home at the beach, . See the November 3, 2014 blog below for an Atlantic Ocean waterfront home with nature’s neighbors and no real-estate taxes.
Happy with the clams. An incredibly
stable platform for cooking and dinning aboard. If you like to rock while you
wine and dine, just time it with the incoming tide. The white sand beach is
just over the dunes for wading, swimming and walks with my love.
Success is a trip and sea trial of
about 50 miles with one key element -zero- This is
not the usual $112.50 dollars in fuel for a forty foot yacht (at about .5 mpg
at $4.50/gal) but zero dollars in solar electric power. You truly buy the fuel
when you buy the boat. The fuel is part of the boat. Even newer batteries and
photovoltaic modules will have much greater power, efficiency and lifetimes
compared to those of this prototype. I am merely working with currently
available store bought power items. I am invested in advanced power systems,
some of which are tested on the MOG, Algemac II, pictured here.
In my youth, boat travel was with
fossil fuels. This seemed as normal as driving the family 1956 Ford Club Sedan
to the Esso station for gasoline at 20 cents per gallon. The MOG's fuel supply/gas station is
in the sky.
I have always detested vehicle
mileage claims (especially boats) they are seriously compromised by the
nettlesome fact, the pilot must drive out of their way to get fuel (often under
the guise of a rest or dinning stop and then back track to the line of
direction. Get real, the money/fuel you spend getting off the track and getting
back on track IS part of your fuel economy (it is called wasted time &
distance) and literally kills ‘stated fuel mileage’. Boat travel requires three basics, fuel, water, and food. If you have ‘time’ for a
solar yacht….. fuel is not an issue. You are only constrained by food (if
you have a water purifier/maker).
I am not dating myself as much as I
am dating many of those reading this blog. Make the mind shift…… You as well as
I and the wife, are now confronted by a totally solar electric yacht. A boat
that is over 39 feet long and has complete accommodations for two people in a
home environment. This is not a scaled up kayak, narrow catamaran or day-boat
where one hunches over to contort into a V-berth, soaks the toilet paper during
a shower, pulls food out of a styrofoam cooler and rumples their clothing into
cubby holes. It is a purpose built yacht powered by solar electricity.
It was not built to break distance
or speed records for its class. It is a nice looking home on the water (and
land) that will set its own marks in new territories about which some could
only dream.
This is not a beer boat (a few on
which I have had fun). It IS a ‘pocket yacht’, especially near 12,000 pounds
instead of the more usual 30,000 pounds and up, without stinky diesel engines,
oil, fuel filters and hefty fines if
just a quart of fuel/oil spills overboard. I also look forward to the day that
the 60 hp gasoline auxiliary engine gets put out to pasture but more on that,
later in the evolution.
SEA TRIAL….. nope!
Now for the trip and sea trial.
Firstly, forget that it was a sea trial. Everything worked well enough that I actually
forgot that I was out to test the system. The wife (Hillary) was happy and as
at home as I. Soon, former thoughts of glitches faded into the oohs and aahhs
that only silence and clean exhaust can produce while sliding through a seaport
such as Wilmington, NC.
As many pictures as possible are
framed by some part of the MOG. I want you to know that the Algemac II is real,
functions as a boat and serves as a yacht.
We departed the dock at
Cape Fear Marina (Bennett Brothers Yachts) just after 10:20 AM. Weather was
a balmy 70’s and a bit of 12 mph wind on the nose as we sailed south on the
Cape Fear river. About half the length covered on the river was with the tide,
yielding speeds of 7 to 8 mph ‘speed over ground’.
Keep your head on a swivel. Although
the speeds are slow, everything is sliding and passing in multiple directions
all around. Not a Sunday drive here in a busy port.
The port seemed quiet until we
turned the bend ahead.
From the time we left the dock until
11:57, the 60 hp gasoline outboard had been dragging in the water at idle,
never used, and in neutral in case of an emergency. The 24 volt battery system
was maintaining a constant 25.3 volts, amazing. Once clear of the dredging unit
and the port docks, the engine was shut down and elevated above the water. Even
when the auxiliary engine was in the water, our solar craft was generating more
power than used. Obviously there was an improvement in speed and handling when
the gas engine was lifted from the water.
Around the bend we saw the port was
busy with two tugs passing southward to pick up an additional freighter.
This Algemac II performed admirably
with less than 2/3 throttle. More power was coming into the batteries than
going out to the electric motors. Once the river broadened out, the tide effect
ceased southerly and reinstated itself counter to our intended direction.
Although our speed was cut down to near 4 mph by the oncoming tide, the handling
remained clean and the sun kept the battery power-out equal to the power-in. I
will take being a little slower in exchange for free fuel on any sunny balmy
day.
In the video you can see the tide is
coming toward the boat (there is a V shape opening up aft of the can buoy). The
boat maintained a forward speed of about four miles per hour. Not exceptional
until one counts the momentum as a Sun contribution.
Literally, the clouds rolled in
while the boat pushed ahead against wind and tide at around 12:32 on
10-16-2014, Cape Fear River. We were soon covered by the clouds.
To add to the test of the boats
solar generation, thick clouds rolled in, overtaking us as we kept headed for
Snow’s Cut near the Carolina Beach inlet. The cloud cover began to effect the
voyage’s battery bank on which we were running (there are two banks). The
voltage dipped to 24.7 at 12:32 and never dropped below 24 volts all the rest
of the way to the bridge at the end of Snow’s Cut at 15:53. The second point to
be made is that all 15 miles was accomplished on just one of two battery banks.
That means one completely full bank was available if needed.
Prior to entering the Cut we picked
up the tide flow again, resulting in zipping along at a good clip of about 6 -
7 mph and through the bridge as shown in the video. There were a lot of boaters
waving hello and thumbs up as we passed big yachts and people fishing from
smaller aluminum boats.
Moving right along at 15:23 through
the Snows Cut bridge about 6-7 mph with the tide and on Saturday’s return, 3
mph against the full flow. Note the cloud cover is completely over head.
Through Snows Cut bridge on solar
electric power only. This time with the tide… the next day was the
opposite direction at full tide against our bow, slow but steady.
This trawler was heading for the
‘cut’ at the end of the day with a train of pelicans feasting on cast offs.
Soon after, we took the boat into a shallow sound behind the narrow beach at
the ocean.
At 16:15 the Algemac II turned into
a shallow (36 inch) back bay from which the high tide had been almost half way
removed. The idea here being to never go into the shallows on a high tide. The
next tide might not be so high as the one upon which you entered…. you could
get stuck for a day or months. After about 15 minutes we had reached the back
side of the strip of dunes that separated this lovely estuary from the roaring
ocean, just 275 feet over the white sandy dunes. From the deck and especially
the top of the boat the ocean’s blue waters churned onto the beach, our new
living room view. At high tide the ocean was viewable from inside the boat,
just over the dunes. We could stay here as long as the food lasts, what a
beauty.
Panoramic view from beach to boat
The next day. Hillary standing in
amazement at the sight of her new beach house. Yes you really can have it all
and no real estate taxes. We also got along just fine with the neighbors.
After the hook was set in the
receding 30 inch water, a second small anchor was thrown out to assure that the
fickle wind that may arise at night will not drive either end of the boat onto
the beach. The last thing we want is to have any part of the boat’s water line
above the high tide line on the beach, leaving the boat stranded. That would be
bad news. In fact the wind did come up that night and pulled the smaller stern
anchor enough to raise an eyebrow in the next mornings first dawn view. All was
fine, as the position was well below the high tide line. That morning we heard
that Gonzalo, the Bermuda hurricane, had started to alter the idyllic weather
we had expected and gusts to possibly 30 mph might come our way.
Having left the city of Wilmington,
NC on Thursday, all day Friday was spent relaxing on the sound, collecting sea
shells, walking and wading into the Atlantic Ocean.
Hillary and I discussed the idea of
paring the trip down by one day and leaving for the return to Wilmington’s down
town on Saturday. This meant leaving in the late afternoon. This would also pit
the solar electric yacht and its two ten horsepower electric motors directly
against the full outflow tide, funneled at our bow by the restrictive placement
of the bridge at Snows Cut. Even for power boats of much more horsepower it is
of some concern. We would be making the move at the end of the day, the sun
would be setting, glaring directly into our eyes with small and large boats
dodging about. A new anchor haven would need to be made in declining light and
secure enough to fend wind and wave from the close commercial sea lane channel.
A bit of a reach.
Far from our 30 inch depth, three
sizable yachts ply the deep and marked channel from which they cannot stray.
Only kayaks, paddle boards, small boats with outboards tilted up, get here.
We left our shore side villa beach
property Friday at 14:48. A temporary anchorage was made about a quarter mile
away next to the ICW to assure there was no delay from winds suddenly changing
direction, thus blowing the water out from under us. A plan was made as to the
6 mile attack to reach an island on the commercial channel just the other side
of Snows Cut. We waited a bit for the weather forecast, then pulled anchor
again at 16:45, headed for the cut.
For about one mile the cruise was
nice but began to get slowed to the expected 3 mph imposed by the tide. We
could go faster but no need to waste the energy in the full battery banks. If
taken at the correctly planned pace we should arrive at our destination with
power to spare and some bright dusk to find our anchorage for the night. Guess
what? That is exactly what happened with wind against us, tide against us and
almost no sunlight to recharge the batteries. We went into a cove at a spoil
island near green marker 7 to eat, view and bed down for the evening.
Here’s to sun in your eyes. The
camera adjusted its iris to the glare but our human eyes were not as fortunate.
The anchor was placed with plenty of
scope to view the setting sun during our wine and dine. Our draft is 18 inches.
The water depth here varied from 20 inches to over 40 inches. Dark fell and the
sky became our private planetarium.
At 08:30 the next morning’s weather
radio alerted us to the fact that the hurricane off Bermuda could cause some
unwelcome local weather patterns. We would leave our corner of this lovely
spoil island and head for down town Wilmington as the sun replenished our
batteries from the passage through the cut last evening. This Saturday’s
weather though was just superb, sunny, wind on our tail and some tide to boot.
I could not ask for more. We ate breakfast, relaxed listening to the FM radio,
had coffee from the microwave as we got things into order for the last leg of
the trip. The time approached to haul the anchor and get moving North. At 13:07
the anchor came up and we were off to Wilmington.
At 13:37 to our amazement, while in
mid channel, a clunk was heard, stopping the starboard electric motor briefly.
We saw no damage, checked the systems out and headed on our merry way. The boat
will be hauled out in the next few weeks for winter work to be done, keeping
the clunk in mind for a look-see when on the hard.
13:50, the tide flowing north on our
side of a marked island channel, combines with the ship’s channel on the other
side of the island. At this point our forward progress is opposed by the eddys
of large churning areas of water. This persists for a while, then continues as a
very light tide northward through the port.
With the port in full view, there
seem to be some boats waiting for something. Drawing ever closer, the apparent
blockage is caused by the dredging machine happily gorging away at the face of
the port’s docks. While the dredge is working this close to the dock face, no
traffic may pass through. With barely enough side clearance, an 18 foot
outboard boat with a family on board, catches the ire of the deck hands on the
dredge. Saying it was a close call would be an understatement.
Dredging Fear as the iron monster
heads back our way. Now fully open, a 40 foot tour boat makes its escape ahead
of us as we enter the ominous “zone”. A bit melodramatic but it is unnerving.
We turned our boat to circle the
area several times to await the more officially accepted opening of the dredge.
Allowing the faster boats to go first (a most prudent move), we followed them
through the opening after waiting for the downstream boats to exit their
flotilla. This time the dredge workers seemed a bit more cordial, even though
they had to work on this sunny Saturday.
My pass, before the dredge swings
back to close the narrow passage. Not shown here are the other boats trying to
make it through before the dredge swings closed. Is my hair standing on end?
The concentration of prop wash and
the narrowing of the river current made a very sloppy pass through the area.
We were not the only boat passing
through the dredge's gate. The Wilmington bridge and skyline welcome us home as
the Henrietta III passes on our starboard side.
Farther up the Cape Fear river and
directly across the river from Wilmington’s Market Street water front, was the
annual October (beer) Fest. Seems all were having a great time.
The trip drew to a close as we
cleared the Isabelle Holmes bridge with a south westerly wind and southerly
flow of tide at our Cape Fear Marina dock and berth. The boat was paused about
200 feet off the docks so that I could lay in wait on the wind and tide
interaction, a good practice no matter what size or power the boat has.
Watching the wind’s action on flags and the tide’s action around the docks, I
can adjust my entry options into the fairway leading to the 6 slips in the
intended section. A plan of entry is kept in mind with actions mentally noted
for contingence and conditions not clearly anticipated.
This older Google Earth photo shows
the MOG pointed out of her slip. She is now nose in, after this trip.
I usually enter the fairway parallel
to the docks providing excellent fore to aft corrections while allowing (in the
usual case) the wind to gently blow her into alignment with the slip. Her bow
was pointed south and the wind was blowing out of the south west. This seems to
work well in this situation where the tide flow can have strong effect on a
boat crossing the tide’s north or south direction. The response of the electric
motors is very rapid because there is no time lag involved, as for a regular
fossil engine transmission, to switch gear direction.
Once I was in alignment with the
slip, a little nudge forward on the remote control joysticks, eased her into
the slip and to a full stop. The remote control is carried by me anywhere on
the boat so that I can see the exact clearance, depth or nearness of any
potential threat. Usually I steer while sitting on the foredeck but I have
brought her in or out of a slip from the stern.
At 16:30 Algemac II was neatly in
place. This was a most rewarding trip for Hillary and me. I hope you have seen
a boat and circumstances a bit different from the norm and will send along your
comments to our site at http://www.mogcanalboat.com/
and to the blog site at http://www.mognavy.blogspot.com/
60 HP internal combustion engine on the left...10 HP electric on the right (one of two) on the MOG.
Why
outboards? Several
visitors to the MOG have asked that question.
ANSWER: For now, during testing,
they allow easy access to the small (14 pounds or 6.3 kg) but powerful electric
motors.
Actually, a future design of an
inboard arrangement is preferred to the current use of outboards. More on that
later.
Previously the electric motors were
under the sole of the boat, accessed through hatches. This meant opening
hatches and having a hole in the floor where I was also trying to walk.
The inboards were aligned and
secured to the boat’s framework and to straight propeller shafts, down and out
through the bottom of the hull, complicating quick tech upgrades and shaft service
when needed.
The outboards are light and easy to
remove as a whole unit or lift the top motor cover and look inside (my
preferred method as pictured).
This winter I will be tackling the
inboard versus outboard debate and feel there are some great solutions that
will allow us to have the best of both worlds. As usual, technology plays an
important part.
So if you like outboards, enjoy the
view for now…. as it is with the MOG…..
things will definitely change.
Pictured is the 60 hp internal combustion
engine (much more power than needed) and one of the two 10 hp electric motors
with the top removed. The boat's electric motors propel the boat at her
required top hull speed of seven knots, quietly and without costly fossil fuel.
Cruising
down the Cape Fear River on July 12, 2014, a friend of ours snapped a
picture of Algemac II, Mog Canal Boat. Hillary and I had just departed
Cape Fear Marina/Bennett Brothers Yachts in Wilmington, NC to rekindle
the Great Loop pursuit. The idea here was to run about 100 miles of
every system and see what improvements have been made with the upgrades
just complete.
Picture of the Algemac II passing by the USS North Carolina Battleship Park across from the Wilmington city water front.
The
last time we were out trying to put some Loop miles on, the boat
displayed a number of shortcomings in applying the copious electric and
fossil power to the water. Now, nearly eight months later and a decent
investment in time, ingenuity, oh yes, and some of that greenback stuff,
things are better. To sum up this latest adventure in technology, a
nearly 100 mile sea trial put the steering system, propulsion coolant
system, head and water system to an extreme test. Winds were fairly
constant at nearly 12 to 25 miles per hour, with fairly decent gusts,
swift tides, a number of swirling inlet crossings and beachings and
anchor holding tests.
The
result of all this is that the boat is making good strides to be quite
handleable for me and most moderately strong pilots. However, there
needs to be less brawn and more finesse for Hillary. That is no slam at
her. She is quite good at handling a 42 foot Grand Banks but this boat
needs a steering system with a faster helm response than a 42 foot
trawler AS WELL as a light touch on the tiller or steering wheel. Sounds
simple but even the pros at Mercruiser/Volvo have their hands very full
at reducing the number of turns (helm wheel lock to lock) from 3:1 or
4:1 to a staggering 1:1. And 1:1 is what I am doing.
This
is steering augmentation with a concurrent mechanical back up… no
small feat. The reason for this is called 'extreme gunk holing'. Both
differential (using twin motor steering) and rudder steering are used to
negotiate very shallow water. The close proximity of a typical yacht’s
rudders and propellers to a shallow bottom reduces maneuvering
capabilities in many cases. Keeping consistent traction all the time
can only be done by placing an actual full size hull in shallow water
and beating the systems to death until you find the right combinations
that culminate in a predictable system.
30
years exposure to computer aided solids modeling, hydrodynamic modeling
and systems engineering, has taught me that models are plausible
scenarios whose outcomes are predicted on the accuracy of the data upon
which the models calculate. At some point the model must yield to
empirical data……. where the wood meets the water. Therefore test,
test, test then improve.
Another
vexing problem was that right up to the day of departure the propane
stove and water heater worked flawlessly. Our first night out and the
water heater would not work. The propane regulator of nearly twenty
years has seen better days and gets replaced as of the writing. Luckily
the weather was nice and the heat was plentiful to warm the roof mounted
water heating for the showers. Yes, back up systems are wonderful. The
propane stove/oven worked but is hardly used in hot weather. The
microwave oven is so much more convenient for coffee and cooking than
the oven and stove.
Past
the downtown area and the large drawbridge we slid by container ships
unloading at the Wilmington Port and waved back to onlookers at the rail
of the Henrietta III, a paddle wheel style tour boat of three decks and
considerable length.
All
the way down toward the Snows Cut bridge the boat motored quietly and
gently snugged a low tide sand bar. This was a good place to stop
without dropping the anchor to have some lunch, read, listen to the
radio while awaiting tidal liftoff from mother nature. An almost two
hour respite was enough to get some catch up writing and reading done. I
put the motors in reverse and off we went. Twenty minutes later the
bridge was behind us and a few more minutes we were at Joyner’s Marina
at the north end of Carolina Beach. We put just two gallons of petrol
into the auxiliary engine’s tank for safety, dropped off our cans to the
recycle bin, paid the attendant $8.41, then headed on for our
overnight stay at Masonboro Island.
At Joyner’s Marina for $8.41 of gasoline for the auxiliary engine.
The
day was warm with breezes so nice throughout the 24 mile jaunt to the
island. Having arrived near 1600 just off the beach, I usually I hop off
the aft deck and do some swimming. This time was to be different. With a
two inch cut on the left leg I did not want to interfere with the
healing. The salt water is just fine for the cut but may have prolonged
the healing process.
We
have run the air conditioners at night many times with the large
battery banks having plenty of power left for cruising next day.
However, the winds were so strong, the windows were opened and a single
fan directed the cool oceanside air through the cabins. The boat was
anchored on the back side of a sand spit, barrier beach where the breeze
of the ocean and the full moon Saturday night was beyond superb. This
was the Masonboro Inlet at Wrightsville Beach, NC. There were a number
of boaters during the day but by 2200 only one or two small cruisers
were even left in sight.
There
is no doubt that using the power of the sun is really a strange
feeling. There are no sails and the cost is part of the initial purchase
of the boat ! ! ! A most difficult concept for most people to grab
hold, is that once the boat is bought…. the fuel is free.
The
next morning was a bright Sunday sky mixed with billowing clouds. The
clouds were well defined and were again blown by 12 to 15 mph winds. As
we ventured across the Masonboro inlet where we had stayed, the tide
formed behind the boat, yielded a nice kick up in speed to about 7 mph.
The lowest speed we were to encounter was about 4 mph in strong head
winds and tide. The motors were taxed with no let up in power. In fact,
most times there was more electricity being replaced into the battery
bank than being removed by the motors. Also, the two motors were being
run from just one battery bank.
Passing
through Banks Channel at Wrightsville, the bascule bridge came to view
and subsequently passed through by the low slung MOG. With an air draft
(height above water) of only 8 feet 4 inches, the Algemac II went
through the bridge opening while even smaller boats with flying bridges
had to wait for the hourly opening.
The
view of the Wrightsville bascule bridge with the Blue Water restaurant
to its left. A good place to have dinner and feed those diesels too.
In
the afternoon we arrived at the Harbour Village Marina where we own a
slip of 40 feet. After getting into the slip some drinks were poured
while contemplating where to dine, aboard the boat or in Surf City.
It
was unanimous, eating out would be good. Within just a few miles
by car we found a number of places. Most were filling up with the dinner crowd. The
decision was made to eat at Crabby Mikes, a good decision indeed. A
dinner of scallops and fried shrimp was shared along with hush puppies
and cole slaw. There was plenty left to take back to the refrigerator on
the boat for seconds tomorrow.
That
evening in the marina, the shades went down, windows opened, fan on and
the enjoyment of the evening breezes wafted through. The marina is very
clean, modern and well laid out. The next morning the Algemac II moved
deliberately out of her slip just as the sun was coming up. The winds
were rising even higher today and the need to clear the little harbor
was evident soon after passing out the entrance and into the ICW again.
No sooner out than the winds began to steadily rise.
Harbour Village is a lovely and well maintained marina.
After
our exit from the marina, the anchor was set and both of us had our
breakfasts while watching for the tide change. This was a good deal
because this time the tide would squarely be with us for a while. With
all systems working, the electric motors were again engaged with the
idea in mind of testing their heat capacity with the one gallon
water-cooling reservoirs. For the next four hours the motors were driven
at 2/3 throttle, well above cruise as evidenced by speeds of 8.2 mph
while also filling the batteries between passing clouds. At about the
end of the fourth hour the motors had heated the water very hot and the
internal motor temperature sensors were beginning to take over, thus
limiting their power output.
The
batteries were fine as were the motors and our speed returned to a more
leisurely pace. The disposable plastic buckets will now be replaced by a
custom 3 gallon stainless steel tank for each motor.
The
test was on an over 90 degree day for maximum heat stress. The new
metal tanks should be more than enough to keep the motors well within
specification without the need for additional fans and radiators.
The
Algemac II had been moving the fastest her slow displacement hull had
ever moved. The hull was designed for 7 knots (8.05 mph) and had exceed
her hull speed. Going faster simply uses more energy with an ever
decreasing rise in speed. Therefore exceeding a designed hull speed is a
waste of energy. However, from 8.05 mph on down, there is an
increasingly efficient use of energy per mile covered. Somewhere between
zero and 8 mph there is a sweet spot for handling and cruise time and
that seems to be shaping up to around 4 mph. That may seem slow but
works out to 20 to 40 miles traveled per day…… NO FUEL.
Moving along at 8.2 mph, then slowing to a more leisurely 4.5 mph at the Figure Eight Island swing bridge.
Before
we knew it we were back at the Masonboro Inlet with the winds coming
onto the bow at 25 mph, gusts and it started to rain. The boat was run
up the cut at Masonboro Island and into a cove with about four small
runabouts. The anchor was set, the winds rose more and the rains deluged
the area….. we had just made it. The winds pulled hard and the anchor
slipped nearly eighty feet, at which point it had dragged until we met
the beach edge. the tide continued out for another hour then returned
under our comfortably beached boat, once again floating us free.
Collecting the anchor on the foredeck, the motors were throttled up and drove us over the sand
bar at the entry of the cove and we proceeded to Joyner’s Marina.
As
the boat approached the marina the weather forecasting was being made
unavoidably real. Dark storm clouds danced through the sky, buffeted by
zig-zag winds that sheared the frothy tips off of wavelets. The marina
landing would require a bit of speed with heavy reverse when side to the
dock. To make things worse, someone had scraped a forty foot swath of
rub rail off the doc’s edge exposing nail heads to puncture fenders and
gouge boat’s sides. Kind of like landing on an aircraft carrier. Alas,
the ship came in and all were safe aboard.
With
more wind and rain to come and reports of hail and damaging winds
inland… I took Hillary’s advice to stay the night. Extra fenders and
lines secured us to the outside fuel dock so we could top the auxiliary
engine tank on Tuesday morning before getting back to our home marina up
the Cape Fear River.
Flags blowing briskly in the rising winds before the storm sets in at Joyner’s on Snows Cut, northern Carolina Beach.
Dinner
was served aboard the boat as we talked about the days packed with
memories of dolphins, a passing shark, some very nice folks on the ICW
and windy but super sky power.
After a
couple showers ashore (had to get our money’s worth) we turned in for
the night falling asleep to the waves lapping at the windward side of
the hull. The morning brought breakfast and a cute dock attendant
filled the auxiliary gas tank with less than 3 gallons for our
homeward drive. The other boat that stayed at the other end of the dock
loaded up at least 50 gallons of diesel at nearly $5 a gallon. We carry
just two 3.5 gallon fuel tanks. No need to carry more right now.
An
uneventful yet bucolic sojourn up the Cape Fear river and past the
drawbridge towers of Wilmington made this a picture perfect sea trial. A really happy note was that the
auxiliary engine at about 2/3 throttle, was yielding a GPS speed of 9.2
mph approaching Wilmington, NC. A bit of a waste of energy, it clearly
indicates that the unit is oversized for our efficient hull and I might
be better served using a twenty-five hp engine.
Pulling
into Cape Fear Marina/Bennett Bros. Yachts at about noonish we tied to
dock completed the new to-do list and returned to the condo downtown.
As
usual, there is more to be done, mainly an improvement on the steering
to make it easier to turn the motors (when not using the remote control
feature).
We are too late in the season
to continue up the east coast on the Great Loop but we can make more
journeys and see the waters of the most beautiful ocean state on the
east coast, North Carolina.
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