Onward’s Cruise Journal 2018
Cruise to the Bahamas


Updated: 4 March 2018


March 2018

01 Mar 18; Thursday; Black Rock Pt., Stocking Island, Great Exuma

  • This morning, we decided to try to participate in the first event of the 2018 George Town Cruising Regatta: the Poker Run. Dinghies start from Volleyball Beach and head to 6 different restaurants and bars where they get to pick a single card from a unique deck of 52. A seventh card is drawn on the return to the starting place. Of course, it is hard work so a drink and a snack is needed at every stop. We were not able to sign up yesterday, but Bill said there had been a cancellation so we were in the run. Two guys, Stefan and Jeff with an underpowered dinghy became our guests aboard Venture as we embarked on the Run. We ended up with a pretty good hand: an Ace King Jack high flush with another Ace as kicker. Very respectable. However we lost out to 4 duces!
  • Then it all went South when we went back aboard. I started the genset and it started quickly. However in less than a minute, the thermal cutoff shut it down. I then remembered that I had forgotten to close the through hull valve before making the ocean crossings from Abaco to the Exumas. This seems to allow the genset cooling water pump to lose prime. This has happened before and I came up with a process where I use an electric water pump to push water into the raw water pump to fix the problem. That when everything I tried turned to Sh*&^. Of course I got angrier and angrier at the stuff that was thwarting me — and angrier still at myself as aI watched myself get stupidly angry. In spite of this, I finally got the electric pump going. I was surprised that the raw water pump caused such high back pressure — and then the plastic can on the raw water strainer cracked! At this point I made sure the valves were closed and I left everything where it was and made a stiff drink.

02 Mar 18; Friday; Black Rock Pt., Stocking Island, Great Exuma
  • I was up at 0430 and after coffee, I cleared the forward berth so I could get to the generator. During the night I realized the water circulation problem could have been due to a broken fan belt. However, I found the fan belt in good shape. I checked the raw water impeller and it was fine. I was also able to verify raw water flow up to the water pump inlet and that the pump was primed. I then disconnected the raw water hose from the exhaust elbow. We started the genset and there was quickly a strong stream of water coming out of the hose. Great! I reconnected the hose to the exhaust elbow and restarted the genset. It ran for more than 15 min without overheating — but the strong stream of raw water that it exhibited the last time I used it in Abaco. Another nonsensical mystery!
  • I discovered that the reason the plastic strainer can had cracked was because one of the 4 bolt-heads that held it in place to the brass top had fractured off. So the little extra pressure the electric pump had provided was enough to cause the unsupported lip to crack. BAAAAAH! By this point, I had wound myself up again and needed to cool down.
  • The Ariels fetched us around 1000 in their tender and we headed off to enjoy the start of the Coconut Challenge where dinghies without motors or oars are paddled by crews about the lagoon to capture as many floating coconuts as possible. This year they had several boats putting out the coconuts so they were widely distributed. Then, after the dinghies were out in the lagoon, more coconuts were put out behind them. Great chaos. Great fun. We sat at anchor just on the edge of the action and enjoyed it in the shade of the tender's canopy.
  • We headed over to town to look for Tee shirts but the stand was closed so we set out on a mission of exploration. I showed Miles how to follow the W shore S around February Point and then under the "Million Dollar Bridge" to Crab Cay and on to the anchorages at Red Shanks. I started to have "tender envy".
  • We stopped for a very nice lunch at the restaurant & bar at February Point and took a walk around the development before heading home.

03 Mar 18; Saturday; Black Rock Pt., Stocking Island, Great Exuma
  • At about 1100 we Ventured into town to try to snag Cruising Regatta Tees. Unfortunately, the manufacturer ran the women's sizes 2x too small so women bought up all the men's Tees in large and extra large. This is the second year in a row I've been unable to get a Tee.
  • I checked Minns and Top to Bottom for a water strainer — no joy. So we headed over to Peace & Plenty for the Regatta Variety Show. There we were able to join Gill and Charleen from First Love who had snagged a poolside table with their daughter and son-in-law. The downside was the hour it took me to get drinks at the bar!
  • The Ariels joined us and we enjoyed the variety show and lunch on a beautiful afternoon.
  • Back aboard, Peggy made a wonderful batch of her chicken & orzo recipe. Delish!

04 Mar 18; Sunday; Black Rock Pt., Stocking Island, Great Exuma
  • After coffee, I attempted to clamp an aluminum support over the fracture in the lip of the water strainer can. This had little effect on the leak. I then added a piece of rubber under the support — but it too had little effect.
  • I decided to run the genset for about 30 min in spite of the leak - however soon discovered there was no cooling water coming out. Another in the chain of generator events that did not make sense. I decided to quit and have breakfast.
  • After breakfast we Ventured in to the 0930 Beach Church gathering. I've come to really enjoy these simple non-denominational worship services. I come away each time feeling better about life, having heard a message that spoke to me, an with a new commitment to live life a bit better.
  • Once back aboard, I took another look at the problem and realized there was nothing else to do but to remove the plastic can and attempt to repair the fracture with epoxy. A boater from Montreal on Audry Ann heard of my problem when I sought a new strainer on the cruisers net this morning and he brought by a spare plastic can for me to see if it would work. It was almost the right size but need to screw onto a mount.
  • I made at Beach Church to stay calm and not let boat-adversities stress me out the way it did the last two day. This enabled me to dismount the water strainer and then remove the plastic can. The fracture in the lip was clearly evident. The same pressure that caused the fracture must have extruded the o-ring out of its slot — thus making it impossible to reseal it properly.
  • I set up my metal working shop on the cockpit table and made two custom aluminum supports to go under the rim of the plastic can to give it greater mechanical support when reinstalled. Then I quit for the day. Tomorrow I'll worry about repairing the crack with epoxy and reinforcing it from the interior with fiberglass.

05 Mar 18; Monday; Black Rock Pt., Stocking Island, Great Exuma

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