Albatrosses and Rainbows

Yesterday, we didn't have time to get a little fuel for insurance so we had to wait until the marina opened and they could get the fuel cart down to us. A very long wait later we took on some fuel and Bobby cleared his tab. Off to sea again, our final destination some 74 miles away. A short jaunt compared to what we became used to.
July 11, 722 hours, 9:10 AM. Exactly one month from the day we set out.
We cast our lines and once again head for sea. The channel leading out of San Juan from Club Nautico is quite long so Bobby decided to check the engine room one more time before we get to the open ocean. Bobby comes back to the bridge, "Big problem, the bottom of the exhaust hose must be split and water is running into the bilge like a river." He decides he can fix it by drying it and wrapping it with duct tape and then running a clamp over it. I’m running the boat in big slow circles in the harbor when Bobby returns to the bridge and tells me good news. The exhaust hose isn’t split, just the bottom of it slipped off the nipple from the muffler. He’s going to loosen the clamps and slide it back on. The muffler must have turned a bit in the heavy seas causing the separation but on the other hand the nipple shouldn’t have been designed so short as to barely offer a connection with the hose. Anyway, Bobby struggled with trying to slide the hose but he couldn’t budge it so he asked me to give it a try. Down in the bilge goes Bilge Gorilla Gary. Yeah, I don’t fit in those spaces as nicely as Bilge Monkey Bobby. There is no choice either we turn back or I move it. Struggling with everything I’ve got I’m able to move it and slide it down a 1/2”, just enough to get it on the nipple and get at least one clamp on it. I head back to bridge and Bobby heads back down to reattach the clamps. He finishes and we give it a try. No good still leaking badly. Bobby finds that when I slid it I also twisted it and the cut out that allows the hose to move further on the nipple without interfering with the bend is out of position. I have to twist it back and push it on further. After struggling a bit I’m finally able to move it into position. Bobby tightens the clamps and we give it another try. Success, just a tiny drip remains, he’ll put a strap wrench on it and fix that once we’re in St. Thomas. Not wanting to risk separating the hose from the muffler because of banging in the sea conditions, we proceed at trawler speed, around 1700 RPM and 12 knots. This is a great speed to cut the waves without banging and still have plenty of time to travel the 70 nautical miles.

So we mosey along feeling somewhat confident that we’ll reach our destination when suddenly I noticed my RPMs dropping and I have to keep giving the engines more fuel to just to maintain speed. At first I think it is a result of the sea conditions but then I notice the throttle on the synched engines is more than ¾ forward and I only have 1450 RPMs. Bobby back to the bilge. He checks it out and tells me the Air Sep on the starboard engine is in the red. It’s almost completely clogged again. Probably from the running when the muffler hose slipped off. I shut down the sync and put the starboard engine in neutral. I can’t hold position with only one engine in this wind and waves and we’re near shore so drifting that way is not an option. We can’t shut down the engine and clean the filter and we don’t dare run without one. Thinking for a bit we decide to try brushing the outside of the filter with a toothbrush. Great that works, not perfect but at least we can get some RPM back. We have about twenty miles to go before we enter the lee of the barrier islands ahead. I’m running the engines out of sync one around 1900 and one around 1500 but at least we’re making progress. About every twenty minutes or so Bobby has to go down and brush the filter. The timing of his bilge visits keeps getting shorter as time goes on and the result continually grows poorer. Reaching the lee, we have to make a drastic decision as brushing is no longer working. Can I hold course on one engine now while he removes the filter and cleans it in a bucket of Joy. Before shutting down the starboard, I shift it to neutral and give it a try. Yes, I can now hold a course on one engine. I shut down the starboard and Bobby removes the filter to give it a good washing in the bucket. He dries it the best he can and reinstalls it. I restart the starboard engine reengage the synch and bring the throttle up. Everything is perfect, we’ve got our speed back and we can see the diesel burning much cleaner. We’ve got about 40 miles left to go. Back at trawler speed our journey continues and we finally spot St. Thomas thru the haze. We’re almost there ! Bobby and I, as we talked later, had a real bad feeling in our stomachs now that we were so close that something catastrophic had to happen considering how much bad luck we’ve had on this trip. Fortunately, we were completely wrong. As a matter of fact, about two miles out of port this albatross suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started flying about 10 feet off our front deck. Not only did one albatross appear but another joined and flew in tandem. Occasionally they would take a dive toward a fish only to take flight over our bow again. They followed us all the way in till we turned for the entrance buoys to the harbor. Now I don’t know if you’re familiar with albatrosses and boats, maybe made famous by Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, but an albatross following a boat is an omen of good luck. Hopefully, an albatross dropping his duty on the deck is an even bigger omen of good luck because the Mary E can use all she can get.

We followed the entrance buoys in, met Ken at the dock and tied up the Mary E safe and sound. It is 5:20 PM with 732 hours on the engines as we shut them down for the last time in this journey. We made a few phone calls to let people know we’re home and then opened that long awaited bottle of Champagne that Chet gave to us to toast our safe Passage to Paradise. We drank our toasts and then back on the bridge a rainbow greeted our arrival. The Mary E has found the end of the rainbow.

So long long ago.....


Bobby working on the exhaust hose.


Bilge Gorilla Gary doesn't fit into these spaces so easily.
It has to move ! Never say quit.

Air Sep cleaning



Back on the road !

Bobby couldn't be happier !

Palm Tree bondage ! A four way tie, now that pesky palm can't jump ship !

Sighting St. Thomas !!!!
First Albatross..

Second Albatross !!

Albatross good luck parting gift..

We didn't need it !


Champagne Toast ..
Captain deserves it !
Our rainbow.
Bob and Gina finally stocked the Mary E with rum !