boating Archives - Sailing Sweet Ruca

[Ep. 22] Is it OVER? – Stopped by POLICE While Sailing in BVI

Curtis Jazwiecki — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 00:13:51 +0000

We are stopped and told to LEAVE THE COUNTRY! This is sail life during lockdown in BVI (British Virgin Islands). Follow our travel vlog as we sail around the world and tell our sailboat living story. Quarantine gets in the way, but will not stop us!

We want to note that despite the catchy title, we were very impressed by the way the BVI Customs and Immigration team handled the situation. This was at the very beginning of the pandemic when no one was sure what to do or what was going to happen. At the time this was filmed we were allowed to sail but not go ashore, this was what we were told by officials at the customs office. Since then that has changed greatly. We respect their decisions to keep their country safe.

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Top 7 Reasons Your Boat is Overheating & How to Fix It

Curtis Jazwiecki — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 14:02:43 +0000

Luckily we have only had to deal with this issue once aboard SV Sweet Ruca. We sucked up some Sargassum weed in the Bahamas. The problem was caught quickly as we showed a slightly above normal temperature reading. Having had this happen on other boats while transporting across the Gulf Stream, we thought we would share some tips to help those that haven’t encountered a boat motor overheating issue yet.

Top 7 Reasons Your Boat is Overheating & How to Fix It

There are many reasons why you could have an overheating problem on your boat. Here are a few reasons why your boat may be overheating and how to fix it:

1. Clogged Raw Water Strainer

The number one cause for overheating boat engines is a problem with the flow of water to the engine.

Most boats have a water strainer which catches harmful items before they can cause damage to your engine. Before you go searching under the water, for a problem, check your boats water strainer by unscrewing it and cleaning it’s screen.

How-to fix: The water strainer is usually located close to the water intake, just follow the hose that goes from your water pump to the bottom of the hull. If your boat doesn’t have a strainer, or is outboard driven such as popular bass fishing boats and center consoles, don’t fret, there is still another place to look.

2. Overheating Due to Debris in the Intake

Weeds and plastic bags are almost always the first thing to check for when you hear the dreaded beeping or your temperature gauge goes into the red. As the boat’s water pump creates a hefty amount of suction, it is easy for debris to be sucked into and clog the raw water intake. Growth of sealife while the boat is at anchor can also clog water intakes.

How-to fix: To solve this, lift the stern drive or outboards and check to see if the little grate where the water goes in is all clear. For sailboats, inboards, and jet-skis, this may require a jump into the water to clear the water intakes.

Anytime you are working with the engines or entering the water, be sure to make sure the boat is turned off and the key is out. If entering the water, check your surroundings and water temperature. Only do so if it is safe, otherwise call a professional.

3. Failed Impeller

The next most popular culprit which cases boat overheating is wear and tear or failure of the water pumps impeller. Most sailboats and powerboats, and even outboard boats, have a pump which feeds the engine water. Inside this pump is a small rubber impeller. Think of a paddle wheel, that is what it looks like. As it spins it sends cool water on to your engine.

Over time the rubber raw water pump impeller degrades, or can be damaged by debris in the water. It should be inspected often, and replaced as needed. For many boats this is done during annual service work.

How-to fix: Keep a spare on board, as they can usually be changed out with basic hand tools. An impeller puller is the proper tool, but most times it can be swapped with pliers and a screw driver.

4. Secondary Water Pump

Some boats, like cars, have a cooling system that not only uses sea-water to cool the engine, but also use antifreeze or coolant in a separate cooling system. This is called closed loop cooling, and it is usually used on larger boats with more complex engines.

Like a car, these engines utilize a secondary water pump driven by a belt or gear on the motor. These can fail internally over time or from lack of maintenance.

How-to fix: Replace or rebuild the pump.

5. A Bad Belt

Also like a car, a secondary water pump relies on a belt to power it. Look on the front of your engine, sometimes under a protective cover, for a black belt. Like an impeller, these wear over time or when they are out of adjustment.

You may hear some noise or see black dust in your engine compartment if your belt is failing. Make sure to check this item regularly and include it in your maintenance schedule.

How-to fix: It is also a good idea to keep a belt for your engine handy as a spare. Make sure you tension the belt properly.

5. External Temperatures

Outside air and water temperatures have an effect on your boat engines operating temperature.

How-to fix: Slow down for a bit and lessen the load. Turn on your boats blowers.

When the air is very hot, or the water is very warm, make sure to be conservative in your boat’s operation until you know the effects it is having on your engine’s operating temperature.

6. Blower Failure

Many boats engine compartments don’t have great airflow. To keep temperatures in check, additional air is provided by electrical blowers. These blowers are essentially cooling fans which pull air in from the outside and circulate it around the engine compartment.

Excess heat build up in the engine compartment can have catastrophic effects on electronics, batteries, wires, and hoses. Check to make sure your blower is working before you start the engine.

How-to fix: Possibly, if it is safe to do so, open a hatch for additional ventilation. Check electrical connections and fuses. Repair or replace blower.

7. Internal Engine Issues

Last but certainly not least, an internal engine issue could be causing the problem. This is something no boater wants, and usually requires the help of a professional to fix. Frequent maintenance can help prevent expensive problems such as corroded heat exchangers, failed gaskets, or clogged exhaust elbows from happening.

How-to fix: Get some tools and delve deep into a shop manual, or if DIY isn’t your thing, it’s time to seek the help of a mechanic.

What else could be causing your boat overheating issue?

Check to make sure you have the proper amount and type of oil and fuel in your boat. Ensure the spark plugs are the proper part number. Don’t run your boat past it’s designed capacity limits or attempt to tow other vessels. Check for proper exhaust and exhaust water flow.

Want to read more about overheating boat motors? Here is a link to the topic at Boat US: https://www.boatus.com/magazine/2013/october/what-if-your-temperature-gauge-spikes.asphttps://www.boatus.com/magazine/2013/october/what-if-your-temperature-gauge-spikes.asp

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[Ep 15] Hard Decisions…Do We Turn Around?

Curtis Jazwiecki — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 18:00:15 +0000

We face a hard decision after we worked so hard to get to paradise. Do we turn around and sail back to the USA? We find there are some surprises in store for us.

0:00 Intro

0:36 Bahamas Sailing

We raise our anchor at the deserted island in North Eleuthera Bahamas and head west. We sail through the crystal clear but shallow water of the Bahama Banks to Chub Cay, Whale Key, Bimini, and then on to Miami.

3:49 Gulf Stream Crossing

We crossed the gulf stream with a northeast wind, perfect for some downwind spinnaker sailing on the way to Miami and Biscayne Bay. We hit 10.9 knots of boat speed during some great and fun sailing conditions.

7:00 Stiltsville

We entered Biscayne National Park through the Stiltsville Cut. It was pretty cool to sail between the old houses and buildings on stilts, which have been long since abandoned. This is a tricky entrance and we must be careful as we draw over six feet.

7:25 Coconut Grove Sailing Club

We got the last open mooring ball at CGSG, which thankfully was the only one that would fit our 46 foot sailboat. We were very thankful for the clubs hospitality. What an amazing place with excellent staff and friendly members. It helped that they were a racing club and we had visited there before while racing Melges 24’s.

7:41 Sail Loft

One of the main reasons for coming to Miami was to get our staysail fixed up. When it was originally re-cut down from a #4 jib in Annapolis the sail loft there made a mistake and made the sail longer than the hoist. So we were able to have the sail re-recut and fixed in under a week. We were super thankful to get this done.

8:39 Melges 20 and Bacardi Winter Series in Miami

It just so happened that the Melges 20 Winter Series and Bacardi Miami Winter Series was going on. Was this planned? Well, it certainly was a good enough reason to sail back to the USA and see all of our racing friends. On top of that, the race committee boat broke down, so we volunteered to be the RC boat for the day. It was lots of fun, but there were a few close calls. Luckily no boats were harmed in the filming of this video and SV Sweet Ruca came away without a scratch in her Awlgrip!

12:52 Coconut Grove

We ended our time in Miami with a stroll through Coconut Grove. It is a lovely little suburb on the south side. We took advantage of this time to get our last meals out in the USA for what we be a long time. We were also invited to go to the CGSC staff Christmas party, so we celebrated the holiday in style with our new friends before we sail away again to the Bahamas.

#sailing #boatlife #bahamas #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #sailor #yachtlife #boating #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife #sailingvlog #liveaboardlifestyle #rocna #anchoring #cruising #sailaway

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[Ep 14] Gulf Stream Crossing p2 – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas: Land Ho!

Curtis Jazwiecki — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:55:58 +0000

0:00 Intro

We are sailing offshore from Cape Fear North Carolina, across the gulf stream, directly to the Bahamas. 0:32: Catch a Mahi Mahi Usually, we bring our fishing gear in at night, but this night, we forgot to. Fish On! We reel in a Mahi Mahi in the dark while going 9 knots under sail. Kate fries him up and we have a delicious fresh fish meal.

2:47 Offshore Sailing

We keep on trucking! We are almost to the Bahamas. We can feel things getting warmer, which is much needed. We needed shorts weather, rather than the nasty cold of the East Coast in November. Luckily we didn’t have to dodge any storms or hurricanes, but we did sail through some winds up to 35 knots on the way down, making for an exciting sailboat passage.

9:31 Arrive in Eleuthera

We made it to Eleuthera, the Bahamas after almost a year of hard boat work. It seems like everything is coming together. We navigate the shallow waters, dodging coral heads, on the way to Meeks Island (one of the Bahamas Pig Islands) in the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas.

10:53 Anchor Down

This is what we went sailing for. Dropping anchor in the Bahamas and cooking some steaks on the grill! Yes! Watch a beautiful sunset with us.

12:04 Good Morning

We wake up in the morning and Kate climbs the mast to get the lay of the land. What other girls would do a mast climb? Kate is a superwoman! The water is glass calm and beautiful clouds dot the horizon. We jump in and dive our Rocna 33kg anchor to see how it is set!

15:02 Paddle Boarding

It is time for some paddle boarding and to explore a beach at a deserted island in the Caribbean! Woo Hoo!!! We made it.

#sailingvlog #bahamas #gulfstream #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife

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[Ep. 13] Gulf Stream Crossing – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas in November

Curtis Jazwiecki — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 17:50:48 +0000

After a major refit, we set sail on a dark, rainy, and cold evening from Annapolis with the Goal of being in the Bahamas for Thanksgiving. We don’t make it in one shot and detour to Cape Fear, North Carolina, before heading out to sea again to rip through the Gulf Stream in 22-35 knots of breeze where Kate fights seasicknesses.

0:00 Annapolis

We start out this youtube sailing video where the last one left off. We left the dock at Bert Jabins in Annapolis, Marlyand in the cold November rain! We had a deadline though, our goal was to be at anchor in the warm, clear blue waters of the Bahamas to celebrate Thanksgiving.

0:31 Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay was a mess on the way out. We dodged fishing gear and huge cargo ships and freighters as we motored upwind to make our weather window. The next morning we were sailing, almost to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. After months of being coupled up in a boatyard, we have finally headed to sea again. We raised our sails and reached down the coast, headed toward Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

1:19 Cape Hatteras

Late that leaving, or should we say early the next morning, we rounded Cape Hatteras in the dark. We dealt with the choppy and confused seas driving at weird angles by the relentless current. We made it through, rounding America’s Great Cape at roughly 2:00 AM. The next morning, as if to celebrate our achievement, we were greeted by dolphins swimming off of our bow. Our first Bow Dolphins on Sweet Ruca!!!

4:20 Dolphins & Fishing for Mahi Mahi

After we crossed into the Gulf Stream the next morning the conditions subsided. And, at times even went to flat calm. We decided to do some fishing and nailed our first Mahi Mahi. Thankful to the gods of the sea for the fabulous dinner. Fish tacos for days!

7:34 Cape Fear, North Carolina

After our first offshore fishing experience, we saw the weather was shifting. To get ahead of it, and make some time in the calm, we decided to tack back to shore and head to Cape Fear, NC. A wonderful little town on the Intercoastal Waterway. We stayed the night and re-filled with diesel and icecream!

8:33 Gulf Stream in Big Breeze

We headed back out to do battle with the Gulf Stream once more. It was the only thing left between us and warm weather. The problem was, the wind was blowing from the direction we wanted to go. We saw big breeze up to 35 knots and Kate experienced a bout of seasickness as we had spray into the cockpit.

12:21 The Morning After

We made it through, but we weren’t to the Bahamas just yet. The trip would continue. We show you what the inside of the boat looks the morning after bashing into big seas offshore. Bluewater sailing at its best. Kate talks about her seasickness and Curtis is having fun discussing autopilot. He is really happy he is finally wearing shorts, a sign we are sailing closer to the Caribbean!

#sailingvlog #capehatteras #gulfstream #chesapeakebay #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #3rdreef #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

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[Ep. 12] Back Together

Curtis Jazwiecki — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 17:45:30 +0000

0:45 Rudder Bearings

Kate gives a detailed explanation of how the rudder bearings work, and why we are changing them out.

1:47 Gooping

This is a really big project, including lots of fiberglass work and “gooping”. Meaning, it’s messy! We use lots of different glues and sealants as we time-lapse the rudder bearings back in the boat. We also add an extra fiberglass layer, with the help of Beasley Marine making them extra secure offshore. https://www.beasleymarine.me/ – Their website is lame, but their composite work and knowledge are top-notch. If you need composite, fiberglass repair, or carbon fiber work done on the east coast, Mike Beasley and his experienced team are highly recommended!

2:47 Rudder Installation

We slide the rudder back up into the boat. Carefully aligning it. We narrowly miss the wind generator with the travel lift as we maneuver the boat over the rudder. The rudder quadrant, steering cables, and autopilot are bolted in and tested.

5:38 Roxy the Sailing Dog Meets a Deer

We took Roxy for a walk in the local park. She saw a deer for the first time. She was a bit confused, and we think she thought it was another large dog that she could play with. It was really funny watching her try to jump and play with the whitetail deer.

6:15 Mast Mods and Installation

We modified the carbon fiber mast and rig to include a removable Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to have a cutter rig when we wished, and change back to a sloop as needed. A staysail jib which will also double as our storm headsail is hanked on and flies in high winds, or with double headsails when reaching. Once again, we enlisted the professionals at Beasley Marine for this composite work.

7:43 Back Together and In the Water

We finally get the boat back together and the travel lift comes to launch the boat on a cold November day. Thanksgiving is approaching as we prep for our next ocean sailing passage.

10:03 Tech Talk

We take a few moments to talk about how all the boat work we did in the yard has held up over the last 4000 miles as we have sailed to the Bahamas, USVI, BVI, Grenada & West Indies. We touch on the rudder bearings, carbon fiber mast, LifePO4 batteries, solar panels, boat life, and more.

#sailingvlog #annapolis #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

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[Ep. 11] What Could Go Wrong? – Champagne Sailing, Parties & Boatyard Grit

Curtis Jazwiecki — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 17:39:01 +0000

0:00 Intro

0:23 Boatyard Fire

There is a fire in the boatyard, just one row upwind from our boat. It was a potentially dangerous situation that our friend Brian on the boat next to us noticed first and sprung into immediate action. We were working on our electrical system and could smell that it was an electrical type of fire. Worried that it was us we quickly shut everything down on our boat and gave it a full inspection. It was on another boat, but it is a sad story. The owner of the boat had been preparing his yacht for a circumnavigation for five years. He was due to finish and launch this winter. Errant current in an undersized solar panel wire likely caused the fire based on our visual inspection. The good of the story, fellow liveaboard cruisers in the marina saved the day, and likely the boatyard with their quick response.

0:53 Trip Home

We ran a few errands in Annapolis before heading home. We had to drop off our mainsail and #4 jib at the sailmaker to have an additional reef installed, reinforcements put on, and cut down the #4 to a storm staysail which would hank on our to-be-installed removable inner forestay. First, we had to return our borrowed jeep to our new friend and fellow Annapolis boater and boatyard neighbor Eric. Thank you!!!!! Then we picked up our rental car to make the 1000 mile road trip back to Toledo Ohio to see family and go to the Chicago Mackinac Awards party.

2:35 Chicago-Mackinac Race Finish

A short clip of the finish of the 333 mile long 2019 Chicago to Mackinac Race. In July, we sailed aboard Jim Weyand’s 1D35 Turbo sailboat Chico 2, hailing from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. Kate was a driver and I was the navigator. For more about our experience on the race, see the link to our blog: https://sweetruca.com/routing-for-the…

4:26 Chicago-Mackinac Trophy

We traveled to Chicago to attend the awards party for the race in November at the Chicago Yacht Club. We were very happy to meet up with our friends from the Chico 2 crew and accept the 100+ year old Chicago-Mackinac Trophy along with the rest of the team. There just aren’t enough good things to say about Jim and his team of amazing sailors. Official results: https://cycracetomackinac.com/results…

5:38 Mast Removal

Our time in Chicago and home with friends was awesome, but now we had to shift modes from vacation and party mode back into boatyard work mode. We were doing some major re-fit work to our monohull sailboat in preparation of further offshore voyaging. First up was removing the carbon fiber mast and rig to install the Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to shift between a sloop and cutter rig as needed. It would also centralize the sail plan in big breeze if we were to encounter a storm in the ocean.

9:19 Rudder Removal

Next up was removing the rudder. We had decided to replace the rudder bearings. Ours were serviceable as is, but knowing that we plan to put on 25000 miles, we found it prudent to do sooner rather than later. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis would make our work easier as well, rather than trying to do these major projects in a far-flung tropical island.

11:54 Rudder Bearing Replacement Part 1

After we had the rudder out, a major job requiring heavy machinery. It was time to remove the old bearings. They simply had to be pounded out. Before we install the new bearings, we first must change the bearing race on the rudder itself, from composite to stainless steel. This required quite a bit of cutting, grinding, and sanding. It is always nerve-wracking to cut into such expensive parts.

#sailingvlog #CYCRTM #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog

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