Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Neptune 37VT35 Fall 2016 Projects

From John Isaksen, Neptune 37VT35

Here's some updates on projects I've just finished on the Neptune.  I'm keeping busy right now with varnishing all the doors, with 8-10 coats, and usual winter maintenance work which keeps me busy and more or less out of trouble. 

First picture is where I took out the old 12v electrical for television, telephone, and antennae for tv.  We made up a new third drawer to match the other two as a replacement for the space where we removed the old equipment.  Tom, from grilled cheese days on the Neptune, made the drawer and completed the work in exchange for grilled cheese sandwiches for the coming season.
Second and third pictures show the new hatch for the stand by hand pump.  There was no way to get at the pump to work on it, so we cut out a section and put in a hatch door so that we could get easy access to the pump.  This work was also done by Tom.  
Fourth picture shows what happened this past summer, when on our trip to Plymouth we had saltwater come into the generator.  The way the pipe went direct to the generator it allowed for salt water to get in, especially when heading up the Cape Cod Canal with a southwest wind and a head tide creating some choppy weather. 
The last picture shows how created a work around to hopefully keep out the saltwater.  The hose is re-directed now to follow the exhaust on the main engine which brings it above the deck.  


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Pretty as a picture

Everyone loves an LNVT!  An artist found the tugs at the Hudson, Wisconsin rendezvous and thought they were picture perfect. That's Jack Robert 37VT17 on the canvas.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Pilothouse Roof Repair

Randy Miller, Hiaqua 37VT03
rfmillerdesign@gmail.com



I bodyworked the entire pilothouse roof with waterproof fiberglass bondo and removed some unused electronics...filling holes etc.  It seemed like now was the time to clean it up before covering it up with solar.  It was all done in a couple of days.  It's still rollie pollie but no more divots and blobs of patching.  I used Interlux Brightside step polyurethane primer and paint.  Just rolled it on with a short nap 1x3 roller finessing the pressure to lay down a pretty even look.

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Perfect Blender


Allan and Sally Seymour, Sally W 37VT42, discovered a practical-sized blender for boaters. The Magic Bullet is a powerful little device that can chop veggies, grind coffee beans, whip cream, puree soup, make pancake batter, salsa, guacamole, and smoothies. It is fast, cleans easily and stows well. Just fill the cup, screw on the cap with the blade, invert, line up tabs and place on the base. Oh yes, very important: it’s great for mixed drinks! Price: $40, and readily available.

Fall Tuggers Issue #69


The Fall Tuggers Issue is hot off the press.  If you didn't get your copy you can still catch up on all the latest LNVT news and see what all the LNVT owners are doing at:  goo.gl/1rYjg4

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Engine mount re-manufacture

From Marcus Clark, Manito 49VT08

Here are a couple of photos of the engine mount re-manufacture, if anyone's interested. The old ones had started to sag, and the isolator stud was now tilting, so I took the originals, and just copied them using a thicker gauge metal and beefed them up with welded gussets. They're bomb-proof now. 




A beautiful day on the water



Allan Seymour captains Sally W 37VT42 on a calm day off Boston, MA.
[photo by Sally Seymour]

Canada 2017 Free park and lock permits


Great news if you are planning to cruise or visit Canada in 2017!  Find the details at:


Celebrate Canada 150! Free admission is here!

2017 is the 150th anniversary of Confederation. As Canada's gift to you, the 2017 Discovery Pass will provide free admission for the entire year to Parks Canada places from coast-to-coast to coast.
Find adventure, fun for the whole family, or a short break from the everyday. There's never been a better time to make your Parks Canada dream a reality!
Start planning your next visit at parkscanada.gc.ca/visit.
As an added bonus, get 15% off your next purchase of Parks Canada Official Merchandise at parkscanadashop.ca! Every purchase supports national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas.

Seasonal Lockage Permit – Free for 2017!

Coming Soon!

To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, the 2017 Seasonal Lockage Permit is free! The permit is valid for the entire navigation season, and provides passage for your recreational vessel through any number of Parks Canada's lock systems, at all National Historic Canals across Canada:
Locations in Quebec: 
  • Carillon Canal National Historic Site 
  • Chambly Canal National Historic Site 
  • Lachine Canal National Historic Site 
  • Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site 
  • Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site 
Locations in Ontario: 
  • Rideau Canal National Historic Site 
  • Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site 
Note: St. Peter's Canal (Nova Scotia) and Sault Ste. Marie Canal (Ontario) National Historic Sites do not require a lockage permit for recreational vessels.




Seasonal Overnight Mooring Permit 

Coming Soon!

Parks Canada offers a seasonal mooring permit that is valid for overnight mooring at seven national historic canals, two national parks, and one national marine conservation area. Your seasonal overnight mooring permit provides overnight mooring for your recreational vessel for the entire navigation season.
Please note that mooring is on a first-come, first-served basis and space is not guaranteed during peak periods. Certain restrictions may apply at National Parks.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Making a Mattress that fits

Making a Mattress that Fits
Heidi Maitland, Victorious 37VT26
heidimait@yahoo.com

Before we left home for Florida we bought a new mattress. We took the cover apart to custom fit well in the bow of the boat. We sewed it back up on our dining room table at home.


Projects on a LNVT 49

From Marcus Clark, Manito 49VT08

I [wanted] to get you some updated information on my LNVT ex- "Dolphin Dee-light", now renamed "Manito" (pronounced "MAN-it-too"). 

I've replaced engine mounts, done starboard side brightwork; replaced the charger/inverter system with a Magnum system (the 20-year-old Heart System was not handling it's duties well any more, and was designed before AGM batteries came onto the market); all the batteries are now new AGMs: I yanked the old, heavy Adler-Barbour refrigeration system and replaced it with a 2-compressor NovaKook system (I can now freeze ice cubes if I want to) that uses max. 6.5A IF both compressors kick on at the same time. This winter will be a re-and-re of the injectors, fuel pump and heat exchanger, at which time I'll give the engine a brightening-up with some engine enamel. I am presently in the middle of replacing the 20-year-old port-side Lewmar 2000 windlass with a new Maxwell VWC2500 and new G30 chain (400').

Last summer my cruising plans were somewhat hindered by my electrical and refrigeration woes, so I didn't get as far as I'd intended. This summer it's off to the Broughtons and perhaps even as far as Rivers Inlet. Haida Gwaii and possibly Alaska are in the cards for the future.


Thursday, December 8, 2016

Jobs on John William

John Mackie, John William 37VT68



Added a piece to the rudder. Kept it small only an 1 1/4 to see if it helps. Just tacked it on so it can be removed easily.
Also ground out the radius on the run rail am starting the repair.

















Sent from my iPhone

Blogging with Victorious 37VT26


The Grand Cruise South,Victorious 37VT26
Heidi Maitland [Excerpt from October 22, 2016 Blog Posting]
http://victoriousvacation.blogspot.com/

Due to Hurricane Matthew we did not leave at the beginning of the first week of October as we originally planned. But, as soon as it
became clear we would not be in the path of the hurricane, Ken moved Victorious from Cohasset to Duxbury, MA. On October 7, we left on our Grand Cruise!

On Saturday October 8 we spent the night in Marion, in Buzzards Bay, and were able to come into the town dock the next morning. It was a perfect place to invite my sister and mom to come see the boat, and us. My mom is 94 and gets around quite slowly, but it was fairly easy for her to get into the main cabin on the boat. My sister Sharon brought us muffins and coffee. We also got to see friends who were using the town dock to prepare for a race weekend in Menemsha, MA. Our friends, Peter and Kate Cassidy, use their boat a lot and homeport in Marion, MA. We hadn't seen their two boys in a while (they are now 11 and 7 years old) and the tug provided an interesting counterpoint to their sailboat, to explore.

On day three, starting from Block Island, we were fighting a vicious north wind. In retrospect, we should have not been out there, knowing the forecast. Eventually we got to Stonington, CT and spent two days there. To compensate for the windy weather, we next had several days of very nice, sunny, mild weather. We transited the East River in New York City with 3 extra knots of current (that added almost 50% more speed). We made sure we saw the United Nations Building, which we had previously missed.


The next time we needed to stop for a couple of days we were in the bay across from Atlantic City, NJ.  We were anchored, and it proved to be a quiet spot out of the heavy winds that sprung up.  Each time we have had a day that we don't travel, we have plenty of chores and tasks.  Loading the boat with lots of food and clothing for almost every eventuality means that we have to find places to stow it. We are still emptying bags at this point and stuffing gear into the backs of lockers.  We have a new Advanced Elements inflatable kayak and in this bay we got it inflated and tried it out.  It will be a nice addition to our bag of "toys" to use on this trip.

One of our favorite stops in the Northeast is Chesapeake City, MD and we got there in the middle of the day, and got a spot at the free dock (the free city dock is one of the reasons we like it there so much!)  We had lunch on the deck at the Chesapeake Inn, looking out at the harbor, surrounded by avid sports fans settling in for the game -- in this case the Eagles -- and it was very festive.  However, since it was not our team, we decided to leave and continued on south to an anchorage, again with extra current pushing us.

Great weather has continued from that day, for almost a week. We have stopped in Annapolis, MD and docked next to friends from home, the Colemans.  There we got groceries and went out to dinner, each time using an Uber cab with our friends.  We made a stop just off of Little Choptank River on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to tie up to the dock of Victory Tug friends Bicki and Dave Howell, Nellie D. 37VT63.  Besides using their dock they cooked dinner for us.  Two days later we were at another Victory Tug owner's dock just off of the Potomac River.  Bob Allnutt, Victory 37VT02, invited us to stay even though, or perhaps because of, a weather change that will bring a lot of wind for several days. 


We are just at the point where it is sunny and beautiful, but tonight and the next two and a half days may be terrible for traveling. We are tucked up near to shore on the dock and will be in the lee of any strong wind.  This creek, off of St. Mary's, MD off the Potomac, has other small creeks off of it which are perfect for the kayak. These seem to be "bonus days", much warmer than we thought we would have, and in well-protected places.

We had a full moon earlier this week, a night full of geese flying and honking (who knew they flew at night?), an afternoon of very fast jets taking off from Patuxent Naval Air Station, MD and we are starting to see some of the other boats that are heading south, including one from the Netherlands and three from Maine. 



Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Mini Rendezvous


The crews of Salty Paws 37VT66, Sally W 37VT42, and La Salle 37VT23 joined Neptune 37VT35 in Fairhaven, MA for a little get together. They were treated to the house speciality, Ellen and John Isaksen's famous scallops aboard Neptune.


Left is a photo taken as the group was getting ready to leave Fairhaven (L-R: Allan & Sally Seymour, Bill Ewing and John Isaksen in the back).  Gale warnings were in effect, producing winds 25 to 30 knots with gusts up to 40 knots and seas of 8 to 10 feet.  It was an easy decision for everyone to hang out in Old Saybrook, CT waiting for Mother Nature to chill out off the coast of NJ.   Plan B resulted in Dean & Pam McChesney, Fun 37VT76,  joining everyone and spending an enjoyable day at the Katherine Hepburn Museum.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Buddy Boating




The two captains, Bob Ewing Salty Paws 37VT66 and Allan Seymour Sally W 37VT42, enjoy a bit R&R on the aft deck.

Engine thru hull

John Mackie, John William 37VT68


I removed the engine thru hull because of a leak and discovered the original thru valve is not a full flow valve. It actually is only 3/4 inch which is smaller than the pump intake. You can see a shell protruding which cuts the flow even more. I am in the process of installing an 1 1/2 inch valve and continue to use the 1 1/4 inch strainer.









Making Espresso Aboard

From Lee Anderson, Jack Robert 37VT17

When Lee read about the Mojo coffee maker in Tugger's Issue No.68, he couldn't wait to show everyone at the Midwest Rendezvous the probable espresso maker he uses on board.  The Handpresso Wild Hybrid French Press enables you to easily get that java fix when you are out cruising.  All you need is hot water and your favorite ground coffee. The Handpresso Wild pumps up like a bike pump generating 232 PSI to make an exceptional expresso.  

It is available for $95 (Amazon).

Cruising with Victorious, 37VT26

From Heidi Maitland aboard Victorious 

This week's explorations, with husband Ken -- a marine junk store and a craftbrew pub, both in Stuart Florida.






Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Soundings call for a Used Boat feature

From Steve Knauth, sknauth10@comcast.net
Contributing Writer
Soundings Publications

Hi, Tuggers!

I write a monthly Used Boat feature for Soundings boating magazine. And I'm always looking for enthusiastic owners of used boats, to let them tell their story.

Here are the criteria: The boat must be AT LEAST 3 YEARS OLD; it must have been BOUGHT USED.

Anyone come to mind? I would ask for an email or phone interview, a hi-resolution image or print/photo of your boat and another of yourself to use in the article.   You can see the end result by going to www.soundingsonline.com and clicking on "Boat Shop" then on the "Used Boat Review" in the story list.

Reply by email, please [sknauth10@comcast.net].  And thanks for your consideration.


 

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Tug Spotting

From Heidi Maitland, Victorious 37VT26

Sunrise at St. Augustine's Castillo de San Marcos, from our bow.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Thistle's Anchor Strike Plate

Ed McChain, Thistle 37VT47, is installing a bigger anchor strike plate to accommodate a 35lb CQR.  The new strike plate will also incorporate a bill-bracket to lock the anchor inplace. 


Original strike plate and hawse fitting removed.  Temporary white plate keeps water out.


Close-up.

So far Ed's discovered several things:

1. The hawse fitting unbolted and came off easily.  Removing it from the wire-reinforced hose, which connects it to the deck plate, was not easy and required a sawzall.

2.  The strike plate was firmly bedded to the hull making it very difficult to remove.

3.  The gel coat under the plate is red--perhaps the tug's original color.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Spotted: Morning Mist

We found this picture by David Hutchinson of the Sharp's Morning Mist 37VT39 this morning on the front page of the West Seattle Blog.  Pretty cool and ironic!

Randy & Yvonne
Hiaqua 37VT3

Friday, November 11, 2016

Tug Spotting

Thistle 37VT47 and friends Bay Breezin' on Carter's Creek enjoying the fall colors!


Owners Ed and Mary Ann McChain out for a dinghy ride


Monday, November 7, 2016

Getting ready for winter

From Teddy Bear 37VT15 
New pilot house doors installed.  The wood doors were removed to enable owner Peter Reich to refinish them this winter.  The boat has also been covered and awaits the cooler winter temps.





View from inside the pilot house looking at the cover.





Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Happy Halloween!

From Heidi Maitland, Victorious 37VT26

Trick-or-treaters by boat? And they brought the treats!  (Including some great samples of an "adult beverage"!). Thanks to boaters from Ohio and one other improbable state! Plus a dog in costume... Too much! In Wrightsville Beach, Florida.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Tug Spotting

From Heidi Maitland, Victorious 37VT26

I'm on the bow in the Great Bridge Lock in VA (our preferred route is through the Dismal Swamp but it is closed due to many trees down after Hurricane Matthew). We went through the lock on Wednesday.  Now we're headed for Belhaven NC. 
[A boater ahead of us, from New Zealand, took this pictture!]

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Tug Spotting ~ Pacific Northwest

Two tugs [Pet Tug 37VT60 and Tug E Bear 37VT62] were recently spotted at the Olympia Yacht Club - Island Home retreat in the Puget Sound, Washington.



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Spotted Petite Wazo 37VT20


Heidi and Ken Maitland, Victorious 37VT26, spotted a newly painted Petite Wazo 37VT20 in her homeport of Deltaville, VA.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Tug Spotting ~ Victorious

From Heidi Maitland, Victorious 37VT26

We're hiding from some big winds just off the Potomac River in St. Inigoes MD at a friend's [Bob Allnutt, Victory 37VT02] dock. Very protected.

Thistle 37VT47's Latest Upgrades

From Ed & Mary Ann McChain
Thistle has new cushions. They are 2 layer of foam, 3"of very dense & 3 of soft making 6" thick. Note the 6" filler back, this lays down to make up a 6" bunk.
Also having some problem with the transom facing the southwest sun causing paint fading should be solved with this removable cover.