Groverbuilt 26 goes to Bermuda

Just wanted to thank everyone for the advice and input on the preparations. They were priceless.

I know its not a trawler, but she has the bones of one (but smaller). That lehman 120 ran like a swiss watch.

. I sold her here and plan to pick up a trawler in the next year or so. (Have a 16 Amesbury dory until then)

Quo Fata Ferunt

https://www.royalgazette.com/genera...reV4m1CxuMj2VWcf5bwsoO7YO M8gqHlqQLZ7DdWVBefc

Alisske, fantastic. Glad you made with fuel and parts to spare.
Great place to land, St George. EVERYONE I met on Bermuda were very friendly and happy. SMILE
You sold your boat in Bermuda?
How many hours engine time to get there?

Glad to hear you made it in one piece! Any ideas on what the next boat might be other than some kind of trawler, or not yet?

How many hours engine time to get there?[/QUOTE]

4.5 days. Stopped once every 24 hours to check oil. Burned/sweated about 1.5 quarter per 24 hours.

St George is my favorite part of the island. Hands down. Folks there are old school Bermudians with salt in their veins, so to speak.

Mr Mickey Foggo let me use a punt and a mooring. He is a master shipwright on the island for over 50 years. Has a great shop with his sons. He is 80 years old and I see him throwing 8x8 cribbage around his yard like he is rearranging socks in a draw, lmao. True gentleman.

Also had one if the best home-cooked dinners of my life at Steve Hollis’s place. He is one of those guys you always wish you could meet. Sort of like a gentleman “quint” from Jaws. He is a master sailmaker and has been running his business for over 50 years in Bermuda

Sold my Boat to the owner of Bermuda Yacht Services. He is multigenerational Portuguese native. At first i thought he was a great business man, then a great guy, but have learned he has lived his life on the sea and is a top captain since a young age.

Folks made the trip worth it.

Not sure, but i do like trawlers!

did you stay awake or take naps. When napping is it considered safter to just drift, go to headway speed, or keep up your regular speed ?

Benthic2 said:

did you stay awake or take naps. When napping is it considered safter to just drift, go to headway speed, or keep up your regular speed ?

Click to expand...

1750 RPM, all day and all night. Slept the first day and a half 15 min in, 45 sleep. Last three days I was wide awake because fuel bladder was leaking and wether kicked up.

I tied myself to the helm to try to get some sleep, but just could not relax.

Had AIS alarms set, but really only saw 2 cruise ships and one freighter during the whole trip (and that was the last 300 miles.) Miles 200 through 500 was a desert.

Great adventure. Had you planned to sell the boat there all along?

Comodave said:

Great adventure. Had you planned to sell the boat there all along?

Click to expand...

Yes and no. Lol. It was an option. I really felt like i lucked out. Solo was intense.

If you win a big hand, and your ahead, why double down? Lol

There was one part where I was bailing with a bucket and wrote the coordinates on my PFD suspenders. Truly the “best bilge pump is a frightened man with a bucket”

Do you think that there was some fault with your fuel bladder installation? What would you do differently with it?

rgano said:

Do you think that there was some fault with your fuel bladder installation? What would you do differently with it?

Click to expand...

Installation, not related to the bladder. But!!!

The bladder was too big. It literally weighed over a ton. Thats a lot to hold back going from 19knts to zero. I should have done 3 smaller tanks of equivalent volume.

I had all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. But if i had to buy 3, i could not have afforded it. (Really, could not justify it)

Alisske said:

Installation, not related to the bladder. But!!!

The bladder was too big. It literally weighed over a ton. Thats a lot to hold back going from 19knts to zero. I should have done 3 smaller tanks of equivalent volume.

I had all my eggs in one basket, so to speak. But if i had to buy 3, i could not have afforded it. (Really, could not justify it)

Click to expand...

Very good point. So, if you were doing it again, knowing the hazards of that big bladder, I guess you wouldn't go?

rgano said:

Very good point. So, if you were doing it again, knowing the hazards of that big bladder, I guess you wouldn't go?

Click to expand...

No. If i were to do again, I would just put 6 55 gallon drums on deck. Ive used drums for years. Never let me down.

I am now not a fan of bladders bigger than 50 gallons

2,300 lb up high on the deck , I think would be very dangerous. The stern of a Grover is very narrow.

Alisske said:

No. If i were to do again, I would just put 6 55 gallon drums on deck. Ive used drums for years. Never let me down.

I am now not a fan of bladders bigger than 50 gallons

Click to expand...

Plastic drums?

rgano said:

Plastic drums?

Click to expand...

Yup. Lay them over, strap to the gunnels, two in cockpit, 4 in back.

Will have better trim than bladders on back deck by far. I know.

Bladder itself was the mistake. The “free surface effect” was miserable with the bladder

I know grovers

Completely agree. Also you had to have really stout tie-down points.

Did you sell the excess fuel when you got to Bermuda?
Cleared a tidy profit on the fuel sale?? Or did the new owner expect the fuel and bladder to be part of the sale?
Sooooo you had excess fuel, excess oil, filters, belts, impellers and additional misc spare parts.
No wonder he bought your boat.
He can make a killing on the parts etc, you brought over.

Thats true about parts and fuel!

Nah. No fuel left. I actually ran out at the sea bouy to the George Town cut. Had a five gallon Geri can that out in to make harbor.

Bladder was simply worthless. Not only did it leak, but it was giving off debris from the tear that clogged the primary filter. Was so pissed at that bladder, I would have thrown it in the ocean but did not want to create some sort of navigation hazard.

Boats go for double their US value (minus 25% import tax. ). Nut if your a licensed fisherman there, the import duties are waived (so sell to a fisherman)

I have heard many complaint about the bladders leaking so your experience is no difference. Maybe the buyer can repair and make some use for it.
No hiccups with the Lehman?
Auto pilots make life easier SMILE

OldDan1943 said:

I have heard many complaint about the bladders leaking so your experience is no difference. Maybe the buyer can repair and make some use for it.
No hiccups with the Lehman?
Auto pilots make life easier SMILE

Click to expand...

Thats interesting about the bladder. Had no idea. I don’t think i will ever buy one again.

That lehman was a god damn champion. (Not that other diesels could not have done the same) It just ran and ran. (With exception of fuel issues). Even when the grover was “knocked down” the engine just kept going. Did not miss a beat. Ill be frank and maybe a bit sentimental, but that engine kept my crap together.

The autopilot was a new Sitex 120c with rudder feedback unit. It was unbelievable. When I was on the “Bermuda rise” and going in between sea mounts, the waves stacked up big on the stern. Additionally, they converged on you from 180degrees. I tuned up the autopilot sensitivity and rudder angle to the max and it held fast for the hours it took to get over the rise. The wave action added 4 knots to my speed and I arrived in Bermuda in the dark. So I had to putz around until daylight keeping headway.

I was always taught that when trouble happens, “”you drive the boat, not the autopilot” There was no way I would have made it past the rise without Buzz at the wheel. (Buzz is the name I gave the autopilot)