The good, the bad and the wish list! Bahamas trip.

I just returned from the Bahamas yesterday. I'm finding it hard to get back into the swing of things. After living on the boat for the better part of 3 weeks, my house is enormous and I wonder why I need it. A condo is looking better and better.
I traveled to Stuart from Palm Coast in 4 days. A couple of 10 hour days to make the push for the weather window for the crossing. The crossing was great until the other side off the Gulf Stream. his is where stabilizers would be nice. It was a 13 hour crossing traveling at 6.5 knots on average.

West End was beautiful as usual. Got hung up there for 2 days because of weather I was uncomfortable with. No one moved. Went on to Freeport the next day. I did not enjoy taking 4-5 foot waves starboard, but she handled it well. I planned my haul out two days later. Bottom Paint, some topside paint and a wax. If anyone needs a yard and work done, Charlton Knowles Marina is stellar. You can also do other work on your boat yourself at his yard.

The Bahamas were badly hit by hurricane Matthew. It was a shame to see all the devastation in Freeport and Port Lucaya. The people were not as friendly as I remember. Quite understandable given what they are living with. However, everyone at the yard were very nice.

Only 1 glitch on the return. Left West End in the wee hours of the morning while still dark. Just got out of the channel and began to over heat. Impeller. After a quick change, I was underway. Seas were flat and it was a glorious 10 hour crossing at 9.0 knots on average. Lesson here? Change my impeller every 50 hours whether it needs it or not. Love auto pilot. Set my course for Fort Pierce. Totally love Fort Pierce City Marina. Took my time on the way back. A total of 6 days with one on the outside. Made the mistake of coming into Sebastian Inlet. I won't do that again.

I found my driving sweet spot, 5-6 hours a day.

After cleaning her inside and out, I locked the door and she is resting waiting her 100 hour oil change which I plan to do this weekend. She served me well and I shall serve her well. I love Southerly more and more everyday!

I understand the process you are going through. When we returned from our 4 month trip, we were glad to be home but the thought of simplifying is appealing!
You are not alone.
Sounds like you made a good trip out of your yard visit.
Bruce

Sounds like a great time. Congrats

50 hours on an impeller is way low. What condition was the old one? Can you post a pic?

I wouldn't change impeller at 50 hrs. Once per year should be plenty and keep the takeouts as spares as long as no broken vanes. Check cam in pump.

Sounds like you had a grand trip.

I replaced the impeller before the trip with a new one that was on the boat when I purchased it. In fact, there were 3 new ones. The boat sat 18 months before I purchased it, so the impellers may not have been in the best of condition, possibly some dry rot that I did not pick up on.

As soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I'll post how beautiful she came out! I posted a couple of pictures a few months back and can't for the life of me remember how. Over the next few days, I'll figure it out.

Impellers age even in the box. My boat had about 8 impellers in it for spares when I bought it. I bought new ones and installed them so I had a baseline on their age. 50 hours is way low. I put 200 hours on mine last year. I changed them this spring and they looked brand new. I am now going to a 2 year replacement schedule since at 200 hours they were perfect coming out of the pumps. I would suspect that your replacement impellers were quite old to start with.

Glad you enjoyed the trip.

We entered at Lucaya. Yes, it is a bit desolate, but I am sure it will come back.

Date impellers when purchased and toss them out if not used in a reasonable time. The benefits vs the risk are not worth it.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. In a way it's good you had some less than ideal conditions as it gives you more confidence in your boat and it's ability to handle them. Not that you want to test your luck, but there are always times you'll get caught.

Welcome back to the real world and the let down that always accompanies that return. I hear what you are saying about the size of your house. I feel the same and am just as comfortable in our 1000 sq.ft condo in AZ as I am in our house in WA that's more than twice that big.

Glad the trip overall was great.

Sebastian...holy cow...brave skipper, it scared me in my dingy and I never got near the bridge!

Probably every year for an impeller is more than fine. I put 500 hrs on mine this year no sweat and another 200 wouldnt bother it a bit. Ones in a package and not in high ozone or other corrosive environments should last years as spares, certainly longer than needed as replacements unless you have 5 or 6 aboard.

Just watched some videos of Sebastian, Ft Pierce and Jupiter inlets, and some of them look really bad. I sat near the jetty last time I was in Ft Pierce and watched the boats getting through that inlet on an outgoing tide and it also looked sporty. I don't remember the Texas inlets I've been in at Port Aransas and Port O'Connor being that rough. Maybe they are deeper inlets.

I know nothing about all the inlets in Florida. Which ones are to be avoided on a slow boat like mine? Do all Florida inlets need to be timed so the tides never oppose the winds, or are some deeper and not as bad?

Yea Sebastian and no never again! LOL! Scary! Could only get up to about 2 knots. No thank you!

I'm thinking the impellers may have sat unopened for around 8-9 years judging from previous owners maintenance records, which are hit or miss.

Greetings,
Mr. 01. Guide to Navigating Florida Inlets & Water Channels

This is just one person's opinion but a quick skim confirms what little I know about some of the inlets....

Have not done the Florida inlets but have done many on the northern Pacific and they can get downright interesting to say the least.

IMHO, Sebastian is the worst inlet in FL for a slow boat and not much better for a fast boat.

Congrat's on a great trip!

I was told by a friend down the dock, that he vacuum packs all his smaller rubber spares, says they last longer that way.

Just a nice rule of thumb, when boating in new or unfamiliar areas especially, the inlets at commercial ports are your safest bet. Beyond that look carefully at what others have written. Active Captain often has very good information on inlets.

Buy one new impeller every year, date it. Have 2 spares on board. Replaces the impeller every year with your oldest spare.

Don't save used parts as spares. Have new parts as spares and rotate them into use based on engine hours or age (calendar years).

Ted

O C Diver said:

Buy one new impeller every year, date it. Have 2 spares on board. Replaces the impeller every year with your oldest spare.

Don't save used parts as spares. Have new parts as spares and rotate them into use based on engine hours or age (calendar years).

Ted

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We do similar to what you do. The last thing we want is a problem because we used an old impeller.

GFC said:

Welcome back to the real world

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The REAL world is out here.

The fake world you live in has been manufactured by your masters

Like all the unmerciful marinas out there... .

Well, at least balance that some of us are lucky to find.....

Sebastian Inlet is marked Local Knowledge for a reason... Especially a low speed boat, although speed can cause other problems. If it says Local knowledge on the map and you don't have it, pass it by.

It would have been far better to shoot for Port Canaveral, anyone can do that one. Just dodge the subs and cruise ships.

Jupiter and Boynton tie for worst man-enabled inlets on FL east coast. St Lucie strong 3rd worst, Sebastian is maybe 4th. Worst of any FL "inlet" is Matanzas. Natural, shifting, shallow, but not busy.

Makes you want for live Webcam at every inlet.

What some cruising guides say and what some boaters pass along either are snapshots of an inlet at its worst or that it falls outside of some secret criteria.

The inlet near my hope dock is often touted as "bad", unmarked and dangerous, etc.... yet to me is one of the nicer inlets I have passed through...even without local kniwledge. On any given low wind day, in good visibility it is easy peezy....unless you are scared off by all the writings.

Sure it's not as wide as some where cruise ships enter, sure there is a couple knot current, sure there is a goofy bridge close to one shore as you enter the ICW.... but as long as you don't go DIW, or loose steeming and can follow buoys and negotiate a drawbridge....you are fine. Every year complete newbies do it all summer long.

So why the bad rep? So without personally trying all these other inlets up and down the coast...what's a transient to do but to avoid them....which limits cruising options that it shouldn't.

Wonder who would sponsor inlet cams?

My draft is much to large to even attempt Matanza inlet and I have local knowledge of that one. I used to take my small Sea Ray out of it. Now I do St. Augustine.

Donna said:

My draft is much to large to even attempt Matanza inlet and I have local knowledge of that one. I used to take my small Sea Ray out of it. Now I do St. Augustine.

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Even Matanza with a small boat is impressive!

Certainly understand that.

For the last 2 years, have taken St Augustine inlet a couple times in nice weather...as usual in nice weather...a nice inlet...

Yet people still talk that it isnt a Class A inlet...whatever that means and who cares if you use it in fair weather.

People still talk about NJs Barnegat inlet from the 60s like it even remotely resembles those times. It really would be nice to see any inlet, real time with your own eyes before transiting .

I get tired of people making their limitations everyone else's.