34 Pilot PORT-A-GEE ready for the Loop!

[BB-marine]

After 8 months of a refit and recommended service maintenance PORT-A-GEE is launched and sea trialed and ready to head down stream this weekend.

We purchased this 34 Pilot last August in Port Washington Wi. We did a shake down cruise 180 mile run to a marina on the Illinois River where the boat was hauled out and stored in a building for winter storage and a refit. Some of the work completed by me.

Installed new electronics along side 2015 vintage electronics
3000W inverter
600 watt solar
New cutlass bearings, shafts removed and trued, new tides shaft seals installed, props scanned, balanced and trued, rudders dropped and repacked
1000 hour service on the Yanmars completed, All raw water hoses replaced, fresh water flush for raw water system
Head converted to fresh water flush
New stainless steel chain and anchor
Additional 600 AH house battery bank installed
home made aft deck sun shade
Weaver davit installed for our inflatable
Convection oven installed
Fuel tank drained cleaned, inspected
Bottom job completed
Thruster gear lube replaced, all anodes replaced
Macerator pump installed
Raw water wash down installed
New smart Tv's installed
Victron battery monitor installed
Complete compound and wax hull and top side
12 volt pilot house fans
All LED 12V bulbs installed
All electrical panel indicator lights replaced with LED
Then there are all the honey do projects completed too!

The boat was launched and so far so good all systems are in good working order. The sea trial was successful with the engine operating at full rated rpm fully loaded with gear water and fuel. 3400 rpm 23 knots, 180 F @ WOT, 65psi oil pressure. We will be throwing the lines off the dock this weekend and cruising for a year.

See you out on the water!

 

[Nancy and Rick]

After 8 months of a refit and recommended service maintenance PORT-A-GEE is launched and sea trialed and ready to head down stream this weekend...

She looks beautiful Brian! A year won't be enough you will want to keep going forever.

Cruise safely,
Rick

“Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.”
― Brooks Atkinson.

 

[Comodave]

Sounds good, keep us informed about the Loop.

 

[Bacchus]

Brian
She looks great.
Wondering if the aft hard enclosure was MS factory or a custom add?
I've never seen a Pilot like that but it should be very welcome while looping.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,

 

[BB-marine]

Brian
She looks great.
Wondering if the aft hard enclosure was MS factory or a custom add?
I've never seen a Pilot like that but it should be very welcome while looping.

I was told by the previous owner that it is a factory install. We looked at several 34 Pilots. I had never seen one with the enclosure. It may have been a special order when the boat was built. This boat has a lot of the Rumrunner hardware but it is not a Rumrunner. I'm assuming the original owner special ordered the boat. There is a Mainship Pilot 34 owner in Florida that reached out to us on FB. He said he had the exact aft enclosure. It is a plus for us !

 

[rgano]

Are you headed our way?

 

[BB-marine]

Are you headed our way?

We are taking a slow trip down stream and plan to be cruising across the Panhandle in November. So yes heading your way.

 

[Blissboat]

Beautiful, BB. You made good use of your extended winter lay-up.

 

[rgano]

We are taking a slow trip down stream and plan to be cruising across the Panhandle in November. So yes heading your way.

We have room for you, if you like, as you pass through the PC area. The .pdf gives the details.

 

[FWT]

Looks great Brian. You have been working toward this for some time so it must feel great to cast off the lines. Congratulations and safe journey.

 

[BB-marine]

We have room for you, if you like, as you pass through the PC area. The .pdf gives the details.

We will call you when we get closer. Thank you for the offer. If timing works out we will see you in November.

 

[sunchaser]

BB
That is a very impressive accomplished work list. How much did you farm out Vs DIY? But, no good job is complete without a reveal on your anchor

 

[backinblue]

BB, look me up if you are passing through the Sound, if you haven't already. Since nobody asked, I can't resist. What anchor and SS chain did you buy? All chain rode?

Also interested in what you purchased for the solar and how much. I'm thinking of doing something similar to cut down on needing to run the genny when anchored for a few days. Regardless, have a great trip!

 

[backinblue]

BB
That is a very impressive accomplished work list. How much did you farm out Vs DIY? But, no good job is complete without a reveal on your anchor

lol, you just beat me to it! Full disclosure, when I bought my boat a few years ago, one of the first upgrades was a SS Ultra anchor and swivel. New rode of 30' SS chain and 220' 1/2" 8-plait nylon. I anchor more often than not, and almost never give it a second thought once set. When wind picks up and others are scrambling to move and re-anchor, I make another gin and tonic and watch the show.

 

[rgano]

We will call you when we get closer. Thank you for the offer. If timing works out we will see you in November.

Yes, best to check if we are still here at the end of hurricane season. Here's what it looked like four years ago after a cat five blew through.

 

[Derek]

Yes, best to check if we are still here at the end of hurricane season. Here's what it looked like four years ago after a cat five blew through.

Nice job! Quite a list and well done.

 

[BB-marine]

BB
That is a very impressive accomplished work list. How much did you farm out Vs DIY? But, no good job is complete without a reveal on your anchor

No farming out work here. If I don't know how to do it I research and learn. I'm picky about my stuff. I worked in the marine industry for 25 years and now a retired MillWright. ALL DIY!

Anchor is a 35lbs Stainless Mantus with 100ft of stainless steel chain and 200' of 8 plait Rode. So far the chain and anchor have shed all the river mud and come up clean.

 

[BB-marine]

BB, look me up if you are passing through the Sound, if you haven't already. Since nobody asked, I can't resist. What anchor and SS chain did you buy? All chain rode?

Also interested in what you purchased for the solar and how much. I'm thinking of doing something similar to cut down on needing to run the genny when anchored for a few days. Regardless, have a great trip!

3, 200W Rich solar panels (600 watt total) overall average charge form 9Am to 6 Pm is 20 amps per hour. I have seen 32 amps charge. We have the refrigerator, freezer and Icemaker running and so far the batteries have stayed at 100%. To be fair we have been cruising too so alternators are assisting. When I got up this morning 8am the batteries were at 68% ( 4, 105AH group 31 batteries ) we anchored at 4 pm, fans ,Microwave, lights, C-pap, freezer and refrigerator running all night. At 9 am the batteries are at 75% with everything still running. At 9 am I'm charging at 20amps and 305 watts about 50% capacity. 11 am to 3 pm seem to be the time for best power. So far so good. We have a 3000 watt inverter for microwave, ice maker, and stove. We use power management when using theses. We don't plan on being at marinas much. The first marina stop will be Friday. Once a week is our plan as long as water and fuel hold out.

 

[backinblue]

That sounds great! Are the 4 group 31 batteries all house or does that include start bank? Sounds like you have an inverter as well, which I don't so I would either need to install one or use the genny for cooking, etc. I only have (2) 31 batteries for the house, which is ok but could use more and wouldn't support an inverter.

How much water do you carry? We normally can't last much more than 3 days on our water tank which is 40 gal.

Also, curious why you are doing the loop clockwise. Is it just because of timing? CCW is normally preferred to take advantage of river currents.

 

[brianC]

Great JOB!!

I was just talking about you today! I was helping my friend with the Mackenzie (build by your family in Kingston, MA) with his water pump.

When you get to the North East, come to Boston. We can put you up @ our yacht club for a few nights.

Port Norfolk Yacht Club on the Neponset River.

 

[BB-marine]

That sounds great! Are the 4 group 31 batteries all house or does that include start bank? Sounds like you have an inverter as well, which I don't so I would either need to install one or use the genny for cooking, etc. I only have (2) 31 batteries for the house, which is ok but could use more and wouldn't support an inverter.

How much water do you carry? We normally can't last much more than 3 days on our water tank which is 40 gal.

Also, curious why you are doing the loop clockwise. Is it just because of timing? CCW is normally preferred to take advantage of river currents.

The four group 31's are house and engine start. I also have a 4D 180 amp hour for the thruster. This battery has a switch to also combine to the house/starboard engine start. I do have an 3000 watt inverter. It will run everything on board if I use power management. I have 2 Group 34 start batteries for the port engine with a Auto charge relay between the port start batteries and the thruster battery. This works to maintain the charge in the thruster bank when it is not combined to the house bank. I tried to build in a few redundancies for maintaining the batteries.


Water capacity is 70 gallons plus I added a 12 gallon fresh water tank for fresh water flushing using the raw water flushing head. I removed the seawater hose from the thru hull and attached it to the 12 gallon tank. I wanted fresh water flush head and the conversion kit was almost $500.00. The extra tank gives us 12 gallons of head flush water so our 70 gallons is consumed for showering, cooking ..... The extra thru hull that I now have is used for a raw water anchor wash down.