August 2020: Humility, Health & Hurricanes

Foreword:  We continue to remain cautious with our Covid protocols and healthy as well, and hope the same is true for all y'all.  We know some others are not so lucky.  And we remind ourselves that students are called students because they still have a lot to learn – including basic common sense.  Our youth have an excuse for their occasional incompetence and idiocy.  The rest of us do not.  

There’s nothing quite like a boat project (or two) to occasionally remind you that you’re not near as handy as you previously thought.  Or, perhaps, once were.  If you ever wonder why some vessel owners can seem rather humble at times, there is likely a causal connection to some boat project.  But since humility is a healthy sign of emotional maturity, we're OK with that.

Keeping ourselves and Ghost Rider healthy and happy while (still) confined to port was the main goal for August, mainly to be able to move to our RFYC hurricane hole should the tropical weather patterns call for that.  The official tropical forecast from the weather-guessers had just recently increased the expected number of named storms to 24 (yikes) and the expected hurricane count to 12 – which basically gave us the distinct potential for the equivalent of two full storm seasons packed into one. 

Secondary goals included getting the dinghy davit (crane) back in operation and completing the Racor fuel filter conversions.  But neither of those was going very smoothly.

Break/Fix (Davit Update)

Both Ross (of Classic Marine) and Rick had been active in the hunt for replacement parts, mainly for the corroded hydraulic reservoir tank.  As it turns out, the hydraulic pump, motor and manifold assembly, which were theoretically still serviceable, have to be matched to the opening fitment on the reservoir, which was most certainly not serviceable, nor recoverable. 

The Crate Containing the New HPU for the Davit
Was a Work of Art

Basically that meant they had to be matched and replaced together as what’s known as an HPU, or hydraulic power unit.  Ross had found a potential third party source, but wasn’t certain it would fit in the limited space we had available in the base of the crane.  Rick had contacted the manufacturer, Aritex, located in Taiwan, and they committed to providing a factory original HPU for two and a half Boat Units….plus $500 USD shipping via DHL air freight.  And that’s the option we took.  (If you’re curious, a whole new hydraulic crane of similar capacity runs in the neighborhood of 20 Boat Units.)

The new HPU did not arrive here in the USA until 19-August, with the crate weighing in at 65 kilograms (143 pounds), and it took Rick 45 minutes to remove the 30 rather beefy wood screws securing the top and four cross members that secured the cargo inside.  Overall measurements of the new HPU matched up favorably with the old parts, but that’s where the similarities ended.  The motor was actually bigger, the hydraulic manifold was mounted in a different location, and electrical connections were lacking.  Ross took it to his shop where a lot of surgery is currently in progress to see if we can make it work.

The New HPU (Tank, Manifold, Valves & Motor) for the Davit

Project Work

Our little “Racor conversion” project by now had morphed into something a bit more involved than originally anticipated.  After installing the fire deflector on the wing engine’s primary filter, we did the same for the transfer pump filter.  But after a couple days that one developed a slow leak.  Out of an abundance of caution Rick decided to replace all the remaining fuel bowls – after 18 years they were quite discolored – but in the end the real key was to not over-torque the brass nut securing the heat deflector shield to the plastic bowl...which would deform the sealing o-ring and allow fuel seepage.

Rick Saved the Racor Conversion for the Genset for
Last...It Had to be Completely Removed from the Fuel
Lines & Bulkhead (Yellow Arrow) & then Disassembled
(Red Arrow) to be Converted.

In the process we had also found that three of our filter brackets required adding a 5/8” starboard backing plate to provide enough room for the increased diameter of the heat deflectors.  Rick also had to remove and relocate two “Algae-X” filters for the wing engine and generator.  There was some added frustration after discovering some of the Racor parts kits were missing o-rings or washers, installation instructions on washer sequence sometimes differed between parts kits, and at least one of the brass nuts used to attach the deflector to the fuel bowl was threaded for the old-style bowls from the 1990’s.

Eventually we got it all figured out and corrected.  We sourced most major parts from the Racor Store (LINK), but also tried Discount Racor (LINK), although they were painfully slow, delivered the wrong part, and we saw nothing resembling a discount from them. As mentioned in our previous post we sourced the UL rated brass draincocks and plugs from McMaster-Carr (LINK), and in contrast they were very prompt, and all of their stuff fit correctly.  As an extra precaution Rick applied Loctite 565 to the male threads of those draincocks during assembly, but that was likely overkill given their NPTF threads.

It took a lot longer than expected, but it was very satisfying to have converted the five Racor secondary fuel filters to a much safer, fire-tolerant configuration.

The Final Result -- All Five Racors Converted with Fire Protection Deflector Shields with Brass Draincocks & Plugs

And An “Aw Shit” Event

Lastly, Rick managed to create a new maintenance opportunity during what should have been a routine activity….cleaning the A/C strainer basket.  But after removing said basket and while cleaning it dockside with a high pressure water hose, he lost his grip on it and the power of the water stream shot the thing off the dock like it was a Roman candle.  And straight into the marina basin.  He verified stainless steel strainer baskets do not float, and that we had no spare on board.

This is the Stainless Steel Strainer Basket for the A/C
that Took a Dip in the Marina.  Based on What West
Marine Charges for One, It Belongs in a Bank Safe.

We did not want the boat to be without air conditioning in the stifling Florida humidity for the several days it would take a reasonably priced replacement to arrive.  So Rick found an overpriced one at the nearby West Marine and got the system back in operation the same day.  About a week later when the diver showed up for Ghost Rider’s monthly below-the-waterline cleaning, Rick asked him to scour the silty bottom, and he did manage to retrieve the wayward strainer basket.  So now we have a spare.

And Then There Was the Weather

The first half of August was just the typical hot, humid and stormy stuff in south Florida.  But the second half got more interesting.  By 19-August the NHC was tracking the next two systems, one in the western Caribbean (which would eventually become TS Marco) and another in the western Atlantic (and would be dubbed Hurricane Laura.)  While the former was not a factor for us, the latter was initially forecast to take direct aim at our area, and potentially at hurricane strength. 

The Original Forecast Track for Laura Was....Concerning

River Forest (our hurricane hidey hole) gave us some pretty short notice on a narrow arrival window; we decided against moving the boat there for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was low confidence in any of the early model calculations.  It was becoming clear that even the best of the predictive weather models were not dealing well with the changing climate conditions.  But we added extra lines and fenders to Ghost Rider just in case and kept careful watch on the evolving forecast.

Eventually the Tracks for Both Marco & Laura Shifted Well to Our West

Luckily (for us anyway) over time the predicted and actual path of Laura increasingly shifted to the south and west, eventually missing us by a full 500 miles.  The northwest Gulf coast was not so lucky, as the hurricane made landfall at Cameron, LA as a Category 4 storm packing 150 MPH winds and pushing 12 feet of storm surge in spots.

We’re now halfway through the tropical storm season, with only three months to go.  Stay tuned, we're sure as hell paying attention.

Ultimately Hurricane Laura Spooled Up to a Cat-4 Storm & Clobbered Louisiana on 27-August

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After Laura Departed Four More Areas of Potential Development Appeared.  Long Way to Go in This Season....

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July 2020: More Maintenance & Projects

Foreword:  We’re still observing our healthful Covid protocols and staying safe, although here in Florida a lot of folks seem intent on making that increasingly difficult.  Hurricane Isaias isn’t helping any, although thankfully we are not directly impacted by that.  

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flies Their AT-6 Texans with Beautiful Precision

Apart from trying to keep the boat clean, keeping up with routine maintenance, and occasionally exercising engines and systems, our focus this month has been trying to find a fix for the busted crane up on the boat deck.  But first we’re going to back up and start at the beginning of the month.

Independence Day!

As a three generation military family every July 4^th we appreciate and enjoy our Independence Day celebration.  It’s a fabulous USA holiday that celebrates the beginning of a marvelous experiment, albeit one in some jeopardy these days.  We flew Old Glory both at the condo and the boat all day, and respectfully retired the colors at sunset.  In between we made sure we were at the marina to witness the celebratory flyover by the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team (LINK), in their precision fourship formation of AT-6 Texans directly over Ghost Rider. That vintage WWII aircraft (in service since 1938) is the one in which Rick’s father learned to fly back in the early ‘40’s before deploying to the Pacific Theater….and deserves its own salute.  Short amateurish video below.

Regular Maintenance

A few days later it was time for our periodic “running of the diesels”, normally not a routine with which we need to be concerned, but which is worth mentioning during a time when so many boats and boaters (like us) are stuck in port.  While Nordhavn vessels and their Lugger diesels have proven to be largely indestructible, our goal is to minimize the expensive service opportunities along the way.  Keeping systems exercised helps with that.

Just running an engine for a few minutes does more harm than good – failing to bring it all the way to the normal operating temperature range will just promote internal condensation, corrosion and the early demise of both coolant and oil.  In reality that requires running them for at least 30 to 45 minutes, and where possible under load.  

The Genset Instrument Cluster, with the Yellow Arrow Highlighting the Much
Too High Temperature Gauge Reading of 210F

That means activating as many engine-driven systems as possible and exercising them as well.  For the main engine that includes the stabilizers and alternators, as well as bumping into gear for working the transmission and packing gland.  (You want to be double-tied to very sturdy dock cleats for this part.)  For the wing engine that entails running the hydraulic thrusters.  And for the generator we disconnect from shore power and run full electrical loads.  Finally, the steering system – helm pumps, steering ram and autopilot pump – all get a short workout, too.

Break/Fix Opportunities

During the generator exercise period we noticed its coolant temperature gauge was reading high – up to 210F, well above its optimum target of 185F (its thermostat opens at 180F).  Shooting the engine’s coolant expansion tank with the infrared temperature gun confirmed that it was indeed running at normal temp, so we knew we had some sort of gauge issue and not an actual mechanical problem.  (The genset also has an internal fail safe switch that automatically shuts down the unit at 205F.)  It was time for some sleuthing.

The Back End of the Generator Where the Ground Wires Terminate.  Yellow
Arrow Indicates Gauge Grounding Bolt, Green is for the Bonding Wires.

We had learned from the Nordy owners forum that this wasn’t a particularly unusual problem, and that just replacing the gauge rarely if ever resolved the problem.  While the sending unit was a possibility, that wasn’t likely either – when that goes wonky, it’s usually a total failure.  It was much more probable that one or more ground wires on the engine needed attention, and in the end that proved true in this case.  On our L843 (12 KW) generator Rick eventually located two 10MM bolts securing a total of three grounding wires plus three other bonding wire straps at the junction box bracket.  Disassembling those and then thoroughly cleaning, sanding/filing, and then coating the ring terminals with dielectric grease before reassembling did the trick.  Rick also rearranged them a bit to isolate the smaller grounding wires from the larger bonding straps.

The Genset Instrument Cluster, with the Yellow Arrow Now Highlighting
the Improved Temperature Gauge Reading of 190F Following Ground
Wire Removal, Cleanup & Reattachment.

The genset’s temp gauge still reads slightly high compared to the IR gun reading, but knowing that analog gauges aren’t particularly accurate in the first place, we can live with it.  (This is the reason that in most cars you now mostly see either “idiot lights” instead of gauges, or at best their gauges have rather wide pointer ranges in between “low” and “high” pegs at the extremes.  The gauges with precise graduations are rarely better than false advertising, better to treat them as trending indicators.)

Now, about that busted crane.  At the end of last month’s blog post we mentioned that our Aritex HSC-610 davit had developed an onerous problem – we traced a nasty hydraulic fluid leak to a corroded reservoir tank in the base of the unit.  Rick subsequently determined that it was likely electrically related (electrolytic) corrosion….the green bonding strap attached to the metal tank was carrying voltage and current according to the multimeter, and that’s a problem. Rick pumped remaining hydraulic fluid out of the tank, then spent a few afternoons reviewing manuals (which were mostly useless) and trying to discern how to dismantle and extract the tank, motor, manifold and control box; but without much success.

The Crane's Hydraulic Motor and Tank Reservoir After Removal
From Inside the Base.  It Was Tight Quarters.

We learned from the marina office that Ross at nearby Classic Marine (who had very capably handled our electronic throttle replacement last year) was experienced with hydraulic cranes and davits, so we invited him out to the boat for a look.  He dug right in and had the motor & tank assembly removed and on its way to his shop after about two hours of sweaty persistence.

We’re not exactly sure what the ultimate resolution may be, or when.  For now Ross has agreed to work it in to his busy schedule, but thus far hasn’t had any luck locating compatible replacement parts.  So we’re trying to look at the bright side: at least it didn’t expire while we were trying to launch or retrieve the dinghy.  We still have no idea what we would do about a crane failure with a 450 pound rigid inflatable suspended from it, especially at some remote anchorage.

Project Work

The next “future project” to bubble to the top of the list was to upgrade the boat’s five Racor fuel filter assemblies.  Ghost Rider was originally built at a time that preceded today’s ABYC and US Coast Guard standards for fire protection, which now specify filter housings must either be all metallic, or the clear plastic ones should be protected by metallic heat deflectors. The objective is to make them survivable for a minimum of 2 ½ minutes in the event of an engine room fire, giving the fire suppression system time to do its thing before a breached (melted) filter could dump a full fuel tank into the blaze.  There’s a good explanatory article HERE from Passagemaker.com.

In the Background is the Generator's Racor with
Its Exposed Plastic Bowl & Plastic Drain (Yellow
Arrow).  In the Foreground is the Converted Wing
Engine Racor with Metallic Deflector (Red Arrow)
& UL Listed Brass Draincock (Black Arrow).

Rick’s goal was to retrofit the Racor “MA” series of heat deflectors to our old “FG” series of filters.  On the surface that appeared straightforward and less pricey than buying five new primary fuel filters.  And, as usual, the reality turned out to be a bit different.  Research revealed that the Racor fuel bowl design was changed in the 2002-2003 timeframe (when Ghost Rider was built), and the older model bowls are not compatible with the MA heat deflector kits; there could be differences both in thread sizes as well as the o-ring gland required to properly seal the bowl’s new brass plug.  But the only way to tell was to drain the bowl and remove the old plastic plug.

Rick used one of the smaller 500FG filters (for the wing engine) as an initial test, ordering the heat deflector kit and a new bowl out of an abundance of caution.  As it turned out the new bowl wasn’t needed, but Rick swapped it out anyway.  He also had to remove the fuel lines, move an Algae-X filtering device, and add spacers between the filter housing the engine room bulkhead to create enough room for the deflector shield…so it was a bit more involved than originally anticipated.  Typical boat project.  

Removing & Replacing the Fuel Bowl on These Older
Models is No Fun...the Upper Turbine Assembly Has
to be Disassembled to Get That Done.

Finally, Rick also added a brass on/off fuel valve (draincock), replacing the standard bowl plug, to make future draining both easier and less messy.  To maintain conformance with ABYC fire standards that valve not only had to be metallic, but also could turn no more and no less than 90 degrees, could not rely on any spring tension for leak integrity, and also had to have its own plug as an additional measure against leaks. 

We used the Racor Store (LINK) for the deflector kits and bowl, and McMaster-Carr (LINK) for sourcing the UL Listed fuel valves.  After running the wing engine for a spell and thorough leak-testing over a few days we declared victory for the initial test.  Rick proceeded to convert the bigger 900FG Racor for the fuel transfer (polishing) system as a second test and that, too, ended well.

In our August blog post we’ll report on the efforts to convert the remaining three Racor filters (the two 900’s for the main engine, and the other 500 for the generator.)  And hopefully by then we’ll have a better idea on next steps for the boat crane.

Next Month We'll Get the Conversion Done for the Main Engine's Dual Racors (Far Left) and for the Generator (Far Right).
The Latter Won't be Fun Because of the Algae-X Filter Below & Behind It.

 Afterword:  We can't tell which disease is more dangerous, Covid-19 or Utter Stupidity.  Either way, we have plenty of both down here.  Back in March we accurately predicted the havoc that results from a leadership vacuum, but it seems we underestimated the additive impact of sociopathic idiocy.  Historians won’t be kind, and neither will our future generations.

Hurricane Isaias Stayed Off to Our East.  Only Four More Months Remain in the "Season".