We Almost Got Out of Our Back Yard!

The next morning we started to head out and make our way through the Rigolets to the gulf and Mississippi Sound. However, while we were getting ready to take off, the temperature alarm on the starboard engine went off. Capt. Lar went down and found the raw water strainer empty, indicating a blocked seacock. When the cover of the strainer was removed and the seacock was opened, the blockage was removed, the engines were restarted, and the temperature gauge returned to normal. We headed out for a railroad bridge and requested an opening. Since there were trains coming we had to wait for 40 minutes for the first train to pass, and while the second train was approaching the bridge, the temperature alarm went off again. Capt. Lar quickly determined that no raw water was passing through the engine. Since we were fighting a 3-4 knot current and the bridge would be opened after the second train passed, we made a split decision to radio the bridge tender that we were having difficulties and returned to our anchorage to further assess the situation. We couldn't determine what the problem was, but decided we needed to have it checked out by a mechanic before heading into the gulf. So we made our way back on one engine to a marina in Slidell and called a mechanic to have it checked out. That wouldn't be until Monday.

Getting Ready to Roll!

During the weekend we became familiar with marina life. When we went to hook up our shore power we were tripping breakers for some unknown reason. We quickly assembled a committee of 6 guys with 6 different approaches and opinions as to what the problem was. Our boat uses twin 30A power, but we ended up with a single 30A source for the night. The next day we further troubleshot the situation and came to the conclusion that we needed to replace our shorepower cords. But all was not for naught, because on Saturday we got to watch a Mardi Gras boat parade. However, it paled in comparison to the boat parades we used to have on the Tickfaw. On Sunday Tracy and Milana brought us our main computer that we left at the house, and we went out for lunch and shopping to pick up some things. They were great to help us out.

Well, the mechanic finally made it to our boat today, Monday, and went to check everything out. Low and behold there didn't seem to be a problem with the cooling system in the slip, so we took the boat out on the lake and put her up on plane. The engines never move above their normal operating temperature, and the situation we experienced on Friday couldn't be reproduced. However, he did discover a crack in our starboard exhaust that was leaking the exhaust into the engine room. So, we decided to have that repaired and will be in Slidell until Wednesday or Thursday. Weather permitting, we will chase across the northern gulf coast then and head for our home in Fort Walton Beach and on to Panama City to meet up with friends.

Love Birds Next to Our Slip