Time to pull the boat - Days 232 to 234 - Charleston to Georgetown,SC

We departed at 9:46 AM for the 65 mile trip to Georgetown.  Our route took us past the battery then northeast along the main channel where we turned north on the ICW just before Fort Sumpter.

View of the Battery and antebellum homes along East Bay Street

Having learned my lesson (see "Food for the flies"), I installed the screens prior to leaving Charleston.  It proved to be a good move.  Fortunately, the flies stayed on the outside.  However, to keep the flies out we also had to close the windshield vent window and the sun roof.  For the first time on the journey, we ran the bridge air conditioning, which kept the temperature at the helm 77 degrees while it was 90 outside.  Not bad.

Running with screen installed

Most of the run was against the current, which accounts for the fact that we burned 42.9 gallons to cover 65.3 miles.  Still reasonably efficient.

We arrived in Georgetown at 5:15 PM and docked at Hazzard Marine.  It was a long day on the water.  We took 55 gallons at $365 per gallon.  Wish we could have bought more at that price but 55 gallon drums do not store well on the 48.

Georgetown proved to be a lovely place.  That said, we spend most of Sunday inside to escape the heat, humidity and flies (the same type that ate me alive).  Even so,we were able to enjoy the historic downtown.

Folks dressed up as pirates

Lovely river walk

Charming shops onthe water

On Monday morning, we addressed the main purpose of the Georgetown visit; pulling the boat to inspect the bottom and running gear.  It had been over six months since the boat was lifted at Dog River Marina in Mobile to power wash the bottom and install the spurs on the starboard shaft.

Surprisingly, the bottom was in pretty good shape after six months in salt water.  Note: Warm salt water with lots of time at the dock is the perfect environment for marine growth including barnacles.  We observed moderate growth at the waterline to the chines, light growth on the bottom itself and heavy growth with barnacles on the transom underneath the swim platform.  The greater the exposure to the sun, the more intense the growth.

Notice the heavy growth on the swim platform hydraulics and underwater lights

Power washing and scraping solved the problem.

You can see the growth that is yet to be removed

The next order of business was field checking the props.  We determined that the starboard prop had tow blades that were slightly bent, one out from a hit on the Tombigbee River and one from the soft grounding in Sarasota where I backed the boat off the sandbar.  Fortunately, the damage was not severe as there was no discernible vibration at speed.

I had intended to switch out the props regardless of whether damaged was discovered.  The spare props that were installed in Green Turtle Bay proved to be slower by two mile per hour (yielding a max cruise at 2400 RPMs of 28 MPH).

Original equipment props installed

The other purpose of pulling the boat was to check the zincs.   Zincs prevent damage to the shaft, props and other in-water metals from electrolysis.  Electrolysis occurs when there in an electrolytes between two different metals.  Salt water acts as an electrolyte.  What happens is the less noble metal is eaten away by the electric current.  Zinc being a lesser noble metal sacrifices itself and thus prevents damage to the more valuable (noble) metals found in the props (brass & nickle) and shafts (stainless steel).

Transom zinc 40% gone

Zinc on swim platform mount 70% gone

There are  four sets of zincs. The main one on the transom 4 on the swim platform hydraulics, two on the trim tabs and two of the shaft spurs.  Unfortunately, Hazzard Marine only had the ones for the trim tabs.  So the changing of the zincs remains "unfinished" business.  We will hire a diver as soon as we assemble the needed units.

Written by Les.