END OF THE SEASON THOUGHTS OF AN ELECTRIC SAILOR

BIANKA is back on land and stored for the winter. It was a fun season though I did not cruise as much as in previous seasons.  I did spend a lot of time on the boat pretty much living on board for the past six months. The electric propulsion system is still going strong and has once again been maintenance free all season. The AGM batteries are still holding up after six seasons as well.

A lot of projects I thought I would finish never got started. That's just the way it is when an hunting Osprey grabs your attention or a refreshing swim and a nap take precedence on ones day on board. Though I did manage to rewire the solar Bimini  a project which was long overdue.  I did add a few new items on board. I decided to replace the Honda BP 2 outboard that got drowned by Superstorm Sandy last fall. It was replaced by an Electric Paddle outboard which I will post a review about in the near future. I also installed an AIMS 48 volt 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave  Inverter. The inverter was purchased to be able to charge the Electric Paddle battery from BIANKA's 48 volt propulsion battery bank but, I bought a larger wattage unit  than those needs in order to use it for other devices in the future. I will post an evaluation on that soon too.

Most of this years action centered around the galley. A spring outfitting discovery of a corroded Gas header in BIANKA's twenty four year old stove caused me to rethink how I use propane on board.

That yikes moment caused me to experiment with alternatives to using the stove on board and I am happy that both Plan A and Plan B both worked out well for my cooking needs this season and so I will probably use them in the future. Another advantage of my new propane usage plan is some energy savings. I plan to spend some time this winter dismantling parts of the old stove to see if I can incorporate the new cooking burner into it's space.

Another discovery from the gallery was using some freeze dried items in meals for the first time. Namely freeze dried Blueberries and  Bacon Flavored Textured Vegetable Protein TVP .. Both products look likely to be items I will carry on board in the future as they mean less trips to land for provisions when cruising. The Blueberries tasted good straight out of the can for a quick snack and also worked well when one has a hankering for Blueberry pancakes:

The Bacon flavored TVP added some nice bacon flavor as well as being somewhat healthier than meat based bacon. Also it won't spoil as rapidly and and has no grease to get rid of. It worked well mixed in with scrambled eggs and especially added some nice flavor and texture to old standby meals of Ramen Noodles. With the success of these two freeze dried products I plan to expand the selection on board next season. Though the smaller can of Blueberries runs out quickly the two pound can of the Bacon flavored TVP was still half full at the end of the season. A double order of Blueberries and dividing up the TVP into smaller containers may be the plan for next season.

Now that the off season is here I hope to get a started on some of the projects I never got to during the summer. Because "messing about in boats" is always good no matter what the season.

ELECTRIC SAILING: Heading Home

Tweet

The Oyster Bay Oyster Festival is over and it's time to start thinking about heading back. Conditions were the reverse of the sail to Oyster Bay I made a week ago. The winds were now expected out of the west in the morning which was good for my easterly journey. Unfortunately, just like a week ago the winds were expected to be light only between five to ten knots. But, the sun would be shining so it would still be a nice day on the water.  But, like last week during my Columbus Day voyage I would need to get an early start in order to ride the last of the ebb current out of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor entrance and into Long Island Sound:

Not quite as early as the trip to Oyster Bay. I figured a 6 AM departure would give me enough time to get out into Long Island Sound before the flood current started to enter in the harbor. I would be bucking the flood current for most of the day but, that's a sailor's lot sometimes.

The alarm went off at 5:30 AM. I made coffee and had a blueberry muffin for breakfast. I had everything ready in the cockpit including even having the searchlight nearby. I let go the lines off the mooring at 6:11 AM. I raised the sail  and  fired up the electric propulsion system for a 10 Amp draw and was moving along at about 1.7 knots in the pre dawn of the morning:

A slight breeze kicked in and BIANKA was soon moving along at 2.2 knots. Even though I was motor sailing I could still hear the noise of the traffic along West Shore Road which was over a mile away as the residents of Bayville started their early Monday morning commutes to work.  A solitary Seagull was keeping watch on a buoy and appeared to be checking that things were clear as I headed toward Cold Spring Harbor bound for the sound
:

At 6:56 AM I was off Plum Point at the entrance to Oyster Bay Harbor. At 7:44 AM I was at Buoy 1 in Cold Spring Harbor having used 16.4 amp hours and the battery capacity had dropped to 92% .

At 8:43 AM I was in Long Island Sound off of Buoy 2 at Lloyd Point. The XBM battery monitor showed I had used 26.3 amp hours and battery capacity was at 87.4%. the current in Long Island Sound had also turned against BIANKA.

10:22 AM Found BIANKA off Eatons Neck and battery readings were 79.5% capacity and  showed the EP had consumed 42.8 amp hours in four hours of electro sailing. As I rounded Eatons Neck the Northport Power plant stacks hove into view:

They are hard to miss being 600 feet high and part of the biggest gas fired power plant on the east coast.
Here's a little Nav tip from Capt. Mike: When the Northport Stacks line up they point due north.

At 11:24 AM I was directly north of the stacks. BINAKA's electro sailing had consumed -52.7 amp hours and battery capacity was now at 79.5%. Usually by this point I would have fired up the Honda 2000 to start operating in hybrid mode and not draw down the battery bank much further. But, it was such a nice day even in the very light wind and I still was bucking the flood current so I kept motoring along. I had ducked into Smithtown Bay where the flood current was much weaker than further out in the Sound and was moving along at 2.3. knots.

At 12:05 PM the wind picked up from the northwest and I was moving along nicely at 3 knots so I backed down on the electric propulsion.

At 12:35 PM A gentle breeze developed so that I was moving along at 3.4 knots and I shutdown the EP completely after drawing down 65.4 amp hours and having a battery capacity reading of 69%.

Later in the afternoon I spied the Tall Ship MYSTIC that was docked in Oyster Bay for the Oyster Festival just north of BIANKA:

I thought they might be headed back to their homeport of Mystic Connecticut. But, they instead ducked  into Port Jefferson. Probably were on a cruise with passengers of Long Island Sound. 

I sailed on until the breeze started to lighten and fired up the EP once again to minimize the prop drag. By 2:22 PM The battery monitored showed 69% and amp hours used at 63.5.. I set the EP for a 10 amp draw. I continued on this way until about sometime around 4 PM when a nice 15 knot sea breeze made it across Long Island and BIANKA was soon sailing toward home at 5 plus knots which was a real nice way to end the day. At 5:10 PM BIANKA was back on her mooring. Where the final readings for the 20 plus mile electro sail were  85.3 amp hours and battery capacity was 58.9%. Battery voltage was 49.5 volts. I think a lot of the extra amps were to buck a hefty current coming out of the narrow harbor entrance as the current had once again turned a few hours before. Still BIANKA's electric propulsion system made for a delightfully quiet day on the water and showed that 20 mile legs are easily made in light winds without even turning on the generator during the whole trip.
Tweet

DESTINATION: THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL: Part Five

 Tweet
After having some sustenance at one or two of the many food booths at the festival and checking out a few of the craft booths located under the big tent I then headed over to the waterfront dock where the Tall Ship Mystic and the John J. Harvey fireboat were docked:

I bypassed the Mystic which is actually a fairly new ship and one that you can book passages on as it has a number of cabins for passengers on board. Though I did admire some of the details of the boat as I walked past:

Instead I headed for the retired New York Fire Department fireboat the John J. Harvey. Built in 1931 and it worked New York harbor until 1994. It was the first modern fire boat because it was not steam driven but, used gas engines. It was called back into service during the after math of the September 11th attack too. Climbing on board I was amazed at the access we visitors had to the boat and the things that were to be seen. Which is why I spent most of the afternoon on board. I started down in the engine room:

Which was filled with diesel engines, pumps and electric motors:

The Harvey operates is also a "bell boat" which means (other than steering) it was controlled from the engine room via commands sent down from the helm via a mechanical telegraph system which is on display in the engine room:

It is one of the last boats in the U.S. still operating this way. There is also another telegraph up at the helm and that's how the Captain and engine room crew communicate:

I was glad to learn that the John J. Harvey uses Electric Propulsion to turn the boats props. It has been operating with electric propulsion for over eighty years. Which bodes well for BIANKA's auxiliary electric  propulsion to last for a long time too!

Heading back up topside I came upon a display of extra nozzles for firefighting.

One of the things I found out is the Harvey is not just about fighting fires with the deck mounted spray nozzles.

It has manifolds located on the deck that  extra fire fighting hoses can be connected to if needed:

For a final treat of my tour on the John J. Harvey we were allowed to stay on deck as the crew put on a pumping display (which they did every half hour during the festival):

It was fun to watch the pumping from on board.


Even if the wind did shift and I and others on deck got a little wet toward the end of this video seeing the rainbow from the boat's spray was worth it:


What a great way to spend an afternoon. If you want more info on the John J. Harvey check out their website fireboat.org.

So that was my second day at the 30th annual Oyster Bay Oyster Festival. There were many of the food booths I did not get to sample and a few other things I did not get to do like take a tour of the Mystic. But, I think I may make this even an annual part of BIANKA's sailing season. I'm looking forward to sailing back next year with BIANKA.
Tweet

DESTINATION: THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL: Part Four

As I did yesterday it was only a cup of coffee to start my day. Breakfast would be at the Oyster Bay Oyster Festival. But, unlike yesterday Oyster's would not be the first thing on the menu. This morning it's ribs to start:

The Oyster Bay Festival takes place in three major areas from what I could see. Audrey Ave, The Midway and the Waterfront Theodore Roosevelt Park.

The entrance for those who arrive by car and are bussed to the site is at the end of Audrey Ave. The Ave is a tree lined street lined with booths from some of the local businesses and also others selling various crafts which is where I spent most of my time yesterday.

Then comes the Midway which is where those who travel to the Festival by the Long Island Railroad are dropped off:

As it's name implies it is midway between Audrey Ave and the Waterfront. It's good central location to start from. I also start near here as the marina where I moored BIANKA is just a short walk away. It is also an actually a carnival midway too filled with old time carnival booths:

Filled with games where stuffed animals are the prizes and real animals are part of the games. Like these goldfish :

and what's a Carnival midway without rides:



As I was making this video I was thinking the kids on these rides have been eating all kids stuff candies, popcorn, cotton candy etc... Things that might make them sick. So I thought it best not to spend too much time standing underneath some of these rides just in case. So I moved on to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park located on the waterfront.

There I found the Tall Ship Mystic and the John J. Harvey Fireboat that I observed entering the harbor Friday Night at the dock:

 I spent delightful afternoon on board the John J. Harvey Fireboat I will chronicle that visit in the next post.

CLICK HERE FOR THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL:PART THREE

CLICK HERE FOR THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL:PART FIVE

ONE YEAR AGO: Superstorm Sandy

It was one year ago that Superstorm Sandy hit this area.

I found BIANKA a thousand feet away from where I left her the night before Sandy came ashore. She was still attached to her mooring. The storm surge had lifted it off the bottom and the boat dragged it across the harbor. Luckily there was no real damage and she did not collide with any other boats. But other boats were not so lucky:

 My Honda BP2 outboard spent four days on the bottom of the harbor:

after the dock the dingy was tied up to broke apart and flipped the dingy:

Other than that I was lucky. The only major damage on board was from a bent up Charlie Noble vent stack:

This happen because I forgot to secure the forward hatch when I left the boat. The hatch was closed but, the 95 MPH winds of Sandy blew it open and smashed the vent.

Other boats suffered much more damage especially ones at the docks:

Others from collisions with other boats as they got dragged through the harbor:

Though compared to some of the other harbors and boatyards in other locations things were not so bad in comparison. In the aftermath of the storm since power and communications were knocked out on land for over two weeks. I moved back on board where things were more normal. Still there were a number of lessons were learned that I put into this post.

DESTINATION: THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL; Part Three

Tweet
I woke up and did not make breakfast and just had my usual early morning coffee in the cockpit there would be plenty of food at the Oyster Festival and I did not want to destroy my appetite for it by filling up before hand. At least that was my plan. I took the launch into shore for a quick shower and returned to the boat just long enough to thrown the shower bag into the cockpit and rode the launch back to the docks to start my first day at the Oyster Festival. The sleepy tree lined street Audrey Ave I toured the day before:

Was now devoid of parked cars and filled with people and booths for the Oyster Bay Oyster Festival. Below is a shot on Audrey Ave on Friday afternoon the day before the festival:

Here is that same view on Saturday morning the first day of the festival:

Audrey Ave was lined with booths selling all kinds of stuff from posters and crafts to LP record albums. But, I was there strictly for the food. I personally did not need any more "stuff" on my boat as it is.
Though there was one item I did take back with me.  Some might look at this item given out by a New York State education program as free back pack for kids:

 I on the other hand looked at it as Ditch Bag that I can fill with items I needed to take should I ever have to abandon the boat. The yellow color also makes highly visible. Which is a good thing. I love free souvenirs that also have a useful purpose on board the boat.

Though the food choices were varied and tempting such as this booth specializing in pickles:

 My plan this morning was to look for seafood I was not going to be distracted by pickles, fried Oreos, hot dogs, burgers etc... Though there were plenty of seafood booths available:

My first goal was to have some raw Oysters for breakfast. It was not long before I found what I was looking for:

A booth where they were shucking Oysters and selling them as fast as they were opening them. 

Mission accomplished! I tried my breakfast Oysters with various accompaniments. Lemon, cocktail sauce and hot sauce all were quite good. Hard to imagine now but, as I read in the book The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell  New York City use to have booths all over where people could grab a few fresh shucked Oysters as they easily as they find Hot Dog stands today.

  

Having had my breakfast Oysters I went in search of the second of my second cuisine goal of the day fried Oysters:

Again this did not require to much effort on my part and was also very tasty. With my primary food goals met I followed that up with a whimsical choice of Seafood Gumbo from another booth. By now I was full though somethings were still tempting. Like this booth selling a selection premium soda flavors:

 including a pewter mug with free refills. But, I resisted though I thought the pewter mug might come in hand on board BIANKA holding the contents of an ice filled rum concoction on a hot summer day. But, too late for that now maybe next year.

 After several hours of walking around I began to get tired and so I started to make my way back to the marina. The nice thing about attending the Oyster Festival by boat is one can easily head back for a nice afternoon nap. Though I was done with the Oyster festival for today the Festival was not done with me. For a few hours later I was treated to a wonderful fireworks show that was especially nice to see from BIANKA's location in the harbor:

That was a nice way to cap my first day at the Oyster Festival. But, I still had other plans for the second day which I will post about next.

Tweet

CLICK HERE FOR THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL:Part Two

CLICK HERE FOR THE OYSTER BAY OYSTER FESTIVAL: Part Four