0615-Backed away from the dock and pulled into the river. 1.5-2.0 kts of current in my favor.
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| LEAVING DETROIT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR! |
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| BRIDGE BETWEEN US AND CANADA |
0745-Ship out on the Lake Erie headed my way, I'm hoping I beat him to my cutoff from the channel to avoid meeting him.
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| SEA GOING VESSEL LOADING OR UNLOADING? |
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| BLUE HERON STANDING ON THE ROCKS CURRENT UP TO 3 KTS IN THIS AREA |
0915-Just had a scary moment! I did beat the ship and was just turning to cross the channel when both engines slowed unexpectedly, wasn't sure what it was, but suspected a patch of weeds. I decided to quickly put each engine into neutral and then reverse one at a time to throw the weeds off the prop.
Stopped the right engine first and it died and wouldn't restart! Now I'm in the middle of the ship channel with one engine down and I'm not certain of the other. Last thing I need is to be dead in the ship channel with absolute calm.
I didn't trust fooling with the left engine so I let it run to carry us across the channel before I tried anything else. In the meantime, I pulled up the right engine to see if there was something on the prop, but nothing! I put it back down and tried to start again and got it to start, whew!
I did reverse the left engine once clear of the channel and continued on. The ship approaching now passed. SOG 5.7 kts.
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| THE SHIP DODGED! |
1030-20 NM to go. Looks like a 1430 arrival. Flat calm, sunny 82F. Cabin 79F. Plan to take a mooring on arrival.
1130-I am still not satisfied with speed versus engine RPM. It is low. So I decided since the engines seemed to be running okay it had to be drag, so I stopped and reversed engines in case their was something stuck on the centerboard or other part of the hull. But when I stopped and then reversed, the right engine reverse was completely gone. The engine just rev'd up, there was no resistance. It was not just slipping anymore. Great!
Perhaps the nuts on the adjustment rod came loose. I will look at it on arrival. If that is all it is, perhaps I can fix it. With only one engine in reverse it presents a huge asymmetric thrust issue and seriously affects control in tight docking situations.
After the right engine quit and seemed to start hard, I checked water flow on both engines. Actually the right had strong flow but the left was weak and much warmer as a result. I suspect an impending water impeller failure on the left engine. Another problem but on the other engine!
1200-A may day call over the radio. The charter boat "Chelsea" had a man in what they thought was cardiac arrest. Evidently he recovered but they were hustling him to the nearest dock for EMS. I'm passing right through the scene of Admiral Perry's battle with the British about now. 10 NM NW of Put In Bay.
1300-I can now see Admiral Perry's memorial from here. It is a 352' granite structure memorializing the sea battle of 1812 with the British right in this area. I'm already thinking the next stop of Lorain, OH as a possible fix place for the engines.
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| ADMIRAL PERRY'S VICTORY AND INTERNATIONAL PEACE MEMORIAL |
1445-On the mooring in Put In Bay. No lines, have to string your own. Must be a real challenge in weather!
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| THE BOARDWALK, THE CENTER OF ATTENTION IN THE HARBOR |
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| WATER TAXI SERVICE FOR THE MOORINGS |
1630-Will stay aboard tonight and grill a steak and take it easy. Will go ashore in the morning. Pulled up the right engine to see if the adjustment was loose, but it was not! Not good, must be an internal problem, so I may have to limp to Lorain and try to get it fixed.
1845-Had a wonderful steak dinner, with baked potato, hot roll, red wine and left over chocolate moose for desert. Will regroup tomorrow with the engine problems.
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