Getting to Know Sweet Escape

Originally Posted at www.svsweetescape.com

With Sweet Escape almost empty it was a great time to clean her.  Who would have thought that in the simple task of cleaning you could learn so much.  

First off, unfortunately our weather has turned decidedly seasonal in April after a very warm stretch of days in March.  Seasonal in Wisconsin in April means cold.  No problem - turn on the heat  which thankfully works great. 

Nothing decreases stress like a good session of vacuuming.  Of course, on a boat, you need power at the outlet before you can begin.  Next, of course you need water to clean and that means making sure that the water is turned on and that the outlet seacocks are open. Is the water pump making the proper noise?  

Okay we have water that’s not turning to ice, so it’s time for some cleaning but what products to use? Drano is definitely a no no.  Liquid gold is good, Fantastic really is not that fantastic but it’s okay.  As one cleans, you can’t help but notice things.  Oh no, is that a crack?  Wait, no it’s just some dirt that is easily wiped up with some elbow grease.  After hours of cleaning  even though I’m tired and sore, I can’t help but feel happy. Sweet Escape feels more like ours and she does clean up pretty nicely too. 

We were even able to have guests which was a lot of fun.

Next up, continue to make Sweet Escape our home which means throwing junk out and buying new stuff. 

Time to go shopping.

Well, The Fridge Works

Yesterday was a big day.  We re-commissioned our fresh water system and started our refrigerator and freezer for the first time. (More on that later)  Why is that big you ask?

Well, boat plumbing is notoriously problematic.  We have 125 gallons of fresh water capacity on board but had no idea how much was actually in the tanks because our tank level monitor is out for repair.  We also had no idea what condition the tanks or the water in them would be in.

Brian filled both tanks and then flipped the water pump switch on the 12 volt electrical panel.  The pump came to life and started pumping...and pumping...and...pumping.  We heard the bilge pump go on and upon inspection noted that the water level in the bilge was rising.  Not good.  He also noted that there was water coming out of one of the two forward port side vents.  Water pump switch off, time to consult the manual and schematic of the water system that came supplied with the boat.

The vent that was leaking water is the water heater vent.  Okay, lets look at the water heater - and there it was.  Brian had forgotten to close the water heater’s pressure relief valve and water was spraying all over under the settee where the water heater is located and running into the bilge.

Fingers crossed we try again and it works.  No water going into the bilge and nothing coming out of the exterior vents.  Success.

And, most importantly we have water at all the sinks and showers.  The quality of the water is not bad.  It has a detectable slight chlorine and anti-freeze odor from winterization but that will go away over time and use.

The other achievements were the rigging of our dinghy davits and turning on our fridge and freezer.  Both of which are 12 volt units.  We filled the refrigerator with a case of bottled water and a twelve pack of Diet Coke and following the “more is better” rule, turned both on full blast before leaving for the night.

This morning, upon arrival aboard Sweet Escape Brian found that, you guessed it, the fridge works better than we expected and froze the Diet Coke, causing two of the cans to explode.  This caused a full bowl of Arm and Hammer baking soda which had been placed in the unit by the previous owner to overturn, it’s contents flung all over.  Mixed with the soda, the baking soda tuned into an icy brown sludge which coated much of the interior of the fridge.

Oh well, at least it works.

Sea Trial and Closing

Originally Posted at www.svsweetescape.com

This afternoon was our sea trial after which we closed on our boat.  Sweet Escape now belongs to us.

We were able to catch the 1:40 P.M. Main Street bridge opening and with Racine Riverside’s Brad at the helm and broker Steve aboard we motored down the Root River headed for Lake Michigan.

It was a sunny, crystal clear day with northeast winds 12-14 knots. It was cold, only in the 40’s but we both had an opportunity at the helm and she handles great.  This boat tracks as straight as an arrow and rode solidly in the two foot seas we found on the lake.

It is apparent that docking and undocking Sweet Escape is going to be an adventure.  On the way out the strong up river current grabbed her and pulled her out of the slip before Steve could even climb aboard forcing Brad to return to the dock and pick him up.  Docking after the sea trial was similarly exciting, requiring two people ashore to help catch us.  This is a large complex vessel and we can’t wait to get started sailing her.

The sea trial revealed three issues that will require further investigation.  First, the engine ran hotter than I would have liked.  Not overheating hot, but hotter than it should be considering it is sucking in 48 degree lake water.  Upon inspection some small plastic debris from the river was found in the engine sea strainer.  Service manager Marc of Racine Riverside felt that this could be the reason.  There is a problem with the helm chart plotter that they are going to troubleshoot and likewise they will investigate the reason why the fuel tank is reading empty when it is full.

By agreement of all parties, $2000 will be placed in escrow until these three issues are resolved and on that basis, following the sea trial, the papers were signed and taken to FedEx for a Tuesday morning delivery to the lender.  We expect the funds to be transferred and the transaction completed on Wednesday. 

See our gallery for a few photos from Monday’s sea trial.

We’re boat owners again!