Remote Decision Making

Making decision on updates to a 30+ ton Trawler Yacht that is located in Florida.... when you are in Indiana is a mental challenge. Fortunately with over 1000 pictures to refer to, and with Ken Fickett, the boat builder overseeing the updating, all is well. Trust is a precious commodity that is earned over time and if its deserved, can provide a connection between people that is very special. Trust is validated over time......

So we are in the middle of a major updates and a technological advance for QC. The installation of a NMEA 2000 marine networking system will enable us to have all the data necessary to operate our vessel. Navigation, AIS, GPS, voltage, amperage, pressures, vacuum, temperature, wind speed, course and bearings, depth, speed, tankage, even video cameras and whether there is water in the bilge and the list goes on.... all available on two separate computers (redundancy) and 5 touch screens or your iPad or iPhone. 

Here are some pictures of the Helm before the upgrade:

We don't yet know the exact layout...

Also QC's engines are services and internally acid cleaned, with all oils, (even the hydraulic steering systems) filters and antifreeze changed. The Transmissions and Genset serviced and ready to go, even toilets and vacuum pumps are rebuilt and resealed. All in a effort to gain extra reliability and a baseline from which to start.

Starboard Engine 75 HP Yanmar  4JH3-TE - Fuel injected and turbo-charged..

Port Engine..

We have ordered a new 12 foot Caribe T12 Tender and a new Suzuki 2014 engine. We have even installed a new high-tech Carbon Fiber winch cable on the davit wench to hoist the tender on and off the boat. Reliability and long-life are important in everything we are doing. A new air conditioner for the Saloon and a new raw-water AC pump, with the other two unit now serviced and cleaned and ready to heat or cool (where we live we need both). 

Even the bottom of the boat has been sanded and painted to protect it for the elements and critters that live in the oceans and rivers streams. The Props have be re-conditioned and coated with high dollar Prop-Speed to keep them clean. its only 10% more to do it right, which in the long run pays, in money and less frustration. 

Here are some before pictures:

After the bottom scraping, sanding and paint and ready to go in the water....

On Tuesday, the detailing crew is suppose to be on the boat to firm up the costs to wash, buff and wax the boat. I'm sure the fiberglass will come back to new condition, it just need some TLC.....

Quick Trip to Green Cove Springs

Well it's Wednesday January 1st 2014 and we are catching an early flight to Green Cove Springs to spend 5 days on Quiet Company. Delta to Atlanta then south to Jacksonville, jump in a rental car and head further south. We now know the drill. We closed on the boat purchase Dec 5th and this is our first opportunity to go south and check out what we bought. Our purchased included all the equipment that was on the boat that was needed to "operate the boat". The previous owner was a Good Captain, organized and willing to acquire the equipment and spare parts that one would want if they where going to sail away for months at a time to a location that is remote (no marine store next door). We hoped the needed equipment was left behind and we were no disappointed! The previous owner was a good steward and we plan to continue the same due diligence.

Like before the first day was full of rain..... But for us it was OK. The boat has a tremendous amount of storage (full of stuff). We had no problem utilizing the available time sorting through what was there and and not, as well as learning where everything is located. 

But we did get away from the dock on Friday on our first "solo" piloting the boat on our own and it was a dream! The boat just glides through the water and the 70,000 pounds of displacement provides a smooth confident ride.   The boat was full of fuel 1300 gallons of diesel and we filled the water tank to 3/4 full (300 gallons) of water. 

As we pilot the boat its hard to believe it now belongs to us!

The Admiral is bundled and cozy in the Pilothouse, keeping an eye on our course and training a new Captain.......  

Viv has the Galley ready to go!

W

The wind was blowing south but the autopilot had no problem steering a straight path.

We are secure on the hook (anchor) and consider day three a success...

On day four, again checking out one of the more that 105 storage compartments I discovered a section of the bottom that was cut out to accommodate the rudder assembly. Wow, the hull fiberglass thickness exceeds one inch of woven fiberglass. This small piece of the bottom my thumb is on had to weigh 10 pounds! In the future, we will at sometime bump the bottom of the boat....the thickness of the bottom (count the layers of fiberglass) provides so much piece of mind that this one discovery (and confirmation on the structural integrity of the boat) made my trip, and helped to validate that, the extra money we had to spend to acquire at Great Harbour trawler, was money well spent!!

 The top piece of material is a piece of the Nida Core Deck that was so light but so strong that it too was impressive. The use of this honeycomb core is just awesome (strong, light, and buoyant) and the result is decks that don't flex as you walk, strength and lightweight produced a boat that is not top heavy and is unsinkable boat.

We did have one period that was a challenge. We departed our anchorage to cruise upstream to practice docking at the Corky Bells Gators Landing dock. As I approached the dock I was practicing a sideways maneuver and the rudder would not return from full lock to starboard. Now this is an event that gets our heart beating fast as you realize you now have limited control and you are now drifting downstream. Well, we considered dropping the anchor but we were in the navigation channel so that was a last resort. Instead, I used the bow thruster with forward patient nudging forward and was able to make it over to the dock and tie off. With the wheel stuck to the right we call Ken Fickett (the boats builder) and after and hour of trying this and that we got the hydraulics UN stuck! We are confident we will figure out what caused the problem.....

So the mission south was a success. We developed our punch list of item we want to address before the boat heads for Indiana. We went from 70 degrees in Florida to -6 degrees (windchill -20) in Indiana upon arriving home. With my truck frozen (the doors frozen shut) we had to rent a car to get home. But three days later temperatures did edge above freezing and we were able to recover my truck. 

Now we are planning our next trip south. Hopefully we will soon leave the dock and start the 2000 mile journey back to Indiana!

Go Pro time lapse on the St Johns river, Palatka Florida on Spoonbill a Great Harbour N-47

Here is a link to the YouTube video we did with my GoPro Camera. Not the best but our first time using the camera It was shot at 1 photo every 6 seconds (10 photos per minute 1000 photos total). 

http://youtu.be/8ma-jDM9X10

Well it's Official

We are now the proud owner of the Motor Vessel John Henry (soon to be renamed and christened Quiet Company) a 2006 Great Harbour GH-47 Trawler.

The last few months have been filled with many ups and downs, excitement and anxiety as we a lot of time evaluating, contemplating, wondering should we buy such a large boat.

So many questions like:

Where will we keep it?

How will we get it home?

How much work will the upkeep be?

Does this boat layout best fit our needs?

Will we really enjoy it as much as we think?

Are we spending too much money (or not getting a good deal)?

How much money will we burn through owning it?

What will we be able to sell it for?

What else does the boat need to be fully operational?

What about insurance, taxes, maintenance and operating cost?

Will our family and friends join us and enjoy the boating lifestyle with us?

Will we be OK with being away from home for extended periods of time?

Will it be as much fun as we think it will?

Etc...etc...etc......

So the decision point came and we decided to commit. Do we know all the answers...many but not all... but as with many things in life you can analysis, and calculate until your blue in the face, but at some point you have to decide and we decided to go for it!

Was it a good decision, "Time will Tell"....

After all....Its what life is...It's an Adventure!

A New Adventure begins....GH-47

Today is November 17, 2013 and today I started a new adventure. I flew from Evansville Indiana back down to Jacksonville Florida. From there a rental car back to Green Cove Springs to stay overnight on the motor vessel Spoonbill.

Spoonbill which is the boat that we chartered back and September for a week on the St. Johns River. We became interested in Great Harbour Yacht's after touring Joe Pica's boat and Randy Semper's boat in Owensboro Kentucky on their way down the Ohio River. We had the opportunity to take them to dinner at Moonlight barbecue and thoroughly enjoyed touring their boats. As I learn more and more about the great Harbour yacht's I continued to be impressed. This summer we spent two weeks on Great Harbour yacht an N37 and a N47 (37 and 47). When we first came into Green Cove Springs John Henry a GH 47 was anchored at the marina. The boat was for sale and Ken Fickett the manufacturer of Great Harbour yacht's gave us a tour. After having spent two weeks this summer on  N-37 and a N-47 we were very impressed with the quality of the workmanship and the solid feel of the boat.

 This was also reflected in the GH 47 motor vessel named John Henry. John Henry is more of a pilothouse trawler versus a ocean cruiser and has three bedrooms 2 1/2 baths and a full pilothouse. It shares the same hull design from the rub rail down as the N47. Long story short we started negotiating the purchase John Henry and have made an offer which has been accepted and I'm now in Florida for the survey. The survey for a boat is essentially the same as a house inspection for buying a home and of equal importance. The boat will be hauled out of the water, the bottom power washed and a surveyor will be here on Tuesday to analyze and check out the boat. Assuming no major deficiencies are found we will accept the boat and John Henry will be ours.

Survey Continued...

Next the surveyor moves on to the interior of the boat and the on board equipment. While underway on the sea trial, the engines are checked to see that they are running properly and there are no leaks of any fluids. The genset is running with a load from the air conditioning electric cooktop, etc. The plumbing is tested included all toilets, sinks, washer and dryer, microwave/convection oven and dishwasher all are operating normally. The GH-47 has a large galley with full size appliances.

Galley....

Stairs to the pilot house..

And the pilot house...(the L Settee makes into a queen size bed if needed) with storage underneath, the  sunshades on the windows to keep the sun from damaging the furniture.

Behind the pilot house is the watch cabin with a queen size bed...

Plenty of cabinets for cloths and a half bath to the left.

At the foot of the watch cabin bed is a fold down TV (down in this picture).

The TV raises up for viewing and more storage underneath. The boat has over 100 compartments for storing lots of gear and supplies.

The saloon is very large (16 foot wide), the dog does not go with the boat...

There is  a large flat screen TV with surround sound for movies and satellite TV tat tracks the satellites in the sky as the boat is on the dock or on the move. The sole of the boat (floors) are Teak wood and Holley. The walls look like bead board but are actual solid bulkheads made of fiberglass. The white color we like for the light and large feel and can be clean simply with a Mr Clean Magic Eraser. So many boats look and feel like a trailer on the water but the Great Harbour feels and is very substantial which provide a feeling of safety and comfort. We also like the pass through to the galley. 

This is the view from the galley sink looking into the saloon. Lots of windows will afford and open and airy feel while a the dock or while cruising. The door lead out onto the aft cockpit..

The cockpit even has a third set of engine controls to use when backing into a slip.

Stairs leading to the pilothouse..

Master Cabin with seven foot ceilings...

With a built in desk...

And a master cabin with ensuite head with full size shower....

Guest cabin with queen size bed and Pullman's style fold-down bed...

The engine room is spotless! Lots of room to move around the engine and get to the systems...

And the engine room can be entered through a mahogany door in the utility room 

The a fly bridge is great for warm summer days...and nights....

We cant wait for summer to come!

Well the survey went fine with no major issues noted. So next we will fly down and run the boat on the St Johns River to be sure all is in order then we will figure out how to get the boat 2000 mile north back to Indiana!

The Survey of GH-47 John Henry (soon to be renamed Quiet Company)

Well the day (11-20-2013) has arrived for the all important survey on the GH-47 John Henry. We have made an offer on the boat and it has been accepted contingent on my acceptance of the survey. The survey of a boat is essentially the same as a house inspection is when you are buying a house. The major difference is there is more to inspect. On a boat, on which you are capable of living aboard (for a long periods of time) has many systems. The boat has to be independent. It has to carry and/or make its own water and also heat it. It must process or hold until pumped out its own waste water. Make and store its own electricity, heat and cool its own interior, all while being able to travel safely under its own power. And there is that safety thing, proper communication and navigation systems. The boat must have all the needed safety features required by the US Coast Guard, with all electrical power wired and plumbing installed to code. All of these systems must be capable of operating in an often wet, hot, cold and dry/humid, daylight and/or dark environment. It all makes for a really great adventure.....  

As a purchaser you are certainly looking for a vessel that was manufactured to a high quality standard and has been well maintained with an owner that has paid attention to the detail (and that is where this GH-47 shines). It is obvious the original owners were anal, with a real disposition to take care of the boat). Also the construction of the boat must meet the requirement for the type of boating one plans to do. The boat you would want to have to cross the ocean would have a very different set of requirements, than a boat that will be primarily used to cruise inland waters with the occasional trip to the Bahamas or Dry Tortugas. For us, we wanted a boat with a shallow draft to reduce the chances of running aground in the rivers/lakes and the ICW. There is a big problem of shoaling in the Intercoastal Waterways (ICW). Dredging is low on the government priority list be it the ICW or Inland Rivers and Lakes. And many marinas like our own Inland Marina here in Evansville, only work to maintain a reasonable depth (5-to 7 feet). The GH-47 only drafts 3 FEET of water, making it an ideal boat to cruise the "Great Loop". It has a one inch+ solid fiberglass hull, to the rub rails, with keel protected props and is built with purposed quality and is very solid (in look and feel) We could have set the boat on the ground and it will stand up straight just like, in the water (how cool is that).

It is hull number 4 of only nine GH-47 boats built by Mirage Manufacturing in Gainesville Florida. We feel very fortunate to have been in the right place, at the right time, and are able to buy one of the nine (they don't come up for sale very often)! The company is owned by Ken Fickett who is also the Listing Broker for John Henry. That has special benefits given Ken's intimate knowledge of the boat as the boats builder. Mirage has manufactured hundreds of boat from sail boats to sport fishing boats to trawlers like the N-37 and N47 and the GH-37 and GH-47. The GH-47 is approx 47 foot long, 16 foot wide, and weighs in at +/- 32 tons. It is powered by two 75 horsepower Yanmar diesel motors and has a top speed of 8.5 Knots (9-11-MPH). At top speed it only burns 3 gallons of diesel fuel per hour. If interested you can learn more detail at:     http://www.greatharbourtrawlers.com/gh47.html 

This is a picture of John Henry taken by the present owner in the Bahamas. The boat we are buying is in the foreground, the boat behind is a N-37 also built by Mirage. As you will see for its length the boat is very spacious. It has three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths (heads) both with showers and one with a full size bathtub (more on that later)! 

 Here the boat is being readied to be hauled out. Not to be taken lightly with a 30+ ton boat.

 In the slings and out of the water awaiting a bottom scraping and powers wash.

Scrap off three years of barnacles and gunk (the boat has not been used for three years, the owners had an illness in the family that required them to abruptly stop boating and return to Texas). So it is in need of a good detail and wax, but that is yet to come. For now its scrap and power wash so the surveyor can do the hull survey (check it for damage and or any needed repairs to the bottom, the props and shafts).

Now power wash the bottom, then power wash the exterior of the boat.

And after the hull survey it is back in the the water...

and now...

Next, its off to the sea trial to run all the systems and prove out the mechanicals on the boat. Remember that once you make a written offer, the survey is your last opportunity to discovery what is broke or breaking, and assess if anything found is a deal breaker. Until you accept the boat (contingent to the survey) you can still reject the boat and get a return of your deposit. Once you accept the boat its yours, with all the joys and expenses ownership will bring. Boats are just like houses, everything is broke (just not yet). The cost of owning the boat is largely set at the time you buy it. Cost like insurance, taxes, dockage, upkeep and fuel expense can be estimated. Take fuel for example... a boat that burns 3 gallons of fuel per hour (3 X $4.00= $12 per hour) is a much different operating cost that a boat that burns 30 gallons per hour, (30 X $4.00= $120 per hour). The 30gph boat will certainly get you there faster (with a great big wake) but every mile per hour of extra speed has an additional cost.

 My work and everyday world has been like running 100 MPH everyday, (for 40+ years)...in the future...traveling a 9 MPG for some reason, seems just right, when your cruising without a hard and fast schedule, on a big...heavy....boat!

Next the balance of the survey.....