T&T: AT34 - what I did in my vacation - way too long

[Dennis OConnor]

Well, as promised, I am reporting on our trip to Florida to do some
boating... Wound up with an American Tug 34, the Heather Michelle, from
SouthWest Florida Yachts at Marinatown in NOrth Fort Myer...  These are nice
folks and I recommend them...
We arrived Thursday night, drove from Orlando-Sanford to North Ft. Myer in a
frog strangler rain, and slept aboard...
Friday it was still raining,  dismal, and gusty, but the seas were flat...
Given the Admiral hates everything that begins with the letter "B", and
especially boats, I opted to hang around the docks instead of going out in the
sheets of rain (good decision on my part given the poor condition of the
lateral marks I saw when we did go out)... Later in the day we drove up to
Manasota Key to inspect our place there (had not seen in 3 years) and then
drove back...
Saturday was a hard NNW wind pushing the water out of the river coupled with a
low, low tide... I decided to try getting out into the ICW anyway (dum dee dum
dumb)... No joy...  I gently probed 4 or 5 places about a boat length apart to
enter the cut and went aground each time - yes, I was right where I should be
and the plotter agreed...  Being that I went ahead dead slow I simply backed
off each time...  After 20 minutes of this I turned around and went back to
the dock... Eased Heather Marie back into the slip (narrow) with narry a touch
of the fenders - complete with compliments from the dock workers there...  Not
bad for someone who has not conned a boat in a decade, at least... (brag,
brag, brag)
The good folks offered us an extra free day with the boat to make up for being
land locked, but our schedule did not allow for that, nice offer though... 
The consensus of the other skippers on the dock was that the extra low tide
coupled with the wind blowing the water out of the Caloosahatchee River had
brought the cuts down below 3.5 feet...  There was not a single boat moved out
of the marina that day... The next high tide would be after dark, so that was
out...  After thinking through my total ignorance of the the area and the
narrow cuts and shallow waters, I decided to ask for help - see momma, you
didn't raise a stupid child after all...
 
Sunday, we went out with a hired Captain (nice guy) to show me how... He
promptly went aground (gently) exactly where I had been aground the previous
day...  Be aware that I did not crack a smile (by great effort)... He backed
off maneuvered around a bit and finally came up with 1.5 feet under our keel
and we were awaaaay - he allowed later that "the bottom moves around a
bit".... We had a great day and motored around the Sanibel Island / Cape Coral
area, did lunch at a great restaurant, and generally behaved like the monied
gentry we are not... 
Monday, he came back for a another half day and we ran up the Caloosahatchee
to the lock for entering the fresh water portion of the ICW crossing
Florida... We did not lock through as I wanted to be tied up and leaving by
3PM...
 
About the Heather Marie:
We ran 13.6 hours on the engine meter, and it took exactly 20.0 gallons of
diesel to top off... I generally ran at 1400 rpm and reduced to 1200 in the
Manatee zones... This is sipping fuel... These new common rail engines are
efficient, even at near idling, and Cummins knows what it is about...
The boat is 20,000 pounds and handles the waves like it is heavier... It feels
solid and gives you confidence that it can handle lots more weather than you
can...  She answers the helm promptly and tracks arrow straight...  The only
quibble is the two and a half turns lock to lock makes reversing course take a
bit longer than I would like if I were maneuvering in tight quarters or
fighting a quartering stern sea...
The fuel filters, water filters, valves, etc. are well done and ABYC compliant
(that I could see)... This is a boat that, in the few days I had with it, I
would have no hesitation owning... It oozes quality...
Everywhere we went she got compliments - and many of these came from folks on
lots bigger boats...
 
I would change the electric stove for propane... Move a couple of hand
holds... Find a way to read the sight gauges on the tanks without standing on
my head... And make storm shutters for the pilot house windows and install
solid mounts for them - those are mighty big windows to take a solid hit of
green water...
 Anyway, we left Michigan in 11 digrees, and arrived back into 16 degrees...
Even though Florida was cool while we were there it was a pleasure compared to
home...
 

denny / k8do