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We have put together a plan to take as many classes in the next year as possible.  We are starting with engine maintenance to follow up on Gail’s one day introductory class at Mack Boring.

 

The marine diesel is the life blood of the boat.   It moves us to and from a dock, creates the electricity that produces water and powers our navigation systems.   In short, if we understand and treat these engines well our trip will be much easier.   Only one fly in the ointment.   I have no clue about engines.   That is why I chose sailing over motoring.   By the way, the boat has 4 fossil fuel engines: 2 engines for power (port and starboard), 1 generator (creates 110 power like you have at home) and 1 gas powered outboard for the dinghy.   As I have already mentioned, driving the dinghy is half the reason I am taking this trip. Rowing it to shore just wouldn’t be as much fun. Even Gail’s class was just a taster. As the self-appointed Headmaster of the boat, I had to make some plans:

 

 

 

1. Done: We both took a compressed week long class at Colgate Sailing in the BVI  (see other post).
2. ASA Navigation course and exam by mail:  Jason and Gail are half done our initial studying.
3. Radar class by Starpath:  Signed up for this but not very far yet. Also signed up for a 3 hour dose at the Miami Boat Show
4. Ham radio licesne:  Can do via the web.
5. Boat Maintaince class in the UK.   Looks like a great way to spend summer break.
6. Scuba class:  passed written.   Taking practical in Feb as long we don’t get canceled due to weather again.
7. Photography class for Jason
8. Spanish classes for gail (80% done Rosetta Stone and starting Coffee Break Espanol)
9. Weather classes (1 day seminar next month)
10. Royal Yachting Association has great online exams we can take to eventually reach Yacht Master.  I like the sound of that and like their course structure.  Covers stuff we learned at Colgate and ASA class but you can’t learn it enough.
11. Learn to fish.  A book and trial by doing is my strategy.
12. Celestial Navigation  (Steer by the stars.  More for fun than need)
13. First Aid

It feels like we have a lot of time, but before you know it we’ll be picking up the boat. Off to do some scheduling.

It was almost a year after making the big decision on boat selection and almost 3 months after signing the contract and we still hadn’t actually sailed on an Antares. All we could rely on was Jason’s knowledge of boat characteristics and performance and some praise from current owners. When Rob called asking whether we wanted to attend Antares U in Grenada, we immediately signed on. We had met a few of the other owners at the boat shows but this was a chance to expand our network, learn more about the boat, talk about boats 24/7 and, of course, get out on the water.

We have already mentioned that Antares is a small friendly community, always willing to help out. This goes one step farther with Antares U. Every year one of the current owners volunteers their boat for a few days, during which they invite prospective owners to visit, learn and sail. Laurie and Craig of Alberta Crewed were the generous hosts of 2011 Antares U.

We landed a day early and explored the main town, St. George’s. We walked the couple of miles from our hotel while speedy vans buzzed by, honking as they passed. We later learned first hand that the bus system on Grenada is a series of privately owned vans following prescribed routes. There is the driver and an assistant. They honk to try to accumulate more passengers and even when the bus is filled to the gills, the assistant produces a cushion, which must mean there is another seat and everyone squeezes just a bit tighter. We ate some great Roti at a restaurant overlooking the harbor and took in the relaxed atmosphere.

We enjoyed watching the girls dawdle on their way home from school and listened to the tune of everyone’s voices.
However, we were so excited to be on the boat the next day that we were a bit distracted.

The next morning we listened intently to Jeff (Antares) show us the various systems inside the boat. As Jason has noted, everything looks well organized and very accessible, if a bit daunting. When we were at the boat show in February, I had been intimidated by the notion of running our own city and needing to fix things on the water. Now, fresh out of one day of Diesel Engine intro, I was supposed to be more confident, almost boastful with my new knowledge of fuel injectors and cooling systems. After about 5 minutes of lecture and one question from Craig,

 

 

I realized that I still knew nothing.

That afternoon, we tried to set sail but a fouled line in the propeller complicated issues so we hung out, took a gazillion photos, chatted and headed early to the bar. Seemed a lot like University the first time around.

The next day was a tour of the outside of Alberta Crewed, including the generator, anchor, and rigging items. One day I will be climbing that 61 foot mast – I think we forgot to mention another feature of the Antares. The fixed bridges of the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) are a minimum 62 feet above the water. So as long as we watch the tide tables and storm surge, we can enjoy the inner waters on the East Coast as well.

 

That afternoon, we headed out for a sail and for the first time I took the helm of the Antares. It was so easy to sail that I hardly realized that it was blowing 17 knots. In the Vanguard 15 I would have been hiking. Other than steering, my favorite spot on the boat is the back bench near the dinghy davit. I am looking forward to many lazy hours there.

 

 

That night we met even more prospective owners as Antares hosted a dinner for our group and the group that were going to visit for the next two days. I wonder if our boat name will still be on the wall next time we visit. It is exciting to think that next time will be on our own boat.

It is time to get serious about the boat systems. We have already divided up some of the boat tasks and I raised my hand for Engines. We will have three diesel engines on the boat – Port, Starboard and Generator. I have always aspired to be a bit of a tinkerer but up to now it has been limited to disassembling and sometimes even re-assembling computers. Engines are a whole other subject and a bit intimidating to me. But, since I had the time, I decided to enroll in a Diesel Engine class. Fortunately, there was a nearby company – Mack Boring – that offers practical training.

The class was at the right level for me and the instructor was excellent. My fellow students all actually owned boats, were mostly a few years older than me, and were male. They were staying for the two day follow-on practical portion but at this point just learning the lingo is enough for me.

My biggest takeaway from the class was ‘read the manual and follow their maintenance instructions’ since every broken part that was handed around the class was broken because of owner error and misuse. I also learned about a mysterious part called the impeller that seems to disintegrate within a matter of seconds and seems very hard to remove.

While the best experience for troubleshooting engines is practice, I finally feel that I am advancing a bit and am looking forward to returning for part two.  — Gail