Sad today and also glad to be on our way to the Warm South.
We are headed to Boot Key Harbor for the winter. We will miss our friends at Jekyll Harbor Marina, so many good times! Scott does such a  good job of running the small marina on the western shore of the prettiest island we know of. Our hopes are that Scott stays as dockmaster and the JIA does not do any more development on the jewel in the crown of Georgia's coast.

Alan, Arden, Kathy, Mark and Susan, Scott and Honey and Dave saw us off helping with the lines on a beautiful Sunday morning to leave on. Susea was hoping Grady and Pearl Ann were coming too!


Made good time to Cumberland and St. Mary's then we fought the tide to Jax. Southern Comfort was behind us and we ran into Sandra and Ron on their SV Sandra Louise south of Amelia Island.
White Caps passed us in the Cumberland River

Fernandina Marina 

This one gives new meaning to roughing it.
Susea let the dogs at the marina know she is a big dog too!
We went on by the Ft. George river and decided to anchor across from the park north of Sister's Creek bridge.
We towed the office gopher

Susea has Dolphin watch and Capt. Jean pilots. I feel like I am in a dump truck with no brakes compared to our previous sailboat.
The park has a face dock and dog walk area. The anchorage is good holding, fast current and in  a no wake zone.
The next morning we discovered there is a free 72 hour dockage in the creek just off the channel opposite marker G85, no power but water and restrooms. We found a pumpout but it was not working. This is a Jacksonville Florida  park.

FWC was writing tickets for speeders in the no wake zone around the bridge.

The anchor windlass acted strange and popped the breaker then would not spin at all after setting the hook.
Next morning it would not respond even after I cussed it soundly and hit it a few times with a hammer.
Sunrise @ Sister's Creek

The anchor winch decided to quit. I could hear the relays working and the motor bumped but would not rotate. 

It is a powerful Bosch electric motor. old school built to be rebuilt several times. If I had continued to try it I would have burned the commutator. As it was the brushes were stuck and the commutator need cleaning and undercutting. 

Stuck brushes, Always mark your pieces before removal.

Commutator and bearing with brush plate removed

Clean out the parts so that everything works free.

Gently sand the brush holders and the brushes. If they are worn down you will need new ones.

These are common carbon/copper brushes. The cheap electric motors made now are not inclined towards any rebuilding.

Remove the old brushes carefully as they are brittle

The comutator is divided into sections with a epoxy insulation between sections. They wear and brush material build up causing the motor to not work. 

Gently clean the groove out with a square steel screwdriver.

Polish up the copper armature with sand paper. A good electric motor shop can rebuild if your motor is in any worse shape.

The springs are used to hold the brushes out of the way during reassembly.

A member of the Greatest Generation taught me how to rebuild starters and generators when I was a teenager. Mr. Snead Johnson was in the Battle of the Bulge and ran a Electric Motor Shop in Carrollton Ga until his passing. To see how an electric motor works watch this video  http://youtu.be/1qXVaAhmbY8

Assembly is easy if you took pictures and marked your parts.

Tighten the small brush screws carefully and watch how they line up. Don't forget the spring must press in on the brush
Susea has dolphin watch and barks when she sees them.
This cross is a landmark for coming in St. Augustine from the Atlantic
St. Augustine light
Saw this at boatyard Jax.
Restaurant just south of Bridge of Lions
All fixed, Capt Jean piloted the boat while I worked on the motor.

In St. Augustine we made a fuel stop at Jay's Fuel Dock. http://cruisersnet.net/sponsors/inlet-marina-st-augustine/ Tony and Jay are the best! $3.85 for diesel. Tony handles the lines and it is an easy stop for fuel.  It is located just south of the bridge before you get to St. Augustine entrance.


We are at Rivers Edge Marina for a night or two.  $1.50 a ft.http://www.29riversedgemarina.com/
 Southern Comfort is here also. Going to Sailor's Exchange and walk around a bit. More later..........






















Comments

  1. I assume the windlass motor worked after you cleaned the commutator bars and freed up the brushes. It is good you are a master Mechanic.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your great pictures and for sharing your adventure.

    ReplyDelete

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