Folly Beach - 2016

Dec 9 thru Dec 11

--Blogpost written by Bob

December 9 (Old Engine is Out!)

We visited the boat today and it is out of the water on jack stands and the old engine has been removed!  We are very pleased with the progress that is being made by Marine Propulsions at this point.

S/V Rainy Days is shown here on jack stands.
The bottom paint looks great!

The old engine is out of the boat and is
shown here sitting in the shop.

The new Yanmar 3YM30AE engine has been uncrated.
There are quite a few differences when
briefly comparing the old engine
to the new engine.

This is the new engine's front view
(which actually faces aft in the boat).

The new engine has serpentine belts instead of the conventional v-belts.  Several items on the engine are on different sides such as the oil filter, the air filter, and the heat exchanger, to name a few obvious ones.  For the most part, I see these changes as improvements for us since most items we must access regularly are on the the quarter`berth side of the engine.  The engine came with new motor mounts, a bigger 120-amp alternator, and a new instrument panel with a bigger, more visible tachometer.  A new exhaust elbow is also included with the new engine.

Should We Replace the Transmission Now?

This is the big question we are now facing.  The engine and transmission are both 33 years old.  The transmission has been rebuilt twice in its lifetime--the last time about 2 years ago.  The rebuilt transmission probably has about 400 hours on it BUT it is still 33 years old.  We are closely looking at the impact of cost and schedule right now.  Please leave a comment on this blogpost with your thoughts.

This photograph was taken from the bridge into
Folly Beach shortly after sunset today.  Folly 
Island is on the left side of this image 
while Oak Island is on the right side.

December 10 (Christmas Parade)

Last night the temperature dropped to near freezing.  During the day today, we experienced a temperature in the low 50's.  This wan't bad for a cold day.  Early next week, it is forecasted to be back up in the 60's and 70's during the day with a chance of rain.  Compared to Maryland winters, this is great winter weather and a great day for a Christmas Parade in Folly Beach!

The entire town is lined up along Center
Street to watch the Christmas Parade.

A flag team, possibly from a local high school,
adds some color to the parade.

Three police motorcycle units from North Charleston
dazzle the parade attendees with their riding talents.

A "Rudolf" truck represents a
local "toys for tots" campaign.

No Christmas Parade would be complete without
Santa Claus making an appearance.

December 11

As a point of interest to sailors and fishermen, there is a deepwater rocky ocean bottom feature approximately 90 miles southeast of Charleston called the "Charleston Bump."  This rocky bump is located within the path of the Gulf Stream (which is about 55 miles off the SC coast) and deflects the Gulf Stream offshore away from the coast of the eastern United States. This deflection amplifies the eddies and enhances upwelling of nutrient rich waters and is known for great fishing.

A three dimensional illustration of the "Charleston Bump"
in the Blake Plateau under the gulf stream.
(Illustration courtesy of NOAA)

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