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02/11/2012, Miami Beach, Florida
Battery chargers galore
Any device which recharges your in-use or discharged battery bank is a battery charger. A battery charger can have different faces. For instant, your engine alternator is a kind of battery charger. The alternator's job is to recharge your battery up to maximum. The standard alternator is good enough to do the job. A standard alternator has a built-in regulator which controls the flow of electricity to the battery without harming the battery. But is the regulator efficient? No! It will waste a lot of charging time to bring the battery up to snuff. It does fine in a car where your motor runs for hours on a highway. We may include a speed boat which does the same, but a cruising boat, trawler, sailboat or motorhome running on fuel efficient low RPMs, the built-in regulator will slave, waste time and have a hard time to fully charge up your starter or house bank. Here it would be advisable to replace the built-in regulator with an aftermarket smart regulator. These smart regulators can be easily fitted. (look at the last picture of this write up)
These smart regulators for alternators are a real blessing for boat owners. They incorporate very smart thinking into the charging technique. It begins with ramping up the belt load on the drive belt to prevent belt slipping and belt wear. Which is, it starts with hardly any load on the alternator pulley and then gradually increases the load to the alternator's rotor pulley as your diesel engine warms up. You don't have the sudden jerk on the alternator belt with the momentary wear and tear you would get on a fully loaded alternator start-up. The regulator provides multi stage charging and some of them have temp sensors to sense the temperature of the alternator itself to reduce the workload of the alternator when it gets too hot. By doing this it permits the pulley's fan blade to cool down the copper windings to prevent a burnout of the alternator. Another temp sensor will sense the battery temperature on some top model smart regulator. In my opinion, a smart regulator for an alternator is the only way to go these days for a boat owner. It lets you charge your batteries with the main engine fast and efficiently. The charging power of an alternator with a smart regulator should not exceed 25% of the battery's bank capacity.
The other way to get good charging power is to replace the standard alternator with a high performance alternator which incorporates already a smart regulator or, fit a high performance alternator as a second mounted alternator. It can be done. On Diesel Duck, I mounted a BALMAR 100 amp alternator piggyback on top of the diesel engine. See the picture above.
Another kind of charger is a solar panel mounted onto a boat. The panel or panels could be fitted to the guard rails or on top of a pilot house, or on a stern mounted arch. Solar panels are very efficient during daylight hours. Especially in sunlight they are true performers and cost efficient. Most cruising boats have them and could not do without them. They harness more electricity than wind generators and doing this quietly without noise. A solar controller is the smart regulator for solar panels and should give you the choice of selecting the battery type: Wet cell; Gel or AGM. On Diesel Duck we have a 300 Watt array consisting of 4 panels mounted on top of the pilot house. Let me tell you, these solar panels provide us during daylight with enough electricity to run all the 12 volt stuff, like: electric toilet, water pump, sump pump, lights, ventilators, 9 cubic ft. freezer, under counter fridge and the 120 volt inverter for laptop computer etc.
Wind generators are chargers too, many boats have them. You see them mounted onto stub masts on the stern or on tripods on top of the wheelhouse. Sometimes they are fastened to the rigging. Some wind generators produce a remarkable amount of electricity in a strong wind of more than 18 knots. But you will hear the noise. It can only be a woosh, woosh, or some produce a disturbing noise, which sounds like the devil is loose in the rigging, very annoying to the neighborhood. The high end wind generators come with a built-in regulator or external regulator. These wind generators will safely charge the battery bank. Other wind generators have no regulator and their manufacturers preach you could charge your battery bank up to 2-1/2% of the bank's capacity unregulated. But some wind generators pump out 25 amps in peak times and when you are in a windy area where it blows 25 knots or more for a day, I would say: "Ho, ho, hold it there!" When 25 amps equal 2-1/2% unregulated, this means my battery bank must be of 1000 amp capacity to eat this kind of power without being cooked. Which boat has that kind of 1000 amp battery bank? It must be a big boat. Diesel Duck's battery bank capacity is 950 amp on the house bank. The average cruising boat's house bank capacity lies by 500-600 amp. The 2-1/2% bracket is by far too much, 1% is more realistic. A wind generator without regulator should be treated with caution. They are being sold, so please watch out!
I talked about alternators, solar panels and wind generators. These are the faces of battery chargers. The only one which is left out is the unit you know as a battery charger. The actual battery charger you plug into an AC outlet to charge the batteries. They come as the "el cheapo" 6 amp unregulated charger. Next, the "off the mill" automotive charger with built-in amp meter. To top it up then, there is the real McCoy the famous smart battery charger, like the charger in the picture above.
The "el cheapo" unregulated charger is a no good choice at all. Most of them pump out up to 6 amp. Unregulated charging of a battery bank should not exceed 1% of the bank's capacity. In this case you should have a 600 amp battery bank capacity, otherwise, it will be cooked when you don't watch it. Stay away from these chargers.
The "off the mill" automotive charger with built-in amp meter is regulated and can be used. Some even have a battery type selector switch which lets you switch between flooded or sealed batteries. Flooded is wet cell and sealed, is AGM batteries. The charger's power should not exceed 10% of the battery bank's capacity. For gel batteries, this charger is not designed to charge these. These types of chargers charging voltage will exceed 14.1 volt and this is too much for gel batteries. To use this charger, you hook up the charging leads to the battery. The black lead to the minus pole and the red lead to the plus pole, then plug the AC cord into a 120 volt outlet. Now you watch the amp meter and when the amps go down, the battery is charged and you unplug the AC cord. In case you forget to do this, you got yourself a problem. It will slowly cook your battery. So this type of charger cannot be left unsupervised. I recommend using a smart charger for a marine battery bank.
The smart battery charger is the best way to charge a battery bank when tied to a dock or under anchor. Tied to a dock, you use the shore power and under anchor, you fire up the Honda generator or your built-in diesel generator. Smart battery chargers are multi stage chargers, most of them are 3. stage chargers. Some top of the line smart battery chargers have even a 4. stage and a 5. stage. The 1. stage is the bulk stage, which does the main job in charging with a constant current. The 2. stage is the absorption stage with a reduced current charge. The 3. stage is the float stage, with an even more reduced current charge to maintain a small charge without damage to the battery for the period of time it takes you to get around to switch the charger off. The 4. stage is the equalizing stage to equalize wet cell battery banks once or twice a year. The 5. stage is the maintenance stage to leave your batteries plugged in when the boat is in storage.
These smart chargers can charge wet cell, gel or AGM batteries. The battery type is selected via soft switching, dip switches or slide switches. The top of the line smart chargers have provisions to connect battery temp sensors and can charge more than one battery bank at the same time. There is a domestic series of smart battery chargers which accept only the 120 VAC 60 cycle input on the AC side and there is the international series of smart battery chargers which accept any voltage from 80 - 260 V AC and any cycle from 40-80 cycle on the AC side input. These specs vary from brand to brand. With the international series you cover every different country's voltage and cycle (Hertz). A smart way to go. When selecting the size of the smart battery charger, the size should not exceed 25% of the battery bank capacity by wet cell batteries. Example: 100 amp battery bank = 25 amp smart charger. By gel batteries it could be high as 30% and by AGM batteries up to 40% of the battery bank capacity. It can be less, but never more.
How long does it take to charge a battery? It depends on the age of the battery and the size of the charging equipment. But one thing is for sure, a flooded wet cell battery is quicker charged because the fluid electrolyte which consists of 35% sulfuric acid and 65% of distilled water and with the lead antimony plates is more conductive than the lead calcium plates with the absorbed glass mat electrolyte of the AGM batteries. It takes longer to charge AGM batteries, but on the other hand you could use a bigger smart charger on AGM batteries and this will speed up the charging process, right!(thank you Cosmos of "Koukla" for pointing this out).
How do we charge our batteries on Diesel Duck? In the morning hour we start the 120 V AC diesel generator and switch on the 4. stage battery charger, which is part of our 2500 watt sine wave inverter/ charger from Trace (model: SW 2512). The charger part pumps out 150 amp. Part of the 120 volt AC from the diesel generator will go toward toaster and coffeemaker. After an hour of charging the house bank, we shut the diesel generator down. Now our solar panel array of four mounted solar panels on top of the pilot house roof takes over and supplies enough 12 VDC for the day up to 19:30 hour. At that time we start the diesel generator (5 KW Northern Lights) up and switch the battery charger on until 21:00 hrs or about 1-1/2 hrs. There is plenty of 120 volts available to use electrical kitchen tools while preparing dinner and to watch a movie with the surround sound Bose system going. At 21:00 hrs we shut the diesel generator down. In the morning when we get up the built-in panel voltmeter still reads 12.5 volts.
Diesel Duck used to have an "Air-X Marine" wind generator mounted on top of the pilot house roof, but it blew the brake circuit of the built-in regulator during a strong gust in Venezuela in July 06. Had it fixed by the manufacturer, but the Air-X Marine is designed to shut down at 28 knots of wind. Down in Patagonia by Cape Horn we had to tie the blades always up. The wind blows generally between 25 - 50 knots down there. Too much wind for this brand of wind generator and we did not want to risk blowing the brake circuit again. The bugger was noisy as hell too. We sold the unit in Grenada and at this moment we are not sprouting a wind generator on Diesel Duck. The recuperated dollars found a new good use when we purchased an international 4. stage Sterling 20 amp battery charger with auto ranging AC input at Island Water World in Grenada, which could eat the worldwide different voltages. I wired a short pigtail extension cord with a 120 volt plug to it. The Sterling battery charger has its own built-in muffin fan for cooling and has thus far worked well without any hiccup!
This concludes the 4 part battery and 12 VDC power talk write-up.
|SSCA Member
02/03/2012, Miami Beach, Florida
Our stay and all the hustle and bustle in Ft. Lauderdale came to an end this week. My parents had just left to return home, when Benno removed a couple of mast brackets and the antenna arch from the pilothouse roof. Then he worked on the logistics of taking our pilothouse door off. The powder coating was flaking off from seven years of exposure to the weather, dunking with saltwater on the way to Cape Horn and being baked in the strong Caribbean sun. Thanks to the Internet, we had dug up a suitable powder coating company here in Ft. Lauderdale. This company had in-house sand blasting and would do the blasting and powder coating on the same day, keeping in mind that we only have one entrance door. But, for goodness sake, they wanted the stuff at their shop at 6:30 a.m. Man, this disturbed our routine, being on a leisure cruising boat, when you have to get out of the sack at 4:00 a.m., dismantle the door, take off all the hardware, hustle the stuff into the dinghy, drop the skipper off to get the already rented rental car, then get to a dock where you could load the car with the stuff, and it's low tide, which makes it more difficult. But hey, we managed. JAS Powder Coating did a good job. By nightfall we had the door back in place while the other items could wait for reinstallation.
The picture above is of the wheelhouse arch after the powder coating and before we mounted it back onto the roof with the Furuno GP-37 GPS antenna to the left,
the Wheeler award winning police speaker in the middle, and
on top of it the amber strobe light which we can exchange for a blue bezel (as a pirate deterrent)
behind the strobe light: the Wirie wifi antenna for Internet access, and
to the right: the JRC-NCR 330 Navtex Receiver antenna.
Not always having a car at our disposal, we make good use of it when we do rent one. So the day after, we thought we do a little shopping at Wal-Mart Super Center. It's not a good thing to do that on an empty stomach, so we stopped at Lester's Diner, where we enjoyed a good solid brunch. We had never eaten there before and as it seems to be a landmark here in Ft. Lauderdale, we thought we'd give it a try. The place was packed while we were there, which is always a good sign for a restaurant.
At the Wal-Mart Super Center we couldn't help it, but had to take a picture of the guard tower of Broward Sheriff Dept. at the Wal-Mart parking lot. This is something we Canadians do not see back in Canada. After doing our "little" shopping, I sure was glad that our car was equipped with a large trunk to hold our purchases. Just imagine if we'd gone shopping on an empty stomach!
A couple of days ago, Benno started to reassemble the antenna arch while I stayed in bed with some kind of stomach flu. My mind was not focused on writing a blog while I was unable to keep any food down and my tummy sounding like the Howler Monkeys back in Panama. I concentrated mainly on negotiating the quickest way to the bathroom.
Now that I am feeling better, the captain has got some of that what ailed me for a couple of days and is eying the Imodium. Oh well, the mounting of the arch and wire reconnection can wait until Benno is well again.
|SSCA Member
01/24/2012, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami
Two weeks with Mom and Dad went by in a flash. Yesterday we said goodbye at the airport as they flew off to a cold, wet and foggy Hamburg, Germany. Yes, Florida with a temperature of 79F was a nice vacation for them. They got to experience a trip with Diesel Duck on the ICW from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami with all these irksome opening bridges to manage. On the return trip we motor sailed on the Atlantic in perfect, sunny, no wave weather with a fantastic view of the famous Miami beach which they had visited a couple of days before when the wind was up. Of course they went shopping at Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road in Miami, where they marveled at the hundreds of antique sewing machines that were on display at the "All Saints "store. My dad was working in a US Army POW camp as a sewing machine mechanic after WWII, had repaired many of these Singer machines for them back then. He always says he got more and better food to eat in the US Army POW camp, than as a soldier in the Wehrmacht. We all went on dinghy excursions and Benno and Dad sometimes on their own to explore the many canals, while Mom relaxed with a book. A day trip to the Everglades and along Alligator Alley gave my parents an opportunity to look at the wild Alligators and an understanding of the vast area of the swamplands. This was a nice visit with our family that ended too quickly.
|SSCA Member
01/19/2012, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The House Bank
The house bank is the heart of your boat's 12 volt system. It makes your life pleasant on board. It powers your cabin lights, feeds your sailing instruments, autopilot, anchor alarm with electricity, drives your entertainment center for music or movies, etc. It makes it possible to have a freezer and fridge on board. A cold beer tastes better than warm beer. To size a house bank, you add all the amps your 12 volt consumer will use in 24 hours together. They add up to a surprising number. Then add another 20% (for added future 12 VDC toys) and this total number multiply by two. This magnificent number should be the size in amps of your house bank.
You might ask: "Why multiply it by two?" Well, you don't want to discharge your house bank no more than 50% before recharging it, otherwise your charging equipment has to work overtime and this could mean generator noise for many hours on some boats. I'd say, using AGM style batteries to build a house bank on boats or RV's is today's the best choice. AGM batteries can be discharged down to 20% of their capacity without recharge them, but I don't recommend that. They are truly maintenance free and don't vent out hydrogen gas while being charged. They are considered to be extremely safe batteries. Wet cell deep cycle batteries are still common in house bank application, like on "Diesel Duck", but giving more and more way to AGMs.
On Diesel Duck the house bank, like I mentioned in a previous write-up, is a wet cell 950 amp deep cycle battery bank consisting of 2 pairs of Trojan L16H-AC batteries each 435 amp and one Trojan 24 TMX 80 amp battery. The L16H are 6 volt batteries and two in series become 12 volt. The L16H are floor sweeper batteries and are designed for deep discharge. To counteract the hydrogen gas release during the charging process, I fitted or replaced the original vent caps with Hydrocaps Catalyst battery caps from the Hydrocap Corp in Miami, Florida. Tel. 305 696-2504. These caps turn the hydrogen gas into water. Recently, we noticed that the L16H size batteries are now starting to being manufactured as AGM type batteries. So the next time, when we have to exchange the L16H batteries, we will replace the deep cycle wet batteries with AGM batteries. I met a boat owner with a Manta Cat in Santa Martha, Colombia who told me that his house bank of AGM batteries was 13 years old and still fine without giving him a battery trouble headache.
As indicated in the previous #2 write-up, a boat with fully charged AGM batteries on bord can be left in storage for quite a time. The AGM batteries lose only 2 - 3% of the charge in a month. This means you can leave your boat in Trinidad on the hard during the Atlantic Hurricane Season. Once you get back to the boat in December, the batteries still have an almost full charge. You don't have to worry if the charging cord is still plugged into your boat or some bozo has unplugged it down in Trinidad while you are home in Canada or the USA. Even if he did it, the charge level is still in a okay bracket when you return to your boat to resume cruising in the lovely Caribbean islands. For wet cell deep cycle batteries this could mean a death sentence!
The future house bank in a few years to come will be built out of lithium ion Batteries. They are already very common in consumer electronics, but for now, a 12 VDC marine lithium ion 330 amp battery from Mastervolt costs as little as $ 8360.10 incl. free shipping in continental USA. Cheers!
In the next write-up I'll talk about battery chargers and charging.
|SSCA Member
01/16/2012, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami
Last week my parents arrived for a visit onboard Diesel Duck in Ft. Lauderdale. Mom, 84 years young and Dad, 87 are enthusiastic company we try to keep up with. On an excursion on the Jungle Queen, Mom took to the wheel on the upper deck, but to actually steer a ship, we let her steer Diesel Duck along the Intracoastal Water Way, where Steven Spielberg's yacht the "Seven Seas" was moored.
The "Seven Seas" ship is 282 feet long, keeps a crew of 26, accommodates 12 guests, has a heli-pad, gym, spa, massage room, cinema, an infinity pool with a 15 foot glass wall that also becomes a cinema screen. She was built for $200 million, but you could rent her for only 1.3 million a week.
|SSCA Member
01/05/2012, Bimini, Bahamas
Picture: a Wet Cell deep cycle Trojan L16H battery of Diesel Duck's house bank. Please notice the Hydrocaps.
In the previous write-up, I wrote about the 12 volt stuff in general and left off with an explanation of the 12 VDC starter bank. Before I write about the house bank, I'd like to touch first the different battery types used on a boat for the house and the starter bank: a.) Wet Cell battery - b.) Gel battery - c.) AGM battery - d.) Lithium Ion battery!
1. Wet Cell battery 12 volt DC (VDC) for short time power burst in starter application
2. Wet Cell deep cycle battery 12 VDC for a long time storage of 12 volt DC power to run all day as a house bank on a boat or RV, maybe on a forklift truck or a floor sweeper in commercial application.
1. and 2. are the second oldest type of batteries in use, invented 1859 by a French physicist Gaston Planté and consist at the present time of lead antimony plates submerged in sulfuric acid electrolyte contained in a strong plastic housing with 6 cells (each providing 2 VDC) and vent caps on the top to let the generated gas escape when they are being charged and these caps permit the service expert during maintenance to add or replace the electrolyte or for you to water the battery.
A wet cell starter battery has no place on a boat (explained in the first write-up). The use of a wet cell starter battery should be left to the automotive and heavy equipment market where this type of battery still serves a purpose. A wet cell deep cycle storage battery still has its use in a house bank battery on many boats or RVs. Our "Diesel Duck", as an example, has a 950 amp wet cell deep cycle house bank. Today there are better batteries on the market and I would go now a different route when buying batteries for a house bank (more about that further down on this write-up) Wet cell batteries, starter or deep cycled are high maintenance batteries. They need to be watered frequently and at least need to be equalized twice a year. I will explain watering and equalizing further down. These batteries must be mounted well aired. One of the biggest handicaps is the problem of slow discharging to nil, which occurs when you store the boat for a longer period of time. Wet cell batteries will discharge even if every power consumer is switched off incl. the parasitic load like some hardwired inverters, where the display is alive (these buggers can be a 1 amp parasitic load an hour). Wet cell batteries can discharge up to 20% a month (depending on their age), when no charge is applied. There is no guaranty from the boatyard where your boat is stored on the hard, that the power cord to your boat will not be disconnected and your plugged in charger can keep your batteries charged up. A tropical downpour can shorten out the power cord or the other friendly guy is using it for a drill or grinder with the good intension to plug it back into your boat, but he forgets.
You get back to the boat and discover that your house bank is totally discharged and toast. You need new batteries then. Total discharged wet well batteries cannot be recharged. Gel and AGM batteries can be recharged with no problem by a smart charger.
The lead plates in each wet cell are submerged in electrolyte up to the top of the plates and then are being topped up with distilled or ionized water just to 1/8 inch underneath the filler neck of the vent cap opening. This water mixes itself with the electrolyte and evaporates during the charging process by turning into hydrogen gas. There is a device on the market and it is called Hydrocap. These Hydrocaps are filled with a mineral and this mineral will convert the hydrogen gas back into water and this water drips back down into the battery cell. But still in a certain time period the battery will lose some water and you have to replace it. A very important point is, you first recharge the wet cell batteries to a full charge between 12.6 VDC and 12.8 VDC before you remove the vent caps and do the maintenance watering. This is extremely important, so please remember this. Also, please never use ordinary tap water for watering batteries. You have to purchase distilled or ionized water. Both are widely available at supermarkets or at gas stations. To water the battery, remove the vent caps or Hydrocaps, look at the water level. The water level should be up to 1/8 inch below the filler neck. If it is below this level add more water with a measuring cup to bring the water up to the 1/8 inch level below the filler neck. Do not overfill, the mixed water and electrolyte will spill when the boat is healing over by wave or wind action. That stuff is very corrosive. Fit the vent caps back!
During the slow discharging process while the batteries are working in providing you with power to run your 12 VDC equipments like fridge and freezer, watching TV and having the inverter running for 120 volt etc, the batteries will sulfate a little and build crystals on the lead plates. This process is a normal occurrence and over a certain time period, these plates will pack up with crystals resulting that the batteries get handicapped and the charge holding capacity is reduced. To counteract this, there is a process and this is called equalizing.
Equalizing a battery is the controlled boiling of the electrolyte with a high voltage charge to remove lead sulfate crystals which have collected on the lead plates inside of the battery. You may do this every 6 months, but your battery charger must have a setting for equalization. The best time for equalization is when your batteries are discharged and you have access to shore power or a generator. Removed the vent caps or Hydrocaps. During the equalization the batteries get hot, produce a lot of hydrogen gas and acid mist, this mist damage surrounding surfaces. This means you have to keep all doors, hatches and ports wide open for a good breeze inside your boat. Hydrogen gas is explosive, so don't smoke, shut the galley down and give the chef a few hours off. No flames! Shut every 12 volt system down and start your charger, select the equalization program and equalize for not more than 2 hours. After 2 hours switch the charger off and let the batteries rest for at least a 1/2 hour. (Now you could use a hydrometer and test each battery cell and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte, knowing then the condition of your battery or even find out that you have a bad cell and have to replace the battery. This will add more misery to your daily financial burden) Your batteries are now fully charged and you have to check the water level. During the equalizing process their was some loss of water, which you have to replace now. After done this, close the cell openings with the vent or Hydrocaps. Turn your battery switch back on!
Picture is: Diesel Duck's old Gel starter bank battery.
Gel battery:
These batteries are a good choice for a boat owner. They don't gas and they are totally maintenance free. This type of battery was pioneered by the Sonnenschein Company in Berlin, Germany at the end of the seventies, which is now owned by Exide, USA. Gel batteries can serve as a starter battery and limited as a house bank battery. Even when completely discharged (this would kill wet cell batteries), Gel batteries can be recharged without damage to the batteries. One thing, which would kill Gel batteries and could make them dangerous, is a higher than 14.1 VDC charger voltage, it will build up a gas pressure, pop the safety valve, release the gas and that gas can explode. An off the mill automotive battery charger should not be used. Any smart charger where you can select the battery type is the one and only choice of charger to charge Gel batteries. Why called Gel batteries? The electrolyte is gelled with silica dust into a paste and in addition lead - calcium plates replacing the in a wet cell battery used lead-antimony plates. Diesel Duck has used Gel starter batteries for 12 years without any problem. They got fully discharged during a storage time and after recharging in 2005, they served us well. The Gel technology is over 30 years old and like everything else, this technology is replaced by a newer and better one as time moves on.
Picture is: Diesel Duck's new AGM starter bank battery
AGM battery:
Now this is an even better choice for the boat owner. Maybe at the present time the best choice. AGM stands for absorbed glass mat battery and they are different to Gel batteries. The electrolyte is not gelled, instead absorbed into boron silica fiberglass mats which are wrapped around specially ratio lead-calcium plates and hermetically sealed into the celled plastic housing. The technology was developed 1985 for military aircraft, but the first AGM cell was patented by the Gates Rubber Corp. in 1972. AGM batteries can have flat or spiral form rolled lead-calcium plates. They are totally maintenance free, can be mounted in any position and charged by any off the mill automotive charger. Of course this is not recommended. AGMs are dual purpose batteries and can serve as starter and storage batteries. Good as starter bank or house bank so to speak. To charge this type of battery I would use a smart charger, an alternator with a smart regulator, or, if you have a large solar panel array, a smart solar controller. AGM batteries don't like being overcharged, which is similar to gel batteries. During longtime storage, AGM batteries loose only 2 - 3% a month of their charge, a very important factor for the seasonal boater.
12 VDC Lithium Ion battery. Picture by Mastervolt. NE
Lithium Ion battery:
This is the new kid on the block. I have seen only one Polish built Catamaran in Panama with these batteries. Like in laptops, iPhones and cameras, this technology is creeping into the marine market. These batteries weight a lot less than their lead cousins and present a weight saving for the racing sailor. Most of these new technology marine batteries need a special lithium ion smart charger to charge them up. The Dutch company Mastervolt has pioneered a special 320 amp 12 VDC lithium ion battery for the marine market. These batteries have built-in pc-boards which enables the boat owner to use a normal smart charger to charge the lithium ion batteries. You have to keep an eye on this new marine technology, but for now hold on to your wallet.
In the next write-up is the House Bank on the plate.
|SSCA Member
01/03/2012, Bimini, Bahamas
The New Year is coming in like a lion. Diesel Duck sits snug under anchor in Bimini waiting for the blustery weather to subside to make her trip across the Gulf Stream to Ft. Lauderdale. Now is a good time to post the first write-up (of 4) of the promised 12 Volt stuff from Benno.
|SSCA Member
01/03/2012, Bimini, Bahamas
For some weeks I've been harboring in my mind to write up something about batteries and charging. This theme is quite complex, it forced me to turn it into a four part small series of write-ups. Here is the first part:
On a boat you have a lot of equipment which runs off your onboard 12 Volt battery system and some equipment which run on 120 Volt, like a laptop computer, TV, power or kitchen tools such as perhaps a toaster, mixer or even microwave oven. To get 120 Volts to run the equipment you may have a portable gasoline driven Honda generator on board, or even a built-in 120 VAC diesel generator. When no generator is on board, another way to get 120 Volt is to have an inverter. An inverter is a unit which converts direct current into alternating current, in plain English it changes 12 Volt DC into conventional 120 Volt AC and allows you to use your favorite 120 Volt device when no AC outlet otherwise is available.
To your information, 120 Volt is called AC and 12 Volt is called DC. AC stands for alternating current and DC stands for direct current. The AC and DC explanation is beyond the scope of this write-up. You may read up about this topic in electrical engineering books. Never touch a live wire of 120 VAC, it could kill. On the other hand, you could touch a 12 VDC wire and not feel a thing. Power voltage up to 40 Volts is in most cases not life threatening. But if you have to work in your boat on a live 12 VDC system, it is common sense to remove all jewelry like rings, bracelets and wristwatch from your hands or wrists just to be safe and not to shorten out any blank wires or terminal screws accidentally. This is really very important, when you work with live battery cable. These heavy gauge cables could hold a lot of current (amps) and when shorted out by jewelry, it could melt the jewelry gold or silver metal and burn the wrist, finger or hand severely. So please remember this precaution!
The 12 VDC power is generally stored in one or more batteries and this is called a 12 VDC battery bank. This battery bank provides you with 12 VDC power to run your equipment like: lights, radios, depth sounder, radar, GPS and all the 12 Volt things you have on board, even the inverter, which makes the 120 Volt AC. This kind of 12 VDC battery bank is called normally a house bank. The other kind of 12 VDC bank you probably have on board is for starting your diesel engine or the diesel generator and consists of one or two batteries, is called a starter bank. Talking about batteries, the first electro chemical battery was invented 1800 by the Italian physicist Alessandra Volta, hence since the name Volt.
The Starter Bank
The starter batteries are engineered differently to batteries you would use for a house bank. Starter batteries have thinner and more plates, they can deliver a power burst to your engine starter, but do not like to be deep discharged from a night long of watching movies on your TV, while fridge + freezer all is hooked up to your 12 VDC system, it cuts down their lifespan. This is the job of a house bank. The starter bank provides quick enough power to the engine starter to start the diesel engine. The starter on the diesel is a very powerful electric 12 VDC motor which turns the engine's flywheel and this fires up the engine. This starter motor draws for a very short time an incredible amount of power out of the starter battery bank. Once the diesel is started and running, then the engine's alternator which really is a small generator that generates 12 VDC while running, will pump quickly enough 12 VDC power back into the starter battery bank to fill it back up with sufficient power to run your instruments and other things. It also provides enough standby power to start the diesel engine the next time you have to use it. On "Diesel Duck" the starter battery bank consists of two DEKA Group 27 AGM 12 VDC batteries which are installed in the engine room and they are charged by the original 14 VDC 70 amp PERKINS diesel engine mounted alternator, which is made by Lucas in the U.K.
This alternator is an of the mill alternator with a standard built-in regulator. This alternator was built to EC standards and the charging voltage does not exceed 14 VDC and this is within the compliant spec in charging GEL batteries, where the charging voltage should not exceed 14.1 VDC.
A battery starter bank's location is best close to the diesel engine to avoid long battery cable runs. Taking in consideration that the diesel engine generates high temperatures in the engine room or compartment, it is advisable to mount the starter battery very low toward the fiberglass hull or hull plating of a metal boat to benefit from the water cooled hull's skin temperature. If the engine compartment is very small, the starter battery might be mounted next to the engine outside of the compartment or engine box. This will keep the battery temperature down. During a charging process the battery generates its own temperature additionally to the ambient temperature.
As for the battery, please shy away from using a flooded wet cell as a starting battery in a boat. This type of battery will produce a gas when being charged. This gas is hydrogen gas and explosive. A flooded wet cell battery being confined to a not well aired engine room or compartment could present a danger of explosion in contrast to an automobile, where the engine battery is well aired underneath the hood. It makes more sense to use a GEL or AGM battery for a starting bank, they are virtually maintenance free, don't gas and will not require to be topped with water (eliminating to check the water level periodically and adding water when necessary).
On our Diesel Duck, the starter bank is mounted just above the keel, close to the aluminum hull plates underneath the diesel generator's mounting platform. Originally in 1999 we started out with two DEKA made Group 27 GEL batteries and they lasted up to April of this year. That is 12 years! From these 12 years, the batteries were stored after a short 120 nm trial run of the under construction Diesel Duck in Aug. 1999 for 6 years and since the launching of our boat in 2005, these batteries were in normal service. In April of this year these batteries showed signs of not holding a charge anymore and the time had come to replace them. We exchanged them with two DEKA made AGM batteries in Colon, Panama in April of this year!
In the next write-up, I will talk about the different battery types and battery maintenance.
|SSCA Member
12/31/2011, Bimini, Bahamas
We are in Bimini now after leaving Chub Cay on Friday morning. OK, we don't have to be back in Ft. Lauderdale for another ten days, but knowing the weather forecast and acting on it is the key to happiness or the difference between a cake run and perhaps a miserable trip. Being a motor vessel not needing a lot of wind to propel us forward, how could we not take this opportunity and cross the approximately 75 miles across the shallow banks? A cold front is predicted with strong winds and afterward again calmer seas but it looks like only a small weather window which would not be long enough for us to move from Cub Cay all the way to Ft. Lauderdale. Therefore we'll be spending New Year's Eve and a few days here in a lovely spot next to the Bimini Bay Resort in North Bimini.
Last night we stopped in front of Cat Cay where we anchored for the night in absolutely flat, calm conditions. This morning Benno tried very hard to con a fish to bite the hook on the fishing line we were trolling for the 5 miles to Bimini. No luck. No wonder, because we were competing with a fleet of sport fisher boats crisscrossing our wake at high speed and all the fish must have been scared with such a noise and turbulence. We probably will have better luck to find the fountain of youth, which is apparently somewhere in the area. Actually, there are large stone steps underwater just off Bimini which go into nowhere. Is here "Atlantis" the sunken ancient city with the fountain of youth? It doesn't matter, because we are both 39 years old and holding!!
Benno and I wish you a prosperous New Year. Look for some interesting write-up about 12 volt stuff on this blog in the next few days. Benno is putting together a series about batteries, chargers and charging. So stay tuned.
|SSCA Member
12/30/2011, Frazer Hog Cay, Bahamas
If we are staying in one spot for too long, we feel like we are growing roots there. This is now a reality with Diesel Duck, because her antifouling paint has pretty much stopped working what little there is left of it. So when the wind changed direction in Chub Cay and the weather forecast predicted southwest and then west winds with accompanying swell, we were motivated to revisit Frazer Hog Cay. That was a good choice for the clocking wind and once again we were sitting pretty snug. So given this opportunity, we took some more pictures of the presently closed Berry Island Club. There is a rumor that it will open again in 2012. Hopefully this will materialize as the following pictures show that the setting is really nice. But we would advise caution if you decide to take a mooring, especially if it appears to be an older one.
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12/23/2011, Chub Cay, Bahamas
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!
Instead of doing a mass mailing to our ever growing address book, we'd like to share our Christmas letter with you through our blog and hope everyone will be able to have access to internet service.
Benno and I have had a wonderful time this past year on Diesel Duck. Twelve months ago we arrived at the San Blas Islands of Panama where we got lost for half a year among the 360 islands. Amazingly, the days, weeks and months flew by while we explored the little palm covered islets, swam, snorkeled, fished, photographed, partied with cruising friends and bought Molas from the Kuna Indians. Sheryl and Paul Shard, Canadian friends of ours, visited us to film another episode for "Distant Shores" which is available on DVD and being aired on National Television. In the spring, I made a trip home to Canada to see our family and since the flight was from Panama City, it gave us another opportunity for some shopping in this great city. Because the San Blas Islands have very little to offer in terms of groceries, "stocking up" really meant if you didn't have it onboard, you had to do without it. At the end of May Diesel Duck spent a month at the Shelter Bay Marina in Panama, where we took delivery of a new diesel generator which Benno installed and hooked up while we were at the dock.
On June 6th, the great news reached us that we had become grandparents for the second time. Annaliese Lili joined her sister Heidi Elise and we are thrilled to have two cute, beautiful, healthy and smart granddaughters.
Summertime meant hurricane season and both of us longed to be in some cooler and drier climate for a while, out of the hurricane area. In no time at all, (you readers of our blog know that when Diesel Duck is on the move, she moves!) we were up in the Chesapeake Bay where we found a great, free of charge, mooring at the Weems Creek in Annapolis. Although by being there we had traded the great clean waters of the Atlantic for the brownish rivers, the charming town, great shopping opportunities for all our hearts desires and nice summer temperatures made up for it. And of course the fine people we met there and became friends with were all worth it. However, being all the way up north didn't get us away from the hurricanes after all. "Irene" made it up to where we were, but thank God, we only had some strong gusts during the night and only suffered "No Internet Connection" for a week afterwards because of downed power lines.
After the Annapolis boat show in October, Diesel Duck headed south again, taking advantage of all the good weather windows, which afforded us to hang around some anchorages ahead of schedule. We participated in the annual get together of the Seven Seas Cruising Association in Melbourne, Fl and afterwards headed for Ft. Lauderdale, one of our favorite cities, because so many marine oriented companies are located there and as all boaters know, there is always a need to buy more stuff!
For the last month of this year we decided to head over to the Bahamas to enjoy the clear water, do more swimming and snorkeling and spending Christmas and New Year here. My parents will be visiting us in January in Ft. Lauderdale, so Diesel Duck will be heading back to host them. Our cruising destinations for next year will include again the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Have a great holiday and please keep the emails coming!
Marlene and Benno
P.S. Santa had to hold on tight because it's windy here in the Bahamas.
Our two lovely granddaughters
Memories of our snorkel adventures
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12/20/2011, Berrie Islands, Bahamas
Hardly awake yet at 6:30 a. m. on Monday morning, we listened to Chris Parker's broadcast on SSB radio from his Marine Weather Center, where he provides a detailed weather report for the Bahamas and Florida Straits. He started his weather report by asking for any emergency or priority traffic. Usually there aren't any, but right then a station came in to ask Chris to make a phone call on behalf of Ken from the Canadian sailboat "Sail Away" to his family and report that the mooring he had been on had broken loose in the Frazer Hog Channel and the crew was unharmed, but the vessel was in trouble and aground on shore.
We were wide awake now. A few days ago we wrote about the uncomfortable chop we had experienced at that place and it was still blowing a good 20+ knots with higher gusts. There is no Sea Tow or Tow Boat US here on the island. There were three US flagged sailboats at the site swinging on mooring balls and that was it. We made the decision to lift our anchor right away and see if we could be of assistance. The going was wet and slow for the 5 nautical miles with the current against us. We registered 30 knots of wind at times. Finally we anchored right in front of the stricken vessel.
Ken, the owner, came over in his inflatable dinghy and we asked what we could do to help. He told us that sometime during the night at high tide; the mooring had broken loose and started drifting. Although he had deployed his Bruce anchor, with the strong gusts the boat grounded on its starboard side just a few feet from the rocky shoreline. He was lucky in a way that the boat was laying on a sandy bottom.
Benno offered to dive and snorkel around the boat to see if he could find a possible path to pull her off. The captains of the three other boats "Mutual Fun", "Kismet" and "It's About Time" were already in their dinghies and had helped to set additional anchors to stabilize the boat. Benno found that to starboard and port was sandy bottom and shallow, but straight ahead some 35 ft. the bottom deepened to 6 ft. and more. The "Rescue Team" as I call the four captains, did excellent teamwork and labored hard for the next 6 (SIX) hours it took to get "Sail Away" floating again. The two anchors were reset far ahead forward port + starboard in the deep water channel with Nylon lines which would act like rubber springs, when under tension to propel the boat forward once she got unstuck. Another anchor was set 45 degrees to port to steady the boat and another anchor was set far away to the starboard side and the line was tied to the jib and main halyard to crank the boat over.
Howard, the manager/caretaker of the closed Berry Island Club, who had just the day before collected the mooring fee from the four cruisers, had offered to try and pull the "Sail Away" off with his 225 hp driven "Mako" at the next high tide at 14:00 hours, but there was only going to be two feet of it. The tow line, 200 ft of yellow Polyethylene was provided from the people of "Our Way" who live on shore right at the mooring field. The originally plan to pull her straight out from the bow did not work, but when Howard pulled with the 225 hp on her halyards and cranked her way over to the starboard side, "Sail Away" came free while her skipper gunned her engine. At 15:00 hrs "Sail Away" floated on her own which put a big smile to the face of Ken, a fellow Canadian from Windsor, Ontario!
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12/14/2011, Chub Cay, Bahamas
At midnight, on Tuesday a week ago, we left Miami and headed the 42 nm (nautical miles) over to Bimini in the Bahamas, where we arrived at 8 a.m. Check-in with Customs and Immigration was quick and easy and by 9:30 a.m. Diesel Duck started her 80 nm run toward Chub Cay in the Berry Islands over the Great Bahama Bank.
Starting Tuesday evening the wind blew from the NE at about 5 to 8 knots or less, which lasted throughout all day Wednesday into early Thursday morning. This was a so called weather window! So the trip was very pleasant with almost flat waves over the banks. Although the almost full moon helped, there was not much light coming from the Chub Cay Marina at 21:30 hr when we eased Diesel Duck toward shore where we dropped the hook in front of the cell tower at the S/W side of the island. After breakfast the next morning we relocated from the island, to the marked channel of Frazer's Hog Cay. We have been here before and like this place. Frazer is located on the southern tip of the Berry Islands and adjacent to Chub Cay. Frazer's has the natural advantage of a yacht harbor along its entire three mile S.E. shoreline, formed by Bird and Whale Cays with their inshore sand banks sheltering Frazer's from the prevailing easterly winds.
At Frazer's Hog Cay there is The Berry Island Club which is privately owned. The club/marina has 23 mooring balls and dockage plus lodging rooms with private baths for rent, a bar and restaurant, wifi, plus all the usual amenities. Except, the Club is presently closed and their webpage states that the Club is now under renovations (more info further down the story). A little past the mooring field we dropped the anchor but decided after a few minutes to move back down the channel and to anchor at a spot for more protection from the waves. We were the only boat there. Late in the evening Diesel Duck turned around with the tide and now sat broadside to the wind which started to blow at 20 kt from the N.E. with a swell coming in from the south. This made for a noisy, slapping, rolling motion which we escaped by lifting our anchor early the next morning and moving back down the island to the bay at Chub Cay in front of the marina and resort where it was totally calm.
Chub Cay Marina and resort is also privately owned, but the developers of this $250 million Bahamian based resort development are in receivership and Scotiabank (Bahamas) is holding it now. It is a pity, because when we came through here in 2005 and 2006, the marina was under construction and closed, we were not able to see it. Now there is an unfinished development, half finished 20,000 sq ft manor style club house with an infinity pool and Tiki bar next to a marina village resembling a loyalist Bahamian settlement with about 30 partially finished beachfront homes. The marina has 110 floating docks in size from 40 to 70 feet and is open for business at a reduced rate of $2.75/ft. Visiting yachts can clear customs here if they agree to purchase fuel for a minimum of $100 at a rate of $6.05/gal. or pay a $100 fee in addition to the Customs fee. However, the place looks deserted and abandoned except for the skeleton crew of employees.
The bay here in Chub Cay is nicely sheltered and is being enjoyed also by a few other cruisers. So over drinks, André, the skipper of "Images 1" a C&C Landfall sailboat from Quebec, Canada, filled us in on the story what happened at "The Berry Island Club" at Frazer Hog Cay. At the last week in May of this year he stopped at the Berry Island Club while on his way up to the States. He took a mooring and headed to shore in his dinghy to pay the fee. But he was told to keep his money because the club would be closed and the manager was gone and in the previous week the club had been raided by the Nassau Police, apparently the cook had been fishing square groupers and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) got wind about it and notified Nassau Police. A couple of days later, two guys were standing on the fuel dock waving their arms off, trying to get the attention of the crews on the moored boats. Finally, when the first dinghy got there, these two guys introduced themselves as U.S. Marshalls. "We are here to close the place down, but the problem is, the bar is still fully stocked and we cannot take the booze on the plane and we cannot leave the booze here for the Bahamians." They said. "The solution is to poor the stuff into the ocean or you guys from the boats come this evening and we all have a big f..king party." The boaters didn't have to be told twice and the news spread like wildfire to the American and Canadian moored yachts, with everyone showing up for the "Get rid of the booze party!" Putting plenty effort in reducing the inventory, they emptied the bottles into a big bowl and it became the ultimate punch. By late evening while the wind was blowing strongly, the Marshalls wouldn't let the boaters get into their dinghies for fear that they would not make it back to their boats in their present state, so everyone stayed over at the lodging and slept at the guest rooms. This was another fine example of Canadian and American boaters working together to solve difficult problems!!!
This is André from "Images 1" who even now cannot quite remember how many bottles of booze where consumed that night in May at the Berry Island Club and he is still working on the hangover!
a view of the docks from the Berry Island Club
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12/06/2011, Miami Beach, Florida
We are using Miami Beach as a jump off point this time to head over to the Bahamas. Miami Beach is also a delightful place. So for the cruisers, who have not had a chance to come down here for a visit, following is a little description. We are anchored southeast of the Venetian Causeway Bridge, opposite Monument Island. There is lots of swinging room for many boats with excellent holding ground.
Just a short dinghy ride underneath the bridge past the Collins Canal is a launching ramp and a free dinghy dock with a tap and water hose from the city. The Miami Beach Marine Police Station is overlooking the dinghy dock and a Police powerboat is stored in the lifts. The City of Miami Beach supplies Wifi free of charge everywhere with a strong signal in the anchorage.
About 100 yards east of the dinghy dock in walking distance is the recently opened "The Fresh Market", which is an upscale deli/supermarket chain that is a delight for the gourmet. Also a Publix Supermarket is located just on the next street over which can also be reached directly by dinghy up Collins Canal. However, there is no dinghy dock at the canal and a drop off/pick up might be a better solution. Beside the lovely eateries in this area, there is a Chevron gas station to fill your jerry cans with dinghy gas, an Office Depot and a hardware store.
You can rent canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and sea doos. Right across from the dinghy dock you might rent a bicycle from the city if you are too tired to walk, but there is also an excellent city bus transit system to take you into town.
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11/30/2011, Miami Beach, Florida
Actually there is nothing wrong with this picture. This is just a true expert, a real pro on a jet ski doing his workout and getting rid of some steam, performing side flips and even double saltos. Diesel Duck relocated today from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach. Looks like people on the water are just as crazy here as they were in Ft. Lauderdale.
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11/18/2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Wow, we are sitting here in the anchorage of Lake Sylvia in Ft. Lauderdale. It is a little windy, about 15 - 20 knots and as I am looking out of the window I can't believe what I am seeing:
There is a guy flying around the anchored boats on a water-pressure-powered "JetLev-flyer R200" It is a new water toy that lets you go up to an altitude of 50 feet at 40 mph and you can fly as far as 128 miles. The flyer is powered by a 4 stroke power plant which trails behind.
You got to check out the You Tube for a demonstration. A fantastic toy you can have for only $128,000.
|SSCA Member
11/18/2011, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
If you've ever traveled on the ICW, you can relate to the nuisance of the draw bridges. Of course that's also true for the road traffic which is being interrupted by the opening schedules of the bridges on busy waterways, which they might see this as a nuisance. Yesterday, we woke to thick fog in the Lake Worth anchorage of West Palm Beach, but since we were going to clean our dinghy's bottom before leaving, the fog didn't bother us. By the time we were done with our chores, the fog had lifted and we decided to move on with no plans of where we would stop for the night. Kind of ad lib.
Had we both paid any attention to the charts and guide books that provide details of the fixed and the draw bridges, we probably would have gone out through the inlet to do a run outside on the Atlantic. As it was, the first bridge, "Flagler Memorial Bridge" after leaving our Lake Worth anchorage, opens only quarter to and quarter after the hour and we got there just as the bridge closed. Bad timing on our part and there was a strong tidal current, making the waiting for the next opening difficult.
The bridge tenders like to be called ahead of time by VHF radio of your intention to pass. But they do not like to be called too soon, just about 5 min. before, and they also like to have a visual on you. From the time the bridge stops traffic until the spans are fully open it usually takes 3 to 5 min. So if the next bridge, which might be two miles further ahead, is scheduled to open on the hour and half hour, you can guess that for most cruising boats it's a mad dash to try and make the opening. A call to the bridge tender to hold the bridge if you trail other, faster boats, will seldom be met with kindness.
To make a long, busy, and demanding day into a short posting, we managed 20!! bridges by gunning our engine numerous times, sometimes up to 8 ½ knots and giving her a hell of a workout she had not seen in years, until we dropped the hook in Fort Lauderdale. But the scenery was beautiful in-between bridges with super yachts and mansions lining the ICW and their perfectly maintained properties.
20 years ago a big boat on the ICW was a 50 foot Hatteras. Nowadays the boats you see look like mini cruise ships just like this yacht tied up on the ICW.
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11/17/2011, West Palm Beach
Has the owner of this catamaran picked the right name for her, we wondered?
On Wednesday morning we woke up in the anchorage of West Palm Beach to discover that the catamaran anchored in front of us seemed to be sinking. The starboard hull was much lower than the port side hull and there were no signs of anyone on board. Benno called the Coast Guard on VHF channel 16. Their response was immediately and after shifting to a working channel, Benno explained the situation and gave them our telephone number. The duty officer called back from a landline for some more details and the exact GPS position.
It took the Coast Guard "Small Boat" only about five minutes to arrive at the catamaran and we heard them giving a report that the vessel was indeed going down. But also, that the officer had been in contact with the owner just the previous day by phone and apparently this catamaran seemed to have been in trouble before as the citation fastened to the bimini top suggested.
So the contacted (stressed) owner, with his two dogs, who lived in Hollywood, Florida, which is south of Ft. Lauderdale, had to fight rush hour traffic and rush with a gasoline driven pump to the rescue of his "Stress Relief" boat!
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11/17/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Last weekend the SSCA (Seven Seas Cruising Association) Gam in Melbourne, Florida was in full swing. We've been members for a long time and are now holding the status of Lifetime Commodores (25+ years). It's a great cruising club of likeminded boaters. (click here for SSCA website) This year, while we traveled from our way back from the northern part of the USA, we timed it so that we would be passing through at the time of the annual general meeting and social activities. It started on Friday and ran until mid day Sunday at the Eau Gallie Civic Center. In the gymnasium there were tables for vendors of nautical stuff, just like a boat show and two large conference rooms were set aside for seminars.
What a surprise to find Jesse James, the Maxi Taxi driver, who we knew from our visit to Trinidad behind the table of the Chaguaramas Development Authority, promoting tourism for Trinidad.
Benno is hosting the "Round Table Discussion" for the areas of Venezuela and Panama.
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11/11/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Meet David and Georgia Katz. David took "Seaducktress" a 44' Diesel Duck, from East Asia all the way to Australia and then from Australia, via Hawaii to continental USA and up to Alaska and down. As you can read, Diesel Duck trollers do get around! We met up with the Katz's here in Melbourne, Florida, where they live and where David attends to his antique car collection which includes a Ford Model T Fire Engine among many other beauties. He could start an automobile museum, in fact, the place is already a showcase.
Picture of Seaducktress courtesy of George Buehler
Of course we talked about boats, especially Diesel Ducks, while the Katz's treated us to a fabulous curry shrimp dinner at their spacious home, which overlooks the ICW with our DD anchored right in front. Thank you both, we've had a great time with you and hope to meet up again.
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10/30/2011, Melbourne, Florida
Diesel Duck is parked (anchored in 8 ft) on the southeast side of the Melbourne (Florida) Causeway Bridge, protected from the North and Northeast hooley, which is blowing down the Intracoastal Waterway at 20+ knots. There are always chores to do, but today, Sunday, we decided to give it a rest. Yesterday I had made a large casserole dish of lasagna al Forno, so today and tomorrow it will be lasagna time and no cooking on my part is required. Therefore I snuggled up with a book that is with our Reader. This might not be a new thing to you, but electronic books have been creeping on board of cruising boats in the last few years. These days you will find a Kindle, a Sony Reader, a Nook, or the all famous I-Pad on almost every other boat. Yeah, there are still paperbacks being traded in cruiser hangouts, but some of these paperbacks look really bad and you wouldn't want to pick one up in fear of picking up a disease, or the selection is so limited that you already know most of them. We purchased a Sony Reader early last year after the holiday rush and have made good use of it. While cruising anywhere in USA waters or the Virgin Islands area that provide cell phone coverage, we can access the library of the Sony Reader free of charge to download a new book with the Reader device, or use our laptop computer, if we have Wifi access anywhere or in any country, to download a book from the Sony Reader Store and then transfer it to the Reader device via a USB cable. It is a terrific thing because before we bought the Reader while we traveled in foreign countries, we often ran out of reading material. There were no stores to purchase a novel in English and when we found stores that carried some, the selection was very poor and the books were expensive. I remember one time in Ushuaia, Argentina a paperback was priced 22 dollars. Now we can read what we want anywhere. An added benefit is also the light weight and slim format versus holding a book in your hands that is two inches thick. Benno is reading at the moment the complete and uncut novel from Steven King "The Stand", that has 1448 pages in tiny print (which you can enlarge if you want on the Reader.) A reader can hold more than 1000 of these books in its memory and takes no room away, think about of the space you save on a boat.
The evening view from our anchorage over to the Melbourne Causeway Bridge
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10/25/2011, Titusville, Florida
The ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) from Norfolk, Virginia to South Florida is a very beautiful part of the USA. There is so much to see and so much history to discover. Diesel Duck went down the ICW all the way to Charleston, South Carolina and anchored just off the famous Fort Sumter. click for link to Fort Sumter On Saturday, Oct. 22, in the early morning, we ventured out to sea into the Atlantic Ocean to run with the very light wind and small waves south for 29 hours to St. Augustine, Florida before going back inside into to the ICW.
While being out at sea, there is really not much to do except keeping watch for other vessels. Our autopilot steers the boat and we keep an eye on the instruments and change or plot a course if needed. So while I read my e book on a Sony reader sitting in the wheelhouse, I noticed a couple of little birds flying around our boat. These were not the type of birds that live off the sea. They looked windblown and disheveled. After trying to sit on the ropes, the dinghy and various other places, these little things started to fly up to every window and port light, looking in. I thought that was funny and kept reading my book. But to my surprise, all of a sudden we had two fluttering, chirping birdies inspecting the inside of Diesel Duck. They had managed to squeeze through the front starboard window unnoticed. I opened the door and the overhead hatches to give them a chance to fly back out. Benno shooed one of them out of the aft cabin and I went below to start preparing a couple of cordon bleu for supper. After eating our delicious meal we both made a thorough inspection to make sure the birds were gone and then we closed up the boat. I guess there are more little hiding spots onboard than we know of, because the next morning we discovered two happy, well rested, blind passengers that wanted to fly out toward shore. Later on we discovered another bird of the same variety which had crawled up underneath one of our outside propane storage tanks and the night was a very cold one. It was dead. Oh, we felt so sorry!
Dolphins love to play in the bow wave of traveling boats. They are fast swimmers and we never grow tired of watching them. There are dolphins also fishing in the ICW, but these guys were out in the Atlantic on Sunday morning.
Look at this dual dwelling. A beautiful house on the ICW's Adam Creek Canal. One owner has a John Deere tractor to do his small lawn and the other owner got himself a bigger Kubota Diesel tractor to do his side of the lawn. Or is this his and hers?
Now is this not a beautifully painted hot pink house? Bet you it belongs to an award winning Mary Kay saleslady and there is probably a pink Cadillac parked out front.
This little red boat's name was called "Toot Toot" and I thought it was cute.
A nice young couple in this little trawler waved to us while we passed them and we think they probably built her. A very nice looking boat.
A boathouse on the ICW advertising services, restaurants, B&B and displaying a big fish head.
Many bridges span the ICW. The newer high-rise fixed constructed ones, like this one are a relief, because we just pass underneath. Usually, they are 65 feet high in the middle.
However, there are still very many of the old type bascule bridges that have not enough clearance for us. We have to call the bridge tender on VHF channel 9 and request an opening. But if these bridges are on major highways or well traveled streets, they are restricted, which means they only open at certain times and we have to time our arrival and pass accordingly, or have to wait in front, announcing our intend to pass at the next opening. (Sometimes there is a stickler up there and if you arrive a couple minutes after the set time, he makes you wait another 30 minutes or a whole hour!)
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Moving south from Annapolis, our anchor came down for the night at Wicomico Creek, just south of the mighty Potomac River, which goes up to Washington from the Chesapeake. Next stop: Willoughby Bay, Benno's favored place because of all the activity across the bay with tons of Navy helicopters coming and going. If you anchor between Willoughby Bay Marina and the green marker "WR 13" you'll be able to access the Wifi signal of the interstate hotspot from the nearby Rte. 64 with a good amplified Wifi antenna like ours, the "wirie" Click here for the Wirie
While Benno's binoculars are glued to his eyes following the Navy's activities, I take a trip to the Walmart Super Center and K-Mart. You get there by walking from the public launching ramp, where you can leave your dinghy, through the underpass of Rte. 64 to Ocean View Ave. (less than a 1/4 of a mile) The No. 5 bus runs along there and takes you right to the shopping center.
The stretch from Willoughby Bay down to Norfolk and further is my husband's delight. His head was going like a submarine periscope watching all the military floating hardware along the "Navy Alley" Aircraft Carriers, more than just one, Destroyers galore including the famous "Cole"
click here for background info on the Cole
In downtown Norfolk, across the Hospital Point, the famous Battleship "Wisconsin" is docked for public display. Click here for background on the Wisconsin
After we locked through the Great Bridge lock, we spotted a squadron of "Riverine" SOC-R boats (Special Operation Craft River) of the Navy Click here for background info on the Riverine
These special forces training on the Virginia Cut Route and the Dismal Swamp Route of the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway). What they do is classified, so don't ask.
At the time of this writing, DD is under anchor in front of Currituck on the Currituck Sound in 9 feet of water and picking up Wifi from the town to post this report. We are avoiding the announced 20 knots+ S/W winds for the next two days.
|SSCA Member
10/10/2011, Chesapeake, MD
What more could we ask for? Perfect Diesel Duck weather to head south. Here we are passing the famos Thomas Point Lighthouse off Annapolis, sitting on the Thomas Point shoal in the Chesapeake Bay. After some delightful months in Maryland we dropped the mooring in Annapolis. Diesel Duck is heading out again toward sunny Florida and beyond.
|SSCA Member
10/09/2011, Annapolis, MD
I am not doing coffee here to support the troops. Benno drained more than 2 gallons of diesel fuel out of the huge double barrel Racors. Black, yucky stuff! In the picture you see me filtering the diesel through a Melitta #4 filter. What filtered out looked like clean Ocean Spray Cranberry juice. Hey, with a diesel price of close to $ 4.00/gal this was over 8 bucks saved!
|SSCA Member
10/09/2011, Annapolis, MD
The year 1999, when I was building the diesel fuel polishing system for our boat, a Teflon joint compound from Permatex for NPT pipe joints was the hottest ticket on the market, apparently good for everything including water and gasoline or diesel fuel. It was so easy to use, a real blessing for a pipe fitter. I used it too. It speeded up the job so nicely on the two diesel filter panels I was building for our Diesel Duck under construction back then. When we launched the Duck in May of 2005 and I pumped for the first time diesel fuel through these panels it all looked so good and that it gave me a happy feeling. Two years later, in 2007, when the first pipe joint started to weep diesel fuel, my happy feeling was getting a punch. From that time on the happy feeling received countless punches as every pipe joint started to weep and leaking and it almost turned into a flood of diesel fuel. It needed some serious fixing done.
Here in Annapolis, having access to all kinds of stuff from finest bread to good wine and all the tools a man can dream of at the building centers like "Lowe's" or "Home Depot" I was thinking of using the idle times of the few months weathering out the hurricane season here on a mooring on Weems Creek to fix this problem. I learned quickly the cure would be unscrewing every pipe joint, cleaning the thread and using yellow Teflon tape, also called yellow gas line PTFE tape to seal the joint. Hunting down this tape became a challenge. Sure, I could buy a tape at the Home Depot, but it was a no name product not showing a ULC approval number or CSA number. It was some cheap China tape. I had enough problems and did not need a future new pain in the ass. I found the real Made in USA yellow Teflon tape with all the approval numbers for professionals at "Fastenal Company" here in town.
Diesel Duck's galley became a workshop for a short time. I drained all the diesel out of these filter panels and removed the panels one at a time for the rebuild job. We salvaged the diesel, a good 2-1/2 gallons and Marlene cleaned the fuel while running the diesel through a coffee filter. It was black diesel, but it came out clean like a whistle. For cleaning the male pipe thread I gently used the wire brush wheel on an electric 6" wheel grinder. To clean the female thread I used the proper ½ inch NPT tap, in another case it was a ¼ inch NPT tap. I applied the minimum 3 wraps required for the yellow gas line PTFE tape (Teflon tape) on the male pipe threads and assembled everything.
After installing new filter cartridges, the panel got primed with the cleaned, recycled diesel fuel and put back in service. Time will tell and I keep my fingers crossed and hope the pipe joints will stay dry from now on!!
|SSCA Member
10/08/2011, Annapolis, MD
I could not think of a better way to end our stay in Annapolis than to attend the annual Sailboat Show. Under a blue sky with brilliant sunshine that warmed the day to the upper 70th F. Benno and I mingled with thousands of boat minded enthusiasts. Looking at products we already have onboard we got the chance to talk to the experts attending the booths and found our chats very informative. The highlight of the day was when our friends, Kathy and her husband Darius, from the s/v "Breeze Hunter" out of Whitby, Ontario, where our boat was built, spotted us. They drove up from Deltaville, where their boat is at the present time. A big hello ensured with a promise to meet up again down south.
For the last time we waded into the Weems Creek to board our dinghy for the return trip to our boat. Meanwhile the Navy was training on their eights through the anchorage, bringing back memories of my youth when I participated in this sport.
|SSCA Member
09/30/2011, Annapolis, MD
Meet Ruth and Randal Johnson who came for a visit onboard "Diesel Duck." Ruth and Randal own a 46+2 (51' LOA) Diesel Duck called: "Dora Mac" click for Dora Mac's web site which was built out of steel at Seahorse Marine Manufacturer in Zhuhai, China, unlike our "Diesel Duck", which is constructed out of aluminum, built in Canada. "Dora Mac" is a big sister ship, but very different below and on deck, however, they are both from the same designer, George Buehler.
Ruth and Randal are in their 4th year of cruising and presently, "Dora Mac" is berthed at the Karpaz Gate Marina, North Cyprus. When I read in their blog that they would be coming home for a few months to Roanoke, Virginia, we invited them to come and see us while we were still in Annapolis, Maryland. And they did. The day flew by with great conversations of interesting topics in between me cooking a hot lunch and dessert to treat our guests. We are looking forward to seeing them again, perhaps.
|SSCA Member
09/13/2011, Annapolis, MD
I couldn't believe my eyes, but our Diesel Duck picture made it onto the back jacket of George Buehler's "The Troller Yacht Book" 2nd Edition. Wow. Inside, there are more pictures of our duck and of course of other Diesel Ducks in various sizes including nice stories written by their owners.
This book gives detailed information about choosing a design, engines, systems, outfitting and how to get a shipyard bid, among other useful ideas written in George Buehler's "lively and engagingly eccentric style." A must read for anybody thinking about ocean cruising under power and worth reading even if you still think you want a sailboat!
To order and other information, please click here
|SSCA Member


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This remedy is now only available through special orders with a minimum of 21 bottles/ 7 month supply. To place an order please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Eastern Essentials Breathe Ease formula is designed to treat stubborn symptoms of various sinus problems and congested nasal passages, including, frontal headache, blocked sinuses, post-nasal drip, and clear or white nasal discharge. Sinusitis is the swelling and inflammation of the sinus cavities and rhinitis is the swelling and inflammation of the nasal cavities. There is acute sinusitis, which can be caused by an acute bacterial or fungal attack of the sinuses, and there is also rhinitis which can be acute or chronic from similar causes. Chronic rhinitis as well as chronic sinusitis can be caused by allergies as in allergic rhinitis, a weakened immune system, and also bacteria and other causes. In addition there can be acute or chronic rhinosinusitis. A deviated septum can also block the opening of the sinuses. Allergic rhinitis can also lead to chronic sinusitis. In any case, any chronic congested nose or sinuses will receive great relief with this herbal remedy. Eastern Essentials Breathe Ease is one of the most complete nasal and sinus congestion remedies available anywhere!
This nasal and sinus congestion remedy is not appropriate for acute nasal congestion or acute sinus congestion or for any problem with yellow or green discharge.
In chronic nasal congestion the nasal passages are swollen and filled with mucus. Sometimes this appears separate or alongside chronic sinus congestion. If either nasal congestion or sinus congestion lingers for a long period of time, it can greatly impact the quality of one's life. The goal of this remedy is to create a long-term healing, providing quick and long- lasting sinus pressure relief, and the opening and unblocking of the sinuses and nasal passages. Then one can certainly breathe with ease!
For many people, there is no clear reason why they experience chronic nasal congestion and chronic sinusitis. Many people find medications ineffective in the long term, and only provide limited temporary relief. Our Breathe Ease Formula is designed to not only clear away the mucous and help you breathe better, but to support your own immune system to defend off the nasal and sinus problems for good. Although Astragalus, or in Chinese, Huang QI, has been used to build up the body's defense for thousands of years, it is now researched scientifically for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing properties. This Super Herb's immune building abilities have been researched extensively, with two of its chemicals, polysaccharides and saponins, attributed to much of its immune enhancing power. Post nasal drip remedies are not enough, since the goal here is to also prevent these symptoms from returning and to unblock not only nasal but sinus congestion as well. Adding strengthening herbs such as Astragalus to herbal nasal and sinus congestion remedies is the perfect way to ensure long-term results.
Our Breathe Ease formula contains herbs used for centuries to open up the nasal passages such as Xanthium Fruit (Cang Er Zi) and Angelica Root (Bai Zhi). Alongside the powerful Astragalus (Huang Qi), Ledebouriella Root (Fang Feng) is added and has been used since ancient times to dispel pathogens and build the body's defense. This makes Eastern Essentials Breathe Ease formula a complete and comprehensive remedy. The goal is for you to finally breathe easy and clear, and to be free of blocked nasal and sinus problems for good!
Suggested Use: 6 capsules twice daily. If the problem is severe then one can increase the dosage to 6 capsules 3 times daily.
This remedy is based on a formula called Cang Er Zi San or Xanthium Powder, named after its key ingredient. It was first recorded in 1253 in The Formulas to Aid the Living Manual.
To this Xanthium Powder Formula, we added a very powerful traditional Chinese formula called Jade Windscreen that has been used in China to stimulate the body's own defense system since before it was recorded in the Teachings of Dan Xi in 1481. The name of this formula refers to the action of blocking external pathogens from entering the body, like an ancient jade screen. This is a commonly used formula, composed of only 4 herbs, that has been used by millions of people to prevent colds and sinus problems and to stimulate the body's own immune responses.
The result of combining Xanthium Powder Formula and Jade Windscreen Formula is an all natural, perfectly balanced remedy designed to bring quick and long lasting relief to sinus problems and nasal congestion.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a physician or other health care professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. You should consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet, supplement or exercise program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Like their animal symbol the crab, Cancer Suns often identify with the creatures of the seashore. Like their animal symbol the horse, Sagittarius Moons must roam free in the great outdoors if they are to feel themselves. Combine a security seeking Cancer Sun's love of the seashore with a Sagittarius Moon's need for adventure and the result is a Sun/Moon pairing that makes for a fabulous lifeguard. Expansive, explorative, and extremely concerned about the welfare of others, this pairing is one part Den Mother (Cancer), one part Super Crusader (Sagittarius). To illustrate: using the day of its activation as its date of birth, the U.S. Air Force's Para-Rescue squad is a Cancer Sun, Sagittarius Moon. (Chart) Originally established shortly after World War II to rescue downed U.S. airmen, they're also the folks you see retrieving astronauts when they splashdown in the ocean after coming back from space:
Cancers are notoriously home-bound but that's not the case with this one. Of the 144 Sun/Moon pairings this is the one most likely to make its home (Cancer) on the high seas or in far off frontiers (Sagittarius). To illustrate: Sir Walter Raleigh is a Cancer/Sagittarius who established the first English colony in the New World. (Chart) Of course he also was responsible for the "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island, an endeavor that definitely could have used the services of a para-rescue squad.
Where-ever they decide to call home, Cancer/Sagittarians will often be found rendering assistance to those in need. Astrologer Bill Tierney says both signs "share a common desire to help the helpless" with Cancer willing to share its food and Sagittarius willing to share its camping gear. (Source) The pairing thus also makes for a great park ranger, outdoor adventure guide, or wilderness paramedic — a point which this promotional poster from an Air Force Para-Rescue unit's public relations office makes quite clear:
Linda Goodman says the Cancer/Sagittarius pairing is often found having a "jolly good time" while Suzi and Charles Harvey cite its "wry sense of humor" as one of its strengths. (Source) Curiously enough the unofficial morale patch for Para-Rescue jumpers features a Jolly Green Giant who goes by the wry motto "You fuck up, we pick up":
In addition to its sense of humor, this pairing is often profoundly sensitive (Cancer) to issues of right and wrong (Sagittarius). Many Cancer/Sagittarians will, at some point in their life, come face to face with gross injustices which his or her culture of origin (Cancer) judges to be perfectly moral (Sagittarius). To illustrate: using its premier date as its date of birth the 1992 film Universal Soldier is a Cancer Sun, Sagittarius Moon. (Chart) The film stars Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as soldiers who killed each other in Vietnam only to be reanimated in the 1990s as part of a Pentagon program to develop zombie like super soldiers. Their programming is designed to wipe their memories clear but like all Cancers, this one never forgets. Upon completing his first mission as a reanimated "UniSol", Van Damme's character experiences a flashback in which he remembers attempting to stop Lundgren's character from committing Nazi-like war crimes:
Universal Soldier is a fictional film but there are more than a few Cancer/Sagittarians who can relate to the emotional (Cancer) journey (Sagittarius) of Mr. Van Damme's character. To illustrate: Jesse Ventura is a Cancer Sun, Sagittarius Moon. (Chart) A Navy Seal during the Vietnam War, Ventura famously went on to become a professional wrestler, movie star, and politician. These days he's best known for his outspoken views on corporate criminality and government corruption. For instance, in this 2009 interview with Larry King he explains that #1) in his opinion Guantanamo Bay is the U.S. version of the Hanoi Hilton, the infamous Vietnam era prison and #2) if he was president he would prosecute George Bush and Dick Cheney as war-criminals for their roles in making torture a sanctioned component of U.S. foreign policy. The Harveys say this pairing will live its life with "moral integrity" and won't back down from speaking its mind. You'll be hard pressed to find better examples of either trait than this interview with Mr. Ventura starting at 1:18:
Cancer is considered the comedian of the zodiac while Sagittarius is known for its outrageous proclamations. The Cancer/Sagittarius pairing thus has a knack for making folks laugh even when speaking defiantly and candidly about important moral issues. When Ventura proclaims to Larry King in the above interview, "Give me Dick Cheney, a water board, and one hour and I'll have him confessing to the Sharon Tate murders" it's impossible not to let out a righteous chuckle even though what he's discussing is anything but a laughing matter. Some of Ventura's other media appearances have been so pregnant (Cancer) with flaming arrows of truth (Sagittarius) that it's amazing he's ever allowed on mainstream television.
Aries is thought to be the warrior of the zodiac but Cancer's association with the "Great Mother" makes this sign absolutely ferocious when it comes to defense of home, family, klan, and country. Paired with the crusading spirit of a Sagittarius Moon and you get a Sun/Moon pairing that can be a true "universal solider" — one who fiercely defends (Cancer) universal principals of human rights (Sagittarius), something that's needed now more than ever before.
If you enjoyed this article you might also enjoy:
Virgo Sun, Scorpio Moon: The Praying Mantis and the Mission Impossible (The CIA)
Scorpio Sun, Gemini Moon: The Coffin Makers and the Code Breakers (The NSA)
Sagittarius Sun, Scorpio Moon: The Widow Maker (American International Group)
Contact Matt Savinar for a Consultation
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The risk that an earthquake would cause a severe accident at a U.S. nuclear plant is greater than previously thought, 24 times as high in one case, according to an AP analysis of preliminary government data. The nation's nuclear regulator believes a quarter of America's reactors may need modifications to make them safer.
This story was originally published on Seeded on Fri Sep 2, 2011 9:04 AM EDT (Yahoo! News)


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Images: Guitar class strikes a chord with Airmen [Image 4 of 4]
Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson
Chaney Ferguson, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing's community and recreation services flight chief, strums his guitar during a evening guitar class taught at the wing chapel July 16, 2014. Ferguson was one of 15 students who signed up for the beginning guitar course offered to individuals serving at the wing's undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Eric Peterson/Released)
This work, Guitar class strikes a chord with Airmen [Image 1 of 4], by SMSgt Eric Peterson, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.
Date Taken:07.16.2014
Date Posted:07.25.2014 09:11
Photo ID:1463999
Size:443.96 KB
Location:(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)
Gallery Images
Associated News
Guitar class strikes a chord with Airmen


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American Idol 9 February 17 2010 – 24 Finalists Revealed!
February 17, 2010 08:07 PM by Candace Young
Tonight on FOX, the remaining 17 finalists will be revealed by American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen Degeneres, and Randy Jackson. This will bring the total to 24 finalists – 12 guys and 12 girls! Ryan Seacrest reminds us that it's a pretty intense time for the competitors still waiting to learn their fate. Will your fave get through? Read on to find out who makes the cut!
Janelle Wheeler from Orlando Florida is one of the people nervously awaiting her chance to go before the judges and learn whether she'll get one of the remaining spots in the Top 24. She makes her way down the aisle of the theater where Ellen quizzes her on her state of mind. She teases for a moment, but tells her she is going through! Janelle's relief is evident!
Tyler Grady , who hails from Boston, has a a seventies flair to him – will this go over with the judges? He sits down and Kara asks him about his moves, which seem to come from Planet Tyler! She confirms that they want to see them again – he's in the Top 24!
Lacey Brown is here for the second time – she was on Idol last year but got sent home. Simon tells her that this time around it's good news – she's sticking around! Ashley Rodriguez, Alex Lambert, and Joe Munoz all go through as well!
Crystal Bowersox is a hopeful whose voice has gotten her this far along – no luck necessary. It's time to find out if she'll go further. She tells Simon that she's glad she came. He tells her, that they were all in agreement – that she should be in the Top 24! Crystal is thrilled and Randy calls her 'Momma Sox' as she goes out to tell her partner and toddler son!
Katie Stevens, the seventeen year-old who auditioned in Boston, is hoping to bring good news home to her grandmother who has Alzheimer's. She makes her way to the stage and greets the judges. Ellen tells her how much she hates delivering bad news, and gets Katie pretty worried before she lets her off the hook – she's through!
Angela Martin is on her third attempt to become an American Idol. Once again, she prepares to learn her fate from the panel. Angela is overcome with emotion in the theater, so Kara goes to sit with her. She tells her that she didn't make it into the Top 24, but she is a great singer. The all embrace her before she leaves.
Lilly Scott blew the judges away with her jazz stylings, but will she be right for Idol? She makes the walk down into the theater feeling hopeful. Kara points out how unique Lilly is, even though she doesn't have the biggest voice of the girls. She is, however, going through to the next round!
Paige Myles, Siobhan Magnus, Michelle Delamor, Jermaine Sellers, Tim Urban and John Park also go through!
Haeley and Tori are the last two girls – both want the final female spot in the Top 24. Haeley Vaughn nabs it – she's through to the next round, while Tori Kelly will be heading home.
Andrew and Thaddeus, two male hopefuls, are the nervous remaining competitors. Thaddeus Johnson is first in the room. Simon tells him he didn't make it. Thaddeus cries and Simon urges him to keep his chin up. Andrew Garcia, not knowing Thaddeus's fate, takes his seat in front of the judges. Ellen leads him on for a moment before telling him he made it!
Next week, the Top Twelve girls will perform live on Tuesday night, followed by the guys on Wednesday night!
Reality TV Magazine is your source for American Idol news and info! Visit our American Idol message boards and tell us what you think! For more on American Idol, check out SirLinksALot: American Idol.
Photos Courtesy: FOX
Topics: American Idol Recaps, FOX Reality TV Shows |
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UK Traffic Law
Ask an UK Traffic Law Question, Get an Answer ASAP!
Maureen has occasional short term memory loss. which does not effect her driving.On 20 October 2011 she had tests which indicated some cognitive disorder .Since that day she has been allowed to continue driving up to 5 April 2013 when she received a letter from DVLA revoking her licence.Two doctors have reassured the DVLA that they can see no reason to stop her from driving. She has NEVER had an accident in 52 years of driving and since the cognitive disorder was diagnosed had driven continuously over 8000 miles without any problems.Surely the DVLA cannot be allowed to withdraw her licence without her having the opportunity to dispute their opinions at a tribunal or Court
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The Himalayan Institute Mexico is introducing a new paradigm for sustainability to the rural agricultural communities of the Sierra Norte-healthy soil grows healthy food for healthy people. To achieve this objective, HI Mexico promotes an Energy Farming approach—a set of organic techniques in which the very act of crop production returns nutrients and energy to the soil.
HI Mexico focuses on capacity training and micro-enterprise so that community members have the ability to improve and control their own livelihoods. We share knowledge and practical skills with farmers in a variety of ways.
A Demonstration Farm serves as a living classroom where visitors can view the techniques in action and see alternate methods for growing traditional crops, such as corn and coffee.
Workshops and Seminars, both in the classroom and on the Demonstration Farm, teach practical techniques that farmers can use on their land and families can use in their gardens.
Intensive Training Courses and Internships allow our programs to be sustainable at the local level. By working one-on-one with community members and students, we can pass this knowledge on to the next generation.
Formation of Cooperatives and Better Market Linkage improve the economic security in farming communities. Farmer cooperatives have greater bargaining power with buyers than individual growers who are dependent on intermediaries; can share costly or rare resources such as equipment and transportation; and comprise a greater pool of knowledge, experience, and practical aid for their members. HI Mexico supports groups wishing to form cooperatives through public sensitization, consultation services, leadership training, seminars, and assistance in researching new, fair markets.
Micro-Enterprise is the driving force behind rural empowerment. The Energy Farming program regularly develops small businesses, which create jobs for the community and help to sustain the operations of HI Mexico.


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The president will travel to the North American city on Wednesday to visit with the team's manager
"His health takes priority, it's more important than tonight's match or tomorrow's titles," he declared
Sandro Rosell confirmed that he will travel to New York City this Wednesday to visit with FC Barcelona manager, Tito Vilanova, who is currently undergoing treatment in the U.S. city. "His health is the most important thing. It's takes priority, it's more important than tonight's match or tomorrow's titles," he declared. He added: "We miss him as a person and a professional." Rosell also made clear that while Vilanova is in New York that "Roura will continue managing the first team because we have a lot of confidence in him."
Congratulations to Madrid
The president also talked about Barça's elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of Real Madrid: "It was a defeat that we weren't expecting. We have to congratulate Madrid and we have to move on quickly and start thinking about the match on Saturday and the upcoming games, which are more important than the Cup." Rosell also lamented Barça's missed chances in the away leg: "It's a shame that Pedro didn't get the 2-0 in Madrid, but these things happen. It's football."
All the credit in the world
For Rosell, it's time to reflect and think back on all the successes that team has brought to the Club. "This team deserves to be believed in. They've been together for four and a half years and in football it's impossible to win everything. I know it's difficult, but we can't forget what they've done," he said. Rosell then went on to praise the fans, who never stopped cheering the team on: "Our fans have matured tremendously over the years and they know that we can't always win."