OMG

Now I have to change the name of this blog!  Sharon and I went to Baltimore last week, where we used to live, to see a couple of our doctors.   While there we decided to go to Trawlerfest with the intent of taking a couple of courses there, but with absolutely no intent of buying a boat.  To kill time between seminars, of course we walked the docks where the boats were and went on a few (well, alright, more than a few).

When we went on this one, a PDQ 34 Powercat, Sharon immediately fell in love, and I was quite impressed with the condition of the boat and the economical performance it promises at decent speed.   Fuel expenses will actually be on par with Coast2Coast covering the same distances, although we will not get there as fast, not necessarily a bad thing, we will have tons more comfort and livability.  While the fuel burn per mile will be virtually the same, the cost of fuel may even decrease as diesel prices seem to be lower than gasoline prices on the water.  We can save even more by throttling back to trawler speeds.  The owner even let us take it for a spin around the harbor after confirming our real interest!

After a couple of days haggling we agreed on a price and other terms and should close sometime in October after the survey and professional sea trial.  Now we have to find a name.  I'm thinking "Impulse Buy" or "Are We Nuts" or perhaps "Phase Three" since this will be another real lifestyle change for us after raising our children, then moving to our place on the water to retire.  This boat has done the Great Loop with the current owner as well as a lot of coastal cruising and trips to the Bahamas.  We are really looking forward to doing the same!

At the bottom of this post I have added a series of videos showing the features of a 2006 model PDQ MV34, the same year as this one.

Year: 2006 Length: 34' Engine/Fuel Type: Twin diesel Hull Material: Fiberglass

The PDQ 34, particularly ‘Bermuda Shorts’……….. -zips along (top speed of about 21MPH) -sips fuel (about 6 gallons per hour at fast cruise of 17MPH)  -draws less than 3’ -can entertain 4 couples inside OR on the fly-bridge -can be completely beached -has huge amount of storage space -has been protected from the sun when not in use -has been protected against the #1 cause of diesel problems (bad fuel) by a fuel polishing system -operating costs are easy on the wallet Can you imagine a better coastal cruiser, Great Loop or Bahamas boat? We don't think so....take a closer look!  For those who have been following the PDQ, you know what a following this boat has gained. Serious cruisers have realized this boat is "it" and would talk to you for hours about it's positve attributes. The comfort, space, and fuel economy found in such a manageable footprint, make the PDQ 34 an obvious choice. Why spend more money in a larger, less economical, harder to handle monohull when you can have it all in PDQ 34'? Additional Specs, Equipment and Information: Boat Name Bermuda Shorts Specs Builder: PDQ Flag of Registry: Bermuda Dimensions LOA: 34 ft 0 in Beam: 16 ft 10 in LWL: 33 ft 11 in Maximum Draft: 2 ft 4 in Displacement: 15000 lbs Full Load Engines Total Power: 200 HP Engine 1: Engine Brand: Yanmar Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel Engine Hours: 1200 Engine Power: 100 HP Engine 2: Engine Brand: Yanmar Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel Engine Hours: 1200 Engine Power: 100 HP Cruising Speed: 17 mph Maximum Speed: 21 mph Tanks Fresh Water Tanks: (80 Gallons) Fuel Tanks: (184 Gallons) Holding Tanks: (35 Gallons) Dimensions Max Bridge Clearance: 12'4" mast down Engines Total Power: 100 x 2 Vessel Walk-thru & Accommodations A versatile and economical power catamaran with expansive interior spaces and dual helm giving you plenty of options for your cruising enjoyment.  Entering through the glass sliding door aft, you step down into the spacious Salon including the Lower Helm Station with seat...Moving forward, the salon is centerline with a large U-shaped lounge and table that converts into a King Size berth...The Galley is down and amidships in the port side hull along with one Stateroom aft...The Head & Shower is down and forward in the starboard side along with the Master Stateroom aft...Throughout the boat teak and holly flooring and custom runners - all making for a homey feel...Abundant storage in cabinets, under-floor and on-deck.  There is a large Flybridge with Upper Helm Station, seating for 8 and numerous storage lockers. Wide walk-arounds and stainless steel hand-rails provide for safe movement around the deck. Easy water or boarding access via stairs molded into each hull’s transom and a swim ladder on the port side makes getting in and out of the water a breeze! Galley The Galley - located amidships in the port hull and open to the Dinette and Salon - is well laid out and uses its space very efficiently. 7.5 cu. ft. Nova Kool 12v side by side fridg and freezer 2 basin sink with cutting board Microwave/convection oven Princess two burner propane stove Removable seat back/pass thru to salon Complete dinnerware and glasses Set of nautical dinnerware, mugs, glasses, pots, pans, toaster, slow cooker, coffee maker, eating utensils, etc. Salon The Salon area of the MV/34 is one of her most appreciated features... Large windows provide un-matched visibility. There is comfortable seating for 8 adults...The Dinette Table drops down and inserts convert the dinette area to a large berth. Phantom screens on forward window and door Navy blue Sunbrella upholstery Several additional 110v outlets throughout (2) Hella Fans over dinette Custom folding nav table Custom carpet runners Staterooms Each Stateroom features a Queen Size Berth, reading lights, ventilation hatches and opening ports, large hanging & storage lockers and Pottery Barn comforters and shams. Head & Shower The Head is located on the Starboard Side forward...It contains convenient storage spaces, electric toilet and the separate stall shower... Jabsco Quietflush toilet (uses fresh water) Tank Watch /holding tank monitor Ventilation hatch over shower Sump pump for shower Holding Tank Accessed from forward deck 35 gal capacity Electric macerator pump Electrical System The PDQ 34 is extremely well equipped. The heart of the system is a 5 KW Northern Lights generator for 120V support and a 460 AH 12v House battery bank. All wiring on the boat is professionally installed and easily accessed. Northern Lights 5KW Genset (approx 295 HRS) Prosine 2000w inverter (new 2014) (24) DC Breakers (12) AC Breakers Volt & Amp Metering (30) amp Shore Power (x2) Marinco Splitter 50A  Shore power cord cover (4) 6 volt  house batteries (1) Start battery for each engine (1) Start battery for generator Galvanic isolator Engine & Mechanical The MV/34 is powered by Twin 100HP Yanmar Diesels providing a fast cruise speed of approximately 17MPH and a fuel burn of only about 6 GPH. The engines have been well maintained and are in excellent condition. With only less than 1200 hours they are hardly broken in. Twin Yanmar 100 HP Diesels (approx 1200 hrs) Force10 Water Heater Cruisair 18,000 BTU A/C unit (Salon) Cruisair 7,000 BTU A/C unit (Staterooms) Miscellaneous spares kit for both genset and engines Dripless shaft seals Dual Bilge Pumps Shore Power & Engine Hot Water Ball Valves on all Thru-Hull Fittings Fuel Polishing FilterBoss fuel polishing system (new in 2012) Includes 2 x Raycor 500 turbines (as primary fuel filters) on each side alarm indicates when a filter is clogging provides back-up to engine fuel pump Electronics ‘Bermuda Shorts’ boasts a full complement of E Series Raymarine electronics. This includes color displays at both helms, fish finder/depth sounder, 2 kw radar and weather receiver. The VHF has a RAM mic for flybridge. Autopilot has controls at both helms. Raymarine  12" display on flybridge Raymarine 8" display at lower helm Smart controller autopilot (smart remote) Raymarine 2kw radar Standard Horizon VHF with Remote on flybridge ST-60 depth sounder (Transducer in Port Hull) Raymarine SR-100 Sirius weather receiver DSM-300 depth sounder (Transducer in Starboard Hull) (2) 4" Ritchie 4" compasses AM/FM stereo CD player w/upper and lower speakers Windlass control on flybridge and fore deck Shakespeare 20 30 RV antenna for local channels 24" Sansui LCD TV w/DVD player (new 2013) Navionics chips for chartplotter US northeast & Canyons (CF/904 Gold US southeast- Bahamas (CF/906 Platinum) All US & Northern Bahamas (CF/1X Gold) US Mid Atlantic & Canyons (CF/905 Platinum) Canada & SE Alaska (CF/2X Gold) Flybridge The Flybridge has a beautiful layout...A wide array of cushions allow for large group seating...The Radar Mast and Bimini Top can easily be dropped down by one person for cruising under low structures... Ritchie Compass Custom Seat Cushions (Sunbrella "Toast" w/navy trim) Flood light & Horn Antennas and anchor light Full Sunbrella bimini Sunbrella helm cover Double helm seat with reversing back Igloo ice chest Deck Equipment The deck equipment on a PDQ 34 is quite extensive. Dingy davits and upgraded hardware 8'6" Zodiac dinghy (new June 2014) w/15hp Yamaha Stainless flag pole (2) Rod holders Current safety gear FX16 spare anchor 10" stainless steel cleats on bow midship and stern Additional amidship cleats Aluminum toe rail S/S opening ports with screens (6) dock lines (2) 10" x 16" fenders w/socks (2) 18" ball fenders Fresh water wash-down in addition to standard raw water wash-down on foredeck Large deck lockers on foredeck Quick windlass 1000W w/remote Edson OB engine mount Dickenson Sea-BBQ Chain: 30' 5/16" Rode: 200' 5/8" nylon line Dockside water inlet (4) side opening access gates Textilene covers for all outside windows Sunbrella black-out/UV covers for all outside windows Safety Items (4) Offshore life vests Offshore flare kit Rail mounted life sling Antifouling New bottom paint June 2014 Final Comments Over the last four years ‘Bermuda Shorts’ admirably proved her capabilities as a superb Loop, Florida Keys and Bahamas boat. She has been exceedingly well cared-for by her owner and no expense was spared in her maintenance. ‘Bermuda Shorts’ is turn-key and is ready to help her new owners achieve their cruising dreams. She was compounded, waxed and antifouled in June of 2014. She has a new Zodiac dingy, TV and inverter/charger.

Completing the "Carolina Loop"

6/22/14.  Although it was breezier than we had hoped at 5:30 am, we cast off with Dean aboard and started for Norfolk.  Dean had a friend who worked at a marina in the Norfolk area who he said would help him get home.  As we left the Alligator River, winding through the sandbars near the mouth of the river, I began to think we had made a mistake to try the crossing.  The waves were quite high and it looked like it would be a rough ride, however once we cleared the shoal areas the chop subsided to a more tolerable level.  Even though it was rougher than we had hoped, once I found the right trim for the boat it was doable without too much discomfort, so we proceeded with the crossing.

We had decided that we did not want to do the Dismal Swamp Canal again, particularly since we might get caught in there for the night and we did not want to spend the night with a stranger aboard, so we headed for the alternate ICW route to Norfolk, up the North River and through the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal and the Currituck Sound.

Things were going along well with the Albemarle crossing.  The wind was still from the northeast, so the closer we got to the other side the less effect the wind had on the waves and we could pick up speed.  Finally about two miles from the mouth on the North River we were able to get up to full cruising speed.  At almost the same time an intermittent beeping alarm started sounding.  I couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, but I tested the alarm sound on the high bilge water alarm, and it sounded exactly like what I was hearing.  With all of the pounding we had taken from wave action I was quite worried.

I increased our speed and as we entered the mouth of the North River I began calling on the radio for any marina nearby.  No answers.  Apparently there were none, but I knew that the Coinjock Marina was in the land cut farther up the North River, and since I could feel nothing different in the boat handling than normal, I decided to head for Coinjock with all possible haste.  We could not really check the bilge because there is only one small access panel to look into the bilge and it is at the stern of the boat, so I did not want to stop in order to check.  The alarm did stop for a few minutes, but then started up again.

We pulled into Coinjock and I opened the bilge for inspection, it was as bone dry as a bilge ever gets, so that was not the problem.  I then pulled the fuse for the bilge alarm, but the alarm kept sounding.  The Smartcraft throttle control and guages are right beside the high bilge alarm, so I figured that maybe the alarm  was coming from there.  The people at the marina, although very helpful, were baffled.   I then called Mercury for technical assistance.  After 20 minutes on the phone with them they were also not able to help me identify the problem and suggested I take it to a Mercury dealer for diagnosis.  Since the nearest dealer was 40 miles away at Great Bridge, that was out.

I had previously scrolled through all of the readouts on both Smartcraft gauges when the alarm first started going off, and everything came back as normal.  Even so, I thought maybe a low oil alert was what we were hearing and checked the oil.  It was slightly low, but not too low, so I topped it up and started the motor, but the alarm kept sounding.  After putting everything back together I went to was up at the sink, which is right behind the captain's helm seat, and while I was standing there the alarm beeped again.  I thought, "That sounds like it is right here."  and began looking around and realized that the carbon monoxide detector was right there on the sink cabinet immediately behind the helm seat.  And it was beeping!

Of course this made no sense as the boat was wide open to the air and had been for some time.  I tried to reset the alarm, but it would not reset.  I finally decided that the detector was going bad since it was near the end of its useful life.  I went under the sink cabinet and cut the power wire to the detector because there was no other way to silence it.  Finally no beeping!

I have since checked the alarms on all of those devices and found that the sounds of their beeps are virtually identical.  When you have several devices in close proximity to each other this obviously makes it difficult to identify the source of the sound.  It sure would have been helpful if each device had a different sounding alarm!

Finally we were back under way!  The rest of the trip was uneventful and after passing under several draw bridges and through one lock we were back in the Elizabeth River which took us back to Norfolk.  Dean was helpful on the trip, helping me with lines and various tasks while underway.  He was a perfect gentleman as well as a good worker, and I would be happy to have him aboard any time.  We dropped Dean off at the Tidewater Yacht Marina, topped up our fuel and headed for home, which was still 2 hours away.

As we left the marina we passed Mile 0 on the ICW, we had completed the Carolina Loop!

I really did not like navigating through the Elizabeth River in Norfolk.  We had to dodge all manner of boats including tugs, barges, marine police, small sailboats, large sailboats, ferries, wakeboard boats, huge cargo ships, harbor cruise ships, and a Navy ship that was leaving port.  I was glad to finally get away from all of that traffic and into the James River.  After slogging through heavy waves (again!) down the James and around Hampton, we finally made it back to the York River, and from there an easy cruise to home.  We had been on the water for over 12 hours that day, and had covered a total of 550 miles since we had left home.  We were very glad to be home again after that last long day!

Although this is not a picture of Norfolk the day we were there, this is what it felt like navigating through there!

Our Interesting Evening at the Alligator River Marina

6/22/14.  The wind was so strong from the northeast when we got to the Alligator River we had trouble getting into our slip, but finally got tied up.  There was only one other boat in the marina in addition to us and a work barge, a very nice sailboat - I'm sorry I don't know much about sailing vessels, but it looked a lot like the one above.

Once we were settled in a young man from the sailboat came over to greet us.  He told us he was hired to crew on the boat by the owner, and they were on their way to Connecticut.  He said they were here for their second night because the wind was so strong that morning that it kept them pinned to the pilings in their slip and they couldn't get out without damaging the boat.  I'll let Sharon tell the rest of the story in her own words:

"Chapter three thousand, seven hundred and forty of my book. Yesterday afternoon, John and I decided to dock his boat, Coast2Coast, at the Alligator Marina on our way to wherever we wanted to go. We had finished our visit with John's brother, and the weather was finally comfortable. Our slip was only one of three occupied, so we would have privacy for a change. One boat was a working boat, ours a 27 foot fishing boat, and a few slips down was a beautiful sailing yacht. We were sitting on the cockpit of his boat, John enjoying a cold beer and I was reading a fascinating book. We noticed a man enter the shower room three times in two hours, each time exiting in a different outfit. He had a large belly, long, stringy hair, and yet he was the man that boarded the yacht..Not judging, it was just curious. 

Five minutes later a young man in his twenties comes over to visit and share a beer with John. He was well dressed, polite, and the afternoon was beautiful. A mild breeze and no sun, we were having our first nice afternoon. And then the drama began! This young man stated that he was just thrown off of the yacht, that he had been the only crew member helping this man sail his new boat to Connecticut, and they were fighting. I need not mention that they were both quite intoxicated. Suddenly, this strange looking man throws off all of this young mans luggage from the yacht onto the dock. This was the captain of the yacht, this strange looking man that had a fascination with showering. He had fired his deck hand and refused to pay him a cent. The young man asked where we were headed next, and if we could take him to Norfolk. Without thinking this thing through, we agreed. 

Then we began to wonder if it was a scam, it had happened so quickly, it seemed almost planned. We wondered if this young man boarded our boat, if he could pirate the boat from us. I was on my way to shower, and both men were in the lounge arguing. It turns out the older man, the captain, was married to a Kennedy relative in Connecticut, and he had hired this deck hand to help him sail to Connecticut.  I attempted to use my counseling skills to rectify their problem, when the Kennedy-in-law physically assaults his mate. I left them to fight it out and took my shower. Then, idiot that I am, I proceeded to the yacht to try and talk some sense into this multi-millionaire. I was given a wonderful tour of this exquisite yacht, shown pictures of his wife and family, heard how he had thrown this young man off of his boat because he was argumentative, easily agitated and always drunk. According to him, Dean, the deck hand, had been in prison for five years, did not have a driver's license because he had been arrested for DUI two times, and on his back he had a big tattoo on his that I needed to see. He would not tell me, told me to check it out myself. He did have many tattoos on his arms, but we are used to that here in Gloucester.

At that point, I go up to this young man named Dean, and rescinded our offer to take him to Norfolk the next morning. I asked him to show me his tattoo, and it was huge, REBEL was tattooed on his back. I told him that I had boarded the yacht where he was employed and was told that he was drinking 3 six packs on the boat yesterday instead of working, that he had gotten the wife of a cardiac surgeon's wife pregnant, and the history of his five years in prison, his DUI's, and very many scary things. Yet, Dean was honest, admitted to his mistakes in the past, and was looking for a fresh start. He also stated he was a master chef, schooled in Texas, but could not get a job with his record. He had shared this information with his boss after he got the job, not before. I apologized to him, but thought that he should find another way to Norfolk. He had NO money, and was emptying cigarette bins looking for butts that he might be able to smoke. 

Now I am feeling sorry for this man, and go back to the yacht and ask his boss just to give Dean one hundred dollars for a bus ride to Norfolk. He refused, stated that he was a pathological liar and dangerous, and he had not fulfilled his contract. Well, of course he hadn't, he had been fired. I go back to our boat and John goes up to take his shower, and two sheriffs knock on our pilot house door to question me about the assault. Dean had called the police and wanted his boss arrested. Just what I needed on our first quiet night of our "adventure" . 

When John returns from his shower, we go to the lounge where Dean is sitting and have a long talk with him. John asked if he had any weapons, and Dean allowed John to search his luggage. No weapons, no drugs, no money! He had been promised to be paid when the boat was delivered to Connecticut.  I asked if he was a Christian, and he said he had no faith, his mother was Jewish and his dad a Mormon. He had not spoken with his dad for 19 years. This guy turns out to be 30, and the owner dude was 62. God, I am not good at judging ages. My faith has told me to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and house the homeless. So of course, we let him on the boat this morning at 5:30, fed him breakfast and lunch, and dropped him off at Norfolk without incident. I think God had our backs, as Dean had admitted to wanting to throw his boss of his yacht the night before. Well, John and I are safe and Dean is somewhere in Norfolk.  I purposely did not name the Kennedy-in-laws name as I do not want to be sued. True story. The longest 24 hours of my life!"


As a post script, before allowing Dean on the boat I did my due diligence. I used the internet to research the bits and pieces of information we had gotten from him in normal conversation about himself and his current employer and found them to be true. I even called another part time employer he had casually mentioned and got a reference (after independently finding the phone number on the internet) and found out that the employer was also his landlord, so I was able to talk to someone who knew him apart from his current situation. In addition I was carrying my usual concealed "insurance policy" so I felt like we would be OK.

Heading North Again

6/22/14.  We left New Bern early Sunday morning heading back north.  The weather was overcast but not much chop on the Nuese, but by the time we came out of Goose Creek and into the Pamlico River the wind began to pick up and rain looked imminent.  By the time we entered the mouth of the Pungo River the rain started along with more wind, making the going a little rough.  We thought about heading for Belhaven, but by the time we got to the turnoff to go there the rain and subsided and the chop was endurable, so we plugged on ahead.  As we approached the Alligator-Pungo Canal the chop lessened and I was able get up some speed.  As I passed a red marker to my right I suddenly realized I was in only 2 1/2 feet of water!  Since Coast2Coast draws very little water I had not hit bottom yet, but knew if I went off plane the motor would hit bottom, so I turned hard to starboard and was quickly back in the channel without mishap.  After studying the chart a little more closely I found that the markers suddenly switch sides as you get into the canal, so beware!

The Alligator-Pungo canal is very wide, so I could maintain speed there, but when approaching another boat I would come off plane to give a slow pass to avoid waking them.  At one point as I slowed to pass an approaching sail boat I saw the other captain gesturing at me, shrugging his shoulders, and pointing behind me.  I couldn't see what he was pointing at but as we passed I realized this was the same boat with whom we had spent the night at the Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center several nights before.  While we had been to New Bern stayed a couple of nights, and were headed back, they were still heading home to Oriental, NC, which is also on the Nuese River.  I guess the captain was asking why we were going the wrong way!  Small world again!

After transiting the canal we found the Alligator River to be quite choppy, so decided we would not even attempt the Albemarle Sound until early the next morning.  We put into the Alligator River Marina for the night with plans to get a very early start the next morning, hopefully to cross the Albemarle without the wind, which had gotten more and more brisk as the day went on.  We had heard that they wind was usually calm early in the morning and we didn't want a repeat on our harrowing southbound crossing.

Relaxing for Two Nights in New Bern

We arrived at the Northwest Creek Marina late afternoon on 6/20/14.  We had called ahead to my brother so he and my sister-in-law met us at the marina and helped get us situated, fueled up and pumped out.  Since my brother had just had surgery on some disks in his neck a couple of weeks before, we didn't visit their house that evening.  We had a nice supper at the restaurant at the marina and then since the weather was so nice we decided just to hang out on the boat.  A musician began playing some classic rock tunes on the restaurant patio, so we had a nice evening just hanging out, reading, having some wine, and listening to the tunes.  Jake and Kimi entertained themselves and passersby by climbing around on the boat, sitting on the gunwales and swim platform and barking at the fish that would jump occasionally.

While we were relaxing that evening a couple came walking down the dock an stopped to talk to us.  We found out that these people were the same ones who were stuck in the Deep Creek lock at the northern end of the Dismal Swamp Canal while we were waiting to get into the canal southbound.  They remembered our boat so stopped to tell us they had seen us at the lock and were now southbound again and staying at the same marina.  Small world!

The next morning we had a nice breakfast at the restaurant and it turned out that our waitress had attended high school at Kenwood High, the same Baltimore County, MD high school where Sharon had worked as the school Nurse for several years.  Small world again!  Sharon regaled the waitress with Kenwood stories including how she had started Baltimore County's first in-school day care program at the school.

Later we were picked up by my sister-in-law and went to visit their lovely home in Fairfield Harbor.  This was the first time we had seen their house since they moved there a couple of years ago.  Since my brother was still recovering from surgery he and I decided to stay at the house and visit while Sharon and my sister-in-law went to visit the town of New Bern.  Sharon reports that the town was beautiful, the people friendly, and that our dogs were well received everywhere they went.

The ladies brought home a delicious dinner of shrimp and grits when they returned.  After an enjoyable meal, Sharon and I decided to attend Saturday evening Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church and my sister-in-law went with us.  After Mass we went back to their house to say goodbye and then back to the marina for the night.  Since my brother was still recovering from surgery we decided to leave the next day and not wear him out any more.  The weather that evening was not so nice as the previous night, we had tremendous thunderstorms so wound up turning in early.