Great Loop Cruise Video

Approaching Baie Fine

Today we're heading over to Blind River. So far it's a beautiful and easy cruise, but rather boring.

Back to the U.S.

Looks like we have some weather coming in tomorrow, so we're going to head back to the U.S. side today. Trying to decide whether to put in at Makinac Is. or Makinaw City for a day or two. Anybody have a suggestion?

Thanks for the suggestions. Since we're looking at rain tomorrow and the seas picking up a bit through Tuesday, then rain coming back on Thursday to Saturday we're also thinking about just laying the boat up for a week or two and heading home before heading down to Grand Haven for our winter layover. So the boss and I have much to consider.

Absolutely right about the weather. It really pays to have the luck of the Irish. We have a GB 36 out of Greenport, NY following us who still intends to head for the Gulf. Hope they brought their woolies.

It'll be Mackinac Island tonight, getting in about 1600.

The air hose from my compressor just gave up the ghost. For those who haven't experienced many tapes let me tell you that rigging tape was a joke, Duck tape just changes the air's path and Rescue tape helped, but is no match for 90 psi. We'll pick up a new hose tomorrow, along with more Recue Tape and rigging tape for other uses. Does anyone here have experience with Fix It tape (saw it on Shark Tank awhile ago). I know it not supposed to work wet, but I wonder if it would work for stuff like this. Also, just in case of an hydraulic line leak, does anyone have a recommendation for that. I remember seeing the Northwestern use a tape once for a temp repair on Deadliest Catch, but don't remember what type.

Probably right, but what they used on the Northwestern's hydraulic line for the crane worked so.....
It's also used for pressurizing the hydraulic systems (not a direct connection), steering & gears (30 & 85 psi) .

Light it on fire??? That looks like the same stuff I used ("Rescue Tape") which claims a 950 psi tensile strength. Even 5 layers thick turned to a balloon then pop.

Oh we're replacing tomorrow. No Jimmy rigging here. Just thinking about future emergency repairs. You have a lot of different types of hoses carrying different mediums (air, water, fuel, anti-freeze, hydraulic fluid, etc.). Blow something like a fuel line in a dicey area and you don't have time to spend splicing hoses together. You can't drop the hook on a tight canal with barge traffic and you know where the engine rooms on these are. Not like you can keep popping your head up for a look. 5 minutes can be an eternity. Tape is the ideal quick repair IF it will hold and keep the medium in. I know how to make the proper repair. I'm wondering if someone knows a way to make a quick, emergency get home repair.

Hi Bill & Roger. Just heading in at this hour? Long night ahead or tying off somewhere? Where are you heading for?

It's good that you always carry every size fitting for every hose on every boat you run, and can splice in the one you need that fast. I'd find that a bit cumbersome, and just can't work that fast with air, water, hot antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, diesel, etc. spraying. That's why I'm asking if there's a tape such as vulcanized (which I just tried and didn't work) or Fiber Fix (which I haven't tried yet) that would do the job. I think that most of us know how to install a fitting. That wasn't the question. I'm looking for new knowledge, not old. Several new tapes have come on the market in recent years. I'm trying to find out from the knowledge base here if anyone has found one that works well, not a lesson in fixing a hose 101.