Did We Run Aground? | Daily Routines of Living Off Grid

Well our first few days living off grid were eventful! Between a close call with running aground, trying to catch a ride to the mainland, and sourcing a fuel filter to repair our engine before setting sail the next morning, we had our work cut out for us!
After running around all day, we made sure to take the afternoon off to explore our anchorage before heading back to the boat for an incredible sunset. The evenings are still a bit chilly and we’re loving our wood burning stove to heat the cabin. We are also now completely running off our solar panel (in addition to some charge from the diesel engine when we’re motor sailing), which is an incredible feeling!
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If you are new to the channel, Blue Moon is a 1978 Catalina 30 sailing vessel which we acquired in 2020. One year later we decided it was time for a road trip and built out a 1998 Delica to drive across the country. Now we live aboard the boat full-time, take weekend trips in the van, and explore this beautiful world.
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0:00 - In this episode
0:24 - It’s getting shallow
2:23 - Solar panel
3:03 - Nectar of life
3:53 - Cutting it close
5:04 - Back on the mainland?
6:43 - We might get stuck
9:29 - Changing the fuel filter
14:55 - Exploring
19:11 - Home

[@smokingkippers1173]

No advice here, just appreciation of a beautifully put together episode.

[@tedmccullen7466]

The hardest working girl I know of your the Best!

[@marykamau8403]

Beautiful place and venture....

[@steveanacorteswa3979]

Yup you need a motorcycle filter wrench, you can use a rag wrapped around the filter, then use that wrench. Also, IF you ever get suck aground, I have twice, once waking up to it and lucky I had a wet suit, and the other during a sailboat race. One of you jump in the dinghy, swing the boom out with a line hanging down and pull down on the end of it, that will heel the boat enough to paddle or motor off the grounding. Sometimes you can get enough by just Jonas hanging on the boom off the rail to get it off, depends on how hard you are aground. Beautiful weather, glad to see you are having fun, I have the same depth finder, get a piece of string with a weight and tie a knot every 5 feet or something, sometimes it reads a false bottom.

[@Trekking_America]

If you use a ziploc bag over your filter you can squeeze it and take it off easy and then seal it up and dispose it.

[@Kathleensailorgirl]

Thanks for sharing another beautiful video with great relaxing music. Stay safe. Fair winds and falling seas ⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️💕💕

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thanks Kathleen!!

[@LeeYvesMexico]

Beautiful camera work and awesome Pacific NW, okay I'm homesick now! The Sidney Spit is so sweet a place. So much nicer when you voice over your filming...love it! Gracias 😁

[@Mike-bb1li]

Thank-you!

[@aquious953]

Sidney Spit is lovely. If you take the dingy to Sidney from the Spit, you can tie up at the Government dock for 2 hrs while you shop....

[@2giddi]

Love the fact that you don't mind getting your hands dirty. Something I'm instilling in to my two daughters (15 and 11). Well done. Glad to see you out on the water... Jonas, break out the guitar my man...

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thank you :D Haha the guitar will be out soon! hopefully in the next couple weeks :D

[@paulslevinsky580]

I met Sig (Sig Marine) once. He's my father in law's army buddy.

[@outinlawrence3456]

Cool! I really like this kind of life and I hope to travel outside as you are.

[@armslength2618]

Good video. But I'm wondering what would happen if you put a couple small pieces of coal into the heater after it was running hot with wood. Inquiring minds need to know.

[@marie-pierdeschenes9958]

You guys look so happy and peaceful! I really loved your voice over to share about biodiversity, it shows that it's really important to you, keep those clips coming :)

[@BlueMoonLife]

We're so happy you liked that part! We think it would be fun to incorporate more into future videos :D

[@MCallsen]

It's good to see you both out there :) The Scottish Ulex is robustly growing where nothing else does, so in a way, it is not as bad. Preparing the soil for better times and other local plants. But you are right, it does not belong there at all. Mistakes of the past.

[@skippyone3085]

Tip !!! Always keep a length of fuel hose that you can fit onto the filter directly with some fuel in a clean can onboard. This way if you have bad fuel in the main tank you can isolate it and run the temp feed. It should get you out of trouble. In lasts week's comment I mentioned getting a fuel polisher to clean your old fuel, however I suspect your tank does not hold too much and it might just be cheaper to empty the tank clean and refill.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thanks! That is a great idea :D Okay good to keep in mind!

[@KiwiSkipper]

just an idea.. use a plastic bag over your filters when taking them off. You can slip the bag up past the seal and capture all the drips without spilling a single drop. The filter drops into the bag while you hold it up and because the bag is flexible you can undo the filter by holding it on the outside ...if you get my meaning. Good video .. cheers

[@BlueMoonLife]

Great idea! We will definitely do that next time haha, it sounds like it would help a lot with the mess!

[@KiwiSkipper]

@@BlueMoonLife trust me .. I learnt the hard way. lol

[@livingsimplytosimplylive6817]

Thank you for another outstanding video. I want to just come on the last few minutes of the video that was so special and sweet to see the fire to see the boat in the sunset I really really enjoyed it.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Awe thank you and we're so happy you liked the end (that is one of our favourite parts of this video) :D

[@charlesalcott7885]

That was great! Got the fuel filter done and stopped the possible running aground. Thank you for the video! Can't wait to see the next one. U guys are awesome!

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thanks Charles, we're so happy you enjoyed :D

[@herbescobar4548]

What a wonderful video. This is what it’s all about. Keep it up. Blessings guys!!

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thank you :D

[@bayanicustodio3998]

Love the ending, good music and smooth sailing. 👍🙂

[@BlueMoonLife]

We're so happy you liked the end! that is one of our favourite parts :D

[@cherylehudson84]

Very enjoyable video and loved the music. Twenty years ago I was anchored in Gustavia, St Bart's and a very nice young man dropped his anchor next to us. His boat was a Catalina 30 similar to yours which he had sailed from California through the Panama Canal. So I'm pretty sure Blue Moon Life has some pretty good 'bones'!

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thank you so much :D Wow that is incredible!!

[@nutsandbolts432]

Careful when bleeding the fuel system that the copper washer doesn’t fall off and go into never-never land. If your bleeder bolt is not equipped with one, I recommend cutting a small groove down the length of the bolt, not all the way to the head, which will allow you to bleed air without completely removing the bolt. Pro tip: scribe the head of the bolt where the grove is so you can make sure the groove is pointing down into a container when loose.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thanks for the advice! We'll remember this fo next time we work on the fuel filter :D

[@vincentconnolly8884]

👍🎣⛵🌊💯

[@aquious953]

Have you guys tried Russell Island? It's a short jump from Sidney Spit. There is a cool little house on the Island from a Hawaiian settlement, now owned by parks. You can anchor on the North side of the island. The beaches and coast line are amazing for paddleboarding, etc.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Sounds like a really cool place, thank you! we'll try to check it out :D

[@aquious953]

I find Navionics has an accurate depiction of the bottom in there. There's a channel in the middle of the Spit as you approach (about a 100y out from the center of the spit) that gets you on the inside of the sandbars. Once in you just follow the mooring field in to the Anchorage.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thanks! We'll try that next time :D

[@Stephan_01]

♥️🥰

[@grahamhunter9565]

If your primary fuel filters are Racors, you might try 2 microns. This will keep your fuel going to your secondary really clean. And you can keep a couple of extra Racor 2 micron to change if they clog up.

[@BlueMoonLife]

Good to know, thanks! We'll look to see what we have :D

[@markbuskens6070]

Bad advice Graham,you cannot run a 2 micron primary filter 10 micron is the minimum on the primary.

[@NellSaintJohn]

you make looking for a fuel filter look glamorous lol

[@peterfrebold]

.... laughing ... "sandbars move, The main thing is that we can leave when we want to" ... What about getting getting the lean on and it is not because of wind in the sails .. smilin ... absolutely loved your footage from when you were on shore, the shots of Mom nature, simply magnificent ... can not understand why more do not have portable cookers so the cooking can be done on deck. See cruisers in say the Caribbean commenting on how hot it is and still cooking in the galley, even using the oven. ..... thanks for sharing .. as always .. never stop dreaming, just dream bigger .. have fun be safe, save our oceans ....

[@BlueMoonLife]

Thank you so much, we are so happy you enjoyed! We really love cooking in the cockpit and you're right, it is perfect ventilation!

[@peterfrebold]

@@BlueMoonLife .... talking perfect ventilation ... my family growing up would camp on Hornby Island every summer and because of the ever changing costal weather a kitchen area would be built to which tarps could be attached when wet. This was like one wall of a kitchen with a counter and shelves built in such a way that the Colman stove would be sheltered and not get blown out. Now visualize this structure constructed completely out of driftwood and no nails where allowed to have contact with a tree. Anyhow with the picnic table pulled up close and the tarps sheltering, bundled up in sweaters and raincoats with shorts and bare feet of course. Anyhow, great memories of times gathered there. Cannot remember what this was leading too .. Oh Well .. thx for the memory jolt. ... a while back commented on the no dodger, google sailrite dodger kits to get some ideas on DIY solutions ... your bow will generaly be into the wind unless the current is more powerful, thus the dodger would provide shelter on the hook, more so than at the dock ... you are very capable and do not think there is much you can not master .... anyhow thx for your reply ... make it an exceptional week ...

[@marklapierre5629]

If you are going to run aground the best time to do it is at low tide so the tide will lift you off as it rises. Didn't we change that fuel filter last week? ;-)

[@BlueMoonLife]

That makes sense! Haha yes :D

[@niknack666]

Yikes more fuel filter problems is been hotter than well yea down here going to be 32 today oooooof hope you have some way of cooling off.

[@BlueMoonLife]

yes... but luckily it seems to have fixed the problem! We've been so grateful to be by the ocean with this heat for sure! 32 is hot! Hopefully you can stay cool as well :D

[@scable-eq7bp]

Might want to think about running a secondary anchor off the stern of the boat it will stop the boat from shifting. The money your saving from not having to pay dockage fees you can purchase a gas generator, I never leave home with out ours....

[@BlueMoonLife]

We've considered getting a stern anchor! Yes a generator could be very useful. on sunny days we seem to be able to keep the batteries charged, but will consider that, especially if we find it can't keep up on rainy days!

[@MrRedeoarknot]

Just fill the filter with fuel before putting fuel back on

[@DavidJones-bl5vb]

Not sure of the situation in Canada, but here in Australia with the advent of Bio Diesel there have been issues with algal growths in fuel tanks, especially where the fuel sits for a long time, these algal growths can end up right thru your fuel system from the tank to the injector pump and can really restrict fuel flow, making the engine starve (hunt) for fuel. There are products on the market that will break down this algae to the point it will pass thru the system and burn off in the cylinders. Ask in any specialty diesel mechanical workshop like big truck workshops and they should be able to put you onto the right product.

[@BlueMoonLife]

This is really helpful, thank you!

[@armslength2618]

A little gasoline will kill anything. I'm wondering what the upper limit of concentration of gas in diesel oil is, before the cetane rating is affected.

[@DavidJones-bl5vb]

@@armslength2618 I don't know about that, my guess is theres a good reason why the diesel mechanics working on engines worth upwards of 6 figures dont do this.

[@DavidJones-bl5vb]

@@BlueMoonLife If this is your problem I have had a lot of success with the following product, if it is available in Canada. ( Inter-ject 420p Diesel Care & Cure Additive ). This product has been specially formulated here in Australia to combat biocides in diesel fuel. Hope this helps.

[@armslength2618]

​@@DavidJones-bl5vb In classic [lo-sulfur] petroleum diesel, the active deteriogens appear to be "fungi or sulphate-reducing bacteria". 'Algae' is a misnomer, as that cannot exist where there is no sunlight, such as in a dark tank. From BIODETERIORATION RESEARCH 2: 61-66 Plenum Press, New York, 1989 CONTROL OF SULFATE-REDUCING BACTERIA IN HYDROCARBON FUEL TANKS HEX A. NEIHOF. Naval Research Laboratory. Washington. DC 20375, USA "Most of the problems originating with microbial deteriogens of fuels stored on naval ships or in land based tanks have arisen from fungi or sulfate-reducing bacteria. Fuel degrading fungi contribute to particulate matter and sludge and sulfate reducers produce fuel soluble sulfides and sulfur. Both groups of microorganisms contribute to corrosion." "[...]the effects of microbial fuel contamination can be satisfactorily controlled by minimizing the presence of water and maintaining the purification equipment." --i.e. water and particulate filtration. It goes on to say sometimes biocides are also needed (not indicating when exactly, but probably meaning static storage) and mentions exactly two of the dioxaborinane compounds mentioned in the safety data sheet composition table for Biobor-JF, a biocide mentioned by a diesel mechanic in the last episode of BML The 420p product documentation is cavalier at best, mentioning algae and fuel system 'cleaning' of indeterminate nature, and its MSDS is not available on-line. So I'd avoid it in favour of BioborJF for long-term tank storage. Any time the methyl-ester (biodiesel) fraction of alkaline- or alcohol-cracked rapeseed oil is involved in fuel (e.g. B20), some anti-gel additive for cooler temps is also required - an additive mentioned by the same mechanic. Hopefully there's not a whole lot of biodiesel getting into the marine fuel supply chain, due to the sheer energy wastefulness of agriculturally-produced fuels and due to its particular propensity to absorb water and grow fungi compared to petroleum diesel and therefore to plug filters. However, considering the substantial complexity, toxicity and probable cost of dioxaborinanes (essentially a carbon ring with oxygen and boron-chain substitutions), and its recommended concentration of 135ppm, if gasoline at less than 0.5% could be used to shock a tank then that might be interesting. Can't find any formal research on it's fuel biocide properties or cetane impact at low concentrations however.

[@tommycheshire5508]

You can add a can of fuel stabilizer. Do you think one solar panel will meet your needs?

[@BlueMoonLife]

great idea! It provides us with enough power for now, although we would like to increase our solar (or other power source) in the future :D

[@tommycheshire5508]

@@BlueMoonLife What does a panel cost?

[@tommycheshire5508]

Do ever take any still photos?

[@BlueMoonLife]

yes we do! We have an instagram page (_bluemoonlife) :D

[@kenwallace8035]

Fram filters are eh, stick with the Napa Gold's or Wix. Much better....

[@BlueMoonLife]

Good to know!

[@knowinkoen7679]

Man bun. Vegan. . Jezze, longturm fail.