The Continuing Biodiesel Adventures in
"Putting the 'Bean' in Caribbean"
"Putting the 'Bean' in Caribbean"
THANKS TO WIND AND BIODIESEL, BEYOND IS "600
MILES CLOSER TO PARADISE"
(ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA.) - There are two new policies aboard Beyond, the 41-foot CT ketch that's burning a new soybean-based fuel on a two-year Caribbean cruise.
The first is that a victory is celebrated each day. The second is that they always burn a biodiesel blend, if for no other reason then it provides something to celebrate.
"With the biodiesel blend, our transom stays clean," says Capt. Jim MacNeil, 30, who is sailing with first mate Rebecca Payne, 25, and pet cat "Brewser."
"We won't have to scrub the transom again as long as we are able to treat our fuel with BioBooster. Other sailors have noticed how clean our boat is. They can't believe we have a diesel engine."
The crew, all of Salisbury, Md., left Wikander's in Eden, Md., Nov. 24, burning a 20-percent blend of biodiesel, a clean-burning diesel fuel made from soybean oil. Their trip is being partially underwritten by the Maryland Soybean Board and NOPEC Corp., which markets biodiesel under the name "BioBooster."
Biodiesel is nontoxic and biodegradable and can be used "neat" or blended with petrodiesel in any proportion. The fuel reduces black exhaust, keeping boats cleaner, while improving lubrication, cleaning fuel system components and boosting cetane levels. It is available nationally through BOAT/U.S. and at select Maryland and Florida marinas.
King Neptune has tested
Beyond's crew during the first few weeks of this voyage.
Early in December, a 50-knot wind shear and four-foot waves
yanked the anchor from its sea bed and sent Beyond drifting
toward a bridge one stormy night in Belhaven, N.C.
A broken swing bridge at Figure Eight Island, N.C., left them idle for 24 hours. King Neptune's toll on the voyagers' spirits became apparent during a two-day layover for maintenance, which was disrupted repeatedly when the soft, mucky bottom at Carolina Beach refused to hold an anchor.
It was at that point, says the captain, that they began to have doubts. "Rebecca and I looked at one another and quickly glanced away. We recognized the look as one of despair and were afraid of what it meant about the plans to continue our cruise. We thought of home, our friends, the security of the jobs we once had, and the peace of mind that comes with the routine predictability of each day," he explains.
The broken water pump had served notice - it was noisy all morning - before it blew in a very narrow section of the Intra Coastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, S.C., where razor-sharp rock ledges abut the sides of the canal.
"We heard the 'bang" when the pulley sheared off and the belt flew across the engine room," MacNeil says. "Rebecca instantly shut the engine off to prevent it from overheating, and we had only seconds to react as the rocky ledges would soon be gnawing at the hull like sharks tearing at the flesh of some helpless prey."
As it turned out, Pokey - Beyond's dinghy, outfitted with a five-horsepower outboard - saved the day.
"Not two minutes later little Pokey was rafted up against Beyond, engine humming 'I think I can, I think I can,' and we built up enough speed to return us safely to the middle," MacNeil recalls. "Pokey did a fantastic job pushing us the mile or so to Barefoot Landing, where Rebecca docked the boat. She eased our 21-ton boat up to the dock as if she'd done it everyday for a year while I controlled the speed from Pokey."
Pokey, he notes, is "not
really all that pokey, but we named her such because she is
not quite as swift as our 12-foot inflatable, "Gumby." "Our
experience is a fine argument for buying a more powerful
outboard than you think you might need for your dinghy," he
adds.
A late-night session to install the new pump and the couple was again headed toward a Charleston, S.C., appearance where they celebrated the fuel's debut at the BOAT/U.S. store there.
NEXT STOP: Beyond refuels in Marathon Key, Fla., and pauses at one of the last outposts of the United States before entering the Caribbean.