Weather forecast for November 16, 2016:
Turner Marine, Dog River, Mobile, Alabama
Clear, low 53 high 76.
North winds 8 to 13 knots becoming northwest 3 to 8 knots.
A light chop becoming smooth.
Captain’s Log: November 15, 2016
The boat was shipped to Turner Marine on the Dog River in Mobile, Alabama, on Monday, November 14th. We arrived at Turner Marine at approximately 2:15pm CST. Hurricane Marine Transport arrived with Perfect Love at approximately 1:45 pm CST and was a beautiful sight to behold sitting on her trailer as we pulled down the driveway to the marina. After close inspection I am very happy to report that there was not a scratch on her.
Her arrival caused quite a stir. After only a few minutes we were greeted by several boat owners, yard hands and two yacht brokers. Everyone was impressed with the boat’s beauty and the quality of the restoration; she was quickly proclaimed as the prettiest yacht in the yard; their comments made us feel very good.
PL was taken off of the trailer just before the yard closed and will spend the night hanging in the travel lift with her keel sitting on blocks. She will be placed on stands in the morning and we will then begin setting up house on the hard for the next few weeks.
Our objective is to get PL in the water as soon as possible. Bottom paint and thru-hull connections for the commodes are the first order of business. That said, XO (Executive Officer) Shirley must select the proper commodes (factoring in space, maintainability, reliability and comfort) before the thru-hull locations can be determined. Once the bottom is painted and the thru-hulls with their associated seacocks are installed she will be splashed. I anticipate about 2-3 weeks on the hard with the XO’s assignment being the task on the critical path.
We will explore the marina and surrounding area over the next few days but, from the brief time we had while daylight remained, the yard appeared very acceptable. Once placed on her boat stands, PL will be located on a spot in the yard very close to the bay with the stern facing the water, giving us a great view out of the master’s cabin transom windows.
We left the yard at approximately 6:00pm and drove across the Dog River to The Grand Mariner Restaurant where we sat at the bar, had a few drinks and enjoyed a good seafood dinner. We then secured a hotel room at the Springhill Suites (using the XO’s travel bonus points).
After a very long and eventful day, we are looking forward to a long, long night’s sleep. We are very excited and very exhausted.
Until next time, may your day bring fair winds and following seas.