Weather forecast for June 7, 2017:
Turner Marine, Dog River, Mobile, Alabama
Partly cloudy, low 76 high 82.
South winds 8 to 13 knots.
Light chop becoming smooth to light chop, slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight.
Captain’s Log: May 23 – June 6, 2017
There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel!
A significant amount of progress has been made over the past few weeks and, although not all projects will be completed by the time that we slip the dock lines, all necessary tasks will be checked off of the ‘To Do’ list in time for us to begin our journey north. We will leave Turner Marine and the Dog River on June 17th or 18th.
Thursday, May 25th, was a very significant day for us. We took s/v Perfect Love out for a short morning cruise on the Dog River; the boat moved under her own power for the first time in over 15 years!
I willingly admit that I was very nervous as the moment approached to start the engine and move away from the dock. Worries about the close quarters, the large yachts surrounding us, the ebbing tide and that twelve-foot long, heavy aluminum battering ram of a bowsprit protruding off of the front of the boat had visions of expensive and embarrassing disaster racing around my brain.
Much to my relief, all of my worries evaporated once I put her in gear and began concentrating on the task at hand. Speed is no friend inside a marina when moving 50,000 pounds of dead weight stretched out over 60 feet of boat with no brakes. I took it slow and easy. The helm, the engine and the bow thruster all worked flawlessly and, with a bit of coaching from Roger Turner, I did too. I even executed a 180 degree back-and-fill maneuver in the Turner Marine yacht basin; flawlessly I might add. Later that same day we stepped the mizzen mast and set the mizzen boom; she is now starting to resemble a sailboat.
Our canvas guy took the final measurements for the bimini and dodger yesterday and the lifelines were installed. The bow thruster joystick, the autopilot control unit and the multifunction display unit were also installed. The entire electronics installation should be complete by June 8th. Two weeks ago we held a ‘Flushing Ceremony’ to inaugurate our first functioning head (my patient XO is a very, very happy woman these days).
Momentum is now on our side; it smells like progress; it feels like we are surfing down a big wave on a following sea!
There is still a significant amount of work that must be competed before the big day arrives.
The short list includes:
1). Insulate the engine room
2). Configure the wi-fi/cellular network (Shirley still works and must have reliable internet access as we travel)
3). Install the electric bilge pump
4). Finish the plumbing for the main head
5). Crank up the new 15hp dinghy outboard
6). Hang the dinghy from the davits
7). Finish wiring the nav lights
While I am working diligently to complete the above tasks by our targeted departure date, Shirley will be putting together our very first provisions list. To be fully compliant with U.S. Coast Guard regulations, Shirley will also make sure that we have all of the necessary equipment onboard.
Captain Shawn Somers and his lovely wife Kimberly will be flying into Mobile on June 16th and will accompany us on the first seven to ten days on our journey north. Shawn is a very experienced captain who knows the Tenn-Tom waterway and the Ohio River quite well. Shawn will help us to negotiate the many locks on the lower Tombigbee and will be coaching both Shirley and I as we work to gain intimate knowledge of how our big girl handles.
Speaking of heading north, we flew to Cincinnati on May 26th for a week-long visit. We stayed with my parents and had a wonderful time catching up with friends and family, visiting some of our favorite spots and taking our favorite walk across the Roebling Bridge and along the Cincinnati, Covington and Newport riverfronts. We will be back in Cincinnati with the boat by mid-July and will stay through the end of September to avoid the hurricane season.
Finally, we recently met Tim and Candy, owners of s/v Ohana, a Lagoon 4100 catamaran currently tied up on the west wall of Turner Marine. Tim mentioned to Shirley that he really liked the lines of our boat and, if we supplied him with a SanDisk Card, he would be happy to take an aerial video for us using his new drone. How could we refuse? After a little editing with iMovie the final product is pretty sweet!
I am so very impressed with the quality of the video; the stability of the camera is nothing short of amazing!
THANKS TIM!!!!
Until next time, may your tomorrow bring fair winds and following seas!