The unknown is exciting. As the day comes to leave Boot Key and Marathon (our home for the last five weeks) we are both excited and apprehensive. Where are we going? What might happen? What if something goes wrong?
On the other hand, the questions can be different. What new people will we meet? What cool new places will we explore? Where will we be in a month, this summer, this fall?
Answer – who knows? But the not knowing makes it fun!
The list of things to do before we leave has been whittled down. Of course the list is never done, but we feel good about what has been completed.
Shelly's canvas has made the boat look very spiffy, with a new mizzen and main sail cover, and new bike bag. She is knee deep as we write with the dodger in pieces sewing in new canvas. This is by far the most challenging canvas job on a boat and the locals are jealous of her skills… I just take her for granted!
The engine oil dipstick had broken inside the tube and required the removal of the starter to access. This job was put off as long as possible until there was no more procrastination left available. After two days, we have a jury rigged repaired dipstick tube and stick, the port side of the engine cleaned and painted, wiring fixed and cleaned up all the way up to the panel (this needs lots more work) and the bilge inaccessible without removing the starter now sparkles.
On Friday at 4 while finishing up this job the generator stopped running. The problem was tracked to a bad salt water pump impeller which had to be replaced for us to have power and cold beer. That is the problem with “stuff” as it tends to break at the worst of times.
Two hours later, with some less than ladylike language, and blisters on both arms from a hot engine, the beer was cooling down again.
The most fun jobs are the ones with instant gratification. We have all been working on the hull for a couple of months scraping the old nasty paint off so we can get to the original gelcoat finish to wax and polish. Just this week the last of the paint was removed and Shelly was able to paint Yume on the transom. It looks great!
Just wait until she paints the Japanese letters. That is going to be cool!
It is easy to see from the stern the burgundy stripe still to be done on the sides, and the blue that is finished on the transom.
This image shows the white paint we scraped off and the creme colored gelcoat underneath…
But our stay here has not been all work. We are sort of sad to be leaving our 3x a week softball game, but since Most people leave Marathon for the summer and go north, the season is ending anyway.
Shelly rode her bike out to Piegon Key on 7 Mile Bridge and took a couple of nice pics.
The old highway bridge is the pedestrian and bike walkway out to the key. She says she the wind coming back was blowing so hard she had to get off and walk!
We would have liked to get out to the reef, but there was only a day of two of the five weeks here the wind lay down enough to go and we just couldn't get it together.
We hope to make up for it on the way north. We are in no hurry. The next planned stop is to be in Atlanta May 8 for the paws4people/Heroes First golf tournament. We will probably leave the boat in Savannah or Hilton Head Island for a few days to go there and then maybe on the Biloxi and visit Ian.
Ryan made a cake for the old guys softball team we play with for the last game. Shelly joined us and impressed everybody!
We are all ready, including Goose!
As always your comments (even the sarcastic ones) are appreciated and welcomed and will be answered in kind…
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