Yes we're still here

I was reminded today that it has been a while since I posted but it's not for lack of action. Last night I was all set to write that we were prepared to leave Daytona Beach with all the repairs completed but I fell asleep at my keyboard before I could write what would have been premature.

This morning just after o dark 30 we left the dock and headed down the ICW was the morning chill was giving way to just overcast and cool as I watched carefully to ensure things were working well. On the second trip down below I noticed that the charge going in the batteries did not reflect the engine input. So after some puttering around we decided to head back to the yard to get it checked out rather than go to another yard down the road to get it done.

To catch up we had to wait for parts due to the holiday and in the interim we got an offer on our old boat and on New Year's Day reached agreement to sell it. So last week we traveled back to the land of ice and snow to prepare the boat for and do the survey. As a result the sale of our 380 closed today.

They say the 2 happiest days in a boat owner's life are the days he sells and buys his boat. But, selling our 380 became personal as we really loved that boat and at least once a day we lament that we wish we had kept that boat instead of buying this one. But I digress.

While we were up north the yard here called and said they discovered that 3 of the motor mounts had sheared off so they had ordered them from the distributor and expected them probably Tuesday.

So Thursday (yesterday) we got the motor mounts replaced, new shaft installed and launched. We did a short sea trial and declared victory. All was repaired. I paid the bill and we were ready to go.

So we got up this morning and shoved off later than I wanted but were making great time as the tide was with us. After about an hour we were concerned that the vibration was still excessive but we continued. On my next trip to check I found the alternator was not charging the battery. Figuring that perhaps in the work a wire got disconnected we thought it best to return to the yard for review. Called them and discussed the alternator issue and our idea to reinstall the OEM prop.

Upon arrival they began looking at the alternator but couldn't find the cause of the issue and pulled it to take it to an electrical shop. They then hauled us to replace the prop. We got all the work done in about 2 hours and relaunched. By this time it was after 1330 and it would have been impossible to make the first reasonable anchorage. After the Daytona area the next anchorages are about 50 miles south.

So we're back here again for the night and plan to leave early early so we can make it to an anchorage near Port Canaveral tomorrow where there is a key lime pie festival. We will probably miss it but my daughter and her family were planning to come so we hope to make it there and have dinner with them. If all goes well we will go offshore Sunday straight to Miami. Should make it late Monday.

So next stop Port Canaveral, then Miami and then Marathon Key around the 25th where we plan to hang out for a month.

Our trip so far has consisted of long quick passages with long sojourns in locations. Now that our old boat has sold we have one less thing to be concerned about or to drag us back to cold country.

Tomorrow the sun will be out, it will be 70 and we will be on the water. We've found some very good restaurants in places we've visited. After we secured the boat we had lunch at a very good place called the Dancing Avocado. I had a vegetable stuffed chili relleno and Linda had a vegetable burrito. Nice to find alternative food choices.

So tomorrow is a moment of truth. Do we make it to Port Canaveral? Film at 11.