GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!!!

SHIP'S LOG:

Well, today, for the first time since we docked ABISHAG at the Mystic Shipyard back in August, the engine was fired up today! Sounded really good, too. The yard mechanic got a chance to check out the temp gauge and the tach, both of which were working just fine. Wouldn't you just know it! Actually, we couldn't get the engine hot enough to really register on the temp gauge, even running the engine under load. The mechanic suspects the location of the temp sender is in the wrong place and that it is influencing the readings. Hey, it's all Greek to me.

Running the engine under load, that is with the transmission engaged made the gear oil pressure gauge do strange things and after crawling around in the engine space, the mechanic discovered a pin-hole in the transmission oil filter hosing. In that the transmission is English like the engine, he had to take a couple of hours to track down a new transmission oil filter housing, or at least he tried. He discovered that they haven't made filters for the transmission for more than 20 years and that the standard procedure for changing the transmission oil filter is to remove it and seal it off. It was decided two decades ago by the builder that the filter was an unnecessary appendage, sort of like an appendix and the transmission was better off without it. So a transmission appendectomy will be performed and I will have one less thing to worry about. The mechanic was also loud in his praise of the engine as was the guy who readied it for the trip north from Annapolis. Evidently the engine is in first class shape.

On the down side, and there is always a down side, the batteries are going to have to be replaced. In point of fact, the mechanic, who is also the yard's #1 electrician, says that the batteries in the boat are the wrong size and need to be upgraded in amps and amp hours (more technical stuff). It makes sense as that battery compartment is so much larger than the two batteries in it. I have suspected that there was something amiss here. The previous owner made some off-handed comment about the "seeing the batteries I use for cruising." With everything going on I sort of let it pass and it didn't impact me until now. I guess that when he was cruising full time he had a much larger battery capacity and that when he came back he down shifted for some reason, probably replacement cost. So, it will be new battery time soon.

Marked and oiled the anchor chain today. It tops out at 125 ft and seems to be in decent condition. I've got 300ft of 3/4" braided anchor line. I also have three anchors, a CQR on the chain and two Danford types connected to nothing. While I think the 300ft of braided 3/4" is actually for the GALERIDER drouge I found, it could work with either of the two unattached anchors, that is if I can separate it from a rusted shackle that is currently attached. Nothing a hammer, vice and hack saw can achieve.

I also have my bilge pump hose connected again to the thru-hull. The chances of sinking are now greatly diminished. It is exciting to see the boat coming together more and more.

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

I have to admit that I am getting very itchy about getting started on the sailing part of the journey. Today the temp was in the high 50's and it seemed warmer and I toyed with the idea of taking her out for a little spin. I didn't of course as the mechanic would have been a bit distressed but it was tempting. I still have a ton of stuff to load on the boat and find places for, not counting food and drink, and the final few things to get up and running ( read "watermaker"). While I know a lot about the boat I really haven't had the chance to sail her and get a feel for her yet. The cruise south will be the chance to do that but it is just that itchy feeling is setting in, especially when the weather was so nice today. It was something akin to those days in summers passed when I'd be out sailing and everything was perfect and it literally was all I could do not to throw the helm over and head to Bermuda. Truth is that the first Waypoint on my GPS on every boat I have had was always Bermuda. I used to sail most days with the GPS locked on that Waypoint just in case the urge overwhelmed common sense.

It is strange how God works things out. I had hoped that everything would be ready for me to join the Caribbean 1500 Rally that left on November 4th from Hampton, VA. From what I hear now, they left in the aftermath of NOEL (Hurricane) and have been battered more than a bit and they are still some 600 miles out from Tortola. Long ago I decided that sailing was not a survival sport and I still no sense in pitting myself (and boat) against the ravages of nature. As I have mentioned before (I think), schedules have no place in cruising, at least not for me. After all, the most inefficient way of getting some place is by boat and the most inefficient type of boat is a sailboat. If the weather isn't good, there is no reason to go anywhere, a perspective which I don't think would have fit in with the Rally mentality. Still I want to get going, but not until the boat is ready to make the trip. Not perfect but ready.