JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

I have actually completed (100% complete) a project! A first! The movement of the LECTRASAN Unit from under the foreward head sink to its new location in the locker under the forward bunk.It was a tedious and frustrating and bruising and stinky but it is done. But it almost wasn't the case. I nearly hook the hoses up wrong, running the input hose to the outflow and the outflow hose to the input connection.The fact that I had to keep shifting from the foreward head to the forepeak and back again a dozen or so times, checking the run of the hoses, helped me catch this "major whoopsie" before it became a permanent problem. I am not exactly sure what the outcome of this would have been, but it would not have been a good thing, to say the least. I am just happy that I caught it in the nick of time. Correcting the problem would have been a major posterior pain.

The is an old Maine boat-building proverb that goes, "Measure twice, cut once." It makes a lot of sense when you think about it but for some reason it doesn't always seem to work. I had to cut holes thru a bulkhead, one for each hose, to connect the LECTRASAN Unit from its new location to the rest of the waste system. I put the unit in place, marked the bulkhead where the two hose made contact and marked the bulkhead. Took the unit out, scribed a 2"diameter circle on the bulkhead and replaced the unit and took notice of any change. I remarked the bulkhead, to the unit out, checked the location and everything seemed to line up. I drilled a pilot hose in the center of each circle, fitted the hose cutter and cut the two holes. I replaced the unit and lined up the hoses and neither were exactly right. It required I re-cut the holes and refit the unit. Again the holes and the hoses didn't quite line up. I had to use a dremel tool to expand each hole to allow the hoses to run fair. I still had to wrap one of the hoses with some rubber gasket material so that if there is any vibration or slight movement of the hose in the future, it won't get cut. It was really weird! But it at last all went into place and should it ever be necessary to dismantle it in the future, it can be done with not too much of a problem. I was even able to make all the electrical connections to run the unit without having to buy new wires or cables. The whole system is now up and running . . . . as far as I can tell without an actual "test." That will happen once I am on the mooring.

I got down to ABISHAG and found a not from the yard mechanic pronouncing the engine ready to go. There is nothing mechanical/ structural that is keeping the boat in place. I await only the word from the Geer brothers that the mooring is in and I am gone. I am hopeful that it will be this weekend though I expect it will not be the case . . . . . .I have to go to Maryland next week and I just know that the yard will want me gone as soon as I leave the state. I am going to have to make arrangements for that eventuality. Hey, it could be worse coming back from Maryland to find the boat on the mooring ready to go!!!!!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

It was a strange feeling to go into the boat and find the note from the mechanic on the nav station. The boat is ready to go. True there are a host of little items that are still on the never-ending boat project list, but ABISHAG is incredibly more ready to go than she was on her trip up from Annapolis. Exciting doesn't quite cut it. Suddenly, all of the plans are beginning to firm up. "Someday" is getting close to being a particular day and the whole thing is becoming more and more real. It is tough to express what it feels like but it feels great! And I am ready! ! ! !