Back on Land until Spring

We finally gave up! Although the new engine is installed, it is not working quite the way we think it should be. We spent two very cold weeks in Deltaville and finally decided that it is just too late to try to go south this year. By the time we might have reached the Bahamas, we would have had very little time to explore before needing to head north before hurricane season. So, we are on PLAN B: back in NJ, perhaps some skiing, then returning to the boat in late March or April, and spending a great summer in the Chesapeake and north. So, don't look for any more updates for awhile. Enjoy the winter!

January in Deltaville

 

What a mess!

 

Cleaning up without running water

After a terrific Christmas break in NJ, we came back to the boat on Tuesday, January 4, arriving about 8 PM. The boat was VERY cold - although we had left the heat on, there was one power outage, and that must have been enough to flip the fuse off. So.... we were really glad we had winterized the water system before we left. The only casualty was the fridge - exploding Coke cans had done a number on it! Fortunately there wasn't much in it besides beer, wine and condiments, but since we had no water (because of winterizing) it took me a long time to clean each piece and then clean the fridge.

  

 

Figuring out the plan at the main dock



The rebuilt engine had arrived on Tuesday, so first thing Wednesday morning we were towed to the main dock for installation. (We can only surmise that they thought they would need to use the crane, although it turns out they just used a lot of muscle). Unfortunately, there was no power on that dock, so we went back to being cold (hence my winter hat and jacket when cleaning the fridge!)

 

A lot of bodies in a small space! Clown car?



The guys muscled the engine onto the boat and finally got it into the starboard cabin where they could do the final reassembly. While they were busy on that, Bill was taking apart our engine alarm panel and fixing it. (Yes, the same panel we had paid Oxford Boatyard to fix, which they didn't fix, and which caused us to lose our engine in the first place!)

A lovely hunk of metal!



Bill at work on the alarm panel

 

Today is Friday. They are just about finished, and we expect to crank it up later today for a sea trial. If all is well, we'll head to Hampton, VA tomorrow, where we'll stay a few days to install a new hot water heater. (Yes, another problem Bill discovered!)