Maiden Voyage Catch-up 3/4/17

AND SO IT BEGINS, a “new to me” boat, same age and engine hours as the old one, from the same builder.   Today is the first voyage where I’m the Captain and she’s really ours.   Have been living aboard with the good friends Dennis and Julie on and off for past month as I shuttle between Mexico (suporting sale of N50) and Old Port Cove Florida preparing N57 to return to Mexico via Panama Canal.  

Dennis is a vertern cruiser, owned more boats than I’ve owned cars and crossed most oceans.   More importantly Julie and he are good friends.   It was a little awkward buying a boat to live on and having the previous owner stay involved, let alone live aboard in the master suite.  However, true to his nature, DENNIS kept fixing things while I was gone.  Should have let them say longer.......

Take a look at the picture on the top of the blog, the water stream is used to washdown the anchor chain.  It’s from a large hydraulic driven pump that delivers several hundred gallons an hour of seawater.   Testing this in the dock at Old Port Cove almost got us evicted.   WORKNOT was clearly on the small range of boats at this West Palm resort and the big boys do NOT appreciate saltwater blown completely across the dock, across their power pedestal and half way up the side of their boat. 

Getting a boat ready to cruise is all about mechanical prep and loading supplies including spares.  Dennis sold us the boat declaring “is my last boat” (keep that thought as it recurs often) and so all the onboard spares, tools and the contents of his 20yr+ storage locker came with the boat.  Just sorting out stainless hardware is a job. 

The journey to the boatyard was only a few hours but it included a lock and a few narrow bridges.   Great way to start the maiden voyage.  Reached River Forest boatyard without any major errors where I said goodbye to Julie and Dennis as they were leaving to go find a condo on the west coast of Florida.

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