Step Two...

It's time to get our ducks in a row for launch 2010.  Todd and I drove up to Bay Point yesterday and delivered more electronics to the boat.  Todd and the electrician will be completing their work Thursday and Friday, April 29th and 30th.  I'm glad.  Right now the boat is 'torn apart' inside.  The refrigerator is sitting in the middle of the galley.  I took a few things to add to my cooking assortment yesterday and had to climb on the counter to access the galley.  Of course, while I was in the 'stockade', I forgot to get a tape measure that I keep in the galley.  I wanted to measure our ottoman thinking it will be a good 'filing cabinet'.  So I climbed back into the galley only to find I had moved the measuring tape during our last visit because of all the climbing!  After I finished measuring, Todd simply took a piece of paper and laid it in the ottoman and said,"yes, that'll do!"  Getting ready is going to be interesting.

I took time to file through all our charts, Richardson's Chart Books and Waterway Guides.  We don't want to duplicate what we already have but do want to be careful to update if necessary.  The boat is still covered with plastic shrink wrap and with the temperatures outside hovering around 80*F, it was uncomfortable and we were glad to get done and lock up.

As we left, I put our new US Customs and Border Protection sticker in place.  At least we're ready for the Border Patrol!  Hopefully this year we'll remember to take the BPC number with us whenever we call in to Customs to check back into the U.S.  That's another adventure we had during the winter stemming from a trip to Leamington, ON, CA last summer.  Long story short, we forgot to take the number when we called to check in at the Customs Station on Put in Bay, OH.  Todd gave Customs all the info they requested, showed them our passports, let them take our pictures and that was that.  We got a letter from Customs while we were in the Florida Keys this winter that said we should report in 10 days or be arrested.  Todd called and found they had written down a wrong letter when taking our Ohio Boat Registration numbers.  The agent agreed had we had our BPC number, none of this would have happened.  Lesson learned, hopefully not forgotten!

We went directly from Bay Point to our mechanic at Mike's Dockside to review our work order list and make any additions necessary.  I think Rorey and Laurel are as excited about the trip as we are.  Whenever we come to discuss the trip with them, everyone in the shop drops in to listen.  It does make me feel good that our mechanic and his maintenance team want to see us have a good voyage.

Todd put together our list some time ago and it includes:
- New 8D batteries for both engines and changing out the third 8D battery for 6 golf cart batteries linked together to give us longer lasting power for our accessories (commonly called the house battery, it operates all our lights, the refrigerators and our Vacu-flush toilet system).
- Remove and replace water pump impellers in both diesel engines (Cummins 370 HP) and the Generator (Westerbeke).
- Replace the oil sending units since the starboard is not working.
- Adjust or replace the three windshield wiper arms and blades.
- Remove and replace the boat horns (trumpets).  We want to sound like a ship and not a duck with a bad cold!
- Bring the Glen Denning (engine syncronizer) back into operation.  It decided to quit last season!
- Clean the Airsep filters (important for diesel engines).
- Replace Raycor fuel filters for both engines and the generator.
- Replace the direct engine fuel filters.
- Test and clean all bulge pumps, replacing any that are sluggish or non-functioning.
- Check all hoses going to the sanitary holding tank, remove and replace any that may be leaking odors, check and reseat the connection into the hold tank itself, pressurize the tank to check for leaks, replace both vent hoses and permanently remove the Sealnad Saniguard filter.  The holding tank has caused us problems since we purchased the boat.  Ten months would be a long time to put up with odor problems!
- Replace the sending units on the freshwater tanks as well as the holding tank.
- Clean out sea strainers and replace glass cylendars if necessary.
- Put together a 'spare parts' kit.

It's a big list!  Rorey came up with more (new belts for the engines and generator, for one...it's good to have someone else thinking about what might go wrong!).  Todd is going to help Rorey and his maintenance crew as they go about this list.  When we are in remote locations, Todd will be the mechanic and he is anxious to know how to go about changing belts, impellers and fuel filters as well as any other knowlegde Rorey can pass on.

Todd and I are anxious to get in the water.  As the days lengthen and get warmer, we can only think of the boat.  This year there is so much more to think about.  There's a little twinge of anxiety with our excitement.