The Waiting Game...

This is the hard part...the waiting.  Waiting for the maintenance work to be done.  Waiting for the electronics installation to be completed.  Waiting to try new things out on test runs.

The weather has not been very cooperative.  We've had a few good days mixed with lots of rainy, windy days.  We were supposed to take the boat out with the electrician on board late Saturday afternoon.  The new batteries had not been installed and Todd was concerned after the dead battery problem at launch.  He tried to start the port engine and there was nothing in that battery.  The starboard started fine.  Once again he tried jumping the starboard battery to the port.  There just wasn't enough cranking power to turn that engine over.  So the trip with the electrician was scuttled.

Todd called the mechanic to check on the new batteries.  Yes, they were in but the mechanic was out on an emergency call.  There was no one in the shop to bring them out and install them.  So Todd called the electrician and cancelled the appointment.

Time was not wasted.  Todd worked on his laptop, learning new computer charting software.  He has compiled the list of charts, waterway guides and software we need for the trip.  That order will be placed soon.

While he worked on his laptop, I filled the fresh water tanks.  We've been on city water since the boat was launched.  We've had a lot of water collecting in the bilge (the basement of a boat).  I wanted to switch the boat to the water pump to see if it would run intermittently or stand quiet.  The pump ran which meant water was squirting out a pipe (or pipes) somewhere.  I dove into the underground world of the bilge.  Right away I could see one of the fittings on the hot water heater squirting.  Add another problem to the list!

Meanwhile, our old problem with the leak from the lines leading to the holding tank (think septic tank) has started again.  I knew Sunday's task...clean up the mess and flush out the bilge.  Nothing is ever that easy.  There is one drain scupper that loves to clog.  It is located in such a tight spot.  So Gumby (that's me) has to snake in with the drain cleaning brush and get the mess moving.

After I finished my job in the mid-bilge, Todd decided to clean out the starboard side of the aft-bilge.  It had collected dirt and leaves over the winter.  Once both projects were completed, we looked proudly into our clean bilge.

We left the boat on Monday and stopped by the mechanic's shop on the way home.  The batteries would go in Tuesday (today) and they would start work on the head (toilet) problem as soon as we pump out the holding tank.  We will go to the boat tomorrow and pump out the head.  Until then drip, drip, drip...