The
refrigerator, the shower sump, the dinghy motor, the electrical system, the
LectraSan system, the bilge pumps, the washer/dryer…no problems remaining! Dan did the oil changes, the antifreeze
change, engine tune up on the starboard side and will do the port engine in the
spring when we return. I am so proud of
my husband, his talent, his can do attitude, his fortitude.
This week we’ve
taken the boat out of the slip a couple of times, just for fun and for
practice. I’m comfortable driving the
boat, except for those close quarters.
Sitting in the captain’s chair and looking at the slip – it just looks
so small! But, I’ll keep practicing and
one day I’ll feel more at ease. Out in
the middle of the river yesterday, I just decided to turn the Kittiwake 360
degrees for the fun of it. It’s pretty
easy with two engines – just slowed down to idle speed, put the starboard
engine on forward and the port engine on reverse – she almost turned on a dime! We also tried out the dinghy for the first
time. We had the engine serviced, and it
works like a charm. The dinghy rests on
a cradle on the top of the boat. To get
it into the water, you connect it to a crane-like device, called a davit, pick
it up, then swing it to the side and drop it into the water. Not difficult, but not something we’ll want
to do often. And, frankly, with Max as
our passenger and his needing to get to land several times a day, we will not
be anchoring out much. One enhancement
we will consider is the installation of a davit on the aft of the boat, which
will lift and lower the boat from just a few feet above the water. It’s a much simpler and quicker way to
utilize the dinghy.
On
Wednesday, we plan to head down to Norfolk.
It will take us about two days to get there. We want to have Dan’s grandsons, Eric and
Jared, come to visit us and take them for a ride. They live in Chesapeake, Va. Next week, we will come back to this marina,
winterize the boat, and leave her for the winter.
This picture is of our dinghy, with Dan and Max. We didn't try to take it out with Max this time, because getting him in it was enough! Notice there's not much room - not sure if all three of us could even get in there!
