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Hey all,
Just wanted to give another update on status. Due to the weather conditions, we are planning on putting the boat into the water on Friday, instead of Monday, which means I lost a couple of days in the yard. This sucks because it means I don't have the time to install the Look Ahead Sonar. It isn't a critical item but it would have been fun to have. I'll probably have to wait a year before I haul her again to do this.
On the bright side, I've moved up the reservation for dock side berthing to Friday night. That means by the time any of you arrive, the boat should be at Crews Inn, and we'll have access to a pool, the internet (via my wireless laptop), a laundry, land based showers and lots of water/electricity. On the down side, there is still a lot of work to do before we leave, so be prepared to get dirty for a few days, but you'll also be able to shower and relax poolside.
I've had two items I didn't expect come up. The bottom paint was pretty bad, it needed repainting, and the salon windows were leaking. I've repainted the entire bottom with antifouling paint myself, and had the yard replace all the windows in the salon (removed, cleaned up and recaulked) so that the ocean and rain don't come wafting in, but mostly so that they don't fall off while we are out at sea. This is embarrassing when it happens, especially if your windows fall into the water. This is something you aren't supposed to have to do (the windows) for at least ten or twenty years. Apparently, this was one of the things that R&C scrimped on, I've heard this from other Leopard owners as well. The bottom paint was relatively new (about 1 year old, but being exposed to the sun/wind/rain really deteriorated it) and needed to be done faster than we had originally calculated. The advantage to doing it now, though, is that we will make better speed through the water.
Tonight and tomorrow are cleaning/deburring/painting the propellers, and, once the boat is up on the travel lift, painting the four patches of antifouling where the boat is currently resting on blocks. I'm installing the new diesel filters after that, then retesting the engines.
The weather seems to be degrading a bit, it is the very beginning of the rainy season, so we've had rain the last two days. There was also a trough moving through the Atlantic that had me concerned, but it appears to have not had any untoward effect. The latest wind/wave charts show us looking at 6 to 8 foot seas, with 10 to 20 knots of wind behind us. Still reasonable sailing and we should make good time.
There was some delay on the radar, but AnnMarie handled it (thank you so much love) and is waiting for it to arrive to her, then she will ship it to us. Assume we will need about two man days to install it. With two or three people we should have it done and tested in under a day.
The SSB is now all here, I tested it last night briefly, only to find out the circuit it was on isn't strong enough. I'll be rewiring that on the weekend. I haven't been able to find a solar panel yet, but I will try to get that tomorrow. This is the one item I'm nervous about. Everything not in stock here has to be shipped in, wait in customs for a ridiculously long time, and there is no guarantee of it ever getting here. If I still can't find someone with something in stock, we'll have to think about either shipping one down, or having one ordered with some sort of airfreight. I'll know more tomorrow.
The other items I realize I should have asked for are batteries (AA and 9V) and music. The local radio station is like listening to a cross between late '50s AM and muzak.
MaryAnn asked about money, and cost of getting into the country. I asked her to research this as I don't quite remember the details when I arrived. She'll be forwarding the results on to you all, but expect to spend something on a T&T visa.
That is about all I can think of right now. If you have any questions let me know.
Sea ya soon,
Robb
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