Monday, August 23, 2004
Northport, MI
We’ve started getting email and phone calls inquiring about our status. Thanks for the concern, everyone. We are still here and still at it. I realize I haven’t updated in over a week, and for that I apologize. I haven’t had much time to write, as I’ve been spending every minute possible installing the new engine. But, for a quick update, here’s the short-and-sweet latest:
Sittin’ Pretty
Well, it is official. Summer is over – it never made it here, as a matter of fact. The leaves along the road to the boat are already beginning to turn their fall colors. I can’t believe it. It is still August! We have yet to have one hot day here. Supposedly, Saturday night the City of Cadillac, the town where we are staying, recorded a record low temperature of 30 degrees fahrenheit. Not that I would know, I was cozy in bed with the furnace on. The day time temperatures seem to be holding the same as they have all summer, which is not too warm. We are praying for an indian summer. The weather is leaving us in a very compromised position.
However, there is a new sound in the approaching autumn. “Vroom! Vroom!” says the new diesel. Yup, it is in the boat and the installation is almost complete. I was messing around yesterday, after hooking up all the important parts. I just wanted to see it turn over once or twice. I didn’t even have the fuel on. Just wanted to see it spin. I hit the start button, and it started! “Holy Shit!” I screamed as I ran over and fumbled with the yet to get installed shut down lever. I hadn’t considered the fact they had run it at the factory and there was still fuel left in the lines. I didn’t want to actually start it, just turn it over some. But, it started and, boy, did it sounded great! Even without a muffler.
In Place!!!
We are waiting for the exhaust system to arrive. For you sailors out there, beware of being in a hurry when ordering from Vetus den Ouden of the Netherlands. They have great stuff, but their service is worse than terrible. I ordered these exhaust parts a week ago today, called Thursday to ask them to hurry up and overnight them for Friday delivery, and called again today to find they don’t even know I even placed an order! After a few forceful conversations, I am able to verify that UPS is over-nighting me something from them. Whether it is the parts I need or not is to be determined.
Assuming Vetus does send the correct parts, I should be able to install them quickly and relaunch the boat tomorrow – hopefully. Then, we will be one BIG day closer to getting back underway. With the summer season at an end here, we are ready to head south. Besides, tomorrow marks the start of our sixth week at Northport Bay Boatyard. They are fantastic, but with all due respect, we’d rather not stay one more minute than necessary.
We have to remain realistic, for safety, and begin to consider our status. This new engine has cost us a small fortune, and has taken up all or our “disposable” funds and a significant portion of our “necessary” funds. Add in the time of year and the weather, and we have to seriously get moving. I’m putting an unofficial Sept. 1st deadline for our latest possible departure from Northport. Anything after that, and we will have to consider scrapping our plans for this year, finding jobs, and picking up here next spring. It is not a realization we welcome and not a decision we want to make. Perhaps, Vetus, that is why I spent the day yelling at you on the phone! We need to go, and we need to go now!
With one week left, we should make it. We can finish a lot of work underway, as long as we can get out of Northport. After all, we have a lot of time for things on the water, besides killing flies.
– Steve