Heading SOUTH! We hope.

We are ready.
The boat is ready. Now if the weather cooperates we will be out of here tomorrow, or at the latest Friday. Our concern right now is temperature. The nights have been in the 40s here in Brunswick and we are worried that if we anchor out and don't have power it might be too cold for Morgan. So we watch the weather carefully and head out when we know it will be warm enough at night for the bird.
This week has had its challenges. On Sunday I changed the oil in the engine. That went OK. Then I started the engine to make sure everything else was working OK but noticed a slight leak in the sea water pump. Yuck. I pulled the pump out and took it apart thinking a new impeller and seal would fix the problem. Nope. The inner workings of the pump were badly worn, bearings and seals bad, etc. I checked the Jabsco website to see if a rebuild kit was available. Yes, sure, it was available. BUT...the kit I needed was $317! A whole new pump was about $350 so rather than take a chance of not getting it back together right, I just ordered a whole new pump. It came in on Tuesday and I had it installed and running the same day. Now there are no leaks.
We had had the yard man put in a new gasket on the valve cover in July and now it seems we have no oil leak either. Hey, there's a novelty - a clean, dry engine room! For now anyway. It is a 30 year old engine, after all.
This last week has been one of socializing as well. Bev's friend Jane and her friend Tony are sailing from Cape Cod to St. Pete in his Catalina 27 "Patience." They stopped by along with a buddy boat "Hawks Nest." In addition to Tipsy McSway's for trivia night, we also had several dinner parties on Queequeg, one on Hawks Nest and one next door on "Grace." Whew! Whirlwind social life. Tonight it's Tipsy's trivia again along with Jim and Bruce from Hawks Nest and our friends Mike and Shantee, who live in Brunswick. Mike and Shantee have graciously volunteered to "van sit" while we are in Marathon for the winter.
So, if it will just warm up a bit, we can head out without freezing the bird!