Chuck and Scott were delayed 'til Friday due to bad weather in Philly Thursday night. They left early Friday and arrived on the same flight that delivered me to the boat on Wednesday. With their delay, I spent the time I would have been traveling to pick them up on Thursday to complete some shopping and eating at a local pizza joint 30 miles away in the nearest town.
I felt really good about the boat and her readiness to make the trip when I left to pick up Scott and Chuck on Friday morning. I had some lack of confidence in my knowledge of a few of the boat's systems - starting the engines, for example - so I'd made arrangements to discuss those with a marina employee after returning from picking up Chuck and Scott at the airport.
Friday morning I made a last stop at the Wal*Mart on the way to the airport and then collected Chuck and Scott. We returned to the boat around 1030. Chuck and Scott settled in, and I let the yard know that we were ready to go through the systems with their most experienced technician. Scott listened in as I addressed my list of questions with the tech and added some good questions of his own. We covered engine start and shutdown, generator start and shutdown, how to position the main electrical switches for different power sources, specific questions about plumbing and waste management, fuel selection, changing the fuel filters, and a few other topics. It was very helpful, and when we were done, I felt my knowledge was good but confidence was low due to lack of experience. That would come with time, and I was ready to put in the time underway to get that experience.
After the tech left, we set about completing preparations for the trip. I asked Chuck and Scott to get comfortable, poke around, ask questions, and review the food aboard to find any missing items that they thought would be needed for a week afloat. They had to complete their crash course to become familiar with the boat and create a shopping list so that I could make the run into town, complete the shopping, and get back before I had to leave around 9 PM to pickup up Todd and turn in the rental car.
One of the items the tech suggested we have was a gallon jug of diesel to top off the filter canister after changing filter elements. Coincidentally, I'd looked for an approved diesel container during the Thursday evening shopping trip, but the smallest I could find was 5 gallons. That was too much. I later asked the tech what he used, and he'd been using a plastic Arizona Iced Tea jug for the past 2 or 3 years. Though I imagined getting arrested for filling an unapproved container with fuel at the gas station, Scott latched onto the idea of diesel in the Arizona Iced Tea jug and wouldn't let go.
In turn, they asked me to get to work on the AIS, because they couldn't wait to play with that new toy and see how it worked. They also felt that it would be very helpful during the offshore portion of our trip. I surveyed what I needed to complete the AIS installation, and Scott and Chuck completed their shopping list. I headed to town by 3 PM to pick up just a few items. Scott and Chuck stayed aboard to nap and continue familiarizing themselves with the boat.
I went to the hardware store first to get what I needed for the AIS install and to check again for a smaller diesel container, hoping by some miracle they'd gotten a shipment of 1 gallon containers since yesterday. No miracle, no luck. I decided, without enthusiasm, to embrace the Arizona Iced Tea idea. I then completed the grocery shopping at the local Winn Dixie, only missing 1 item on the list, plastic hangars.
Chuck and Scott were somewhat refreshed when I returned, loaded with more questions. Scott's questions usually started with, "Do you have . . . ?" or "Have you tried . . . ?" and many of the questions resulted in a new item we needed for the trip. Simple stuff like tape, an all purpose lubricant, or motion sickness medication. Stuff you'd typically find in any household - well, maybe not the sea sick stuff - but that I hadn't thought of for the boat yet. Chuck was busy thinking about the journey, updating his charts with Scott's ideas about the offshore passage, and developing his plan for getting the boat off of the wall it was tied to, turned around, and headed out the narrow channel towards the canal.
I was wondering how I was going to fill the Arizona Iced Tea jug with diesel, turn in the rental car, pickup Todd, and then return - with my jug of diesel - in the shuttle. I decided I'd take a bag to hide the jug, something that would be commonly carried by an airline passenger; I wouldn't go in the airport with my jug of diesel if I could help it; and if I got arrested filling the unapproved container, the crew was on their own. I might be done with boating forever.
Fortunately, a new plan emerged. Scott and Chuck were hot and would appreciate a ride in the air conditioned rental car, we all needed to eat something, the "Do you have . . . " shopping list had a few items on it, and Todd's flight was delayed at least an hour. Those factors added up to another trip to town with everyone to complete the shopping, eat, fill the gallon jug with diesel, and then return to the boat. We executed the new plan flawlessly, except I asked Scott to fill the gallon jug so that I could be spared jail time, but he refused, and I didn't even use the term "sacrificial lamb" that I was thinking when I asked him.
The trip back to the airport to return the rental car and pickup Todd went equally well. I'd been talking to the shuttle driver throughout the day, and he was already aware of Todd's delay and would be ready to pick us up when he arrived, however late it became. The trip back in the shuttle was fine. I wanted to take a quick nap, but the shuttle driver was chatty. Thankfully, Todd kept him busy while I faded in and out.
I made sure Todd was familiar enough to get around the boat to find what he needed and had a place to sleep and then I crawled into bed and was out. Any day that ends without getting arrested is a good day.
Greg.
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