We're moving again!

What a crazy day, but we're underway and we've already made great progress!

I don't think any of us slept that well.  Well, Todd didn't roll out of bed until after 8:00, but that's okay.  One of us has to be well rested for the long trip ahead, and it's good that it's the one with the young eyes.

The yard kept to the schedule they promised.  The part was delivered around 8:30 and was in Bob, the mechanic's, hands.  Scott saw him around that time and Bob told him that he just had to go to the restroom and that he'd by right down to install it.  Bob showed up an hour later.  That's frustrating, but perfectly understandable.  I'm sure there was a lot more to do in that hour than just go to the bathroom.  He did show up well prepared with the right parts and tools, and he set right to work.

Bleeding the air from the lines after the part was installed was a long process.  The part was installed by 11:00, but the servicing and bleeding wasn't completed until after 12:30.  We were golden!  Sure we were on our way, the shore power and water were removed, the engines were started, and were warming them up when Chuck noted that none of the electronics were on.  I was more frazzled than I realized by that point, but as I checked every switch, rotary dial, and circuit breaker, I couldn't find any set differently than they'd been set before when everything worked as it was supposed to.

In complete desperation, I called the yard service manager and asked him to come help us restore DC power to the boat.  He graciously agreed and came right down in his golf cart and set to work.  After 15 minutes of poking his voltmeter around the engine room, he agreed that there was no ship's DC power available.  As he was crawling across the top of the battery banks, something popped when he touch one of the battery cables, and the lights came on.  Ah, a loose battery cable.  We tightened that down and DC power was restored.  I thanked him - what service! - told him to please bill me, but he said there'd no charge - what service, and what a great price!

I told Chuck to fire up the engines again while I cleaned up the engine room and we'd be ready to go as soon as he was ready.  As I popped my head out of the engine hatch in the cockpit, Scott suggested I handle the stern line, so I pulled it in and pushed us off.  We were underway at 13:45.

We even got a break when we were roughly a half mile from the last lock at 3:30 just as the door was closing, and I asked the lock keeper to wait for us.  Without committing one way or the other, he told us that if we didn't make it, we'd have to wait until 4:30.  We came around the corner and saw the doors closing, and I told him that we were close and could make it if he was willing.  The keeper didn't say anything, and there was a significant pause while he thought about it, but the lock doors stopped closing and then began opening.  That was a lucky break, and we needed one.

Now we've been steaming for almost exactly 5 hours, and we're making great time, we haven't broken anything or run aground.  We'd been following the boat that was in the lock before we got there, and they cut the corner on the wrong side of a red mark and ended up aground right in front of us.  They powered themselves off, but I believe they retired to a port of opportunity to check out their condition.

As we turned the corner at Stuart, FL and headed north, we were greeted by a pod of dolphins that played in our bow wave a bit.  Instead of grabbing my camera to get pictures, I ran out on the bowsprit empty handed to just stare at them.  I agree it was selfish on my part, but I'll own it and not apologize for it.  I'll do better next time.  The water in that area was the beautiful turquoise blue, very close to the color of the Branwen shirts that Mary made for us.

Scott has done so much to get us ready for this trip.  I haven't begun to give him the credit he deserves for his vast knowledge and thorough mind, but I'll add many of those details later.  I wanted to point out that one of the most visible things he's done is get our US flag flying proudly from Branwen's cockpit while we're underway.  The crew, the boat, and having the US flag waving to all as they pass us makes me proud, and the pride in all we've accomplished in such a short time settles the butterflies in my stomach a bit when I think about taking this boat with this crew offshore.

I don't know how much longer we'll have connectivity.  We hope to be leaving Fort Pierce for the big ocean sometime after dark tonight.  Chuck has adjusted our planned path so that we stay within 20 to 50 miles from shore, so maybe we'll get lucky and have occasional cell coverage, but I doubt it.  We'll check in when we can, but remember that we'll all be fine and will be checking in with you soon.

Greg.