janice142
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2011
- Messages
- 1,252
- Location
- USofA
- Vessel Name
- Seaweed
- Vessel Make
- Schucker mini-trawler
It's been an eventful few days. Friday morning I heard some disappointing news regarding completion of the engine swap. Suffice it to say, I was done.
That same afternoon a gent (Butch of Home trucking) asked if I could be ready to go on Monday. I said "yes" with no idea how to accomplish a removal in such a short time.
No the engine is not done.
However if you say yes, good things often do happen. I'm firmly convinced my angels were working overtime. I said Yes to Butch and then had to figure out how to make it all happen ASAP.
Saturday I went by the post office and said good-bye to my friend Miss Connie from the Carrabelle Post Office. She is a real gem. Too, on Saturday a local drove me over to East Point (1/2 hour west) to a couple of auto places. Finally at an auto glass shop was able to obtain butyl for the fan-tastic vent fan I'd partially installed in the overhead.
Lacking butyl, I could not do the tightening down of the unit. I did that Saturday evening. And it leaks -- but I'll fix that.
Also on Saturday website visitors had contacted me. They were appraised of the situation and offered to use their jet-ski to tow me across the river to the boatyard.
Because I did not want confrontation and knowing the business owner often came in on Sunday's from ten until noon, I asked for a tow at noon. Right on the mark, Freddie and his Heather arrived.
We succeeded in moving Seaweed and had a lovely lunch at The Fisherman's Wife restaurant. That's the second time in two years (first year was Beast followed by BOB engine replacement) that I'd eaten in that restaurant.
And I had not had a hot dog for literally years. Because I get tired of them too soon to buy a pound package, I seldom do so. Of course yesterday I remembered that since I can meats I could pressure cook/preserve the leftover hot dogs from a package. I'll do that soon too. I just had not considered canning which is odd since I can lots of meats.
Anyway, Fisherman's Wife is a good place to eat. It is economical. The French fries are good and the hot dog was okay. Not burnt, however if I've heard one person say they burn hot dogs, I've heard it a dozen times. Talk is talk.
And hot dogs need to be burnt. Maybe Mother never cooked 'em right or shoving them on a stick over an open fire got me used to burnt ones... in any event, Fisherman's Wife doesn't burn 'em. I still have hope that eventually I'll get a burnt hotdog, though I'll probably have to do it myself.
Anyway, late Sunday night the driver arrived and we were all ready to go at 0800 Monday morning. Of course it was a bit of an ordeal to get Seaweed on the trailer. The truck driver was a real pro -- and very particular as to placement, leveling, etc.
He'd been to Texas, and was supposed to pick up a 32 Nordic in Alabama but something went wrong. Instead he was able to fit me in -- I was fortunate.
Because loading took quite some time, and Butch could not possibly get to the launch marina in St. Pete on Monday before they went home for the night we took a slow trip south. No need to go seventy and waste fuel, eh?
Anyway, we ended up launching Tuesday morning. Now I'm safe, secure and in St. Pete.
Life is great.
Of course I still have to have a mechanic finish the job. Two individuals, Freddie (jet-ski driver) and another back in Carrabelle, both looked at the engine set-up and declared it would take just four hours to be done. I still have to do that -- but not this month.
Moving was good -- glad it's over and can't thank y'all enough.
There is a big difference between Carrabelle and St. Pete. There, being put on the trailer was $75 at Dockside Marina. Here, to get off which is by far the easier task, was $230. Ouch.
Still, I'm very glad for those that use my Amazon links. Those help enormously and will catch me back up. I'm relieved to have the Carrabelle years over.
I came to that town a stranger and met some good people. Kim at C-Quarters is a gem. Her Harold is too. He does marine electronics, integrating radar, autopilots, navigation systems, etc.
And Harold delivers boats. Well, some out-and-out deliveries but also folks who are a bit trepidatious about crossing the Gulf of Mexico... Well, he'll go with and run the boat.
Because it is open water some wives and husbands chose to rent a car and take the scenic drive around the coast. Then they meet their boat the next day south safe and sound. That works well for all.
Basically, from here south (well, Tarpon Springs which is a bit north of St. Pete) it's all ICW. Protected, and beautiful green water.
I tell you, I cannot wait to get my Seaweed running again.
But not this week. This week I'm going to inhale deeply and recover. It's been a bit nerve-wracking. I'll miss my old friends and look forward to having a boat that actually moves under her own steam.
Life is good afloat.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this move possible. I'd still be in Carrabelle were it not for the many kindnesses shown me. It is appreciated. Very very much.
And now you know where I am. As for the website, I've got some articles to go up before the official "I'm in St. Pete" appears. I'm here though and wanted you to be the first to know.
Janice aboard Seaweed in St. Pete!
That same afternoon a gent (Butch of Home trucking) asked if I could be ready to go on Monday. I said "yes" with no idea how to accomplish a removal in such a short time.
No the engine is not done.
However if you say yes, good things often do happen. I'm firmly convinced my angels were working overtime. I said Yes to Butch and then had to figure out how to make it all happen ASAP.
Saturday I went by the post office and said good-bye to my friend Miss Connie from the Carrabelle Post Office. She is a real gem. Too, on Saturday a local drove me over to East Point (1/2 hour west) to a couple of auto places. Finally at an auto glass shop was able to obtain butyl for the fan-tastic vent fan I'd partially installed in the overhead.
Lacking butyl, I could not do the tightening down of the unit. I did that Saturday evening. And it leaks -- but I'll fix that.
Also on Saturday website visitors had contacted me. They were appraised of the situation and offered to use their jet-ski to tow me across the river to the boatyard.
Because I did not want confrontation and knowing the business owner often came in on Sunday's from ten until noon, I asked for a tow at noon. Right on the mark, Freddie and his Heather arrived.
We succeeded in moving Seaweed and had a lovely lunch at The Fisherman's Wife restaurant. That's the second time in two years (first year was Beast followed by BOB engine replacement) that I'd eaten in that restaurant.
And I had not had a hot dog for literally years. Because I get tired of them too soon to buy a pound package, I seldom do so. Of course yesterday I remembered that since I can meats I could pressure cook/preserve the leftover hot dogs from a package. I'll do that soon too. I just had not considered canning which is odd since I can lots of meats.
Anyway, Fisherman's Wife is a good place to eat. It is economical. The French fries are good and the hot dog was okay. Not burnt, however if I've heard one person say they burn hot dogs, I've heard it a dozen times. Talk is talk.
And hot dogs need to be burnt. Maybe Mother never cooked 'em right or shoving them on a stick over an open fire got me used to burnt ones... in any event, Fisherman's Wife doesn't burn 'em. I still have hope that eventually I'll get a burnt hotdog, though I'll probably have to do it myself.
Anyway, late Sunday night the driver arrived and we were all ready to go at 0800 Monday morning. Of course it was a bit of an ordeal to get Seaweed on the trailer. The truck driver was a real pro -- and very particular as to placement, leveling, etc.
He'd been to Texas, and was supposed to pick up a 32 Nordic in Alabama but something went wrong. Instead he was able to fit me in -- I was fortunate.
Because loading took quite some time, and Butch could not possibly get to the launch marina in St. Pete on Monday before they went home for the night we took a slow trip south. No need to go seventy and waste fuel, eh?
Anyway, we ended up launching Tuesday morning. Now I'm safe, secure and in St. Pete.
Life is great.
Of course I still have to have a mechanic finish the job. Two individuals, Freddie (jet-ski driver) and another back in Carrabelle, both looked at the engine set-up and declared it would take just four hours to be done. I still have to do that -- but not this month.
Moving was good -- glad it's over and can't thank y'all enough.
There is a big difference between Carrabelle and St. Pete. There, being put on the trailer was $75 at Dockside Marina. Here, to get off which is by far the easier task, was $230. Ouch.
Still, I'm very glad for those that use my Amazon links. Those help enormously and will catch me back up. I'm relieved to have the Carrabelle years over.
I came to that town a stranger and met some good people. Kim at C-Quarters is a gem. Her Harold is too. He does marine electronics, integrating radar, autopilots, navigation systems, etc.
And Harold delivers boats. Well, some out-and-out deliveries but also folks who are a bit trepidatious about crossing the Gulf of Mexico... Well, he'll go with and run the boat.
Because it is open water some wives and husbands chose to rent a car and take the scenic drive around the coast. Then they meet their boat the next day south safe and sound. That works well for all.
Basically, from here south (well, Tarpon Springs which is a bit north of St. Pete) it's all ICW. Protected, and beautiful green water.
I tell you, I cannot wait to get my Seaweed running again.
But not this week. This week I'm going to inhale deeply and recover. It's been a bit nerve-wracking. I'll miss my old friends and look forward to having a boat that actually moves under her own steam.
Life is good afloat.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this move possible. I'd still be in Carrabelle were it not for the many kindnesses shown me. It is appreciated. Very very much.
And now you know where I am. As for the website, I've got some articles to go up before the official "I'm in St. Pete" appears. I'm here though and wanted you to be the first to know.
Janice aboard Seaweed in St. Pete!