Still More Phase 3

Sunday (2/26/2017) was a really good day. Aside from being sunny, warm, and windless, I got lots done on the boat. I spent some time on general housecleaning. I also drove the spikes into the pilings near the boat so that I could re-tie all the lines. I was not able to easily cast off and tie back up. So, the spikes and some new dock lines got me squared away on that. My neighbor, Jackson Jr., came over and helped me with the mast. The halyard on the mast was wrapped in electrical tape to keep it from flapping around. I took the mast down, unwrapped the tape and attached the AGLCA burgee.

Now, I'm letting everybody who knows what it means what my intent is. I also took down the canvas covers on the windows.
It took some doing, but I made ready for a short cruise. One of the RVers here asked if I would mind taking him out for a short spin. I asked him if he would mind giving me a hand on getting a couple of things done. We agreed to the spin and the assist. We untied and headed out on the intra-coastal. I needed to fuel up and empty the waste tank. I hadn't done either. Holiday Harbor Marina is just a half mile away, so that's where we headed. They provide both fuel and pump out services.
Mission accomplished, we headed out for a cruise. My new friend, Dennis, is a retired Sheriff. We chatted and took in the sights along the waterway. After an hour or so, we headed back. I was able to pull into the slip without too much problem, Dennis manned the lines and my neighbor, Amy, Jackson's mom, threw lines for the bow. Pretty cool.
Unfortunately, during our brief cruise, I found that the GPS couldn't locate any navigation satellites. I spent a good part of the day yesterday on the phone with Garmin and with downloading and uploading the latest software updates. All to no avail.
Today, I went to register the dinghy thinking that I had all the right paperwork. After several hours of waiting and another hour with a DMV clerk, it was determined that I didn't have the right paperwork. So, I just got finished writing to the distributor of the dinghy. We'll see how that turns out. On the bright side, while I was on that side of town I went to West Marine and bought an external antenna for the GPS. When I got back to the boat a hooked it up the GPS was suddenly able to find a dozen satellites. I'm not sure why it quit finding satellites, but I guess if the antenna solves the problem...
Now I need to mount it permanently to the boat.
Some ups, some downs, but still on track for an April 1 departure.

More Phase 3

I just realized that after I got the cockpit enclosed, I didn't post any pictures of what it looks like. So, here it is.

I may have mentioned that it is not completely weather-proof. But, when there is a breeze it is calm inside. When there is a bit of rain, it stays dry. And, when it is cold, my little heater warms the space up quite nicely.

Phase 3 Continues to Continue

This time last year, I didn't own any boats. Now, I own two! I finally got the seat installed correctly. It took a couple of tries. Each try required deflating one of the cells and then re-inflating it. Not an easy task. At any rate, I carried it off of the finger dock and down on to the sandy beach. That's 55 pounds of awkwardness. But, I got it in the water and rowed it around a bit. Yay, it floats.
I had the motor unboxed and mostly put together the other day. There were still a couple of prep items that needed to be done. And yesterday, I went out and got a gas can, some 2 cycle oil, and gas. I did the final prep and mounted the motor on the back of the dinghy. It only took a few pulls and it started right up. I ran it up and down the little channel between the beach and the pilings that make up the docks. It doesn't have a keel, so it is a little difficult to control.  But, as I said the dinghy floats and the motor pushes. It was a good day!

Phase 3 Continues

Oh my! I've been here a month already. Sorry for not posting and not keeping you up-to-date. I'll try to do better in the future.
I've been keeping pretty busy, but there is still so much to do. It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride with a bunch of ups and downs.
I bought the dinghy that I'd been looking at on Amazon. It arrived, but had a broken piece on the seat board. I contacted the manufacturer through Amazon and, after sending them pictures of the broken part, they replaced the part.
Back in October, I bought a battery operated lantern. It uses rechargeable batteries that are recharged through a USB port. It was great, lots of light, easy to recharge. That is until the USB connection melted. I gave the lantern a 2 star review on Amazon. A couple of days later I get an email from the manufacturer telling me that the lantern has a 5 year warranty and asking if I'd like a replacement. It should be here today.
Also arriving today, a 2.5 HP outboard for the dinghy. I haven't had the dinghy in the water, yet. So, I'm looking forward to getting the outboard and doing a little "sea trial".
I'll need to get the dinghy registered. I also need to figure out how to mount the outboard on my boat while we're under way. I need to change the oil on the boat's diesel. Much to do before I head back to West Virginia in mid-March.
Other than that, I've been subbing in the Escambia County schools. That gets me up and out every once in awhile. The park that I'm in is kind of fun, too. On Saturday mornings, there is breakfast in the park's recreation room, 3 pancakes, 3 sausages, 3 dollars. Thursday evening happy hours are followed by bingo. Party on!
I've also made a friend here. We went out to Brother's BBQ the other night. On Fridays, the special is fried catfish. It's a favorite of mine and Kasia (new friend) had never had catfish. I'm proud to say that I made a fan. We also went out to brunch and a local farmer's market/street fair in downtown Pensacola. Fun times!
The slip that my boat is tied into is right on the Intra-Coastal Waterway. There is a lot of barge traffic going by just yards away. Fortunately, I'm in a "No Wake Zone". Below is an example. It's a tug towing a construction crane and another barge. It also has a tug tied onto the stern of the second barge. The second tug is staffed and ready to help steer around some of the more difficult turns.