Almost ready to leave Annapolis?

Sorry I’m so bad about updating, but I find it difficult to type on a phone.  Back to a keyboard today.

The past few days, Rudy, Dick, and I, have been doing a multitude of things to make the vessel ready for her 1500 mile journey south.  Some, but not nearly all of the things: impeller changes on the generator and main, oil changes, battery changes (count 7), water system flushing, electronics installations, old electronics updating, shopping for everything from plates to a toilet bowl brush…. It is funny all of the little things you can realize you really need!  One of the really big things we did was to install a new fuel filter system for the main engine.  We installed racor 900's, a double filter system that allows you to isolate either filter to change it while running.

We were underway yesterday long enough to heat up the oil for oil change. 

There was about a 25 knot wind, blowing abeam to coming in/out the slip.  Although there was a little pucker factor putting the vessel astern between two vessels when the slip is only 15 feet wind is interesting, but suffice it to say, the boat handles beautifully.

For those of you interested in the Mercy-dog empty facilities, we bought a hand cement mixer black tub, drilled holes in the bottom, put a couple of inches of rock, covered with a few inches of mulch.  Mercy has used it a couple of times.

Last night I washed the Mercy down, and she is pretty and shiny now!

Our underway plans are to do an afternoon cruise “around” this afternoon with Rudy's son Dale and his family, and then Dick, Rudy, and I will be underway on Monday afternoon thru Wednesday for a little more extensive shakedown. 

Rudy's family, MERCY's first underway guests:

daughter Laurie, Hope (3 years old), Olivia (9 months)

and son Dale

After that, Lord willing, we plan to provision, and start heading south, with some crew rotating in and out!

These plans may be a little optimistic, since our charger/inverter system is not working.  The electronics tech is trying to find us a board to install to fix the problem.  If he hasn’t found a board by Monday, we’ll order a new (augh $$$) unit, and will be waiting for that unit to arrive so we can install it before we leave.

I’ll try and keep this updated.