Slight change in plans – we’re leaving this Friday for Florida! Our charter for this weekend did not happen because of the weather so we are getting the boat ready to head south NOW!
It’s Tuesday evening and we’ve had a VERY busy day. Yesterday we spent most of the day up north at Cossayuna Lake installing canvas on a camp that Laura and I made over the past few days. We had gotten this canvas job from a friend and it went pretty well. When we got back to the boat, Laura finished up the port-side canvas for our cockpit which she worked on all day Sunday. We also found our electrical lines lying on the dock. The marina had pulled out the electric on the dock. I guess they had told me that was going to happen but I was hoping it would be later in the week. Oh well. We survived 18 months in the Caribbean without dockside power. I guess a couple days won’t hurt us too much. (Can you tell we’re spoiled by being at the marina all summer?)
Today I started getting the boat ready to head south. Here’s what I did while Laura started working on the starboard-side cockpit canvas –
- Ran the engine for an hour to warm up the oil and charge our refrigeration that had been off all night.
- Had coffee and breakfast
- Shutdown the engine and drained the oil
- Did one load of laundry at the marina
- Changed the engine oil filter
- Started to change the oil in the Honda generator but it wouldn’t start
- Fixed the Honda generator
- Changed the oil in the generator
- Tried running the boat heating system off the generator – still wouldn’t start the compressor – bummer
- Did a second load of laundry
- Ate lunch
- Took our empty propane tank and one empty 5 gal gasoline jug into town
- Deposited old engine oil at Advanced Auto Parts
- Ordered spare sparkplug for generator (will be in tomorrow)
- Drove to propane filling station. Waited while he filled our tank
- Filled gasoline jug at gas station
- Returned to boat and put away propane tank in spare locker
- Put away the full gasoline jug
- Fixed drain in aft deck locker where I keep the gasoline jugs
- Filled dinghy gasoline tank
- Lowered dinghy into the water for testing outboard motor
- Started outboard (fairly easy) and took dinghy for test spin
- Raised dinghy back on davits and secured for voyage south
- Took car to Hudson for shopping
- Stopped at canvas shop for new sewing needles – found some that would work but had to jabber with the owner for awhile
- Stopped at bank to cash check
- Drove to Jiffylube for oil change in car
- Ran car through car wash
- Went to Staples for a few business things
- Went to Price Chopper to bulk up on meats for the freezer
- Drove back to Catskill
- Stopped at Post Office to have our mail forwarded
- Unloaded car and brought everything down to the boat
While I was doing this, Laura completed almost the whole canvas piece for our starboard side of the cockpit. The port side had taken her almost 3 days so I guess she’s getting better!
Tomorrow I’ll put all the snaps in the bottom of the port canvas while Laura is finishing up the starboard side. Then we’ll head up to Ballston Spa to see our friends before having dinner with my family.
On Thursday we’ll do a final HUGE grocery at Wal-Mart to complete our stock-up. Then we head up to Laura’s parents for dinner with the family and putting the car to bed. They will give us a ride back to the boat and we’ll be all ready to go early Friday morning. YEA!
The picture was taken on our last charter of the season.
