It’s been a frustrating 3 weeks since we arrived at New England Boatworks somewhat abruptly. We’ve been living at the top of a ladder and it’s getting rather old! However, boat chores are being accomplished, though it seems our spending has gone waaaay out of control…

NEB, whose praises I was singing in the spring have fallen somewhat flat – in that they don’t actually seem able to diagnose problems very well. Toodle-oo! has developed a severe engine vibration which manifests itself in relatively boisterous seas when motor sailing. Typically at the crest of a wave when on port tack. The engine goes into a serious vibration for a short time and then settles. I thought this was due to an alignment issue but they’ve measured the alignment and concluded all is fine. Their plan therefore was to put the boat back in the water and sea trial her… I’d just sea trialled her all the way from Newfoundland – with no changes, what’s the point. Another enterprise here suggested that the folding propeller was not in great shape and maybe the cause – so we opted to follow that advise and buy a new prop – it took 10 days to arrive…

While on the hard, I decided to try to eliminate a small leak in the thruhull for the head. It’s been slowly leaking ever since we had the boat. So I re-lapped it with grinding paste and thought I had it licked, but as the holding tank filled, it started again. I had another go – and it got worse. I tried again – worse still. After the 4th try, I figured the seacock needed replacement – which involves a new thruhull… I don’t feel qualified to do that – so here we are, week 3 with a hole in the side of the boat and no head to pee into! (Laurie is not a happy camper!)

We’d hoped to be able to get away faster and on our way south via the Chesapeake – but that’s not going to happen. Instead we’ll drive to the Chesapeake to attend the OCC dinner there and the boat show. We’ll probably leave from Rhode Island to Bermuda – or perhaps from New York to Bermuda instead of going to the Chesapeake…

Meanwhile, Hurricane Matthew is barreling up the coast towards us offering further delays!

Our plans from here – to Bermuda from either Rhode Island or New York, then on to the Bahamas, to Cuba then Panama and then down the west coast of South America…

Plans all laid in the sand at low tide…

Sad News… Brother-in-Law Dustin succumbed to Leukemia this week. He’d been fighting an amazing battle, but the wheels all came off a couple of weeks ago and there was nothing left to do. All his family and grandkids were there at the end to offer support and comfort. Dustin will be sorely missed.