Well, I've been castigated by my secretary. (now I can only talk in a high squeaky voice!)
"I believe a correction is in order. I was the one who mentioned to you on Monday evening 'why not rent a Uhaul truck?"
But like most men you paid no attention to my suggestion but Barbara was listening......."
thank you Marie and Barbara
She's splashed! S/V "Submit" was re-launched after lunch with minimal problems. I had started the Westerbeke 4.107 just briefly on the hard to make sure she would. She started after about the third piston up. I only let it run about 5 seconds.
The antique travel lift (I'm not kidding. some of it operates by hand crank!) hauled us to the water and set me in. I expected to be held in the slings long enough to start and warm up the engine, but I guess they were anxious to get rid of us? I was waiting for their signal when I noticed I was drifting away from the slings. Quick like a bunny (as they say. those who know me will convulse at the thought of me being quick or like a bunny) I started the engine. It fired up instantly and ran great.....for about 10 seconds. Drat. air in the fuel line. Oh well, I am drifting the right direction thanks to a slight breeze. Drat. soft grounding in their alleyway. (Barbara says "Everything is great. We're back on Submit. engine dies. run aground.")
Barbara walks to the end of a highly questionable finger pier to chat with me. And I see the water level slowly creeping down the piling next to her. Not quite low water yet.
Barbara is really wanting to be on the boat but is too far away. So, its time to inflate the dinghy! find pump. unpack dinghy. haul to foredeck. unroll. 100 strokes of the foot pump for the port side. 100 strokes of the pump for the starboard side. throw it overboard. remember to hold on to painter. add long line to painter. shove dinghy away towards Barbara's shore. Wait painful minutes while dying, eddying wind slowly carries dinghy to her. Watch her push it away with her foot the first time it gets close!
It's back! She's in! Pull her to "Submit" and she crawls aboard>
And the water level has dropped another 4". So, why not have late lunch? No, I won't bore you with the bite by bite, but by the time we are done, the water level is barely starting to rise.
So, off to engine stuff. Open high pressure fuel lines at 3 of the 4 injectors, set fuel control to full speed ahead, crank starter. fuel and bubbles. fuel begins to spray. a cylinder fires. close one line. runs better. close the other two. runs great! for 10 seconds. Drat! do it all again. step by step and success! for ten seconds. Drat! do it all again. Success! ten seconds, 15, 20, all is well and she is purring as of old. Just as we begin to drift again!
We motor to the remains of the antique docks and Tom, twice as big as me, helps us tie up. Shut down engine. Hook up shore power. go to office to settle up our bill in case they are not here tomorrow.
Off to the stores, Hiyo U-Haul away! Some dollar store shopping, a liquor store, a grocery store, a filling station (don't turn in the U-Haul with less fuel than you received it or else!) an oriental drive through (reminds me of a chain of tiny oriental takeout places in New Orleans decades ago called "Takee Outee") and back to the boat. Have dinner, put away groceries, reconnect propane for morning coffee, a glass of wine, and a report for the masses.
"Submit"ing to the cruising life is good!
Reggie
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