We're in and running!!!

Yes, today the new Yanmar engine started on the first turn and hummed away with only a couple of minor tightenings!  Lots of soap and scrubbing happened, inside and out.  You could be snow blinded by the results!  The new anchor line was marked and installed.  The new cowel (brass air vent that cost a fortune) fits and looks quite impressive up there on the bow.  Gosling got a new tow line today.  Tomorrow I load and store all our stuff in the cabin.  Bill has to face getting the !!! outboard going and various other must do's.  The weather has been beautiful here - mid 70's and sunny.  Our hotel has turned out to be very nice - free breakfast and laundry (which we are using tonight). 
Love, B & B

Splash!!

Yes, the Snow Goose is happily in the water again - as is Gosling.  Unfortunately, the mechanic was a no show, so we still haven't powered up the new Yanmar.  Tomorrow.  This is Georgia and nothing moves very fast or smooth. The cleansers and brushes have been found and will be in full force tomorrow.  Also splashed today was a 1948 38' wooden boat, Pequod.  She is sitting in the water in the sling waiting for the hull to swell sufficiently.  Pictures to follow - left my camera aboard!  We talked with Francie, Ken & Skipper aboard the Release who are in Fernandina Beach today heading for Stuart, FL.  The weather here is holding with us - 70's and sunny.  I hope it will hold out through the weekend for the cleaning and provisioning.

Love,
B & B

Return to the Snow Goose

We arrived unceremoniously in Brunswick Airport at 4:15 yesterday and picked up our car.  We checked out the Snow Goose - she hadn't flown away!  Decided to check out the Baymont Inn in Brunswick GA.  We registered online in the Baymont computer lab since that was the cheapest way.  We plan to be here through the 15th, then hope to head for Hilton Head.  Connie, we don't have cell phone coverage at the hotel, but do at the boatyard, so I will call you.  Upon unlocking the boat this morning, we didn't find what we had hoped for.  The repower has not been completed, although almost, and the cabinet around the engine has not been completed, although he started to work on it today.  Nobody knows if the rudder has been repacked.  However, the hull had been buffed!  We checked rigging, put up the main sail, threw away bungie cords and jerry jugs as they had been disintegrated by the sun.  All our boxes but our foam mattress had been delivered.  But since we couldn't put anything away in the boat as they are still working in it, we unpacked all the boxes and packed them in the car.  Now we qualify for the homeless look. But on the bright side, our Fire In the Hole, Bahama's best rum, was safe and sound stashed away.  Stay tuned for Friday's planned splash!

Love, B & B

Georgia's on my mind

We have been thinking about our return to the boat lately.  Our time home and mine at work is getting shorter now.  Bill will have his eye surgery this Friday and put that behind us.  October will bring bird hunting and preparation and plans for the trip to Georgia and getting the boat in the water.  Hooray!

Georgia

April 28, 2010 - Wednesday. To all our faithful followers, this is the last episode of Snow Goose Adventures for this year. Snow Goose will be a resident of Georgia on hard while she has a new engine implant, most likely in July, and then she will be hanging out here until we return to her in the fall. We are flying out of Brunswick GA on Friday evening. We should be home on Saturday. In the meantime, we are doing all things necessary to leave the boat in good hands. Thanks for caring about our voyage. We are hoping to see you all soon.

Georgia

April 25, 2010 Sunday Anybody need the phone number for TowBoatUS? I have it memorized. A lot has happened since we left St. Augustine on Wednesday, April 21st. Wednesday went by with smooth sailing after our rebuilt starter was installed. We anchored off the ICW in calm waters. About noon time on Thursday a generator mounting bolt going into the engine block broke off. With no generator or water pump coolant we couldn't run. Thus, we called TowBoatUS who towed us into Jekyll Island, Georgia where we were repaired. Friday AM we are off again but about 3 in the afternoon we lost our transmission. Second call to TowBoatUS - same guys who towed us the first time. After some discussion, they helped us select a marine facility in Darien, GA, Two Way Marine. They have a haul out if we need it, and when Monday comes they have a complete repair facility. So, this weekend we are stuck here in nowhere in rainy weather with lots of bugs, trying to decide how we are going to approach our problem - new transmission or repower. Never a dull moment. Yesterday we took a long walk toward Darien. There was about two miles of waterfowl conservation area supported by the US, Georgia, Ducks Unlimited and Nature Conservancy. A one time the property was all owned by the Butler family who maintained the plantation and rice fields. Very beautiful area, but still lots of bugs. This is definitely a good ole boy part of the world where kareokee is still the Friday night special and all guys drive big pickup trucks. Fun!

Trucking on thru Georgia

4-21-10 Wednesday We pushed the glow plug and then the starter button and it worked!!! and so we left St. Augustine and the Bridge of Lions at 8:30 am. The day was glorious - 75 degrees. We passed our first barges - two of them - since we started the ICW North. We dropped anchor just outside Allegator Creek, and a few miles from Georgia. We put in 9 1/2 hours and 55 miles - yes, we fought the tides the whole way. But we used the jib when we could and did the best we could do. Tomorrow shallow water in Georgia. Wish us good luck!

4-22-10   We are in Jekyll Island tonight.  The day was very warm but with no wind.  We motored our way down the ICW.  We are in a social marina tonight.  There is a 34' Sea Sprite next to us and a 30' Cape Dory down the pier.  Also the cutest tug boat in front of us.  Everyone has stories to tell and wants to show off their boat.  We passed cruising friends on My Whim on our way in, and they came by the say hello.  They are leaving their boat and going home to Chicago for the summer.