Southern Venture

[zinbaad]

You just can't imagine the smiles I get looking at Time after Time up on the trailer & on her way to great adventures in the warmer waters of Florida!!

[RobS]

I have found several Brewer's run by A-Hole's. Must be an employement requirement..... Why were you at Brewer's not the Shipyard?

[Pitou]

I have found several Brewer's run by A-Hole's. Must be an employement requirement..... Why were you at Brewer's not the Shipyard?

Roger that .... never met a member of Brewer's yard staff that I cared for or that did anything with a smile.

Ric - I know you promised Miss "K" that you wouldn't venture (this year) over to the Bahamas, but when you're ready I have a great cruise log for you ... 30 - 45 days is all. West end and through the outer Cays of Abaco Someday ;:).

Your a good man to pull the trigger with what you're doing. Thanks for sharing and all the best!

[N4QC]

Nice to see that the shipper mounted a wind breaker in front of your boat - the Grady-White...

Keep an eye on IDA... Too early to tell what track she might take and at what the wind speeds might be...

Welcome to Florida...

Have fun,

[RicM]

Nice to see that the shipper mounted a wind breaker in front of your boat - the Grady-White...

You and me both, brother!

Why were you at Brewer's not the Shipyard?

The Shipyard uses a motorized Brownell lift trailer, which looks a lot like the semi trailer. It picks up the boat from below. We needed slings to drop the boat on the trailer from above. The next closest place with slings was Pleasant Street wharf, but the streets down there are VERY narrow and there's not much room for the truck to maneuver. I have to go look at RI Moorings in Quonset for the return trip, that might be an easier target for the truck.

you promised Miss "K" that you wouldn't venture (this year) over to the Bahamas

I just promised I wouldn't go without her...

You just can't imagine the smiles I get looking at Time after Time up on the trailer

I'm doing this all for you guys, really!

Keep an eye on IDA..

We weathered Danny aboard in Onset then did Buzzards' Bay & RI Sound in 7 foot Danny swells this year. Last year we spent Hanna aboard in Essex. I ain't afraid of no stinkin' IDA!

[RobS]

Ah yes the Pleasant Street Wharf. Here she sat on the PSW Travel-Lift for the survey short haul almost 2 years ago to the day.....

[RicM]

Okay, short post and no pics today, I'm exhausted from a long day with the buffer. Four Fish Marina seems really nice. Very quiet around the dock and in town as they are now in "off season". The big excitement is the "Pineapple Festival" that I believe ends tonight. Dry storage is a different animal. No apparent showers or heads. Maybe they are in the office that was closed today. Nice slips and grounds though.

TaT seems to have weathered the trip just fine. She's still on the trailer, but I was able to work on the hull on the trailer all day today. They don't have the travel lift guy available to unload trailers on the weekend and the truck didn't get in until after 4 on Friday. Got the shady side compounded and a coat of Rejex on it. Looks great. I'm hoping they can turn it around so the port side will be shady tomorrow. The wind is extreme (20-30 knts) and straight out of the east which is unusual I guess. The basin is well protected from every angle BUT due East, so I will be staying in the Inn for another day or two. The boats in the water are all bouncing around like a washing machine. Ida is supposed to poop out around Wed. The Four Fish Inn is very nice. The room I am in is very clean and fresh. Kitchenette, full fridge, tile shower, fast internet. Don't need much more! I'm happy so far and actually got work done on the plane and this morning. Recut a 30 sec spot for a local retail store so I actually made some money today too!

[RobS]

Ric, time for a new avatar, maybe a palm tree, picture of the sun, a tarpon, a corona maybe..... and soon i'll change mine too... a picture of TOY-RIFIC on the hard, wrapped in plastic and covered in snow and ice

[RicM]

Rob, I'll see what I can come up with.
TaT got lifted off the trailer and blocked up first thing this morning. They move it around with a 20 Ton fork lift! Very impressive! The staff seems nice and very careful with boats.

Most boats sit on stands until owners call for them. You call an hour before you want the boat and they launch it and tie it up in the basin:

There is power and water hookup where the boat is tied up in the photo, so that will be my "hangout" when I'm here for the week. Diesel is 2.59/gal at the fuel dock.
There are slips for the big boys:

And the manager says if there are open slips when I'm down I can "hang out" in one of them.
Anyone know what kind of boat that is? It's gorgeous.

[Anthony1013]

Wow.... that sounds like a great way to extend the season. I appreciate the updates as I know a lot of us are living vicariously through you and this adventure.

That boat looks like an older Post or Ocean Super Sport. Timeless lines.... gorgeous boat.

[RicM]

Wednesday evening, a real busy day. It's weird how nice these people are. I don't trust them. Why do they do everything I ask them to, sometimes almost faster than I want them too? Perhaps it's because I've been trained to beg for days for the simple act of launching a boat. I don't get it. Well today was going to be launch day one way or the other, but I figured I'd suck up and bring coffee & donuts this AM. They put down the coffee and decided to launch ASAP as there were showers in the forecast.
Yesterday while cleaning the running gear I found a little "scab" that when picked revealed a small crack in the gelcoat on the back side of the keel. By the time I wire brushed it down to solid material the mat was showing. Marinetex to the rescue.

then, 24 hours later it was time to call in the heavy artillery. Check out this fork lift!

They just sneak up behind the boat and snatch it off the stand:

Down the road a bit:

Then it's over to the edge for a dunk:

Total time from stand to splash? Less than 10 minutes!
I am spending the night in a nice slip and leaving early for a trip down the ICW to West Palm Beach for dinner with a friend there. I will stay on the boat there then head back Friday AM. It's about 40 NM, so I'll be back in the slip here Friday night, then an early flight back home on Sat AM. TaT goes back on the stands Sat after I leave until Decembers' visit. What a country!

[RobS]

Wow they sure know how to make a 28TE look like a kid's toy.

How'd you get your under water metals so clean - were they never painted?

A great place by boat or land http://www.squaregrouper.net/index.htm

Check out the Menu - I think it's right up your alley http://www.squaregrouper.net/menus.htm
70 alcoholic beverages, 3 non-alcoholic choices and 4 food choices
Enjoy the maiden FL voyage !

[RicM]

At Mulligans as I write. Beer &a quick sandwich before bed. No
metal never painted. I run enough they stay pretty clean. Food here. Write later.

[RicM]

Square grouper looks pretty cool but $16k/year for slip? Yowser!
Anyway more pics tomorrow. Stay tuned!

[RicM]

Yesterday I traveled the approximately 40 NM to West Palm Beach on the ICW and traveled to a very different world.

The Palm Beach town dock was my first try, but they told me on the phone that they have a minimum 50' fee, so you can dock any size boat, but you pay for a fifty, $150. The man was nice though and reffered me to the Palm Harbor Marina. I pulled in there to an empty marina under construction and they had a 45' minimum, plus $25 day/ for electricity. The friend I was meeting for dinner did not want to drive far, I was tired and needed a shower so I said OK. After he signed me up and took my credit card, he tells me the showers and toilets are not available, the clubhouse is under renovation. The cable and internet were not on yet either. Oh and it's a 4 block walk to get food! Fortunately I had some frozen soup that I could microwave and had some lunch. Then the kid came back again and said they couldn't process Discover card. I told him to untie me I was leaving!

Ended up across the harbor at the Sailfish Marina which was a great find. It was not a bad drive for Laura and come to find out she and her husband Bill (a fishing buddy seen in some of my posted pics) eat there several times a year. It was a little cool and breezy so we ate inside at the bar, but it was the best meal I've had down here yet! Sauteed fresh yellowtail snapper, fresh veges steamed and still crisp, and black beans &rice. It was delicious!


Heading back to Jensen Beach today with maybe a stop at The Square Grouper for lunch. Note AOG burgee in above photo!