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Monday, March 26th

Hi Flite back home

We brought Hi Flite home on Saturday. We ran around doing various errands in the morning, and then around 1:00 pm, which was high tide, we motored up the waterway with the wind at our backs to the Neuse River. It took about an hour to get to the river at which time we hoisted sails and planned on a fun sail back up the river. Unfortunately, the wind had died. By the time we had everything hoisted we were sitting in flat calm water. Back to motoring. We knew that the calm wouldn’t last long but we weren’t about to just sit there. As we motored up river with the main and mizzen set we could see ripples on the water showing that the breeze was coming back. And come back it did, 15 knots dead on the nose. This wasn’t too much of a problem since the river is wide enough to tack in if you are not in a hurry. About this time we called my sister, who was on her way to visit, to find out where they were and about what time they would be at the marina. They were about a half hour away so time became a factor. We motor-sailed back the creek, dropped the sails and headed back to the marina. It turned out that it was a good thing we hurried back since the wind was out of the south. As I have mentioned before, a strong wind out of the south will push the water out of the creek. When we approached the docks we were already dragging the keel in the mud slowing us down considerably. This does help counter the effect of a cross wind but it is hard on a new paintjob.

We hoped to make it out for a sail on Sunday but the wind had turned from the northeast overnight and was kicking things up quiet a bit out on the river. We ended up spending the day as tour guides but it gave us an excuse to hit some shops we had wanted to go to anyway.

Today is Monday and it is back to work as usual.

Dale on 03.26.07 @ 03:30 PM EDT [link]

Friday, March 23rd

Update on our haul-out

Sunday we brought the boat to the work yard and got hauled out first thing Monday morning. I haven’t seen the bottom since she was hauled out for her survey when we were buying her. Overall I was pleased with the condition, after 2+ years there was very little growth and the paint was in fairly good condition with some exceptions. Of course we have had a diver check things out and do some cleaning from time to time but nothing on a regular basis.

The cutlass bearing was replaced since there was a little to much play in it. The bottom looks real good with new paint. She has a first coat of blue and a second coat of red so you can tell where the paint is wearing thin. There was almost no blue showing so it was just a matter of adding coats of red after some initial prep work.

I have been having problems for a while with the depth transducer, at least all of the troubleshooting points to the transducer, and thought about replacing while we were out. Unfortunately I let it slip my mind until it was too late and I can’t get one shipped in time to install before it is time to get back into the water. We are, however, looking at replacing the electronics so it may well be a project for another time. The problem with the depth sensor is that it doesn’t seem to work in shallow water. Once we are out of the creek and into the river it works just fine. As we come back to our slip or look for a spot to anchor it stops working. Unfortunately those are the times that we need it the most. So far it is an inconvenience but eventually I will get myself into trouble.

One would think that I would have planned this haul out better but when I called to make a reservation I was thinking a month or more away but I couldn’t turn down an offer to get in right away. Around the time I was thinking about is when they are busy with the race boats and it would have been an even longer wait to get the work done.

In the end it will all work out. As it is, they will be dropping her back into the water today and we will be home on Saturday.

Dale on 03.23.07 @ 02:30 PM EDT [link]

Sunday, March 18th

A short March sail

We got out for a sail today because it is time to take Hi Flite to the yard for a haul-out. We got out into the river and pulled out the headsail and made 3 – 6 knots downriver to Adams Creek. Adams Creek is the entry to the Intracoastal Waterway. At the entry to the creek we pulled in the sail and fired up the engine to work our way down the Waterway to Bocks Marine, who will do the haul-out. Docking was a treat with the outgoing tide creating a current trying to push us away from the dock. We tied up and will spend the night at the dock and will be hauled in the morning. We have scheduled the bottom to be cleaned and repainted and possibly have the cutlass bearing replaced. We will add to the list when she is out of the water, I want to get the hull cleaned and polished if I can make the time. We will keep you posted as best I can since we won't have internet access while on the hard.
Dale on 03.18.07 @ 06:19 PM EDT [link]

Sunday, March 11th

A busy weekend

We started our spring projects this weekend. We started by scheduling a haul out on the 19th to have the bottom cleaned and painted. We will decide what else needs to be done once we see her out of the water, something we haven’t seen since the survey when we bought her. More on that later.

This weekend we dropped the headsail and checked the stitching for areas needing repairs. On Christmas Day, while we were in Minnesota, a storm caught and unfurled the headsail and let it flap violently in the wind. Thanks to our neighbor and the marina owner it was rolled back in before any serious damage was done, but a lot of the stitching on the UV-cover was broken. This stitching has a life expectation of about five years and it has been that long since the sail was serviced, so it is not unexpected that it broke down. There were a lot of areas that needed to be re-stitched but they were isolated to the UV-cover, and the sail is still in good shape. Sunday was spent repairing the sail and we had it back on and ready to use by the end of the day.

The rest of the weekend was spent getting ready for a birthday party for Maril and a retirement party for Vic, our neighbor. Friday was Vic’s last day at work he is now officially retired. He has been spending the last few years getting his boat ready for extended cruising and is almost done and is ready to take off. We wish we were ready to go with him.

Dale on 03.11.07 @ 09:37 PM EDT [link]

Thursday, March 1st

Another long overdue entry

It’s been a long stretch since the last entry but life has been pretty much normal. The temps have been on the cool to cold side but it is starting to warm up again. We just get up in the morning, head off to work, try to relax in the evening, and then start over again.

This last weekend we took a break from the routine and headed out of town. Cori’s parents were up in Kitty Hawk for a few days. They were a couple of blocks from the Wright Brothers Memorial where the first flight took place. We headed out Friday after work to meet up with them and spend the weekend. Her brother, Steve, came down from Richmond for the day so she got to spend some time with family. There were a lot of phone calls with the rest of the family since it was her Dad’s birthday.

We had been up in the area once before and had already seen the lighthouses and the Wright Brothers Monument so it became something of a shopping trip for the ladies. It is early for the tourist so not everything was open but there was enough to keep us busy. Both morning started out at “Bob’s Café,” the food is good and you get a lot of it. The part that makes it special is their theme – “eat and get the hell out!” The place is so popular that even in the off season people are waiting for a table, thus the theme.

I am going to add some of the pictures to the gallery pages as soon as I get a chance.

Dale on 03.01.07 @ 07:49 PM EDT [link]