Location: Zimmerman Marine (still) - Cardinal, VA
Position: 37 24.438 N 076 21.154 W
Unfortunately our sea trial has not yet happened. There are some problems with the exhaust back pressure and a singing prop shaft. Still, we love these folks at Zimmerman Marine so much we provided a homemade BBQ lunch for them all as a "thank you" for the support, friendship, and good will they've all given us during our stay.
This was, of course, before we found out that we still aren't actually leaving, yet. And now it's too late to ask them to give us the lunch back. Oh. Maybe it isn't, but, in fact, we don't really want it back
We did tell them that if we don't get to leave soon we may have to crash their Christmas party! And, no matter what, we're definitely not going to start paying personal property taxes in Mathews County!!
Now we have to install a 3" exhaust all the way from the engine to the outside of the boat. Mark has to tear out some woodwork in the "basement" to make room. He and the mechanic will work on installing the exhaust tomorrow. Maybe we can finally get going then.
Date: October 11
The new exhaust was installed this morning in record time. We went out for a sea trial and, haleleujah, the prop pitch is perfect - we don't have to get hauled again to have it repitched - we had been worried about it but finally something went right!!
All we have left to do now is get the pesky little "singing" out of the drive train. It only occurs between 950 and 1100 RPMs in forward and the mechanic thinks it's just an alignment problem.
After that, we just have to rebuild the woodwork around the new exhaust system, re-stow all the stuff we haven't been able to stow down there while work was being done, hook the high water bilge alarm back up, do a few relatively simple odd electrical and plumbing jobs, and we'll be ready to motor up and join some friends for a get-together on Saturday at Little Bay. It will feel great to be away from the dock and "on the hook" at last!
Date: October 12
"Remember when we quit work so we could get some of the stress out of our lives, go cruising, and have some fun?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"Hellifiknow."
The mechanic realigns the new engine - the singing is still there.
We have a diver remove our line cutter - the singing is still there.
We repack our stuffing box - the singing is still there.
We start grasping at straws.
The mechanic adjusts the oil level in the new transmission - the singing is still there.
We sacrifice a chicken and arrange it's bones "just so" - the singing is still there.
One of the guys says "It could be 'prop sing'", We haul the boat again and pull the prop.
As soon as it is off the driveshaft, Julie makes a mad dash down to the prop shop, 75 miles away. They'll only be there until 1:00 PM so, even though we don't know for sure that is the problem, she leaves right away just to be sure she can make it there in time.
Mark and the mechanic mount Rachel's old prop and put her part-way back in the water. No singing. We have finally found the problem! It's about time!! Mark calls Julie to let her know it's the prop for sure and that she doesn't have to turn around.
Julie returns with the newly "de-sung" prop and, even though there isn't enough water to launch, the guys put us in far enough to test. The singing is still there, but only over a 50 RPM range. It's better, but it's still there, annoying as ever.
So now Rachel is out of the water again for the weekend and will be re-launched sometime around noon on Monday. Julie will be at the prop shop when they open on Monday morning for the second (and we hope final) round of de-singing, this time by the owner of the place.
In retrospect, the hardest part of this whole experience for both of us is being sure we'll be able to leave one day, only to find out we can't the next. This emotional roller coaster has been going on almost non-stop for the last 3 months. Except for the last half of August - at least then we knew we'd be out until the second or third week of September while the new engine was being installed. Mark has actually begun threatening to go back to work to get a break from all the stress!!
On the up side we really do feel like we are near the end and since we did still have several other little boat jobs to finish up anyway, now we have the weekend to get them out of the way. Dare we think that we may be out of here at the beginning of the week?
Regardless of what happens next week, tonight we are focused on our tasty, candlelit dinner and a lovely bottle of wine aboard Rachel. We process the day, count our blessings, let go of our worries, and talk once again about the fun we'll have and the beautiful places we'll visit when we finally do get to go "out there". Life is good.
