Well we finally did it, the whole family had the day together and the weather was perfect for a maiden voyage. We untied the lines and headed out to test out the rigging, shake things down and run the fuel system through it's paces. Around 1pm on July 29th we threw off the dock lines and headed out for a trip. The weather was mild and the reports from the VHF radio dive boats was visibility around 50ft.
The trip out Boot Key channel was uneventful and we putted along making a turn for Sombrero light. The engine didn't miss a beat as we made our way at around 5.3 kts under power. Our plan was to grab a mooring at Sombrero and enjoy the afternoon and evening.
We arrived at Sombrero and there was a mooring open, we snatched it up in a hurry and the kids couldn't wait to get in the water. We were in about 20ft and the bottom was as clear as could be.
Tons of fish, lobster and beautiful reef, we were even lucky enough to see a shark. Colby and I saw him but Jessica and Peyton were quite a bit behind so I decided to shark wrangle him over their direction. Now ordinarily herding a shark is a bad idea, herding him towards your wife and small child sounds like an even worse idea! It was a 4 to 5 ft nurse shark and for the most part they are harmless. Peyton's eyes lit up when she saw it swim underneath her, I was also lucky enough to get it on video.
We were the last ones on the reef and settled in for an evening meal. Jessica made sloppy joes, beans, chips etc, the seas were calm and we felt like the only people left on earth.
We hadn't intended on sailing that day, it was just a trial run of the fuel system and a family day, however the wind picked up a little and it was the perfect direction for an evening run back to port. I raised the main sail while still attached to the mooring ball, had Colby unhook from the ball and fell off onto a soft beam reach home. At one point we set the auto pilot and we all sat up on deck as a family, watching the sun set and hitting reset on the reason we are here.
Port Window Update
Tonight Peyton and I got out the tools, sprayed on the bug spray and tried a new product called Anti-Bond. The previous owner had decided to install the port windows with 3M 5200 sealant, this is meant to be permanent. Well the window was leaking and needed to be re-bedded only getting it apart has turned into a major chore. I took a putty knife and began to work it into the crack, spray a little anti-bond, work it more, spray more. Finally I was able to unbond the "permanent" seal and get the outer ring off. Now it's time to take apart the bathroom wall to do this the right way. (oh joy)
Tonights sunset courtesy of Peyton.
SOLAR PANEL SUNSET
I got the fabricated aluminum bars cut to size to support the solar panels and was finally able to start my project. I had replaced the top life line with 1" stainless steel bar and this was my platform to mount the panels. I had to drill the 1/4 bars, panels and mounts and only wasted 1 of the bars! (I had bought enough for 2 extras)
With the braces on and the brackets mounted it was time to put them on the rail. To my surprise Murphy took the day off and everything fit just right. I also got some bimini support poles from work and attached the support to the toe rail with a clip.
The final result!
Finalizing these projects then starting a few more, I'll post again as I start new ones.
Thank you so much for following along and for all the emails, messages and questions.
Cory
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