Burntside Adventures: Back on the water

We got back to the boat last Tuesday a week ago, January 29. The trip wa interesting from a weather standpoint. Got a ride to Duluth with Laurie Hall. Sh dropped us off at Barry's where we visited for a couple of hours, then Mike and Shirleen picked us up, went to lunch and then they dropped us off at the airport. The weather was pretty ugly, big northwest winds and temp -20. The flight was delayed to de-ice and then delayed again on landing in Minneapolis, waiting for a gate to open up. Our connection ws tight. The flight attendant gave us good direction to the connecting flights gate and we ran, made it by just a couple of minutes and amazingly so did our luggage.

When we got to the boat, all was well, except for the ongoing midge hatch, which continued from our fall experience. Lots of clean up, and birds et the midges so we had to clean their messes up as well. We had an Enterprise rental for 4 days to provision with. We bought a ton of groceries, beer and tequila in anticipation of heading for the Bahamas over the next several weeks.

Last Friday we took the rental car to Eric and Shawn's new house in Clearwater. We got the tour and went out for supper at a great Mexican place with good beer before returning to the boat in Sanford that night. They have a great pool. It's a nice house.

We have been doing a ton of boat chores and maintenance. I took the alternator to an rebuild shop in Orlando. After three trips, an hour and a half round trip each, got it right and installed. It's charging like it is supposed to. I hosed down the boat a couple of times to get rid of most of the bugs and bird excrement, then sanded and stripped the teak doors to the salon and pilot house. Cindy then varnihed them and the cap rails and all looks beautiful. More importantly they are now better protected. The only remaining issue is our satellite TV receiver. Direct TV insisted w get an updated receiver, but it needs a part to connect to our dish which tracks the satellites as we move. I can order it off Amazon the next time we will be in a marina, and in the mean time, the old receiver works fine.

We ordered an inflatable kayak and yesterday afternoon inflated it and I went for a paddle. It's not what I am used to but will do, and I think it will be great to fish out of. Anyway, we are on the move again and it is nice to be out of the marina and back on the water. Currently about half way between Sanford and Lake George on an obow of the St. John's River all by ourselves, except for the ospreys.
Engine Hours 5311.7
Genset Hours 5690.7