Getting her ready and the trip to Lake Worth

 I know.

 It's been a while since I wrote about our progress. We've finally had some break throughs enabling Freedom to move on. It seems like we were in and out of the water 4 times before the shafts were finally straight enough to run with. Each lift is no small task and very stressful. To put it into perspective, think about someone coming along with a crane and lifting up your house every few days. Anyway after letting Freedom rest in the water subsequent to the last launching the dial indicator told us there was virtually zero run out at a point about 1 foot from the hull exit point. Finally, no drunken drive shafts wobbling through the hull.

 I have to hand it to the folks here at Indiantown.

 They took a loss for the sake of dignity at the expense of the shop that was working on our prop shafts. We are very happy with the folks here.

 So we took her out and ran her up. The Detroits screemed like 426 CID two stroke diesels do, and we plowed along at about 19 knots. It's not fast but that's good speed considering Freedom weighs in at 20 tons, we have plenty of the stores aboard, and a full load of fuel. I was surprised she wound up that fast. But in keeping with our luck up to that point the port engine sprang a fuel leak. Since this was a trial run for the work we had done the mechanics were aboard. After we turned around he ran up to let me know there was antifreeze everywhere on the port engine.

 Insert expletive. "Farque" works for me.

 I asked where the leak was and he said the aft most part on the inside of the engine. I said that isn't antifreeze and he said it was. He asked if we used the pink antifreeze and I said yes, but there is no way there is AF coming out of the engine there. So I went to the bilge and sure enough it was diesel. It's pink like antifreeze but easily differentiated from AF. Before leaving the helm to Deb I had throttled back so by this point the leak subsided. He indicated it was a cooler, and subsequently I pulled it out and had a look because it was soaked with diesel. It was NTF proven by a pressure test that was not required IMHO. My next guess turned out to be the correct assessment of where the fuel was coming from. It was a fuel pressure activated switch that turns on the engine hour meters and other trivia. Once replaced the leak was resolved and subsequently verified by throttling up Freedom at the dock in neutral. 

 With a sigh of relief since this was only 35 bucks and sweat equity to resolve we kicked back for the Saturday evening marina sponsored BBQ. It's a great time where the marina kicks in a main course and everyone in attendance brings a side and their own beverages. Lately everyone needs to relax because many of us here have been slogging through some major repairs. After eating, a married couple brought up their guitar and organ from their boat and began to play. They have done this for several weeks here and they are pleasant folk fun to listen to and be around.  

 But we heard yet another rendition of "Hotel California" that they like to play for the crowd at the marina. After hearing some of the repair stories people were going through we began to associate their singing of "Hotel California" with the plight of many of the boaters here. You know the lyrics "you can check out but you can never leave?". Many people were waiting on new engines, insurance claims and other issues. Every time they played that song it started to ring home adding to the incentive to move on.

 In spite of the dull drums this maintenance has driven home we were in Stuart on Saturday to visit West Marine on US 1. It happens to be relatively close to the airport where they happened to have an air show running this past weekend. It wasn't a very large show but it managed to draw an Airforce contingency that included an F-16, an F-18 , various transports, and private stunt planes as well as crowds. We pulled into the parking lot at West Marine and to our surprise we had a great viewing of an F-18 pulling slow passes, full after burner ballistic shots, and 85 degree banked atmosphere shredding passes that went right overhead. We could clearly see the air condensing over the wings as it passed about 300 feet overhead totally banked pulling "G"s. I saluted the pilot and I could clearly see the helmet that's how close it was to us.

 It scared the heck out of Debbie it was that loud but wow, was that cool. I wish I had the camera. Dang.

 And today we moved on. Finally. Freedom behaved within expectations and brought us to Lake Worth and the North Palm Beach Marina. Along the way we were met by two exceptional AH's. One plowed along right at us and refused to back down. It was a good rocking. Then there was the bimbo driving her boat right at us with her leg hanging over the side. Yes, she was alone in the boat. If she fell in, it was going to get ugly. Given we know several people that have fallen out of a running boat left unattended, she had us concerned. We're unsure what her agenda is but some might think she was advertising.

 I've created a new link off of the blog to the latest GPS data called "The 2010-2011 Voyage". It will contain the Google Earth compatible tracks so the trip can be reviewed. Depending on how you set up the tour play options it can be interesting. Particularly when reviewed from a higher altitude so you can see the properties that are along the ICW.

 Some people know how to live. We do ok, but some people REALLY know how to live.

 The first photo is Jupiter inlet. It looks placid enough but they are saying the Gulf Stream is still running high seas and it starts about 4 miles off shore lately.