Returned with the boat (3/3) and all went well!! I completed many small projects while in Mobile but the bottom had not been removed for me to complete the epoxy barrier coat. The new rudder is installed and working perfectly. The holes in the heel plate did not match exactly with the ones in the skeg so I had to fill them with epoxy then drill new ones. All thru-hulls are in and work great. It was a miserable cold and wet week in Mobile but the Turner Marine people couldn't have been better, I recommend them highly if you ever get to Mobile.
Tomorrow I am also contacting my mechanic and refrigeration mechanic to go through each system and give me their diagnosis and suggest any work needed.
I hope to splash on or before the 22nd... we'll see how that goes. I will be working on the standing rigging and re-working the mast as well and hope to step the mast sometime in early April. Again, we'll see how it goes. Overall, I am on budget and time line. I am aiming for a quick shakedown cruise to the Keys or Bahamas in June but will hopefully have my brother help with a quick trip in local waters to find any obvious bugs. I'll keep posting as I go.
3/12 More updates - Have been feverishly working on the boat since she arrived. Bottom paint removed, faired hull, second coat of penetrating epoxy barrier coat, connected and adjusted all steering cables and connection ( I still have the pillow bearing on the rudder post to install), and a bunch of minor details. Started on servicing the diesel and transmission today as it rained hard all day long . Finished installing the refurbished strainers and connected all thru-hulls to new hoses with new double clamps