We finally got warm a week ago. Pulled into Miami last Thursday and dropped the hook at Baker's Haulover, about 14 miles north of where we are now.
Friday morning we headed out to the the last few miles to Dinner Key (we were headed here to see Ken and Linda VanTreese - the very same Okies who picked up a stray Bessie in Staniel Cay two or so years ago) - anyway as we approached the first bridge, Bill felt some slipping in the transmission and we couldn't seem to get any oomph out of the engine.
He had been thinking that the transmission might be nearing the end of its expected life, so we were glad that it happened here in Miami rather than in the Bahamas. Bill is waaay cool - he figured out how to pull the tranmission by himself - and it was neither easy to access or to figure out.
In the end, it is not nearly as bad as Bill (aka Suzie Sunshine for his ability to expect the worst in every situation) predicted. Turns out it will cost less to put a new one in than to rebuild the old. But the supplier is shut down for inventory this week, so early next week is the soonest we'll be able to get it. Thanks to the folks at Transmission Marine Inc, we should be all set sometime next week.
So for now, we're just hanging out relaxing.
|
Comments [0]
Here is a pic from the boat - that's Biscayne Bay bridge in the background.
Most of the transients either get a slip at one of the marinas or a mooring nearby. We, however, are out with the real people (real what? we're not sure yet) in the anchorage.
Out here you may see a boat that you think is abandoned, but it may well be someone's home. Someone who most likely thinks that 8 o'clock in the morning is a fine time for a Budweiser.
|
12/12/2008, Dinner Key - Island B
|
Since we are waiting on a new transmission, everything from the cockpit storage lockers is out - so our Clampett look has been taken to a new level.
However, we think it gives us some status out here in the 'hood.
|
Greetings from the crew of Alibi II!!!
|
Pups in the sun
|
We had the chance to visit with Bill's nephew Ryan, who was nice enough to drive us around so we could get a new camera - here's our first photo with the Canon PowerShot SD1100. We had just dragged poor Ryan out to the boat in terrible chop so everyone except the hounds is pretty much soaking wet.
|
Gus and Jake huddled below while offshore
|
Here is a shot, right before the camera died, of all the bow junk - this is before it was all loaded to give the boat that Appalachia-meets-the-cruising-life look. We have yet to see another boat that even comes close to matching our Clampett look.
|
Updates coming soon!! With lots of pictures and stories - all good, we hope.
We'll leave the Chesapeake Bay later this year hoping to cross over to the Bahamas early in the new year and get to Exuma by February at the latest.
Check back and drop us a line.
Bess and Bill
|
