Pete, the mechanic arrived at 8 a.m. Monday to start with the transmission swap and as hoped, everything went smoothly. I had purchased the transmission through a reputable transmission specialist who graciously answered any questions we had prior to starting the work. As advertised, the transmission was identical and everything fit perfectly. Once things were back together and the prop shaft alignment checked, we headed out for a quick sea trial prior to the forecasted increase in winds. Much to our relief all that was needed was a small adjustment to the shifter cable and we were back in business. I wanted proof that we had indeed solved our vibration issue so I decided to drain the old transmission oil looking for proof. Bingo, in only 30 hours of running the red oil had turned black proving that in fact the transmission was shot.

As happy as we were to be ready to continue south we had already decided that, thanks to Nicole, we wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. Even though Nicole still hasn’t hit Florida yet we’ve had strong winds here since early Tuesday morning with gale and small craft warnings constantly in effect. The Alligator River Swing Bridge that I spoke of last week has been closed since Tuesday and although there isn’t a tide here the water has risen 2 feet as the wind blows water back up the rivers. We expect that things will start to moderate Saturday morning so we can start to get underway, in the meantime Dagny is secured with double spring lines and doing fine. The marina manager is taking good care of everyone and ensuring we have everything we need. Access to the free courtesy car allows us to get supplies as needed now that it’s too rough to dinghy to town and it was with great delight while doing groceries today that I found Miller Highlife was on sale for $16.99 a two four.

Fortunately it has been nice and warm despite the strong winds so at least we not boat bound. Oriental is only 20 miles from the Beaufort inlet and the coastal winds are even stronger there than here, which is creating a backlog. Beaufort is a popular jump off point for people heading offshore or a stopping point for people heading down the ICW. With all the marinas and anchorages full from there on, Oriental is starting to over flow with boats and the town is full of sailors. The best part of being stuck is that a few friends we know have caught up with us and we’ve been able to enjoy a couple of sailor’s nights out on the town. However, everyone is chomping at the bit to get moving again as soon as possible.

Today’s picture is of Bev enjoying her morning coffee on the veranda at Whittaker Point