After the morning breakfast and dog walking chores we got down to starting the work on rigging up the hoses and pump for the flush. First step was to go over the side to plug the raw water intake as the seacock inside the boat had clogged. That should have been the first inkling that everything was not going to go easily as it took me three or four dives to actually find the through-hull. Then the next step was to take the hoses off the exhaust elbow (that was fairly easy) then off the downstream side of the raw water filter. That was a miserable job and one that since it was me that installed it I could only blame myself. After an hour and a half of sweating, prying and cussin' it was finally off. Then came the wonderful job of doing a Buckshee Bob version of hooking up the plumbing. Of course it turned out that I was short a few bibbles and bobs and had to go back to the hardware store again, but once more our friend Joey came to the rescue with the loan of his car.

Did I mention that they are heading out in about a week to do the great circle route? If any of you happen to run across them in your travels or if you are on the shore and see them go by be sure to wave and say "Hi!". They travel aboard a 54' white trawler with blue boot stripe and toe rail and a blue bimini on the fly bridge.

Aw rats! I am at the end of the day and have accomplished absolutely zero, squat, diddly. After I got into the project both Barb and I came to the conclusion that there was far too much involved in it and too much that could go wrong and break apart. As it was as I said I had a miserable time getting hoses disconnected and had reached a point where additional hoses coming off were likely to be damaged beyond reuse. The engine runs now but if I break something it won't. Plus I would also like to see what impact, if anything, the new radiator cap will have. I have all the necessary parts and chemicals to be able to do the job once we get home and there, if we break something and have to wait a month until we can afford to buy the new part it's no big thing. It does embarrass me a little that Mad Mike the Wannabe Mechanic has woosed out for the time being. (Sigh!)

On another hand that means that we will most likely be away tomorrow or the next day after all. However we will be transiting the ICW rather than going offshore since the USMC at Lejune is having live fire exercises until May 7th and we will either have to go way offshore to clear the impact template or go up the AICW and be prepared to wait until they have stopped shooting. It would be kind of neat to watch them. I have been on the land side observing exercises when I was in the Canadian service but never out in front watching the water crossing drills, and defiantly not with a fully equipped armed force using artillery and close air support. Hoooo-aaaaah!

Tonight we'll be hosting Joey and Rhonda to a pasta meal aboard Nelleke. I'm looking forward to a tour of their boat as an appetizer.