Sally Ann finally made it back to the water on Tuesday the 12th. Lee helped me step the mast, it took us a couple hours as we took our time to make no mistakes. It is only my third time and Lee's first. He did help me take it down a month ago so he wasn't entirely lost. We got her off the trailer and motored east two miles to Clarks and tied up there. His wife picked us up and took us back to the motorhome so I could take it back to the park.

I spent the night on the boat since it was too late in the day to go out, the next morning Lee came by, we had planned to start and test the jet drive but all the rocking and rolling all night from the traffic on the ICW had my about half sea-sick. Lee gave me a ride to my motorhome and I layed down untill noon. His wife gave me a ride back to the boat. Another day lost but I did feel better.

Lee came back by the boat early Thursday and we had coffee and I decided to go for it. We started the pump on the thruster and had to prime it with it running to get the flow going. At just above idle it was rolling the water aft of the jets somewhat. He reved it up and I raised the jets to the surface they started sucking air and blowing a long stream of bubbles. We couldn't do a preformance test right then but from my preliminary estimates I'd say it will put out a good deal of thrust. I hope to get a chance to thoroughly test it soon.

I motored west on the ICW and turned into Esprito Bay. The wind was just coming up big time and I motored straight into 25kts and two foot swells all the way across to Matagordo Island and Army Hole ( the old airbase). My best speed on the ICW was 5.3 kts but out on the bay I was slowed to less the 3 by the waves and the wind. It took three and a half hours to make the 10 nm out here.

Friday and Saturday the wind howled out of the north and north-east gusting to 30 kts at times. I had 6 lines on the boat and wondered if the cleats were going to hold. I am tied up to the old dock here, it is well protected from the wave action but we still rocked and jerked all night. The wind was calm this morning but is back up out of the south-east now. I am hoping to get out of here early in the morning tomorrow if the wind is calm again at daybreak. Maybe if I get off this bay the winds won't be quite so bad.

I don't have any internet service out here so I'll have to wait and post later,

lps


4-25

I finally got out of the dock at Matagordo Is. on Wednesday morning the 20th, the wind was down to 10 kt at sunup and made it almost to the Victoria barge channel when my outboard quit. I was making about 5 kts and wishing I had the jib up. When the engine quit I was bucking a 25 kt left crosswind and it blew me right into the spoil area at the west edge of the channel. There was a barge right behind me and his wake plus the wind pushed me even farther into the mud.

Luckily Bruce on his house boat "Miss Madeline" had left the island dock about an hour behind me going the same direction. He pulled me out of the mud and as I still couldn't get the outboard to run he towed me back to Charlie's Bait Camp where there is a launch ramp. From there I called Lee and he brought my motorhome and trailer down to the ramp. We upstepped the mast and loaded her out.

After enduring the high winds for a week and then have that compounded by even more problems I decided to give up the trip plan for now and haul on up to Mo so I could take care of the VA medical stuff I have been putting off all winter. I also have some estate business in Illinois that I should be tending to.

I'll stay here at my daughter's place long enough to get my VA stuff done then go visit my sister in Lincoln, IL. She had a sailboat when she lived in San Diego years ago and I am sure she would just love to go sailing on one of the lakes in central IL.

I am hoping to continue my planned trip by putting in on Lake Michigan when the weather settles down in a month or two. Untill then I'll get some sailing experience by cruising a few of the nice lakes in Mo and IL.

lps