Soooo... I actually don't have any particular complaint or grief with Shearwater's current teething pains -- they're to be expected of a new boat with many systems. Some of the specific issues are new to me, but not really anything special or bringing into question the basic integrity of the boat. As long as I can see my way to the solution of whatever issue has revealed itself, I can plug along 'toting that barge and lifting that bale', even though it may be in the freaking Tarzan-hot sun!

I have reached a bit of a low today though as I was awoken last night by someone stabbing an ice pick into my eyeball (actually I've got a recurrent corneal erosion in that eye, which has been semi under control for the last couple years) and then this morning I've been struggling (manfully mind you) to get the starboard inspection cover off the aft (swimstep) fuel tank, without much success. When (if?) we get this last cover off, and the new gaskets installed in the back, we will have replaced all Shearwater's fuel tank gaskets. We'll give 12 hours or so to cure before re-filling the aft tank with diesel -- more than400 gallons of which is sitting in 4 drums on the dock and 3 bladders on the deck of the boat. At that point we can take another stab at getting underway... Maybe as early as tomorrow morning.

Breaking news! The Pro From Dover stepped on board Shearwater, wiggled his nose, muttered incantations and Shazam! the reluctant cover gave it up. Pressing on...