Recently, boat ownership has been less than rewarding. It seems that ever since Southern Star went for her bottom paint last summer, there has been one problem after another. I do most of the maintenance on the boat but when it comes to the diesel engine I know my limitations. I called a reputable local diesel mechanic and asked him to take a look at our exhaust problem. His analysis was about what I expected. The repair would require a complete rebuild and fabrication of what I call the "hot" side of the exhaust system. This is a common repair but that does not make it inexpensive. If I were retired I may have tried making the repair myself. Sometimes it comes down to how much vacation time you are willing to spend verses how much is the repair going to cost.

My work has been very stressful recently. A trip to the boat usually helps. Water has a calming effect on me. I knew the engine repair was not complete and I would not be able to complete any of my spring maintenance. Judy was not comfortable with leaving home because our new granddaughter is due to arrive any day now. Since it had been quite a while since I checked on the boat I decided to go for a simple boat check weekend. The other attraction was the Oriental Boat Show which has been a lot of fun in past years.

Friday April 13, 2012
I left home right after work and made really good time. The weather was simply spectacular. I was able to check my email before turning in. Don and Trish from Ragtop arrived about an hour after I got there. The night was pleasant and I slept well.

Saturday April 14, 2012
I woke at about the usual time. My plan was to make a pot of coffee and have a leisurely breakfast of pop-tarts and coffee on deck. I had plenty of coffee on board but the boat had been stripped of a lot of essentials during the winter and I was completely out of coffee filters. By the time I discovered I was out of filters I was getting desperate for a coffee fix. I drove to the Bean in Oriental for coffee and a bagel. I got involved in a long conversation with a really cool guy named Mike on the porch of the bean and stayed a lot longer than I meant to stay. It was not really a problem because my plan for the day was to load the car, attend the Oriental Boat Show and head for home.

Shortly after I got back to the boat, Richard and Frances arrived. It was good to see them and catch up with what was going on with them. They seemed to be well and retirement was agreeing with them. Frances had both their dogs and didn't seem too interested in the boat show so I talked Richard into going with me. We didn't leave until nearly noon but the Oriental Boat Show does not require a lot of time.

The boat show was really quite nice. I always find a boat or two to lust after. This year was no exception. There were several that would do nicely. We both attended the Coast Guard's seminar titled "What to expect if you are boarded by the Coast Guard". It was very informative.

I took Richard back to Ensign Harbor and was on my way home shortly after 3 pm. My trip home was uneventful. I stopped at a barbeque restaurant for a high cholesterol meal and arrived home before dark. I wanted to be home on Saturday night because we had planned to take Carson to the park on Sunday.