Third Time's the Charm

In actual fact each of our visits to the CYOA dock in St. Thomas has been a charm but this is our third and most likely final visit for the year. We will pass through again in January to pick up our new batteries but this visit should see the end of most of the items on our current boat job list.

Before we get to that, here's a brief recap of the last few days and the whole reason we went back up to the BVI (other than a sweet celebration of my birthday.) We were able to get our survey and haul-out completed and are now just filing the paperwork to have our insurance set up. The final report of the survey found a few repair items, a few more maintenance items and stated that the boat was in above average condition given age and ex-charter status. None of the identified items were a surprise so we were very happy with the results and the ensuing valuation.

Henry backed up in carefully to the travel lift slip, negotiating around all the big boats at Nanny Cay.

Getting Mowzer into position for her lift. She needs to be nice and centrally settled on the lift straps.

She's out and showing off a very dirty bottom.

All checked and cleaned off, ready to get back into the water.

Now, back to the dock for the next couple of weeks to finish off that list.

Here's what's up, and yes, I know that looking at a job list is not all that exciting but it's our lives at the moment and there's nothing like the sense of accomplishment as items get ticked off:

• Repair two windows that are leaking.
• Service the sliding door which has become stiff to move.
• Repair dings in the gel-coat.
• Reconnect the windlass remote control.
• Replace the electric head (toilet) with a manual one which will allow us to remove the boost pump from the cabinet where we're installing the water maker - and this in turn provides us with a backup manual head if (when) our other electric one fails.
• Complete the water maker installation - we made good progress and have everything now mounted in position, just need to do the final plumbing and electrical hookups.
• Install four solar panels, route the wiring and hook into the batteries.
• Complete the forward sunshade, to give shade over the trampoline and front of the boat.
• Remove the old sailbag and replace with a new one - the old one is ripped but will go on in life by providing matching fabric to use for the solar panel installation on top of our bimini.
• Install our new EPIRB in the cockpit (this is the emergency beacon that will go off in a catastrophic incident and is one of those things we hope never to have to use.)

These are the main items and of course there's lots of little things to do like replacing our davit lines, replacing expired flares and general cleaning and upkeep. Lots of items have already been checked off the list over the last two visits to the dock so we have every confidence that this list can be accomplished in the next couple of weeks.

One thing I won't be doing is bucket laundry while on the dock - there's a laundromat at Crown Bay.

Then... we begin watching for a weather window to cross to St. Martin.