Boom

On Friday Roy, from Harbor Mobile Marine, helped us remove a generator from an Island Packet 38.  We moved the boat over to the Fuel Dock and rolled the Bimini back.  Roy moved the boom down close to the lazarette and we used a come along to lift the generator up to the boom.  We had to try several times to get the generator lined up so that it would clear but once we had it clear Roy used his Android phone to control the boom.

Yes, his phone!  Seems that the boom was damaged in a lightning strike and Roy found a App and blue tooth relay controller on the internet and has wired this in to control the boom.

This summer - busier than last!

Last summer I worked on 3 boats and got a lot done.  Summers only about 1/2 gone for us and I've already worked on an IP-38, two IP-32's, and IP-37 and a Leopard 39.  I'm staying very busy but like I told a friend I'm not having to worry about a watch or an alarm clock.

Lesley has me on tap to remodel our guest bathroom so will have to get to that or be in the Dog House!

Lesley is making preparations for the coming of our new puppy (not till next spring) but she's ready.

We are also making plans for our annual trek north to Rock Hall (which we did not do last year).  We are planning a few days in Atlanta so we can watch the Falcons beat the Patriots!  I'm not especially a Falcons fan but I am MOST DEFINITELY not a NE fan. 

We plan to spend a few weeks on the Eastern Shore and then make our way back South with a few stops - Oriental at this point and perhaps another one or two along the way.  There is a Generator Company in Jacksonville that makes a nice 3.5kw unit based on a Kubota EA-300 single cylinder engine.  I want to visit and see how the unit performs and how quiet it is in the sound enclosure.

Photos later.....

P I E ............ pie

We've had a great summer so far, lots of eating and enjoying our time ashore.  I looked at Greg's blog yesterday and he mentioned fondue.  I love fondue but really like fruit, if it is in a pie....! 

Thought I should mention one of my favorites - Lesley's apple pie.  I think there are 4 different apples in the pie, the crust is wonderful and the filling is awesome.  So now that I've finished this pie it's time for a cherry pie (Trader Joe's Cherries), perhaps some homemade peach ice cream, or maybe a homemade Key Lime pie or pressure cooker chocolate swirl cheesecake.

Let's eat.....................

Steak au Poivre, lyonnaise potatoes, fresh asparagus for dinner tonight (my turn to cook) but wondering what we will have for desert now that the pie is gone?
 

Island Packet Factory

Lesley and I headed up to Largo on Wednesday to pick up some things that we needed for our boat and also for a 38 that I'm working on this summer.  Karsten met us at the reception area and we got an unexpected tour of the Blue Jacket production area.  Karsten indicated that they were now finishing work on hull #6 of the new boat and there were several more in hull layup.  It was nice to see so many people working again but surprising that they were not making any Island Packets.

We left Largo and headed back to PG after stopping in Sarasota for a nice lunch.

Refitting an IP-38

I'm having a great time this summer working on an IP-38.  Projects to date have been replacing all of the stern plastic thru hulls, replacing below water thru hulls and tying them into the bonding system.  Removing abandoned cables (so many), copper tubing (yes copper), degraded raw and fresh water hoses, etc.

Part of the project will involve installing a custom panel to house some much needed breakers, monitoring devices, and to declutter some of the interior mounting/display areas.  We are still working on the final design and when we are finished the panel will be made by FRONT PANEL EXPRESS

The summer heat here in Florida makes this a very wet undertaking!

National WW-II Museum

We spent nearly a whole day at this museum.  We went through most of the D Day portion and then watched the "Beyond All Boundaries" a Tom Hanks narrated/produced 4D movie in the theater that was excellent - seats are wired for motion and all kinds of stuff pops up from the stage and drops down from the ceiling.  Broke for lunch (see Acme Oyster House) and came back and finished the D Day section and the went through the Pacific portion fairly quickly as we had just done the War in the Pacific Museum in Fredricksburg a few days earlier.  Moved over to the new Boeing building and looked around, took a few pictures then went on the final mission of the Submarine Tang.  Interesting as this was the most successful Sub in WW-II but due to a torpedo malfunction on the final mission it ended up sinking itself.  Before the tour the guide handed out cards which had names and duty stations of the various crew - once in the mock-up you assumed the duty station of the person who's card you had.  I guess I was lucky - there were only 5 survivors - and I was one!

Po Boy

We had not tried a Po Boy yet so stopped at Acme Oyster House.  Funny, neither of us care for Oysters so we tried a roast beef with debris and a fried crawfish.  The Roast beef is rated as the 10 napkin Po Boy - I had to eat it with knife and fork or I would have had to change clothes but it was GOOD.  The crawfish PO Boy was also good but better when I added McIlHennys Buffalo Sauce (I've never seen this one before).

We sat at the bar and watched the help as the shucked away!