We arrived at Donovan's Shady Harbor marina in our RV after hours so we pulled up near the boat hooked up to electricity and settled in. Laughter was the last boat in a row of 4. I was concerned that being so far back would delay our splash in but was reminded by Tom that we had at least two weeks of work and a month before our target date for the start of our trip.
The weather was depressing. It rained every couple of days and was cold! I was glad we were on the RV with the comforts of heat and electricity. It was pretty quiet and a little lonely in the yard. Very few people were coming out to work on their boats in the crummy weather. The weather had also caused delays in getting the marina ready. They were still putting in the last of the docks and trying to clear the massive amounts of limbs, trees, etc. that were floating onto the ramp from the river.
This is the first time we had seen the boat since we left her in the water last September. She was dirty but overall in great physical shape. By the end of our second week I had the barnacles scraped off the bottom and Tom had the touch up completed. We pulled the shrink wrap off, and let the yard manager know we would be ready to get the generator pulled and splashed in in 2-3 days. The problem was the boats in front of us.
The Erie and Oswego canal were scheduled to open May 17th so if we splashed in about that time we would still have plenty of time to get the oil changed, check batteries, etc. We were now fast approaching the 17th and we still had boats in front of us. I was getting antsy.
Nearing the last week of May I am ready to get a little more demanding. Tom reminds me that it is a boat yard, nothing ever happens when they say it will. He is obviously handling the sloth like movement of boats in the yard better than I.
Next thing I know two of the young men come to the boat and tell us they are removing the generator. that we were tired of sinking money into without results. When they pulled up with an I beam tied to a fork lift and began raising it to come through the side door I found myself holding my breath. The I Mr. Donovan, the marina owner came on board and winched the generator up out of the engine room and carefully backed it out through the door. Nick the driver was doing a happy dance for not hitting a thing and I was now breathing again!
The boats around us were finally getting moved to other spots in the yard or splashed in but we were still there. I started to mumble and grumble again. Finally Tom was told we would go in the 31st. Two weeks late and the day I was flying to Indianapolis for the weekend for grand kids birthday party. Tom asked if it could be done on the 30th as I would not be happy about not being there. They did made it happen on the 30th!
Peanut watching us from her window perch
painting the sides
Not even a quarter inch between railing and beam
The marina owner in charge of the operation
