REPAIRS COMPLETE

October 13, 2011

Phyllis and I are back in Annapolis after spending time with friends and family in Ocean Springs, MS and Shreveport, La

The haul out has been a long costly event but was necessary for us to continue to the South Pacific without pulling into marinas.  We now have adequate electricity coming into our battery bank from a Solar Panel and Wind Generator.  Additionally, the mast and rigging have been checked and "tuned" for optimum performance.  One repair that we hadn't counted on was the DC refrigeration system that shut down and called it quits.  This delayed us for a few days and many dollars but it is back up and running with a new compressor and other parts.

Our last big expense, we hope, will be a new Icom 802 SSB with a Pactor Modem that will allow us to send and receive Email when we are at sea.  This will be installed in Ft. Lauderdale, FL sometime in November.  Once we leave Florida the plan is to head to the North of Cuba and then take the Windward Passage to Jamaica.  A brief stop in Jamaica for provisions and then onto the Panama Canal.  There might be other options but that's what I am considering for now.

While we were in Annapolis, one of the former owners of "Solstice" and yacht broker/owner for Rogue Wave Yacht Sales, had his annual Valiant Owners "Love Fest" at his home on Luce Creek. This was a very special event for us since it gave us the opportunity to see other Valiants and get ideas on what we can do with ours.  There were eight Valiants that showed up at the gala event.  One had completed a seven year circumnavigation.  Traditionally, after the Annapolis Boat Show in mid-October, the boats start heading South.  This is what we are seeing and will be doing ourselves.

Here is a list of what we have had done at the shipyard or various repair facilities:

BP 220W Solar Panel installed over the Bimini
D400 Wind Generator installed
Keel faired and repaired for damage sustained  after hitting an underwater obstruction in Port Austin, MI
Sea Strainer installed over the Raw Water Intake
Rigging and mast inspected and "tuned" at Port Annapolis Marina by Southbound Rigging
Sails inspected and repaired by Quantum Sails.  Sunbrella was added to the genoa for protection against the tropical sun
New DC compressor for refrigeration system
Volvo Penta Engine needed a new oil cooler core to stop oil coming out of the raw water exhaust
Two new rubber engine mounts were installed and engine aligned

Now we sail once again!