Launch Day

Steve and I arrive around 11:30 AM today to find the Capn Pappy in the slings and ready to go to the water. Keith and Mark from ESM had her up and ready and soon on the move to the launch bay. The transporter is a pretty impressive machine and Keith handles it like a true pro. Here we are on the move through the boatyard.

Then the moment of truth - as she was lowered into the water, Steve and I wondered what was next. Would she float? Would the engines start? Anxiety and excitement were at a high level at this point.

Well, she floated! But there was a good deal of water being pumped by the bilge pumps so Keith pulled her out of the water and moved back over the concrete apron at the launch slip. Luckily, the source of the water was easily spotted - the same person who had drilled the 1 inch hole in the transom had also drilled 4 small holes near the bottom of the transom and those were under the waterline. Bobby packed them, painted over them, and we were back in the water in 30 minutes.

On probably the hottest trip yet on August 4, Steve, Cindy, and I made numerous repairs to the Capn Pappy & the Kids. The best thing that happened was as you can see the name being placed on the stern. The next best was the beautiful curtains that Cindy sewed for the cabin. As you can see from the next photo, they look great. She is working on the cushions and they should be in soon. Since the cabin was sweltering, Cindy gets a big pat on the back for sticking it out and getting them all installed.

Steve and I did several jobs on the outside - replacing 2 port covers, finding a "improv" solution to a hole in the transom where someone had previously drilled out a 1 inch hole, checking the head and galley vent fans (neither of which works), and replacing the reading lights in the v-berth.

We are getting close to going in the water!

We have a name!

After much pondering and input from family and friends, the name for the boat formerly known as the 1987 Sea Ray 300 Sedan Bridge has been selected.

As a tribute to my wonderful children (including sons and daughter in law) and my terrific grandsons, the name will be - CAP'N PAPPY & THE KIDS.

Next update will include the long laundry list of repairs and questions we threw at Eastern Shore Marine and they responded quickly and were very informative!

Till then - Cap'n Pappy out

Looking Better and Found a Home

Well here she is after her bottom scraping, new paint, and a waxing. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Eastern Shore Marine for the great work. Along the way we discovered that the water heater that the seller gave us was not the correct one for the boat so we are searching for another. Then the starboard water intake had a crack and it needed repair. The stuffing boxes have been repacked and the props replaced. Rudder hydraulics were being reconnected. So things are moving along smoothly.

Next we needed to find a home once we can get in the water so again the great folks at Eastern Shore Marine came through. You are looking at the new home of our Sea Ray - the end slip across the channel to the left of the white sailboat. Now all (ha ha) I have to do is learn how to get her in and out of there!

One Week Later

Just a little over a week after the day we acquired the boat and we've made some progress. The boat was picked up Monday and taken to the marina where she is going to get fixed up. We need a bottom scraping and painting, some minor (hopefully) engine work, some re-assembly of some parts, and installing some electronics. I think we have found a great place to have all this done and I have a great deal of respect for the word of the folks I have talked to there.

On Tuesday, I went to register the boat which should have been a simple process but as with anything dealing with paperwork and government, it was a little more involved than I thought. The bill of sale was in order and I had the old registration. Unfortunately the registration number on my form that I got from the seller could not be found in the system. Finally, the wonderfully friendly and very sharp person at the license office looked it up by the HIN (Hull Identification Number) and found that it had been registered in April and had another registration number - problem solved. I was issued my decal - of course, after writing a check for the tax and fees and walked out the door a registered boat owner - YES!

Well, here she is  - our "new" 1987 Sea Ray 300 Sedan Bridge! Accompanied by James and Eric and with the blessings of my wonderful wife, Cindy, we made the drive down to Theodore, AL this past Wednesday to finalize the purchase of my first boat. This will be somewhat of a project and I hope to provide some ideas, pick some brains, and provide some laughs along the way. Join us for this nautical endeavor down the next few months!