FROM: Gene Gruender

DATE: 1/20/99 4:33 PM

Re: Work, always work!


>Sounds like a troop of busy beavers. Like Roy Scheider
>said in the original "Jaws" movie, "I think we need a
>bigger boat!"

You are correct about that. I just don't want to start over. Nellie is starting to leave a few things behind, too. My tools are still aboard!

We just got out of the boatyard. Went in for a quick haul to get the bottom clean. Was it dirty! It's been 2 years since I cleaned it, and that was me with a mask and a brush in the Bahamas. Since the water here looks worse than many sewage lagoons, it's no wonder a lot of stuff was growing on it. On the way to the yard we could do a max of about 5 knots with a lot of engine speed. Coming back, it was 6.5 plus at a much slower speed.

Thought we had a show stopper, though, as the drive train started clanging and banging at certain speeds. I had visions of another loose shaft in the coupler, maybe the new transmission wasn't really new - just patched to get my money. Found out the linkage was out of adjustment and was jumping out of gear. Guess we can still leave.


>> We'll make a trip to Corpus on Friday to get the last of the things we
>> need, then hope to leave Saturday, going up the intracoastal towards
>> Houston.

>Is Houston where you will rendezvous with your friends?

No, they are two boats over. He's eager to help with anything to get us going. I guess we're going up the ditch, although I'd rather shoot across. However, they are forecasting 20 kknots out of the southwest, so if that continues, it's up the ditch at hull speed, wind on the stern. We'll see.

Guess I better quit this break, got a bunch to do. I'll probably have pictures from the boatyard on the air tonight.

Gene