Things Are Moving Along

 Rio Dulce

Overcast and 74 degrees

Hola friends.  It is an overcast and gloomy Sunday with rain expected.  We have been very busy since my last post, well Charlie has been very busy.  The new propeller and prop shaft was installed along with the dripless shaft seal.  There are still more things to be done on the inside, but Island Sol can now go back in the water and come back to Catamaran’s where we are able to work with much more ease.  

 Well, again bare with me on these pictures as I am having a great deal of difficulty with the new Blogspot website…it is new and improved…NOT!

So, Island Sol was moved from her spot in the RAM Mariana work yard.  I am always amazed that they can raise this huge and heavy boat so easily.  They then drive this machine into place and drop her slowly into the water - easy pesy.  The new bottom job (copper plate) made the bottom as smooth as can be and as we made our way back to Catamaran’s she glided through the water and we are hoping to add a knot to her speed once we get underway.  The dirtier the bottom of a boat the less speed they make.

The picture below is of Marvin, our Guatemalan handy man.  He is putting a coat of bottom paint on our dingy, Colibri, which is Spanish for hummingbird.  Colibri is 11’ long and we carry her on the back of our boat on an “arch”, which was fabricated here in the Rio by an expert welder, Cesar at MAR marina.  He also repaired a tiny bend in our propeller shaft.  If we decide to throw more $$$ at Island Sol we would love to add a swim platform to her stern…but that will be for another time.  (MY thinking is that this will only increase her value when we SELL her.

                               

This is Solita, our river runabout that is 14’.  It makes for much more comfort since it is how we get around here in Rio Dulce.  Like Colibri, Solita was build her in the Rio to Charlie’s specifications.  Solita stays under a shed when we are sailing, so she stays high and dry.  Prior to being at Catamaran’s we would have to wake up - several times - in the night to bail out the rain water.  So now we get a better nights sleep.  

So tomorrow we begin more projects aboard and clean up.  I will take before and after pictures of the disaster down below.  There will be additions to our water maker and a new electronically panel put in….god knows what else!  So until then….hasta luego!