We arrived in Brewerton Sunday evening, June 9th, to find that Stealaway fared the brutal winter pretty well. Shrink-wrapping kept the interior looking just like we left her last September. We worked feverishly against darkness and impending rain to unload the rental SUV which was packed to the roof with sails, sail covers, cat and everything we will need (hopefully) for the next 4 months. With everything piled in Stealaway’s settee area, we pulled sheets onto the v-berth and crashed in our cozy floating home.
On Monday, Jim worked to start the engine while I began to unpack and stow our belongings. After ruling out battery failure, Jim determined the starter must be the culprit. The good folks at Ess-Kay Yards began looking for a new or rebuilt starter to get us on our way.
We are truly “camping on the water” here at Ess-Kay. We have no water as we drained our tanks last September as part of the winterization process. With our engine not running, we can’t get to the fuel docks to take on water. My galley is currently a staging area for engine repair. So, with no ability to cook or do dishes, we are dining out or eating peanut butter and crackers!
I didn’t supervise Jim’s packing, so I was truly stunned as I stowed his boating wardrobe: 26 short-sleeve t-shirts, 7 long-sleeve T’s, 6 polos and 2 starched shirts along with numerous pairs of shorts, jeans, sweats and slacks! Does he have info he hasn’t shared with me? Are there no laundromats in Canada? No doubt I will be escorted by the best-dressed guy on the Great Loop!
Kim at Ess-Kay came through for us and sent us on a road-trip today to Clayton NY to pick up a new starter. After returning to the boat, Jim quickly determined we need longer bolts to attach it to our engine. Another road trip in the morning in search of longer bolts. But tonight, we dined on Italian with friends we met last fall here in Brewerton. Mark & Pat will leave Brewerton in the morning for their summer adventure and hopefully we will soon follow suit. Good food with good friends, warm sun and calming winds….all is well here in upstate New York.