It was an exciting trip down to Florida. Naturally we left during the snow storm. At first we couldn't believe that the tiny Cape Air plane in Rutland, VT was going to depart. It was howling and snowing. But a burly man came in and grabbed everyone's hand luggage (all 10 passenger's at once - he was that big, not fat) and took them out. He distributed them in the wings. Then he placed us in seats according to weight. Scott was the co-pilot and the same man got in - he was the pilot. A woman mechanic was trying to de-ice the plane but the small generator kept going off. So the pilot got out, ran the generator and then finally de-iced the plane himself. I wasn't sure I wanted the plane to leave. It was so tight inside that I had to sit sideways in the seat with legs in the tiny corridor mixed with the fellow across from me. Once up in the air after a very bumpy ascent the rest of the trip was easy. Naturally there were delays in Boston and a stop over in NYC, but we did arrive that same day in Jacksonville.

The view from the cockpit while on the hard

Karen on Mustang II - she and Jim were
very helpful to us while at Green Cove
Springs

Scott Free in the water at Green Cove Springs. This is one
of the huge docks remaining from the days when this was
a big Naval facility

We arrived on Thursday and planned to put her in the water the following Thursday. Meanwhile, thank God, we're stayed in a hotel for five nights. We had leaking in our stateroom and mold. It's a mess. I've replaced the mattresses and the dry cleaners saved the upholstery and curtains. Scott's replacing the throttles and steering cables. Lots of cleaning and bottom painting was accomplished.
Amazingly the boat went into the water on time. But then the usual disaster struck. The engine wouldn't start. A recommended mechanic, Bob Belcher, arrived quickly and was a great help. The heat exchanger has been removed and has been sent away to be repaired.
 Then Bob and Scott will reinstall it along with many new hoses. Estimated time is a week. So we're in Green Cove Springs for another week.
As we have several days while the heat exchanger is being repaired we're spending two nights in Savannah, Georgia having fun. More in another entry.