Finally 45 days after SAILS was hauled to check the starboard engine vibration... all work is completed. Problem was found to be a bad shaft coupling... shaft was sent out to machine shop and had a new coupling fitted to it... After shaft was removed play was noticed in the transmissions output shaft and sent out for repairs... They found it needed more than just a new rear seal and bearing... the forward and reverse cone drive needed to be replaced... problem was the part had to come from Japan... almost 5 weeks waiting for the part to arrive. It arrived to the Atlanta Georgia on November 22nd and then 2 days to ship to New England arriving on November 24th... Transmission was delivered back to the boat yard on November 29th and installation completed December 1st... We took it for a short sea trial today and everything was given the OK and we are finally ready to start south to Florida... at least the boat is ready... we still have to do some preparation but plan to depart early Monday morning December 6th.

And it is time to leave for sure... temps predicted for the next few days... high in the 30's and lows in the 20's... There are a couple of inflatable dinks at the top of the dock that have been sitting there full of water... this morning that water in those inflatable dinks was frozen... ICE... TIME TO HEAD SOUTH!

It's been almost a month since we returned to Warwick, RI from Block Island... We had a vibration in the starboard engine that was causing us some concern and we wanted to have it checked out before starting our trek south and finally today the yard hauled SAILS and we are sitting on the hard. The yard feels the problem is coming from the shaft and coupling and are going to check the engine alignment to see exactly what the problem is. Tomorrow they start the actual work.... they told us we should be back in the water by the end of the week... and I sure hope so as it's getting way to COLD for us here in Rhode Island... :)

We left Block Island on Tuesday September 21st at about 1130 hours to return to Warwick. Seas were predicted at 4-6 feet but we found them to be ocean swells with about a 15 second period between peaks... so it was like a gentle roller coaster ride in from the Block. We arrived at Brewers Greenwich Bay Marina in Warwick at approximately 1600 hours... a fast trip for us... normally it takes us about 5-1/2 hours... we had a favorable current with us the entire trip... cruising at over 8 knots most of the trip compared to our normal 7 knot cruising speed... :) We will spend a few more weeks here in Warwick while we have some repairs made to SAILS.... most likely starting our trek south around Columbus Day.