Shakedown Cruise

We are joining a few other classic boat club members this weekend for a day trip on the lower Columbia River. We had a big day Friday trying to get ready to depart at noon. What with finishing a client project that took until 11, last night's discovery that I can't make the old fuel tanks work, and Fran having to spend a lot of the day on her course, we didn't get away until 7 pm.

The E-Tec started on the first revolution, by the way. I ran it on the hose before we left just to be sure.





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That's Fran's Skagit sitting forlornly on foam blocks.

We drove non-stop and had a very smooth drive to the Rutherglen Mansion B&B on the western outskirts of Longview. Our room overlooks a brightly lit Weyerhaeuser plant and some other industries - actually quite a pretty sight. The house, built by a lumber barron, is lots of fun to explore. We'll get more pix tomorrow before our early departure for Cathlamet, the launch point for the Adventure.







Cool old house!

SATURDAY MORNING
Boo-hoo. Engine troubles from the moment we started up. Batteries not cranking over properly. Waved the others off and pulled the boat. Waiting for charge at NAPA, but it is 2:00 now and boating day is pretty much over. Mechanic in La Conner gave me some advice, which I will try this afternoon. Staying the night in any case.

Later, pulled the plugs and administered Brake Clean; and replaced the battery terminal wing nuts with hex nuts and tightened the helll out of them. We were about to launch again at 3:00 but the first wave of beleguered boaters started returning, a bit earlier than planned. Lots more wind and waves than expected, aparently. Robert was among them. He owns a 25 in Portland and we wanted a tour.