Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.92313
Longitude:-82.355
GPS location Date/Time:05/31/2010 14:21:27 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.92313,-82.355&ll=26.92313,-82.355&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.68772
Longitude:-82.24076
GPS location Date/Time:05/30/2010 14:12:49 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.68772,-82.24076&ll=26.68772,-82.24076&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.48582
Longitude:-82.08879
GPS location Date/Time:05/29/2010 16:11:15 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.48582,-82.08879&ll=26.48582,-82.08879&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:26.10179
Longitude:-81.798
GPS location Date/Time:05/28/2010 13:55:05 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.10179,-81.798&ll=26.10179,-81.798&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.91852
Longitude:-81.65385
GPS location Date/Time:05/27/2010 18:55:57 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.91852,-81.65385&ll=25.91852,-81.65385&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.65175
Longitude:-81.27971
GPS location Date/Time:05/26/2010 15:47:30 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.65175,-81.27971&ll=25.65175,-81.27971&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.32886
Longitude:-81.13822
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 16:32:01 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.32886,-81.13822&ll=25.32886,-81.13822&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.12394
Longitude:-81.14448
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 13:44:00 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.12394,-81.14448&ll=25.12394,-81.14448&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:25.00953
Longitude:-81.12787
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 12:19:30 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.00953,-81.12787&ll=25.00953,-81.12787&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:24.85836
Longitude:-81.1403
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 10:24:26 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=24.85836,-81.1403&ll=24.85836,-81.1403&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:24.7193
Longitude:-81.17064
GPS location Date/Time:05/25/2010 08:23:28 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=24.7193,-81.17064&ll=24.7193,-81.17064&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Check-in/OK message from Mike's Spot SPOT Messenger

Mike's Spot
Latitude:24.7082
Longitude:-81.08863
GPS location Date/Time:05/22/2010 11:03:36 EDT

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=24.7082,-81.08863&ll=24.7082,-81.08863&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:This is Mike and Bev on "Walkure" just letting you know that we're OK.

Raising the safety factor for millions who step into the outdoors each year, SPOT notifies friends and family or an international emergency rescue coordination center with status messages based on situation and need. Ask for Help (or SPOT Assist), Alert S.O.S., Check-In/OK and Track Progress-all with the simple push of a button.
http://www.findmespot.com

Looking for a great way to share SPOT tracks and waypoints, stories and photos? Head to http://www.spotadventures.com and see how users are creating their adventures and sharing them!

Summer

Well, it looks like we'll be leaving Marathon for the summer. We'll head out probably on Tuesday next week if the weather forecast holds.
We decided that it will be just too hot here to work on the Irwin without AC and we don't want both boats in the same area in case there's a hurricane. We'll be taking Walkure up to New Port Richie. (We had planned on Tarpon Springs, but Tim found us a private dock in NPR that's cheaper.) I'll be helping Tim and Julie get their boat "Love is All" ready (finally) for cruising.
I'll be testing SPOT today so look for the SPOT message. As we travel, we will be sending SPOT messages at least once a day. As we cross Florida Bay we'll SPOT more often. That will be our only big crossing on this trip, the rest of the trip will be coastal hops or ICW, so one SPOT be enough.
Here are another couple of "after" pictures of the Irwin.
Oh, put your thinking caps on, we'll have to name the Irwin. It's name is currently "Queequeg" after the Moby Dick character, but I think we'll change it. We're thinking something based on the names of our granddaughters Chandra, Kahlenn and McKenzie: "ChaKahMac?" Input from all our readers is welcome.

A few "after" pictures

Well, almost "after." I have been working every day for the last week or so to get all the old food and junk out of the Irwin so the roaches won't have as much to eat.
I've also been doing a lot of cleaning and checking system to see what works and what doesn't. In the process I have made the boat look a bit more presentable. Here are a few pics I took today. Please note that I tried real hard to hide the water damage, but if you look closely, you can see it in some of the pics. Two of the pics are from the same angle, but look at the stove; in one it's covered and the other it's not.

As the worm...ah, er, engine...turns...

Yep, it turns!
More Irwin update:
Yesterday, I sucked out about a quart of heavy, tar-like gook from the engine and replaced it with clean fresh oil. Today, the oil pan drained easily and I put in 5 more quarts of fresh oil. Now, finally, with the compression lever "off" I can turn the engine easily with a wrench. Close the compression valve, and it won't turn; open it and it turns easily. Whew! That's a load off my mind. The engine isn't seized.
It looks like our "free upgrade" might just work out.
Keep your fingers crossed.
As for Walkure, it looks like we will be traveling up to Tarpon Springs for the summer. We hope to head out around May 26, weather gods willing. It should take us about 2 weeks to get up there, less if the weather cooperates. Lots to do between now and then, what with two boats to get ready...

Irwin Update

Spent a couple of hours cleaning out the Irwin today. Little by little I'm finding out what works and what doesn't. The shore power system works, the battery charger (old and inefficient as it is) works, the refrigerator works (good news), the stereo works and the lights work. Basically, the electrical system works; even the batteries aren't as dead as I had thought. A little distilled water and another few hours on shore power will tell if they need to be changed right away. (I will get new as soon as I can, but it would be nice if the old ones hold out till the rehab work is done.)
I tried changing the engine oil today but whew! It was a mess. The old oil is so thick it was like trying to pull tar through the pump. I got about two quarts out, then decided to put a quart of fresh oil in to see if it would dilute the crap sitting in the bottom of the oil pan.
The transmission seems OK. It will shift in and out of gear, and I can spin the prop in neutral, but not when it's in gear. I've done one oil change on the transmission, and will let that sit a while and change it again, just to be sure all the water is out.
In another week or so, I will be putting the Irwin to bed for the summer. I can't believe the way the previous owner left it. Food in the food lockers, the engine not properly stored, etc. But then, if he hadn't left it that way, I'd have never gotten it for free!
I've included a couple of "before" pictures. Just wait and see what it will be like in the "after" pics!

Still busy!

What a spring!
Right after our visit with Tim and Julie, Bev's son Matt came to visit. He had a great time. We went out for a day sail. We went to Key West, saw a bed race, had wings at Kelly's, visited the Turtle Hospital, etc. Matt treated his mom to another trip to Key West and went para sailing and snorkeling. (Yeah, Bev went para sailing!) Matt even learned to blow the conch.
In Key West we stopped in at Schooner Wharf hoping to hear our friend Howard Livingston, but it turned out his Mom was ill and he was out of town. We did get to see a "Pirate Costume Contest." Arrgh!
The deal for the Irwin has gone through. We are now the proud owners of a 40' boat. It needs a lot of work, and the roaches have taken up residence in unbelievable numbers. I still wonder about the engine and we won't know if it runs until we put the boat in the water. I'll do all I can to fix the boat up before launching, but it will still need work after it's in the water. It will need a whole new floor, and probably most of the subfloor, and the teak cabinetry has been seriously water stained, but looks to be intact. I was up there yesterday working on it and discovered that the holding tank is right under the V-berth (yuck!) and not hooked up properly. So, there's another project.
The Irwin will be staying in the boat yard for the summer. It is just too hot here to be working without AC. So we are shopping for a spot to park Walkure for the summer. Bev will be going to MA to visit her grandkids and get some seasonal work. I will probably be in New Port Richie helping Tim and Julie finish the refit on their boat.