St. Augustine...Once Again

We have been in a boatyard in St. Augustine, now, for about a week, having the transmission worked on. They are just about done. The forward seal leaks allowing fluid into the bell housing. To replace it, the transmission has to be removed and the engine blocked up somehow. Very labor intensive (read expensive). Also, they don't make this transmission anymore so if it fails somewhere down the line or if we damaged it by running low on fluid, it may have to be trashed. A new transmission would require a modification to the shaft and other changes running the cost up to make a new engine seem a viable option. So, what to do? We decided to just replace the seal. There's been no indication that the transmission has been damaged and the engine has been very dependable. It doesn't use oil and has only 3700 hours on it (maybe 20,000 miles). The Boat Yard here at Cammache Island Marine, has impressed us with its competence and we're able to make use of the resort facilities at no cost until the work is completed.

As a result, we have been running errands, taking walks, checking out a museum, eating out, reading, doing maintenance, watching some tv (mostly the Wimbledon championships), and enjoying this great town. The marina has a couple of courtesy cars, so we can go shopping without having to just buy what we can carry. They also have a very nice lounge and a laundry. The best part about the marina, however, is the manatee which comes around periodically. When I first saw it, it took a minute to figure out what it was. So big! So slow! It was meandering along the dock I was walking on, and stopped to munch on some plant life there. When I reached down to pet it, I saw several scars from boat props along its back. I guess they have a hard time getting out of the way. There are also schools of mullet that jump clear of the water night and day. One of the yard workers assured us that they are jumping because they’re happy.

We plan to leave here just before the 4th of July weekend and head for a slip we have rented in Brunswick, Georgia, for the summer. We will hang out there, do some more work on the boat, and head up to Ohio to visit.