We're in the water!

     The day of the launch is here and the start of a new chapter in our lives aboard our new home. It's been a long time coming, but I think it is all worth the effort. The launch didn't go without some problems but we got some of them fixed and headed north from Ft. Pierce to Vero Beach FL. Once here I had to tear the fly bridge apart again to fix a hydraulic leak in a quick disconnect. You can see the disassembled boat deck in the bottom picture.

 Going in the water

Heading out the channel to the ICW

At the Dock in Vero Beach

Mast down for repairs

The Building is coming down.

     The building is coming down piece by piece. We started about four days ago but have had a hard time making progress because of the rainy weather. Yesterday was a good day and we got a lot done. Just one wall left to drop and then load everything into the container for disposal.

 

 

 

 

Getting ready for the move.

     We finished our tool sale yesterday, and we sold just about everything. I spent today working on getting the building ready to be torn down. I got the front workbench, plywood rack, and the lumber rack all torn down so now I'm ready to start on the roof. I have some help coming Monday night to start on removing the vinyl and then we can get started on the rafters. I only have a little over three weeks to get the building down and the boat loaded with our personal effects before the mover comes to get the boat. It won't be long now!

Time to launch the Molly B

      The time has come! After almost 11 1/2 years of work, I'm ready to move the Molly B to the water. I have scheduled a yacht transport company to pick her up around the first week of June. Now I have to tear down my pole building and clear off the top deck so she will be ready for the crane crew to remove the top of the bridge and the fly bridge so she will be low enough to transport over the road, and load her onto the trailer. I'm taking her to the Cracker Boys Boat Works in Ft. Pierce, FL on the east coast. I will have to put her on the hard stand for a few days to put everything back together before I can launch her.

The Ladders are Done!

     I've been working on building the railings for my two ladders going up to the boat deck. I have them finished and installed finally. Here are a couple pictures of the two laders. To the left is a view of the forward ladder railing and to the right is a view of the aft ladder railing.



Window Treatments

     I've spent the past few days working on the valances and blinds in the salon and galley. Another one of those jobs that I thought would take a day or two, actually took a little over a week.

       I think they turned out pretty well but they sure were a lot of work. The salon is finally all done except for the two recliners we have ordered. They should be here in a couple more weeks I think.

    
     Now I'm working on getting my AIS transceiver installed, pulling antenna cables down from the mast to the black box in the bridge. I just have two more cables to pull and that will be done. Then I have to get back up on the boat deck and finish my hand rails and the railings for the aft and forward latters. It won't be long now!

Getting closer to the launch date every day!

     I have the Molly B built, and now I'm checking out systems getting her ready for the water. I have run into several problems but that's why I'm checking them now rather than when I get her in the water. Today I ran the engines which hadn't been run since I put them in the boat around seven years ago. The starboard engine started right off, just as soon as the lift pump picked up the fuel she took off. The port engine was another story. I couldn't seem to get it to behave. First I got nothing when I hit the start switch, not even a click of the solenoid. I found a wire disconnected on the switch. Then I couldn't get it to turn over, so I had to charge the battery. Then it just wouldn't start. I checked everything, all the fuel lines, the filter, the lift pump, but it just wouldn't pick up the fuel. There was no fuel getting to the injectors. I was about to change out the lift pump thinking that might be the culprit, when I decided to swap out the fuel solenoid on the injector pump. I knew the one on the starboard engine worked, because that engine started and ran great so I took that one and installed it on the port engine. after some priming, she started and ran great as well. So I have both engines up and running. It just took a little doing, just like everything else I have been checking. It seems I've found at least one problem with every system I've checked. But, I guess that's the idea, find the problems now, not later.