Background

This Blog is a journal of our trip with our friends, Brian and Joan, delivering their new boat from Bradenton Florida to Belleville Ontario. We will be travelling via the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, The Okeechobee Waterway, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Atlantic Ocean, the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal and Lake Ontario. At this point we are not sure of the exact distance but somewhere in the vicinity of 2000 - 2200 nautical miles.

Here is some information about the vessel:

Type: 2004 Cruisers 405
LOA: 42 ft 6 in
Beam: 13 ft 8 in
Draft: 3 ft 6 in
Displacement: 31,000 lb
Power: 2 x 370 hp Diesel + 9kw Generator

Here is the crew:

Captain Brian

First Mate Joan

Navigator & CBT* Jim

* (Chief Beverage Technician)

 

Deck Hand and Ship's Purser Chris

 
Monday, May 23, 2011

The crew (Chris & Jim) arrived today from Buffalo after an uneventful flight. The weather was great with high temperatures in the low 90's. We managed to pack all of the luggage into the rental SUV and make our way to Costco to pick up a few supplies and a visit to the boat to check on progress of a few of the items that were being addressed prior to our departure. Here are Brian and Joan on the transom of Don't Cha!

One of the decisions made today was to replace the anchor rode which currently is 5 ft of chain and 200 ft of nylon with 200 ft of all chain which has been ordered from the marine supply store. The challenge will be carrying it from the vehicle to the boat (weighs 250 lb).

It looks like it will be a few more days to finish up with correcting some of the deficiencies noted in the purchase survey. We are hoping to have the boat hauled out in a day or so to look after these and then start on our trip home. In the meantime, we are headquartered in the Comfort Inn in Bradenton and will have some opportunity to do some shopping and preparations.

We had supper at Woody's River Roo ... a rustic bar on the Manatee River.