Arrive at Zimmerman Marine, Mathews, VA

Oct. 10, 2016 
Last year we used a wonderful product we highly recommend because it saved us from frozen pipes: The wink spotter by Quirky.  Coordinated with an iphone app I can read the temperature inside my home at any time.  We had a low temp from snow covering the furnace vent and caught it by just looking at my phone. We recommend this for anyone heading south.  Worth it.  We talked with so many people who had tremendous damage during the winter with pipes bursting from the cold - yes, insurance pays, but it's a hassle and things get destroyed.  Check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Pspt1-wh01-Spotter-Multipurpose-Sensor/dp/B00VD6PC3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1444677517&sr=8-3&keywords=quirky+sensor

After a full day of house repairs, packing, closing up the house in Exeter, NH we drove away; car packed to the gills with just a slit to see out the back in the rear view mirror.  Our first night we stopped with friends, the Petrasch's, to see their beautiful new home in Wellesley.  The dogs were friendly and we pushed off the next morning to see Drew's sisters, Laura and Sara and brother-in-law, John, in West Chester, PA.  We laughed and had a great time with John considering my new tennis racket that he tried out: Big Bubba by Gamma - highly touted among the top tennis players for accuracy, control and power.  It's changed my game.
 Another spectacular fall day for driving.  Nothing like driving from New England in weather like this and the leaves at their prime.

We arrived at Zimmerman at 12:30 am, dark and 50 degrees, but the heat went right on, I made up the aft cabin, brushed teeth and collapsed.  Mazu was exhausted too.  I was worried she was disappointed to be on the boat, but the next morning she loved jumping and running around with all the activity and no leash!  The wheaten greetin given to all who stopped in the office.

  We had to haul out Shawnee because the earlier testing of the prop showed bad results.  The tach would only go to 3,000 RPM.  They thought it must be the prop's pitch.  So they hauled her into land to have a look by Zimmerman's technician.
I'd never seen this so here it is. The haul in is very slow as they get the boat positioned correctly on the truck trailer after backing it all the way in the water and pulling Shawnee over the top of the trailer.  Then slowly it's winched onto the trailer.  The cable is cemented into the ground for maximum hold on the truck.  The truck controls winching it onto the trailer with 2 guys.  Charlie and Michael at Zimmerman's did a great job.  All done to see the prop and it's angle.

Looking at the prop.  Seems so little to push such a big boat. Looking at charts for the proper numbers for the pitch we found out we'd been motoring with it wrong for 11 years, since we've owned it, and that's why the tach wouldn't go above 3,000 RPM.  Since we rarely push the throttle up all the way we've never really tested it to the max.  They made the adjustment.  I'm always amazed at what small changes can cause such big and different results.
   You can see here the strut connecting the bottom of the keel and the rudder that keeps any lobster lines from getting caught in the prop.  It's a great design by Island Packet with the full keel cutter rig. 

 We put the boat back in, much faster than taking it out.  And went out for a test run on Mobjack Bay.

Tach RPM showing at 3.6 so success!! 
We motored back into the dock to check some of the other items.
  The air conditioning system that had a new larger filter, and the hole in the hull and the pump repositioned for the correct incline so the hose can drain properly.  Previously it didn't prime properly, had some leaks, and the filter was too small.  Now it all works correctly!  So much more water is coming out as I've seen on other boats.  Now I understand why ours flowing out so little -- filter and hoses were too small and the location not right.  Now it works correctly!  All of these repairs are because third party installations were not done well.  This is what it means having an engineer as boat captain.  He knows it's wrong and wants it right.  All the original Island Packet installs were great. Yay, Zimmerman Marine.

 We unloaded the car of all the gear and clothes and stuff including the new paddle board I am so excited to try.  I got a little sail for it too.  We'll see.
  Drew went back to once again work on the connections for the deck light that are only working intermittently and I am on the blog.
  The anemometer is working once again, but the connections at the bottom of the mast seem to be problematic one way or the other.  Drew went in and tightened all the screws.  One worker said, "If you get 6 years out of the connections, that's doing great!"  Another constant because vibrations loosen the screws.
  At 4:30 Drew came up to say he did get the deck light working again.
  Now, onto the radar connections at the helm.  During the hurricane rains, Zimmerman removed the sails and bimini as required for the harsh winds so there was less protection for the instruments, navigation, etc.  Like all boats without biminis the covering is fine.  However, we think the gasket around the instrument panels probably needs work.  Rain may have seeped in causing it to work intermittently. Pictures of that tomorrow before we really leave for Hampton and the Snowbird Rendezvous this weekend.  Tonight provisioning - marketing.  We are in a beautiful part of the world but there are few amenities/stores nearby.
   The work quality is well worth it here at Zimmerman's in Mathews, VA.