Greetings,

This update will be a bit short. As usual, I am running behind on the Maintenance Logs and the monthly DREAM AWAY updates. Once we get settled in on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala, I will get them all caught up. Just not promising a time frame.

Please check the Passages Planned link to see the changes, yet again, in our sailing plan.

The reason for the changes and the delay in the sailing plan are twofold. First, problems on DREAM AWAY, second weather. Our scheduled departure date from Sarasota was the day after Thanksgiving. The weather was not cooperating, so we were putting off the departure date one day at a time. During this weather hold, I had problems with my hot water heater. Because of the complication of having to remove two of my 8D batteries, just to get the hot water heater out, and back in again, it took a long time with each iteration. I thought I had it repaired twice, but finally decided that the hot water heater needed to be replaced.

Deciding on getting a new hot water heater was the easy part, the hard part was finding one that would fit in the finite space I have on DREAM AWAY. it took some effort to finally find one that would fit in the space I had available. On the day before Thanksgiving, I found a new one at Don's Marine Salvage in Clearwater. Thanksgiving day was spent with family, so I did not even get started on the installation until the day after Thanksgiving. It took a couple of days to get the new one installed because of complications and problems. The new water heater was not an exact replacement, so there were issues that had to be addressed all along the way.

We were also waiting for a good weather window to make the overnight sail from Sarasota to Key West. That window had finally opened up and we had planned to leave this morning on that passage. Yesterday, while running the main engine to get coolant into the heat exchanger of the new hot water heater, I noticed the anti-siphon valve on the wet exhaust was leaking. I took it apart, but was not able to repair it, so off to West Marine. They were able to find an exact replacement for the valve, but it is not coming in until today. Once I get it and have it installed, and checked out, we will be ready to go.

So, we are hoping to leave Sarasota at first light tomorrow morning, motor down the GIWW to Venice, and then go offshore to Key West. We hope to arrive Saturday afternoon. If it is late, we will anchor out near Wisteria Island. Otherwise, we will pick up a ball at the Garrison Bight Mooring field. If we have to anchor out Saturday night, we will go to the mooring field on Sunday morning.

Remember, you will be able to track us as I will be using the SPOT to note our position, and you will be able to look at that information on the DREAM AWAY web page at the Where is DREAM AWAY link.

regards,

jimk

Member Seven Seas Cruising Association

WEB page http://www.dreamaway.net