November 01, 2000 -- Underway at last

November 1, 2000 -- Underway at last We ghosted out of the anchorage at o-dark thirty this morning. At approximately 1130 GMT (6:30 AM), we were underway. As we headed out, the winds became gradually stronger. After we passed Smith Point, the wind topped out at 25, but slowly backed down to approximately 20. It was a relatively good passage, we played with the sails a little bit, and motored merrily on our way. The autopilot seemed to have a problem in a following sea, so we called Oxford Boat Yard (OBY) to have them investigate the problem. They called us back and reported that the electronics company they had install the pump believed this was the right pump for our needs, and they suggested playing with the settings for rudder, and our sea state filter. We insisted that OBY call Simrad directly to find out what the problem was. After several more discussions, OBY called us back and asked us to verify the proper voltage to the pump. They also gave us Simrad's number. We arrived in Fishing Bay, and checked the voltage. It was good. In desperation, we called Simrad directly. In about 10 minutes, they had diagnosed the problem. Our autopilot pump was undersized. Of course, we had known that almost since we rounded Smith Point. Once we had ascertained the problem, I called OBY back and they started investigating companies in Norfolk, while we called the one in Deltaville. The one we called would not be able to do the work for several days. The one that OBY called could install the pump on Friday, if we could get there. We talked directly to Seaport Electronics, and they ordered the pump. They said that if we got there tomorrow, they could probably install it tomorrow as well. Bob and Sherri on Shamaal came in to the anchorage a couple of hours after us. We had cocktails with them, and caught up with them on what we each did for the summer. As always, it was a lot of fun