Have I missed much?

Hello all,

Just back from the states, seven nice dives fitted in (including the Spiegel
Grove and EPCOT's big fish tank) will type up some stuff about it shortly...

Have I missed anything exciting?

Lee - sorry we couldn't meet. Did you get that engine sorted? I managed to
get some video footage of the practise day from the balcony of the HoJo in
Ft Lauderdale - BIG boats!!!

Frank - how's the sign up for UKRS Course #1 going? (and I'll get you some
dosh in the post ASAP!!!)

Everyone that tried to email me - not surpisingly my email was jammed with
spam and viruses and yahoo bounced everything for the last two and a half
weeks, anything important or interesting please resend.

Cheers

CAS

CAS wrote

> Lee - sorry we couldn't meet. Did you get that engine sorted? I managed
to
> get some video footage of the practise day from the balcony of the HoJo in
> Ft Lauderdale - BIG boats!!!

You and me both. I was looking forward to it, but it just wasn't going to
happen.

The members of my club that helped with the race were treated very poorly.
No T-shirts, no captains bags, no party or pit passes, not even a thank you
to people that spent $100 US or more to be there. Without exception, every
one of the people that participated said "never again." One of the race
boats stuffed a wave and disintigrated when it hit bottom on the too shallow
course, just like I predicted. Lucky nobody was killed.

We got the engines in at 9:00 PM that night. After less than 2 hours of
operation, one of them developed a problem. It's back out and being
re-rebuilt. A part failed and took several others with it. It was one of
the crank shaft bearings. The manufacturer is very embarassed, to the tune
of several thousands of dollars of new parts and labor. He's already
replaced the parts. We'll see how much labor money my mechanic gets. The
motors are warrantied, so my only loss is the time it takes to correct the
problem. I've missed two major boating holidays while the motors have been
under repair. I'm hoping that the motor will go back in the boat later this
week and that I'll spend next weekend swinging at the end of an anchor
someplace.

Next time you visit, I'll take you for a ride to see the rest of the really
big boats, the ones that carry dinghy's bigger than my 32 foot cruiser.

Lee


>
> Frank - how's the sign up for UKRS Course #1 going? (and I'll get you
some
> dosh in the post ASAP!!!)
>
> Everyone that tried to email me - not surpisingly my email was jammed with
> spam and viruses and yahoo bounced everything for the last two and a half
> weeks, anything important or interesting please resend.
>
> Cheers
>
> CAS
>
>

"Lee Bell" <leebell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news_Rkb.5202$W16.4249@newsread2.news.atl.earthl ink.net...
> CAS wrote
>
> > Lee - sorry we couldn't meet. Did you get that engine sorted? I
managed
> to
> > get some video footage of the practise day from the balcony of the HoJo
in
> > Ft Lauderdale - BIG boats!!!
>
> You and me both. I was looking forward to it, but it just wasn't going to
> happen.
>
> The members of my club that helped with the race were treated very poorly.
> No T-shirts, no captains bags, no party or pit passes, not even a thank
you
> to people that spent $100 US or more to be there. Without exception,
every
> one of the people that participated said "never again." One of the race
> boats stuffed a wave and disintigrated when it hit bottom on the too
shallow
> course, just like I predicted. Lucky nobody was killed.

Crikey! I was looking at the video last night and thinking that they were a
bit close in to the shore. One looked no further out than where I was
swimming (after the practise session!) and that really wasn't very deep!

> We got the engines in at 9:00 PM that night. After less than 2 hours of
> operation, one of them developed a problem. It's back out and being
> re-rebuilt. A part failed and took several others with it. It was one of
> the crank shaft bearings. The manufacturer is very embarassed, to the
tune
> of several thousands of dollars of new parts and labor. He's already
> replaced the parts. We'll see how much labor money my mechanic gets. The
> motors are warrantied, so my only loss is the time it takes to correct the
> problem. I've missed two major boating holidays while the motors have
been
> under repair. I'm hoping that the motor will go back in the boat later
this
> week and that I'll spend next weekend swinging at the end of an anchor
> someplace.

We went to a Mexican place on Sunrise Bvd. on the seaward side of the bridge
that night, I can't remember if it was one you suggested or not but the food
was superb and the atmosphere lent itself to drinking rather more tequila
than was strictly necessary!!

> Next time you visit, I'll take you for a ride to see the rest of the
really
> big boats, the ones that carry dinghy's bigger than my 32 foot cruiser.

Cool! Can't wait - and, yes, there definately _will_ be a next time!

CAS

CAS wrote

> Crikey! I was looking at the video last night and thinking that they were
a
> bit close in to the shore. One looked no further out than where I was
> swimming (after the practise session!) and that really wasn't very deep!

At it's shallowest, the water was only 6 feet, roughly 2 metres, deep.

> > Next time you visit, I'll take you for a ride to see the rest of the
> > really big boats, the ones that carry dinghy's bigger than my 32 foot
cruiser.

> Cool! Can't wait - and, yes, there definately _will_ be a next time!

You know where to find me.

Lee