Back to the water...tuning up the engines

        November 26, 2012 

Bill and I have been here at Dog River Marina since November 8th.  If you have noticed a big gap in the blogs it is because there is not much to tell while we are working on the boat. We have new bottom paint that makes Proud Lady ready for sea water. The engines are being fine tuned. Little things tightened like oil leaks fixed, new filters added, bolts tightened, new seals and rings. However, we are getting anxious to get back on the water again in fact so much that when the mechanic Ray did a sea trial today we felt like kids at Christmas expecting great things, but there is more to do on the engines not big jobs just little leaks. 

I took a couple of pictures while out in Mobile Bay.

A greedy seagull following to see if we have any food for him.

This if our wake behind the boat. Usually If we around other boats or houses we would go slow so that it wouldn't rock their dock or boat. But today following in our wake was a dolphin he would surface occasionally but I was never able to get his picture he is just under the surface near the left side.  I got so happy to see the dolphin that I yelled in Bill's ear. We were wearing our headphones he is at the helm with the mechanic Ray.

The excited yell did not seem to bother him because he did not acknowledge it so I had to tell him about the dolphin.

This picture I am standing on the back deck looking into the fly bridge, Bill on the left with his headphones on . Ray the mechanic at the right in the picture is riding along checking the engines at different speeds and temperatures. There are still oil and fuel leaks so more seals and tightening to do.

Here is Proud Lady sitting in her slip at the dock at Dog River. I scrubbed her decks and washed the cabin outside. Then, scrubbed the fenders. Then I repaired a scratch in her blue paint. The, oiled her teak in the fly bridge and mopped the floors. Proud Lady will be so pretty when she sets sail for Florida. I have read a book by Wm. Paul Young - "Cross Roads" it is very good another work of fiction that tells of The Fathers Love for us and about our relationship with Him. I have watched 2 Christmas movies Prancer is an older movie I paid 3 dollars for at the grocery store. "Christmas Miracle' a Thomas Kinkade movie it was good and entertaining. Bill and Ray are still working on the engine. 

Here is a picture of her messy bow, the ropes (called the anchor rode) The thimble was broke and the ropes old so we replaced them with new. Bill cut the 200 foot of old rode into sections, made new loops and now we have 2 sections of about 100 foot line if it were ever needed.  

These old fishing and crew boats sit across form us. On good days the fishermen go out early like about 5:00 am then return to port in the early afternoon. Some of the other Loopers here at the marina buy shrimp right off the boat. 

These are some beautiful palm trees at the entrance to the marina.

Here are the piers close to the marina looking onto Mobile Bay, there are all kinds of pelicans gulls and other birds "sitting on the dock of the bay watching the tide roll away". That is another thing that amazes me. The tide, it rises and falls when we wake up early its low by this afternoon it was so high I had to use a step stool to get on and off the boat.  AMAZING! Well I have laundry to do so be blessed. Love ya, JOY

  

                                                      

Fairhope Alabama November 15th

It was very cold and cloudy as we arrived in Fair Hope. Alabama. Bill and I walked the pier but it was so cold we decided to go for coffee and warmth. Had coffee at Page and Palette  By the time our coffee was finished the sun was out it was warmer and so we shopped in all the cute little shops, toured their museum, visited with local folks about the towns history. Then Bill and I had the most awesome sandwiches at Paninni Pete's. It has a claim to fame that it was on Diners, drivins and dives with Guy.

We ate Lunch at Paninni Pete's it was crowded and was very good food.

We retraced our steps and bought the things we wanted.

I love these blue and white dishes- so I bought them.

I love cooking and making dinners enjoyable.

Fair Hope would be a good place to live. Bill and I had fun! We returned to Proud Lady we have had so much fun the last 2 days, but tomorrow we have to clean and do laundry.

See the ladder? that is how we get into the boat while on land. 

A short review of this week November 10 thru November 17 th

Saturday- Birmingham, Aabama visited with Karen and Paul. Thanks to Karen's hospitality we did 2 small loads of whites and colored laundry. Bill and I toured their beautiful home and caught up on telling all about the trip down the river.

Sunday- Visited more with Paul and Karen, ate at the Firehouse deli, then toured Night Owl Paper goods, owned by a niece Jennifer.  Then we returned to Dog River Marina ate supper at Cracker Barrel on our way home. When we returned, this was our first ever high tide, we had to get a ladder to get into the boat the water was so high.

Monday-Low tide today had to wait for water to rise, moved the ladder into the boat to get in and out. Latter that evening, we ate dinner with 14 other loopers at Felix's fish camp. It was Joyce's birthday, Joyce and Bill are cruising on "Carried Away" (see pic above). 

Tuesday- Water was high enough to have Proud Lady pulled out to prep her for salt water by new bottom paint, prepare the props and add zincs. I did  load of towels at the marina laundry. Ate at a pot luck with other loopers, I took tortilla soup and chips. Most of this group are leaving to resume the trip tomorrow, Wednesday morning. It was so fun to visit with others. 

Wednesday- Toured the USS Alabama, then returned to the Marina climbed aboard Proud Lady, made a "Pasta House" salad and ate dinner with  Ross and Laura aboard "THE ZONE". Ross grilled chicken, we had a nice visit Laura and Ross are leaving to tour New Orleans the they will go to Laura's parents for Thanksgiving.

Thursday- Visited Fair Hope, Alabama. ate leftover tortilla soup and chips for supper, we were so tired and cold we slept early. Early to bed early to rise, makes us wise!

Friday- Today, we have to return the rental car so we caught up on laundry, 6 loads of laundry, bedding and shower curtain at a nice clean laundry near the marina. We shopped at a nearby grocery then returned to the marina to unload our laundry and grocery goods before returning the car to enterprise. Kudos for enterprise! It was a nice economy car, enterprise picked us up and brought us back to the marina, we will rent from them again when we need to, it was good service and  everyone was very polite. 

Saturday- Bill and I cleaned the boat inside and oiled more of the teak there is always something to clean, always teak to oil, always repairs to do. Bill caulked areas that were needing it outside with special caulk for boats. I sure do wish the weather would get a little warmer. Tonight, we are invited with another couple from PRIME TIME, Larry and Sheryl for dinner at a local restaurant.  

I will write again soon, stay happy and healthy LOVE you all, JOY

WORK WORK...but she is" lookin good"

Proud Lady being pulled from the water.

New bottom paint, props and zincs we added to prep her for the salt water.

Proud Lady sits among the rest waiting to be set back onto the water on Monday.

November 14 The Vietnam Memorial

There are foot prints in the concrete and then this lifelike statue stands and silently honors the names written on the wall.

This says it all, no other words are necessary.

Bill next to the Air Force monument.

The USS Drum, Fairhope and then lots of work

Before we toured the USS Drum Bill and I visited the aircraft display. This gentleman talking to Bill picked at Bill's brain about the aircraft on display. If you want to know more about them you will have to visit with Bill. We spent a lot of time inside with this man who has had a big hand in bringing the air craft and restoring them here in Mobile.

Bill sat aboard this helicopter.

Can you guess its history?

What important person also flew aboard?

If you guess what was the most important things needed to be aboard before it took flight?

So if you guess right then you knew it was a presidential helicopter for President Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

In the picture there are 2 cases that the guard is carrying can you guess what they are? The brown one is the codes for the bombs, the blue case and just as important was the make up case for Nancy.

The item that was always aboard sitting on the dash was.......a jar of black jelly beans.

The USS Drum

Its a day we will not soon forget. In the next Blog we visit the Vietnam memorial.

You won't want to miss it!

Touring the USS Alabama in Mobile

Let me begin this blog by saying that this blog is dedicated to our father's, brothers and in laws who served in the armed forces. The setting for this is blog is from WW2 1941-1945 Battleship Alabama she now sets in a harbor in Mobile Alabama. The Picture above is of my father Denver L. Rauls He served Army Air force as a Sargent He did not serve in WW2 . Denver Leo Rauls served from 1948-1951 Korean conflict.  So... Bill Holzworth SR served in WW2 on the USS Midas. This is to honor those who served.

                                                       William Holzworth Sr 1942-1945- NAVY

                                                Bill standing in front of the visitors center.

Just for you Dick Tohlan we climbed to the top all 8 levels that were allowed.

The day turned out to be clear and sunny. We toured this whole ship. Wm. Holzworth Sr. worked as a machinist mate for similar vessels. The ship he was stationed on was called the USS Midas.

Since the Alabama was a battleship these are her victory marks.

This is a pictur of her many guns. There was not much room to move inside the place where the gunman sat. I'm pretty sure the men had to stay in shape and be strong and thin. Bill noticed there was not as much cover from enemy fire as we would have been comfortable with. Theses guys had to be very brave to endure these situations.

This sign says: 

Battleship USS Alabama commissioned August 16, 1942 she is 311 feet long has a beam of 27 feet. Her crew consisted of 127 officers and about 2500 men aboard. She could do 15 knots. Her Guns 9 -16 inch 45 cal accurate to 21 miles. 20 - 5 inch 38 cal. 48- 40mm guns.and  52- 20mm guns.

Then Bill and I toured the submarine USS Drum

If we thought the space inside the Battleship was small the sub was even smaller very tight quarters.

there are even bunks on the torpedoes.

Here I am crawling through a hatch.

See next post for more pictures of the sub and our adventure for November 14.

Love yas Joy