With last minute fixes and shopping done on Monday, we started out Tuesday around 8:30 for a short trip through 21 mile Lake Oneida to Sylvan Beach at the east end. Along the way everything on the boat seemed to work except for the bearing, called the “packing”, where the propeller shafts go through the back of the hull on the port side. They were running way too hot even though too much water, which is supposed to cool them, was coming in.
We parked where we did previously with Keith and Gayle, on the wall at the Sylvan Beach city park on the canal. We walked over and ate lunch at Eddies again. We walked through the carnival area, which was deserted. I assume it was very active on the 4th, and maybe on weekends.
That bearing worried me, and if that shaft got messed up there are no places to fix or replace it until we were near Albany, and even then it could take a few weeks. It was only 4 PM, so we returned to Winter Harbor, getting there by 7:30. The marina people got on the boat at 7 Wednesday morning and found the bearing needed a lot more hemp packing. They put it in and gave me an extra amount for my spare parts collection.
So our first boating day was not entirely successful, but after sitting for 8 months it was certainly better than my worst expectations.
Jack & Sue 