08 Aug 2005- I was doing a course which ended
early. I decided to try and get the boat out before supper. I had
discovered a new launch much closer to my home then the one I had
been using at the Nepean Yaught club. This was at a place called
Eccoland Park and was only about a 10 or 15 minute drive away. I got
Jeanette ready to go and we took the boat down to the park to launch.
I had a bit of trouble getting the boat into the water only to
discover that I had not put in the drain plug. I ran back to the car
only to find that my mother in law who had cleaned out the car
recently had taken the plug from where I had kept it. I phoned home,
but my wife had no idea what her mother had done with the plug. Her
mother had flown home, so we could not ask her. The trip was off
until I went to Canadian tire and got a new plug. We loaded up the
boat and went back home.
Well once I got the plug we loaded up
again and went back to the park. We put the boat back into the water
and we were off.
I was told that the nearest lock was a short
distance north. On the way there I decided to take a picture of
Jeanette.
The next picture is a picture I took of the lock. I had hoped that I could start the gas engine, but when I started it Jeanette starting crying and begging me to shut it off. What can any father do when his terrified four year old is going "please daddy, please turn it off." She is terrified of the gas engine. She calles it the loud mower, and the electric is the quiet mower. We went on with the electric outboard. This is only her second time in the boat and I want her to be comfortable with boating.
As we headed south again I tood a picture just before we passed the launch area.
Took a picture up ahead. Note the speedboat. The speed boats kept going back and forth around us. The wake kicked the Little Squirt Too around scaring Jeanette. She had to cling to me every time one went by.
Fortunately she recovers fast. Unfortunately those ice cream cones are toys and not the real thing. It was a very hot day.
We
were out for about a hour before putting the boat back on the trailer
and heading home. Aside from small problems putting the boat back on
the trailer because of chop from the speed boats there were not too
many problems.
When I got home I checked the battery.
I had over 75% power in the two batteries despite the fact I had been
running at full power for over a hour. I rewired the batteries
because they were draining too quickly. I guess I solved the problem.
Because of the water from the plug being out the first time I don't
know if I fixed the leak or not.