On the high seas...

... or, the low canal.

It's the Winter Solstice.  Well, yesterday; but today we start gaining a bit of daylight each day.  Our tides have been typically low this time of year and will be for a while.  But, this morning, the tide was good for tossing the dinghy in and mounting the motor.

The wind was blowing about 15; I decided the maiden voyage should be in the canals here... I want to make sure the motor isn't going to crap out on me too far from home.  The wind has shifted to the north northeast; once out of our canal, I turned into another to take me into the wind - if there's a motor issue, it will be easier rowing back with the wind instead of against it.

Joan was at the grocery store, getting the last minute things she needs for cooking for the next week.  I wanted to make sure I could get the dinghy in and motor on solo, anyway.  All good - didn't drop anything (like a motor) into the water.  I was just about to start it up when the Blonde returned... "Want to go with me?" I asked.

"No thanks, lots of groceries to put away, and I want to start cooking."

I pulled, and the motor fired up... first pull.  Then, before I could get the choke pushed back in, it sputtered and quit.  Another half dozen pulls and it was running again.  I tossed in a life jacket and shoved off.  I realized it has been a while (like maybe two years) since I motored a flat bottom dinghy... they tend to track like a leaf on a windy day.  And, today is a windy day.

After making a "snake wake" about half way down our canal, I figured out the crab angle needed to make this set up run reasonably straight.  Until I came out from behind the protection of the houses along the canal - in the open area, it was more on the job training.  ;-)  The motor that seemed reasonably quiet while testing it on a stand seems a lot louder when sitting right next to it in the dinghy.  Still, I'm moving... and not rowing!

Half way down two canals over, I cut the power to idle, just to make sure it would stay running.  Yep.  I pushed the kill button... might as well see if it will start back up.  Yep, first pull.  Next step, running out into the ICW - in the wind.  Just as I was about to come out of the canal, I could see a big tug and barge coming from the west!

An immediate about face was my plan.  I guess I am a little rusty with flat bottom dinghy maneuvering: the boat started the turn, and as I turned the motor further, it ran the dinghy sideways!  I think I need to alter this plan... a 90º swing of the motor, a short burst of power, then swing the motor back to the side and another short burst of power... the boat started a wide, skidding turn.

I do believe I'll work on that again, when I don't have to contend with a big-ass barge.  Back in the canal, and a couple more 180s... that took the entire width of the canal to complete.  Back out towards the ICW, and a bay shrimper was chugging the same path as the barge.  This time, a wide, skidding 360... and the opportunity to see how the dinghy handled some boat wake.

All good.  I only ran in the ICW far enough to get back into another canal.  Protected from the wind again, I crabbed to the right (sitting on the left side) and ran up the canal.  Two 90º turns, and I was back in our canal.  As I got to our place, Joan was out on the deck with the camera...

and, I was back...

You've probably heard the saying, "I can turn this boat in its own length."  Well, I can turn this boat in the length of one of those barges I just saw.  I may need some more practice. ;-)

I pulled the motor off, put it on the stand and flushed it with fresh water.  I think it's going to be just fine.  I pulled the dinghy up out of the water and rinsed it off, too.  Whew!  This is a lot more work than pulling up and tying off Wild Blue.

Wild Blue needs a new dinghy, and this one is going to work just fine.

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Back in the house, I sat on the couch to rest my weary shoulders; moving that boat and motor around is work.  Apparently, I was sitting too close to someone else's favorite spot...

OK, you can have it back...

A day without an Izzy hightlight is like a day without chocolate... and that would be bad. ;-)