Homeward Bound...

If you said, "Simon and Garfunkel, from the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme," you get 200 bonus points.  If you said, "Released in 1966," you get another 100 bonus points.

Today was pick-up day for the new boat.  A very pleasant delivery experience - it took about 15 minutes to go through the final paperwork (explaining warranties, etc), then we were turned over to my new buddy Mario in the Service Department.  Mario went through everything on the boat (not a lot of "systems"), explained service and break-in procedures, then a bit more service-related paperwork.  Very thorough.

Then, it was time to hook up the trailer.  Joan pulled the Honda around while I finished the paperwork.  I was going to move the car closer to the trailer, when Mario pulled the boat and trailer right up to the car.  Easy.  Just the way we hope everything will be with it.  I pulled the car and trailer out of the service bay and parked it while we went back inside to shop for a couple necessary boat things... with our new VIP card that Tracker boat owners can use at Bass Pro Shop.  Discount!

The rain that was pounding at the coast didn't follow us into the Valley.  It was blissfully dry (overcast, but dry) when we went back out to our rig...

This pontoon is definitely compact.  Even from the back view, it doesn't overpower the CR-V...

Now to find out how the Honda does towing the new boat... surprisingly decent!  A 15 to 18 mph wind out of the NNW was mostly at our back as we mixed it up with traffic on the Expressway.  Turning east on Hwy 100, it was going to be more of a crosswind.

I was concerned about the view behind while driving, but the mirrors on the CR-V were up the task.  And, an interesting thing I hadn't considered: looking in the rearview mirror, I can see right between the pontoons (under the boat) to see traffic behind the boat!

The rain that we left at the coast was waiting for us on our return... it was dry up until about 5 miles from home.  Light at first, then it poured...

I know there's a boat back there somewhere.  We pulled into Walmart; the Honda needs gas and so does the boat.  Joan suggested I try lining up with the front pump on the car and the rear pump on the boat... and it was a perfect fit.  Under the overhang of the gas station, I was able to stay reasonably dry.

Joan needed to pick up something in the store - I dropped her at the door and circled around to wait further out in the lot.  The view from the rear view mirror...

Yep, I can see right under there.  Right before Joan came out, the sky opened up and poured!  She called, I picked her up at the door.

So much for getting the cover on the boat when we got home... hoping between downpours.  It is getting dark and the tide is running high - we were prepared to launch the boat if the situation allowed (had fenders, lines, and PFDs in the car), but that wasn't going to happen.

It is going to rain all night... and probably most of tomorrow.  Yep, my new boat is getting wet, and not in the way I was hoping.  But, she is home, and we'll get her launched when Mother Nature is being nicer.

I'm excited: there are dolphins that need to be watched!  ;-)