Washout

The weekend was essentially a complete washout, with the "highlight" being completely drenched while on the Salisbury town pier checking the dinghy.

I also got soaked for the price of the ignition switch. Volvo's pricing policy for spare parts apparently constitutes piracy of the highest order.

Got the ignition switch installed Sunday, checked the coolant level in the engine and then ran it for 45 minutes. The water temperature didn't climb above 180F, which is good, but the idiot gauge needle climbed into the red. Slowly, to be sure, but still into the red. I'm suspecting that I need to replace the freshwater pump impeller, which I ought to do just to be on the safe side anyway, and the thermostat to boot. The engine was dry for close to two years, so it's no shock that the impellers might be in poor shape.

I had an old friend* ask me if I missed my Pearson. The honest answer would be "yes, but..." in that I miss the familiarity I had with the Pearson, but the Wolf is a much more capable boat, one that will take me wherever I want to go, and I'm completely fascinated with her. I'm also enjoying the whole process of fixing her up, working on the diesel, and having a 'new' boat to buy stuff for, etc.

My friend Betsy is having the same experience: she recently put her Quickstep 24, Puffin, up for sale after purchasing a Cape Dory 30. Last year we had both vowed that we'd never part with our boats, and this year we've both got different ones.

I guess the answer to the "do you miss your Pearson" question is: yes, a little, but things change, and it's not missing in a tragic "I miss you!" manner but more of a nostalgic kind of missing.

*No name, but we had some adventures together on the Pearson...including a previously-mentioned incident involving a certain can in the Merrimack River.