Aug 20, 2022 We Get The Dingy Back !

 Aug 20, 2022

Prior to picking up the big boat at Marine Propulsion we talked with them about fixing the frozen steering cable on the dingy.   As things go with boating, one thing led to another and we decided to leave the dingy with them to fix the steering and "while you're at it", go ahead and do a full service on the engine since we really weren't sure how many hours had passed since it was last done.  We dropped the dingy using the davit prior to departing after all the service work on the big boat.  They would work on it as they got time knowing we really didn't need it for a few weeks.  We finally got around to picking it up this past weekend.   

Good ohmen to begin my trip when a dolphin surfaced behind me

You need to understand where we're coming from with our previous dingy. That one was a truly inflatable little roll up dingy with an anemic 2.3 HP Honda motor.  It floated and could get us from Point A to Point B but that was about it.  So. we've been anxious to see what this RIB with its fiberglass hull hooked to a 40 HP Mercury 4 stroke efi engine could do. Let's just say 6000rpm WOT and 30 knots top end is an amazing difference! 

It got a good test during the 27 mile sea trial taking it around Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island back to the big boat at SJYH.  Mostly running at a more leisurely 3500/4000 rpm and 16/18 kts. Nice calm Saturday morning to start as I headed up the Edisto River.  Little bit of current working against me as low tide was approaching but with the minimal draft there was no real concerns despite no depth finder.   Boat traffic started picking up along with boat wakes after going past the boat ramp at Limehouse Bridge.  Turned the final corner and spotted Martha up on the flybridge as I pulled into the marina.   She took it for a spin part way down the Stono River and back then headed partway through Elliott Cut.  Back to the marina where we gave it a good cleaning and finished up by using the davit to stow it back securely on the aft deck.  Now we just need to use it on a routine basis to keep that steering cable from rusting up again.