Wednesday, December 4, 2013

ON A TRUCK, OR ON THE BOTTOM?

4 Dec 13
Kandahar, Afghanistan




Wishing we were back here.



Well, we hit a little snag…nothing major, but…

The estimate for ground transporting the boat was $1500 - $2000, while the QUOTE was $3700 plus loading and unloading charges on both ends (about $5k total).  The worst part is that the transport company quoted us based on a pick up ‘at their convenience’….. meaning, when they have a truck empty in the Cleveland area.  There is no telling when that will be.  The fact that I wanted to be there when the boat is loaded/unloaded makes this a NO-GO.

So, I have spent the last couple of days trying to route plan sailing/motoring from Cleveland (Lake Erie) to Buffalo, NY; then across the Erie Canal to the Hudson; then down the Hudson to New York City Harbor; then offshore in the Atlantic to the Chesapeake, and up to Deltaville, VA.  The best I can estimate is 21 days (+/-) of travel, a couple of days for un-stepping and stepping the mast, a couple of prep days on the front end, and a couple of days on the back end, plus….throw in 3 days for waiting on weather (which is very optimistic).  That makes it 30 days, which will be impossible to do on my 30-day break in June since I really only get about 27 days in the U.S. 

I am going to request a couple of extra weeks off (without pay) to get this done.  It remains to be seen if the company will grant it.  They have for others in the past, but times, “they are a changing”.  This will probably mess up my plans for leaving AFG mid-July ...... if I do get the extra two weeks off, I will be obligated to finish my contract out.  Looking at the big picture, the extra two weeks to move the boat and staying here 3 months longer would be the best thing.  I can still leave AFG mid-October/first-Nov and we can make it to the Bahamas around the first of the year.

We will see what transpires.  Stay tuned……
 
                            

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