After an unexpected delay in our original departure date, we are finally getting our journey to Maryland underway. It appears that the weather and seas will be in our favor at the start so we plan to make a few "long runs" over the next few days.
In addition to our final provisioning and safety checks for the trip, I spent a good part of today doing a final check-out of all the systems. I was fortunate to have the able help of my "almost 90" year old Dad, who quite honestly, is responsible for my love of boating in the first place. It was a fun few hours together … and the price was right too!
For those of you interested in the more technical kind of stuff, ENCORE is equipped with twin 380 hp Cummins diesel engines, that are designed to run at 2800 RPM -- which is 80% of power (load) at cruise speed. At that RPM, ENCORE burns 28 gallons / hour while moving through the water at 30 mph (which is considered pretty fast!). The engine drive shafts are attached to matching Mercury Marine Zeus pod drives with counter-rotating props. These are independent turning pods that allow for better running efficiency and more control when turning and docking. We have a 11.5 kw generator on board that powers all the AC electrical systems when not connected to shore power.
Tomorrow we will depart Longboat Key and work our way to Fort Myers where we will stay one night before crossing the state through the Okeechobee Waterway. The forecast for tomorrow calls for winds out of the East at 8-10 knots so I expect to run outside in the Gulf of Mexico a good portion of the day before cutting back inside at Red Fish Pass (Captiva) and through Pine Island Sound. It will be about 100 mile run to Fort Myers.
If you are interested in following us on Google Earth, you can click the link on this page which will take you to the SPOT tracker page. While ENCORE is actually underway, it will leave a "trail" every 10 minutes as to our position. You can see our location in either a standard map or satellite view (select view in upper right hand corner of web page).
We are both really looking forward to being back on the water, enjoying the beauty and serenity of our surroundings, and appreciating the opportunity to spend this time together.
Away we go!
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