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Paid a visit this morning to AJ down at the Seabrook yard in N.O. Her new Imron 5000 paint job is spectacular. Half tower is repaired, shafts, struts & rudders back in, props installed. They were rolling the bottom paint while I was there. New FB windshield, new 6.0 KW genset, outrigger holders fixed. Lots of little stuff. They will splash her tomorrow, let her settle out for a couple of days then align the engines. Final detail work and I'll bring her home early next week. Probably 50-50 on whether the two 8-D batteries will have to be replaced.

The yard has a huge backlog of work as you can imagine. They must have a couple hundred damaged boats stacked in a field next to the yard. That area of N.O. by the Industrial Canal remains virtually destroyed and a ghost town. Really spooky.

Anyway, AJ's ordeal, now almost a year in the making, is about over. Time, patience, and a huge wad of US currency is making it happen.....

UV

Sounds good. I guess you are ready to get back to fishing, boating, and having a few clears on AJ. It's been a long time to be without an old friend.

Sounds good. I'm sure she'll be glad to be home with clears on board, for sure.

Anticipation has got to be killing you!! I'm glad she is turning out so well. She will be like a new boat.

Thanks guys, she really looks good. The kid that was rolling the bottom paint heard me tell the yard mgr. that she looks pretty good for a 34 year old boat. The kid stopped rolling and looked at me with wide eyes "you gotta be kidding, this boat is that old?" I said yep, she's a 72. He said he'd been admiring her for months, said she was the best looking boat he'd ever seen. Yep, we own head turners, not like the Clorox bottles made today.

I sent Capt. Patrick a pix I took this morning, maybe he can post it, I'm too dumb......

UV

Uncle Vic,

Glad to hear the good news; it's been a long time coming, and you've been mighty patient. I've been reading the horror stories about the battles with insurance companies on wind damage vs. flood damage claims. It seems like LA, South FL, and NC are the hurricanes favorite targets. Maybe we'll be spared this year.

Tommy

Uncle Vic-Congratulations! Shes going to look real pretty tied up in front of your "camp" again! Walter

You can tell Vic's satisfied with AJ's speed or he'd have made that kid tip the paint he rolled on longitudinally with a brush!

Best of luck UV it's been a long time commin, enjoy.

Lookin' good UV! I know you'll be happy to get her home.

Br,

Patrick

WOW! I'm jealous of how good she looks!!

Lookin pretty good Vic. It'll be worth the wait. Not long now.. Dave K

UV:

Congratulations on AJ coming along so well and so quickly. Given the chaos of Katrina and the amount of work AJ needed, it really was fast. Besides, who needs to rush a repair on such a beautiful boat?

Best regards,

Tom

UV,

It is nice to see AJ again albeit in a picture. Looking forward to seeing her at your dock on out hunting again on the rip.

Garry

Lookin good UV!!

Just got a call from the yard and AJ is back in, and both Cummins fired right up after 11 months on the hard. Port gear was very low on oil and yard said both gears had the fill plugs removed. Must have been the Cummins guy that was fooling with her before Katrina. We figure the oil just went out the hole since she was at about a 30 degree list for months. Anyway, she runs and will be coming home early next week......


AAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

UV

UV, Congrats!!!!!

Glad to hear the ordeal is almost behind you and you'll soon have your AJ home where she belongs. First cruise & you'll forget all about the previous months without her.

br,
JohnD

UV
I know those marlin ar lookin' over their shoulder in fear of seeing AJ pursuing them.

Patience, patience, and more of the same, of which you must have endless.

May it happen soon!
Doc

UV,
What genny did you go with? I can't remember what your pref was?

Grady

I went with the 6.5 KW Phasor, three cyl. Kubota. It's called the "pancake" model, actually a little smaller than my old 5.5 KW Phasor. Advertised in B&H for $6.750 HE colled model. I paid a little less since it was ordered and paid for before Katrina.

UV

UV. This is a steller moment and I know you are waiting with your heart in your hand as you get AJ up and back home to the camp. It has been to long to be without your AJ
Chris

Yeah, its gonna happen. Not tomorrow tho. Talked to the yard this morning and apparently the guy that was to align the engines musta took drunk over the weekend and did not show up. After all, the boat is in New Orleans....

Good news is that the port gear oil leak was a busted fitting on a gear cooler hose, easy fix. Yard sea trailed her Friday afternoon and reports all is well except for a little vibration in the port side, so the engine alignment is a must - new struts, cutless, shafts machine shop done, props computer scanned. Now shooting for Wed, but on the other hand, if I wait till Thursday to bring her home, I can stay the whole long weekend and douse everything in CX.

Speaking of Corrosion X, I'm now a distributor for the full line of CX products. My plans are to wholesale them in this area, but will supply the Faithful if you can't find it locally. I'll have my first big shipment here in about a week or so. My motive for this is the products are the best I've ever used and there is only one place in my area, a metro area of 700,000 coonasses, you can buy it, and that place seldom has even the red, and never the other good stuff like RejeX.

Soooooooo, my motto is, "If you are gonna get screwed by a lawyer, might as well be one that uses Corrosion X". Catchy, huh?

UV

Just couldn't stand it after finding out Tropic Star was a dealer, huh!! Just kidding! Congratulations! Now you have to get the 55 gallon drum!

I can drop ship you a 55 gal. durm in about 8 minutes. Now we may need a credit check or a real stout credit card.......

Anyway, just something I thought I'd do to while away my spare time. A shame such a great product line is not brought to the public, but I'm preaching to the choir here for sure.

UV

I agree. Their website says that True Value and west Marine carry it, but I have never seen it on their shelves and noone seems to know about it. They all seem to have Boeshield and corrosion Block though - I guess those companies have a better advertising department than product!

couple of things here.
First, it's not going to be the base ingredient for your red drinks is it?


Second. I'm seeing the Ft Liquredale thing on your nickle, now that your a dealer. Nice booth, hooter girls at the booth and the entertaiment suite at the flop house. Big meals at the copa thuddd, next door. Yea I see this as a good thing.
I've said before and often, UV, you da man.

yo frin
Thudddddddddddddddddddd

Good idea, Timmy, you line up the Hooters.

Yard called, AJ is done. I will pick her up in the morning early and take her home to the camp, very gently......

UV

you ok UV!!!!!
Better me than that dug kid...... you saw what happened last time.

Maybe get Ric to interview the talent???

No, maybe Doc......

UV