Successful Shakedown on Murray

Our shakedown on Murray this weekend was briefer than expected due to rain and cold, but entirely successful.

The trolling motor on the dink (Rinky) is perfect for getting Merlin ashore. 

The blue and white cooler holds a lawn mower battery. It will be converted to a convenient seat before the next outing.

Mer was a little hesitant to get in the dink the first morning but once he did get aboard Rinky we motored uneventfully the beach. We beached and he jumped out. He went potty and fetched a stick ashore for abut 15 minutes, all the while keeping an eye on me so I didn’t leave without him. When I was ready to go back to the boat, I called him and he jumped right into the dink. We returned to Big Duck and Merlin hustled up the steps when encouraged. Much to the amazement of Suzy, he was completely dry when he boarded Big Duck!

The second morning went a little different. Merlin was quick to get into the dink and quick to get out once we were about 30 feet from shore. He pranced joyfully ashore in tummy deep water. He quickly went potty and we played fetch, then explored the island for about 30 minutes, about which time he decided to go for a swim. He obediently boarded Rinky when I summoned him; he rode up on the bow on the return in anticipation of re-boarding Big Duck. He was patient as I positioned Rinky for him to  disembark.

Eventually, Merlin will have to learn to go potty on deck, but for now, once a day in the morning suits him just fine.

Rinky is a plastic dinghy which was designed for rowing. I had to make an easily removed motor mount for her which turned out to be an ideal setup for securing the oars while using the motor (see pic above). Being small, Rinky can easily be hoisted to the roof of Big Duck for road travel without affecting the 12' air draft. She would fit flat on the roof, but by leaning her against the rail, there's easy access around her to the flybridge. This is nice for the times we opt to leave Rinky on the roof in waters where we know we can beach Big Duck.

I pull Rinky up the starboard side and tilt her over the rail to get her aboard

On a different front...The oil drain plug gasket I replaced didn't stop the oil leak, but I did find I could snug the oily fuel pump bolts over 1/2 a turn, so I think the oil leak has been taken care of.

The new EST distributor performed well with quick reliable starts, although we never took The Duck above 8 mph.

With the plentiful and persistent rain, we discovered that quite a bit of the water that would occasionally drip on the sleeping Merlin was due to condensation collecting on the aluminum window frames. We will address that before the next outing, perhaps by using foam over the cold aluminum.

All Big Duck's system performed above expectation -- the freezer on the aft deck with the brine brick continues to delight me. It keeps my beer at 28° at the bottom of the freezer, but it works as a refrigerator in the baskets on top...for a week without power.

It sure was nice for Suzy's brother Doug and his wife Elaine to come down from Chicago with their 2120 Parker to join us on Murray. It was great seeing them again, not to mention the ease of aided launching/retrieving, and for sure Doug's gourmet cooking. 

Our next adventure is planned for the Chain of Lakes in FL, splashing on/around May 15. Doug and Elaine plan to join us. We'd be happy to have anyone else along as well.