I guess this is a continuation of my last two trips to the keyboard.

I probably need more than the month or six weeks I have spent with this gal still labeled as Wine Time, but I think the title applies.  I got it right this time. She will be known as Nuthin2Mow as soon as I can get my act together and make the change.  You gotta do that right or bad luck can prevail.

Why do I think I got it right?

Not because the sale of the old place and the purchase of Nuthin2Mow went as smooth as anyone can expect those things to go; although that did give me a warm fuzzy feeling that I had made a good decision.

Not because the first trip out of the slip was a huge success; let me share a little of that with you.

Included in the purchase agreement was a training run with the previous owners.  I decided I didn’t need their help; all I needed was a willing “first mate”.  I happen to know one; she has the same amount of houseboat experience as me.  Next trip will be our second, if I can get her back onboard.  We got the thing started, untied and eased back out of the slip just like we knew what we were doing.  The captain (me) had a little trouble getting it to turn starboard (that’s right for you non mariners) but we kind of backed it away from the dock; I don’t think anyone was watching.

It is about a half mile or so through a reasonably narrow cove from the marina to open water; we just kept her pointed north and cruised right on out past the mouth of the cove, lookin good.  The plan was to get out where we couldn’t hit anything or heaven forbid anyone and figure out how to maneuver this twin engine thing. I thought it would be about like a Zero Turn lawnmower, I still think it will be. Following the couple minutes it would take me to become efficient at that we planned just a short shakedown cruise.

We made our way up to the fly bridge; great view from up there.  I played with the throttles and gearshifts and turned left or port if you prefer like a pro, then I tried the other way. Things went to hell in the proverbial handbasket.  The big ole steering wheel up top wasn’t turning anything, just spinning.  The starboard engine wouldn’t go into reverse, and just to complicate things a little more we lost forward and reverse on the port engine.  From the fly bridge we could go in a big lazy circle.

We went back down to the main cabin.  We now had a functioning steering wheel and one engine in forward gear; we managed to get her turned about and pointed in the general direction of the marina.  About half way there when it appeared we would make it back, Patty asked what I was going to do when we got there.  My response made her feel real comfortable; I calmly said “I don’t have a clue, we’ll figure something out”.  With a lot of assistance from the Evergreen (marina) crew we docked it emptied the waste holding tank filled the fuel tanks and got it safely tucked away in the slip.

I think we figured out what all the problems are and the parts to fix it are on a brown truck headed this way.  If you happen to be diving in about 60 feet of water just outside Evergreen cove and find a big old propeller, it is probably mine, we lost one there.

Not because some good friends and relatives have stopped by for a tour and a visit or because if have made some new friends; although those things certainly contribute to the title.

Not because it is easy to step off Nuthin2Mow, step on the pontoon and go fish, go to the beach or just cruise around the lake; again a contributor but not the real reason.

I think I got it right because for the first time in a VERY long time I spent four consecutive nights there, really didn’t want to come home and plan to go back real soon.

Good Night and God Bless.

Dave