[PUP] Summer Skis 05/13/07: Getting ready to depart for Bermuda

[Georgs Kolesnikovs]

Here's a report from Jim Fuller of the Nordhavn 43 Summers Skis. Jim 
and his crew will be taking part in Med Bound 2007 which gets under 
way from Fort Lauderdale on May 24:

Summer Skis has moved from Palm Beach where we were being inspected 
and any deficiencies taken care of. Fortunately not much needed to be 
done. The lack of work was very pleasing to the wallet as well as my 
piece of mind. I feel very confident that Summer Skis will be ready 
to leave on the 24th weather depending.

On Friday the 11th my friend Vern Petty and I ran outside to Ft. 
Lauderdale and the Coral Ridge Yacht Club which will be the 
Headquarters for Med Bound 2007. The run down the coast was 
uneventful except for the visibility that was about 1.5 - 2 Miles due 
to the smoke and haze coming from the forest fires in the Everglades. 
It is a serious problem for those on the east coast of Florida.

While in Ft Lauderdale the final preparations will take place. All 
boats and crew must be at Coral Ridge by noon on the 18th. Between 
noon and 5:00, or in Med Bound speak 1700, we will get our manuals 
and schedules as well as any forms that must be filled out as it 
relates to entry into Bermuda as well as the Azores and the Med for 
those going that far. Included in the package will be a "goodie bag" 
that PAE Nordhavn has contributed to the cause.

Friday night is a Welcome Party for all hands and invited guests. 
This is being hosted by the Med Bound Organizing Committee. On 
Saturday morning the seminars begin with Bob Senter from 
Lugger/Northern Lights. This company is the supplier of the engines 
for all the boats. The engine is basically a John Deere tractor 
engine that has been modified for marine use by Lugger in Seattle, 
WA. They are very robust engines that are very dependable. On 
subsequent days there will be seminars on various systems that are 
common on most boats of this type. These include stabilizers, 
satellite communications, watermakers, auto pilots, chart plotters, 
radar and radios to name a few. On Monday the 21st we will be fueled 
directly from fuel trucks that will come to the dock. Right now 
between all the boats we have committed to 9,800 gallons of diesel 
fuel. At that quantity we have been able to negotiate a VERY 
reasonable price, well below the normal "marina price."

On Wednesday the 23rd we will have a quiet day for everyone to take 
care of the last minuet grocery shopping and other things that will 
pop up. Wednesday night is a sit down dinner for all hands and 
invited guests sponsored by PAE Nordhavn.

Thursday morning we will get our final weather briefing and make the 
decision to go or no go. At 1100 we cast off and head out to the sea 
buoy off Ft. Lauderdale and run the first leg of the trip to a point 
near the top of the Bahamas Bank. At that point we will turn east for 
a run of a little under 800 miles to a point located at 32.12.55N 
064.51.66W or about 10 miles south of Gibbs Hill Light. From that 
point we will run parallel to the south coast of Bermuda until we 
make the turn off St. George's and run down the north shore of 
Bermuda into Hamilton Harbour and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

I will fill you in with more detail as the week progresses. There is 
all ready one boat here New Frontier a Nordhavn 62 owned by Jer & Con 
Reynolds. Milt & Judy Baker arrive on Monday on the Med Bound lead 
boat Bluewater.

Cheers to all and as we are saying in Ft. Lauderdale the "beat goes on".

Jim
On board Summer Skis
Coral Ridge Yacht Club
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
13 May 2007